The Ascension Of Our Lord
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series VI, Cycle C
Object:
COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS
Lesson 1: Acts 1:1-11 (C, RC, E)
Jesus was taken up into heaven and was soon obscured by clouds. I'm sure there are some of us who interpret this literally, and there are many of us who assume this was poetic imagery. It doesn't really matter. What does matter is that here we have Luke, continuing the reports of his Gospel. After repeating his introduction to Theophilus, Luke tells of the unforgettable hour in which Jesus took leave of his friends after assuring them that they would soon receive an empowering Spirit, and after also making it clear that their questions about the future were inappropriate and would not be answered. As Jesus passed from view, two white-clad figures appeared, urging the apostles to get back to work. In effect, we have a stage setting here. Jesus, having reassured his friends (and us) that we would receive help in life, goes on and leaves the way open for those who are called into his service to quit staring into space and to get down to the hard work of living and teaching the faith.
Lesson 2: Ephesians 1:15-23 (C, E); Ephesians 1:17-23 (RC)
Paul addresses his Ephesian friends with great affection. They have won this affection by their faith and their loving attitudes. Paul reminds them that the power which will henceforth work in them is the same power as God used in raising Jesus from death. Paul concludes this section by giving what amounts to a benediction, affirming Christ as Lord of the Church. For me, the most significant point to be made is the fact that Paul was praying for his people, asking God to give them the Spirit who will make them wise and give them mighty strength. Intercessory prayer. The New Testament doesn't directly address intercession, so much as it incidentally demonstrates it.
Gospel: Luke 24:44-53 (C); Luke 24:46-53 (RC); Luke 24:49-53 (E)
Jesus assures his disciples that the Scriptures of their former faith have been fulfilled. They rightly foresaw that Jesus must suffer and die, then be returned from death. He then instructs them to return to the city until such time as "the power from above" settles upon them. Following this, Jesus disappears and the disciples go into the temple to give thanks to God.
SERMON SUGGESTIONS
Title: "You Shall Receive Power"
Text: Acts 1:1-11
Theme: The two white-clad figures in this report, perhaps angels, perhaps people sent by God, urge the apostles to return to their mission, assured that "Jesus, who was taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way that you saw him go into heaven." The apostles then return to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives where this remarkable event has taken place. One senses that the two men dressed in white were not insensitive to the feelings of the apostles. But they did apparently understand that there is a kind of religion which turns away from the arena of life and loses itself in meditation and speculation. That's not Christianity. Ours is a working man's faith, a means of facing the worst as well as the best of life with courage, strength, and integrity.
1. We are to live life with honor. That is the key requirement to this Christian faith.We are to exemplify all the highest qualities of humankind in the way we treat each other and in the way we treat others outside our faith. Jesus effectively substituted a twofold commandment for the myriad of little rules known to his hearers. We are to love God, and we are to love each other.
2. By living life with honor we can find happiness. There is no other way. Assuming a distinction between pleasure and happiness, one may derive a certain short term pleasure as a result of dishonesty, or misrepresentation. It doesn't last. What we eventually discover is that God is the source of real happiness and God withholds that gift from those who betray the values of his Son. That doesn't mean we have to be perfect. We all make mistakes, fall short, sometimes make a mess of things. As long as God sees that we're sincerely trying, I believe that He wills joy in our lives.
3. By living life happily with honor, we pass the habit to our children. Those of us who have done a lot of counseling have observed that almost everyone turns out like one or both parents. Exceptions may be dysfunctional families in which counseling has enabled change. But most of us end up saying, "I sound like my dad," or "I sound just like Mother." I am convinced that a child growing up in a home where Christian values are extolled and practiced, will unfailingly become the same kind of person. Each person develops a unique personality, true. But values are learned quite early, are based more on observation than on moral preachments, and become the basis of a person's hope for the future.
Title: "Our Mighty Strength"
Text: Ephesians 1:19, 20
Theme: What a remarkable statement: "How very great is his power at work in us who believe. This power working in us is the same as the mighty strength which he used when he raised Christ from death ..." That's some promise. It's also some sermon theme.
1. My small powers are increased by God. If we believe in God, we become able to do many things, works of great moment and value, if we choose to do so.
2. Paul's use of the word "believe" means more than intellectual conviction. I think he meant something here akin to faith, to actual commitment on our part. It implies that we do something with this power which is not mere selfish striving. It implies a worthy undertaking.
3. This implies integrity. The minute I begin to compromise my ethical values for personal gain at the expense of someone else, I lose this strength. The minute I lose sight of the responsibility to serve the needs and interests of others as well as myself, I lose this strength. But when I devote myself to worthy endeavors, and when I stand for the best I know, and when I strive not only for my own welfare and success I discover amazing capacities within myself.
Title: "The Reason Christ Died"
Text: Luke 24:44-47
Theme: This passage reports the final appearance of Jesus, and his summary of the purpose of his death: that everyone in God's creation, beginning with the Jews, but including all, would learn that through repentance we can be forgiven for all sins. The implication here is that through repentance and forgiveness, we can be saved from destruction.
