As we gather, we recognize that we live, work, pray, and play
in the traditional, unceded lands
of the Cowichan Tribes and Coast Salish People. 
We continue to commit ourselves
to the work of reconciliation and relationship-building
with our First Nations neighbours.     

 

Call to Worship:

 Go and make disciples of all nations,
says the Lord;
I am with you always,
        to the close of the age.      

Matthew 28. 19, 20
 

Gathering

Almighty God,
to you all hearts are open, all desires known,
and from you no secrets are hidden.
Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the
inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you,
and worthily magnify your holy name;
through Christ, our Lord. Amen. 

Collect for Today

Almighty God,
your Son Jesus Christ ascended to the throne of heaven
that he might rule over all things as Lord.
Keep the Church in the unity of the Spirit
and in the bond of his peace,  
and bring the whole of creation to worship at his feet,
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.  Amen. 

The Proclamation of the Gospel:

Luke 24. 44-53 

Sermon:  The Ven.  Brian Evans

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of
our hearts be ever acceptable to you, O Lord.  Amen.

       “ Climbing, Flying, Mounting, Rising, Scaling, Soaring "

Here we are, Ascension Day—40 days since Easter. 

I am sure for the disciples it was possibly the beginning of the longest week of their lives.

After all, from the Cross to the Resurrection it only took 3 days, or depending on the hours of observation, possibly less than 72 hours. 

At the same time, not as long as children wait for Christmas.

I think of putting up the Christmas tree on December 1^st –if you have little children who are captured by the tree and the lights and all of the decorations, and at the same time, they are waiting, waiting for another gift, the promised gifts of Christmas. 

Then what about Easter with all the chocolate temptations in the grocery store at least a month or more in advance? 

When it comes to the major festivals of the Christian year, it is easy to get into Christmas and Easter, even Pentecost.

We have special foods and gifts. At Pentecost we have that anticipation of our baptism being renewed. And that aspersion of the water of baptism.           

Not so much for Ascension. No special food and no simple decorations. Even some of the religious art for Ascension leaves one searching for more. (More about that later)           

It is Ascension Day.

Think about it for a moment. Some will describe this day inclusive of great fanfare, trumpets, and joy. I have yet to understand the aspect of joy for this day.

Yes, looking back a few years on and coming to an understanding of what this day is about, I am not sure the disciples with Jesus on the mountain were dancing and celebrating—but the Scriptures say they were filled with joy. After all, their friend had just disappeared. 

It is Ascension Day or is it today?

Well, as I earlier remarked, the Ascension of Jesus according to scripture is on the 40^th day after Easter. That means Ascension Day falls on a Thursday. And we can easily miss it if we leave it out of the calendar. 

And so, we might ask, why is it necessary for Jesus to leave? 

Possibly he gives us the answer in these words:

“Then Jesus said to them, ‘These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you--that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled." 

Today is the fulfilment of this command. 

On Ascension Day, I think of our friend Ted Eden. Ted would often ask, “Are we celebrating Ascension Day, Brian? In other words, as an alternate to the 7^th Sunday after Easter, will we be keeping Ascension Day?" 

Taking a clue from my senior colleague, I would say, “Yes.” 

My preferred daily devotion book comes from the people at Forward Movement, is a simple little book titled Day-by-Day.           

Although I am not fond of long quotes in Sermons, today I am motivated to succumb. 

This is taken from the writing by Rev. Neil Kumar Raman for Ascension Day 2025: 

He begins quoting these words: 

Luke 24:50-51. Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven.’ 

The writer then writes, ‘From our modern perspective, the Ascension is one of the weirder events in Christ’s life. On a surface level, it is kind of odd. Depictions of the event in art are even more bizarre, according to our friend, Neil.' 

He writes, ‘Some paintings and statues of the Ascension of our Lord are downright hilarious, showing only the feet of Jesus as he rises to heaven. 

But the very strangeness of this event can pull us out of our usual way of looking at the world and remind us that, in Jesus, everything has changed. 

At Christmas, we celebrate God joining us in our humanity. 

With the Ascension, (the writer says) God in Christ Jesus takes that humanity back to God.

Jesus does not return to where he came from on his own. God in Christ did not descend and take on our humanity simply to be with us—as extraordinarily world-altering as that act is—but to drag us back up with him into the very heart of God so that we might dwell there forever.           

That last sentence is the real heart of Ascension. 

Jesus takes us, in our humanity, back up to God—takes up what is really essential—our sins—so we may dwell with God forever.           

As that is the good news of the moment, there is Part Two.                        

