Sunday: Ascension Sunday
Reading: Luke 24:49-53
Preacher: S. James Steen

This past week, the feast we call the Ascension put me in touch with the issue of bringing about closure, or you might call it "closing the deal." I wonder if you sometimes struggle, as I do, with the challenge of closing a deal. We don't have to struggle to find instances of this phenomenon. For example, there are people who end a visit or a phone conversation with dispatch. But do you know people - or maybe you are one - who always linger at the door and continue talking, rather than making a clean exit. You may even ask yourself, "When is he going to get out of here? There are things I need to do!"

And I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard my mother - who phoned often, but never talked for more than five minute - I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard her say of one close friend, "I thought Mary would never get off the phone!" Speaking personally, I'm faster than slower at concluding social interactions like these. But there are other areas of bringing matters to a close that are in some ways more significant and where I don't do so well.

There was a moment twenty plus years ago when my awareness about this grew. I was serving a church where we had a director of development on the staff. The church had a large parish school; so we pooled our resources and hired Eve. Not long after she began, Eve and I were having lunch with a potentially large donor for a project about which we were excited. It involved providing scholarships to our school for children from lower income families. As an added benefit, this would make the school more diverse.

As we enjoyed our visit, talking about what we were hoping to accomplish, but with no mention of money, I wondered how in the world Eve was going to convince Jeanette to give the many thousands of dollars we needed to fund the project. Then, suddenly, or so it seemed to me, Eve said, "Now, let's get to the point, Jeanette! Our project will cost xxx dollars. What are you willing to do to make it happen?" I was shocked at Eve's brashness and I imagined that Jeanette would be, too. But, to my surprise, Jeanette responded, "it sounds like a wonderful project. I'll talk to my husband, and I think we would love to fund the entire program." Afterwards, I shared some of my reactions with Eve. She, who clearly minced no words, said simply, "You have to know when to close the deal; then you have to do it." It reminded me of that old Kenny Rogers song that some of us will remember about playing cards:
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,
Know when to walk away and know when to run.

All of us know people who are stuck and unable to make a decision: for instance, stuck in a bad relationship or job, neither able to make a decision to stay and make a positive commitment, nor able or unwilling to leave and start something new. We may want to ask in frustration, "Can't you just make up your mind?" Or, have you ever sat in a meeting which you left in utter frustration because nothing got decided? And this issue doesn't only pertain to major decisions. I have a close friend who spends years and who wastes enormous amounts of time ruminating over whether to make a simple purchase.

This past week I experienced first-hand how freeing - even life-giving - it can be to reach a clear decision on a matter when you have been stuck in Limbo. When I signed up a couple of months ago to participate in a workshop that the diocese was going to offer on personal coaching, I had no idea what I was in for. What I did know was that the coaching experience involves seeking help from a person who is skilled at facilitating our moving forward in making decisions and in carrying them out, in order that the persons being coached can become more effective.

Not long after the workshop began last Wednesday, the leaders asked for a volunteer, a guinea pig, who would be willing to be coached on a current issue in his or her life before the whole group of about 30 people. I volunteered immediately, and I'll tell you why. I will soon begin the second summer residency of my Doctor of Ministry program, and with everything else going on in my life, I'm way behind, a long way from completing the reading and papers that will be due, when the residency begins in a few weeks, on June 11.

Before the coaching session began, I was so stressed about the work that I was waking up in the middle of the night, and I seriously considered dropping out of the DMin program, for at least a year. By the end of the session, I had a clear plan for how to get from here to June 11. What really makes this process work, even more than the skill of the coach, is the progression of carefully thought out questions that help persons being coached to come up with their own solutions.

In my case, I was able to discover how I could reorganize my life for a few weeks in a way that will enable me to accomplish my goal. It was a simple solution that had completely eluded me, and it got me more in touch with larger issues like my difficulty in saying "No," and how hard it can be for me to budget my time wisely. I hope that over time this approach might help me with these, as well. It's about closing the deal, learning to make clear decisions, which you agree to carry out, and accepting accountability. You always agree to report back to the coach as you proceed.

But what does all this have to do with the Ascension? I think the Ascension is a great metaphor for what I've been describing. What first caught my attention was Jesus' sense of timing. If you read the last chapter of Luke, Jesus doesn't waste time. There's a huge amount of material contained in a few paragraphs. He gives the disciples his farewell address, final words of encouragement; and far from lingering at the door making small talk, as he walks away they follow him and he continues to teach them. Then, the moment he finishes, he departs from them when it's time to close the deal. Further, like a good coach, or a good parent, or a good friend, the Jesus of Luke knows that sending the disciples out on their own and leaving them is absolutely necessary if they are to become independent, mature people. He has been a great mentor, and more. Now it's time for him to trust his followers to carry his message forward, and it's time for us to anticipate the next chapter. That will come next week when we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.