Ascentiontide...God's kingdom: Our character

I am known for my peculiar affection for seasons; the weather seasons in the UK (or at least the seasons we should have), but also the liturgical seasons. Some seasons are widely observed: Lent, Advent and Easter (in that order I should add). But there are other, less formal, seasons that excite me.

So...allow me to speak up for the 'season' of Ascensiontide.

Ascension Day baffles many, mostly because there is that tension of seeking to commemorate an actual event (Jesus going to heaven, quite whatever that means), while also celebrating the paradox of Jesus at the right hand of the Father, while also being present everywhere as King of the universe with his people in every place and every age. There's also the fact it's always on a Thursday and never quite gets the press it deserves.

So, naturally, Ascensiontide, the period between Ascension Day and Pentecost, might be expected to focus on these themes. Ascension Day is 40 days after Easter, and Pentecost (note the Pent- part of the word, as in five) is 50 days. There are, therefore, nine days between the two Holy Days.

However, I think the fact there are nine days is "almost too good to be true."

There are nine fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

How perfect is that?

As we consider Christ in glory, as King of the universe, we also look for signs of His kingdom here on earth. We pray (daily some of us) 'your kingdom come', which is as much about the present day, as that long awaited triumphant return. But as I look for signs of Christ's rule I am simultaneously looking for Christ's character, for he will rule as He is. And the Spirit comes in order to transform us more into Christ's likeness. Do you see the beauty?

As we meditate on His Ascension we are forced to petition the Spirit for a fresh anointing, a renewal, a transformation of our character to more accurately resemble our Risen Lord. Pentecost is a perfect conclusion to a micro-season of celebrating Christ's attributes as seen in the fruit, while reflecting on ways in which we need more of the fruit.

I accept that there is no way we can seriously reduce Jesus' character to nine attributes; it is admittedly artificial. Yet, the nine fruits of the spirit are an excellent framework, not only of Christ's character, nor only of a Christian's character, but in fact these values will be the foundational principles of God's kingdom when he comes. When we seek to be more loving, joyful, good, faithful...etc...we aren't seeking self-improvement, or more Christ-likeness (though these things occur) we are becoming the very answers to our prayer: 'May Your kingdom come...'

Ta da!!!!

Sounds cool, eh?

I invite you to spend a portion of each day leading up to Pentecost to reflect on each of the fruits, praying that you might better understand a) where the fruit speaks of Christ's life and passion, b) where in our own life we need more of that fruit, and c) how God's kingdom will be seen around us as we all seek more of these values.

Practically...and I hope this isn't too obvious here's the list (with the dates for 2014 in brackets):

Day 1 LOVE (Friday 30 May)
Day 2 JOY (Saturday 31 May)
Day 3 PEACE (Sunday 1 June)
Day 4 PATIENCE (Monday 2 June)
Day 5 KINDNESS (Tuesday 3 June)
Day 6 GOODNESS (Wednesday 4 June)
Day 7 FAITHFULNESS (Thursday 5 June)
Day 8 GENTLENESS (Friday 6 June)
Day 9 SELF-CONTROL (Saturday 7 June)

I hope you enjoy this if you do it. I'll be blogging each day. When I've written the blog I'll also create a hyperlink from this list too - so you need only come back here to find a link to every day's reflections.


Finally, I need to formally acknowledge John Methuen who wrote, in 2001, a paper for the Ripon Cathedral Liturgy and Music group from which I discovered this approach to Ascensiontide.

Ascended on High (Hebrews -- Day 10)

¹² For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. ¹³ Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. ¹⁴ Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven,^[a] Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. ¹⁵ For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. ¹⁶ Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Hebrews 4:12-16

At the end of Hebrews 4 we have five verses packed with dynamite...God's word is commended; God's eyes are X-ray; God has been tempted in every way; and I am invited to approach God with boldness. BOOM!

And nestled in the middle, in verse 14 is another reference to the somewhat mystical, misunderstood, marginalised historical detail of Jesus life - his ascension.

