May 4, 2008; The 7th Sunday of Easter Readings: Acts 1:6-14; Psalm 68:1-10, 33-36; 1 Peter 4:12-14, 5:6-11; John 17:1-11.   The Rev. Dr. Hilary B. Smith Apple Blossom and the Gospel Each year, in Winchester, we celebrate Apple Blossom with many expressions of joy. We mark the change of seasons - with our focus on the bloom: God's recreation of life in this part of the world, and with it, the hope for continued growth and health in all ways. The history and identity of the town and the region are remembered and celebrated; those who grew up here are connected with a particular aspect of their lives' stories. Friends from the past reconnect with each other. With the many aspects of life in the 21st century that do not bring people together, our festival creates a community of people in pink and green who come together to share a life-giving experience. Celebrations are important. Bringing people together with positive messages about life makes a difference on the day and for the future. Having lived in Winchester from the age of 4 to 7, I did not remember much about our community once I moved away, but I always remembered the parade, the party my parents held at our house, and the energy of people coming together to celebrate. Children remember celebrations. Celebrations are very important. How do we as a Christian community celebrate? Church is an interesting balance of dealing with serious issues, while at the same time expressing the joy of what we celebrate every day. When we celebrate something, we are acknowledging something and giving thanks for it. For years, my favorite way of invited people to church is to say, come celebrate with us." Today we acknowledge and give thanks for the way that Jesus connected with the people of his day and how those great acts of God touch our lives now, teaching us and forming us as disciples. This past Thursday was the feast of the Ascension and next Sunday is Pentecost—great acts of God. So we find ourselves in this in-between time. Forty days after the resurrection, Jesus is said to have ascended to heaven, and then ten days later the Holy Spirit comes and the Church is born. After the resurrection, the followers of Jesus were celebrating his continuing presence with them. Jesus continued to instruct them and inspire them. Then Jesus withdrew, ascended to heaven, and the disciples are found staring into heaven trying to make sense of the dramatic event. Heavenly messengers appear and reprimand the disciples for standing still and gazing into heaven. Before Jesus died, before the crucifixion and the resurrection, Jesus prayed for the disciples as we heard today in the reading from John's Gospel. Jesus prayed that all who are his might know eternal life, stating that knowing the true God, and the one whom God sent, Jesus, is eternal life. What a great disruption to the flow of things was the Ascension; as described in scripture, it was a dramatic event worth looking at as one tried to make sense of it. Still, we hear "…men of Galilee why are you staring up to heaven?" Our faith finds expression in action; it is not enough to stand still, even in great religious devotion. We will pray during the Great Thanksgiving, when we move into the communion portion of our service, "that where he [Jesus] is, there we might also be, and reign with him in glory," referring to the Ascension. Certainly this prayer is acknowledging that Christ has gone to prepare a place for us in heaven, and that we will be there with him. But, as we listen to how heaven is described in the New Testament, we realize that this heaven is not simply about the future, for eternal life is to know God and the One God sent, Jesus. While the fullness of heaven is to be known on the other side of this life, we participate in the eternal life now when we know God and make God known. We celebrate the love of God and God's promises to us, not by standing still staring up to heaven, but by acting in ways that bring the kingdom into our lives and the lives of others now. We pray for it every time with gather - "thy kingdom come." We celebrate the great acts of God and make the kingdom known when we feed the hungry, when we study the Bible together, when we share in the fellowship of this church, when we teach our children, when we worship together, and in many other ways. Celebrations disrupt the normal routine of life - like it or not. If you were trying to get around this weekend for any reason other than going to the Apple Blossom festivities, you may have found the great big celebration in your path. You could not help but notice Apple Blossom. Our celebration of the love of God is one that ought to get noticed as well. Hopefully, our devotion to God disrupts the routine of life for people in a really good way - for us and for others. We leave our celebration every week reminded of our past, thankful for the present, and aware of the possibilities for the future. Amen.