Devotion 

The Ascension

Frances Taylor 

Don't you sometimes wonder what was going through the minds of the apostles as they looked up to heaven watching Jesus disappear from their sight. Despite what Jesus had told them about the sending of an Advocate – the Holy Spirit – they must have felt abandoned. I know I would have. They had already suffered the loss of his presence once, and now they had no idea how long his absence would be. But it is interesting to think about the fact that Jesus ascension involves his physical body. It is a sign of what he had been teaching about the resurrection, that it is not just a resurrection of spirit but of the total person. How this will be, we can't begin to imagine. We read of a new heavens and a new earth in Revelations, but it is a concept so far beyond our experience that it is difficult to comprehend. However, the ascension of Jesus gives me hope and consolation. Hope that I will be reunited with those whom I have loved and lost, and consolation for the grief I have felt on losing them. I hope it does the same for you.

Prayer 

Gracious God, thank you for giving us this sign of your wonderful plans for us that extend so far beyond this life and time. Amen.