December 1 is the First Sunday of Advent. Advent is hard to observe in our culture, isn’t it?
The Church tells us it is a period of preparation for the Feast of the Incarnation, Christmas. Our faith tradition encourages us to make it a reflective time during which we identify with those who waited long centuries for the appearing of God’s anointed one. The liturgy for the Sundays and weekdays in Advent direct our attention to the wonderful gift that has come to us in Emmanuel and the promise that he will come again at the end to establish his victorious reign over all things.
Yet, here we are again with all those sights and sounds and smells that tell us it is time to be the world’s most accomplished consumers. Our culture encourages us to believe that the things we need and the things our loved ones need to make their lives complete can be bought for a price, and quite possibly must be acquired if life is to be worth living. The liturgy of advertising and shopping mall directs our attention to the near frenzy involved in getting there while supplies last.
I’m not really suggesting that we should not buy gifts or support our local merchants who work so hard and rely so heavily on sales at this season. I enjoy going to the mall and listening to the music in the stores. I like to shop for presents and believe it is a good thing to be thoughtful and generous with others as God in Christ has been thoughtful and generous with us in offering us his very life.
What I am suggesting is that the spiritual dimension of the season can easily be overshadowed. We need to find a balance and the Church can help. Go to the mall, after you’ve gone to church. Buy gifts, after you’ve left your gift at the Altar. Spend time shopping for the perfect gift, after you’ve spent time in communion with the most perfect gift, Christ the Savior. And then, after you've observed the spiritual practices of Advent, have a wonderful, peaceful, and blessed Christmas!
How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given! So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of his heaven. No ear may hear his coming, but in this world of sin, Where meek souls will receive him, still the dear Christ enters in.
“O Little Town of Bethlehem” The Rt. Rev. Phillips Brooks (1835-1893)
I'll see you in Church!
The Very Reverend Ron Pogue Interim Rector St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church Keller, Texas
We are coming to the Last Sunday After Pentecost. Many liturgical churches also celebrate this as The Feast of Christ the King. In our continuing efforts to make our language more gender inclusive, the term Reign of Christ is gaining acceptance as the designation for this Sunday. I really prefer Reign of Christ because the emphasis is on what Christ is doing throughout the cosmos and throughout eternity – reigning!
Matthew 25:31-46, is often referred to as The Parable of the Last Judgment. It speaks of the accountability of all people when the reigning Christ sits upon his throne.
I recall an encounter I had with a radically evangelical fundamentalist during my college years. He and I were about the same age. He was a member of Campus Crusade for Christ and had chosen me as the target of his mission. We talked about our differing theological views and never found much common ground. It turned out to be a debate, not a conversation. At the end of our debate, he referred to this passage of scripture and said as he parted, “I hope you’ll see the light and end up in heaven with me after the great judgment.”
He wanted the Reign of Christ to be all about the Last Judgment. Ever since then, I've been very curious about how and when we are accountable to Christ. So, naturally, when this text pops us, that's where my thoughts go.
If you’ll read the passage carefully, you’ll see that the basis of our accountability is not on having the right doctrine. When we stand before Christ it is always about how we express the faith we profess – how we are ministering to Christ through our service to the hungry, the thirsty, the strangers, the naked, the sick, the prisoners, the marginalized and vulnerable people we encounter in our journey of faith. Faith in Christ is a challenge to expand our comfort zones and reach out beyond them to such as these in ways that our faith and our good works are in alignment.
A hungry man was walking down the street in a village of medieval Turkey. He had only a piece of bread in his hand. He came to a restaurant where some meatballs were being grilled. The cooking meat was so near and the smell so delicious the man held his piece of bread over the meat to capture some of the smell. As he started to eat the bread, the angry restaurant owner seized him and took him away to see a judge.
The owner protested, “This man was stealing the smell of my meat without asking permission. I want you to make him pay me for it.” The judge thought for a moment, then held up his purse in front of the owner and shook it.“What are you doing that for?” asked the restaurant owner? The judge replied, “I am paying you. The sound of money is fair payment for the smell of food.”
The challenge when we are dealing with the kind of people described by Jesus in this passage is to make sure that what we are sharing with them is real. We must make sure that our care is expressed in ways that are tangible and life changing.
