|
For Ascension &
Graduation |
||
|
|
|
Scripture Readings for Ascension
The
following are the readings for Ascension Day according to the Revised Common
(RCL), Episcopal (ECUSA), New Zealand (NZ), Roman Catholic, Church of England, Church
of Ireland, Welsh, and South African / Canadian BAS Lectionaries. All readings
are taken from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible. Unless
noted otherwise, the lectionaries of New Zealand, Canada (BAS), South Africa,
England, Wales, and Ireland (CofI) are identical to the RCL this Sunday.
For the
ECUSA, C of I, and C of E, the passage from Acts may be used for the second
reading, if the alternative from the Old Testament was used as first reading.
FIRST
READING: Acts 1: 1 - 11 (all but Wales)
Acts 1:1
(NRSV) In the first book, Theoph'ilus, I wrote about all that Jesus
did and
taught from the beginning 2 until the day when he was taken up to
heaven,
after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles
whom he had chosen.
3 After his suffering he presented himself alive to them
by many
convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking
about the
kingdom of God. 4 While staying with them, he ordered them not to
leave
Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. "This,"
he
said,
"is what you have heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but
you will be
baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."
6 So when
they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, is this the time
when you
will restore the kingdom to Israel?" 7 He replied, "It is not for
you to know
the times or periods that the Father has set by his own
authority. 8
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon
you; and you
will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria,
and to the
ends of the earth." 9 When he had said this, as they were
watching, he
was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10
While he was
going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men
in white
robes stood by them. 11 They said, "Men of Galilee, why do you
stand
looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you
into heaven,
will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."
Ephesians 1:
15 - 23 (Wales)
See Second
Reading, below
2 Kings 2: 1
- 15 (alt. for ECUSA)
2Kin 2:1
(NRSV) Now when the LORD was about to take Eli'jah up to heaven by
a whirlwind,
Eli'jah and Eli'sha were on their way from Gil'gal. 2 Eli'jah
said to
Eli'sha, "Stay here; for the LORD has sent me as far as Beth'el."
But Eli'sha
said, "As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not
leave
you." So they went down to Beth'el. 3 The company of prophets {Heb
[sons of the
prophets]} who were in Beth'el came out to Eli'sha, and said to
him,
"Do you know that today the LORD will take your master away from
you?"
And he said,
"Yes, I know; keep silent."
4 Eli'jah
said to him, "Eli'sha, stay here; for the LORD has sent me to
Jericho."
But he said, "As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will
not leave
you." So they came to Jericho. 5 The company of prophets {Heb
[sons
of the
prophets]} who were at Jericho drew near to Eli'sha, and said to him,
"Do you
know that today the LORD will take your master away from you?" And
he answered,
"Yes, I know; be silent."
6 Then
Eli'jah said to him, "Stay here; for the LORD has sent me to the
Jordan."
But he said, "As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will
not leave
you." So the two of them went on. 7 Fifty men of the company of
prophets
{Heb [sons of the prophets]} also went, and stood at some distance
from them,
as they both were standing by the Jordan. 8 Then Eli'jah took his
mantle and
rolled it up, and struck the water; the water was parted to the
one side and
to the other, until the two of them crossed on dry ground.
9 When they
had crossed, Eli'jah said to Eli'sha, "Tell me what I may do for
you, before
I am taken from you." Eli'sha said, "Please let me inherit a
double share
of your spirit." 10 He responded, "You have asked a hard thing;
yet, if you
see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if
not, it will
not." 11 As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of
fire and
horses of fire separated the two of them, and Eli'jah ascended in a
whirlwind
into heaven. 12 Eli'sha kept watching and crying out, "Father,
father! The
chariots of Israel and its horsemen!" But when he could no
longer see
him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.
13 He picked
up the mantle of Eli'jah that had fallen from him, and went
back and
stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 He took the mantle of Eli'jah
that had
fallen from him, and struck the water, saying, "Where is the LORD,
the God of
Eli'jah?" When he had struck the water, the water was parted to
the one side
and to the other, and Eli'sha went over.
15 When the
company of prophets {Heb [sons of the prophets]} who were at
Jericho saw
him at a distance, they declared, "The spirit of Eli'jah rests
on
Eli'sha." They came to meet him and bowed to the ground before him.
Daniel 7: 9
- 14 (alt. for British Isles)
Dani 7:9
(NRSV) As I watched,
thrones were
set in place,
and an
Ancient One Aram {[an Ancient of Days]} took his throne,
his clothing
was white as snow,
and the hair
of his head like pure wool;
his throne
was fiery flames,
and its
wheels were burning fire.
10 A stream
of fire issued
and flowed
out from his presence.
A thousand
thousands served him,
and ten
thousand times ten thousand stood attending him.
The court sat
in judgment,
and the
books were opened.
11 I watched
then because of the noise of the arrogant words that the horn
was
speaking. And as I watched, the beast was put to death, and its body
destroyed
and given over to be burned with fire. 12 As for the rest of the
beasts,
their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a
season and a
time. 13 As I watched in the night visions,
I saw one
like a human being Aram {[one like a son of man]}
coming with
the clouds of heaven.
And he came to
the Ancient One Aram {[the Ancient of Days]}
and was
presented before him.
14 To him
was given dominion
and glory
and kingship,
that all
peoples, nations, and languages
should serve
him.
His dominion
is an everlasting dominion
that shall
not pass away,
and his
kingship is one
that shall
never be destroyed.
PSALM 47
Psal 47:1
(NRSV) Clap your hands, all you peoples;
shout to God
with loud songs of joy.
2 For the
LORD, the Most High, is awesome,
a great king
over all the earth.
3 He subdued
peoples under us,
and nations
under our feet.
4 He chose
our heritage for us,
the pride of
Jacob whom he loves. [Se'lah]
5 God has
gone up with a shout,
the LORD
with the sound of a trumpet.
6 Sing
praises to God, sing praises;
sing praises
to our King, sing praises.
7 For God is
the king of all the earth;
sing praises
with a psalm.
8 God is
king over the nations;
God sits on
his holy throne.
9 The
princes of the peoples gather
as the
people of the God of Abraham.
For the
shields of the earth belong to God;
he is highly
exalted.
Psalm
93 (alt. for RCL)
Psal 93:1
(NRSV) The LORD is king, he is robed in majesty;
the LORD is
robed, he is girded with strength.
He has
established the world; it shall never be moved;
2 your
throne is established from of old;
you are from
everlasting.
3 The floods
have lifted up, O LORD,
the floods
have lifted up their voice;
the floods
lift up their roaring.
4 More
majestic than the thunders of mighty waters,
more
majestic than the waves of the sea,
majestic on
high is the LORD!
5 Your decrees
are very sure;
holiness
befits your house,
O LORD,
forevermore.
110 Dixit Dominus (alt. for ECUSA; BCP)
1 The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my
right hand, *
until I make
your enemies your footstool."
2 The Lord will send the scepter of your
power out of Zion, *
saying,
"Rule over your enemies round about you.
3 Princely state has been yours from the day
of your birth; *
in the
beauty of holiness have I begotten you,
like dew
from the womb of the morning."
4 The Lord has sworn and he will not recant:
*
"You
are a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek."
5 The Lord who is at your right hand
will smite
kings in the day of his wrath; *
he will rule
over the nations.
SECOND
READING: Ephesians 1: 15 - 23 (all but Wales)
Ephe 1:15
(NRSV) I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love
toward all
the saints, and for this reason 16 I do not cease to give thanks
for you as I
remember you in my prayers. 17 I pray that the God of our Lord
Jesus
Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and
revelation
as you come to know him, 18 so that, with the eyes of your heart
enlightened,
you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what
are the
riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, 19 and what is
the
immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the
working of
his great power. 20 God put this power to work in Christ when he
raised him from
the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly
places, 21
far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and
above every
name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to
come. 22 And
he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head
over all
things for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him
who fills
all in all.
Note: The
Roman Catholic lectionary omits vs. 15 & 16.
Acts 1: 1 -
11 (Wales)
See above
for text
GOSPEL: Luke 24: 44 - 53 (all)
Luke 24:44
(NRSV) Then he said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to
you while I
was still with you--that everything written about me in the law
of Moses,
the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled." 45 Then he opened
their minds
to understand the scriptures, 46 and he said to them, "Thus it
is written,
that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the
third day,
47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be
proclaimed
in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are
witnesses of
these things. 49 And see, I am sending upon you what my Father
promised; so
stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power
from on
high."
50 Then he led
them out as far as Beth'any, and, lifting up his hands, he
blessed
them. 51 While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was
carried up
into heaven. 52 And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem
with great
joy; 53 and they were continually in the temple blessing God.
Note: the
Roman Catholic lectionary omits vs. 44 & 45.
Mark 16: 9 -
15, 19 - 20 (alt. for ECUSA)
Mark 16: 9 -
16, 19 - 20 (alt. for Can. BAS)
Mark 16:9
(NRSV) Now after he rose early on the first day of the week, he
appeared
first to Mary Mag'dalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons.
10 She went
out and told those who had been with him, while they were
mourning and
weeping. 11 But when they heard that he was alive and had been
seen by her,
they would not believe it.
12 After
this he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were
walking into
the country. 13 And they went back and told the rest, but they
did not
believe them.
14 Later he
appeared to the eleven themselves as they were sitting at the
table; and
he upbraided them for their lack of faith and stubbornness,
because they
had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. 15 And
he said to
them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the
whole
creation. 16 The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but
the one who
does not believe will be condemned.
