For my hymn, Eternal Lord, Who Calmed the Waves (to the tune
MELITA), for use in online/at home worship, please see below at
https://lectionarypoems.blogspot.com/2020/03/bonus-poem-hymn-for-onlineat-home.html
Vie de Jesus MAFA: The Ascension
Luke 24:44–53
From Stressing to Blessing
Luke's first book ends with the ascension;
Without much fanfare, his attention
Not focused high, is on the promise:
"He said that there would come upon us
The power on high that's from the Father
That we might tell the news much farther
From here in town than we'd imagined!"
So thus, when what we now know, happened,
They had his words in their back pockets,
Until they'd come out from the closet
When they had dealt with all their stressing
By worshiping the God of blessings.
Scott L. Barton
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.” Then he opened their
minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, “Thus it is written,
that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and
that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all
nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And see,
I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until
you have been clothed with power from on high.”
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. And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem
with great joy; and they were continually in the temple blessing God.
+ + +
Acts 1:6–14
(A page from J. S. Bach's Mass in B minor with the line, ascendit
in coelum.)
Ascendit in Coelum
They must have thought that they had failed
When, strung up on the cross and nailed,
He died, with all he'd giv'n, undone,
The end of all their joy now come.
But then, they briefly knew him there!
In upper room and beach, despair
Dissolved! How could it be, I ask,
That Love returned, with death unmasked
As powerless his end to make?
I know not how, nor could they take
This joy for granted, for he soon
Rose out of sight, while they, marooned,
Stood open-mouthed at such a turn,
Hopes dashed again, until they yearned
For his return; Now, more than twelve,
This fam'ly with their fears dissolved,
Are gathered, back in upper room,
This birthplace of the church, this womb,
Where soon, in eating, prayer and hymn,
By Spirit, they'll be born again.
Scott L. Barton
So when [the apostles] had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is
this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” He replied, “It is
not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own
authority. 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.” When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted
up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were
gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They
said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus,
who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you
saw him go into heaven.”
Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called
Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away. When they had
entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying,
Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and
Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.
All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain
women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.
No comments:
Post a Comment