Scripture:49 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.’ 50 Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; 53 and they were continually in the temple blessing God. (Luke 24:49-53)Reflection:Last Thursday was Ascension Day. One of those “special” days in the church calendar that pass most people by. Which is a shame. The “nativity” – Christmas – marks Jesus’ birth and arrival on earth; the Ascension marks Jesus returning to heaven. Without the ascension, the disciples would have been left wondering; they’d have been left always thinking “is Jesus going to come back again?” But they witness Jesus returning to heaven, to his Father. And, having got over the shock of what they saw, they are filled with joy knowing that what Jesus had told them would happen had actually happened. They’d seen it; so they were joyful and praised God!All they then had to do was wait. Wait for what Jesus had promised would happen next….the coming of the Holy Spirit. We too wait. Waiting to be “clothed with power from on high”. Do so expectantly. It will happen. It will be powerful. Prayer for the coming of the Holy Spirit in your life. Revd David
Reflection for the Feast of the Ascension Scripture: ‘I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them. (John 14.18-21)Reflection: Thursday of this week is Ascension Day. In the forty days after his Resurrection Jesus appears many times to his disciples, teaching them and preparing them for what is to come. After these 40 days Jesus goes out with them to the Mount of Olives, where a cloud hides him from their sight. They will not see him again.But this is not a final parting. It’s the prelude to the promised outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and the fulfilment of Jesus’s promise to be present with all people, everywhere and always. This is not the end of the Jesus story. He has promised to be with us always, until the end of time. The story continues, and we are part of it. May we know and make known in our own lives the power of the risen, ascended Lord.Revd Rosemary Kobus van Wengen