19 So then
the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into
heaven and
sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and
proclaimed
the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and
confirmed
the message by the signs that accompanied it.
Ascension Links
http://www.cygnus.uwa.edu.au/~jgrapsas/pages/Ascent.htm
This site has a nice picture of the Ascension and some good commentary.
http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/NPNF2-12/Npnf2-12-210.htm#LOC_P3932_1000315
http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/NPNF2-12/Npnf2-12-209.htm#LOC_P3913_994435
Sermons from the Church fathers on Ascension
http://www.ccel.org/c/calvin/calcom/calcom-III.html
John Calvin on the Ascension
http://www.ccel.org/a/aquinas/summa/TP/TP057.html#TPQ57OUTP1
Thomas Aquinas on the Ascension
http://www.textweek.com/yearb/ascensiob.htm
Lot more links for Ascension
Background on
Ascension
The fortieth day after Easter Sunday,
commemorates the Ascension of Christ into heaven, according to Mark:16:19,
Luke:23:51, and Acts:I:2. In the Eastern Church this feast was known as analepsis
(the taking up) and as the episozomene (the salvation). The terms used in the
West, ascensio and ascensa, signify that Christ was raised up by His own
powers. Mount Olivet, near Bethany, is designated as the place where Christ
left the earth. The feast falls on Thursday, and it is one of the most solemn
in the calendar, ranking with the feasts of the Passion, Easter and Pentecost.
Although no documentation of it exists prior to
the beginning of the fifth century, St. Augustine says that it originated with
the Apostles, and that it was observed by the Church long before his time. The
Ascension is frequently mentioned in the writings of St. John Chrysostom, St.
Gregory of Nyssa, and in the Constitution of the Apostles. Perhaps, prior to
the fifth century it was commemorated in conjunction with the feasts of Easter or Pentecost.
Connected with this feast were the customs of:
the blessing of beans and grapes (after the Commemoration of the Dead in the
Canon of the Mass), the blessing of first fruits, (afterwards done on Rogation
Days), the blessing of a candle, the wearing of mitres by deacon and subdeacon,
the extinguishment of the paschal candle, and processions with torches and
banners outside the churches to commemorate the entry of Christ into heaven. In some churches, the Ascension was depicted
by elevating the figure of Christ above the altar, through an opening in the
roof. In others, the figure of Christ was made to ascend and that of the devil
was made to descend.
The day celebrates the completion of the Lord's
work for our salvation, the pledge of our glorification with Christ, and His
entry into heaven with our human nature glorified.
Children's
Messages
Children’s Messages
Ascension Sunday
June 4, 2000
#1
Topic: Endings and Beginnings
Texts: Acts 1:1-11
Good morning, boys and girls.
I know you all are excited for what's about to come to an end? (Let them
answer)
That's right. School. How many of you are already out for the summer?
(Let them answer)
What's the most exciting thing that happened to you in school this year?
(Let them respond)
What are you most looking forward to doing this summer? (Let them reply)
So the school year ends and new things begin.
In a way, that's what today's scripture lessons are about. Lots of
exciting things had happened. It began many months ago during Advent when we
began to prepare for the birth of Jesus. Then Christmas came. Then Epiphany -
when the wise men brought gifts to Jesus. Then we saw how Jesus was baptized in
the Jordan River and began his work. We saw and heard all the wonderful things
he did and said. Then, in Lent, walked with Jesus the final weeks of his life -
through palm Sunday and then to Good Friday. But what happened on Easter?
Right. Jesus had risen from the dead! Jesus had been with his disciples -
teaching and helping them for forty days. But now that time was over. It was an
ending. Jesus was going back to be with God, where he could watch over the
disciples, you and me, too, and be there for us wherever we are.
It was an ending and a beginning, for he told them and tells us to now be
his witnesses, to share his love with others. One day he promises to return and
to finish everything he started, so that we have a whole new beginning like
never before.
Lots of exciting things behind us. Lots of exciting things ahead of us as
we seek to serve Christ and share his love.
Prayer:
Loving God,
Thank you
For times
Of endings
And beginnings.
We need
Fresh starts.
We need
The summer.
We need
Times of learning.
Thank you
For sending Christ
To be with us,
To help show us
What's really important.
Thank you
That he
Returned to you
And lives now
With you,
Watching over us
Every day and
Every night.
Amen.
#2
Topic: Ascension Balloons
One Ascension Sunday I simply told the story of the Ascension of Jesus.
Then I had several helium balloons under a sheet. I let the children help me
release them inside the sanctuary (the white sheet represented clouds - of you
had a good imagination). The kids loved it. I had an extra helium balloon for
each of them, asking them to take them home and let them be a reminder that
Christ also arose and sits with God to let God know what we need.
#3
Topic: Passing the Baton
In the sermon starters I have a starter that uses the image of a relay
race to explain the Ascension. Get a baton, talk about a relay race,
demonstrate the passing of the baton, passing it along to one, then another.
(If you have a college or high school student on the track team who does this,
get them to help). Use this to talk about Jesus passing along the task to be
his witnesses.
Exegesis
of Ascension Lectionary Passages
RCL Readings:
Acts 1:1-11
Ps 47
Ephesians 1:15-23
Luke 24:44-53
Acts 1:1-11
It's obvious that the Book of Acts and the gospel of Luke are from the hand of the same writer. They begin in much the same way. Both are addressed to someone named "Theophilus" (a name meaning "friend of God" or "lover of God.") Was this an actual person to whom Luke is writing? Some think so. Others suggest Luke is writing to anyone who is seeking to be friends with God or to love God, that is, any seekers of God. It can be said that many who have read this wonderful story Luke tells so well certainly has come to find in the main character a friend, one who reveals God, who shares God's love as no other.
All of us are seeking something greater than ourselves, some meaning, some ultimate purpose to it all. There is within each of us this longer for that which is eternal. It is a longing for God. Luke tells us where we might find God - in the one in whom God came seeking us!
Theophilus may have been a lawyer or teacher. He was a cultured Greek man. Greeks loved wisdom, knowledge, philosophy, seeking new truths. They were seekers.
No matter how educated or materialistically wealthy we become, there is still this deep need for seeking, for God. I think sometimes we wonder what we have to offer those who seem to have everything (I believe William Willimon once wrote a book on this very topic). But the truth is that they do not have everything. They may think they do, but in their quiet, honest moments, they look deep inside and know something is missing. There is an incompleteness, an emptiness, a hole in their soul which nothing - fame, fortune, wealth - nothing is able to fill.
I see this everywhere - this spiritual hunger. I see it in the plethora of new age religions that seem to spring up overnight. Check out the internet sometime and see some of these. One such movement is itself called "Ascension," the seeking of the exaltation of the self through physical spiritual energy or something like that. People are hungry for God and are seeking God.
The whole background theme for this passage is that we must not be shy or reluctant to share or give witness to our faith. Luke does so through his writing. In his words here we see the Risen Lord specifically telling his disciples (you and me included) to await the filling of the Spirit so that we can be his witnesses everywhere.
A witness is not someone who imposes his or her faith or beliefs on others, but one who has been a seeker of God and has been found by God in Christ. A witness is someone with fresh experiences of God and who shares that with others whenever the opportunity arises.
Don't Worry. Wait and Witness (vss 6-8). The disciples still did not get it. They though the kingdom was coming fully right then and there. That way they would miss out on all that daily discipleship stuff - you know - the actually living and serving and dying parts. Who can blame them? "When will you bring in the kingdom?" they ask Jesus. They may still well be in that "who's the greatest among us?" mode, thinking of themselves reigning and ruling with Christ on his cabinet in the new administration.
Jesus pretty much ignores this question and tells them not to worry about it. That 's not for them to know. That knowledge is reserved only for God - for God's eyes only! God knows the days and seasons. Let God worry about the future. The only thing you need to concern yourselves with is seeking the empowerment of the Spirit so that you can be my witnesses.
Jesus has already told them he was going away and that this was best for them (see John's Gospel). Why? Because then the Advocate or Comforter - the Holy Spirit would come. Jesus, in the flesh, could not be with them always. But through the Spirit, he could dwell within them, empowering them for the task ahead. He was going away and yet he would still come to be with them.
My father died about six years ago. I have never known a finer man. I loved him dearly. You know what? I still feel him with me. In fact, I feel him with me in a way like I never did before. In some ways I feel even closer to him. Do I need counseling? I don't think so. For at critical times in my life and even at other times I have felt his presence, almost heard his words to me. From him I continue to draw great comfort, encouragement, and strength.
If this is true with a mere human being, and I suspect it's true for someone like my father for each of you, then how much more so can Christ, through the Spirit, be present with us always! The Spirit is as near to us as the air we breath. Like air, the Spirit fills us, enables us to serve, to witness, to live as disciples of Christ.
The Spirit is there each day to teach us, to give us new insights, to nurture us in the faith. The Spirit also every day gives us opportunities to share our story with others - which we see happening throughout much of the rest of the Book of Acts. The Spirit is our intimate connection to the ascended Lord and also seeks to connect us to one another in the body of Christ and to others, like Theophilus, who are seeking God. We have the Spirit. We already have everything we need to serve God, to be witnesses for Christ.
