Acts 1:1-11 (NRSV)
In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. "This," he said, "is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."
So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?" He replied, "It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But 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 ends of the earth." When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward 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."
Psalm 47 (BCP. p.650)
Ephesians 1:15-23 (NRSV)
I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
Jesus said to his disciples, "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.
Blog Reflection
The Ascension for me has always been one of bitter sweet. The bitterness of Jesus leaving us forty days after His Resurrection. Why couldn't you have stayed with us, Lord Jesus, as we prayed for you to stay? The sweetness is found in the answer Jesus gave us in John 16: 7-13a.
Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgement: about sin, because they do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; about judgement, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.
‘I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.
Jesus also goes to the right hand of God the Father, taking our wounded humanity in His crucifixion, perfected in His resurrected body, before the throne of God to intercede for us. All of our brokenness is before God through the timeless intercession of Jesus Christ our only "mediator and advocate" (1 Timothy 2:5).
The Ascension is a day of celebration, displacement and hope.
We celebrate Christ taking up His throne in heaven. Jesus Christ has completed his mission in the work of salvation. Now He goes to God to send us the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. Jesus Christ reigns on high with Angels, Cherubim and Seraphim serving Him in worship and adoration in the Holy Trinity.
The disciples however, experienced a great displacement. A displacement from having Jesus alive and with them. A displacement that leaves them wondering what comes next. They have heard Jesus' words in John's Gospel, but as we have seen before, they are quick to hear, but slow to understand. The sense of displacement leaves them confused, lonely and wondering what to do. The angel in Acts is almost no help. They stand there gazing in to heaven, because their best friend just left them for a better place. They want the heavens to open up and Jesus returns right that moment. Who wouldn't want it that way? However, it is in displacement, that God does God's best work in and through us. That is what is about to happen on Pentecost. But, for the time being they have to settle for being displaced.
Displacement is a good place for Christians to be. It is from a place of displacement that we as a Christian Community can learn trust in God, as well as be open to what God does next.
I have been thinking a lot about displacement since I read a terrific chapter on the subject in the book entitled Compassion: A Reflection on the Christian Life by Henri J.M. Nouwen, Donald P. McNeil and Douglas A. Morrison.
Many Christians have the disillusion that Community is about a cozy, warm and non-confrontational existence. No change is necessary. As long as we have our favorite pew, sing our favorite hymns and we use the most modern forms of worship to make us comfortable, we are creating a Christian Community. However, the Christian Community of the Church cannot exist in an atmosphere of static, stoic and being abstract. It must become a living, breathing and ever changing entity.
As the Church continues to move towards equality, inclusion and acceptance of all people, the resistance we are experiencing is due to the displacement many are experiencing with the changes. If we have been taught to take the Bible literally in terms of homosexuality, then the moves by church groups and States across the Country to legalize the freedom to marry for LGBT people is a major displacement. It means becoming unsettled for them, and learning to adapt is no easy task. We must remember our own displacement when we came out, and had to re-establish our own lives around a new understanding of ourselves. We were displaced. Just as those who embrace the anti side are experiencing displacement. The displacement in and of itself is a wonderful thing. However, moving Christians to acceptance of displacement and seeing it as an opportunity for growth, takes a great deal of doing. The resistance to displacement is no reason to discontinue educating people about why ending heterosexism, racism, religious based discrimination, violence and oppression is so very important.
In his Prayer to Christ, St. Anselm of Canterbury prayed: "Most merciful Lord, turn my lukewarmness into a fervent love for you...." Displacement is one of the ways by which God answers that prayer. By displacing us from ideas and beliefs we previously had, and allowing God to remake us into more mature followers of Christ. When we think of ourselves as settled Christians, we become lukewarm by not allowing the Holy Spirit to move us towards conversion and renewal. Displacement put into the hands of God in prayer, gives God that opportunity to transform displacement into a fervent love of Christ in all people.
In the Ascension we have hope on the other side of displacement. In Christ is our hope that the Holy Spirit will come and lead us into all truth. One of the dangers that Christians must avoid and end, is believing that we have God all figured out. The Holy Spirit leads us into all truth. The moment we become complacent in our spiritual and communal life, we are no longer a growing organism. We become a withered and useless weed. The Holy Spirit wants to continually refresh us with the living water that is Jesus Christ, to help us reach out to one another in charity and love. To see in each other the presence of Christ, so as to practice radical hospitality, to foster healing and reconciliation. The hope we find in Jesus Christ, becomes the hope of all humankind as we become His living Body, the Church.
St. Teresa of Avila wrote in her famous prayer:
Christ has no body now, but yours.
No hands, no feet on earth, but yours.
Yours are the eyes through which He looks
with compassion on this world.
Yours are the feet with which He walks to do good.
Yours are the hands, with which He blesses all the world.
You are His Body.
May the Ascension bring us all celebration, while we embrace displacement and look to Christ as our hope.
Come, Holy Spirit, come.
Amen.
Prayers
Almighty God, whos blessed Son our Savior Jesus Christ
ascended far above all heavens that he might fill all things:
Mercifully give us faith to perceive that, according to his
promise, he abides with his Church on earth, even to the end
of the ages; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory
everlasting. Amen. (Collect for Ascension Day, Book of Common Prayer, p. 226).
O God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our only Savior,
the Prince of Peace: Give us grace seriously to lay to heart the
great dangers we are in by our unhappy divisions; take away
all hatred and prejudice, and whatever else may hinder us
from godly union and concord; that, as there is but one Body
and one Spirit, one hope of our calling, one Lord, one Faith,
one Baptism, one God and Father of us all, so we may be all
of one heart and of one soul, united in one holy bond of truth
and peace, of faith and charity, and may with one mind and
one mouth glorify thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen. (Prayer for the Unity of the Church, Book of Common Prayer, p. 818).
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