Religious Education and Social Justice

Feast of the Ascension

Last Sunday the church celebrated the Feast of the Ascension. This  is the day, each year, where we remember and we celebrate that, just as Jesus was welcomed to God's right hand, so too, shall we be welcomed to the right hand of Jesus. This is his promise, this is our faith and this is the hope we are called to proclaim to the world. 

There is nothing we have ever done, are doing, or will do, that will get our name removed from the invitation list to the feast of Christ's kingdom. The challenge is accepting that we have a standing invitation and living lives worthy of the love that places our name on the list. The Feast of the Ascension announces that Jesus will faithfully accompany us no matter how far we lose our way and that by our fidelity to Christ we accept or reject the standing offer.

And because the Ascension is an Easter feast it develops even further that there is nowhere, bar evil, where God does not dwell. Because of the Resurrection and Ascension we can find God everywhere we want to: in our homes, our work, our suffering, our old age -and even in our death.

Sunday's Gospel reading is from the holy Gospel according to Luke. We are reminded that while Jesus was blessing his disciples he was taken to Heaven.

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You see how it is written that the Christ would suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that, in his name, repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses to this.

‘And now I am sending down to you what the Father has promised. Stay in the city then, until you are clothed with the power from on high.’ Then he took them out as far as the outskirts of Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. Now as he blessed them, he withdrew from them and was carried up to heaven. They worshipped him and then went back to Jerusalem full of joy; and they were continually in the Temple praising God.

Jane Wilkinson

Religious Education Leader