Up, Up and Away (vss 9-11). This is Luke's second account of the Ascension (the first one we see in today's Gospel reading). In many ways this story reminds me of the Transfiguration. Both involve a mountain. Both involve clouds. Both show witnesses to something marvelous. That marvelous something is who Jesus really is. The Transfiguration reveals for the first time who Jesus is or will be - the glorified, risen, exalted Lord. Now, in the Ascension, we see this coming about. It is fulfilled.
To me, this story has at least four essential things to teach us.
First, Christ now rightly assumes his place of honor at the right hand of God. It's very much a coronation. Jesus ascends the throne. Jesus is Lord. Jesus is King of kings. All the earth now is literally beneath his feet or under his authority (as Paul says in the epistle reading).
Second, Jesus does not leave us through his ascension. He
comes back to us through the Holy Spirit of Pentecost. But even more than this,
he sits at the right hand of God, the place of power, the place where he can
watch over us, provide us his presence, guidance, strength, encouragement. He
also sits there as our mediator or intercessor with God. "Consequently he is able to save for all
time those who approach God through him (Jesus), since he always lives to make
intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:25). Jesus has the ear of God. Jesus
fills the ear of God with our names, with requests for that which we need. Nice
to have such a friend in such a high place.
Third, the Ascension
means that now we are called to continue the mission of Christ. As we have seen
already, the underlying theme of these passages is that we are now to be the
empowered witnesses for Christ to all the world. We have work to do. We are now
the body of Christ in the world. We are his hands, voice, feet, heart, eyes.
Through the Spirit, he lives within us, empowering us to continue his saving
work in the world.
Fourth, he's coming back to finish what he started (see vs 11). We do not know when, where, or even how really. So we cannot stand around with our heads in the clouds. In stead, we wait for the Spirit and when the Spirit moves, we work, we witness, we serve Christ each and every day and in every way we can. That is the best way to be ready for when he returns.
Ps 47 God Rules!
I love that little praise song: Awesome God…
Our God is an awesome God,
God reigns from heaven above,
With wisdom, power, and love
Our God is an awesome God.
Tragically, the writer of that song died a couple of years ago in a car accident. But his song of praise lives on. Perhaps it was inspired by this psalm.
Awesome God! That's pretty much the theme of this psalm and why it is such a fit response to the Acts reading. It sings of the greatness, majesty, and glory of god. It speaks of God as King above all - a theme that goes well with Ascension. Note how even Ascension image are used - "God has GONE UP…" (vs 5a) and God "is highly exalted" (vs 9b).
This also reminds me of the classic book by J.B. Phillips, YOUR GOD IS TOO SMALL. We tend to put God into boxes. God is our God. Yes, but also the God of all the earth. God loves us, our country. Yes, but God loves all people, all nations. We belong to God. Yes, as does all the earth (vs 9). God owns us more than we own God. God is larger than our minds can understand. God's love is deeper than we can know. God's grace is wider than the universe. Yet, God also loves each and everyone of us. God knows and cares about us as individuals.
This song challenges and encourages everyone to acknowledge the kingship and sovereignty of God. All nations are called upon to praise God with joyous music and clapping. It sounds like a party, a celebration!
Because this speaks so much about the kingship of god, some scholars believe it was a song sung while the ark of the covenant was being honored or at least used in a procession, perhaps for the New Year festival. The ark was thought to be the portable throne for God's invisible presence. Whatever the occasion, the theme is clear - God is king over all the earth! God rules!
Because God rules all the earth, then all peoples are invited to praise and honor God (vss 1-2). Vss 3-4 give the reasons for praising God, along with vss 8-9. This, as noted above, is to be loud and joyous worship. It's to be unrestrained joy. After all, God rules! We are God's people! The King of the universe deserves no less than heartfelt and joyous praise.
One wonders if a person coming off the street into our worship services would know that we truly believe God rules? Is our worship joyous? What does that mean? What does that look like and sound like? Is loud better, more joyous?
Ephesians 1:15-23
This marvelous passage is a really a prayer or even song of thanksgiving to God for all the blessings God has given in Christ, which the Ephesians were fully accepting in their lives. It's also a prayer that God might continue to do bless them, that they might continue to grow as Christians. The major theme here is that they might grow in their "knowledge" of God, be "enlightened." Paul is praying for nothing less than they grow ever closer to God, daily knowing and experiencing the depths of God's power and grace in Christ. God is not remote and unknown. God has come to be revealed and to know us in a person - Christ. And we find that the closer we grow to Christ, the closer we are to God.
What greater prayer could anyone pray for us than this? What great prayer could we pray for others than this - to be ever growing closer to God? Surely that is what God desires.
Do you pray for your church? For other churches? For God's people all over the world? Here we find a model for such prayers.
I know a church that every Sunday prays by name for another church in that community and in another country. The minister is mentioned by name and always the laity. Just that act alone has broadened the compassion of the people of that church and made them aware of the global nature of the church. Surely one of the clearest signs that we are growing is that we love more and more each other and all people.
Paul is also saying that being a Christian is not something that happens to us or happened to us one day. It's not a standstill life. It is one of ever growing, of being nurtured in the knowledge and grace of God. We are becomers, ever growing in our walk with God through Christ; in our understanding of what it means to be the people of God; in our power to live out the mission God has given us in Christ.
Paul prays for all of this for the Ephesians, though he seems to have never known or met them. He had "heard of" their faith. He knows them by repetition. They are a body of believers who truly loved God and one another.
One of the things that stands out here is that they also love other Christians outside their own circle "love toward all the saints." There is a tendency in the church sometimes to think that charity begins and ends at home. I see this sometimes around budget time when there is a strong feeling that we should keep our money "here at home." Our Lord is exalted - the king of all the earth. Our Lord loves the whole world and so should we. When any church turns in completely on itself, neglecting to give, to love beyond its own community, it begins to die. I have seen it too many times. But even a church that is poor in terms of materials things becomes wealthy spiritually when its heart is open to the needs of others beyond their own four walls.
Paul then talks about the power of God. This is no where seen more clearly than in the resurrection and exaltation of Christ (vs 20). Just as God raised Christ from the dead, so God raised Christ now to sit over all the earth as Lord and king, with all peoples and all spiritual forces under his feet, that is, under his command and authority. It is an echo of the some of the last words of Christ in Matthew: "All power is given unto me in heaven and on earth" (28:18).
But Christ is also head of the Church, Paul reminds them. The church is his body and he serves as the head. The head directs and controls the body. Christ and the church are united, just as we saw Jesus speaking of being the vine and we the branches. The love and power of God flow through us, so that we experience the "fullness" of Christ. The church has the awesome privilege and responsibility of being filled with Christ. This is what empowers us, what gives us our purpose, our reason for being. We do not offer doctrines or creeds to the world but the Christ. Through the church, the body of Christ, he continues to live and work in the world, bringing wholeness and salvation.
Luke 24:44-53
This is the third appearance of the Risen Lord in Luke. In many respects it is very much like the story in John 20:19ff. But for today's reading, we concentrate on how the Jesus' death and resurrection were in fact in accordance with God's plans as revealed in the Scriptures (vss 44-47); how they are commissioned, as witnesses, to preach forgiveness in his name to all nations in vss 48-49 (Luke's version of the Great Commission); and finally the mini-version of the Ascension (vss. 50--53)
The eleven and others are apparently in the upper room again, perhaps to try to take in all the recent events. Who exactly was there beyond the eleven we do not know, although those who had walked on the way to Emmaus may well have been in the number, as well as the Mary's who had been the first witnesses of the resurrection.
While they are no doubt discussing things among themselves, suddenly Jesus appears or is made visible (John' account has them behind locked doors for fear of those who had crucified Jesus). It was as if Jesus had been with them anyway but chooses now to let them see him. After assuring them is is alive and well, even eating some fish, he assures them that the cross and the resurrection were not just happenstance. What had happened was in accord with the saving purpose of God all along as demonstrated in the Scriptures.
Indeed, the Scriptures are understood as teaching about these things, about Christ, how he was to suffer, die, and even arise. Notice that throughout Luke's Gospel (and the others as well) he makes regular contact with the Old Testament teachings. From the very beginning, Joseph and Mary follow the teachings of the Law 2:21-40) and Jesus sees himself as fulfilling the Law, completing it, bring redemption, salvation which is why the Law was given but was unable to do on it's own. Early Christian preachers drew heavily upon the teachings of Scripture in their preaching (as we see in the sermons in Acts). In other words, what God had done now in Christ was in accord with all that God had been doing and planning. It is new and wondrous in many ways but a fulfillment of ancient promises. They did not understand this at this point so he "opened" their minds to the Scriptures, helped them understand, see how all that had happened was the culmination of God's saving work as seen time and time again in the Scriptures. Surely, the one great thread running throughout the Bible is this steadfast love of God, a love that refuses to let us go. A love even willing to die if it will bring us to our senses, bring us back to God.
Vss 48-49 sound very much like what Luke will say again in Acts 1. They are given this commission but lack yet the power to carry it out. That will soon change. The Power is coming. They must wait. They are waiting for Pentecost which is next Sunday.
Sometimes I find myself and our church ahead of God, you know, making all kinds of plans and striking out on our own without even consulting God. This passage reminds me that most often it is best to wait, to pray, to seek God's direction and empowerment before striking out. It's no wonder that so many of those plans then do not seem to be fruitful. "God, here's what we want to do. Bless it." That's how we often go about things. Better to begin, "Lord, we kneel before you. Show us who we are. Show us what you desire, what you plan. Then we will await your empowerment."
