The Spirit reconciles rather than divides, the Spirit that empowered the Apostles on the first Pentecost is the same Spirit that will empower us today. In ten days time we celebrate Pentecost the promised Spirit that embraces all creation. Bringing to life the words ‘Your kingdom come’. To carrying our faith out from looking up at heaven, so to speak, as the disciples did. These words call us to move from gazing at the sky and our own self-interest and to reach out and embrace the well-being of the whole earth and all who live and share this earth with, including strangers, enemies, and non-humans. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven. In a few minutes we will say the Lord’s Prayer and say these words, depending on which version you are drawn to use: Perhaps we need to hear the words from the angels, the messengers, in Acts 1:11 ‘why do you stand looking up towards heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’ In other words, the messengers are calling us to be in the world, in our communities and among the people who are around us. To have such a narrow focus is to miss the point. The Ascension of Jesus is about more than Jesus defying gravity. Even if you are not prone to get so poetical such views can lead you to having a wider perspective on life, faith and your place in it. You can get caught up in what you are witnessing as if you are being lifted in your thoughts and are almost on another plane. It seems so big, especially at sunrise or sunset. Reading the words from Luke 24:50-54 we can be forgiven for lifting our eyes and viewing the sky and the clouds above us or at least look at the photograph and for a moment capture the vision of the vastness, magnificence and splendour of the sky. ‘Why do you stand looking up towards heaven?’ (Tom Fettke / Noel Richards / Trisha Richards) And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy and they were continually in the temple blessing God. While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.’ Then he said to them, ‘These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you-that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.’ Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. Your testimonies are very sure holiness adorns your house, O Lord, for ever. Mightier than the thunder of many waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea, the Lord on high is mightier. The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice the floods lift up their pounding waves. Your throne has been established from of old you are from everlasting. He has made the whole world so sure that it cannot be moved. The Lord is king and has put on glorious apparel the Lord has put on his glory and girded himself with strength. Who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Grant, we pray, almighty God, that as we believe your only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ to have ascended into the heavens, so we in heart and mind may also ascend and with him continually dwell Your God Reigns, Your God Reigns The Collect for Ascension Day How Lovely On The Mountains Are The Feet Of HimĪnnouncing Peace, Proclaiming News And HappinessĮnds Of The Earth, See The Salvation Of Your Godīefore The Nations He Has Bared His Holy Arm We read to ourselves verses 1 & 4 of ‘Our God reigns’ + In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |