The Ascension as Benediction

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.

Ubisi Monastery. Ascension of Jesus, public domain via wikimedia commons

 Jesus ascending ... "The Ascension."

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.  

1. Wait. (and while they waited they praised God which enabled their hearts to be wide open in a receptive state)
2. Receive the Holy Spirit (be clothed with power)
3. Be witnesses to the Life of Christ and offer forgiveness to the repentant. (Tell your story)

As I continued to sit with the Ascension as Benediction, I began to see the rhythm that Jesus lived as a pattern for the way we should live.  Jesus withdrew to rest and pray, gaining strength from God in the Spirit.  Jesus worked as he listened, drawing people to the love of God and the God of Love, he was a teacher, a preacher and a healer.   Jesus prayed and Jesus ministered.  

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!

Ascension: Looking Toward Heaven?

The Sunday before we celebrate Pentecost (when the Holy Spirit descends upon the followers of Jesus Christ) is Ascension Sunday.  According to the book of Acts, this is the last resurrection appearance as Jesus ascends physically into heaven with the disciples as his witnesses.  He leaves his followers alone to "wait" for the Spirit to "come upon" them, to "fill them" with the power to spread the good news to all the world.  

Do you remember the song "Spinning Wheel" by Blood, Sweat and Tears?  What goes up must come down ... Jesus goes up, Spirit comes down!  If you listen to the rest of the song it sings like a cotton candy apocalyptic "lite" vision!   Jesus goes up, Spirit comes down!  This passage is just a little different (and mind-bending for me) so this week and next week we are going to do something a little different ... Visio Divina!   This is a prayer of prayer "gazing" upon an image with the same basic movements as praying with scripture via Lectio Divina. 

Today's image is called Ascension from the Rabbula Gospels and the artist/scribe is Meister des Rabula-Evangeliums.  For more information on this Image take this link to The Vanderbilt Divinity Library's "Art in the Christian Tradition" Page on the Ascension.  The Rabbula Gospel images come from an illuminated gospel text created in 586 at a monastery in Syria.  These images are in the public domain. 

Public Domain:  Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial ShareAlike 3.0 License

When you are ready to pray using the art of Visio Divina, or "sacred seeing" take a few moments to still your heart and center on the image.

Read the Image ... Allow your eyes to seek softly what you are attracted to in the image.  Simply receive the gift of seeing.  What image within the image is drawing you in ... Allow yourself a few moments simply to sit with this gift.

Receive the Image ... Take a deep breath and gaze with soft eyes and a receptive spirit.  After receiving, close your eyes and reflect by allowing your imagination to form that image in your consciousness ... what are you receiving from God through the image?  How does this illuminate your life right now?

Respond to God ... Now take a deep breath and gaze with soft eyes and a grateful spirit.  How do you sense yourself desiring to respond to God through the image you have received?   What would you say to God about what you are hearing, seeing, feeling?  Allow yourself to pray with gratitude ... 

Rest in God ... Now take a deep breath and rest ... notice how your body feels.  Is there something more here?  Then go back and repeat your "gazing" prayer.   If you feel that you have received all you need in this moment, simply rest in the silence and come to a place of shalom, peace, wholeness ... 

To end your time of Visio Divina, take a few moments to read the Scripture passage for Ascension day ... Acts 1:1-11 (CEB)

Theophilus, the first scroll I wrote concerned everything Jesus did and taught from the beginning, right up to the day when he was taken up into heaven. Before he was taken up, working in the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus instructed the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he showed them that he was alive with many convincing proofs. He appeared to them over a period of forty days, speaking to them about God’s kingdom. While they were eating together, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for what the Father had promised. He said, “This is what you heard from me: John baptized with water, but in only a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”  As a result, those who had gathered together asked Jesus, “Lord, are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel now?”  Jesus replied, “It isn’t for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has set by his own authority.  Rather, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”  After Jesus said these things, as they were watching, he was lifted up and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going away and as they were staring toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood next to them. They said, “Galileans, why are you standing here, looking toward heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you saw him go into heaven.”

So be it.  Amen.