Each Sunday, we say we believe “He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.” One might say that Matthew 25:31-46 is a scriptural basis for that belief. It seems clear to me that the Judgment is not about arguing our case or preparing to be judged. Neither the sheep nor the goats had much of an argument or seemed prepared. It is about how we live day by day and it is about being accountable for our discipleship all along the way and not just at the end. The reigning Christ is already on the throne. We are judged not by the precision of our dogma or our membership in a particular church but by what we do for others. We are judged not by what we know but what we have shared.
What I wish I’d had the experience and presence of mind to say to my fundamentalist friend at the end of our conversation long ago is this: Both the sheep and goats will be judged not by their creeds but by their deeds.
I’ll see you in Church!
The Very Reverend Ron Pogue Interim Rector St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church Keller, Texas
(Continuing a series of reflections based on Bishop Robert Schnase's book, Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations.)
Intentional Faith Development refers to all the ministries that help us grow in faith outside of weekly worship, such as bible studies, Sunday School classes, support groups, and prayer teams. Congregations who practice Intentional Faith Development offer opportunities for people to learn in community for people at all stages of faith. They offer ministries that help people grow in grace and in the knowledge and love of God. Intentional refers to deliberate effort, purposeful action, and high priority.
Around the time I entered ordained ministry in the early 1970’s, a number of articles were published concerning the state of religious education in various Christian denominations. The articles reported on several studies and surveys that showed declining attendance. The post-World War II Baby Boomers had reached adulthood and were not as committed to Christian education for themselves and their children as their parents’ generation had been.
My second appointment after seminary was on the staff of a Bishop who wanted me to get out there and address this situation before it got any worse in his jurisdiction. “I want you to help our churches turn the Sunday school around,” he said. I can’t say we actually accomplished his “turn around” objective, but we did at least find some new energy and stop the slide.
One nationally recognized authority on Christian education sounded the warning: “As goes the Sunday School, so goes the Church.” He was right. Declining participation in Christian education, especially on Sunday mornings, preceded – some would say precipitated – declines in worship attendance, membership, and giving in mainline Churches.
During the same half-century, we witnessed a dramatic rise in participation in more theologically conservative “evangelical” congregations and a concurrent increase in their level of influence in American politics and culture. These Christian movements have offered absolute answers and simple rules that comfort a generation that wasn’t well-formed in faith and suddenly found themselves adrift in a world-wide cultural change. The more conservative theological and moral principles provided a sense of security and a place to drop anchor. This generation demanded options in every aspect of life. But when it came to faith, they wanted something that is changeless.
Many of our members joined them. The Episcopal Church has been baffled by the decline and uncertain about what to do. In our attempts to respond, we have not wanted to inconvenience one another and we’ve tried less demanding offerings for faith formation. But most of our attempts at accommodation have not been faithful to the Baptismal Covenant and have failed to form people in the Christian faith. Members have drifted away or sought to shore up their feelings of theological and biblical inadequacy in other faith communities.
Now, we see a generation emerging that isn’t so comfortable with a faith that possesses all the answers, is always right, knows the absolute truth, and tells them what to think. They want space for mystery and wonder. They are less interested in what is changeless than they are in seeking that which is ageless. There is a difference!
Our Church has the theological, liturgical, sacramental, and moral heritage to respond to this generation. We need to listen to their questions and provide an environment in which it is safe to ask them. This is a unique opportunity to leave our comfort zone and join them in their spiritual quest. They are calling us to awaken from our complacency and journey with them into a new era of wonder, love, and praise.
Therefore, let us take seriously the call to Intentional Faith Development for our Church, ourselves, our children, and those who come to us seeking a living relationship with “the author of peace and lover of concord, whom to know is eternal life and to serve is perfect freedom,” to paraphrase The Collect for Peace.
One of the things potential applicants for Rector will be curious about is the commitment of the parish to faith formation. Currently, St. Martin’s has a somewhat small number of options. However, we are beginning to explore ways to expand our offerings. On Saturday, The Rev’d Dr. Suzi Robertson will be here to train Godly Play leaders for our children’s Sunday School. We will soon have a Christian Formation Commission and its first task will be to help the parish envision the kind of opportunities that are needed to nourish the faithful. A team that was appointed last summer to assist in finding a youth minister is actively engaged in that process, which we hope will lead to the rebuilding of a dynamic, lay-led program of formation for our youth.
It’s a new beginning! I hope you and your household will be involved in intentional ways to strengthen faith formation for all ages at St. Martin’s.
