Ascension Day
Thursday 21st May 2020
As public worship has been suspended in a bid to limit the spread of the Coronavirus the service was recorded and made available online. That can be found here.
Ascension Day
Acts 1. 1-11
Luke 24. 44-53
Revd Preb Maureen Hobbs
It feels a bit odd to be speaking about one who is ‘going up’ or ascending, at a time when we are still relatively ‘locked down’!
I have always thought it must have been rather strange for the disciples – they had to go through the trauma of losing their friend, teacher and spiritual guide – and seeing him suffer an ignominious and painful death. Their whole world was threatened – their lives too of course, and then comes the joy of discovering that the resurrection is not just some vague theological or philosophical notion, but a very real physical thing. Christ is alive! – and they feel his presence with them closely for forty days after that first adrenaline rush of Easter Sunday.
But then they have to get used to the idea of losing him all over again. Not so traumatically this time, but still he will never again be so close. Close enough to hug, to touch.
We are all suffering the loss of physical touch and presence of our loved ones at the moment – so perhaps we can understand the mixed feelings of the disciples at this time….
We are grateful if our family and friends stay well – and we know that if we have to stay away from them to guarantee their safety, that is price worth paying, as painful as it is to us all. Did anyone see the clip of the chap who has invented a “Cuddle blanket” incorporating PPE? It was a heath-robinson contraption in the splendid tradition of English eccentrics, but it did the job! Enabling a gradmother and her grandson to exchange an embrace while remaining fully shielded from each other – Brilliant!
I wonder if someone will take up his idea and begin manufacturing something commercially that will achieve this objective? Maintaining intimacy with maximum personal protection!
But Jesus needs to depart at this time for two reasons – well at least two! He is going firstly because “it is done”. His work on earth has been accomplished – the ‘to do list’ is complete and finished. If he were to hang around now, the chances are that he would actually be in the way! That may at first sound rude if not blasphemous – how could Jesus ever be in the way, you may ask? I am sure you have heard it said before, but constantly being in the presence of greatness can be a bit exhausting for the rest of us who are – lets face it – fairly ordinary folk! Everyone knew that Jesus was extraordinary. He told wonderful stories, he could relate to all sorts of people – the elderly, the young, the chronically sick, the poor and the rich. All of them flocked to hear him and receive his healing touch. But if the disciples – and especially the Apostles – are to grow into their full potential, then Jesus needs to fade from the picture a bit. He needs to allow them space and time in which to grow and develop. And if he were always to be around, their confidence would never get beyond the entry level.
And he has achieved what he set out to do – salvation for the whole world.
Now it is time for others to take hold of his message and make it their own. God will inspire countless followers through the ages – each one of which brings their own contribution to the wonderful news of Salvation won by Jesus on the Cross. They could never have done it without him of course, but now it is time for the next phase of the operation.
And secondly, his followers will never become aware of the Holy Spirit – God’s spirit that is freely available to each and every one of us, but which is a more elusive, shimmering, indefinable presence hovering always on the edge of our perception. The space that Jesus vacates makes room for God’s spirit to move in and for us to be aware of the gentle breath that stirs us up and moves us on to achieve great things in God’s name. Just as Jesus told his disciples would happen!
I always think of ascension as a bitter-sweet sort of time in the church calendar. A time of saying goodbye but also of greeting things that are new and exciting.
As we begin to emerge from the crisis that has changed all our lives – and totally transformed our church life – what I wonder will we need to bid a fond farewell to? Recognising all that has been good in what is past, but also looking with optimism and excitement to the future and what may yet be in store?
God is gone up with a merry shout and the sound of the trumpet – may we soon be able similarly to rejoice at our release from the captivity of our social isolation! Alleluia!