Linger in the silence ... or listen to "Come Away to the Skies" sung by Maddy Prior and the Carnival Band in A Celebration of Charles Wesley.  It is rather a lovely little folk song ... with the lyrics so you can read (or sing if you dare) along with the music.  God bless you ... I invite you to take a deeper journey this week "seeing" God with new eyes through the images you find in your life!

Ascension of Christ: Blessings Abound!

Jesus ascended!  Now he “sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty” so the Apostle's Creed goes, right?    I wonder, “where is this (implied) throne of God?”   I think I always thought the ascension of Christ was rather bizarre … because of course I know what lies in the sky.  It’s not pie and it’s not God.     Cause beyond the sky is vast galaxies … stars and planets and black holes and asteroids and … so much fascinating stuff!  Some of us modern people tend to dismiss mystical experience because we “know” better.  Others of us modern people tend to pretend there is no mystery (or science) to invite us deeper.  And what about us modern people who sense there is more to the mystery than meets the eye?

As I sat with this mystical account of the ascension of Jesus I remembered several years ago when I attended the Great Passion Play in Eureka Springs, Arkansas with my husband and 2 young children.   It truly was a fantastic production and when I heard my little girl gasp in awe as Jesus “ascended” and light burst forth and flooded the night sky, I smiled in my inward being.  Yes, I could see the wires and pulley, but she couldn’t.  She was transported into the Mystery of God in that moment.   And somehow so was I, through her eyes … so were we all as we entered into her world of wonder.  

Have you ever entered a world of wonder or had an experience that you were afraid to share with others because you couldn’t explain it?   And those others might think you were a just little crazy.  It’s funny because when I tell others about some of the mystical experiences I have had, I find most people have similar stories to share.   Again and again, I enter into the wonder and mystery of God as I listen to the stories told by others.  In the reading today we hear one of those kinds of stories from the writer of the gospel of Luke.   And how did they respond to the ascension of Christ … the Jesus they knew and loved who blessed them one more time right before he “ascended.”  They worshipped!  What else can we do when we are enveloped in the mystery of God?  WE worship!

I invite you to spend a few moments to prepare your heart to worship God as you pray with Scripture.   Breathe deeply and envision God’s Spirit filling you with love with each breath you take!  Settle into a place of openness within yourself with a simple breath prayer.  Use this one or create your own (six to eight syllables)

          Breathe in (who do you worship?) God of Mystery (pause)

               Breath out (what do you need?) fill me with wonder (pause)

and when you are ready to move deeper into the text ... Pray:

God of Mystery, as I read your holy word,  open my mind and let me feel the blessings of Jesus in my life.  Reveal the wonder of your presence in this world as I worship you.   Reveal the wonder of your kingdom and your reign in this world.  Amen.    

Read Luke 24:44-53 slowly, allowing the passage to unfold in your mind.   Visualize the scene in your imagination and let the Spirit whisper in your heart.

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.  You are witnesses of these things.  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 led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them.  While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven.  And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; and they were continually in the temple blessing God.

Read the passage again slowly and Reflect on just a word or phrase that draws your attention.   Sit with your word or phrase and listen to the whispers of God’s promise in the text ... Listen!  Turn your word or phrase over and over in your mind and let God speak into your heart.   Where is God inviting you to be “clothed with power from on high?”   Or is there another invitation you find in the text?

Read the passage again slowly and Respond to God.   Once again turn your attention to your word or phrase, knowing that it may be a different word on this reading.    As you contemplate the invitation you are hearing from God, how are you being called to respond, in word … prayer … action … or in some other way?

Read the passage again and Rest.  Allow the God of Mystery to fill you with unknowing.  Let all the words fade away ... when you are ready to move out of your meditation, is there a simple phrase that you might carry with you throughout your day …

To end your time of reflection, Pray this prayer or one of your own:

God of Mystery, I give you thanks for Jesus.  I am grateful for the blessings I receive through his journey of living, dying, rising … ascending.  Amen.

Cindy’s Journal Reflection …  

carried into heaven … when I worship God I am carried into heaven … a place that is beyond all that I am and all that I have … the mystery of God … the unknowing … I can only rest in awe as I think of God … and yet I am called to be “clothed from on high” and I am called to reach out into the world with hope … for all God has done for me, I am called to give my all for others.  And when I give my all for others, I am carried into heaven.  And I am filled with light and love!  Amen.