I’ll see you in Church!
The Very Reverend Ron Pogue Interim Rector St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church Keller, Texas
Continuing a series based on Bishop Robert Schnase's book, Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations.)
Worship describes those times we gather deliberately seeking to encounter God in Christ. God uses worship to transform lives, heal wounded souls, renew hope, shape decisions, provoke change, inspire compassion, and bind people to one another. The word passionate expresses an intense desire, an ardent spirit, strong feelings, and the sense of heightened importance. Congregations who practice Passionate Worship offer their utmost and highest; they expect worship to be the most important hour of the week.
It should come as no surprise to anyone that worship attendance is declining in most mainline Churches and even in some evangelical mega churches. Given the fact that participation in corporate worship is almost universally regarded as of the utmost importance among Christians, this downward trend seems odd. What's wrong with this picture?
Perhaps we have not been effective in teaching about the centrality of worship. Most of us who have been in ordained ministry for a while have tried all of the less direct, “kid glove” approaches and they are not working. We've tried to fix our sermons, our music, and our wardrobe to make things more “convenient,” “appealing,” and “entertaining.” We've set attendance goals, assumed much of the blame for the behavior of people given into our care, and tried numerous gimmicks to coax the faithful to worship. And still, worship in our churches continues to decline.
So, let's try the direct approach. We have not been completely honest and we have not served the flock of Christ well by shading the truth. One of the most important and helpful things a pastor can do is tell you this:
God wants you to adjust your life so you can be there when your Church gathers for divine worship!
God will be pleased. It will strengthen the Church, enrich you spiritually, and help you love others. Think of this time as God’s time with you instead of your time with God. Consider it the most important appointment of the week. From the earliest of times, God has called God’s own people to join together in worship. In corporate worship, we focus our hearts not on ourselves, but on our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer. When we do that, we open ourselves up to receive the grace and love that we cannot earn or find anywhere else. There is just no substitute for worship.
How to get started – If you are still with me and have concluded that worship needs to be a greater priority in your life and the life of your household, you may be wondering how to proceed. Here are some ideas:
Some may be able to simply decide to be there every Sunday unless prevented by a major physical difficulty like illness, disability, or severe weather conditions.
Others may commit to a gradual change during the next year. For example, if you attend corporate worship once a month, try twice; if you worship twice a month, try three times; or just decide that you will worship twice as often.
Some may have a job or obligations to others that make Sunday morning attendance extremely difficult or impossible. At Saint Martin’s, we have a service on Saturday evenings at 5:00. We also have a service in the Chapel at noon on Wednesdays. One of those may be an option for you. If not, let me know and we’ll discuss the possibility of starting a service at a time that does work for you. It may work for others as well.
Most Christians could double their worship attendance and still not be there every Sunday of the year. I'm not a mathematician but I believe I'm correct in suggesting that if places of worship are typically two-thirds empty and we doubled attendance, our churches would then be two-thirds full. That would be a good thing for God, for the People of God, and for the world God loved so much that he sent his only begotten Son. There would be more of us there to welcome newcomers. It could be the beginning of another Great Awakening in the hearts and minds of Christians.
Whatever you do to improve your participation in corporate worship will be a step in the right direction. It is time to reverse the trend and it has to start with a new commitment on the part of the believer. This is a call to worship – passionate worship.
Therefore, I join St. Paul in extending this invitation to those born of water and the Spirit, who bear the Name of Christ: “I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect” (I Cor. 12;1-2).
I'll see you in Church!
The Very Reverend Ron Pogue Interim Rector St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church Keller, Texas
(Continuing a series based on Bishop Robert Schnase's book, Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations)
Mission and Service refers to the projects, efforts, and work people do to make a positive difference in the lives of others for the purposes of Christ, whether or not they will ever become part of the community of faith. Risk-taking pushes us out of our comfort zone, stretching us beyond service to people we already know, exposing us to people, situations, and needs that we would never ordinarily encounter apart from our deliberate intention to serve Christ. Congregations who practice Risk-taking Mission and Service offer endless opportunities for people to make a difference in lives of others through service projects, volunteer opportunities, and mission initiatives.
