Ascension Day Reflection 2020

Day of Ascension 2020

Jerusalem, Mt of Olives

The Rev. Carrie Ballenger

Luke 24:44-53

From the ceiling of Lutheran Church of the Ascension, Jerusalem

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

As the apostle Peter said on another day when Jesus led the disciples up to a high mountain to blow their minds: “Lord, it is good to be here!”

Today, although it’s the day of Jesus’ Ascension, and not the Transfiguration, I want to echo Peter’s words in this moment:

Lord, it may be hot, but it is good to be here!

It is good to be with you, dear church!

It is good to be with….anyone! Amen!

Indeed, it is good to be here, on the very mountain where Scripture tells us the Risen Christ ascended into heaven. It feels almost normal.

Still, as we made our way here today, we passed through military checkpoints, and then through a hospital gate, and then through a different kind of checkpoint. 

We had our temperatures checked. We adjusted our masks. We sat far apart. And only then could we hear the story of Jesus’ Ascension and worship God together as a church.

Lord, it is good to be here.

And also: Lord, this is so weird.

I admit that the texts for Ascension Day are often problematic for me as a preacher. It’s hard to know what to say about the other-worldly moments in the life of Jesus: which means I often dread preaching for Transfiguration, Ascension, and (let’s be honest) also Easter and even the Incarnation.

I mean, the story is that Jesus, Son of God, was miraculously born of a virgin, turned water into wine, multiplied bread, was executed (willingly) by an empire, arose from the grave, appeared to some sketchy women in a garden, ate breakfast with friends on the beach…and then came up to this place and floated into heaven on a cloud.

And my job is to make all of that make sense in our current context! Yikes.

It’s not always easy to translate the story of salvation into the language of life today.

But I want to say that this week—in a different way from ever before—I have heard the voice of our Living God speaking very clearly through the story of Jesus’ Ascension.

Scripture says that 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.”

So we read how the disciples—

who had just lived through an intense time of being separated from family and friends, 

a time of doing things they never imagined they would do, 

a time of living through things they weren’t even sure how to talk about—

these same disciples watched their teacher and friend ascend into heaven. 
And then they returned to Jerusalem. 

They went back to the city.

They went back to life.

Sort of.

And here we are today, after Corona: 

Returning to Jerusalem. 

Returning to community.

Returning to life. 

Sort of.

Schools are in session. Restaurants are opening. It looks like we may even be able to gather for prayer and worship at Redeemer Church in the next few weeks.

And yet, we all know this is not normal.

We are not returning to life post-COVID-19, because there is no such thing. There is only life with COVID-19—at least for now.

As a church, we are returning to worship post-Lent, post-Holy Week, post-Easter, post-Ascension.

As a community, we are returning to school, work, and daily life post-quarantine, post-quick farewells, and for some, post-sickness and death.

But hear me when I say that just as there is no world that is post-COVID-19, there is no world that is post-Jesus.

Even after the Ascension, there is no world that is post-God’s presence. There is no world that is post-God’s love and mercy, God's forgiveness and grace, God's empire-shaking and wall-crumbling activity.

This is the message of Ascension I needed today. 

Hear the story again: 

Jesus gathered the eleven and those who were with them on this very mountain, he said to them:

“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.”

Stay! Says the Lord.

I am coming to you! Says the Lord.

Tell the story! Says the Lord.

I'm not done yet--and neither are you, says the Lord.

Dear siblings in Christ: Things are different in Jerusalem, and in the world. Church is different. Work is different. School is different. But we are still here! And so is God.

Today, we give thanks that Jesus has ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Creator--and that he has not left us alone. As someone posted on Facebook today: Ascension is not the day Jesus retired. It’s just the day when Jesus started working from home. Amen!  

May the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.