feeding . . . gathering . . . carrying . . . leading . (Isaiah 40:11)
Dear family,
I trust that you all enjoyed a restful Memorial Day weekend. We missed all of you who were out of town on Sunday! I decided to delay the conclusion of the “Letters to the churches” series till next Sunday, and instead I took the opportunity to speak briefly about something that was commemorated and celebrated this past weekend. It was Ascension Sunday, the closest Sunday to last Thursday which was in fact Ascension Day, 40 days after Easter Sunday. It’s interesting that it is so little commemorated or celebrated. Showing up for church on Easter Sunday is a no-brainer but Ascension Sunday does not seem to have the same draw. Like Holy Saturday, between Good Friday and Easter Day, Ascension Sunday struggles for recognition between Easter Day and Pentecost. I wonder why that is? For theological reasons, for gospel reasons, for Jesus reasons, for Christian reasons, it is hard to fathom. Is not the reference to the ascension a non-negotiable part of our creeds that summarize the irreducible minimum of our faith? In 1 Tim. 3:16 Paul seems to be quoting a contemporary creedal confession or hymn that includes in its few words the phrase “taken up to glory.” In Acts 1:22 Peter describes the qualifications for the one who was to replace Judas Iscariot on the apostolate: they had to “have been with us the whole time from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us.” This is his definition of the A – Z of Jesus’ ministry. Why are we fuzzy on the end bit? How has it come to be that so many Christians are not that sure of the significance or place of the ascension event, given their clarity about, say, the resurrection. It was C.S. Lewis who said, “The story of the Ascension cannot be separated from that of the Resurrection.” This statement appears in a wonderful treatment of the Ascension in the chapter “Miracles of the New Creation” (ch. 16) in the book “Miracles.” He admits that to the modern mind, the description of the ascension is an “embarrassing passage” and he asks: “Can we then simply drop the Ascension story? The answer is that we can do so only if we regard the resurrection appearances as those of a ghost or hallucination. For a phantom can just fade away; but an objective entity must go somewhere – something must happen to it…You cannot take away the Ascension without putting something else in its place.”
Among the several passages we read were a few verses from the very first apostolic sermon that Peter preached which placed huge emphasis and meaning on the ascension, or as Peter and others came to describe it, on the exaltation of Christ. Both words are used but the difference between them is like the difference between our uses of the words crucifixion and the cross. Like crucifixion, the word ascension describes the physical event. Like the cross, the word exaltation describes the explanation of the event. The fact, the ascension, has a meaning, exaltation. From this very first sermon onwards, the ascension would be a part of New Testament preaching, and the fact and meaning of Christ’s exaltation would be the primary interest, not the mechanisms of the actual ascension.
You should do your own detailed study of the NT record. Of course, it is recorded in the gospels, and prophesied by Jesus himself. Acts opens with it and its meaning is preached from the moment the Holy Spirit was given. In Romans (8:34) Paul places Christ’s ascended and exalted ministry of intercession alongside his death and resurrection. If Romans has more emphasis on the resurrection, then Ephesians is definitely more weighted on the exaltation which you heard in that introductory reading. You can read other allusions and observations of Paul’s in Philippians and Thessalonians and the pastoral epistles. But it is in the book of Hebrews that we hit the mother-lode, and as early as the third verse of the book we read: “After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the majesty in heaven.” It is in this letter that we read of Christ as the “great High Priest who has passed through the heavens” (4:14); as the forerunner (6:20). Peter pastorally applies the truth of the ascension by reminding his flock that Christ’s exaltation came after suffering, and this should encourage them to know that their reward and glorification after perseverance in suffering is equally sure. To examine the ascension turns out to be a vital study of Christology – it presents us with truths about who Jesus is that are often kept under the counter or even denied, at a time when it is much more in vogue to only present him as a high-souled teacher who has a contribution to make to civil manners. Woe to those who reduce the one who is “Lord and Christ” to one of many possible items on the menu of local deities. In an age of unbelief, in an age of syncretism, it is not expedient to talk of the power and authority of Christ, but we must, and to do that, we have to acknowledge and understand the Ascension.
