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It seems to me that the first chapter of Acts is one of the most interesting chapters of the Bible, and extremely meaningful.

Between Miracles - Exodus 14: 10-14; Acts 1: 1-5 - May 2, 2010 - Cicero United
Methodist Church - Everett J. Bassett

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It seems to me that the first chapter of Acts is one of the most interesting chapters of the Bible, and extremely meaningful. It describes an in-between time for the followers of Jesus. At the end of the Gospel accounts of Jesus' life, there is the miracle of Easter, the central event in the Christian faith. And forty days or so later was Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit, full of power and passion. Acts, chapter one, is the time between those two miracles, and so it is an easy chapter to pass. But I think that is a mistake; the fact is, we spend most of our time between miracles. There are big events in our lives - mountaintop experiences and dramatic moments that mark the course of our life-journeys - weddings, birth of children, major job breakthroughs, key moments in friendships,
moves to new homes, opportunities to take major trips, and so on. Often those times seem miraculous - they are the big moments of life and faith, when God really shows up.

But they are moments. We don't live on those mountaintops. Most of our lives are lived between those major turning points. The thing we need to remember is that God is with us in those more mundane times as well, though perhaps realized in a different way. And perhaps it's worth reflecting on that difference. So it would seem that here between Easter a few weeks back, and Pentecost a few weeks away, it is a good time to turn to the first chapter of Acts and see what those first followers of Jesus did to make the most of that time between miracles. And that's what I'd like to do the next three weeks.

First, a little background: the Book of Acts is actually a sequel to the Gospel According to Luke, and is written by the same author. The first book, the Gospel, is the story of Jesus; and the second book, Acts, is the story of the first Christians. Both the Gospel and the Book of Acts are addressed to a man named Theophilus, who may have been someone of influence that Luke felt he wanted to convince about Jesus.

So the first few verses of Acts are a summary of the amazing events in the Gospel of Luke. Luke writes: "In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. After his suffering he presented himself alive to them through many convincing proofs, appearing to them over the course of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God." And then Luke writes these words: "While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave
Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father." And then Jesus tells them what the promise is - the coming of the Holy Spirit "not many days from now."

            So that sets up the in-between time, and there are at least two important lessons in those words. First of all, the in-between times are times of promise - God is working out a new miracle. And that is so important to remember, because often the in-between times don't feel like promises at all- they feel like trauma. Some of them are the most devastating experiences of life, and by no means can we take them lightly - the loss of a job, the loss of a loved one, the loss of a dream or a home or an opportunity. Many of you are journeying through such times right now, and they don't feel good. And then there are the other more anticipated events that feel more positive - expecting a child, graduating from school, big family events. Those don't carry the same freight of pain as
those major losses, but they are still times of uncertainty and anxiousness and a little fear.

The thing Jesus wants us to know is that we have a Savior. We live the moments of  our lives, whatever is happening, in the loving care of a miracle-working God. God will see us through, and that's a promise. We have a hard time grasping that sometimes, because what really is happening during our life-journey, even during those times that seem dormant, is change. Life is always changing. And that means we're always leaving something behind. And a funny thing happens when you look back on what you left behind: it often looks better than it felt at the time you were living it, especially when now you're out in the wilderness not sure what's around the next corner. That's the time to remember that we don't know what the future holds, but we do know who holds the future. We journey in the promise of Almighty God, and that is enough for the journey.

So, said Jesus, "stay in Jerusalem." And here's what I think that means. It would have been very easy to imagine that after what the disciples had been through in the last few days, they'd be ready to scatter to the four winds - take a little vacation, get their thoughts together, get out of here. At least they'd want to go back home to good old familiar Galilee - and, in fact, some of the Easter accounts say that's just what Jesus told them to do. But Luke has Jesus say, "Do not leave Jerusalem," for a very good reason: that's where God's plan was being worked out - at that particular moment, as it still is for so many today, Jerusalem was the spiritual base.