If we are to fully grasp the nowness of God's invitation to approach him we have to understand that this is ONLY because Jesus is in heaven...now.

I wrote a blog on this some time ago and I'd like to encourage you to have a read. It explains why ascension day is important, but also what the ascension is all about.

Two busy weeks...

Christmas is fun, Lent is serious, Easter is joyful…but what of Ascensiontide?

Here we are it has been a month plus now since Easter…there’s some toe-tapping as we await Pentecost (which is always around my birthday). And yet, sandwiched at the end of Easter-tide this year are an exciting collection of Holy Days.

We are entering an exciting period in the Christian calendar…lots to feast our hearts and minds on, lots of inspiration…

-          Rogation Days
-          Feast of St Matthias
-          Ascension Day
-          Ascensiontide
-          Festivals for such luminaries as Dunstan, John & Charles Wesley, The Venerable Bede, and Augustine; plus commemorations for: Caroline Chisholm, Aldhelm, Philip Neri, and John Calvin….completed by
-          Pentecost.

The next fortnight is a liturgically rich time – something for everyone.

And we start on Monday 14 May with the first Rogation Day and the feast of St Matthias.

The importance of Ascension Day

Booyah! We’ve done it…40 days for Lent, followed by 40 days for Eastertide…and so we arrive at the much neglected feast of the Ascension.

It’s fair to say that Christians who aren’t affiliated to liturgical/lectionary-following churches may not even consider this a ‘valid’ Christian celebration (they may not even know it exists!). Many Christians are more than happy to have a non-seasonal approach and content themselves with Easter and Christmas, others will be mindful of Palm Sunday, a smaller number will commemorate Good Friday, although, a number of churches do mark Pentecost.

But Ascension Day?....eh? What’s that? And more importantly, why is Ascension Day important to Christians?

Ascension Day remembers Jesus’ departure from earth, his ascension into heaven, recorded at length at the beginning of Acts (Acts 1:1-11). Jesus spends 40 days after his resurrection with the disciples, but finally he must leave, which he does in front of the disciples themselves. He is “taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from sight”. After this two angels appear to inform the eleven that Jesus would “come back in the same way you have seen him go”. While teaching prior to his ascension, Jesus has reminded the disciples of three things: firstly, the disciples were to wait for the anointing of the Holy Spirit; secondly, his return was not a matter to speculate on (see my blog on Jesus return); and thirdly, they were to witness, which the anointing was to equip them for.

So on one level, Ascension Day is about remembering these instructions.

However, there is a deeper, more complex theological significance to the feast.

Fulfilment of prophecy. Psalm 110 is quoted liberally throughout the New Testament. In it, King David prophetically sees “The LORD says to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand.’” Jesus himself spoke about what would happen to him. John 14:12 he refers to his “going to the Father” (cf. John 14:2-3, 28; 16:5), even after his resurrection he is mindful that his ‘journey’ is not yet complete (John 20:17). This is a point much overlooked by protestant churches; there is a completeness in the cross and resurrection, but part of its application is the saving of humanity and its flesh.

Taking up of authority. God has given Jesus authority to reign now, as He is now in heaven. Remarkably, during his Pentecost sermon, Peter speaks of the Ascension as an ‘exaltation’ of Jesus (Acts 2:33). Peter has no sense that Jesus is merely out of sight, but very much exalted and reigning as he spoke – and this just ten days after seeing him ‘disappear’! Peter returns to this theme in his first letter stating that Jesus is “at God’s right hand” (1 Peter 3:22). Psalm 110 is referred to by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15 where he refers to Jesus presently reigning, he does not consider Jesus reign as lying sometime in the future, he is seated “far above all rule and authority, power and dominion… not only in the present age but also in the one to come” (Ephesians 1:20f. emphasis mine – showing that Paul sees both a present and future rule; see also Romans 10:6)

