Ascension
by Wes Morgan  

It is also the day when Jesus didn't go away, but came closer to us than
ever before.  Since his ascension Christ can't be restricted either to earth
or to heaven.  Louis Evely, in his book That Man Is You reminds us that,
"For our own greater good, He went away visibly so we could find Him present
invisibly anytime, anywhere."  

In the Ascension the Jesus event comes full-cycle.  Here we have not only
the story of God taking on flesh and coming among us -- in this world but
not of it -- fully human, fully one of us -- we also have the story of that
human one taking our nature with him back to God -- being there -- being
everywhere.

It is the completion of the story, but it is not the end of the story.  As a
matter of fact it is the beginning of the rest of the story.  Now it is the
story of the Body of Christ taking on a new form and becoming the living,
breathing body of faith.  A body that has only one task - the telling and
the re-telling of the story of the mighty acts of God in Jesus.  This is our
mission, in the words of Jesus " when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you
will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere -- in Jerusalem,
throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1.8)

We tell the story not only in what we say - we also tell the story in what
we do!  So, in the end, we also become the story of God's love.  Just as
Jesus became the love of God in human form - so we, also, become the love of
God now translated through us.

As we think and pray about being and becoming a new translation of God's
love may God's Holy Spirit lead and teach us.  Amen!

(Comments to Wes at wes77@cebridge.net)
Pastor
First Christian (Disciples)
Conroe, TX
www.fccconroe.org