Life in Between
- The Rev. Beth Knowlton
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
“O God, the King of glory, you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven: Do not leave us comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and exalt us to that place where our Savior Christ has gone before; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen” — Collect for the Seventh Sunday of Easter
Living into the fullness of the Resurrection is a lifelong journey. New life rarely comes in an instant, and even the major life changes, that signal new life, can take months if not years to fully realize. Tomorrow we celebrate the Feast of the Ascension, the day that after the resurrection appearances, Jesus returns to his Father in heaven to allow the gift of the Holy Spirit to descend and enliven the entire church. What's exciting about the outpouring on Pentecost is what a leveling experience it is. No longer does one have to have the special gifts of prophecy to claim the Holy Spirit's availability to guide our lives and that of our communities. When we feel that Spirit palpably, we have a sense of peace that can surpass the circumstances of our lives.
But we don't often live in a constant state of feeling undergirded by that guidance. We have moments of doubt, anxiety, fear, and questioning. We still believe, we have not "lost" our faith, but we find ourselves a bit off-center. We may be discerning multiple voices or paths that are before us, trying to see and hear which is really the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This in-between state is a bit different than Holy Saturday space. It is still in the season of Easter, but it lacks the comfort of Jesus' risen form.
Holy Saturday space is when we are still not sure that new life will even show up. These are difficult and holy spaces. The journey from the cross to Easter morning can represent the biggest valleys and summits in our lives.
There are many other transitions, though, that are not as obvious. I wonder how often we honor the season between Ascension and Pentecost? We have set out on a journey of new life, and yet we still seek more guidance. We need reassurance that the Resurrection is fully available to us. We have begun college, but we are not sure if we should change majors. We have moved to a new place and have yet to feel rooted and as if it is home. We find ourselves in a new season of family life and are not quite sure of our roles.
Into this space we find the collect for the Seventh Sunday of Easter. We ask for the guidance to trust that the Holy Spirit will come. And the assumption underneath all of that is we need to pray this prayer collectively. We are most undergirded in these times of waiting when we rely on our communities and support structures. We need to be reminded by others that have already navigated that space that the Spirit will come. We need to remember in the rhythm of the Holy Eucharist that Christ will come again.
Peace, Beth +
