On May 21st we celebrated Ascension Sunday, the occasion when Jesus physically leaves the earth for good and ascended into the heavens. Earlier in the season we focused upon Matthew’s telling of the final words and encounter with Jesus and this week will hear from Luke in Acts 1:6-11. After resurrecting from the now empty tomb, Jesus had been preparing his disciples one final time for the ministry that awaits them, and us still. 

Jesus speaks cryptically of not leaving us alone in serving as church. We will pay particular attention to Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ 

Jesus’ faithful ones need not wait long, as next Sunday we will celebrate Pentecost, the day when the gift of the Holy Spirit descends upon all who believe.

This gift is a pillar of who we are as the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and this core verse underscores our denominational mission statement, “to be and to share the Good News of Jesus Christ, witnessing, loving and serving from our doorsteps to the ends of the earth.”

In our act of worship, we will also tend to deep understanding of our vision as a denomination, “to be a faithful, growing church, that demonstrates true community, deep Christian spirituality and a passion for justice.”