The disciples were in the upper room in Jerusalem, being of the same mind, praying, and seeking the Lord. Just prior to this prayer service, two white robed men (angels) chided them for stargazing. The disciples had just witnessed the ascension of Jesus. Perhaps they were waiting for Jesus to return; certainly, this would explain why they remained in the same posture. However, the disciples’ mission was not for them to stare into the heavens. There was work to be done; people needed to hear the Gospel of Jesus, repent, and be saved from the wrath to come. Yet, when these followers of Jesus return to the city, they don’t pour into the streets with passionate proclamation. Rather, they return to the upper room for a continual prayer meeting.
Is this apparent “inactivity” another expression of disobeying Jesus’ instructions, or is it a reality-altering embrace of what it means to define one’s personal mission and vision in this world?
Perhaps the disciples simply needed to have a business meeting and produce a strategic plan for evangelism and church planting. If any corporation of people needed a mission and vision statement, it was the disciples. After all, they had just lost their “CEO” in the person of Jesus, and their organization was in great disorder.
Yet, we find neither a passionate proclamation nor an intense business meeting. To be sure, both of these have great value, but only when enacted in the proper order. The disciples begin with prayer, but why? Initiation! The disciples had come to understand one of the greatest truths about reality, which is, God is the initiator. Before we can know what we are supposed to do, or see where we are supposed to be, we must see what God has already done and has been doing before. Eugene Peterson (1993) expresses this so clearly in his book The Contemplative Pastor:
God has already taken the initiative. Like one who walks in late to a meeting, I am entering a complex situation in which God has already said decisive words and acted in decisive ways. My work is not necessarily to announce that but to discover what he is doing and live appropriately with it. (p. 61)
It is intriguing to note that what followed the prayer meeting in Acts 1 was Pentecost! The Holy Spirit was poured out, and thousands embraced Jesus on that day. When the people of God turn their gaze to the face of God, the transforming power of God is overwhelming.
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