On
this Sunday after Christ’s Ascension, the readings begin after the fact of the Ascension
and end with the climax of the Last Supper. The prayer of Jesus in this Gospel
reading from John, known by some biblical scholars as The High Priestly Prayer
of Jesus, reveals some of his human nature as well as his divinity. Jesus prays to God to protect us now that he
is leaving this world ~ we who were given to him by God and who remain in this
world; and he prays for the unity of God’s people. Samuel Cruz, Assistant
Professor of Church and Society at Union Theological Seminary in New York City,
had this to say: "A prayer from Jesus asking for protection via
unity of the church, provides a great source of comfort to his followers...[it]
is powerful because it emerges from his personal experiences as a man...[as
when] a parent prays for his or her child, we know that the motivations behind
that prayer are deep and primal. Likewise, the deeply loving petition in our
favor requested by Jesus is greatly treasured." The Apostles haven’t
experienced the Crucifixion at this point, let alone the Resurrection or
Ascension and they must have been confused at the very least. Yet as they
reflected on these words later, as we do in our time, they offer hope and the
soul-comfort of God’s steadfast protection.
At the Ascension, the
Divinely Human Christ takes his leave of this earthly plane while the apostles
watch him be lifted up and a cloud took him out of their sight. As
it says in the Apostles and Nicene Creeds: he ascended into heaven and
is seated at the right hand of the Father.
The Feast of the Ascension is one of the five
major markers in the Gospel accounts of the life of Jesus. The others
are his Baptism, Transfiguration, Crucifixion, and Resurrection. The Ascension
is also one of the essential elements of
Christian creeds and one of the significant mysteries in the life of
Christ. The bodily Ascension into heaven is also understood by some as the
expression of Christ's two natures: divine and human. The mythology, the
mystical, and the mysterious all combine to fuel the fires of discussion,
disagreement, and theological divides across generations and denominations.
Typically observed on the 6th Thursday, or 40 days, after Easter, it precedes
Pentecost Sunday, 50 days after Easter. Pentecost is the end of Eastertide.
Next is Trinity Sunday, which begins our Liturgical Season of the Sundays after
Pentecost.
The
Living Jesus cares greatly for his followers then and now. For our part, let us
return this great comfort by devoting regular times for ourselves to pray as
the apostles did while waiting for the power of the Holy Spirit to come upon
them. Let us follow Peter's instructions to cast all our anxiety
on God because our adversary, the devil, even in the
form of seemingly benign earthly temptation, myth, or fantasy, could
easily devour our good intentions, carrying us away from what
we are called to do in this life.
Building our faith in the continuing presence
of God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit within and around us is a life-long process
with moments of solid belief and wavering with regular individual and communal prayer as
a personal/spiritual discipline**, and when we recognize that we
each are also Disciples of the Living Christ, we, too, will be restored,
supported, and strengthened to do the work for which we were created and called
~ to love one another as we are to love ourselves. As Jesus was lifted up, he is never beyond our reach. Let us be glad and rejoice…be merry and joyful…Blessed be God!
*The Gospel for the Feast of the Ascension is
Luke 24:44-53
**The Root and Meanings of Discipline
~ Discipline is a
scary word for many of us so here is a brief look at the word itself from the
Merriam-Webster online dictionary. Let’s move ourselves to the first few
definitions and leave the 13th century behind: Discipline comes
from discipulus, the Latin word for pupil, which also provided the source of the word disciple (albeit by way of a Late Latin
sense-shift to “a follower of Jesus Christ in his lifetime”). Given that
several meanings of discipline deal with study, governing
one’s behavior, and instruction, one might assume that the word’s first meaning
in English had to do with education. In fact, the earliest known use of discipline appears
to be punishment-related; it first was used in the 13th century to refer to
chastisement of a religious nature, such as self-flagellation.
LET
US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
Leader: ~ O God of All Grace, You were, You are, and You will
always be with us. Jesus brought us to know You, to cast our anxiety upon
You, and to receive the protection of Your steadfast love. Let us be humbled
and rejoice in Jesus, our Christ, who is Your Glory
revealed.
O Christ,
Ascended
RESPONSE: Restore, Support, and Strengthen us
~ O God of All Grace, instill integrity, dignity, and
strength of character in the political leadership on this Earth, in this
Nation, and in our Community. Steer and steady them on the course of principled
and moral justice for all Your people everywhere. We pray
especially for: add your own petitions
O Christ, Ascended
Restore, Support, and Strengthen us
~ O God of All Grace, rest Your healing spirit upon all who
are coping with life-threatening or chronic illness, and energize those
wearied by giving care and love. We now join our hearts to pray for those in
need… add your own petitions
O Christ, Ascended
Restore, Support, and Strengthen us
~ O God of All Grace, gladden our hearts knowing that
those we love who have left our lives, are now risen with all the Saints into
the eternal heart of the Living Jesus. We pray especially for… add
your own petitions
O Christ, Ascended
Restore, Support, and Strengthen us
~ O God of All Grace, we pause in this
moment to offer You our personal heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions,
petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently… add your own petitions
O Christ, Ascended
Restore, Support, and Strengthen us
~ O God of All Grace, revitalize the leaders of Your Church
with the spiritual energy, wisdom, and faith-filled hearts, open to the
challenges of being an emissary of Christ, guiding us all to be as one body to
do Your work in this world. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
O Christ, Ascended
Restore,
Support, and Strengthen us
The Celebrant adds: Holy God of Power and Glory, rekindle our desire
to renew Your purpose in ourselves for the life You have given us to live and fortify
our faith against the prowling temptations that would devour our fragile
promises to You. We ask this through Jesus, the Christ, our Ascended
Redeemer; and the Holy Spirit, our Sacred Sanctifier; who live and reign with
You, One God, forever and ever. Amen.
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