The Patron Saint of our church is Martin of Tours. As a young man, Martin was a soldier in the Roman army and stationed in Gaul, which is modern-day France. One day as he was approaching the gates of the city of Amiens, he met a scantily clad beggar. He impulsively cut his military cloak in half to share with the man. That night, Martin dreamed of Jesus wearing the half-cloak he had given away. He heard Jesus say to the angels: "Martin, who is still but a catechumen, clothed me with this robe." (Sulpicius, ch 2). Soon thereafter, he was Baptized.
Icon by Aidan Hart
Martin was ordained, started a monastery, became a Bishop, and was a great leader of the Church. But that act of compassion and the vision that followed became the most-repeated story about his life.
For almost fifty years, that story has inspired the people of St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church to reach out to those in need. Here are some of the outreach efforts we are currently involved in:
Union Gospel Mission
Service Sunday Lunch Preparation Food and Clothing Collection Men’s Shoe Drive Angel Tree
4 Saints Food Pantry
Quarterly Food Donations Red Envelope Donations
Presbyterian Night Shelter
Volunteer Donations Bar Soap Bags
Meals on Wheels
Volunteer Donations
Teddy Bears for Cook Children’s Hospital
Medical Supplies for People Being Treated for Leprosy in India
Winter Coat Drive
Obviously, much of what we do for others involves money and I am very pleased to see how generously our members are sharing their wealth for these godly efforts to heal and transform lives. What is not always so obvious is the number of people who give of their time and talents to extend Christ’s love in these and other efforts for others. Their stories are amazing! Please join them. We are in the process of organizing an Outreach Commission that will coordinate support and involvement in the aforementioned service opportunities and others that are waiting for us. Dick Seeber is the convener and he would love to connect you with one or more of those efforts.
But are we taking risks? You bet! In every case, we are being called to engage in efforts that do not guarantee success. In every case, we are being called to go from a place where we are similar to and familiar with the people with whom we worship to a place where we are strangers and sojourners. In every case, we are stepping out of our comfort zones and asking others to do the same. Can we take even greater risks? We certainly can and I believe we will because what we are doing is in the service of One who risked his very life on a cross in the same mission and service that is now entrusted to us.
I have a colleague in ministry who occasionally likes to offer this prayer: “O God, comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.” That prayer is central to the multi-volume work about Risk-Taking Mission and Service God is writing on the hearts of the people of St. Martin’s.
I’ll see you in Church!
The Very Reverend Ron Pogue Interim Rector St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church Keller, Texas
Who are you? That’s a question that frequently pops into our minds. For those of us who are members of the Church, it pops into our minds before, during, and after worship and at other gatherings.
Of course, who you are is more than your name, but your name is a starting point. Once I know your name, I begin to associate other aspects of your identity with it – what you look like, what you do, where you live, to whom you are related, and many other characteristics that make you YOU. The unique, one-of-a-kind, never before, never again YOU. When I hear your name, I recall lots of information about you and my relationship with you. Names are little bridges we cross over in relationships one with another. For example:
The Prophet Isaiah recorded God’s word to God’s own specific, chosen people:
“Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” (Isaiah 43:1a)
Expectant parents take pains to select the names of their children. Before we are born, we have a name. Throughout our lives, those names will be recognized and recorded by others.
At our Baptism, our name is called, signifying that God knows us. In fact, the liturgy used to direct the Priest to say to the parents and sponsors, “Name this child.”
As we mature, we learn that having our name attached to something can be something very good or something very bad.
Newscasters are very careful to refer to the people they interview or refer to by name.
When we say we know our neighbors, we mean that, among other things, we know their names.
When we send a letter, a sympathy note, or a thank you note, we address the recipient by name.
Names are important!
So, in order to foster community and build relationships at St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church, we need to take care to learn one anothers' names. This is important at all times but will be especially important when you welcome newcomers and when your new Rector arrives.
To that end, I am asking that we wear name tags when we are together at the church, whether for worship, study, fellowship, or service. If you have a permanent name tag and can remember to wear it, that’s great. If you don’t have a permanent name tag, click HERE to order one from the Parish Office. We'll furnish the first one at no cost.
If you are like me, those permanent name tags are sometimes in the jacket I didn’t wear to church. So, we’re going to provide plain paper name tags and bold sharpie pens at the entrance to each gathering place so you will always have a name tag. These will also be useful for newcomers and will enhance our ongoing practice of radical hospitality.
Who are you? If you’ll wear a name tag, it won’t be long before I know the answer to that question and so will others.
I’ll see you in Church!
