Is the ascension a story about an ending, or a beginning?
Are transitions cause for joy, or sorrow?
Well, yes! It’s both.
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| Photo by Wolfgang Hasselmann on Unsplash |
In today’s readings, appointed for Ascension Day (which was actually last Thursday), we see this story of Jesus ascending into heaven through both lenses - ending, and beginning. Luke and Acts share an author, and rather than two distinct narratives, there are many common threads. The hinge point between the two volumes is the ascension; Luke focuses on Jesus’ ministry during his time on earth, and Acts continues the narrative, focusing on the presence and work of the Holy Spirit through Paul and the apostles after Jesus has ascended.
In Luke’s gospel, the ascension is the very last thing that takes place. After the resurrection; after appearing to the disciples both along the Emmaus road and back in Jerusalem, Jesus leads them out one last time, going as far as Bethany. He reminds them, again, of his words and teachings, inviting them to view the familiar scriptures with new eyes, through the lens of his self-revelation as the Messiah. They are witnesses, in both senses of the word - they watched Jesus’s ministry unfold, and now they’re also being sent to tell about it. Yes, some things are ending - Jesus’s physical presence with them, his teaching and healing.
And, also, some things are beginning. In Acts, the ascension is the very first thing that takes place. It’s kind of like when your favorite TV show begins with brief flashes of last week’s episode. It brings you up to speed about any parts of the story you may have forgotten, and also offers specific scenes that will set the stage for the coming story. Remember what Jesus did and taught, before he ascended? Keep that in mind as you hear more of the story. What Jesus did will be continued here, in a new way.
Yes, Jesus is going away, but the Holy Spirit is coming and the apostles will receive power. They are commissioned as witnesses of all they have seen and heard and sent out – not just to Jerusalem, not just to Judea and Samaria, but even to the ends of the earth.
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In life transitions are inescapable. Change is inescapable. Some transitions are more disruptive than others. And yet, whether we choose it or not, change brings about this mixture of emotions and responses.
Grief, and possibility.
Loss, and opportunity.
Endings, and beginnings.
Change is exhausting, I know. Minute by minute, sometimes, it feels like we’re being spun around to face a new direction, eagerly looking for what comes next, or bracing for it.
I want to share a poem with you, from Jan Richardson. It captures so beautifully the mix of emotions present alongside so many of our transitions, the grasping for what the next right step might be.
A Blessing for Ascension Day
rushes ahead
trying to fathom
what could follow this.
What will you do,
where will you go,
how will you live?
You will want
to outrun the grief.
You will want
to keep turning toward
the horizon,
watching for what was lost
to come back,
to return to you
and never leave again.
For now
hear me when I say
all you need to do
is to still yourself
is to turn toward one another
is to stay.
Wait
and see what comes
to fill
the gaping hole
in your chest.
Wait with your hands open
to receive what could never come
except to what is empty
and hollow.
You cannot know it now,
cannot even imagine
what lies ahead,
but I tell you
the day is coming
when breath will
fill your lungs
as it never has before
and with your own ears
you will hear words
coming to you new
and startling.
You will dream dreams
and you will see the world
ablaze with blessing.
Wait for it.
Still yourself.
Stay.
When we find ourselves feeling disoriented, left gazing up at an empty sky, God’s promises and presence help focus our gaze. We know what to wait for, what to watch for. We know where and how God promises to show up - in the flowing grace of the baptismal waters, and in the abundant mercy of the communion meal; in the witness of Scripture, and in and through Christ’s body here.
In the midst of so many transitions, so many beginnings and endings, we cling to God’s steadfast promises. We rejoice that the Holy Spirit promised to the apostles has also been poured out on us in the waters of baptism. That same Holy Spirit equips us with strength and courage and sends us out to join the proclamation - we, too, are witnesses. We have seen God at work - in Jesus’s teaching and healing and life and death and resurrection; in the Holy Spirit’s movements within and around us; in the apostles’ proclamation; in the faithful saints of all times and places. We have seen God at work and know that there is always more to come, as the promised kingdom of God’s mercy, justice, and love unfolds before us.
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