Year A
\nActs 1:1-11
\nPsalm 93
\nEphesians 1:15-23
\nLuke 24:44-53<\/p>\n
This morning\u2026 I offer up a sermon that was prepared by Bp. Craig Satterlee\u2026 of the North\/West Lower MI Synod\u2026 to commemorate The Feast of the Ascension\u2026 which occurred this past Thursday\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n Contemplating our Lord\u2019s Ascension\u2026 has given me hope this year\u2026 and I\u2019m hoping that some words about the Ascension\u2026 will give you hope as well\u2026 in the Creeds\u2026 we confess that Jesus ascended into heaven\u2026 and is seated at the right hand of the Father\u2026 ascended to the heavens\u2026 seated at the right hand of the Father\u2026 the right hand of God\u2026 I don\u2019t see Jesus sitting idly by\u2026 I see Jesus continuing his saving work\u2026 and scripture indicates that seated at God\u2019s right hand in Glory\u2026 that\u2019s exactly what Jesus is doing\u2026 scripture indicates\u2026 that seated at God\u2019s right hand\u2026 ascended to the Father\u2026 Jesus is doing four things\u2026 Jesus is gifting\u2026 Jesus is praying\u2026 Jesus is sending\u2026 and Jesus is drawing to himself\u2026<\/p>\n So whenever we ordain a pastor or a deacon\u2026 one of the sentences from the prayer is\u2026 we praise you that having ascended into heaven\u2026 Christ pours out his gifts abundantly on the church\u2026 making some apostles\u2026 some prophets\u2026 some pastors\u2026 and teachers\u2026 to equip your people for their work of ministry\u2026 for building up the body of Christ\u2026 that part of the prayer comes from Ephesians\u2026 it declares our faith\u2026 our belief\u2026 our conviction\u2026 our trust\u2026 that ascended into heaven\u2026 Jesus is bestowing gifts on the church\u2026<\/p>\n I like to remember that apostles\u2026 prophets\u2026 pastors\u2026 and teachers\u2026 are all preachers\u2026 in one way or another\u2026 they preach\u2026 and so Jesus is bestowing gifts on the church\u2026 so that the proclamation of the Gospel\u2026 of God\u2019s grace in Jesus Christ\u2026 and our salvation in his suffering\u2026 death\u2026 and resurrection\u2026 will continue\u2026<\/p>\n So in the midst of a pandemic\u2026 when the church is certainly changed\u2026 in quieter moments\u2026 some will grieve that the church is threatened\u2026 or the church might not be around\u2026 I find hope in the promise\u2026 that ascended into heaven\u2026 Jesus is gifting the church\u2026 for the sake of ministry\u2026 and building up the body of Christ\u2026 and when we pause to look around to see the new ways\u2026 the new gifts\u2026 the new people\u2026 involved in leading the church in new ways\u2026 we know this promise is true\u2026<\/p>\n Ascended into heaven\u2026 seated at God\u2019s right hand\u2026 Jesus is gifting the church\u2026 Jesus is praying for us\u2026 I love the verse in Romans\u2026 where Paul refers to Jesus as\u2026\u00a0 <\/span>yes\u2026 Christ who died\u2026 yes\u2026 who was raised from the dead\u2026 who ascended into heaven\u2026 who is seated at God\u2019s right hand\u2026 who indeed intercedes for us\u2026<\/p>\n Ascended into heaven\u2026 seated at God\u2019s right hand\u2026 Jesus is praying for us\u2026 so I don\u2019t know about you\u2026 but knowing that people are praying for me\u2026 is both a gift and a burden\u2026 the gift is that I know I\u2019m not alone\u2026 I know have their support\u2026 I know that I am surrounded by a cloud of witness\u2026 I know that people love and care for me\u2026<\/p>\n The burden\u2026 if you will\u2026 is that I don\u2019t want to let them down\u2026 I don\u2019t want to take them for granted\u2026 and to think that one of those people who prays for me\u2026 who prays for you\u2026 who prays for us\u2026 who prays for the church\u2026 who prays for the world\u2026 is Jesus\u2026 that\u2019s pretty amazing\u2026<\/p>\n Because what it says\u2026 in a very tangible way\u2026 through his prayer\u2026 Jesus is with us\u2026 always\u2026 to the close of the age\u2026 and pausing to think about Jesus\u2026 praying for us\u2026 inspires us to be our best\u2026 to be faithful\u2026 to strive to be like Jesus\u2026 and when we are at our best\u2026 our most faithful\u2026 striving to be like Jesus\u2026 in the confidence that Jesus is with us\u2026 praying for us\u2026 that\u2019s a hopeful thing for us\u2026 and for the church\u2026 and for the world\u2026<\/p>\n Seated at the right hand of the Father\u2026 ascended into heaven\u2026 Jesus sends the Holy Sprit\u2026 I will ask the Father<\/i>\u2026 Jesus says in John\u2019s Gospel\u2026 and he will send another Advocate to you\u2026 who will be with you