One of the wonderful assurances we can count on is that whenever God calls, God empowers. When God asks something of us, God always provides all we need to do it - all but our faith and courage to believe that (though God even provides those if we ask). Look throughout the Bible, what stands out is God calling ordinary people and then empowering then to do extraordinary things. I think this is at the heart of the Ascension - Christ is at the right hand of God, the side of power, in order to provide for us what we need to continue his work in the world.
Our proper response then to all this? The same as the disciples - joy, worship, humility before Christ, and waiting for the empowerment (vs 52-53).
Discussion Questions
A. Acts 1:1-11. Who would you like to write your biography and why?
B. I wonder if most Christians every really share their story, their faith with someone else? Have you?
C. You know someone like Theophilus, someone who is seeking God. How could you best share the Good News with that person? If you were to write a Gospel or something like Luke does, how might you begin it? What would you wish to make sure to include or get across?
D. Do you think everyone is seeking God, even if they do not know it?
E. Where do you see a spiritual hunger in the world today?
F. How do we share the Gospel with people who already seem to have everything?
G. For what do you find yourself waiting in Jerusalem for right now from God?
H. What does the Ascension mean to you? What thoughts and feelings does it create in you?
I. Where's your Jerusalem, that place close to you to which you feel called to "bear witness"?
J. Ps 47. You may wish to sing the praise chorus, "Awesome God."
K. How have you sensed lately the awesomeness of God?
L. How often in your worship services and in your own daily life do you get a sense of awe?
M. How do you feel about worship that's loud and joyous? What would happen in your church if your whole found themselves clapping and singing with joy in the next worship service?
N. This psalm proclaims that God rules. Where do you see evidence of that? Where or how does it seem that God's rule isn't complete in the world today?
O. Ephesians 1:15-23. How does it make you feel when you hear someone praying for you?
P. If others were to pray for you, what would you hope they would most pray for right now?
Q. Compose your own prayer for your groups/church. What would you most wish God to do in and through them right now? What did Paul wish most to see for those he prayed?
R. When you think about your church, what are five things for which you are most thankful for in regard to it?
S. If the church is the body of Christ, what does this imply for us?
T. If your group/church really prayed and meant vss 17-19 each week, how might it change you?
U. How have you been growing lately in your spiritual life?
V. Where most do you need more growth?
W. If the test for true spiritual growth is seen in our love for others, not just within our own community, how much are we growing?
X. How does your church feel about supporting ministries outside your own community?
Y. Does your church have a repetition? What is it? What would it be? Do other churches in your area have a repetition? What repetition would Paul like to hear about your church?
Z. What might happen in your life and in your church if you really believed all of this - that Christ is alive and is exalted as Lord of all?
AA. Luke 24:44-53. What's the most memorable good by you have ever witnessed or experienced?
BB. Why do you think it was necessary for Jesus to die? Or was it?
CC. How has God opened your mind recently to some Bible passage or some truth you really needed?
DD. What task does Jesus give his disciples?
EE. How does that task relate to us today?
FF. How well are you and your church fulfilling that task?
GG. You may wish to close with the song "Awesome God" or "Crown Him With Many Crowns," or "Jesus Shall Reign."
What
Happened Here?
Sermon
for Ascension
Acts 1:1-11
(Note;
a friend shared this Ascension Day sermon with me some years ago. I thought it
took a very interesting and insightful perspective on the Ascension. Perhaps
you will find it as meaningful as I have).
This
is a strange and almost unbelievable story for us to hear; Jesus leaves the disciples in the lurch on Mt.
Olivet. He is whisked up into the heavens, but what other direction could he go
but up. We always think about the Heavenly Kingdom as "up," that
seems to be central to our faith.
The
Ascension is 40 days after Easter and really occurred on Thursday of this week,
and since the resurrection he met, talked, and was recognized in the breaking
of the bread with the disciples. I imagine that they were just getting
accustomed to the idea of his resurrection, his occasional guest appearances,
his accessibility to them even though they must has suspected it couldn't last
forever. They liked the idea that he was nearby - somewhere able to come to them
and be seen by him and even to be blessed by him. But on this Ascension Day he bids them farewell for
the last time, tells them that they will soon receive the Holy Spirit and he
challenged them to be his witnesses in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and to
the end of the earth.
That
last part must have really come as a shock -- about going to Samaria; they had hated these people for
centuries. And what was that about the end of the earth -- that is where the
pagans live; they are unclean and unwashed.
From
all appearance, Jesus leaves them feeling abandoned and confused according to
St. Luke's Gospel and His Book of Acts. Maybe that is why God had to send two
angels in white to get them moving.
Like
those disciples, most of us are left at the gate wondering what in the world to
make of this strange experience of the Ascension. What does it mean? Moreover,
we are probably likely to focus on the wrong aspect of it. We may try to figure
out in our logical scientific 21st century minds how all of that happens,
instead of just believing in faith.
It
seems that Jesus had to leave his disciples if they were to get on with the
tasks of teaching, preaching and establishing the church. I am sure that they
felt unprepared when he died on the cross. They didn't know what to do when
they heard of his resurrection. They barely knew what to do when they saw him
risen. And at the ascension they felt inadequate to the task of getting on with
their lives, doing what he had charged them to do. How could they live without
him? They needed him, his presence, comfort, strength and Divine Words. In
Luke's Gospel there is no promise to remain with them like there is in St.
Matthew's Gospel. There is only a farewell. They were left with the memory of
his teachings, healing, The Lord's Supper and baptism, but Jesus was not there.
For us
today, we have prayer, the sacraments, worship and preaching and artists
conceptions of his looks; we may have moments of inspiration, but most of the
time Jesus seems far removed. What the early disciples discovered was that on
that Ascension Day and on every day forward, Christ for them, was there to be
found in themselves and in the world. They were now the Body of Christ, and
they would find him and know him present again within their experiences as they
pushed out, left home, and went to Samaria and to the ends of the earth. That's
where they would see him.
I
remember when our daughter went off to college in Richmond, and she said to us
as she departed with her suitcases, books, stereo and a pick - up truck of
household belongs, " So long folks." Even though Richmond is only an
hour away, we had kissed her good bye from being an integral part of our home
and life. Home for her would be where she found it in her own life and in the
world. I am not saying that she is not part of our life nor that she doesn't
come back to our home place for visits, but she was set free to find her life
and home when she left for school. What must have dawned on those disciples on
the Day of Ascension was that Jesus was pushing them out and on their way. And
in ten days' time they would receive the Holy spirit at Pentecost, be on their
way, and begin the trek that would lead them to the far reaches of their known
world. And so Christianity would come to be, and so they would discover his
presence again and again.
It was
in this leaving that occasioned their real growth in Christ. It was only as he
turned them loose with what ever he had given them up to that point, that they
would come to know what he had given them and who they were.
From
that Ascension Day forward, the disciples would discover Christ within
themselves and within the world they served.
My
hunch is that we all have a haunting disconcerting realization that at the core
of our lives we are alone. There is a deafeningly quiet silence that rings in
our ears, that says we are alone, except for whatever of God we know to be with
us. I am speaking about something that is more than our marital status,
something which has to do with our own intimate and personal awareness of our
mortality and identify -- whether we are single or married, divorced or
widowed, young or old, whatever. It is an interior awareness, of being alone
that has nothing to do with the relational connections of our exterior lives.
The Disciples felt alone. Why have we been abandoned? Have you ever asked the
question, "God where are you, why have you forsaken me?"
Can
you remember the old camp song, "Jesus walked this lonesome valley, he had
to walk it by himself, and then the haunting ending phrase, "You must walk
this lonesome valley, you must walk it by yourself. Oh, nobody also can walk it
for you, you have to walk it by yourself."? There are times when we are
clearly aware of our aloneness. I
remember arriving in Tokyo, Japan, in the early hour of the morning
and standing in a long line for customs
and immigration and finally being asked in broken English, "Are you
Japanese?" If you are not a Japanese citizen you are in the wrong line.
Maybe, for some of you, the acute aloneness was when the divorce papers arrived
or the night before the chemotherapy treatments.
You
are on your own, and the world is harsh. The question comes to us, "Can I
make it?"
It
would be nice if we could climb back into our mother's arms, and have her tell us
that it is going to be all right. But that will not happen; we are alone. Just
as surely as the disciples felt alone on that Ascension Day. They looked up
toward the heaven with their heart in their throat and their hands at their
sides for a sign of comfort.
Now,
loneliness is a paralyzing emotion. All of us feel lonely sometimes. But a
sense of aloneness is different from loneliness. When we are alone with only
ourselves, we are stripped back to the essential person we are. It is there
that all our strength and stamina and fortitude lies.
When
forced to look inward, scary as that may be, we can often find more strength
than we ever imagined possible for ourselves, because there we come in touch
with the self which bears God's image, the inner being shaped by God's hand.
Sometimes
that insight only comes when the wind is knocked out of us, and we are left
alone, without wishing to be so. That is the way it was for the disciples.
Their source of life left them --their teacher, comforter, their
"home" was gone. We all, can relate to the feeling of being left
alone, and where do we go from here?
Those
first disciples had to let go of Jesus at his ascension. They felt adrift. They
didn't know what to do next, but nevertheless, they would soon discover in his
leaving, in being left alone, they found his presence more obvious in his
absence. Then they were emboldened to go forth and be his witnesses to the end
of the earth.
