Once upon a time in a land far away ... Eureka Springs, Arkansas ... I attended the Passion Play which was an amazing production. The play begins at dusk and by the end we are shrouded in darkness. At the end of the play, into the dark sky we see Jesus rising, light and gossamer, hands up in a gesture of blessing. You could hear the gasps, the sighs, and the intake of breath all around but other than that you could have heard a pin drop. It was a very powerful moment. I can still close my eyes and see Jesus ascending into the night sky heaven.
Jesus ascending ... "The Ascension."
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| Ubisi Monastery. Ascension of Jesus, public domain via wikimedia commons |
I could also see all of the ropes and pulleys it took to raise that Jesus guy up into the air for our entertainment. It didn't really detract from the power of the moment but it did invite me into a period of questioning skepticism. I don't live in the context of the disciples. The 3-story universe (heaven/earth/hell) collapsed as we began our own human ascent into space. I know that we live on a tiny speck in a vast universe. So how can I not laugh at the ascension, an idea that Jesus floated up and disappeared into the clouds.
In the past I have struggled greatly with this theological concept. Finally, today I simply put the ascension of Jesus into a category marked, "mystery." I don't know how it happened, this re-union of the "Father" and the "Son," but I believe that it did happen. I remember Jesus said, in John 16:7, "if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you, but if I go, I will send him to you." So, I also believe that something happened in the separation and re-unification of God "substance" that enabled the Spirit of God to come to each ordinary individual rather than to certain special people as in the past. Again, we are bumping up against mystery here. And here I choose to let it go.
I spent a week struggling with what direction to go as I prepared a sermon on the Ascension. I spent time reading and re-reading Luke 24:44-53 and Acts 1:1-11, take link to read passages. I prayed with portions of the text via Lectio Divina. I also read a lot of commentary and material about the Ascension. Most of it centered on that same sense of power and glory that I felt at the end of the passion play. However, I continued to be drawn via Lectio Divina to Jesus blessing the disciples in Luke 24: 50-53 as he was rising.
Then Jesus led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands, he blessed them. Now during the blessing he departed and was taken up into heaven. So they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple courts blessing God. (NET)
What must that have been like? Such a mixture of pain and loss and wonder and a sense of deep joy. Suddenly, the word "benediction" popped into my head. Yes, another "churchy" word just like the ascension is a churchy word. I think few (or at least not a majority of) people inside the church know these words and fewer if anybody outside the church. But I couldn't get away from the word benediction and all that it stand for to me!
John Drescher says the benediction, "conveys the pronouncement of God's presence and blessing ... [and] should have a commissioning quality - a sending of believers forth, strengthened by God, to face the world ... as witnesses to the living Lord and Savior." Wow, it sounds like what Jesus did as he ascended ... the Ascension as Benediction!
As I continued to sit with the Ascension as Benediction it became much more practical than mystical. As Jesus left he have his followers a simple "to do" list.
Then Jesus led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands, he blessed them. Now during the blessing he departed and was taken up into heaven. So they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple courts blessing God. (NET)
What must that have been like? Such a mixture of pain and loss and wonder and a sense of deep joy. Suddenly, the word "benediction" popped into my head. Yes, another "churchy" word just like the ascension is a churchy word. I think few (or at least not a majority of) people inside the church know these words and fewer if anybody outside the church. But I couldn't get away from the word benediction and all that it stand for to me!
John Drescher says the benediction, "conveys the pronouncement of God's presence and blessing ... [and] should have a commissioning quality - a sending of believers forth, strengthened by God, to face the world ... as witnesses to the living Lord and Savior." Wow, it sounds like what Jesus did as he ascended ... the Ascension as Benediction!
As I continued to sit with the Ascension as Benediction it became much more practical than mystical. As Jesus left he have his followers a simple "to do" list.