The Very Reverend Ron Pogue Interim Rector St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church Keller, Texas
(Continuing a series based on Bishop Robert Schnase's book, Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations)
Generosity describes the Christian’s unselfish willingness to give in order to make a positive difference for the purposes of Christ. Congregations that practice Extravagant Generosity provide ministries that address our spiritual need to give in ways that exceed all expectations and extend to unexpected measures. Fruitful congregations thrive because of extraordinary sharing, willing sacrifice, and joyous giving out of love for God and neighbor.
Here are a few excerpts regarding the spiritual practice of extravagant generosity from Bishop Robert Schnase’s book Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations:
“Generosity enlarges the soul, realigns priorities, connects people to the body of Christ, and strengthens congregations to fulfill Christ’s ministries. Giving reflects the nature of God.”
People who give generously give because they:
• Love God • Love the Church • Desire to grow in love of neighbor
“Churches that model Extravagant Generosity give joyously, generously, and consistently in ways that enrich the souls of members and strengthen the ministries of the Church.”
“As people grow in relationship to Christ, they grow also in the practice of Extravagant Generosity, offering more of themselves for the purposes of Christ and providing the resources that strengthen ministry and that help the Church touch the lives of more and more people in the same way their own lives have been transformed by God.”
“Giving is central to Jewish and Christian practice because people perceive God as extravagantly generous, the giver of every good gift, the source of life and love. People give because they serve a giving God.”
The Bible is chock full of examples of the significance of generosity both on the part of believers and on the part of God. In every example, giving is always extravagant, life-changing, and joyous.
A passage that speaks clearly to both divine and human generosity is the Parable of the Prodigal Son. The word “prodigal” means “spendthrift.” The son greedily and prematurely demands his inheritance, moves away, then squanders his treasure. He is a prodigal in the sense that he is spendthrift of his treasure. We see in him what happens when there is an unhealthy relationship with one's possessions. When the son realizes what he has done, he returns home. Upon his return, his father runs out to greet him. The father is a prodigal also in that he is a spendthrift of his love and forgiveness. In the father’s extravagant generosity, we get a glimpse of the generosity of God.
And nothing prompts generosity in us as powerfully as experiencing the generosity of God. Whether it is in the forgiveness of our sins or the blessings we enjoy, our own generosity is largely a reflection of our awareness of and response to God's generosity toward us. As we have been reminded several times recently, we are created in the image of an extravagantly generous God and, therefore, such generosity is in our DNA. We are created to be the most generous of all God's creatures.
Sunday, October 20, is Consecration Sunday at our church. Estimate of giving cards will be distributed during the 10:30 a.m. service and we will fill them out and present them at the Altar as an act of worship. This is an opportunity for us as a community of faith to respond to God's generosity as we renew our commitment to the spiritual practice of extravagant generosity through faithful stewardship of the treasure entrusted to us. This is always an important event in the life of a church community, but even more so during the transition between rectors because it is an opportunity for the true spirit of the members to shine forth. Take some time to pray about your response and to consider how you might grow in giving in the coming year.
I'll see you in Church!
The Very Reverend Ron Pogue Interim Rector St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church Keller, Texas
As I draw closer to the completion of my ministry among you at St. Andrew’s Cathedral, I’m mindful of so many things I need to do and say. Was this how Jesus was feeling during the time leading up to the Ascension? He sure took the time to give some instructions, provide some reminders, and make some promises before saying goodbye. I think I will too.
My last Sunday will be June 16. I’ll preside over the Vestry one more time on June 17. My first event at St. Andrew’s was the Dean’s List and so it will be the last on June 18. Then, on June 19, we will head for our house in Arlington, Texas. I’ll be on vacation for the rest of the month. Anne Maxwell will become your Dean on July 1 and you will soon begin to experience an entirely new transition. You’ve had time to “practice” on David Elliott and me for almost three years. I hope you’ve experienced some things that will help you step into a new era of mission with a new spiritual leader.
Here are a few things that are on my mind as I prepare to leave you:
• We’ve emphasized involvement, created or revitalized groups to pursue God’s mission, and developed charters to guide their work. There's a healthy process in place to help a lot of people do a lot of good. If you are involved, thank you. If you are not, take some time to discern how God may be calling you to get involved. HERE is a pretty complete description of how things are organized at this time. Where might you connect and express the gifts God has given to you?
