Empingham: St Peter.

Reflection for May Thursday May 14 is Ascension Day, commemorating Jesus Christs ‘lifting up into heaven’ as described by Luke-Acts. This dramatic event is immortalised in many stained-glass windows of our churches signifying how important Ascension Day used to be in the life and celebration of the Church. As a child I remember Ascension as a day of ‘obligation’ and a holiday from school! The language of ascending and descending is found in Scripture, and included in our hymns and Creeds, ‘he came down from … he ascended into …’ Are we still reading this as the early church did, looking heavenwards to God as the angels’ peer down on earth? This perception of a separate earth and heaven is not the prophet Ezekiel’s understanding, “my dwelling place shall be with them; and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” Jesus’ teaching confirms that God is always with us, closer than breathing. Maybe a better understanding of Jesus ‘descending’ is described in the Book of Hebrews, of Jesus ‘emptying himself, setting aside his divinity in order to take up our humanity’, and ‘ascending’ as Jesus ‘taking up his divinity once again’ and restoring our status with his; carrying us through the barrier of sin which had distanced us from God? Ascension then becoming movement not away from, but closer to us. Jesus no longer placed in Bethlehem, Bethany, or Jerusalem, but now in every place and at every time. The Ascension bringing us closer to God as the Pentecost Spirit waits to pour out into all creation. The last time the disciples saw him His hands were raised in blessing And that’s the way it always is Christ always blessing his Church Christ always blessing you. A God who always holds you in love. This is Ascension Peter