It is
a strange way with God that this is so. But in our partings and in our endings
it is often the case that God's tender care for us and His presence with us is
better seen, perhaps because we are more ready to see it, because there we have
no other place to turn. I believe all of the time that God is here with us in
ourselves and in our world, ready to do more with our lives than we ever
thought possible.
And
painful though the losses and endings may be, perhaps they are the birth pangs
of new possibilities being born, the occasions for God's breaking into our
lives in new ways.
The
question comes to us today, as it came to the disciples 2,000 years ago,
"Friends, why do you stand looking into the sky -- looking up into heaven.
This Jesus, who was taken from you will come in the same way as you saw him
go." "So why are you aggrieving? Be up and on your way. For soon the
Holy Spirit will come to you in power, and you will be his witnesses in
Jerusalem, and Judea, and Samaria, and even to the end of the earth." For
those who see such things in themselves and are Christs' disciples in the world,
he is not only here, but he is everywhere in the world with us.
Ascension/Graduation Sunday
Texts: Luke 24:44-53 &
Ephesians 1:15-23
The 200-year-old church was
being readied for an anniversary celebration when calamity struck: the bell
ringer was called out of town. The priest immediately advertised for another.
When the replacement arrived,
the priest took him to the steps leading to the bell tower, some 150 feet above
them. Round and round they went, huffing and puffing all the way. Just as they
reached the landing, the bell ringer tripped and fell face-first into the
biggest bell of all. Bo-o-o-o-ong!
Dazed by the blow, the bell
ringer stumbled backward onto the landing. The railing broke loose and he fell
to the ground. Miraculously, he was unhurt—only stunned—but the priest thought
it best to call an ambulance.
“Who are you?” the doctor asked
the man.
“I don’t know,” the man repiled.
“Do you know this man’s name?”
the doctor asked the priest.
“No,” the priest replied, “but
his face sure rings a bell.”
“Who am I?” That’s a question
all of us find ourselves asking sometime or someone asking it of us. Often we associate
it with youth, but it can be a question you find yourself pondering at most any
time in your life.
It is not just a question of
identity, but also a search for your purpose in the world, why you are here,
the meaning of your life.
“Who am I?”
In a very real sense no one can
answer that for you. It’s a personal journey you must make. No one can make it
for you. No one can fully tell you who you are. You must discover this for
yourself. But I would like to give you a few nudges in the right direction, a
few hints that will help you as you seek the answer to, “Who am I?”
God’s
Creation
Who are you?
You are God’s creation. God made
you. God spent personal time just making you. I love these words from Psalm
139:
God, you created every part of
me;
you put me together in my
mother’s
womb.
I praise you because you are to
be
feared;
all you do is strange and
wonderful.
I know it with all my heart.
When my bones were being
formed,
carefully you put together in my
mother’s
womb,
when I was growing there in
secret,
you knew that was was there-
you saw me before I was born.
(Ps 139:13-16a).
God knows you. God loves you.
God created you. You belong to God. Only within this relationship will you find
who you are and why you are.
At the Pan American Games, Greg
Louganis was asked how he coped with the stress of international diving
competition. He replied that he climbs to the board, takes a deep breath, and
thinks, EVEN IF I BLOW THIS DIVE, MY MOTHER WILL STILL LOVE ME. Then he goes
for excellence.
That’s not a bad way to begin
every day of your life, taking a deep breath and saying, EVEN IF I BLOW IT
TODAY, MY GOD WILL STILL LOVE ME, and then, assured of grace, go into the day
seeking a perfect 10! For God made you. God loves you, even when you blow.
You
Are Unique
Who are you?
You are unique. You are special.
There has never been throughout time anyone exactly like you and there never
will be.
Turn your palsm up and look at
them. If you look closely, you will see tiny swirling lines on your fingers -
finger prints. No one has those exactly like you do. God made you that way. You
are one of a kind in many ways.
Have you ever heard that saying,
“What a wonderful world it would be, if everyone was like me”? Well, don’t think that would be wonderful at all!
We need to be different. We need diversity. It enriches us.
If you have not found your
uniqueness already, you will. Celebrate it. Let the world see it, hear it. For
you have contributions to make that only you can give.
You
Are Gifted
Who are you?
You are gifted. God has creatd
you with untold talents and abilities. Some of them you already know. Others
you will be discovering and developing all your life.
You no doubt have heard about the
programs our schools sometimes have for the so-called “gifted” students. That
has always bothered me just a little. Why? Because I believe with all my heart
that every person is gifted. We are nost all gifted in the same ways, but we
all are endowed by our Creator with wondrous gifts. You are, each of you, in
God’s gifted program.
It’s going to be fun watching
you grow and discover and use those gifts.
You
Are Disciples of Christ
Today is Ascension Sunday. It
celebrates the ascent of Christ back to God to sit at God’s right hand, the
position of power and authority. Paul says that Christ is exalte, lifted up,
and that all things ahve been placed under his feet.
Who are you?
I can tell you nothing more
important than this - be disciples, followers of Christ. Exalt him above all
else in your life. Look up to him as your hero, your role model, your Savior
and Lord. Strive all your days to follow his teachings and his example. The
more like him you become, the better human being you will be.
And this will help you in so
many ways. Knowing you will follow Christ, already settles lots of things. it
helps you know what you will do in lots of situations and how you will decide.
Whatever the situation, whatever the decision, look at it as Christ would look
at it. Decide and act like a Christian.
A
Servant
Who are you?
If you follow Christ, the you will be a servant of God in the world.
You will not live your life just
for yourself, putting yourself Number 1 all the time. In stead, you will put
your life at God’s disposal, to be used in service to God and neighbor.
As you discover your gifts, your
talents and abilities, consider how you might use them to serve God, to help
others.
Your purpose in life is to so
live and give yourself that the world is a better place because you were in it.
Conclusion
While walking through the forest
one day, a man found a young eagle who had fallen out of his nest. He took it
home and put it in his barnyard where it soon learned to eat and behave like
the chickens. One day a naturalist passed by the farm and asked why it was that
the king of all birds should be confined to live in the barnyard with the
chickens. The farmer replied that since he had given it chicken feed and
trained it to be a chicken, it had never learned to fly. Since it now behaved
as the chickens, it was no longer an eagle.
“Still it has the heart of an
eagle,” replied the naturalist, “and can surely be taught to fly.” He lifted the
eagle toward the sky and said, “You belong to the sky and not to the earth.
Stretch forth your wings and fly.”
The eagle, however, was
confused. He did not know who he was, and seeing the chickens eating their
food, he jumped down to be with them again.
The naturalist took the bird to
the roof of the house and urged him again, saying, “You are an eagle. Stretch
forth your wings and fly.”
But the eagle was afraid of his
unknown self and world and jumped down once more for the chicken food. Finally
the naturalist took the eagle out of the barnyard to a high mountain. There he
held the king of the birds high above him and encouraged him again, saying,
“You are an eagle. You belong to the sky. Stretch forth your wings and fly.”
The eagle looked around, back
towards the barnyard and up to the sky. Then the naturalist lifted him straight
towards the sun and it happened that the eagle began to tremble. Slowly he
stretched his wings, and with a triumphant cry, soared away into the heavens.
He has never returned to lead the life of a chicken.
You were not created for the
barnyard, but for the sky!
You are not a chicken. You are
an eagle.
So soar up and become all God
has put it you to become.
Sermon
LXXIV. (on the
Lord's Ascension, II.)
I. The Ascension Completes Our Faith in
Him, Who Was God As Well as Man.
II. The Ascension Renders Our Faith More
Excellent and Stronger.
III. The Marvellous Effects of This Faith
on All.
IV. His Ascension Refines Our Faith : the
Ministering of Angels to Hint
Shows the Extent of His Authority.
V. We Must Despise Earthly Things and Rise
to Things Above, Especially by
Active Works of Mercy and Love.
Sermon
LXXIV. (on the Lord's Ascension, II.)
I. The Ascension Completes Our Faith in
Him, Who Was God As Well as Man.
The mystery
of our salvation, dearly-beloved, which the Creator of the universe
valued at
the price of His blood, has now been carried out under conditions of
humiliation
from the day of His bodily birth to the end of His Passion. And
although
even in "the form of a slave" many signs of Divinity have beamed out,
yet the
events of all that period served particularly to show the reality of His
assumed
Manhood. But after the Passion, when the chains of death were broken,
which had
exposed its own strength by attacking Him, Who was ignorant of sin,
weakness was
turned into power, mortality into eternity, contumely into glory,
which the
Lord Jesus Christ showed by many clear proofs in the sight of many,
until He
carried even into heaven the triumphant victory which He had won over
the dead. As
therefore at the Easter commemoration, the Lord's Resurrection was
the cause of
our rejoicing; so the subject of our present gladness is His
Ascension,
as we commemorate and duly venerate that day on which the Nature of
our humility
in Christ was raised above all the host of heaven, over all the
ranks of
angels, beyond the height of all powers, to sit with God the Father. On
which
Providential order of events we are founded and built up, that God's Grace
might become
more wondrous, when, notwithstanding the removal from men's sight
of what was
rightly felt to command their awe, faith did not fail, hope did not
waver, love
did not grow cold. For it is the strength of great minds and the
light of
firmly-faithful souls, unhesitatingly to believe what is not seen with
the bodily
sight, and there to fix one's affections whither you cannot direct
your gaze.
