Acts 1:15-26
24 Then they prayed and said, ‘Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen 25 to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.’ 26 And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.
This week we are pondering in-between-times, those transitional periods as we go from one phase of life to another. Jesus rose on Easter and we celebrated for 40 days until the Ascension when he returned to his original place of glory in the Godhead and he promised to return again. We wait. But he also told his followers to return to Jerusalem and wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit, Pentecost. They waited. Tomorrow we will celebrate Pentecost.
Transitional, liminal times are challenging. The followers waited, prayed and then chose Mathias to fill Judas’ empty spot. It brings to mind a jogger running in place at a stoplight waiting to cross a street. The runner is in the same spot but…yup, legs are churning to keep the heart rate up, watches are checked, and eyes are on the signal to be ready to run across the intersection as soon as the light changes. Waiting, praying and planning are important. They are preparing.
We may be in one of those jogging-in-place times when the next step is not quite obvious. It seems to me the followers did what was logical and what was necessary preparation. I do not know that the choosing of Mathias was a great move but it was forward focused and a turn away from the grief of the cross to the anticipation of how the resurrection would unfold into their lives. I notice they did not allow themselves to be consumed with anxiety about the loss of Judas or Jesus. Their attitude is changing and even before Pentecost they are spiritually beginning to embracing a future that is about to unfold.
Even we are on a journey through life. It is so easy to become bogged down by guilt or worry about the past and our losses. I wonder what “choosing Mathias” would look like in our lives. Perhaps it is writing a letter of encouragement and affirmation to the graduate who is facing a new phase in life. Perhaps it is decluttering some of the “memories” that are collecting dust but need to be released to the past. I love the book Repacking Your Bags by Richard Leider and David Shapiro, 1995. It was followed by Claiming Your Place at the Fire , 2004 by the same authors. We all carry a briefcase, an overnight bag, and a suitcase that contain the “stuff” we need for each phase of life. We need to periodically repack our bags, throw away that which is weighing us down, and identify the talents for the next phase. The followers of Jesus were doing just that. They did it in community and in prayer! Good spiritual advice. Let’s ask God if we need to declutter today and what we might need to do to prepare for the future he has for us.
On the Way to Wonder 