The Rev. Phil Brochard

This sermon reflects on the period between Jesus’s Ascension and Pentecost,

when the disciples waited in uncertainty for the coming of the Holy Spirit.

The preacher connects the disciples’ “in-between time” to today’s cultural

instability, political upheaval, climate anxiety, and technological

transformation. The disciples ask Jesus whether he will restore the kingdom

of Israel, but Jesus redirects their focus toward God’s greater kingdom

beyond earthly power. After Jesus departs, the disciples return together to

pray and wait faithfully.

The sermon’s central theme comes from Matt Skinner: living with “urgency

without haste.” Rather than reacting fearfully or impulsively, the

disciples remain together in trust and discernment. The preacher encourages

listeners to do the same in their own uncertain lives, trusting that God

continues authoring a story of justice, compassion, and hope even when the

future is unclear.