We all seem to return to familiar phrases, to familiar ideas and themes. Even in the Church year, we continually find ourselves returning to familiar themes from time to time. We find this same things happening to us again this week. And now, during these nine days between the Ascension and Pentecost, we find ourselves once again waiting. In the short term, this week and a half was the time that the first disciples were waiting for Jesus promise of the gift of power from on high.
Summer is a kind of waiting period for most churches.
Our regular Sunday School and Youth Program, along with our adult study of a Theology of Work, ended last week. The Choir begins a well-deserved break after this morning s celebration. Instead, the summer months can be a critical time in the life of a church. The disciples who found themselves waiting during that week and a half between Jesus Ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, didn t just take the time off. In the same way, our Scripture readings this morning show us a very active form of waiting as a part of our life, as a part of our ministry.