Ordinary Time 
Pause
Life is often a struggle and sometimes it is dangerous. There are many things that can cause us to stumble and it’s easy to be afraid of what is “out there.”
But the way of Jesus is one that calls us to risk, to dare, to take a chance. This is the way Jesus lived and the path to which he calls us.
It’s good to know that, all along the way, we are covered and cared for, protected by the Spirit of God. Whether or not you are feeling vulnerable right now, trust in the Spirit to watch over you.
Listen
So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Acts 1:6–8
Think
It’s the last time that the risen Jesus is with his followers. They have time for only one final question. They ask, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?”
It’s tempting for us, removed from this scene by more than two thousand years, to see their question as foolish. We might imagine that we would not use such an opportunity to ask Jesus that. Really, though, their question is a very human one. From the Psalms to our own prayers, “When?” and “How long?” are questions we ask God regularly.
Like the disciples, we don’t usually get a concrete answer. Jesus says, “It is not for you to know….” Maybe that’s hard for us to hear, but maybe it’s also a gift. What would we do with that knowledge if we had it? Would it make our lives better, or cause us more stress? Because time is under God’s authority, we are set free from worrying about “when.” We are free to be Jesus’ witnesses all over the earth.
Julie Ball
Pray
God beyond time and space, help me to embrace the freedom from worrying about when so that I may live more fully into your call for me here and now. Amen.
Go
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
1 Peter 1:3–5