In Part Two, in the scriptures, we read how the disciples were filled with joy.

Although my question is, are we filled with the same joy, knowing what is about to happen next, knowing about Pentecost?           

Just like a book, you don’t want to tell the reader what is next, or is about to happen next,

but next Sunday is Pentecost. As one of my Pentecostal pastor-friends said, “It is the birthday of every Christian!”           

This is when we take on the new life of Christ.           

There may not be a visit to grandma’s house on Ascension Day for a special meal.

There may not be special foods like turkey and Easter hams, and there may not be an Easter egg hunt in the back yard. But there is a reality to today. 

Today Jesus fulfills his final act on our behalf.

He gathers up all our sins and takes them into heaven for presentation to the Father in heaven--to God.           

The one who intercedes for us, who pleads our case to God.           

Yes, it is a great day -it is Ascension.           

A great day for his disciples.     

A great day for us. 

It is the day when we can celebrate all those exciting adjectives we began with:

Climbing, Flying, Mounting, Rising, Scaling, Soaring           

Possibly, one of the most watched, loved musicals of all time is ‘The Sound of Music’ and those wonderful lyrics given to Julie Andrews to perform for the world—possibly a great metaphor for us on Ascension Day: Climb Every Mountain

Climb every mountain, search high and low
Follow every by way, every path you know
Climb every mountain, fjord every stream
Follow every rainbow, till you find your dream

A dream that will need, all the love you can give
Every day of your life, for as long as you live
Climb every mountain,  fjord every stream
Follow every rainbow, till you find your dream

A dream that will need, all the love you can give
Every day of your life, for as long as you live
Climb every mountain, fjord every stream
Follow every rainbow, till you find your... dream... 

It is that finding that we are called to look for in our Christian life; that finding of our dream, of our place, with Christ, in the world. 

Along with that, I read this week, if you know any of the lyrics from The Sound of Music, don’t keep them to yourself.

If you have found that little bit of Christ to share with the world, don’t keep it to yourself. Share it openly and widely! 

So, the same applies to us in our Christian celebration of the Ascension. Scripture tells us the disciples returned with joy, and they were continually in the temple blessing God.           

As much as the movie challenged the world to climb every mountain, fjord every stream, follow every rainbow, as Christians are called to go out into the world rejoicing in the good news of Jesus Christ.

Thanks be to God. Amen. 

Let Us Pray

God of resurrection and new life,
we come before you in prayer for the church, the world and all who are in need.

Welcoming God,
you invite all people to come and encounter your love.
Give your church open hearts and minds to embrace all who seek your presence. Increase the capacity for cooperation between denominations and congregations.

Hear us, O God,
Your mercy is great.

Creating God, your might is seen in storms and in silence.
Where drought threatens, bring rain. Where waters flood, ease them back. Where fire, earthquake, hurricane, or tornado destroy, shelter your people and restore your land.

Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great. 

Discerning God, fill the hearts of leaders with your passion for justice and mercy.
Call the nations of this world to tables of peace and collaboration. Encourage governments to seek avenues of collective benefit and joy.

Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great. 

Abiding God, all people are held in your care.
Accompany survivors of abuse, trauma, and exploitation. Strengthen our resolve to listen and advocate on behalf of all who are unnoticed.
We continue to pray for Sheila, John and Geoff. Hear our prayers for those close to our hearts. 

Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great. 

Rejoicing God, be with this congregation as summer begins.
Keep travellers safe. Keep the vulnerable cool. Invigorate summer ministry efforts in our community, VBS, summer camps, daycares and support the well-being of children and young people.

Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great. 

Loving God, the beginning and the end, you are with us throughout our lives.
In gratitude for the saints who have died, we look forward to your coming again among us.

Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great. 

We commend these and all our prayers to you, O God, trusting that you are always with us; in the name of Jesus Christ, our risen Saviour.   Amen. 

As our Saviour taught us:
Our Father,
who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name,
Thy kingdom come;
thy will be done on earth as in heaven. 
Give us today our daily bread. 
Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive
those who trespass against us.
And lead us  not into temptation,
but deliver us fom evil.  
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power and the glory,
forever and ever.  Amen.

Eternal Giver of love and power,
your Son Jesus Christ, with the Ascension, tells us that he is going to give us another gift—a gift that we have to wait for in our liturgical cycle for 7 days.

May we be prepared for that gift that will be given to us and that we will be prepared to live and proclaim the Good News of the Risen Christ.

Amen.

Blessing: 

The peace of God,
which passes all understanding,
keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and
love of God, and of his son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

And the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be with you, and remain with you, always. 
Amen.