God'sAs we can see from this text, today is Ascension Sunday. Or what my dear friend Rev. Dawn describes as, “The day Jesus started working from home.”  
 
James Liggett reminds us that the Ascension “is not about gravity, or the physical location of heaven, or any of that. It is about God.” Although it comes at the end of Easter, The Ascension is really about Christmas. It completes the story of God who came to be one with us in the flesh of Jesus, and who is now joined in all his fleshiness to be forever one with God.
 
Because Jesus has returned to heaven in his human form, the reality and experience, the scars of being a human person, is a part of God’s reality and experience now. The fear and anxiety, the pain and suffering, the frustrations and joys we experience every day God gets it. And God’s got it. That’s the basic lesson of the Ascension.
 
In the book The Last Lecture, a college professor gives his final message to the world before his impending death. In this last class he offers them meaningful life advice, words of wisdom, and a great deal of optimism and hope for humanity.
 
Jesus did something similar as well before he died. He taught his students all that they needed to know to bring hope and optimism into God's Kingdom. But instead of standing in classroom giving a lecture, Jesus stands on the graduation stage, giving this charge:

​“Be my witnesses.”
 
The disciples have earned their degrees. And are ready to hit the ground running. They are not given the summer off.  Or allowed to take a gap year. Instead, they quickly exchange their caps and gowns for suits and ties to bear witness to “how God has broken into human affairs by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.”
 
I was blessed to have gotten a job immediately following both of my graduations. After I earned my bachelor’s degree, I got a job as a jr. Copywriter at the L.A. office of Ogilvy & Mather, a global ad agency.

​But after receiving my Master of Divinity, I was called to lead a church in small rural town in western Michigan. Which seemed fitting for a ministerial job considering that Jesus doesn’t send these grads out to testify in their own neighborhood. He sends the “to the ends of the earth.”
 
He tells them to take the gospel to those places they’ve never heard of; places they’ve been warned not to go. Go out there in my name, loving and serving and caring for people who don’t look like you, or think like you, or even like you. Some might even want to hurt you. And others will succeed at doing it.

In what Joseph Fitzmyer calls the “programmatic verse” of Acts, Jesus pours the foundation of the Christian church and the scope of the Christian’s life is set. If you’re going to follow the Risen Christ, then you have to be his witnesses in any and every space.
 
Anamesa is more than a name, it’s a way of living out Christ’s name in the space between. For every space is sacred, God space. An opportunity to be and show the love of God so others can see who they truly are - beloved children of God.

We each must ask ourselves, “Knowing I’ve been sent by Jesus, will I leave here  today proclaiming the good news?”
 
You don’t have to be heading off to college in the fall to see how this is a scary and anxiety inducing question. The world is still far removed from the kingdom Jesus ushered in.

Just as the world rejected him, there’s a good chance we too will be rejected. But knowing the human and divine are forever One, this challenge is also exciting and life giving.
 
Colleen is going out on her own. But I know that she will make new friends and form new bonds in at her new school. In each new space she will enter, she can bear witness to God’s great love, mercy and grace by being those things for others.
 
“Go and be my witness to the ends of the earth.”
 
We are his people. Easter people. Called to proclaim the good news of the resurrection. We are fully alive because Christ is truly alive in us and all around us. He is the bridge between us and them, just as he is between the human and divine.
 
As I’ve been saying throughout this entire series, the church is not a static building or institution. It’s a living, breathing, thriving organism. It’s you and me, and everything in between.

​Jesus sends us out into Anamesa to make the gospel come alive in every little nook and cranny of life.
 
As his followers we are called out to be the "salt that brings God-flavors to the earth"; to be the "light that brings God-colors to the world" (Matthew 5:13-14 MSG).

With his own life Jesus taught us how to be kind and generous with our own. How to love and honor and welcome all people just as God has loved and honored and welcomed us.
 
Life is a journey where we wander between human beings and being human. Our pilgrim path is a delicate and deliberate way where every act of love towards one another, moves us one step closer to God.

As John the Evangelist wrote in his first epistle, “No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in us and God’s love is perfected within us” (1 John 4:12).
 
We are the Great Commandment people, who love God and love others. And we are the Great Commission people who carry that love to the ends of the earth.

This is what it means to follow Jesus, what it means to be the Body of Christ.
 
As the disciples will soon discover, life does not magically become easier once they get their diploma.