forever\u2026 the Spirit of Truth\u2026 <\/i>the Spirit brings to mind\u2026 what Jesus has said to us\u2026 and all the things that Jesus is still saying to us\u2026\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Jesus draws all people\u2026 all creation to himself\u2026 I struggle with the Ascension\u2026 because we have been to the universe through our space telescopes\u2026 and we have not found Jesus seated at God\u2019s right hand\u2026 that\u2019s my scientific question\u2026 my theological problem\u2026 is God so loved the world that he gave the only beloved Son\u2026 so I can\u2019t see God sending Jesus away from the world that God so loves\u2026 so I\u2019ve kind concluded that God\u2019s right hand may not be that far away\u2026 after all\u2026 in the book of Acts\u2026 when Stephen is being stoned\u2026 he looks up and sees the heaven opened\u2026 and Jesus standing at God\u2019s right hand\u2026 so how far can we see\u2026 I\u2019m being a little silly here\u2026 but what I\u2019ve come to conclude is the Ascension may not be so much about space\u2026 but about time\u2026 Jesus ascends to the future\u2026 to God\u2019s future\u2026 when Jesus will reign high above all rulers\u2026 and authorities\u2026 high above all powers and dominions\u2026 high above every name that is named\u2026 not only in this age\u2026 but in the age to come\u2026<\/p>\n And from that place\u2026 Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to us\u2026 yes\u2026 Jesus bestows his gifts upon us\u2026 yes\u2026 Jesus prays for us\u2026 yes\u2026 but Jesus also draws us\u2026 draws his church\u2026 draws all creation to himself\u2026 you all know that one of my favorite Bible verses is from John\u2026 And I\u2026 when I am lifted up from the earth\u2026 will draw all people\u2026 I would say all creation\u2026 to myself\u2026<\/p>\n Which means the pandemic won\u2019t win\u2026 social distancing won\u2019t last\u2026 the time will come when it will be safe to return to church\u2026 and to the Table\u2026 and to our friendships\u2026 and to our families\u2026 and to life\u2026 more importantly the time will come when racism will be forgotten\u2026 when hunger will be no more\u2026 when discrimination will be over\u2026 when everyone will have enough\u2026 and more than enough\u2026 and a place at the Table\u2026<\/p>\n The powers of death that are at work in the world\u2026 they rear their ugly heads\u2026 and resist the love of God\u2026 but seated at God\u2019s right hand\u2026 ascended into heaven\u2026 Jesus draws us to himself\u2026 and nothing will stop him\u2026 that\u2019s hope\u2026 and despite everything that\u2019s going on in the world\u2026 in Christ there is hope\u2026 there is life\u2026 because Jesus\u2026 risen from the dead\u2026 ascended to God\u2026 continues to love and save us\u2026 Amen\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Year A Acts 1:1-11 Psalm 93 Ephesians 1:15-23 Luke 24:44-53 This morning\u2026 I offer up a sermon that was prepared by Bp. Craig Satterlee\u2026 of the North\/West Lower MI Synod\u2026 to commemorate The Feast of the Ascension\u2026 which occurred this past Thursday\u2026 Contemplating our Lord\u2019s Ascension\u2026 has given me hope this year\u2026 and I\u2019m hoping that some words about the Ascension\u2026 will give you hope as well\u2026 in the Creeds\u2026 we confess that Jesus ascended into heaven\u2026 and is seated at the right hand of the Father\u2026 ascended to the heavens\u2026 seated at the right hand of the Father\u2026 the right hand of God\u2026 I don\u2019t see Jesus sitting idly by\u2026 I see Jesus continuing his saving work\u2026 and scripture indicates that seated at God\u2019s right hand in Glory\u2026 that\u2019s exactly what Jesus is doing\u2026 scripture indicates\u2026 that seated at God\u2019s right hand\u2026 ascended to the Father\u2026 Jesus is doing four things\u2026 Jesus is gifting\u2026 Jesus is praying\u2026 Jesus is sending\u2026 and Jesus is drawing to himself\u2026 So whenever we ordain a pastor or a deacon\u2026 one of the sentences from the prayer is\u2026 we praise you that having ascended into heaven\u2026 Christ pours out his gifts abundantly on the church\u2026 making some apostles\u2026 some prophets\u2026 some pastors\u2026 and teachers\u2026 to equip your people for their work of ministry\u2026 for building up the body of Christ\u2026 that part of the prayer comes from Ephesians\u2026 it declares our faith\u2026 our belief\u2026 our conviction\u2026 our trust\u2026 that ascended into heaven\u2026 Jesus is bestowing gifts on the church\u2026 I like to remember that apostles\u2026 prophets\u2026 pastors\u2026 and teachers\u2026 are