Essentially Ascension

My inner seven-year-old always giggles a bit when seeing two dangling feet in church iconography – usually in a church dedicated to the Feast of the Ascension. It is a bit humorous to depict this momentous occasion with just Jesus’s feet, seemingly detached from the rest of his body, as he ascended into heaven.  And while it would have been the last part of him that was visible from the ground, the symbols look like someone is waiting to play “This little piggy” on wiggly toes rather than bidding a final farewell to our Lord and Savior.
Perhaps the most neglected feast of the Church calendar – partially because it always is on a Thursday – the Ascension is a critical moment in church history, but difficult to get excited about. Jesus in his earthly form (whatever that was post-Resurrection) leaves his disciples and they really wish he wouldn’t.  If it were up to them, they would have held onto him like static cling and made a Jacob’s Ladder all the way to the right hand of the Father. This is true for many of us as well.  We would rather deal with the known than the unknown, clinging to it with all our might even if it does not help us.
In the 40 days between Jesus’s death and Ascension, Jesus explains to his disciples again that all the events that took place were as he predicted and there was still more to come, which would be even better.  I’m not sure they believed him. Even moments before his departure, they ask, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?”  (Acts 1:6) They still wanted Jesus to overthrow those in power in a battle royale, reclaiming Jerusalem for the Israelites. The disciples did not comprehend the spiritual liberation Jesus’s death accomplished, partially because they were still dealing with a dangerous political situation.  Having Jesus leave them at that point meant they would have to face their worst fear without their leader – or so they thought.
I think part of the reason that Ascension Day is so neglected is that it is seen as just a weigh-station on the way to Pentecost. Even the disciples didn’t know how to celebrate it.  They just return to Jerusalem to wait, not even certain for what.
This feast does deserve more than being an afterthought.  It is the moment Jesus TRUSTS that his disciples are ready for their ministry, even if they themselves don’t want to believe they are ready.  And even though they don’t want to, the disciples do LET GO.  They, in their own way, TRUST Jesus that all will be well, just not in the way they would prefer.  And while it takes them awhile (10 days to be exact) to live into their new reality, they do get there because of their (somewhat imperfect) faith.
Do we trust God enough to let go of things in our lives?  Those hurts and pains that niggle at us – things we have done or have been done to us? They are familiar to us and help support our world view – but are they really helping us?  Perhaps the Day of the Ascension is the opportunity we need to let them go – to trust that God is in the midst of the situation, and even if it is not resolved in the way we want, we need to believe that God is healing us in the best possible way in order for us to move forward.
So perhaps that funny picture with those two little feet can become a focal point for a meditation of trusting that God’s got our backs and letting go of whatever is holding us back in life. And if we don’t believe we’re being held back, it is also a chance to ask God what next step we can take to be closer to following God’s will in our lives.
With Easter Joy,

Rev. Valerie+

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