A United Methodist Pastor's Theological Reflections

"But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory (nikos) through our Lord Jesus Christ." - I Corinthians 15:57


Monday, May 17, 2021

Sermon (May 16/Ascension Sunday) by Rev. Robert McDowell



     Today’s Acts scripture reading on this Ascension Sunday offers us a three dimensional perspective for our faith. It reminds us that we are called to have a faith that looks upward, that looks downward, and a faith that also looks outward.

    Let’s first focus on what it means to have a faith that looks upward. Ascension Sunday is when we remember that it was on the 40th day following Jesus’ resurrection that as Jesus was with his disciples, he was mysteriously lifted up into the sky and eventually out of their sight.

     Jesus was lifted up. And then we are told that as he was being lifted up, the disciples were gazing up toward heaven, watching this incredible sight. With their heads upward, two men in white robes, supposedly messengers from God mysteriously appeared on the scene and said to them, “This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

     What do we make of a story like this? 

     This is a great example of remembering that the biblical writers were very creative and gifted in how they described mysterious and holy events like this one. When we say that the biblical writers were inspired by God to write scripture, it’s important to remember that God allowed the biblical writers to use their literature and storytelling skills in describing events that are really indescribable. 

      If we read this story of Jesus’ ascension and all we get out of it is that Jesus took an invisible hot air balloon up into the sky, we will totally miss what this author of Acts is wanting us to take away from this scene. Depicting Jesus as being lifted from earth into the sky is a very creative way of giving us a mental picture that on this fortieth day following his resurrection, it was now time for Jesus to ascend to his heavenly throne. It’s the same language that we use when a king on earth ascends to his royal throne. It’s about assuming authority and rule.

     And so, when we think of this ascension of Jesus story, our pondering should be less about questions related to the defiance of gravity and more focused on the question, “What does it mean that the Risen Christ is now ascending to his throne to rule as the true King over all creation?”

     It’s this second question that the scripture writer wants us to give our utmost focus. The Risen Christ is ascending to his heavenly throne to rule over all creation and what does that mean for us?”

     So with this background in mind, I have no problem whatsoever with the disciples gazing toward heaven as Jesus was leaving them. As long as we remember that looking upward isn’t about “how did he do that?” and more of, “Jesus truly is the King of kings.”

Faith Dimension #1 - Looking Upward

     I began by saying that this scripture of Jesus’ ascension offers us a three dimensional perspective of our faith. This first dimension is pointing out the importance that we remember to look upward from time to time. When we look upward and remember that the Risen Christ is ascended upon his heavenly throne and offering his loving and gracious rule over all creation, it gives us hope as we face the challenges and injustices of this world. 

     Ascension Day reminds us that it’s not all up to us. We have a Risen King! We have a gracious King! We have a victorious King!

     When the world gets crazy as it often does, this scripture reminds us to look upward and see Jesus seated as the King of kings!

     When you are facing what seems to be an impossible challenge in your life or what feels like an impossible decision to make, look upward and see Jesus seated as the King of kings!

     When you listen to the news and feel so helpless with so much suffering and injustice in the world, look upward and see Jesus seated as the King of kings.

     When you feel that you have been misunderstood and treated unfairly, look upward and see Jesus seated as the King of kings. 

     Ascension Sunday is such an important day on the church calendar because sometimes we forget that Jesus is the one who is enthroned and who rules over all. And not only is there a King, who as the scriptures inform us is above all and in all, this King is also the one who has promised to come again and establish his kingdom here on earth forever and ever. Looking upward is what gives us that larger perspective that as the song says, “he’s got the whole world in his hands.”

Faith Dimension #2 - Looking Downward

     If looking upward is the first dimension of our faith from our ascension scripture reading, the second dimension of our faith is by looking downward. Why would we want to look downward? 

     In the next verse, verse 12, which isn’t part of our Acts reading this morning, we are told that after Jesus’ ascension, they went to a room where they were staying in Jerusalem. We are told that it was an upper room which is where we get the name of the United Methodist devotional pamphlet. The Upper Room. And in verse 14, it says that it was there that the disciples devoted themselves to prayer along with certain women.

     Many times when we are invited to pray, we bow our heads. If looking upward to Jesus sitting on his heavenly throne is what reminds us that Jesus is the King of kings over all creation, it’s when we look downward in prayer that we can have a conversation with this King of kings. Prayer is where we enter into a sacred space with the King. It’s how we listen. It’s how we share what’s on our hearts and minds. It’s what we do when we offer ourselves in worship.

     One of the spiritual exercises that has really helped in my faith formation over the years is in the regular discipline of writing down my prayers. I have found that writing is a very therapeutic way of expressing what is deepest in our hearts and minds.

     Often time, it’s during this process of writing out my prayers, that I am able to to get at the heart of what is most troubling me. It gives me the needed time and space to reflect on what I am feeling in any given moment. Sometimes, it reveals where I am feeling week, anxious, and broken. And I can just give all of that to God and be filled anew with his mercy and love.

