Read Today's Scripture
Up with Christ
Blessed Ascension Day to you! Today is the day we celebrate what we say in the creeds, “and he ascended into heaven”. Everything in our Lord’s life we celebrate because he did on our behalf. In what ways are his Ascension on our behalf? There are two ways. First, as Christ is our head, and we are his body, it’s not just that he ascended into heaven, but that even now, we, in our spiritual identity and one day in our physical body, will have ascended into heaven with him. Second, notice that the creed does not end there. It continues, “and is seated at the right hand of the Father”. That's where Christ is. And that’s where you and I also are. In other words, you and I as Christ’s body, are seated in our heavenly reality, at the right hand of the Father along with Christ! This is why, Paul, so boldly says, “God raised us up with him, and made us sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,” (Eph 2:6). Notice the past tense: God raised us up. Imagine that! Whatever our earthly circumstances, our heavenly reality matters—we are already in heaven with God at his right hand, in Christ! Thus, don’t let your circumstances—your sin, your failures, your addictions, your temptations, your griefs, and sorrows—get you down. You are up with Christ, where he is at the right hand of God his Father. And through his grace, he has given you all the power to ascend with him over these powers and principalities of darkness and brokenness. As we reflect on the beauty of this holy day, here is a poem by Fr. Malcolm Guite to guide our hearts upward to Christ.
We saw his light break through the cloud of glory
Whilst we were rooted still in time and place
As earth became a part of Heaven’s story
And heaven opened to his human face.
We saw him go and yet we were not parted
He took us with him to the heart of things
The heart that broke for all the broken-hearted
Is whole and Heaven-centred now, and sings,
Sings in the strength that rises out of weakness,
Sings through the clouds that veil him from our sight,
Whilst we our selves become his clouds of witness
And sing the waning darkness into light,
His light in us, and ours in him concealed,
Which all creation waits to see revealed.
By Pietro Perugino - Vittoria Garibaldi: Perugino. Silvana, Milano 2004, ISBN 88-8215-813-6, Public Domain, Link
Collect
Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that like as we do believe thy only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ to have ascended into the heavens; so we may also in heart and mind thither ascend, and with him continually dwell, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.