Ascension Day

a moment like this

“Ascension” by the Zaire Project

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. (Luke 24:44-53)

We take American Idol very seriously in my house. Last week, just after “Disney Night,” Anton and I reminisced about how we had just moved to General Seminary in New York City for my seminary formation the year American Idol debuted. Kelly Clarkson was crowned the first American Idol back then, and we have watched it ever since. The premise of the show is simple. People audition in front of three judges for a spot on American Idol.

The judges are made up of the Commodores’ own Lionel Ritchie, country superstar Luke Bryan, and the magical and beguiling Katy Perry. If granted a golden ticket to Hollywood, the contestant moves through a process of performance objectives, musical challenges, mentorship, and elimination. After many weeks, the new American Idol is crowned, and then....

Then...

Then, it is up to the winner to reflect upon and accept all that has been given to them, reflecting on all that they learned, hoping to create a career. Now, they have to do it.

The premise of American Idol is similar to the prayers we offer on Ascension Day which we celebrate today! It began when God created the world and called it good. Then, the Laws of Moses and the calls for justice from the prophets invited us to live with God and to live with each other. But our pipes were a bit rusty. We needed some coaching. So God came to be with us in Jesus. Jesus taught us how to serve and how to heal and how to live, and how to love. After Jesus was crucified, dead, and buried, for a brief time, he was resurrected. He was seen walking with his friends, ensuring them that, through the power of the spirit, they could continue the work he had mentored them, and had shown them how to do. Then he left, ascending to heaven, asking them, then asking us, to take it from there.

In our reading from the Gospel of Luke this morning, Jesus says, “You are witnesses of these things. And see, I am sending upon you what God has promised, you are clothed with power from on high."

All of us are called to this vocation.

The feast of the Ascension is the day that joins together the Gospel of Luke with the Acts of the Apostles. Scholarship suggests that the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles were written by the same person or the same group of people. The Gospel of the Luke begins by addressing Theophilus, which is Greek for God-lover, “Since many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, I too decided, after investigating everything carefully from the very first, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the truth concerning the things about which you have been instructed.”

The Gospel begins with a genealogy of Jesus which goes all the way back to Adam, therefore, connecting the person of Jesus with every other human being in the world. The Gospel then moves through what we need to know about the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. New Testament scholar Mark Allen Powell points out that, “Luke’s Gospel shows special concern for outcasts, for victims of oppression, and for others who appear to be at a disadvantage in society.” Also, there is a prominent “food motif” throughout. Powell continues, “Luke mentions nineteen meals, thirteen of which are peculiar to this Gospel. Jesus is portrayed as being present at meals where he gets criticized for eating too much, and for eating with the wrong people,” such as tax collectors and sinners. Because Jesus promised love and a space at God’s table for all whom society had rejected. For this, he was crucified, died, and was buried. But, the Good News for us is that death is not the answer. God promises new life. Jesus is resurrected, encouraging his friends and followers throughout all ages that they are to care for each other just as Jesus did.

Throughout Jesus’s resurrection appearances in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus is fed by his followers. The ministry has shifted. The disciples feed and serve Jesus. Jesus is nourished with love by a meal prepared by his followers. Jesus receives through our service, through our ministry, through our vocation.

Then the Gospel ends, (Jesus) “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.”

Then, we move to the sequel, the Acts of the Apostles, which begins,“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.”

As The Book of Acts begins, Jesus is no longer physically present. The disciples have been blessed, then ordained, and through them, us, to be his heart and his hands and his feet in this world. We have been ordained to love and serve God and neighbor. That is how the Gospel of Luke ends and how the Book of Acts begins. This is how important the message of the feast of the Ascension is to the writer of these scrolls. Our lives become a living sacrament, and everything we do is sacramental. Everything in thought, word, and deed is an extension of this commissioning.

Questions emerged with them who were standing on Bethany, and questions emerge within us. When will all be restored? How will we know the time? What will be the sign? These are the very same questions that remain with us as we move through the life of following Christ. What does God want from me? What am I supposed to do? How can I hear God’s voice? What should I pray for to do all of this? Is the work I do, the life I live, the love I share, is all of this that makes up a life that God has in store for me and for all of God’s people? Jesus is counting all of us to continue in the ministry that he had begun.

Jenifer Gamber, in her book Your Life, Your Faith, shares that “God is present throughout our lives in both visible and invisible ways. We might say that all of life is a sacrament. As people of God we live sacramental lives, receiving God’s grace every day through the many signs of the Holy Spirit dwelling with us. God uses material things to reach out to us in unlimited ways. The embrace of a friend, a gentle smile, sharing a meal, and the blessing of a mother to her child are just a few examples. Open your eyes to the world and God’s actions in it. Look for the impresarios in unexpected places. Visible signs will keep you hopeful and give you the grace to live a holy life. Sacraments—outward signs of God’s grace—are not just inside church buildings. They’re everywhere you look. We can all draw closer to God by opening our eyes to them.”

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As we celebrate Jesus’s ascension, we must stop looking up and start looking around. You can bless others with a smile. You can hear God’s voice through music and movies. You can remember baptism while taking a shower. The Feast of the Ascension assures us that we have been blessed. We have been commissioned. We have been ordained.

Two years ago, as American Idol, Season 18, came to a close, “Just Sam” became our new American Idol. After Ryan Seacrest shared the results, “Just Sam” reflected, saying, “I am going to do what American Idol was trying to do during this time. Spread light and love and bring family and friends together during this time when we need each other most and we shouldn’t be alone. I hope to be able to inspire more people across the country and across the world. That is my plan and my hope for what is next.”

As the lights dimmed on her preparation, on everything that had come before, and as she turned her gaze towards living into what she had been elected to do, she performed “Rise Up” by Andra Day.

“When the silence isn't quiet, And it feels like it's getting hard to breathe. I know you feel like dying. I promise we will take the world to its feet and move mountains. I'll rise up for you. All we need is hope and for that we have each other.”

Rise up.

1. Gamber, Jenifer; Lewellis, Bill. Your Faith, Your Life (p. 302). Church Publishing Incorporated. Kindle Edition.