Being the church is not a day job, it’s a lifelong calling; a life-giving calling; one that embraces and encompass the resurrected life of Christ Jesus who gave the assurance that you will receive the power to do what is asked of you, “when the Holy Spirit comes upon you” (Acts 1:8).
 
Next week we will finally celebrate Pentecost when this promise becomes a reality. Once filled with power from above, the Apostles will go out fearlessly - to love God, love others and serve both.

They will teach us how to be, as Henri Nouwen wrote, “windows constantly offering each other new views on the mystery of God’s presence in our lives.”
 
Through Christ we share one heart with one another. And with God. We have become heirs to his holy lineage. Through him, we are now a part of God, just as God has always been a part of us.
 
Today, we are given a choice. We can stand around looking up at the heavens wondering when Christ will return (Acts 1:10-11).

Or we can walk together in his likeness, as the fullest expressions of God’s love, paying careful attention to that space between our steps.
 
That holy and sacred space here where Christ comes to meet us in the other. And where Christ will come again to raise us all up in his glory.
  
 
 
Works Cited
Adapted from my sermon Onward, Let’s Go on May 24, 2020.
Barclay, William. The Acts of the Apostles, Daily Study Bible Series. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1955.
Bartlett, David L, Barbara Brown Taylor. Feasting on the Word, Year A, Vol 2. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2010.
Godin, Seth. seths.blog. May 23, 2020.(accessed May 23, 2020).
Liggett, James. Today is the Sunday. May 12, 2002. (Accessed on May 19, 2023).

Just as Luke draws an interesting parallel between the death of Jesus and Stephen, he does something similar with Paul and Socrates, without ever naming the famous Athenian philosopher.

Both men speak in the marketplace. The people believe they are both introducing new gods. Like Socrates, Paul stands before some sort of court. But only Paul is able to escape with his life intact.
 
Whether or not Paul knew about the fate of Socrates, he skillfully engaged the Athenians on their own terms. And he does so without critique or criticism. Nor does he condemn them for having a city full of idols, but instead uses their own spiritual intellect and curiosity to show them how the unknown God they seek is already present in their lives, whether they realize it or not. 

Instead of fighting them, he engaged them on their terms, in a language they could understand. And then he invites them to participate in God’s kingdom by calling them to rethink their beliefs.

What this church and all Christian churches can take away from this story is how to find common ground as a way to proclaim this message of the universal Christ, whom through God is present in all people and all things.
 
I think it would be a safe bet to say most Christians today believe Christ is Jesus’ last name. Paul shows this court of intelligencia that God is way bigger than that. In his book The Universal Christ, Richard Rohr’s uses Paul’s words to show us how, “Christ is not limited to the Christian religion but is the story of the divine presence in everything." Both men will argue how all things made by God are holy and divine. And what make something that way, is Christ.
 
Christ is the great unifier. The one who levels the playing field redeeming all and returning all back to our original source which is God. Because Christ is in us, we are in Christ. And because Christ is in God, we too are a part of God, and God is a part of us. We all share the same humanity. And the same divinity.
 
Time and time again, Jesus showed us how to see beyond our differences and recognize the humanity and divine in all people.

​Like Nadia Bolz-Weber notes, “Jesus seemed to want connection with those around him, not separation…He kept violating boundaries of decency to get to the people on the other side of that boundary...He cared about real holiness, the connection of things human and divine, the unity of sinners, the coming together of that which was formerly set apart.”
 
I believe that’s why Jesus calls us to love and serve one another. In loving others, we are loving God. Likewise, by serving others we are serving God. To follow Jesus, the incarnate Christ, is to embrace a worldview that is more inclusive, more compassionate, and more loving. Because that’s who God is.
 
We live and participate in an increasingly polarized world where everyone is quick to judge and condemn those who hold different beliefs or opinions. This creates this an "us versus them" mentality. And has produced a dualistic God, whose love is conditional. This is a false god, like the ones in Athens.

I mean, do you really think God cares what political party you belong to? Or what church you attend or what sports team you root for? That’s a small 'g' god.

A big ‘G’ God, the one and only God Paul describes to the Athenians, is more concerned about how you love God, love others, and serve both. This big ‘G’ God isn’t separated from us but, through Christ, becomes one of us. One who creates human flourishing and ensures no one is left out.

Thus, as the body of Christ, we should focus our attention on entering Anamesa together, as one body, one heart and voice, making the kingdom of heaven come alive in all that we do. There is no need to be divided or dismissive because we are all made from the same divine source, whether we know it or not.
 
Through Christ, God saves the world by joining flesh with it. A God living among and within us all. This was a radical message that challenges the Athenians' beliefs about their own gods and the way they worshiped them. It should also challenge our notions as well. God isn’t just sitting on a cloud looking down on all of us. God is right here, as close to us as our own breath.
 
We are the God created. Made fully alive by the resurrected Christ. As Paul will go on to write, “your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you…you are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
 
This tells me that we are living temples and shrines made to manifest and reveal God’s glory. This is the unexpected, good news for those listening to Paul. Let’s face it, “One more god in Greece would have meant little, but upon hearing they were temples of the divine, made their hearts burn with desire and hope.” (Rohr)
 
Paul will continue his ministry building upon the foundation that was set by the other Apostles at Pentecost, creating the structure of the church, the living body of Christ.
 
In his letters, he writes, “For just as the body is one with many members…we were all made to drink of one Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:12-13).
 
He declares, “We are all sons and daughters of God in Christ Jesus there is no distinction between male or female, Greek or Jew, slave or free, but all of you are one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26–28).
 
His message then is relevant for us today, reminding the divided churches, “In his flesh he has made both groups one and has broken down the wall, that is, the hostility between us.” (Ephesians 2:13-14)
 
In Christ’s holy and sacred body, there is no longer “us and them.”  No need to worry about what side we’re on because of Christ we are one with God. Our focus should not be on what others are doing, or what they believe, but on what we can do to make Christ come alive, right here, right now.
 
We are the living temples and sacred shrines of God’s glory, where others can come and receive God’s unconditional love. This is our mission and ministry. This is the call of the church universal. And how each and every one of us can evangelize and leave people in awe.
 
As Christ’s followers we must enter Anamesa, loving one another, seeking common ground, and never give up working towards unity and peace. Following the examples of the Apostles, like Peter, Stephen, and Paul may we proclaim the gospel message of redemption and hope to all who will listen.




Work Cited
Bartlett, David L. and Barbara Brown Taylor, eds. Feasting on the Word Year A, Vol 2 (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2010).
Bolz-Weber, Nadia. Shameless: A Sexual Reformation (New York: Convergent Books, 2019), 26, 22, 26–27. 
Rohr, Richard. The Universal Christ: How a Forgotten Reality Can Change Everything We See, Hope For and Believe (New York: Crown Publishing Group, 2019)
Rohr, Richard. Essential Teachings on Love, selected by Joelle Chase and Judy Traeger (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2018), 90–92. 

Gregory Hansen writes, “If the second chapter of Acts portrays the best response ever given to someone’s first sermon, here Steven receives the worst response imaginable to what was definitely his last.”
 
How did we get here so fast? One minute everyone is filled with the Spirit. The next, stones are being thrown.
 
A little backstory might be helpful. Peter and the other apostles have been imprisoned and beaten by the temple authorities for preaching their message that Jesus is the Messiah. Like I said last week, this was  dangerous on many fronts. Despite the threats, thousands were being converted and transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit.
 
These first Christians will sell all their possessions and hold all in a common purse with the community of believers. One such person was Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit. Stephen was distributing food to the faithful when he was confronted by a jealous faction among the Jews in Jerusalem.
 
Similar to Jesus’ story, they accuse Stephen of blasphemy. They even instigate false witnesses against him. In return, Stephen gives a scathing rebuttal to their false charges with an exegetical exhortation of Israel’s history of persecuting prophets.

As you might imagine, this does not go over very well. And Stephen, like Jesus, is dragged outside the city and executed. As a result, he becomes the church’s first martyr.
 
Now, the word martyr is a transliteration of the Greek word meaning “witness.” Thus, to be a martyr is to “bear witness,” which in this case is to the resurrection and ascension of Jesus as the Messiah. Like Peter before him, Stephen’s story begins constructing the model of the church today. We are called to be martyrs, to bear witness to Christ, even if it kills us.
 
How much of this is true with this church today?
 
We gather to worship Christ, to learn how to be like him, and love like him, in the world. But what happens when we leave here, when the camera’s off and we get on with life? Are we going out in the world bearing witness in such a way that people can clearly see the resurrected Christ? Do we threaten the ways of the world, by living life as Jesus taught?
 