- Wait. (and while they waited they praised God which enabled their hearts to be wide open in a receptive state)
- Receive the Holy Spirit (be clothed with power)
- Be witnesses to the Life of Christ and offer forgiveness to the repentant. (Tell your story)
This rhythm of Jesus, prayer and ministry has been duplicated as a rule of life throughout history. Benedict wrote a rule for the Benedictines to live by, summarized by these two words written on the windows on either side of an altar in the chapel of a little Benedictine monastery I go to. On one window is written "ora." On the other is "labora." Ora y labora = pray & work. John Wesley's rule of life could be summed up in is admonishment to engage in "works of piety" and "works of mercy." Today, Richard Rohr has founded a center for "action and contemplation." Thus we can live our lives in the rhythm that Jesus lived and the life Jesus invites us all into. We can live a life of prayer and work. So, let's talk about what this means.
What does it mean to live a life of prayer? For me there is withdrawing for prayer, and then there is the prayer of living in the present moment, noticing God's presence and praising God in that moment. Both are necessary for the other to be vibrant and complete. I withdraw and spend time in the silence and engage God through many, many different ways ... I journal, draw, write, read, walk in nature, talk and listen ... the list could go on for pages I suppose. And yet, there is a running "conversation" spoken and unspoken as I notice God's presence and guidance throughout my day.
If you are looking for new ways to pray and would like some starting points, visit the prayer portal on my website. OR you could withdraw into the silence and ask God to teach you to pray in a way that will draw you closer. One pitfall that I find often is when we separate out petition and intercessory prayer from our attention to God in prayer and contemplation. Petition and intercession are generally spoken prayer concentrating on my needs and the needs of others, generally always about what we want or think we need. Especially in times of emotional and physical stress, these prayers can easily bring us down into a very self-centered space. I sometimes hear, "I don't know what is wrong because I am praying constantly but God is not answering my prayers," meaning God is not giving me what I want. Our petition and intercessory prayer should be balanced with other means of prayer, especially prayers of praise and gratitude for who God is. Notice our 2 ascension passages. What were the disciples doing while they waited for the Holy Spirit ... they are praising and blessing (which means praising) God. I remember one time when I was keeping a gratitude journal. At the end of every day, I wrote down 3 things I was grateful for and I couldn't repeat anything for 30 days. Over time I came to realize that I was seeking things to praise God for and I had a deep sense of joy. Sometimes, I found myself looking deeply into the hard things of life to find something I could praise God for and I still do. There is just something about gratitude that opens our heart to receive the Spirit of God!
On the other hand, we are to be "witnesses." What does it mean to "witness" to a life with Christ? Let me tell you a story of 2 men I once knew. One of the men testified that each day as he left work, he stopped people in the parking lot to tell them they needed Jesus and invited them to church. He always ended his story with, "now, no one has ever come to church but I know if I just keep telling them and inviting them, one day someone will come!" The other man said very little, but one day I met a couple of new people around my church. I asked the woman how she came to be out our church. She told me about her boss, a man whose door was always open. He had gone through a terrible divorce the year before and yet he came through it with such grace. When she had gone through a difficult time herself, she went in and shared her story with him and asked him how he did it, how did he get through his divorce? He said, "Well, I could never have gotten through it without God, without my church family and without my small group at church" and he hold me his story. She said it made her want to get closer to God and to find a church home like that. The man's story was almost identical. I began to wonder about the ways we go about sharing the Gospel with others. I am just not sure that we can be effective witnesses to anything without being in relationship, without truly caring about others. I thought about the man who shouted at people in the parking lot and about the man whose door was always open and who had a listening ear. Which seems more caring and inviting to you? Who do you care about? Who are you in relationship with? Who is your "neighbor?" Who needs to hear the story of a God who loves and cares for them?
When we view the Ascension as Benediction, we can hear Jesus calling us to live our lives with a rhythm of prayer and ministry ... waiting and receiving the Spirit, receiving the Spirit and reaching out into the world to witness to the transforming power of God's Love in Jesus Christ.
So ... we are waiting this week for the Holy Spirit to come on the Day of Pentecost!
I challenge you to keep a Gratitude Journal this week. Every day, write down 3 things you are grateful for and don't repeat. Notice how it changes you!
Music can be a prayer ... Listen to "We are Called" by David Haas. It is an amazing and beautiful song, one of my favorites. Amen!
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