In our text for this last Sunday in the Easter season, we are at that awkward time for the new church, the time between ascension and Pentecost. Jesus is gone, but his spirit has not yet come. In this time of waiting, we are told that the first thing the church did was to fill a leadership vacancy created by faithless Judas, a leader who betrayed the movement.

Yes, the very first act of the church had to do with getting organized. So the observation has been made that at first and perhaps even second glance, our text is not particularly inspiring or interesting. Who can get excited about nominating committees, council elections and such things as administration, organization, management, and leadership? Those words and ideas seem out of place in this place of worship. Frequently I have he…