When we enter an in-between time, especially if it is the result of a traumatic experience, the first tendency may very well be to move - anywhere but here. Sometimes, to move physically, but at least to move emotionally - to back off from friends, to pack your bags to get out of town, to go on a spending spree, and so on. I'm sure most of you have heard that many grief counselors will say, Never make a major move during the first year after a tragic loss. I've seen some exceptions to that rule of thumb, but, all in all, I think it's good advice. Far better, I believe, to wait in Jerusalem.
Find your spiritual base, and watch how God's healing and renewing plan unfolds.

And certainly God knows that waiting is about the hardest thing to do. I often marvel at what Moses had to say to the Hebrew people in Exodus 14, when they were fleeing for their lives from the most powerful army in the world, which was out for their blood. The Hebrews are totally defenseless, and they come to the Red Sea, with no way to cross, and they are trapped. And Moses says to them, "The Lord will fight for you. You only have to keep still." Keep still? That is not a keep still situation. I am not a great swimmer, but I think if I'd been there that day with the Hebrews I would have taken a quick lesson. But keep still, says the Lord. Stay in Jerusalem. Find your spiritual base. And when we do the promise of God comes through. Miracles come to give birth to new hope.

            What we'll see in Acts 1 is that the disciples did stay put, but they weren't inactive. First of all, they stayed together - that was important. They were God's team, and they were there for each other. Then verse 14 tells us they "were constantly devoting themselves to prayer." That to is essential. We sometimes say, "All we can do is pray." I imagine God, at that point, saying, "Good. Now I can really do something." The third thing those disciples did in Jerusalem was to inventory their resources, and they realized that because of Judas's defection, they were one disciple short. So they found a plan to bring themselves to full force. There's a good checklist for all of us while we're waiting in Jerusalem: stay with God's people, pray constantly, and build up your resources for the journey. I think this is great advice for individuals going through transitions. I also think it is great advice for a nation like ours trying to come to grips with a new role in a changing world. Or for the Church of Jesus Christ learning to stay true to its core mission while negotiating a secular world that calls for new ways for the Gospel to be presented - new ways like having a "Be the Church Sunday" or "God's Country."

And here at Cicero UMC, we have this in-between miracles feeling. In the last few years, we have experienced marked growth in numbers and in spiritual life. Now it's leveled off a little bit, almost like the Holy Spirit is letting us catch our breath while we prepare for the next revival. So what do we do during an in-between time? We trust God's promise; we stay close to our spiritual base; we keep together and care for each other; we pray constantly; and we hone our resources by expanding our facilities, deepening our discipleship and caring ministries, widening our missions. And whatever
God has in mind for us, we pray to be ready and faithful. Come, Holy Spirit, come.

I just want to mention two things in closing. The first is a great image, I think, for what I've been talking about - something we all love so much this time of year: road construction. I know everybody here loves to see those orange signs on the highway - Road Work Ahead. There's nothing like driving down a nice smooth road, and having to come to a stop because construction is going on - we thank God every time. Okay, maybe we don't; but we should. Because you know that great feeling you get driving down that nice smooth road? That's only possible because of road construction.

And life is no different. Sometimes the road has to be tom up. And you may long for the smooth road again, but for now you've got to go slow, maybe even come to a stop, be ready to change lanes and even drive on the shoulder, be ready for rough going, bumps and holes. You have to slow down - fines are doubled if you don't, and you might hurt yourself or others if you don't go easy. But, thank God, there are flag-people, and markers, and signs, and sometimes guide vehicles to help us. And while no one asks for road construction in life, at least we should appreciate what's happening during those rough stretches we go through - God is making life new, and today's rough road is tomorrow's smooth highway. Those orange signs might remind us of miracles to come. Finally, let's remember the ways God is present and working in the in-between times.

            You know, in truth, we're never really between miracles - miraculous and beautiful things are all around us, every day. And God has placed wonderful reminders of His love around us - things as simple as a piece of bread that represents something much more, or as beautiful as the person next to you, or as powerful as answered prayer. You are a child of promise; a child of grace. God is journeying with you, whatever you're going through. And that will be more than enough to see you through, and bring you to a new miracle