May 14, 2015 – Ascension Day

“While he (Jesus) was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; and they were continually in the temple blessing God.” Luke 24:51 – 53

The Ascension of Our Lord, which occurred 40 days after Jesus Christ rose from the dead on Easter, is the final act of Christ for our redemption — it is the conclusion of the work he began on Good Friday. On this day, the risen Christ, in the sight of His apostles, ascended bodily into Heaven. This is the account we have from the Gospel of Luke above. Pentecost then will come 10 days later, Pentecost (which literally means 50th day) which is the giving of the Holy Spirit to the disciples and to the church. The Ascension of our Lord is important to remember because it is the day in which all things that had been prophesied for Jesus comes to a conclusion. But, it is not the end of his ministry – because in the giving of the Holy Spirit, the ministry of Jesus continues. His ascension does not mean he has left us for good. Yes, Christ ascended into heaven, but he continues to be present in our lives in many ways. And one of the most evident is through the work of the Holy Spirit.

During the forty-day period before Jesus ascended into heaven, it is believed that Jesus preached to and continued to interact with his apostles and disciples. It is during this time that Jesus confirmed for his disciples that the resurrection was real – that he did rise from the dead and has accomplished all he told us he would accomplish.

According to tradition, Ascension Day was first celebrated in 68 AD, however the first written evidence of the Ascension Day feast occurred in 385 AD. Today, Ascension Day is celebrated primarily by our friends in the Catholic and Anglican churches. Take time today to remember the Ascension of Jesus and to find ways to make the presence of Jesus through the Holy Spirit more palpable in your lives.

Pastor Dave

April 19, 2015
Sunday

“Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him.” Luke 24:13-16

“A walk and a meal can transform your life, and that’s what happened in the encounter of Jesus with two of his earliest followers. Trudging down the road, two utterly confused followers are joined by a third man. Their world has been turned upside down by the events of the past week: celebration, conflict, violence, and death, and now the possibility that their martyred spiritual leader has come back to life. Resurrection is just as unsettling as crucifixion. It doesn’t fit into any rational 2015 world view, including the theology of resurrection of the first century Jewish people. They could imagine a resurrection of all humanity at the end of history, but not the resurrection of a solitary individual. But, they walk the seven miles from Jerusalem to Emmaus, first sharing their common grief, and then entering into a strange conversation with their unexpected companion, who unfolds the story of salvation through resurrection to them. Somehow, they cannot recognize their companion as the teacher and healer Jesus. Perhaps, it is a bit of divine magic allowing them to gently adapt to a new way of seeing; perhaps, it is the highly energetic body of their companion that both reveals and conceals Jesus’ identity. Confused and grief-stricken, the two men nevertheless reach out to the stranger. They invite him to supper, and come to know his identity as the Risen Jesus in the breaking of the bread. Their hospitality leads to a theophany, an encounter with the Risen Jesus, who is known in the simple Eucharistic acts of praying and eating. Movement and meal lead to revelation, and then Jesus is gone, vanishing from their sight, but leaving them with warmed hearts, lively spirits, and energetic bodies. They are so energized that they walk seven miles back to Jerusalem to share their good news that Jesus is risen and on the road.” Let’s Go for a Walk: Reflections on The Road to Emmaus (April 28, 2014 by Bruce Epperly – patheos.com)

“Jesus is risen and on the road.” I love this quote. What better understanding of the risen Jesus can we have – Jesus is on the road – Jesus is on the move. Jesus is loosed on the world and we never know where he may appear – except we know that he is in the bread and wine of communion, he is in the waters of our baptisms, and he is in the word that we preach and live out each and every day. And no matter how tired we are, or weary, or poor in spirit, or confused, knowing that Jesus is loosed upon the world gives us the strength and courage to reach out to strangers and friends alike. In the journeys of our lives, Jesus promises to meet us on the road. I often preach on this text in a funeral sermon, because all of our lives are journeys. And each journey is unique – is special – is life defining and life delivering. When we go on the journey with our eyes fixed simply on the destination, we are going to miss a lot of opportunities to see Jesus in our midst – just like the Levite and the Priest missed their encounter with the man left for dead along the road of their journeys. I don’t think they believed that it was beneath them to help – but their “responsibilities” did not allow them to stop. If our journeys are too focused on the destination, they we are going to miss a lot of opportunities along the way. Of course the destination is important. But the trip is also going to be life defining and life-changing if we are aware of the presence of Jesus. Along the journeys of our lives, we need to take time to commune with Jesus – break bread with our neighbors and those in need – and in those moments, we will also meet Jesus.

Pastor Dave