And whence should this Godliness spring up in our hearts, or how
should a man
be justified by faith, if our salvation rested on those things only
which lie
beneath our eyes? Hence our Lord said to him who seemed to doubt of
Christ's
Resurrection, until he had tested by sight and touch the traces of His
Passion in
His very Flesh, "because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed:
blessed are,
they who have not seen and yet have believed1 ."
II. The Ascension Renders Our Faith More
Excellent and Stronger.
In order, therefore,
dearly-beloved, that we may be capable of this blessedness,
when all
things were fulfilled which concerned the Gospel preaching and the
mysteries of
the New Testament, our Lord Jesus Christ, on the fortieth day after
the
Resurrection in the presence of the disciples, was raised into heaven, and
terminated
His presence with us in the body, to abide on the Father's right hand
until the
times Divinely fore-ordained for multiplying the sons of the Church
are
accomplished, and He comes to judge the living and the dead in the same
flesh in
which He ascended. And so that which till then was visible of our
Redeemer was
changed into a sacramental presence2 , and that faith might be more
excellent
and stronger, sight gave way to doctrine, the authority of which was
to be
accepted by believing hearts enlightened with rays from above.
III. The Marvellous Effects of This Faith
on All.
This Faith,
increased by the Lord's Ascension and established by the gift of the
Holy Ghost,
was not terrified by bonds, imprisonments, banishments, hunger,
fire,
attacks by wild beasts, refined torments of cruel persecutors. For this
Faith
throughout the world not only men, but even women, not only beardless
boys, but
even tender maids, fought to the shedding of their blood. This Faith
cast out
spirits, drove off sicknesses, raised the dead: and through it the
blessed
Apostles themselves also, who after being confirmed by so many miracles
and
instructed by so many discourses, had yet been panic-stricken by the horrors
of the
Lord's Passion and had not accepted the truth of His resurrection without
hesitation,
made such progress after the Lord's Ascension that everything which
had
previously filled them with fear was turned into joy. For they had lifted
the whole
contemplation of their mind to the Godhead of Him that sat at the
Father's
right hand, and were no longer hindered by the barrier of corporeal
sight from
directing their minds' gaze to That Which had never quitted the
Father's
side in descending to earth, and had not forsaken the disciples in
ascending to
heaven.
IV. His Ascension Refines Our Faith : the
Ministering of Angels to Hint
Shows the Extent of His Authority.
The Son of Man
and Son of God, therefore, dearly-beloved, then attained a more
excellent
and holier fame, when He betook Himself back to the glory of the
Father's
Majesty, and in an ineffable manner began to be nearer to the Father in
respect of
His Godhead, after having become farther away in respect of His
manhood. A
better instructed faith then began to draw closer to a conception of
the Son's
equality with the Father without the necessity of handling the
corporeal
substance in Christ, whereby He is less than the Father, since, while
the Nature
of the glorified Body still remained the faith of believers was
called upon
to touch not with the hand of flesh, but with the spiritual
understanding
the Only-begotten, Who was equal with the Father. Hence comes that
which the
Lord said after His Resurrection, when Mary Magdalene, representing
the Church,
hastened to approach and touch Him: "Touch Me not, for I have not
yet ascended
to My Father3 :" that is, I would not have you come to Me as to a
human body,
nor yet recognize Me by fleshly perceptions: I put thee off for
higher
things, I prepare greater things for thee: when I have ascended to My
Father, then
thou shall handle Me more perfectly and truly, for thou shall grasp
what thou
canst not touch and believe what thou canst not see. But when the
disciples'
eyes followed the ascending Lord tO heaven with upward gaze of
earnest
wonder, two angels stood by them in raiment shining with wondrous
brightness,
who also said, "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing into heaven?
This Jesus
Who was taken up from you into heaven shall so come as ye saw Him
going into
heaven4 ." By which words all the sons of the Church were taught to
believe that
Jesus Christ will come visibly in the same Flesh wherewith He
ascended,
and not to doubt that all things are subjected to Him on Whom the
ministry of
angels had waited from the first beginning of His Birth. For, as an
angel
announced to the blessed Virgin that Christ should be conceived by the
Holy Ghost,
so the voice of heavenly beings sang of His being born of the Virgin
also to the
shepherds. As messengers from above were the first to attest His
having risen
from the dead, so the service of angels was employed to foretell
His coming in
very Flesh to judge the world, that we might understand what great
powers will
come with Him as Judge, when such great ones ministered to Him even
in being
judged.
V. We Must Despise Earthly Things and Rise
to Things Above, Especially by
Active Works of Mercy and Love.
And so,
dearly-beloved, let us rejoice with spiritual joy, and let us with
gladness pay
God worthy thanks and raise our hearts' eyes unimpeded to those
heights
where Christ is. Minds that have heard the call to be uplifted must not
be pressed
down by earthly affections5 , they that are fore-ordained to things
eternal must
not be taken up with the things that perish; they that have entered
on the way
of Truth must not be entangled in treacherous snares, and the
faithful
must so take their course through these temporal things as to remember
that they
are sojourning in the vale of this world, in which, even though they
meet with
some attractions, they must not sinfully embrace them, but bravely
pass through
them. For to this devotion the blessed Apostle Peter arouses us,
and
entreating us with that loving eagerness which he conceived for feeding
Christ's
sheep by the threefold profession of love for the Lord, says,
"dearly-beloved,
I beseech you, as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly
lusts which
war against the soul6 ." But for whom do fleshly pleasures wage war,
ifnot for
the devil, whose delight it is to fetter souls that strive after
things
above, with the enticements of corruptible good things, and to draw them
away from
those abodes from which he himself has been banished? Against his
plots every
believer must keep careful watch that he may crush his foe on the
side whence
the attack is made. And there is no more powerful weapon,
dearly-beloved,
against the devil's wiles than kindly mercy and bounteous
charity, by
which every sin is either escaped or vanquished. But this lofty
power is not
attained until that which is opposed to it be overthrown. And what
so hostile to
mercy and works of charity as avarice from the root of which
spring all
evils7 ? And unless it be destroyed by lack of nourishment, there
must needs
grow in the ground of that heart in which this evil weed has taken
root, the
thorns and briars of vices rather than any seed of true goodness. Let
us then,
dearly-beloved, resist this pestilential evil and "follow after
charity8
," without which no virtue can flourish, that by this path of love
whereby
Christ came down to us, we too may mount up to Him, to Whom with God the
Father and
the Holy Spirit is honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
This
document is from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library
at Calvin College. Last updated on
May 27, 1999.
Contacting the CCEL.
Ascension Sunday
Title:
Continuing the Work of the Master
Text:
Acts 1:1-11
Ballanger's
Esso was the site of my first real job. I was only 16 and still wet behind
everything,
but Mr. Ballanger hired me anyway. He was a tall and skinny man, though he was
very
strong
from years of labor at that service station. He had twinkling blue eyes and
always wore
that
old Esso (now Exxon) hat and a uniform of sorts. He was one of the leading
citizens of
Bridgeton,
my hometown. The fact that he hired me to work there was no small thing.
Well,
there's a lot more to running a service station than you might think. I know it
took me
at
least four months to learn the basics. I learned how to pump gas, check oil and
tires, clean
windshields,
change oil and tires, even how to operate his aged cash register.
Maybe
one of the most important things I learned was that this was a lot more than a
service
station.
It was a place where people could always come and find a friend. Mr. Ballanger
was the
leading
friend of the town. He knew how to treat people. His was a "service"
station in more
ways
than one. From him I learned a lot about just how to treat people. I saw him on
more than
one
occasion help needy travelers, often not charging them a penny. Add to this all
the many
people
in our little village nestled on the Neuse River who had found him a friend in
words and
deeds.
Then
the summer came and he said to me one day, "I have to go away for awhile.
I'm leaving you
in
charge. I've got a telephone number where you can reach me should the need
arise. I'll be
back.
But until then, I am counting on you to keep things going here. Think you're up
to it?"
Well, I
nodded my head before I even thought about it.
But
when I had time to think about it later, I felt two conflicting things.
First,
it made me feel great. This meant he trusted me, he believed in me, and thought
I was
ready
and able to carry on for him while he was away. That was a pretty awesome
feeling.
But the
second feeling I had was being overwhelmed, was doubt. This was a BIG
responsibility.
Was I
really up to it? I mean, I always had him there when I had a question or didn't
know what
to do.
All I had to do was just go inside the station and there he would be sitting in
that old
office
chair of his sipping a small Coca-cola (glass bottle).
As I
thought about it, however, I was reminded that I had his number and knew that I
could call
him
anytime. And, also, he was coming back and he thought I could do it until he
returned.
I could
not help but think about all of this when I read the story today about the
Ascension of
Christ.
For a long time he had been selecting his disciples, training them, and even
those
precious
days after his resurrection he was preparing them for what was ahead - his
going away,
his
return to the Father. Now that has taken place.
He
felt, you see, that now they were ready. He had to go away. He could not be
with them in the
same
way he had. But they knew how to contact him, knew that he was just a prayer
away, that he
promised,
in fact, to send them another Comforter, and that one day he would return.
So,
honored by such trust, humbled by the task ahead of them but confident in him,
they set out
to
continue his work - to be his witnesses there and throughout the world.
He has
called us, too. He is training us, teaching us, preparing us, too, to continue
his work.
He has
promised us that same Holy Spirit to empower us to continue his mission in the
world,
promising
to be only a prayer away and to return one day.
