Towards the Ascension

John 16:13a However when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth.

Most Christians in our tradition are baffled – and even embarrassed – by the Ascension because on so many levels it just doesn’t make sense. We tend to be bottom line, empirical people – rational and even broadly scientific – who don’t have time for superstition or foolishness. Consequently, we tend to just skip over the Ascension without giving it much depth or thought because it sounds like antiquated religious mumbo jumbo and we want to know how faith can help us in our everyday lives:

Eugene Peterson, pastor, biblical scholar and poet, has observed that the Bible uses words in such a way that "the revelation of God to us in Jesus" is shown to be so "large and full of energy – and our capacities to believe and love and hope are so atrophied – that often we need help in hearing the Word made flesh” and living into its blessings. In his book, The Contemplative Pastor, he writes that most of us are so focused on results and doing that we no longer know how to hear the poetry of God's love in scripture. What’s more, because modern "people are not comfortable with the uncertainties and risks and travail of creativity,” we tend to confuse "knowing" with "wisdom."

A man went out on a starry night and shook his fist at the heavens yelling, "Oh, God, what a lousy, rotten world you’ve made. I could have done much better." Then a voice boomed from the clouds saying, "That’s why I put you there. Get busy." The Ascension is the time when Jesus puts us in charge of his mission and of his work, promising to be always with us. Prayer can be a time of asking and discovering where each of us can work in this world.

Almighty God,

as we prepare to worship today,

we ask that you will stretch our imaginations

to sense the majesty and mystery of your ascension.

Help us perceive how Jesus' presence in heaven

can give us confidence in our praying

and hope for the future.

Through Jesus, our Lord.

Amen.