The story of the ascension marks this transition for the faith community. Jesus leaves the people on their own to figure things out, to live their life, to pursue their passions and shape their ministry.
It’s a scripture that deserves more focus and consideration. I find that the questions of the disciples, the assurance of Christ and the image of those gathered, necks craned toward the sky looking intently a compelling reminder of what we are to be as the church. The book of Acts has been criticized as presenting an unrealistic series of triumphs (because life is rarely so spectacularly successful) and appears to supplant the importance of Christ with the institution of the church. But I think the most important aspect of the Acts of the Apostles is the reminder that God is very active in the world by the Holy Spirit through the faith of people, and not a blueprint for how to “do church.”
We are well aware that blueprint is changing with the times: emerging technologies, global transportation, interconnected economics and market forces, media-driven social dynamics all make our reality very different from that of the eastern Mediterranean of 2000 years ago. We cannot transplant what worked well in days gone past without accounting for contemporary influences and factors.
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In recalling John’s baptism by water, we are reminded how the crowds came to find him, from Judea and the surrounding region. The movement reverses now – as the Spirit creeps out from Jerusalem into Judea, then to the somewhat foreign land of Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. It’s time for the gospel to hit the road, to travel and spread.
It all begins with an awe-filled moment of Christ rising up above this mortal coil, disappearing into the heavens. The last words Jesus delivers are a promise and a guarantee: you will have power when the Holy Spirit comes, and you will be witnesses. One part speaks to what the disciples will receive (power in the Spirit) and the other part speaks to what the disciples will do and deliver (witness).
That’s another word that makes United Church folks uneasy: “Witness.” It conjures images of testimony, of evangelism, of pushy, self-absorbed salvation and annoying other people so much with God that they tune out and turn away. It’s too bad that the hyper-evangelistic and fundamentalist characters of Christianity monopolize such an important and inviting aspect of our faith life.
What does Jesus mean when he tells the disciples they will be his witnesses? (And this is not a request or a suggestion, it is a declaration – they will be his witnesses!) We might look to the legal system for some direction. After all, there is a legal quality to the writing of Acts and there are plenty of trials and arguments in these chapters.
To be a witness implies a couple things. First, there is a conflict, there is opposition to what we have to say, and it is conducted in public. Otherwise, why are witnesses needed? Each side gathers its experts and witnesses to prove a point, to uncover a truth.
Second, witnesses speak only to what they know or experienced. They are not the judges or jurors in the situation, they do not decide the worthiness, holiness or salvation of others. Witnesses don’t try to convince or persuade others, that job is for the lawyers to do. All witnesses do is share as clearly as they can what they believe to be true.
Jesus may have ascended, lifted to the heavens, leaving us behind to figure things out for ourselves. That does not excuse us from our mission, from following his last words – to accept the power of the Holy Spirit in our world and to be a witness.
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