This Thursday, May 10, we celebrate the Ascension of the Lord. The Day of Ascension, the 40th Day of Easter, is God’s tremendous act of faith in us! Jesus, in leaving us, tells us that we are ready to be the Body of Christ, the church on earth.
Christ has no body now, but ours – we are to be his hands and feet, his heart and mind, his love at work in the world. The Day of Ascension draws us into a new season on our journeys of life and faith. We have not been abandoned. We have, perhaps, in that leaving, been given the gift of ourselves in new, deeper and more lasting ways.
I read a new book last week, Leaving. Leaving is the long-awaited sequel to The Tree That Survived the Winter, by Mary Fahy. As the young tree in this new story makes her unique journey through the difficult transition of her first autumn, her tree-friend Faithful journeys with her. The young tree discovers that the turn of seasons brings loss, yet also healing and growth, meaning and purpose, and ultimately, the mystery of new life. “Letting go is not a decision the young tree can make or put off. It is a quiet surrender to grace…….You must wait for the moment of grace,” Faithful tells her.
In Jesus’ “leaving,” the disciples, too, wait for the moment of grace- Pentecost, 50 days after Easter, when the gift of the Holy Spirit will be given, empowering them for ministry. The disciples, too, experience healing and growth, find meaning and purpose, and the joy of new life in Christ. In Jesus’ leaving, they were given the gift of themselves in new, deeper and more lasting ways.
Giving thanks for all the “leavings” of this life that lead to new beginnings, and for streams of mercy to carry us through.
Elizabeth
In recent weeks I’ve been blessed to visit with all my children and grandchildren. Traveling to Charlottesville, I visited my son and his family, and enjoyed play-time with my six year old granddaughter. All of her dollies came down with the flu, so she was busy caring for them, and was glad I was there to help. One dolly had a temperature of 986 (98.6) degrees! As they got better, she gave them juice to drink, and later took them for a stroller ride to the neighborhood playground, where they had a fun ride on the merry-go-round. We made a fort of sticks and sheets and they continued their recovery there. We walked to the pond and “our” favorite tree – a wonderful weeping willow, was just beginning to send out shoots of new growth – not enough for us to hide in just yet! The bedtime story when I’m there always has to be a story about “when daddy was a little boy,” and there are lots of stories to tell! Together we watched the movie “Coco.” The story follows a 12-year-old boy named Miguel who is accidentally transported to the land of the dead, where he seeks the help of his deceased musician great-great-grandfather to return him to his family among the living. Watching this film with generations of one’s family is very special! (Coco is the grandmother – that’s me, Grammy.)
Traveling south, I visited my two daughters and their families! I saw one grandson playing tennis and celebrating his 14th birthday, a granddaughter practicing with her diving team, and two grandsons playing soccer. The youngest even scored a goal in my honor! I saw very busy parents working to make all these things happen, seeing the children keep up with their studies, tending to keeping a house and making a home – all while working full-time at their jobs. I saw my oldest grandson with his wife and two month-old son, just starting out, with all of life ahead of them!
One daughter turned 41, and I’m weary even remembering how busy things were for me at that time in my life! I enjoyed sharing their lives for a few days, worshiping at their church, visiting with their in-laws and sharing the traditional family lunch around tables set for 23 people that day! We made a picture of four generations of our family – Grammy, her daughter, her daughter’s son, and his son (mother, daughter, grandson, great-grandson). That was a special moment! We enjoyed the movie “Beach House” about mothers and daughters and life coming full circle – that was a poignant moment.
At soon to be 70 year of age, this quote I read years ago speaks the words of my heart today: “I can't promise that I'll be here for the rest of your life, but I can promise that I'll love you for the rest of mine.” That I do!
Coming back to Jackson Springs, I counted my blessings along the way: a family of three children, six grandchildren and one great-grandchild to visit with, and a church family of friends and neighbors to come home to. As I continue to be thankful for these blessings, I give thanks, too, for those streams of mercy, never ceasing – ever calling for songs of loudest praise!
Elizabeth
“CROP Hunger Walks: Ending Hunger….One Step at A Time.” This year’s CROP Hunger Walk in the Sandhills was a few weeks ago, and the Jackson Springs Presbyterian Team participated. One of the men in our church, when asked if he was going go to participate, replied, “Yes, I’m going to walk with the family.” I smiled when I heard about that exchange, thankful that he understood that truly we are family, a community of faith.
In her book Searching for Shalom, Ann Weems includes this poem:
My Church Family
Faces and words and glimpses of souls . . .
one by one we come.
We are many, and then one.
Precious faces, tender words, sweet glimpses into souls . . .
Just being here among you is a joy!
Unending thank-yous rise within me
for these beloved ones within your Church, O God.
Blessed be their lives! Blessed be your Church!
“Too much of our time is spent in meetings where no meeting takes place….we arrive and leave as strangers,” says Weems. We in the church are busy with our committees and their agendas, our projects and plans, our worship and study, our fellowship and witness. In the midst of all the busy-ness of church life, let us remember that we are family, and nurture and care for one another.
Giving thanks for one who reminds us that we are family, for “faces and words and glimpses of souls…as one by one we come,” and for streams of mercy, never ceasing!
Elizabeth