Immersed in His Presence…confusion at Ascension

“Jesus is talking about waiting until they are immersed in God’s presence, which will be Jesus’ presence in their lives, so that they will be able to continue what he had begun in them; they are asking when the real action is going to begin so they can take charge of kingdom-of-God leadership.” – Eugene Peterson, Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places

It’s one of my favorite moments of interplay with Jesus and his disciples. It’s been a wild season and He is preparing them for their new normal. It is 40 days since he resurrected , 43 since he had been brutally crucified, and 3+ years since he had called out and invited the world to know that the Kingdom of God had come near. He had spent countless hours with these men and women; people we now call saints. He had trained them and taught them and shown them a side of God’s heart that they hadn’t known.

I like to imagine myself walking with Jesus in the countryside of Galilee and the vast expanse of wild-ness of the Judaean Hills. I like to think that I would have been captivated by his presence and his teaching. I like to think I would have absorbed His Way and been ready to jump into anything he asked. I like to think things would be different than they are right now. That seeing him and being around him, I might somehow be more faithful or more devout.

I like to think those things, but in my gut I know better. The first disciples were far from perfect, and they were filled with the same fears and doubts that I have (and they could look Jesus in the eyes and hear him call their names.) They struggled with belief, and they big time struggled with listening and really hearing what Jesus told them. In a way, that comforts me.

I think Jesus shows tremendous patience with the disciples (and with me). He certainly had to have moments of frustration at their inability to comprehend. He regularly says “why do you have such little faith” and that can’t be heard without exasperation. How often does he say it with me in mind?

And yet, even there, Jesus’ compassion, love and grace won’t stop. He still stoops down and gives me what I need (which is very different from what I want). And in this moment at Jesus’ ascension, the disciples are wanting inside information. They want to know when they get to flex some Kingdom muscle. And instead of growling at their further adventures in missing His point, he doesn’t correct but he invites immersion into the Holy.

With all the terror that currently sweeps our lands, I often hear how our prayers need to stop and our actions need to take over. Whether it is a shooting, or some act of violence, or when racial tensions reveal corruption and hatred, or when violent storms tear apart lives and corporations don’t do as they promise – it’s now looked at with shame and mockery when we say let’s pray. Our hashtags of “praying for” this or that is now seen as trite little trinkets in moments that require more. “Save your prayers, and start doing something” is the call from Social Media activists and people who have given up on faith. But, this shows just how little we understand prayer and prayer’s action.

Prayer isn’t just about answers. Prayer is always about an immersion into God’s healing and holy presence. We bring to God those places of destruction and we intercede for those hurting. And in being immersed in God, we are able to live lives of prayer that is very action oriented in the world. Prayer is about being found when we are most lost by One that is Holy and Whole-y Love. It’s about an immersion of healing that is a life long journey and process.

So when these disciples see the world as a mess – with corruption rampant and oppression the norm – they want to know how to get after it. And Jesus says “wait…pray…and immerse yourself in the presence of God.” He says be transformed before you go and offer a single thing. The Kingdom will come in power but it will be a power unlike anything you imagined.

I need this story told to me regularly (it’s in Acts 1 by the way). I need to hear Jesus say the next “new thing” is probably the same old thing of Jesus’ presence through the Holy Spirit living in me and me being immersed in Him. I need to remember when I’m feeling pretty yucked up by the world’s mess and the ugliness of situations out of my control, that I don’t need to be in control. Instead, what I most need, is to immerse myself in Him, so that I can continue to be like him to those who need Jesus with skin on.

I’m a mess and I’m the first to admit it. But I’m thankful that there are thousands of years of messy saints who have gone before and who have probably exasperated the Savior as much as I have. But even more, I’m thankful that he keeps after me, and he keeps inviting me to do life his way…to allow his kingdom work to flow through my life. I’m thankful that he keeps calling me to be immersed in a love that keeps transforming me from mess to His glory.

And he keeps after you too!