For the next few months there will be a series of achievements ceremonies, each of which will simultaneously introduce a time of major change: high school and college graduations, weddings, and retirements. Each of these is eagerly anticipated as an ending: to studies, singleness, and work requirements. But each has an instant follow-on that isn’t clearly seen in advance. Graduates must look for work or the school of their next degree, brides and grooms must begin adjusting to another voice being heard in their day-to-day decision-making, retirees must find an activity to replace the many years previously taken up with earning a living. It’s a time of transition, both welcomed and challenging.
For students planning to continue their studies, an eleventh-hour acceptance from the top university of their choice (after being resigned to an alternate) comes as a stunning turn of events. Life suddenly brightens. An excited scramble ensues to get things in order. For newlyweds, finding affordable housing (after a long, despairing search) calls for immediate action to sign papers and begin their move. For retirees, to have a random talk with an acquaintance and be introduced to the exact thing they were hoping for is a total adrenaline rush, bringing hope and banishing the dreary prospect of long, lonely days.
Jesus’ disciples (unbeknownst to them) were soon to find themselves zapped from being lost in their fog of mourning and confusion and hurled into a frenzy of impassioned activity the likes of which they never dreamed possible. As Mark, in his Gospel, would say, they were ‘immediately’ thrust to the forefront of the emerging church. And as they preached, people responded, in droves, daily. They were forever – tired/not tired, ready/not ready, prepared/not prepared, thrilled/terrified. They were flying by the seat of their tunics, more and more learning to depend on the voice of the Holy Spirit as they faced the unknowns presented with each new day. Every day was exhilarating, challenging, scary, exhausting, sweetly rewarding, breathtaking, in short, a gift beyond description.
After his intro to the Great Commission, Jesus continued with the word, ‘therefore.’ Someone has written that every time you see the word ‘therefore’ you should look to see what it is there for. And this time it would appear that, because of this authority granted him by his Father, we, as his today disciples, should likewise ‘go.’ God’s Word is timeless, with its up-to-date message for every generation. Even ours. Better get our walking shoes on! Looking forward to seeing you equipped and ready disciples tomorrow, 10 AM, 3 PM UK, 4 PM ES. PD
