The Feast of the Ascension                     The Rev'd David C Cobb

of Our Lord Jesus Christ                          Procession & Solemn Mas

Acts 1:1-11;  Ephesians 1:15-21;             May 1, 2008

Luke 24:49-53

When people struggle with the creed, I suspect this day's truth is part of the struggle—somehow Jesus' Resurrection is something we can grasp—it is God's final response to death and hate, to sin and destruction;  it is the return of the abandoned and condemned one to break bread with his friends, and there he speaks peace, not resentment or condemnation.  Our very longing, the bed rock conviction that God's world does not end in the silent tomb leaves us ready for this good news . We can confess our faith because we have encountered the grace and forgiveness that comes from knowing Jesus—and that does not come for a hard cold tomb. 

Easter restores Jesus to us—despite all that had happened. Easter restores our past—when the  crucified one returns to stand with us and offers forgiveness and resumes the intimacy of the Upper Room, we can face what we have done, knowing our sin and folly does not demand that we be condemned. 

The empty tomb, the hope of Easter, the experience of something stronger than death and guilt—we can grasp that.  But  now this.  “He was lifted up and cloud took him out of their sight”, or from Luke  He withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven:  Matthew avoids all talk of removal or being carried up—but there, Jesus speaks-  “All authority, in heaven and earth has been given to me…”  Mark's line of sight is longer than the others—“he was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God”.  There not only the direction- “up” but the precise destination is revealed. 

What do we make of all of this?  Like counting time in purgatory—as if eternity could be marked on a calendar of daily turning of our planet or its yearly circuit around an ordinary star—to think of God's presence as something that an  interstellar map quest could pin point is to misunderstand God.  We use the language of Ascension—and think of the Risen Lord be carried up—even as we genuflect in awe that the Eternal Word would “come down from heaven and become in Incarnate…” 

Let the questions of directions and movement step aside and we might get some where with this feast, this clause in the creed and this Gospel accounts.

Easter returns the Risen Lord to us—and draws us to hope for forgiveness and life.  The Ascension returns the Eternal Word, spoken into our world in Jesus, to the One who speaks—taken up—seated at the right hand—or as Revelation describes the Lamb standing as though it had been slain entering the presence, if the incarnation could have created distance within the life of the Trinity—and if the cry “why hast thou forsaken me?” was honest—this day restores to unity what has been pulled to the breaking point.  This Jesus—whom we have welcomed in Bethlehem, followed to the Jordan, and watched as he gathered a group of friends, the one whose parables and teachings are compelling and whose death broke our hearts- this Jesus whose presence with us is hope and meaning; this Jesus that we know as friend and brother, moves as easily in the Presence – as by the lake-side.  This Jesus who holds our life – holds the future and the past, the entire mystery of creation's purpose in his hands. 

The Ascension returns the Risen Lord to unending fellowship and the endlessly grace-filled dance that is the Trinity.  He carries into that blessedness our flesh and blood—the wounds he bore with and for us—and there, he prepares a place for us.  From that place, he sets free the Spirit who draws us into that fellowship and by whom we have a heart and mind to know God and to serve God.  Here, we lift the bread and wine that is the sign of his endless self-giving;  there he stands before the Source of all and is that perfect response to the Father.  Restored to us, to renew the fellowship broken by Good Friday and our failures.  Restored to the Father, the Living Christ is the sign of the eternal sacrifice that renews creation and unites us with God.  And out of that place, where he stands, power and wisdom give us strength to serve God's purposes;  out of that place comes the grace that makes us members of his body and so we find a welcome where he stands. 

The Ascension restores the Risen Lord to the One who sent, and that restoration leads towards an ever great and ever expanding restoration – the fullness of Christ, who fills all in all. 

The living Christ restored to his friends and re-weaving this community—is restored to the Source of all things and restores all creation—binding in one things that were broken and pouring out the blessings of particularity as each one of us finds voice and skill, work and delight that is necessary and that is only possible as the power of God's own life is set loose in our midst.  To believe the creed is simply to  live with hope that however and wherever we conceive of God's particular presence –there is one whose face we will recognize—and whose hands clasp our own.