Daily Devotional reflections

As we journey through these uncertain times, each day Sean will to seek post a thought or reflection, a Bible verse or a prayer


Sunday 24th May 2020

‘Ascension’

INTRODUCTION

One word that has taken on a new significance in recent days is the word curve.  Isn’t that what lock-down has been all about flattening the upward curve of covid-19?  But today I would like to give you the picture of another curve – this one begins with a downward slope.

There is a story of a Scottish minister who was given the opportunity to speak to some sixth year pupils.  He began his talk by drawing a large curve on the blackboard.  His chalk line began at the top, then swept down in a gentle curve before turning and climbing back up to the top at the blackboard’s other side.  “That curve”, he said, neatly sums up the whole Christian story.’ 

And he went on to explain what he meant. Jesus came down to earth from His Father’s presence, spent thirty-three years here, then ascended back into His Father’s presence.  He came to redeem us, then entrusted us with continuing the work he had begun.  In that simple curve we are given a symbol of the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus.

In our reading from John’s Gospel, Jesus rounds off his farewell speech with prayer.  And that prayer gives us a clear picture of that curve.  Jesus says He was with the Father before the world began.  He goes on to say that He has now done the work God entrusted Him to do, and he concludes by anticipating His ascension when He says He is no longer in the world.  But, says Jesus, His followers are still in this world with all its needs and problems!  They are the ones who are to complete his task.

Jesus knows that life can and will be difficult.  His followers will need help.  There will be challenges, suffering, temptation, trials.  His followers will not be able to meet these in their own strength.  And Jesus goes on to pray for them and indeed for all who will become his followers down through the ages. 

BIBLE READING

John 17:1-11

Jesus Prays to Be Glorified

After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 4 I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.
Jesus Prays for His Disciples
6 “I have revealed you[a] to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. 9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. 11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of[b] your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.

REFLECT

The presence of Jesus in heaven but also in the hearts of believers through the Holy Spirit is one of the great mysteries of our faith.
If you would like to know more about the significance of Jesus ascention for the everyday life of faith, why not come along to our online service this evening. The link is avalible from Sean on request.

PRAYERS

God our Father
King of Heaven
All blessing and honour and glory and power
Are yours by right

Jesus Christ
Crucified, risen, ascended Lord
All blessing and honour and glory and power
Are yours by right

Spirit of God
Lighting upon us
Filling our lives with love
Spurring us on to greater deeds
All blessing and honour and glory and power
Are yours by right

Lord God we worship you
For You are down-to-earth
In Your Son you came into the world
To live our human life
To die our human death.

But you are also above the earth
You are beyond time and space
A marvellous mystery
And there is always more to discover
About your ways and your works.

In Jesus Christ
You bridge the gap between
Things human and divine
You understand the things of this world
And open up for us a glimpse of things eternal.

Gracious God,
Forgive us for so often failing
to grasp the wonder of Ascension,
for living each day
as though it had never been.
We accept, but we do not fully understand.
We believe, yet we have many questions.
Help us, despite our uncertainty,
to hold firm to the great truth
that the wonder of Christ Jesus goes far beyond
anything we can ever imagine.

And in the light of that truth help us as
Confess in the silence before you now
Those things which we wish we had not done
Those things we would rather keep hidden
Those things which have hurt others, ourselves and You…

Help us to hear and accept those words
“Go in peace!  Your sins are forgiven”

Remake us and renew us
in the image of the living Christ,
that in faith may we live each day
to his honour and glory. Amen

Lord’s Prayer
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. You will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, now and forever.
Amen

BLESSING

Go out into the world.
and in your words and in your lives
bear witness to the Christ who has ascended
to be everywhere present.
And as you come to know him,
may God give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation,
may Christ Jesus lift up his hands and bless you,
and may the Spirit open to you all the riches of Christ’s inheritance.
Amen

Crown him with many crowns