On this Ascension Sunday, Retired Pastor David Nelson asked us to consider whether Jesus being carried up into Heaven is a classic case of “Abandonment” or an illustration of “God with Us” through hope and promise.
In the Gospel reading of Luke 24 , Jesus tells his disciples that after he rises from the dead, repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name…”I am sending upon you what my Father promised”. Our faith holds an assurance that Jesus has not abandoned us. He is incarnate. He is present in the bread and wine, in the forests and the sunsets, in the gentle kiss of a granddaughter.
Jesus tasked his disciples with spreading God’s message of grace, through forgiveness and love. We, too, are expected to reach out to others. And as we do, we feel the powerful presence of “God with Us”.
Listen to the Gospel reading and sermon by clicking on the link below.