June 2, 2025
Good afternoon,
I do not get Ascension Day. It was celebrated last Thursday in the conservative Mennonite churches. After the service, in the afternoon the men and boys go fishing. This is not why I do not get the Ascension of Jesus. The Catholic Church and the more liturgical churches also have a worship service for it. The reason I have trouble with it is because why did Jesus have to go back to heaven without us ? I thought salvation had arrived in the resurrection of Jesus. I guess it did not or not in a way I understand .
The four Gospels are about Jesus’ life told in four different ways. There is mystery all over in the stories of Mary, Joseph, Zechariah , Elizabeth, Anna and Simeon. I am fine with mystery. The Gospel stories seem to be leading up to a story of redemption. It gets sidetracked with the death of Jesus, but then the Resurrection arrives after three days of death. But… but…. Jesus leaves to go back to heaven. He says he is returning, but has not yet come back, or we missed it. The Gospels were written after all of these events including the Ascension, so the writers have to deal with this. They do it by talking about Jesus’ return and he has not left yet !
Paul says in First Corinthians 15 that ” death has been swallowed up “, but people are still dying . I do not get the delay, and I do not think I am being impatient. Two thousand years is a long time. Jesus destroyed death, so why didn’t the world end, when he rose out of the tomb ? Why did he stay around for forty days, and then leave ? Why did God not redeem the world at that moment in time ? Then I, and you, would not be born or have to die. So many questions.
As many of you have told me, I ask a lot of questions of myself and my faith. It keeps me engaged with myself and with my faith. Without it where would I be ? I would rather struggle with doubt and questions rather than be apathetic about God.
GAZA. Amen.
Fred
black and white shadows
crush humanity’s freedom
am I complicit ?
MPL 2025
Ponder Anew 