• There’s a new online pictorial directory. Have you logged in and provided a photo? Your new Dean will want to get to know you, know how to find you, and recognize your face. If you have not already signed up, please take a few minutes to do that. HERE is the information you will need.
• Another way you can help your new Dean (and fellow communicants as well) is to wear a nametag. We’ve placed blank ones and Sharpies at entrances and gathering places. If you have a permanent name tag that you bring to the Cathedral with you, that’s great. But if you forget it, these are always here.
• Invite / Welcome / Connect. Don’t be shy about inviting others to St. Andrew’s. It doesn’t have to be to a worship service. Almost any event can be an entry point for newcomers. And, don’t be shy about speaking to people. Introduce yourself, show newcomers the way to Coffee Hour, help them navigate our beautifully complex liturgy, and be the “Face” of St. Andrew’s. Also, don’t be shy about connecting people to others in our loving Cathedral community. They very well may be looking for a community like ours.
• Set the example as the Cathedral Church of the Diocese of Mississippi. The diocese is looking to St. Andrew's for leadership, encouragement, resources, and hospitality, all of which are here in abundance. Join the Cathedral Guild. Serve in a diocesan role. Look for opportunities to be a representative of the Cathedral in the City of Jackson and beyond. St. Andrew's is not just another big church; you are the Cathedral Church, serving the diocese and the Bishop.
• Pray for your Bishop, Dean, Canons, Staff and the leadership of the Cathedral. Prayer has made a difference during the past three years. It will continue to be the one thing we all have in common. (Get it? Common Prayer?)
• Show up. Your presence matters. It matters to you, when you didn’t feel like coming and something happens that changes your life. It matters to others, when the room is full of singing, praying, loving people and when the smile on your face or the sound of your voice is exactly what someone else needs to get through another week. It matters to God, who calls you to worship and service and dwells among God’s own people.
• I have invited you to view Christian stewardship as a spiritual practice, which, like prayer, strengthens your faith, hope, and love. You have responded in amazing ways and I pray that you have found the practice to be everything I told you it would be and more. “You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us; for the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God” (2 Cor. 9:12-13)
• Remember that Gay and I love you and will think of you often wherever we may be. Our time with you has enriched and changed our lives. We are grateful for your lavish hospitality and generous friendship.
The best days, the golden years, of St. Andrew’s Cathedral lie just ahead. God’s promise to Israel is yours as well: “For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, I will let you find me, says the Lord…” (Jeremiah 29:11-14).
Have you thought about the fact that, while the Ascension Window in the rear of the Cathedral Nave is our largest window, we hardly ever talk much about the Ascension other than when we're reciting the creeds?
Perhaps the reason the Church has neglected the Ascension in its preaching, teaching, and liturgical life is that it is so easy to let issues such as the location of heaven, behavior of clouds, and laws of gravity obscure the central theological affirmations of the event. I invite you to look beyond the literal description of the event with me and consider those affirmations.
The first affirmation is that it rings the curtain down on the earthly ministry of Jesus.
He had walked with them and talked with them about the Kingdom before and after the resurrection. He had walked the way of the cross. He had journeyed with them along the road to Emmaus and appeared to them in the breaking of the bread. He stood among them in that fear-filled room in Jerusalem and restored their courage and their faith. For forty days he had shared with them his risen presence. He had prepared them for his going away and promised them that he would send the Comforter, power from on high, and that because he was going to the Father, they would be able to do even greater works than he had done. Now it was time for the earthly part of his ministry to cease.
The Ascension was a farewell scene. They needed a transition and this was the event that made it possible. We know the need ourselves. His departure points to a new day in God's Realm, a new relationship with his followers, and a new responsibility for his work. So, the Ascension affirms that his earthly ministry has come to a close and his work in the world is now to be done by those whom he has chosen and empowered.
A second affirmation of the Ascension is a broadening understanding of the purpose and mission of the Church.
The figure in white asked them, “Why are you standing there looking up into heaven?” That may be another way of saying, “You have been told what you are supposed to do and it is NOT to stand there looking up into the sky. Jesus told you he’ll return but he didn’t give you a schedule. You have things to do. Go and do them!”
The challenge to the Church now as then is, while we expect his return at any moment, we are not to spend our waiting time looking up into the sky and meditating on the past but moving into mission in the world. Theologian Leslie Newbigin once observed, “The Church is unique in that it exists not for its own sake but for the sake of those outside it.”
