Collect
O God the King of glory, you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven: we beseech you, leave us not comfortless, but send your Holy Spirit to strengthen us and exalt us to the place where our Saviour Christ is gone before, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
or
Risen, ascended Lord, as we rejoice at your triumph, fill your Church on earth with power and compassion, that all who are estranged by sin may find forgiveness and know your peace, to the glory of God the Father.
Post Communion
Eternal God, giver of love and power, your Son Jesus Christ has sent us into all the world to preach the gospel of his kingdom: confirm us in this mission, and help us to live the good news we proclaim; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Readings
Acts – 1.15–17, 21–26
In those days Peter stood up among the believers (together the crowd numbered about one hundred and twenty people) and said, ‘Friends, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit through David foretold concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus – for he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.’
So one of the men who have accompanied us throughout the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us – one of these must become a witness with us to his resurrection.’ So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. Then they prayed and said, ‘Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.’ And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.
Psalm 1
1 Blessed are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked, ♦
nor lingered in the way of sinners, nor sat in the assembly of the scornful.
2 Their delight is in the law of the Lord ♦
and they meditate on his law day and night.
3 Like a tree planted by streams of water bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither, ♦
whatever they do, it shall prosper.
4 As for the wicked, it is not so with them;
they are like chaff which the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked shall not be able to stand in the judgement, ♦
nor the sinner in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, ♦
but the way of the wicked shall perish.
Epistle – 1 John 5.9–13
If we receive human testimony, the testimony of God is greater; for this is the testimony of God that he has testified to his Son. Those who believe in the Son of God have the testimony in their hearts. Those who do not believe in God have made him a liar by not believing in the testimony that God has given concerning his Son. And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
Gospel – John 17.6–19
‘I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.
Sermon
What do you think of Ascension Day? Is it a red letter day on your calendar? It is a pink on mine, because the day has particular memory from quite a while ago. – When Bishop Michael Perham first came to the diocese, there was a deanery celebration at Ozleworth. The people who owned the big house and the attached church there had invited the ministers of the deanery to supper after Bishop Michael’s celebration of the deanery’s Ascension Eucharist. So it is a good memory of a feast in a local church.
I wonder whether you have any memories like that. I think that is the sort of tale which becomes the basis for a tradition in our lives. It is a shame that the deanery did not continue its communal celebration of the Ascension. Who knows? – it may have been the basis of a collective memory and tradition in the area which might have spurred more engagement with the church in the deanery. Ozzleworth might have become another Walsingham perhaps?
Such gatherings do have their place in the life of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. At such events we share our lives in an atmosphere which is encouraging and conducive to positive development. A place where everyone is engaged in true improvement. The Church has always been where people have gathered to share their deepest experiences, for no one threatens where the love of Christ appears. When we truly love one another there is connection and support – there is no chance that harm could arise. This is true safe-guarding, where the love of God is shared between equals.
Sadly, it seems that more and more there is isolation and loneliness just when a network of help and fellowship is required. Sitting at my computer reading online blogs is not the same thing as sitting with a friend over a biscuit and tea speaking about matters of life and death while looking each other in the eye. The truth with love as Paul says is what we encounter with our friends in person. Our time of coffee after worship is one of the most important events in the Church’s life – when we accompany each other in true fellowship. It is the start of our life-long journey on that very labyrinthine road of love.
The way we travel with one another is so very important to all of us, for we become crucial in the each other’s lives. I may be able to talk with someone over coffee about some trouble they might have and ease their burden – just as they could do the same for me. This boundless friendship we have through Christ is how we bring people along – in love. We foster their lives, encouraging and promoting the best for them, don’t we?
We start in friendship, what can be called true love or that Christian concept of agape. Whatever we call it, we envelope the other in good intentions and beneficial actions, we do something for them without any thought of reward.
Jesus said in his prayer of farewell, “While I was with them, I protected them in your name.” I think we should be able to say this about ourselves. Don’t you? We are all involved with other people, aren’t we? We all take care of our children and parents. That is something we take for granted, isn’t it? Don’t we care for our friends as well? We would do anything for family and friends, wouldn’t we? Isn’t this the sort of thing Jesus is talking about? I protect my family and friends without any hesitation. Whatever they ask, I will try to give them.
Even in my working life, I have always tried to treat my colleagues and customers as friends. I am happy to be of service to them. Whatever they ask, I endeavour to do it for them. Doing something for a friend is never a burden, is it? We have all helped our friends out from time to time, haven’t we? We don’t expect any payment or reward. We do it because we have a real affection for that person, because we feel there is no cost for our efforts on their behalf.
I know there are people who would drop everything and come to my aid, if I asked. They are my friends. Friends have no expectations, but only offer themselves to those whom they befriend. I have spoken of Cicero’s essay On Friendship before. It is a very interesting read, if you have the time.
What would you do for your friends? Do these words of Jesus echo in your ears – “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Would you do that for your loved ones – let alone your friends?
Even if we cannot make that ultimate sacrifice, we do want to “serve and protect” like the police in all those cop-dramas we watch, don’t we? Well, I think we do. We want to keep our loved ones safe. Our christian love embraces everyone, so I am sure we work to keep the world a better place, despite the failings of society at large.
“While I was with them, I protected them in your name.” This statement which Jesus made must describe all of us in some way at one time or another. We all want to protect others for the sake of something greater than ourselves. When we are here, in Church, we ascribe all our actions to God. When we are outside these four walls, I think we would say something like “for the greater good”. I think we do want to be selfless, ultimately. We don’t want that “selfish gene” to define ourselves, do we? I am sure we want that altruistic reality of our selfless selves to be recognised in all we do – to be the defining mark of our lives, even if it is only for our loved one.
However, I have said it before, if we love one person purely, we will love everyone somehow. We cannot stop at only one person – that would be obsession, wouldn’t it? And we all know where obsession leads. Love opens us up to everyone; we care for all when we have that true love the Church espouses. We all say that we love, don’t we? We all aspire to love in its purity, I am sure.
The greatest hope we have, is that we do care for other people. That care is a protecting concern for everyone. The other person becomes our focus and we see that by fostering the other we ensure safety for everyone. I know that my watching out for others will be reciprocated. Everyone joins in a universal neighbourhood watch. That, I think, is the ideal of love, that there is a web of care for everyone else, and no one is left out. Even the misanthropic hermit has his, or her, share of love, in spite of their irascibility. Everyone embraced by that warmth of love and the world is transformed into a home where life is enjoyed in all its fullness. We just have to realise that life in an innocent, faithful love.