It’s been a few weeks since we started our walk through Acts, and perhaps a brief reflection is in order.

We’ve traced the Church’s story from confusion and fear, stumbling through the aftermath of Jesus' ascension, to the radical transformation at Pentecost—the moment the Spirit moved in, not to a building or a mountain, but to people. Fire, wind, and voices mark this act of God dwelling intimately within each believer. This changes everything. Church is no longer merely a gathering; it’s a place of encounter, forgiveness, and power. What happened in Jerusalem is still happening in Costa Mesa—and in us.

It is a curious thing, after centuries of Christian tradition, how one of the most extraordinary moments in the story of Jesus—his ascension—is so often overlooked. This week, we returned to the opening verses of Acts, asking not simply “What is the Church?” but “Who is this Jesus we gather around?” The earliest Christians staked everything on the belief that Jesus ascended—not as a disappearing act but as advocate, architect, reigning king, and giver of gifts. This one truth unlocks a deeper hope, a truer identity, and a more courageous mission.

Last week we found ourselves at the threshold of Acts, asking a deceptively simple question: what is the church? Josh Harrison reminded us that, despite all we've accumulated—practices, traditions, and ambitions—the essence of the church isn't found in what we’ve built around Jesus, but in what he established at the start.

The early disciples, confronted by the resurrected Christ, understood neither the timing nor methods of God’s kingdom. Instead, they received two things: a gift (the Holy Spirit) and a mission (to be witnesses—embodiments of hope—beginning in Jerusalem and extending outwards).

May we live as witnesses today, expectant and empowered.