Honouring of humanity. Jesus’ exaltation fulfils prophecy, endows Him with authority, but by virtue of the fact Jesus ascends in a temporal body, it redeems our very flesh. Jesus does not ascend only as the Son of God, but also as the Son of Man:

"Jesus glorified our fallen and sinful humanity when He returned to the Father"

Jesus is welcomed into heaven, and in so doing God says ‘mankind can once more be in my presence’. During the season of Easter we read the story of Stephen’s martyrdom. As he prepares to die he says: “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God”. Several points here: 1. Jesus is in heaven already; 2. He is seen as the Son of Man (the only time anyone other than Jesus uses the term); and 3. He is standing, which is seen as representing great authority (standing in His Father’s presence!). Stephen’s vision is one we are party to, and as a result we can confidently state the same of Jesus today. He is in heaven, right now as our ambassador. Jesus goes to prepare our way. This is a wondrous idea – that Jesus in his human body is now in heaven. This further paves the way for the glorification of our own bodies; Peter refers to the fact that we even now can participate in the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). We do not have space here to consider the offices in which Jesus, as our representative, is now our mediator and priest in heaven.

Preparation for Pentecost. After the ascension we have a further ten days before we reach Pentecost. Therefore, in a liturgical sense, there is an element of preparation as we consider the part the Holy Spirit plays in our lives. Ascension Day can start this preparation.

[An important caveat: the lectionary returns to what is known as ‘Ordinary Time’ the very first day after Pentecost. This is because we don’t have a Pentecost-tide, or “season” to focus on the Spirit, for we are always, all-year-round blessed with the Spirit. We are never apart from His presence and activity. Indeed, it is possibly unhelpful to have a Christian calendar precisely for this reason. Just as at Christmas where we must always be careful not to pretend we are waiting for Jesus’ first coming, so with Pentecost we must not think we are to imitate the disciples in the Upper room waiting for his outpouring – the Spirit is with us right now! This should also restrain the temptation to marginalise Ascension themes in Ascensiontide in favour of Pentecost prep…]

There is, nevertheless, the need to consider afresh the degree to which we permit the Spirit to have influence and authority in our life. Do we, for instance, resist the gifts of the Spirit? Are we prone to sins that flatly contradict the fruit of the Spirit? Do I ignore the work of the Spirit as He pricks my conscience about sins in my life? Not only personally, but corporately, are our churches marked by a keen sense that the Spirit guides, leads and directs? Are our services marked by human effort or the Spirit’s enabling? Do we preach about the Spirit, indeed? Fundamentally, do we recognise that on Ascension Day we can celebrate that as a result of Jesus going to heaven he was able to send the Spirit—no Ascension, no Pentecost.

All this is well and good, but what practical response might Ascensiontide prompt? A few questions and ides:

1. Do I submit to Jesus authority in my life? Or am constantly battling to be the ‘boss of me’? Do I see Jesus as merely my Lord, or Lord of all?



2. When did I last speak to someone about what Jesus has done in my life? Do I chat with my wife and family about my relationship with God?



3. Do we have a present trust that Jesus will return? Does this provoke a holiness of life, or am I ‘asleep on the job’?



4. What experiences of the Spirit have I had recently? Am I exercising my gifts? In what ways am I being more loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle and self-controlled?
   Perhaps we should use the nine days after Ascension, and before Pentecost, to meditate each day on each of the fruits?
   Friday 3rd June Love 1 John 4:16
   Saturday 4th June Joy Philippians 4:4
   Sunday 5th June Peace Philippians 4:7
   Monday 6th June Patience Romans 5:4
   Tuesday 7th June Kindness Ephesians 4:32
   Wednesday 8th June Goodness Ephesians 5:9
   Thursday 9th June Faithfulness Revelation 2:10
   Friday 10th June Gentleness Philippians 4:5
   Saturday 11th June Self-control Titus 1:8
   [I am particularly grateful to John Methuen for this idea]



5. Knowing that Jesus’ ascension fulfils prophecy does this give me more confidence when asked about Jesus?



6. Do I have a negative view of humanity? Do I treat my body with disrespect?
   

Ascension Day is a great time in the year to celebrate Jesus Lordship, he was prophesied to come, to die, to raise to life, and then to ascend on high. In heaven he now mediates on our behalf, seeks to be our Lord and sends the Spirit to aid us. Meanwhile, we cling with hope and fervent trust that just as Jesus left we can know he will, one day, return!

