Easter 7: "it is well...?"

Acts 1: 6-14    John 17: 1-11

   

This has been one of those difficult weeks in the life of the pastorate, with the death of one of our Elders.

 

Three weeks ago she was told that the hospital was going to stop treating her cancer with chemotherapy. She was devastated to be told she would have months, rather than years, to live – in fact it was not even one month. 

What do we do in shocking times like this?

Where is God when we feel so bereft?

Can reading our Bible really help us to face the reality of death?

I’m going to begin this sermon with a story you might already know- the story behind the writing of the hymn “it is well with my soul”, by Horatio Gates Spafford .

Spafford was born in New York, on 20th October 1828, but he, and his wife Anna lived in Chicago. They were active in their church, and their home was always open to visitors. They counted the world-famous evangelist, Dwight L. Moody, among their friends. They were blest with five children, and considerable wealth.

Yet, tragedy came to this happy home.

When just four years old, their son, Horatio Jnr, died suddenly of scarlet fever. Then only a year later, in October 1871, a massive fire swept through downtown Chicago, devastating the city, including many properties owned by Horatio.

Two years later, in 1873, Spafford decided his family should take a holiday in England, knowing that his friend, the evangelist D. L. Moody, would be preaching there in the autumn. Horatio was delayed because of business, so he sent his family ahead: his wife and their four remaining children, all daughters, aged between 2 & 11.

On 22nd November 1873, while crossing the Atlantic on the steamship, Ville du Havre, their vessel was struck by an iron sailing ship. 226 people lost their lives, as the Ville du Havre sank within just 12 minutes.

All four of Horatio Spafford’s daughters perished, but remarkably Anna Spafford survived the tragedy -  found unconscious, floating on a plank of wood. Those rescued, including Anna, subsequently arrived in Cardiff. Upon arrival there, Anna immediately sent a telegram to her husband, which included the words “Saved alone….”

Receiving Anna’s message, Spafford set off at once to be reunited with his wife. One particular day, during the voyage, the captain summoned him to the bridge of the vessel. Pointing to his charts, he explained that they were then passing over the very spot where the Ville du Havre had sunk, and where his daughters had died. It is said that Spafford returned to his cabin and wrote the hymn “It is well with my soul” there and then:

“When peace like a river, attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea billows roll:

Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say

It is well, it is well with my soul” 

(You can hear the hymn here )

Horatio Spafford’s faith in God never faltered. He later wrote to Anna’s half-sister, “On Thursday last, we passed over the spot where she went down, in mid-ocean, the waters three miles deep. But I do not think of our dear ones there. They are safe”.

There is no satisfactory answer we can give our grieving hearts when want to cry out to God “where is Jesus?”. Anything we say risks sounding like a hollow platitude.

 

Yet we can hope , as Horatio Spafford did.

 The joy of Easter brings us the lasting light that God’s resurrection love is unstoppably present, even in the darkness. Because after the initial thrill of Easter that Jesus is alive again  - we begin to realise that Jesus is is present with us.. but in a new way.

 

Last Thursday, 3 days ago, was Ascension day – the day when the church remembers that the resurrected Jesus was seen by his followers going back into heaven – back to the place he came from in the first place. But Jesus has promised that we won’t be alone, because he will send his Holy Spirit to be our Counsellor and Guide.

 

We have celebrated the risen Jesus, but now his resurrection body has gone back to the Father and we have to wait for the gift of the promised Spirit.

 

We wait because that’s what Jesus first followers had to do. It’s what the angels told them to do when they found the looking blankly up into heaven after Jesus had gone.

The book of Acts tells us that they went back to Jerusalem and devoted themselves to prayer – ‘they’ being the 11 remaining disciples plus ‘certain women, including Mary his mother.. and also his brothers’.

 

But surely as well as praying there must have been a lot of story-telling or reminiscing, of reminding each other what Jesus had said and done and all the things that had happened – all that they had witnessed from the time of John the Baptist until the ascension itself.

 

So we remember the things that Jesus said  - including some of Jesus words at the last supper, some of which we heard today.

 

"The words you gave to me I have given to them...

They know that I came from you & you sent me…

And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world and I am coming to you."

 

The disciples must have pondered long and hard about the ascension – they saw Jesus go up into heaven – the final proof that he came from heaven in the first place. Jesus and the Father were one, as he said. We might wonder, too.. and wonder what come next.

 

We trust, as the earliest disciples did – that Jesus is risen and with us and sends us out into the world to be the witnesses for the world of what has happened.

Heaven has touched the earth – God has come in human form to visit his creation.

But we might wonder how we can possibly convince the world about Jesus?

 

The answer is, of course, that we can’t ! No amount of trying to explain the relationship of Earth to heaven, of the Father to the Son, of the amazing message of love shared with God’s people is going to convince people that this carpenter’s Son from Galilee was someone unique.

 

We have to be witnesses to the love of God we have seen in Jesus – telling the stories we remember, and living our lives in a way which show love made flesh in us as it was made flesh in Jesus.

 

Even in our confusion, in even our sadness, we have a message of hope for the world.

 

God’s love came to people in Jesus. He went through suffering and death but was raised to life to bring new life to us all. But all of that is not merely in the past – now Jesus is released from his body, set free into the world, so that the power of the Holy Spirit can bring the reality of Jesus’ presence into all times and all places.

 

In Pembrokeshire, at the side of the bed of a dying woman; with our loved ones as they struggle; in our own difficulties; with our young people as they get through exams.

Jesus is alongside us, within us, empowering us… in all the times we need him most.

So where is Jesus?

Here – with us and among us and in us.

 

May the incarnate, resurrected and ascended Jesus be with us and may his Spirit come to strengthen us to grow in knowledge of Jesus Christ, and to be witnesses to his love and to God’s kingdom of peace for all people.

 

And do not let your hearts be afraid:  for Jesus is with you.

It is well with your soul.

Amen.