It
seems to me that that mission is kind-of like being a service station. The
church exists to
serve
Christ and the world. We should be a community of servants, persons who embody
the life,
the
values, the mind of Christ himself, reaching out to the needy, sharing the
Gospel of love
and
forgiveness, being peacemakers, and working for the good of all people in the
name of
Christ.
It is
an awesome task he has entrusted to us. But he believes in us. He's provided
all we need
to
continue his work.
Perhaps
you have never heard of Giacomo Puccini. He was an Italian composer. He left
the world
some
wondrous music. But in 1922, only 64 at the time, he was diagnosed with cancer.
Though
very
ill, he continued to work on the opera Turandot, which many people consider to
be his
best.
Many people tried to convince him not to waste his limited energy on a piece he
could not
possibly
finish but he pressed on.
When he
death was near, he said to his students:
"If
I do not finish Turandot, I want you to finish it for me."
He did
not finish the opera. Immediately after his death his students gathered
together all of
the
scores and his notes, studied them with great care, and then finished the
opera.
The
opening performance took place in 1926 and was conducted by one of Puccini's
students. When
he
reached the place where the his teacher had stopped composing the conductor put
down his
baton,
turned to the audience and said to them, "Thus far, the master wrote, and
then he died."
No one
moved and no one made a sound for several minutes. Then he picked up his baton
again and
smiled
through his tears. He said, "But his disciples have finished his
work."
Tears
flowed with the music and the sound of the applause went on and on.
Let us
pray:
Risen,
ascended Lord, how you trust us. You have handed over your ministry into our
hands,
feeble,
frail, and sinful. Yet, you trust us to continue it. Forgive us when we have
failed
you,
when we have not followed the notes, the score you have already written and
tried to
strike
out on our own direction. Help us to so know your mind and spirit, O Christ,
that we can
continue
the greatest composition the world has ever heard, not so we can get applause,
but
that
the whole world might be touched by the love, grace, and beauty of your divine
music.
Amen.
Sermon Starters
Ascension
#1
Topic: The Rain of Christ
Texts: All
Ascension Sunday is very much about the reign of
Christ. Notice how all the reading speak of it in terms of a king ascending a
throne. King Jesus. Christ reigns!
As I thought of this and tried to understand it,
it began to rain outside. I began to think of the rain that descends from
heaven to help bring life...but it also returns or ascends to heaven through
evaporation, so that it might return again with its blessings...Christ is the true Rain of Heaven….the very greatest blessing of God that showers
upon us the grace and love of God that
gives us abundant and eternal life. But the Christ ascends only so that more
blessings can be showered upon us, more life, more empowerment to fulfill our
calling...
There are days when it rains and we wish it
wouldn't. We had plans, things we wanted to do, and now look -- there goes our
picnic. But the rain is there, nourishing the earth and, as you say, bringing
life. Very much like Christ, whose presence in our lives sometimes seems...
well, like a rainy day, upsetting our plans and causing us to go around with
our lower lips out thrust because we're not having things our way. But the rain
is good for us, it helps us grow in God's grace so that we may bear good fruit.
Christ rains! And Christ reigns! Let his rain fall upon us!
#2
Topic: Up, Down & Out (A sermon outline)
Text: All
Notice anything about the Book of Acts?
It begins with Jesus GOING UP (The Ascension).
Then we see the Holy Spirit COMING DOWN (Pentecost).
And in the rest of the book till this very day we see the Church GOING
OUT!
#3
Topic: Jesus Above All
Texts: All
A couple of years ago I visited Washington, DC for the first time. I made
it a point to go by the Lincoln Memorial. I stood awestruck as I looked up at
hat magnificent statue of President Abraham Lincoln sitting as it seemed to me
on a throne. He was truly a great man and his legacy continues and will always
continue.
As I read once again this story the Ascension of Christ, I found myself
looking up, seeing as it were Christ enthroned in the heavens, reigning over
all creation - the same Christ to whom Abraham Lincoln looked up to all his
life.
The Ascension of Christ means to me that now Christ is truly above all.
Christ is Lord. To Christ I will lift my eyes, I will give my ultimate loyalty.
His legacy, his love continues on and will forever!
I think it also means that now God's salvation is available to all. The
Good News is not just for one time, one place long ago. Christ is ascended!
Christ, from above all, looks upon the whole world, loves the whole world.
Have you never been up in an airplane? It really changes your
perspective. You see the earth not as different nations or peoples but as one.
Christ above all looks down on all people with love and grace.
So it is that we see the rest of Acts account after account of have a eunuch,
then a Roman solider, and then countless others can to look up to Jesus above
all…until this very day, until you and I also stand gazing up, awestruck,
filled with joy…
And the Ascension means to me that now I am charged with seeing the world
from the perspective of Christ, of waiting to be filled with his Spirit that I
might go out and be his witness to the world.
His Ascension leaves the continuation of his mission in our hands - yours
and mine.
And the Ascension also means to me that Christ will also come again (Acts
1:11) to finish what he started!
#4
Topic: Passing the Baton
Text: All
When I was in high school, I was part of the track team. My favorite
event was the rely race. Your team members stand at certain places. One begins
and is carrying a baton, runs around the track, then, passes it along to the
next runner to continue the race. It's quite exciting.
As I read the passages today about the Ascension, it seemed to me that
this was kind-of what Jesus was doing. He had been with the disciples now for
forty days, taking care of some last minute details - teaching, instructing,
encouraging them. But now it's time for him to ascend, to return to God. Now
it's time for him to pass the baton of ministry to them.
But he does not leave them alone. He promises them the infilling of the
Holy Spirit to empower them to continue the race.
Christ also sits in the stands to cheer us them. But he does more than
that. He also ascends to the right hand of God, the place of power, where he
can watch over them, help them, and intercede for their needs to God.
Sometimes in a relay race you might drop the baton. Ever seen that? So
what do they do? Right. They go back, pick it up, and continue the race.
Christ has passed the baton to generations of faithful runners. Now it is
passed to us. Do we have a firm hold on it? Have we dropped it? Will we pick it
back up? How well are we running?
#5
Topic: Friends in High Places
When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a
cloud took him out of their sight (Acts 1:9).
"Consequently he is able to save for all time those who approach God
through him (Jesus), since he always lives to make intercession for them"
(Hebrews 7:25).
"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how
to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes for us with sighs too deep
for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the
Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of
God" (Romans 8:26-7).
I heard a country-western song today on the radio that I had not heard in
some time, "Friends in Low Places," by Garth Brooks. It made me think
that the texts for Ascension and Pentecost are about Friends in High Places...
I visited an elderly man in the hospital today, one of those who has some
wonderful stories to tell. he told me about his application for a loan back in
the 1940's and how the bank manger just didn't like him and was holding up the
loan...until my friend bumped into someone one day who he knew had the ear of
the chairman of the bank board. My friend shared his frustration and concern,
how he felt like he was just not getting through or getting a fair hearing. The
next day, 9:15 am, the bank manger called and told him the loan had been approved...
Nice to know people who know people...
Nice to have friends in high places...
It seems to me that Ascension is at least about a very Good Friend in a
very HIGH place...the Son of God, who sits at the right hand of the Father, to
make intercession for us...who has been one of us...who knows all we experience
and is able to convey that to the Father's ear...
And Pentecost...the Spirit, who Paul says, also intercedes for us when we
do not know how to pray or what to say or that we just can't seem to get a
hearing...
Imagine this...the Son on one side and the Spirit on the other side of
God...constantly whispering in God's ears...about us...
I guess it really is true that old saying, "It's not what you know
but WHO you know," and WHO knows you.
Ummmm...think I might write a country-western song about Friends in High
Places...I know at least two!
But Russell Fragar beat me to it. Hear is part of his song:
FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES
Words and Music by Russell Fragar
Verse 2:
I walk by faith
And not by sight
If things go wrong
It’ll be alright
Cause someone greater
Is watching over me
My God cares too much to say
His mercies are new everyday
I get down to pray
And then help is on its way
Bridge:
Now in faith I believe
That I’ve got everything I need
I walk by faith and not by what I see
I’ve got friends in high places
I’ve got someone watching over me
The song is available from:
HILLSONGS AUSTRALIA
copyright Russell Fragar 1995
Hillsongs Australia
PO Box 1195 Castle Hill NSW 2154 Australia
Ph 61 2 634 7633 FX 61 2 899
4591
SIQs (Stories, Illustrations, Quotes)
Ascension Sunday
June 4, 2000
#1
When Jesus ascended into heaven, he did not leave the earth in the sense that he is no longer here. On the contrary, his ascension brought him closer to us that he could ever have been to his own contemporaries. He left in order that he might be nearer to us all. He was taken away from among us in order that he might come dwell within us.
E.M. Carlson
#2
Another word used in the New Testament to refer to the ascension of Christ is "exaltation." Alan Richardson writes: "The phrase 'at the right hand of God' meant not a place, but a participation in the sovereignty of God over all things. The exalted Jesus had entered a state and an activity which transcended the limitations of place altogether.
#3
In the days of his earthly ministry, only those could speak to him who came where he was. If he was in Galilee, people could not find him in Jerusalem; if he was in Jerusalem, they could not find him in Galilee. But his ascension means that he is perfectly united with God. We are with him wherever we are present to God, and this is everywhere and always.
William Temple
#4
The ascension is the proof that humanity is destined for heaven and not for the grave.
