Did you get any Happy Ascension Day cards today? How about a box of Ascension candy? Sigh, I didn’t think so. The good news is that the money-making world hasn’t figured out a way to commercialize Ascension Day. The bad news is the church has all but forgotten about Ascension Day. I grew up going to Ascension Day services, but today there are few Lutherans that observe this festival.
 

What have we lost with the neglect of Ascension Day? We’ve lost an important part of the story of Jesus and the plan of Salvation. Jesus was with his disciples after his resurrection for 40 days and then he left them. But he had already promised “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth . . . I will not leave your orphaned” (John 14:16-17a, 18a). That promise was fulfilled on Pentecost. The Ascension is the bridge from the Resurrection to the coming of the Holy Spirit. Jesus returns to the Father so that the Spirit can come to us.

The Ascension has been called the Homecoming of the Son. Christ has returned to the Father, but as he said, he has not left us orphaned. The Holy Spirit has been given to us so that we might have faith. That is something to celebrate.

Read Acts 1:1-11 and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Wayne

Today’s Reading: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+1%3A1-11&version=NRSV