Today is the Feast of the Ascension, a significant day in the life of the Church. As I've noted in my sermons this Easter season, the resurrected Jesus makes a series of appearances. The culmination of these is found at the end of the Gospel of Luke and the beginning of Acts, when Jesus is lifted into the clouds as the disciples watch. While the scriptures don't indicate when this took place, church tradition places the Ascension 40 days after Easter. It is fitting that Jesus ascends. It leaves the disciples waiting for his return; indeed, we are all left in expectation. Years ago, I preached an Ascension Day sermon that imagined Christ ascending in the style of a superhero — first crouching, then, fist in the air, taking flight. It was simple and a bit silly, but it helped some connect with this unusual departure of our Lord.

The Ascension seems to leave us wanting more. As we read the story in Acts, the disciples stand there staring at the clouds. It also leaves us expectant. All these thousands of years later, we wait for Jesus to return. Even so, our waiting is filled with our own desire to fulfill God’s calling. May we each seek to be Christ to others, so that Christ can be seen in our own day. Happy Ascension Day.

Blessings,
Paul