Praying Together for Discernment.

"When they entered the city they went to the upper room where they were staying,...(and) devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers." Acts 1: 13,14

Almost immediately after letting go of Jesus in what we call the Ascension of the Lord, the apostles and disciples stop to reflect, to pray and to wait. What is it the Lord will ask of them now? How will he have them live; what will he have them do?

The actions of the disciples in the early pages of Acts of the Apostles is a model for contemporary believers. It is important, especially before taking up any new ministry, to reflect and pray together in Christ. While personal prayer can sustain us on a daily basis, when we are about to begin something new, it is important to be together in prayer.

There are many ways for us to be together, especially in the 21st century. We can be in the same room, or on the same conference call or on the same Skype or Go to Meeting call, but for Christians, it is not simply being together that matters, but that we take time for quiet, reflection and prayer together. No matter what limits or possibilities there are for being together in Christ, as long as strive together to be active listeners to God's spirit, we can be sure that we will discover God's desire for us as a church.

Today, take some time with another believer to sit together in quiet to ask for God's guidance and help.

Have you had important and transforming faith experiences with other Christians?

The Visitation of Mary and Elizabeth

"Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! 

Sing joyfully, O Israel! 

Be glad and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! 

The LORD has removed the judgment against you, 

He has turned away your enemies."

When we learn that family members or good friends, against whom we have sinned, are willing to forgive us and begin again, it is an occasion for joy. But even if those closest to us reject us, we can, like Mary, live a peaceful life as long as we are willing to let go and trust God to direct our lives towards healing.

It is not difficult to imagine that Mary suffered much rejection when her family and village friends found out she was pregnant. Those closest to her would have known that she had not lived with Joseph, and at the very least would have wondered how and by whom she was pregnant. Having experienced this kind of harsh judgement helps us understand why Mary was so compassionate towards the newly married young couple who were running out of wine, and towards the Apostles who abandoned her Son when he was most in need. 

Mary knew what it was like to be cruelly judged by people looking for for her faults, but grace helped her put aside any rejection she felt in order to reach out in compassion for others. Her visit to Elizabeth, which the scripture reminds us she made in haste, assures us that Mary's concern was not for herself, but for Elizabeth, who, like her, was newly pregnant. When Elizabeth praised Mary for being open to the voice of God, Mary sings her glorious Magnificat, a song that celebrates all that God has done for her and the poor everywhere. 

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;

my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed:

the Almighty has done great things for me,

and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him

in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm,

he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,

and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel

for he has remembered his promise of mercy,

the promise he made to our fathers,

to Abraham and his children for ever.”

Visit someone today who is not expecting it, even if you can only do it by phone or internet.

What do you most admire about Mary?

Vows

"At Cenchreae Paul had shaved his head because he had taken a vow. " Acts 18:18

We have all taken vows, some more formal and important than others. A childhood friend, although I had counselled him otherwise, took a vow not to go home until he had made fifty foul shots in a row, but most of us profess a different kind of vow. Either we marry, take vows as a religious, priest, deacon or bishop, or commit ourselves to a particular cause, and we do this at the prompting of the Spirit in order to live the Gospel more intentionally.

Why St Paul took a vow and shaved his head is not clear. We know that Paul encouraged his followers to  separate themselves from the world and give themselves totally to the way of Jesus in much the same way as the Nazirite vow challenged Jewish believers. Nazarites promised, for a period of time, not to drink alcohol or eat grapes and raisins, not to touch the dead, even in their own families, and to refrain from cutting their hair in order to purify themselves and return to the Law from which they had strayed. At end of the promised time, they offered sacrifice to God and shaved their heads as a sign of their new commitment.  

Perhaps Paul shaved his head to convince his contemporaries that he was also committed entirely to the Law and the Prophets, but was reinterpreting it according to the mind of Jesus. Reinterpreting the scriptures through the lens of culture and one's social context will always be a Christian's responsibility. Believers must pray to know how best to live and communicate the power of Jesus' message so that the world will never forget that the Jesus is God's gift to all for the salvation of the world. 

Today, ask the Lord for the grace of knowing how to proclaim the Gospel with power.

What idea or whose witness most helped you understand the transforming power of the Gospel?

The Ascension of the Lord

"Two men dressed in white garments stood beside them. They said, 'Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.'” Acts 1:11

Most of us have experienced being caught between conflicting feelings. Picture yourself at an airport sending a child off to college. Both proud and sad, you wave goodbye trying not to cry and leave the airport in a daze. A child with whom you have done your best is off for a new adventure, and you wonder whether she is prepared and ready to embrace the challenges. Even more poignantly, anyone who has helped parents die knows the pain of letting go and the relief that they are no longer in pain. Often, in situations like this, even when we have felt heavy burdened, we are lost for a while, not knowing what we ought next to do.

This is, I imagine, what was happening to the disciples of Jesus at the Ascension. While they knew the Spirit of God would be with them, letting go of Jesus was difficult. He had been their guide, their mentor and their security. It is no wonder they were looking up into the sky as their friend returned to his Father. Their loss was deep, even though their faith assured them they were not alone.

We should expect to experience the absence of Jesus regularly during life. A Japanese proverb reminds us: When my house burned down, I could finally see the sunrise. Only when we have lost something precious, are we able to appreciate it fully, and more important, see what else might be available to us when we open our eyes and heart to God's plan.

Today, let go of the Jesus you know and ask to experience him more fully through God's eyes.

How do you make sense of the feast of the Ascension?