{"id":3069,"date":"2019-06-02T16:39:22","date_gmt":"2019-06-02T16:39:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pattinghamchurch.org.uk\/web\/?page_id=3069"},"modified":"2019-06-02T16:39:22","modified_gmt":"2019-06-02T16:39:22","slug":"sermon-30th-may-2019","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.pattinghamchurch.org.uk\/web\/information\/sermons\/sermon-30th-may-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"Sermon – 30th May 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Sermons index<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ascension Day \u2013 evening<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Thursday 30th May 2019 <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ascension Day – evening
\nActs 1.1-11
\nLuke 24. 44-53<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Revd Preb Maureen Hobbs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\"Maureen<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The priest and poet Malcolm Guite has written of this day….<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We saw his light break through the cloud of glory<\/em>
Whilst we were rooted still in time and place,<\/em>
As earth became a part of heaven\u2019s story<\/em>
And heaven opened to his human face.<\/em>
We saw him go and yet we were not parted,<\/em>
He took us with him to the heart of things,<\/em>
The heart that broke for all the broken-hearted <\/em>
Is whole and heaven-centred now, and sings;<\/em>
Sings in the strength that rises out of weakness,<\/em>
Sings through the clouds that veil him from our sight,<\/em>
Whilst we ourselves become his cloud of witness<\/em>
And sing the waning darkness into light;<\/em>
His light in us, and ours in him concealed,<\/em>
Which all creation waits to see revealed.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sounding the Seasons \u00a92012<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nAscension is always a bit of a\nchallenge to preacher and member of the congregation alike. It is\neasy to see why we need to celebrate Easter Sunday \u2013 the wonder of\nresurrection; the defeat of death; the coming of hope into the human\nworld.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nAnd Pentecost is a fitting end\nto the Season of Easter \u2013 the moment when the Spirit descends and\nthe birth of the Church as we understand it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nBut Ascension sits a little\nuneasily just before that moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nWe have heard the argument\nthat unless Jesus does finally go and leave his disciples to carry on\nwithout his physical presence among them, then the Holy Spirit\ndoesn\u2019t stand a chance. But still it is hard to imagine the\ndisciples on their way back from Bethany \u2013 praising God and singing\n\u2013 feeling great joy when they have just seen their Lord and Master;\nFriend and Teacher for the very last time. It is counter intuitive.\nWe know how hard it is to part from loved ones \u2013 why would they\nfeel differently?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nBut Scripture tells us God is\ngone up with a merry shout! \u2013 OK, I know that is an OT reference to\nGod entering the Holy of Holies in the Temple, rather than Jesus\nascending to be with God in heaven, but it is a sentence that is\nfrequently heard on this day. Not least in the anthems we sing!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nBut I think the point we need\nto grasp is not about the divinity of Jesus on a day like this, but\nhis humanity. This day is worth celebrating because this is the day \u2013\nas Malcolm puts it \u2013 when earth becomes a part of heaven\u2019s story.\nHeaven is opened to his human face…. and therefore to ours too!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nHow does it feel to realise\nthat you are already living in heaven?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nOh, I know that with the\ninterminable Brexit situation and all the political upheaval in\nWestminster and Brussels, it doesn\u2019t feel much like it at present.\nBut that is just Satan\u2019s way of distracting us from the far more\nimportant truth \u2013 We are already in heaven because Jesus is there\nbefore us! \u201cHe took us with him to the heart of things\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nIn all our flawed condition\nwith our indecision, cruelty, insensitivity and selfishness, but also\nwith our generosity of spirit, our humour, our poetry and our science\nand creativity we are caught up into the heavenly realm and awarded a\nplace with Christ beside God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nSo the next time you become\nangry, or feel broken-hearted at some fresh inhumanity, just remember\nmy favourite quotation from the letters of St Paul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nI am sure that neither\ndeath, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor\nthings to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else\nin all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in\nChrist Jesus our Lord<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRomans\n8. 38,39<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nAscension is the moment when\nJesus departs the earth, and yet remains for ever in our hearts as we\nremain in his.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nHis light in us, and ours\nin him, concealed.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nCan we perhaps try to live as\nthough we know we have already arrived in heaven? God and humanity\nhave gone up with a merry shout \u2013 so let the Christ light shine\nout! Amen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ascension Day \u2013 evening Thursday 30th May 2019 Ascension Day – evening Acts 1.1-11 Luke 24. 44-53 Revd Preb Maureen Hobbs The priest and poet Malcolm Guite has written of this day…. We saw his light break through the cloud of glory Whilst we were rooted still in time and place, As earth became a … <\/p>\n

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