I gave several reasons why Jesus physically ascended the way he did, as opposed to just fading out or instantly disappearing. You’ll have to get the tape or download the MP3 to get the substantive content of the message. If you missed it, I think you should, simply because it is vital to our understanding of the gospel, and of who Christ is in his present glorified ministry. I presented some of the truths of the Ascension in the three categories of PAST, PRESENT and FUTURE, showing how they relate to these dimensions of time, and particularly to our own past, present and future. Please note these as I have no space to present them here. But further to all of these, there remains one important point that relates both to the present and the future of our lives, if we are Christians. Before that coming again, there is a commissioning. The ascension calls us not to be sky-gazers but earth-reachers. As John Stott pointed out, there is a symmetry to all this. Jesus goes so that the Spirit comes, so that we go into all the world before Christ comes again. The one thing that you cannot miss in any celebration of the ascension is the call to witness. The question therefore presents itself: in what ways is your present life sky-gazing instead of earth-reaching? In what ways do you give yourself to speculations instead of the specifics of Christ’s call upon your life. What distracts you from your prior calling? In what ways will you be caught red-handed, or red-faced? It is impossible to forget that this call to witness is the final communication before the ascension. Any reminder therefore of the ascension and its meaning, must provoke the renewal of that call, of the commission to be a faithful witness to the Christ you profess to follow, in every aspect of your life: no professing faith but practicing infidelity. Any biblical study of the Ascension will show you how hugely significant it is to our faith and to our spiritual lives, to our assurance and our access, to our hope and our holiness, to our work and our witness. Ascension blessings!
Pastorally yours,
Stuart
For sermon audio, visit http://www.christourshepherd.org/pastlet.htm (follow links to download MP3)
Congratulations to Jeff & Laurie!
They met their new little one last Tuesday. Julian Evan was born Monday, May 18 (8lb 9oz, 20 1/4”) and they will all be returning to DC this week after finalizing all his paperwork.
Announcements
The church office is closed Mondays to allow an office work day. Messages checked at noon and 4pm. Normal operations Tuesdays through Fridays, 9:30am-5:00pm.
COSC Night of Prayer, coming Saturday, June 6, from 6pm-midnight in the sanctuary. Please come and pray for yourself and others!
“An Introductory Course to the Christian Faith” June 4 – June 25. Contact Kelly Doley (kwdoley@gmail.com) or Brandon Prichard (brandonprichard@gmail.com) if you’re interested in attending or bringing friends or if you have any questions.
Sunday school needs a June teacher for the K/1/2 class & helpers in July and August. Contact Laurie at 202- 361-0371 or laurie@christourshepherd.org
Men—Sunday school teachers and helpers are needed for June 7:
Tots: Teacher and helper
Pre-K: Teacher and helper
K/1/2: Teacher and helper
Grades 3-6: helper If you can help, contact Laurie at 202-361-0371 or email laurie@christourshepherd.org
Men, for details on golf the morning of June 13, talk to Luke.
Ladies, no sign-ups for the retreat this week, but next week is the last week to register!! See us at the table downstairs on May 31 or pick up a form and mail it in ASAP. Scholarships are available if needed; please ask!
Next Week—Cookout fundraiser after church to benefit the Urban Hands scholarship fund. Plan to eat at church next Sunday!
Join us for the next A.S.K. gathering at Nancy Merritt’s, Saturday May 30, 9am-noon. We seek the Lord through worship, meditation, and prayer for our city and communities. All are welcome. Questions? Please contact Anne Doggett, 703-527-5144.
Playground Build Day has been postponed. Please pray for this project...and stay tuned…
*MADE IN AMERICA*
Come celebrate the newest Kamon (due date July 25) at a red, white and blue Baby Shower, Saturday, July 11th, 11:00 a.m. at Nancy Merritt's home, 512 11th Street SE, DC. Bring a scripture to pray over the baby! Group gift: Call Maria Keffler, 703-971- 3818. Please respond to Nancy, 202-546-0120
Bulletin Board
Postings not officially sanctioned by COSC.
INTERN HOUSING: Christian Legal Society (CLS) summer interns need housing Jun 19-Jul 31. They are typically hard-working, conscientious, passionate, and love the Lord. We need a household for each of the 2 interns (preferably not with young people of the opposite sex...teenage-college...but we don’t yet know the gender of this year’s interns). They receive a stipend to help pay for food and other costs while they are here. Casey Mattox, cmattox@clsnet.org
HOUSING: Looking for Christian female subletter in Chinatown (DC), Aug-Sept. Furnished sunroom. Apartment features shared bathroom with washer & dryer; A/C; high-speed wireless internet and cable tv; and two wonderful roommates, both working in international development. We're looking for a Christian female in her 20's or 30's who's neat and friendly. $750/mo + utils (approx $65/mo). Website http://www.galleryapts.com – Chesapeake Floorplan. Garage parking available for additional cost. Dawn, dancerdawn05@yahoo.com
HOUSING: Christian female professional looking for housing with Christian family or Christian women as soon as possible, anywhere close to a metro stop. Pam, pamela.mukerji@gmail.com or 631-848-2300
HOUSING: Looking for a CF roommate to share Kingstowne (Alexandria, VA) 4 BR/3.5 BA townhouse with 3 Christian females. $584/mo. + share of utils. The bath is shared with one roommate. Shared space includes the entire main floor: living room/ dining room/kitchen and a basement living room. Attic space available for storage. Washer/dryer, gym membership, summer outdoor pool. Minutes from metro, shopping or access to interstates (395/495/95). Missi, missi.evans@yahoo.com