What to do while you wait

After the resurrection, Jesus hung out with his disciples for 40 days, teaching them about the Kingdom of God, eating meals with them, and generally just being awesome.

Then, right before Jesus was taken up to heaven, Jesus tells the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Then Jesus is ascended.

And then they wait.

And they wait.

For 9 days they wait.

What do you do while you wait? Because here we all are, feeling like our nation is on a knife’s edge. Waiting.

Three things:

1) You do the next right thing. No matter who wins the election, we believe that God’s extravagant love is available to all. Therefore, we must keep working to dismantle any sin, system, or oppression that tries to put barriers between people and God’s love. That’s why we believe Black Lives Matter. That’s why we fight for the equality of our LGBTQ+ friends and neighbors. That’s why we hang out with the materially poor and stand up for the immigrant and represent the imprisoned and side with the marginalized. It’s why we care for creation and call out abuse and say “Not here you won’t” to harm. It’s why we rest and take naps and check in on friends and family and talk to our therapist.

2) You hang out with your family. Do you know what the disciples did after Jesus’ death and resurrection and ascension? They kept going back to that upper room (the one where Jesus gave them bread and wine) and they kept eating meals together. They kept crying as they thought about Roman oppression and the very real possibility of execution. They held on tight to each other because “each other” was all they had. We call ourselves The Table Church because we want to inhabit that tradition and offer a place where we all can belong together.

(Seriously though, if you are feeling anxious, scared, or unsafe, respond to this email or call me and we’ll make a plan together).

3) You pray. Why do we pray? Because we believe that the Holy Spirit exerts Her influence over this world through you and me. So through prayer we tune the antenna of our souls to the justice and healing that Christ is up to. We need fresh fillings of the Spirit’s power and grace and righteous indignation to help us get up in the morning and do the next right thing.

If you would appreciate joining with fellow Table Folx for prayer, we’ll be praying tonight (Wednesday) at 7pm.

Friends, I know we’re in for some weird, stressful, and wild days ahead. Let’s cling onto Jesus and to one another in the waiting.