We are not to become so caught up in gazing in wonder that we fail to capture the vision of the mission field at the doorsteps of our churches into which we are sent at the end of every service. We must not be so heavenly minded that we are no earthly good in advancing the reign of God in our part of the world!
The third affirmation of the Ascension is that Jesus, the suffering and crucified One, is now with the Father.
What does that mean? I am reminded of Luther’s debate with Zwingli during which Zwingli was challenging Luther’s perspective on the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Zwingli declared, “He can’t be in two places at once, and the scripture says he’s at the right hand of God.” Luther responded, “The right hand of God is here, there, and everywhere.”
The right hand of God is not a geographical location you can Google, but rather the power bestowed upon the Son by the Father. He brings God’s power to us. It means that the One who has been given all power and authority has been touched with the feeling of weakness, knows our pain, has wrestled with temptation. His incarnation, which began with his Nativity and concluded with his Ascension, has brought something of our humanity into the very life of God.
It means that he is Sovereign of the Universe. All that is left is for the universe to acknowledge that truth.
And, it means that the ultimate outcome of history is no longer in question. The Kingdom, the power, and the glory are his now and forever. He has triumphed and, we who are his sisters and brothers through Baptism are heirs of all that he has won. His victory is our victory. You might say that his victory is hidden in our history, to be perceived only through eyes of faith. What do you see when you look around? Look again!
In the Letter to the Ephesians, we are told that the world should be able to get a glimpse of God's Reign when it looks at the Church, his Body. We have to confess that is not always what the world sees. It’s not always what we see either. But he’s probably doing more with us than he’s getting done with any other group on this planet. The Church is still alive and at work in human lives, bringing compassion, healing, purpose, and victory to people of all types in all places.
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. (BCP)
I'll see you in Church!
The Very Reverend Ronald D. Pogue Interim Dean St. Andrew’s Cathedral Jackson, Mississippi
P.S. This Charles Wesley hymn about the Ascension is a favorite of mine.
What a glorious Easter we've had! Thanks to everyone who contributed to the beauty and the joy of our celebrations at St. Andrew’s Cathedral. As we enter the Great Fifty Days of Easter, we are especially conscious of the renewal of life. It seems like an appropriate time to address one of the important tasks of transition; taking stock of the present identity of the parish. Here are a few ways we can do that during this season.
Worship – Corporate worship is the heart of our life together. In worship, our faith is renewed and restored, lives are transformed, significant decisions are inspired, and God’s call to service is heard. If you have become less than regular in worship, I invite you to attend more frequently. For example, if you come about once a month, perhaps you could resolve to be in worship at least twice a month. If you are already a weekly worshiper, perhaps you might offer to serve as an usher, a greeter, a lector, or in some other capacity that contributes to our worship. Give it some prayerful consideration.
Membership Information Update – We have placed notebooks with current membership information in the Rotunda, St. Francis Hall, and the Parish Hall. Please take the time to check to be sure we have up to date and accurate contact information, birth dates, anniversary dates, baptism dates, and names of everyone in your household.
Communication – Effective communication is vital to every family, community, and organization. We have begun using our new Realm program for membership information and internal communication. Also, if you are responsible for informing the Cathedral community about an event or something your ministry group is doing, please work closely with our Communications Director Josh Geter to ensure that our messages and graphics are consistent.
Involvement – There are places of purposeful service in our life together. Many of you indicated interest in beginning or exploring new places of service through the recent “I Will, With God’s Help” survey. All of that information has been shared with leaders of various ministry groups and they are in the process of making contact.
Short Range Planning – This is a very active parish. Quite a few things need to be accomplished during the coming months as preparations are made to welcome a new Dean. The staff, commissions, committees, guilds, and others are in the process reviewing plans, assignments, and objectives to ensure that the momentum continues.
As Easter People, we are always open to renewal and this is one such opportunity. We are going to need everyone’s attention and assistance as we nurture our life together. Please watch for communications and participate at every opportunity. One reason St. Andrew’s is such a vibrant and healthy community of faith is the level of participation. We want that to continue! Think of this as something like an annual checkup to sure everything is working and that nothing is being overlooked.
I’ll see you in Church!
The Very Reverend Ronald D. Pogue Interim Dean St. Andrew’s Cathedral Jackson, Mississippi