REFERENCES
Orthodox Family Life (1999)'The Meaning and Importance of Ascension' [Online]
Available: http://www.theologic.com/oflweb/feasts/ascen.htm [2 June 2011]

Ascension Day Hymns

A few Ascension themed hymns...

Rejoice, the Lord is King! Your Lord and King adore;
Rejoice, give thanks and sing, and triumph evermore;
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

Jesus, the Savior, reigns, the God of truth and love;
When He had purged our stains He took His seat above;
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

His kingdom cannot fail, He rules o’er earth and heaven,
The keys of death and hell are to our Jesus given;
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

He sits at God’s right hand till all His foes submit,
And bow to His command, and fall beneath His feet:
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

Rejoice in glorious hope! The Lord and Judge shall come,
And take His servants up to their eternal home.
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice,
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!


Hail the day that sees Him rise, Alleluia!
To His throne above the skies, Alleluia!
Christ, awhile to mortals given, Alleluia!
Reascends His native heaven, Alleluia!

There the glorious triumph waits, Alleluia!
Lift your heads, eternal gates, Alleluia!
Christ hath conquered death and sin, Alleluia!
Take the King of glory in, Alleluia!

Circled round with angel powers, Alleluia!
Their triumphant Lord, and ours, Alleluia!
Conqueror over death and sin, Alleluia!
“Take the King of glory in! Alleluia!”

Him though highest Heav’n receives, Alleluia!
Still He loves the earth He leaves, Alleluia!
Though returning to His throne, Alleluia!
Still He calls mankind His own, Alleluia!

See! He lifts His hands above, Alleluia!
See! He shows the prints of love, Alleluia!
Hark! His gracious lips bestow, Alleluia!
Blessings on His church below, Alleluia!

Still for us His death He pleads, Alleluia!
Prevalent He intercedes, Alleluia!
Near Himself prepares our place, Alleluia!
Harbinger of human race, Alleluia!

Master, (will we ever say), Alleluia!
Taken from our head to day, Alleluia!
See Thy faithful servants, see, Alleluia!
Ever gazing up to Thee, Alleluia!

Grant, though parted from our sight, Alleluia!
Far above yon azure height, Alleluia!
Grant our hearts may thither rise, Alleluia!
Seeking Thee beyond the skies, Alleluia!

Ever upward let us move, Alleluia!
Wafted on the wings of love, Alleluia!
Looking when our Lord shall come, Alleluia!
Longing, gasping after home, Alleluia!

There we shall with Thee remain, Alleluia!
Partners of Thy endless reign, Alleluia!
There Thy face unclouded see, Alleluia!
Find our heaven of heavens in Thee, Alleluia!


The head that once was crowned with thorns
Is crowned with glory now;
A royal diadem adorns
The mighty victor’s brow.

The highest place that Heav’n affords
Belongs to Him by right;
The King of kings and Lord of lords,
And Heaven’s eternal Light.

The joy of all who dwell above,
The joy of all below,
To whom He manifests His love,
And grants His Name to know.

To them the cross with all its shame,
With all its grace, is given;
Their name an everlasting name,
Their joy the joy of Heaven.

They suffer with their Lord below;
They reign with Him above;
Their profit and their joy to know
The mystery of His love.

The cross He bore is life and health,
Though shame and death to Him,
His people’s hope, His people’s wealth,
Their everlasting theme.


Other hymns that refer to Jesus' ascension are 'Alleluia, sing to Jesus' and the more recent, 'You're the Word of God the Father'.