James Denny
#5
(Waiting)
Some years ago I read about a speedboat driver who had recently survived a racing accident. He said that he had been at near top speeds when his boat veered slightly and hit a wave at a dangerous angle. The combined force of his speed and the size and angle of the wave sent the boat spinning crazily into the air. He was thrown from his seat and propelled deeply into the water—so deep, in fact, that he had no idea which direction the surface was. He had to remain calm and wait for the buoyancy of his life vest to begin pulling him up. Once he discovered which way was up, he could swim for the surface.
#6
Waiting for God is not laziness. Waiting for God is not going to sleep. Waiting for God is not the abandonment of effort. Waiting for God means, first, activity under command; second, readiness for any new command that may come; third, the ability to do nothing until the command is given. - G. Campbell Morgan
#7
One afternoon author Patsy Clairmont found herself on an airplane, sitting next to a young man. She writes, “I had already observed something about this young man when I was being seated. He called me “Ma’am.” At the time I thought, ‘Either he thinks I’m ancient, or he’s from the South where they still teach manners, or he’s in the service.’
I decided the latter was the most likely, so I asked, “You in the service?” “Yes, Ma’am, I am.” “What branch?” “Marines.” “Hey, Marine, where are you coming from?” “Operation Desert Storm, Ma’am.” “No kidding? Desert Storm! How long were you there?” I asked. “A year and a half. I’m on my way home. My family will be at the airport.”
I then commented that he must have thought about returning to his family and home many times while he was in the Middle East. “Oh, no, Ma’am,” he replied. “We were taught never to think of what might never be, but to be fully available right where we were.”
#7
My favorite Abraham Kuyper quotation comes from a speech that he once gave before a university audience in Amsterdam. He was arguing that scholarship is an important form of Christian discipleship. Since scholarship deals with God’s world, it has to be done in such a way that it honors Christ. Kuyper concluded with this ringing proclamation: “There is not one square inch of the entire creation about which Jesus Christ does not cry out, ‘This is mine! This belongs to me!’”
Uncommon Decency,
Richard J. Mouw, pp. 146-147
#8
I think that many of us, when Christ has enabled us to overcome one or two sins that were an obvious nuisance, are inclined to feel (though we do not put it into words) that we are now good enough. He has done all we wanted him to do, and we should be obliged if he would leave us alone. But the question is not what we intended ourselves to be, but what he intended us to be when he made us...
Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what he is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on. You knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised.
But presently he starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is he up to? The explanation is that he is building quite a different house from the one you thought of—throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards.
You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage, but he is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it himself. - C. S. Lewis
#9
Shortly after joining the Navy, the new recruit asked his officer for a pass so he could attend a wedding. The officer gave him the pass, but informed the young man he would have to be back by 7 p.m. Sunday.
“You don’t understand, sir,” said the recruit. “I’m in the wedding.”
“No, you don’t understand,” the officer shot back. “You’re in the Navy!”
#10
Jesus Christ is not valued at all until He is valued above all. - Augustine
Ascension Sunday
PRAISE SONGS
Awesome god
Kum Ba Yah
Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
We Will Glorify
He Is Exalted
Alleluia
Our God Reigns
HYMNS
Hail the Day That Sees Him Rise
Christ is the World’s Light
Jesus Shall Reign
At the Name of Jesus
All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name
Ask Ye What Great Thing I Know
I Will Sing the Wondrous Story
O For A Thousand Tongues to Sing
Hail, Thou Once Despised Jesus
My Jesus, I Love Thee
Shall We Gather At the River
We Praise Thee, O God
Blest Be the Tie
Up Through Endless Ranks of Angels
Lord, Enthroned In Heavenly Splendor
Alleluia! Sing to Jesus
A Hymn of Glory Let Us Sing
GREETING/CALLS TO WORSHIP
L: Risen with Christ, let us seek the realities of the Spirit.
P: Our life is hidden with Christ in God.
L: He who descended is also ascended far above the heavens, that he might
fill all things.
P: When Christ, our Life, appears, we shall appear with him in glory!
Alleluia!
OR
L: Let all who believe in the risen and ascended Christ give praise!
P: It is the Good News, witness of our salvation: Christ lives!
L: In Christ God defeated death and the grave, once and for all.
P: In our risen Lord we are called to be the Church, witness to the ages.
L: And this same Christ who ascended will, in God’s holy time, return.
ALL: Blessed be the name of the Lord!
OR
L: Come let us worship the Lord, the most high exalted of God.
P: Christ, crucified and resurrected, is no at the right hand of God:
L: Jesus who was nailed to the cross that we might have eternal life;
P: Jesus, who was without sin, accepted the sins of the world.
L: Yet in God’s wisdom and mercy it is this same Christ who saves us all.
ALL: Blessed be the name of the Lord!
OPENING PRAYER
Almighty God,
your blessed Son, our Savior
Jesus Christ,
ascended far above all heavens,
that he might fill all things.
Mercifully give us faith to perceive that, according to his promise,
he abides with his Church on
earth, even to the end of the world;
through the same Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(Scottish Book of Common Prayer)
OR
When You fulfilled the plan of salvation for us and united all things on
earth to those in heaven, O Christ our God, You ascended in glory, never
leaving us but remaining ever-present. For You proclaimed to those who love
You, "I am with you and no one else has power over you".
COLLECT
O God, You have given us the message of Salvation and the commission to
proclaim it in all the world. Strengthen our faith, Lord, that nothing might
impede us as Your messengers. In Christ we pray. Amen.
CONFESSION
O God, too often we seem to take for granted some of the awesome events
that marked the early years of the Church. We read of saints who died terrible
deaths because their commitment was so
real they would not deny Your Lordship. Yet so often today our comfort seems
more important than our faith in You. Forgive us, Lord, and strengthen us. In
Christ we pray. Amen.
OR
Lord, too often we forget that You sought us out even when we were yet
sinners. So often we choose not to remember it was Your love that saved us and
not our deserving qualities or nature. Forgive us, Lord, and help us to reach
out to others with the same loving and accepting personal openness You so
freely extended to us. In Christ we pray. Amen.
DEDICATION OF OFFERING
Here, Lord, are our tithes and offerings. With them accept all we have -
all we are, for you have given us your very best. Use us to bring your name
glory and honor. Multiple us like the loaves and fish that others might be fed
in your name with the Bread of Life.
INVITATION TO HOLY COMMUNION
Crucified, but risen.
Ascended, but present with us.
King of kings, but still our friend.
Lord of lords, but loving us still.
Exalted above all, yet present in lowly bread and cup.
In this bread and cup, taste the love, the grace, the sweetness of the
Risen and Exalted Lord.
PASTORAL PRAYER
Continuous praise in the temple.
That’s how the disciples celebrated the Ascension.
At least for awhile -
Then came the time for the next step.
Taking the message into the world proved to be
a difficult next step, but it was necessary.
There are times when we feel we would, like to
remain in church.
Faith is easier to express here.
It is relatively safe. People understand.
They usually do not ask tough, probing questions.
But we cannot remain in here. You have entrusted
us with the gift of faith inn order to share it
with others.
Sharing is difficult, but necessary.
Tough questions will be asked. But by your
grace, we will be given words to respond with.
In Fact, questions will help to strengthen our
faith. We are ready, Lord. We are ready. Amen.
BENEDICTION
Arise and go into the world, knowing that your Lord sits at the right
hand of God, there making intercession for you and assuring that the power and
presence of the Spirit will go with you. Amen.
OR
Go in peace, with your eyes to heavens for the One who ascended and
intercedes for you, but with your hands, hearts, and voices extended to the world with the Good News of
God’s grace and forgiveness. Amen.
OR
So, why are we standing here? Let us go into the world as his witnesses,
empowered by his Spirit.
Solemnity Of The Ascension of The Lord:
The fortieth
day after Easter Sunday, commemorates the
Ascension of
Christ into heaven, according to Mark:16:19,
Luke:23:51,
and Acts:I:2. In the Eastern Church this feast
was known as
analepsis (the taking up) and as the
episozomene
(the salvation). The terms used in the West,
ascensio and
ascensa, signify that Christ was raised up by
His own
powers. Mount Olivet, near Bethany, is designated
as the place
where Christ left the earth. The feast falls on
Thursday,
and it is one of the most solemn in the calendar,
ranking with
the feasts of the Passion, Easter and Pentecost.
Although no
documentation of it exists prior to the beginning
of the fifth
century, St. Augustine says that it originated with
the
Apostles, and that it was observed by the Church long
before his
time. The Ascension is frequently mentioned in
the writings
of St. John Chrysostom, St. Gregory of
Nyssa, and
in the Constitution of the Apostles. Perhaps, prior
to the fifth
century it was commemorated in conjunction with
the
feasts of Easter or Pentecost.
Connected
with this feast were the customs of: the blessing
of beans and
grapes (after the Commemoration of the Dead
in the Canon
of the Mass), the blessing of first fruits, (afterwards
done on
Rogation Days), the blessing of a candle, the wearing of
mitres by
deacon and subdeacon, the extinguishment of the
paschal
candle, and processions with torches and banners
outside the
churches to commemorate the entry of Christ into
heaven. In some churches, the Ascension was depicted
by
elevating
the figure of Christ above the altar, through an opening
in the roof.
In others, the figure of Christ was made to ascend
and that of
the devil was made to descend.
The day
celebrates the completion of the Lord's work for
our
salvation, the pledge of our glorification with
Christ, and
His entry into heaven with our human nature
glorified.