Happy Ascension Day!
Recovering a Neglected Day in the Church Calendar
Today is Ascension Day. Most of American Evangelicals have forgottten this important day in the church’s historical calendar. And this is quite ironic. We just celebrated Mothers’ Day. Woe to you if you forgot that Most Holy Day! We also observed Memorial Day this week. Most of America had some exciting plans for that weekend. Maybe a few people actually visited the graves of our fallen soldiers. But, Ascension Day? Isn’t that Roman Catholic? Well, it also happens to be one of the days the Reformers celebrated, along with the other “Evangelical Feast Days” (Christmas, Good Friday, Easter, and Pentecost).
Ascension Day celebrates the ascension of our Lord and Savior back into heaven (Acts 1:1-6). Jesus Christ was the God-Man. He was God, who became Man, in order to take mankind back into the heavenly places with him. Jesus did not ascend alone. As the Head of the Church, our Head ascended back into heaven (Eph. 4:1-16). And the location of the head affects the location of the body. If the head is under water, the body spazzes for a while, and then dies. But if the head is above the water, the body can be totally under water. In the same way, if our head were still submerged in this sinful world, we would soon be shark-food. But, since our Head is at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, we are filled with life, and we can kick sharks in the face. Where our Head is makes all the difference in this world, and the next. So, let’s reclaim this wonderful Feast Day of the Church. Our Lord is risen—Amen! But the glory doesn’t stop there. Our Lord is ascended into heaven. Glory! Hallelujah! Because he ascended into heaven, we, too, will ascend into heaven. Blessed be the name of our risen and ascended Lord.
Prayers for Ascension Day
Here are two “collects” (short prayers) for Ascension Day from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer:
GRANT, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that like as we do believe thy only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ to have ascended into the heavens; so we may also in heart and mind thither ascend, and with him continually dwell, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.
O GOD, the King of glory, who hast exalted thine only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph unto thy kingdom in heaven; We beseech thee, leave us not comfortless; but send to us thine Holy Ghost to comfort us, and exalt us unto the same place whither our Saviour Christ is gone before, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.
And here’s a helpful video from Dr. Glenn Sunshine on the meaning and importance of the Ascension.