Dear Ones of St. Columba's,

On Thursday was one of my favorite feast days of our church year - the Ascension. It's the day we remember what happened to Jesus after his resurrection, the event in which his disciples and friends lost sight of him with their eyes, and entered into relationship with Jesus that looks a lot more like the relationship with Jesus that I have, and you have. Our lectionary gives us two accounts of this ascension, likely both by the same author. One is from Luke and the other from Luke's companion volume, The Acts of the Apostles. In both accounts Jesus ascends and is lost from sight into the sky. We are told that he has returned to God. 

But what does that mean? 

My favorite part of this story is in the account from Acts. The disciples stand around looking up at the place where Jesus has gone and suddenly two men in white robes appear and ask them "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up?" The implication is clear - Jesus has gone and will someday return. But their job is not to look up at the sky and wait for him. Their job is something different. Something more to do, perhaps, with living their lives for him. I always wonder, where in my life am I gazing at the sky, looking for Jesus, when what I am called to do is live in relationship with God instead. 

Ascension was the final disruption of all the expectations the disciples had for who Jesus was and what he would do. The first was his death, the second was his return from death, and now finally Jesus is gone from sight. It's really true - he will not be defeating Rome, handing over worldly power to Israel, or engaging in the usual power and politics of our broken world in order to dominate it. Instead Jesus will be filling all things, and calling all people into something totally different and completely new.

Ascension Day is also a disruption in our liturgical calendar. Here we are, sailing through our Fifty Days of Easter, meeting each Sunday to feast and say all the Alleluias and then bam, a major feast day that happens in the middle of the week! Here is a big moment that we are not allowed to save for a Sunday. Like the ascension itself, our marking of it must happen at an unusual time. 

Let's take some time to contemplate the Christ who did not only ascend up into the heavens, but also out, to fill all things in the world, and to touch all hearts who are open to his radical way of grace, hope, and love.

Here is one of the collects for the Ascension, my personal favorite.

Almighty God, whose blessed Son our Savior Jesus Christ ascended far above all heavens that he might fill all things: Mercifully give us faith to perceive that, according to his promise, he abides with his Church on earth, even to the end of the ages; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

with care and gratitude,

Alissa