As this week marks Ascension Day in the Christian calendar I thought, “At Christmas you can buy a Christmas card, at Easter you can buy a cross and resurrection accessories, but I’ve never been sent an Ascension card. Compared with Christmas and Easter, Ascension Day seems like a poor cousin. A very minor celebration.
But then I Googled ‘Ascension Merchandise’ and found a range of Ascension T shirts. Would you like one in sky blue, celestial pink, angelic white, majesty red or Upper Room brown? What words would you like to have printed on your shirt?
‘Is this the time?’
‘You will receive power’
‘To the ends of the earth’
‘Why do you stand looking?’
Why hasn’t a hot air balloon company called themselves ‘Ascension Rides’ that promise joyful, scenic rises across the Melbourne skies while passengers sing, ‘Up, up and away in my beautiful balloon’?
The cynical part of me wonders about the ascension, “Did it really happen?” Even though the creeds state that Jesus “ascended into heaven…” I’ve never had much conviction to recite that line. It hasn’t been a teaching that I’ve been prepared to die for. After all, the four Gospels hardly give it a mention.
But in recent days I’ve been pondering more about what Jesus and the early Christians wanted us to discover. The Ascension is not a lot of hot air. It shouldn’t leave us with a crook neck. It’s a teaching that builds confidence in God’s ability to use us. It’s a call to be followers of Jesus here in Melbourne but it stretches our vision to be engaged way beyond our locality.
I hope we can discover more together next Sunday either online or in person. If we gather with expectancy, I’m sure we’ll be brought down from the clouds and find it will empower our lives, lift our spirits and expand our vision.
Geoff
Box Hill Baptist Church 