THE REV. ANTHONY SCHNECK has served as Trinity’s pastor since 2012. He and his wife, Pastor Tricia Schneck have three children. Pastor Tony is a native of the Pittsburgh area. He is a 1995 graduate of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, and a 1991 graduate of Thiel College in Greenville, PA.
TIMING
We ponder the timing of things, don’t we? Sometimes we ponder a little too much, for too long. Why are there some things we never get around to doing because we feel as if the time just isn’t right? Cleaning the garage? Calling that friend you haven’t talked to in a while? Starting something new? That other thing that’s been on your to-do list since 2014? Indeed, some big life decisions are not to be rushed, and are meant to be made with great care and caution… Is it the right time for a new job? A new career? A new home? Marriage? Children? Decide carefully. But after a while, there comes a time when the inertia of life and the passage of time bring us to a point when it’s best for things to happen one way or the other. Time marches on. What’s it gonna be?
There are any number of reasons why we hesitate to make a move. Do we hesitate because we don’t feel prepared? Is it because we don’t feel as if we’ve been properly trained? Perhaps we feel as if we don’t know enough? Maybe we feel like we need more time to get ready? Do we need more time in our schedule? Maybe we should wait until things get back to the way they were before. Then will it be the right time?
So many things we can be doing… When should I come back to church? Can I come to church more frequently than I already do? What about volunteering to help? To have a closer walk with our Lord? Maybe next week, we might say. Or next month? Next year? What’s the Spirit moving you to do? What are you waiting for? Will it ever be the perfect time? What’s it gonna be?
The biblical account tells us that after Jesus rose from the dead, he appeared to his disciples, and he promised them that the Holy Spirit would come. Still, they too had questions, just like we do…
So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8But 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
Is it time? Even after Jesus promised the Holy Spirit, the disciples were anxious to know more about the timeline of things. Is it time? When will Israel be restored to its former glory? When are the good old days returning? When will the time be right again? Jesus has no response about Israel’s monarchy. Nor does he say anything about the return of the good old days. The Lord’s response is simply to once again assure the disciples that the Holy Spirit is coming, and will remain with them. They will be witnesses. And that is enough. Never mind the clock or the calendar. In this imperfect time, there’s work to be done, for the sake of the Kingdom.
The risen Jesus told his disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit. The Spirit came, as he promised. Once it came, the waiting was over. Pentecost is a celebration of God’s Holy Spirit alive and among us, changing us, moving us. It comes at our baptism, and remains with us. Jesus said that we will be his witnesses, moved in unexpected ways by the whimsical blowing of the Holy Spirit. There is no such thing as a wind that remains still. God’s Holy Spirit is moving now. Hold on tight. It’s time to move with it.
See you in church.
– Pastor Tony