Sermon: Ascension - Absence or Presence/ts?
From Wellington Cathedral of St Paul
Ascension - Absence or Presence/ts?
16 May 2010 The Revd Jenny Wilkens
- Isaiah 44:1-8
- Ephesians 4:7-16
http://wellingtoncathedral.org.nz/index.php/Sermons
Last Thursday evening as the Ascension Day eucharist was being held here, I was having an Ascension experience of my own - of the 36,000 feet in the air kind! Flying back here from Auckland, soaring above the clouds, I was reminded of one of the first Soviet cosmonauts who confirmed to his waiting audience on earth, that there was no God in space, "as I didn't see him when I was up there"!
Up there - we struggle these days with the idea that Jesus ascended, went up, even though Luke's account at the beginning of the book of Acts uses the word 'up' 4 times in 3 verses! We're quick to say well of course that reflects the worldview of the time, and indeed right through to medieval times, of a 3 tier universe - heaven, then earth, then Sheol or Hades beneath.
We know better, we say, we know all about the atmosphere, space and the immensities of the physical universe around us. It may be of interest to note though that many scientists, many physicists today conceive of the universe in increasingly multi-dimensional ways, ways far too complex for most of us to get a handle on. The truth may still be out there!
I have found it more fruitful recently not to ask 'how' or 'where' questions about the ascension of Jesus, but more the 'why' question. Just why was the ascension necessary?
We often answer this question in terms of the need for Jesus to move beyond the temporal and spatial limits imposed on him in the incarnation. Jesus lived in one place at one time - 1st century CE Palestine. Now that Jesus had shown us what God was like in human form, now that Jesus had shown us the self-giving love of God expressed in his death on the cross, now that Jesus had by the power of God been raised to new resurrection life, now was the time for his presence to be made known to the whole world in a way that was accessible to all, wherever and whenever they might live.
But I wonder if Jesus' ascension, his departure from this earth was also necessary to get us moving, to push us towards growth in discipleship and ministry, in following in the footsteps of Christ. Because if he'd still been here, I think the reality of human nature is that we would have left him to it, we would still be watching Jesus teaching and healing and doing miracles.
We would stand there making all the right admiring noises, but saying no you do it, Jesus, I'm not quite confident enough yet. It reminds me of my first Vicar making me do a funeral for a baby when I was a curate, despite my protests that I'd much rather just 'help' him, but he prevailed, and it was a formative learning experience for me.
It's been suggested that a good sermon illustration for Ascension might be if the minister leading the service got up and walked out in the middle of the service and left the congregation to carry on. I'm not suggesting that happen tonight!
But we all know what it is to be cosily reliant on those who normally lead or play or have a particular role, and then find that they are unavoidably absent. Perhaps then we find that others muck in, are stretched and challenged, but actually do an 'ok' job, and it's a vital and empowering part of their growth and development.
Perhaps the Ascension then, rather than being a withdrawal of God into heaven leaving us bereft, is actually part of the generosity of God in sharing ministry in this world with us, fallible and fragile as we are.
As Teresa of Avila reminds us, "Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which to look out with Christ's compassion to the world. Yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good; Yours are the hands with which he is to bless people now."
That is a bit of an awesome thought, until we remember that Teresa addresses those words to us not as individuals, but as the body of Christ together. We are Christ to the world together, and with the gifts that Jesus pours out on the church through his Spirit dwelling within us and among us.
Our reading from Ephesians 4 tells us a little more about those gifts, but it has in verse 8 a rather difficult semi-quotation from Psalm 68:18, 'When he ascended on high, he made captivity itself captive, he gave gifts to his people.' In its original context this psalm pictured God as a king victorious over his enemies who holds a triumphal procession, and from his throne receives tributes from those conquered, including captive slaves and gifts. This psalm may also have had resonance for the people of Israel thinking back to the time after the Exodus from captivity in Egypt, when Moses ascended on high on Mt Sinai, and brought back down from God the gift of the law for the people.
Perhaps now Paul sees the ascension of Jesus as like that of Moses. Jesus has achieved a new Exodus in his death and resurrection, rescuing people from captivity to sin and death, and now ascends to the heavenly realm, but comes back down to the people in the person of the Holy Spirit, bringing gifts to the church.
Certainly this was an equation the early church made, in that the feast of Pentecost was a celebration of the gift of the law, and now the feast of Pentecost would be a celebration of the gift of God's Spirit.
Notice that we are given examples of some of the Spirit's gifts, gifts enabling those called to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. But notice also that these people are given these gifts to enable others, they are 'to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.' The saints here refers to all God's people, so all God's people are to be involved in the work of ministry, in Greek diakonia, ministry or service.
Part of our role as clergy and leaders in the church is to help you to discern and use your gifts in ministry and service, in whatever sphere God calls you to serve. The Greek word used for 'equip' the saints, is also used to describe mending nets (Mt 4:21), so it is as we are made whole, and become ever more whole in Christ, that we can be used in God's service. We don't have to wait till we're perfect, God mends our net as we go, so that we can be used to fish for people, to share the love of God with those we live and work alongside.
This is how we grow to Christian maturity together, learning alongside each other, trying out in ministry and service, encouraging each other, speaking the truth in love. (Eph 4:15) Speaking the truth in love is actually not that easy, is it! It is one thing to speak the truth, it is another thing to speak in love, and it is not always easy to speak the truth in love. The truth of the love of God can't be commended by loveless speech. I'm still learning some words of wisdom I once heard, and wrote in the back of my Bible: before you speak, ask yourself, is it true? Is it loving? Is it necessary?
The verb used in speaking the truth in love means both speaking and doing, so we are not just to speak the truth in love, but to do the truth in love. Perhaps that is even harder still - to put our money where our mouth is.
I was impressed for better or worse with the responses some made to the journalist who set himself up as a homeless beggar asking for money on Lambton Quay and at the railway station recently, to gauge how people respond, and whether they are more resistant to supposedly increased numbers of people begging in Wellington.
The journalist commented that the God Squad were out in force but then commends three people who offered money, church contacts and prayer - 'all three are diamond geezers in my atheist book'.
We in the church are sometimes worried about being taken advantage of - and sometimes we are taken advantage of. But it all depends on how we see it: we follow and serve one who came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. We follow and serve one who poured out love and his own life unstintingly. We follow and serve one who takes the risk of giving us gifts, and trusts that we will use them well and for the service of others. What we choose to give freely and generously cannot be taken away from us. This is the outlook, the way of life that we follow, modelled for us by the ascended Christ.
Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death-- even death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:5-11)