     Writing out my prayers also helps me to go beyond my immediate concerns because it slows me down to where I am more open to other needs around me, needs that I would have probably not thought about without that time of reflection. This has led me to pray regularly for family members, for the people of our congregation, for our church’s ministries, as well as churches and church leaders beyond Athens First. 

     I now look at my prayer time during the early morning hour as my therapy time with God. It helps me to process all that happened the day before so that I can begin the new day. So where is your Upper Room located? What helps you to look downward and pray to the King of kings and the Lord of lords? 

       Faith Dimension #3 - Looking Outward

     Our three dimensional faith includes looking upward and remembering that the Risen Christ is enthroned in heaven as the King of kings. We look downward and find daily renewal through prayer, and the third dimension of our faith is that we are invited to look outward in sharing our faith and serving others.

      Just before Jesus ascended into heaven, he told his disciples that they are to be his witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judaea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. In other words, Jesus was handing the baton to them. It was now their turn to be his witnesses. 

     Mike was my Trustees chairperson at a church I was serving. He was great at getting things repaired or knowing who to call to get things fixed. Mike was highly analytical and didn’t often show his emotions in church.

     So I was kind of surprised when Mike signed up to attend a weekend-long faith sharing seminar that we were sponsoring at our church. The seminar began on Friday evening and lasted through Sunday afternoon.

     At the closing of the seminar on Sunday afternoon, the leader invited anyone to share what they learned by attending the faith sharing seminar. And immediately, Mike stood up and with great enthusiasm he exclaimed, “I’d like to share something!”

     I couldn’t believe that this was Mike who was volunteering to share so eagerly. And he could hardly contain himself as he told us that this seminar gave him the confidence to invite someone he had just met the day before at a nearby restaurant to attend worship with him and his wife the next morning.

     And then Mike said that this young man enjoyed our worship service and meeting new people and told Mike that he wanted to come back next Sunday. I had never seen Mike this happy and this willing to show and share his emotions. 

     Not only did this weekend seminar help Mike to look outward and share his faith with others, this young man that he had invited to attend church kept coming and ended up becoming part of our church family.

     The reason this story is on my mind this morning is because Mike recently called me here at the church to give me an update on how our mutual friend is doing. He said that he was soon going to move to be closer to his family and Mike thought it would mean a lot to him if I called him to say a prayer for him over the phone.

     So I called him and we had a great conversation. And he said to me what a difference Mike and his wife had made in his life over these past several years and how our church has meant so much to him. 

     And when I got off the phone, I just said a little prayer thanking God for sending Mike to that seminar that led him to invite this man to our church which ended up having a huge impact on his life. What a wonderful thing it is to share our faith with others and invite them to be part of our church family. What a blessing it is to be witnesses for Jesus. Mike was willing to look outward and share his faith with others.

     Ascension Sunday is day that reminds us to look upward and remember that Jesus is the King of kings. It’s a day that reminds us to also look downward and offer our daily prayers to this King of kings. And it’s a day that reminds us to look outward and share our faith with others.

     Happy Ascension Sunday!


A Three Dimensional Faith

Sermon Discussion Questions
Acts 1:1-11
May 16, 2021

Ascension Sunday occurs on the 40th day following Easter Sunday and focuses on when Jesus ascended to heaven. Our Acts scripture reading for this Sunday tells us that  Jesus was lifted up and a cloud took him out of their sight. This is a creative way that the author is showing that Jesus is “ascending” to his heavenly throne. In other words, we shouldn’t be focused on how Jesus was able to defy the laws of gravity but instead focus on what it means that the Risen Christ has ascended to rule as the true King over all creation.

What are your thoughts about the creative ways that the biblical writers describe events like the ascension of Jesus? What biblical resources have helped you to interpret the Bible in a way that represents the author’s original intention? Commentaries? Sermons? Bible Studies? 

Since the Ascension of Jesus is more about the Risen Christ ascending to his heavenly throne than about how did Jesus defy the laws of gravity, this scripture reading invites us to think about our faith in three different dimensions. These three dimensions include the importance of 1) looking upward 2) looking downward and 3) looking outward.

Faith Dimension #1 - Looking Upward
Like the disciples, what helps you to look upward at Jesus ascending to his throne and remember that the Risen Christ truly is the King of kings and the Lord of lords?

Faith Dimension #2 - Looking Downward
Like the disciples who after the ascension of Jesus, went to the Upper Room to pray, what helps you to look downward in prayer to have a conversation with the Risen Christ who is the King of kings and the Lord of lords?

Faith Dimension #3 - Looking Outward
Like the disciples who following the Day of Pentecost and with the power of the Holy Spirit shared their faith with others, what helps you to look outward and share the good news of the Risen Christ who is the King of kings and the Lord of lords?

Which of these three dimensions of faith do you need to focus on the most now?

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