all preachers\u2026 in one way or another\u2026 they preach\u2026 and so Jesus is bestowing gifts on the church\u2026 so that the proclamation of the Gospel\u2026 of God\u2019s grace in Jesus Christ\u2026 and our salvation in his suffering\u2026 death\u2026 and resurrection\u2026 will continue\u2026 So in the midst of a pandemic\u2026 when the church is certainly changed\u2026 in quieter moments\u2026 some will grieve that the church is threatened\u2026 or the church might not be around\u2026 I find hope in the promise\u2026 that ascended into heaven\u2026 Jesus is gifting the church\u2026 for the sake of ministry\u2026 and building up the body of Christ\u2026 and when we pause to look around to see the new ways\u2026 the new gifts\u2026 the new people\u2026 involved in leading the church in new ways\u2026 we know this promise is true\u2026 Ascended into heaven\u2026 seated at God\u2019s right hand\u2026 Jesus is gifting the church\u2026 Jesus is praying for us\u2026 I love the verse in Romans\u2026 where Paul refers to Jesus as\u2026\u00a0 yes\u2026 Christ who died\u2026 yes\u2026 who was raised from the dead\u2026 who ascended into heaven\u2026 who is seated at God\u2019s right hand\u2026 who indeed intercedes for us\u2026 Ascended into heaven\u2026 seated at God\u2019s right hand\u2026 Jesus is praying for us\u2026 so I don\u2019t know about you\u2026 but knowing that people are praying for me\u2026 is both a gift and a burden\u2026 the gift is that I know I\u2019m not alone\u2026 I know have their support\u2026 I know that I am surrounded by a cloud of witness\u2026 I know that people love and care for me\u2026 The burden\u2026 if you will\u2026 is that I don\u2019t want to let them down\u2026 I don\u2019t want to take them for granted\u2026 and to think that one of those people who prays for me\u2026 who prays for you\u2026 who prays for us\u2026 who prays for the church\u2026 who prays for the world\u2026 is Jesus\u2026 that\u2019s pretty amazing\u2026 Because what it says\u2026 in a very tangible way\u2026 through his prayer\u2026 Jesus is with us\u2026 always\u2026 to the close of the age\u2026 and pausing to think about Jesus\u2026 praying for us\u2026 inspires us to be our best\u2026 to be faithful\u2026 to strive to be like Jesus\u2026 and when we are at our best\u2026 our most faithful\u2026 striving to be like Jesus\u2026 in the confidence that Jesus is with us\u2026 praying for us\u2026 that\u2019s a hopeful thing for us\u2026 and for the church\u2026 and for the world\u2026 Seated at the right hand of the Father\u2026 ascended into heaven\u2026 Jesus sends the Holy Sprit\u2026 I will ask the Father\u2026 Jesus says in John\u2019s Gospel\u2026 and he will send another Advocate to you\u2026 who will be with you forever\u2026 the Spirit of Truth\u2026 the Spirit brings to mind\u2026 what Jesus has said to us\u2026 and all the things that Jesus is still saying to us\u2026\u00a0 Jesus draws all people\u2026 all creation to himself\u2026 I struggle with the Ascension\u2026 because we have been to the universe through our space telescopes\u2026 and we have not found Jesus seated at God\u2019s right hand\u2026 that\u2019s my scientific question\u2026 my theological problem\u2026 is God so loved the world that he gave the only beloved Son\u2026 so I can\u2019t see God sending Jesus away from the world that God so loves\u2026 so I\u2019ve kind concluded that God\u2019s right hand may not be that far away\u2026 after all\u2026 in the book of Acts\u2026 when Stephen is being stoned\u2026 he looks up and sees the heaven opened\u2026 and Jesus standing at God\u2019s right hand\u2026 so how far can we see\u2026 I\u2019m being a little silly here\u2026 but what I\u2019ve come to conclude is the Ascension may not be so much about space\u2026 but about time\u2026 Jesus ascends to the future\u2026 to God\u2019s future\u2026 when Jesus will reign high above all rulers\u2026 and authorities\u2026 high above all powers and dominions\u2026 high above every name that is named\u2026 not only in this age\u2026 but in the age to come\u2026 And from that place\u2026 Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to us\u2026 yes\u2026 Jesus bestows his gifts upon us\u2026 yes\u2026 Jesus prays for us\u2026 yes\u2026 but Jesus also draws us\u2026 draws his church\u2026 draws all creation to himself\u2026 you all know that one of my favorite Bible verses is from John\u2026 And I\u2026 when I am lifted up from the earth\u2026 will draw all people\u2026 I would say all creation\u2026 to myself\u2026 Which means the pandemic won\u2019t win\u2026 social distancing won\u2019t last\u2026 the time 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