Brian Prior asks, “If someone were to stop at a gas station and ask where your church was, how would the gas station attendant answer?” Would the attendant look at them blankly? Give a vague answer? Or say, “Oh, that church! That’s the church where this, this, and this happens!”
 
If I asked you what our church mission is you could probably tell me that it is to love God, love others and serve both. But is that really our reality? Is it truly ingrain into the very flesh of this sacred body? We must ask this question often to make sure that we are making love a habitual practice until this vision is our reality.
 
As I am learning every day, there are people out there looking for what the world cannot offer. They are looking for what only Christ can give. And they’re watching us to see if we will show him to them. We must be mindful of our actions because they know a hypocrite when they see one.

If we profess God’s redeeming love without proving it in our actions, what good is the gospel worth?
 
In the midst of being murdered for his faith, Stephen’s words became his actions. Again like Jesus, he prayed for the forgiveness of those who were killing him. Although his testimony may not have stopped or converted those throwing the stones, it was able to transform the life of Saul who was there – watching.  
 
Hearing Stephen’s testimony, and witnessing his faith, a seed was planted within Saul. It was only a matter of time for God to transform this persecutor into an Apostle. Saul would become Paul who would go on to bear witness to Christ with his life, his letters, and in his own martyrdom.
 
Both Stephen and Paul will proclaim the good news – just like Jesus did – with every fiber of their being. As Paul wrote, “I am crucified with Christ; It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).
 
On this pilgrimage of life, as we move closer and closer to God’s heart, we must never forget that we are Easter people – called to live out our life in Christlikeness even in the face of death. We must live every day dying to ourselves and living into Christ. This is our proclamation.

watch this message here

As Easter people we know that not even death can stop God from doing what God does best – resurrecting the world with unconditional love. If we are to take the name Christian, then we must allow Christ to come alive in and through us, by being little Christ’s who resurrect God’s love in every nook and cranny of life.
 
Remember what I said last week? The church isn’t a static building or institution. It’s a living, breathing, thriving organism made up of ordinary saints like you and me. We are living seeds, rising yeast, bright shining lights.
 
Our faith must be alive and active with the power of Christ who called us to bear good fruit. Such a faith implies living every moment, every breath, as the manifestation of God’s love.
 
We can enter every space, big and small, proclaiming Christ’s holy name; using our minds and hearts, and our entire bodies and actions in imitation of the resurrected One who is alive in us and all around us.
 
As part of Christ’s body, we have the energy of the Holy Spirit, and all its intensity and strength. Our daily focus must be on increasing and strengthening that Spirit in all the ways we love and serve. Wherever the Holy Spirit is present, Christ is there.
 
Just the same, whenever love is present, we know Christ is there. When peace is present, or joy, compassion or hospitality Christ is there. Whenever and wherever we practice his way of love, Christ comes alive. Therefore, we have no greater testimony to God’s glory than being a living incarnation of God’s love right here in this space we call Anamesa.
 
Although not everyone will be given a holy vision of heaven like Stephen testified about, any one of us is able to make heaven a visible reality, anywhere and everywhere. Each of us is given a choice. Be like Christ and let the Kingdom of God be seen through you. Or be like the ones that covered their ears and picked up stones.
 
Trust me when I say, there are enough churches out there claiming to follow Christ while manifesting bigotry, hate, inequality, and judgment on their neighbors. There are too many modern-day Pharisees and Sadducees who are so focused on the law that they ignore the spirit by which it was given.
 
What the world needs now are people and communities to embrace what Peter describes as “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:19). Everyday folks like you and me, who are willing to build up God’s kingdom with integrity, kindness, and genuineness.
 
People who are willing to pick up where Jesus left off.
 
People who are willing to stand in the center of life heralding the good news with our entire being.
 
People who right wrongs, share blessings, and love and forgive those who throw stones.
 
God needs people who will create communities of peace in Christ’s name.
 
We believe that we are those people. Easter people. Therefore, let us go out in the world living out this reality and truth celebrating the resurrection by sharing life together in all its messiness.
 
With Christ and through Christ we are one voice, one heart, one body that loves God, loves others, and serves both. 

 
Work Cited
Ashley, Danáe M. Our Particular Community. episcopalchurch.org  on May 14, 2017 (Accessed on May 4, 2023)  
Bartlett, David L. and Barbara Brown Taylor, eds. Feasting on the Word, Year A. Vol 2. (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2010).
Butterworth, Susan. All We Need. episcopalchurch.org on April 30, 2023 (Accessed on May 5, 2023).