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May 26, 2022

Jacky’s Thought & Prayer for the Day

Today is Ascension Day, when we remember Jesus’s departure from the earth, as witnessed by his disciples.

Luke’s gospel tells us, (24:50-51) “…he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.” In the first chapter of Acts we read,” … he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.”

As a child in England, I attended a Church of England primary school, and I have vague memories of Ascension Day being a day off from lessons, when we would walk two by two to attend a service at our parish church. I have no recollection whatsoever of whether the service was child friendly (I suspect it was not, since services in those days were always of the adult variety), but I was left with a clear image of Jesus in a white robe flying up to heaven to meet God his Father, who was the old man with a grey beard, in a grey robe. I hope my concept of the Ascension has matured a little since then!
 
The Jewish people believed in a three-part cosmos, as described in Genesis, in which the heavens were above, the Earth (centered on Jerusalem) was in the middle, and Sheol, the underworld, was below. Heaven was separated from the earth by the firmament. This was seen to be a bowl-shaped roof over the earth, giving the visible sky where God’s palace sat on pillars in the celestial sea. Not surprisingly, Luke’s account of the Ascension reflects the beliefs of his age.

Untitled batik by P. Solomon Raj. 

For the Jews, the idea of Ascent was not new. In the Old Testament, Enoch, at the age of 365, was “taken away” while he was still alive. Hebrews 11: 5 tells us, “It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying.” Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven. Moses went up the mountain to meet God. Psalms 120-134 are given the title Psalms of Ascent, to be sung when going up to worship. The whole idea of going up may be equated with transcendence, or a “going beyond” the grasp of human experience, rather than a physical place.
 
Of course, we now know that the earth is not the only planet in the universe, and that space is infinite. For me, the Ascension almost certainly does not mean that Jesus floated off into outer space. Thinking of it literally could be problematic, and even embarrassing, for many twenty-first century Christians. Perhaps we might instead think of Jesus transcending the earth, so that he now exists permanently in both God’s space and humanity’s space at the same time, uniting heaven and earth once and for all. When we pray “Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven” we are acknowledging this connection.

Now I no longer hang on to my childish image. I can accept Jesus’s Ascension as one of the mysteries of faith. I don’t need to know exactly how it happened, only that it happened, and that Jesus is alive both on earth and in heaven.
 
Ascension Day is also the first day for the Thy Kingdom Come global prayer initiative. See how to collect the TKC booklets and/or consider dropping by one of the prayer rooms on Zoom.
 
PRAYER  (From Forward Movement’s Hour by Hour):

Almighty God, whose blessed Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ, ascended far above all heavens that he might fill all things. Mercifully give us faith to perceive that, according to his promise, he abides with his church on earth, even to the end of the ages; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting.
Amen

Filed Under: Together Apart Written by allsaintswhitby

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The Kingdom Come

The Kingdom Come

Thursday May 26th - 8:00am - Thursday May 26th - 9:00pm+10Friday May 27th - 8:00am - Friday May 27th - 9:00pmSaturday May 28th - 8:00am - Saturday May 28th - 9:00pmSunday May 29th - 8:00am - Sunday May 29th - 9:00pmMonday May 30th - 8:00am - Monday May 30th - 9:00pmTuesday May 31st - 8:00am - Tuesday May 31st - 9:00pmWednesday June 1st - 8:00am - Wednesday June 1st - 9:00pmThursday June 2nd - 8:00am - Thursday June 2nd - 9:00pmFriday June 3rd - 8:00am - Friday June 3rd - 9:00pmSaturday June 4th - 8:00am - Saturday June 4th - 9:00pmSunday June 5th - 8:00am - Sunday June 5th - 9:00pm

“Thy Kingdom Come” is a 10-day commitment to pray for others to come to know or be reacquainted with Jesus. For these 10 days, we will be offering four online prayer rooms a day – at 8am, 12pm, 5pm and 9pm where you can join with others in a short communal prayer to pray for those who you know. A prayer journal and Novena on 1 Peter is also available to pick up to help you prayer through these days.

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Book, Bake and Plant Sale

Book, Bake and Plant Sale

Saturday May 28th - 8:30am - Saturday May 28th - 12:30pm

All Saints', Whitby300 Dundas St. WestWhitby, ONL1N 2M5 Map

Come out and browse through a selection of books, buy some home baking and search for the perfect plants for your gardens. We have expert volunteers on site to help you with your gardening questions!

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Church Open Program

Church Open Program

Tuesday May 31st - 12:00am - Tuesday May 31st - 1:00pm+4Tuesday June 7th - 12:00am - Tuesday June 7th - 1:00pmTuesday June 14th - 12:00am - Tuesday June 14th - 1:00pmTuesday June 21st - 12:00am - Tuesday June 21st - 1:00pmTuesday June 28th - 12:00am - Tuesday June 28th - 1:00pm

All Saints', Whitby300 Dundas St. WestWhitby, ONL1N 2M5 Map

All Saints’ will open its worship space on Tuesdays from 12 – 1 PM to members of the congregation and the wider community who seek a time of peace, quiet and contemplation. Those entering the building will be required to wear a mask and provide one of the volunteers on duty with contact tracing information as called for by local public health authorities.

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Mapping The Ground we Stand On

Mapping The Ground we Stand On

Sunday June 12th - 1:00pm - Sunday June 12th - 4:00pm

All Saints', Whitby300 Dundas St. WestWhitby, ONL1N 2M5 Map

In 2015, as part of its commitment to support the findings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, PWRDF developed the interactive “education for reconciliation” resource Mapping the Ground We Stand On. Using animation, videos, full and small group talking opportunities and more, this workshop, also known as the Mapping Exercise, invites participants to explore Indigenous presence on the map of Turtle Island/Canada, the history of Settler arrival, and their relationship to one another. It also offers an opportunity for learning and reflection on the concepts of Terra Nullius (empty land), the Doctrine of Discovery and Indigenous knowledge, enabling individuals and groups to imagine how both personal and collective journeys toward a just, respectful and healing relationship might look.

Find out more here: pwrdf.org/mapping-exercise/

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All Saints' Anglican Church
300 Dundas Street West
Whitby, Ontario
L1N 2M5
Canada

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Regular Sunday Services

8:00 a.m.
Quiet and Contemplative
Communion Service

9:30 a.m.
Shorter Contemporary Seeker-Oriented
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Classic Anglican Communion Service
with Choral Music (also joinable by Zoom)

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Tel: (905) 668-5101
allsaintswhitby@nullbellnet.ca

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