The resurrection faith leaves the faithful caught between two worlds, needing to navigate them both, but with the purpose and the promise of Jesus with them. This isn't easy. The ascension passage in Acts 1 and Jesus' final prayer lead us to consider the task.
When we think in personal terms of "our" world, we may discover how small "our" world is. We can make it bigger, but we run the risk of "our" small, familiar world colliding with the a world unknown, never experienced in our lives. It's daunting, for sure.
The disciples of Jesus faced the same problem, but on a much bigger scale. They had always counted on Jesus to help them navigate the new directions that a Kingdom faith led. His ascension meant that they would be on their own in the future. It would be a fast and difficult lesson in leading a Kingdom life. They had been prepared, but, like driving alone for the first time, you knew the safety net was gone - you were on your own to figure it out, to navigate the situation.
Jesus knew that the disciples faced a difficult transition and painful experiences in encountering the worldly powers when he would be taken and removed from them. He addresses these concerns in his final prayer given in John 17. Although certainly not Jesus' words, they reflect the situation faced by late first century Christians, straddling and negotiating two worlds: one sacred and just, the other sinful and corrupt.
They remind us of the task we face as faithful disciples today. Find out more in the service video below.
When we think in personal terms of "our" world, we may discover how small "our" world is. We can make it bigger, but we run the risk of "our" small, familiar world colliding with the a world unknown, never experienced in our lives. It's daunting, for sure.
The disciples of Jesus faced the same problem, but on a much bigger scale. They had always counted on Jesus to help them navigate the new directions that a Kingdom faith led. His ascension meant that they would be on their own in the future. It would be a fast and difficult lesson in leading a Kingdom life. They had been prepared, but, like driving alone for the first time, you knew the safety net was gone - you were on your own to figure it out, to navigate the situation.
Jesus knew that the disciples faced a difficult transition and painful experiences in encountering the worldly powers when he would be taken and removed from them. He addresses these concerns in his final prayer given in John 17. Although certainly not Jesus' words, they reflect the situation faced by late first century Christians, straddling and negotiating two worlds: one sacred and just, the other sinful and corrupt.
They remind us of the task we face as faithful disciples today. Find out more in the service video below.
| 05-24-20-ff-answers.pdf |
| 05-24-20-navigating_two_worlds.pdf |