1. Repentance. This means more than being sorry. Our daily newspapers often report the tearful expressions of regret by criminals while on trial for vicious crimes. However, one suspects that the regretful miscreant is mainly sorry for having been caught. It's good business to be sorry in court. Sometimes the judge buys it and is lenient. But true repentance is profoundly deep, involving more than regret. Repentance begins by accepting responsibility. Its regret is accompanied by a determination to put things right as much as possible. The regretful little boy apologizes for breaking the neighbor's window. The repentant little boy apologizes, admits responsibility, then insists on paying for the damage. Repentance also means a firm determination not to repeat the offense. Of course we do repeat our sinful acts. I do. In spite of everything, I catch myself doing or saying something which last month I vowed I would never do again. But still, my determination slowly makes me better. At least, if my intentions to be better are sincere, I improve, and God can see that. If my motivation is the highest one of all, love for others, then God is surely pleased.
2. Forgiveness. This works two ways. Jesus taught us in the Lord's Prayer to pray "forgive us our debts (trespasses) as we forgive our debtors (those who trespass against us)." So we know that to receive God's forgiveness, really receive it, transforms us, slowly but surely in most cases, into people who forgive others as they hurt us. Of course we're human, imperfect. Like Paul, we do that which we would not do, and we do not do that which we would do, but still if our intent is sincere, we grow and change. God accepts us on those terms. In the end our sins will not be held against us. We will be accepted as though we were perfect.
3. Salvation. This word, while not appearing in the text, is the sum of the previous two parts. But it's a word which means somewhat different things to different people. Mainline Protestants shy away from this word as being a bit too preachy. "Have you been saved, brother?" is a kind of humorous punch line in some frivolous circles. Yet if the word has lost meaning, the meaning is central to human existence. To be saved means that God is happy with us and will continue to bless our lives. Of course it means much more. Release from destructive temptations which damage and even ruin us. That's salvation. The purging of hatred and destructive anger, that's salvation. Deepened love relationships with those people who are important to us, that's salvation. Discovery of the power of prayer, and of the sheer joy of doing something fine for another person with no thought of reward. That's salvation. Confidence in the face of threat, illness, and death. That's salvation. Life after death. That's salvation.
ADDITIONAL ILLUSTRATIONS
A lady called the SPCA to report that there was a skunk in her basement. The expert suggested that she place bread crumbs on the basement steps and out the door. Then when the skunk was outside, she could close the door. The lady thanked the expert and did as suggested. An hour later, she called back and the expert asked if the skunk was gone. "No," she said. "Now I have two skunks in my basement." (re: How, when we give in to a small temptation, we often find it easier the next time.)
____________
Maurice Nicoll spoke of "the inner revelation of knowing."
Ortega y Gasset once remarked that "life is fired at us point blank."
Socrates said, "Wonder is the feeling of a philosopher, and philosophy begins with wonder."
Socrates said, "No god is a philosopher or seeker after wisdom for he is wise already. Neither do the ignorant seek after wisdom; for herein is the evil of ignorance, that he who is neither good nor wise is nevertheless satisfied with himself."
"Man never can say definitely and consistently what it is that he really wishes (nor can he) determine with certainty what would make him truly happy; because to do so he would have to be omniscient."
-- Immanuel Kant
____________
Norman Vincent Peale told about a parishioner, a prominent citizen, who came to his study and begged for help. It seems he was beset by anxiety attacks and didn't want to consult a psychologist for fear word would get out about his problem. The clergyman counseled him as best he could and the man left. A few days later, however, he returned and said the problem had become terribly severe. This time the pastor told the man to take off his wristwatch and get on his knees. The man, somewhat skeptically, did as instructed. He was then told to pray for two minutes that God would take away his anxiety. The man, a bit reluctantly, did as instructed. When the two minutes had elapsed, he started to get off his knees, but his clergyman ordered him to remain where he was and to pray for two minutes, thanking God for taking away his anxiety. "How do I know He took it away?" the man asked. "Because you asked Him to," the pastor replied.
The man left and the pastor didn't see him again for several years. But one day, this well-known preacher and author addressed a large group of businessmen. When he was done, the man he had counseled so many years before came to him and thanked him for helping him overcome his anxiety problems. "Are you still doing what I asked you to do?" the pastor asked. "Yes," the man replied. "Except now I spend half a minute asking God to take away my anxiety and three and a half minutes thanking God for doing so."
____________
Victor Frankl, founder of Logotherapy based on life's meaning, wrote in one of his books that there is no hope for mental health so long as a person has the attitude of "What can I get out of life?" Mental health, he wrote, occurs when a person begins to ask: "What do I owe to life? What does it expect of me?"
____________
Randall Cunningham, benched as quarterback by the Philadelphia Eagles, dropped out of pro football. "I was burned out," he recently said in a national television interview. "I didn't want to play football again." He spent the 1997 season away from the game. Then he was picked up as backup quarterback by the Minnesota Vikings. Asked how he was able to accept this role, he said, "I knew who I was. That year out helped me to know that. I accepted my new role." But Cunningham was then activated as starting quarterback and, as of this writing, is now ranked as number one quarterback in the NFL. Asked how he felt about that, he said, "God's grace has been poured down on me. I am humbled by that. I am ready to do whatever I'm asked now because God helped me finally know who I am."
____________
What humbles me to the dust, and
Bows my soul down with awe and adoration,
Is that the mighty God in whose hands
Is all power in heaven and earth, Who might, if he were less great,
By overwhelming will
Break down my will,
Comes, rather, to my heart's door, and
Stops there to knock.
-- Thanks to J. W. Hamilton
____________
Ann Landers received this letter from a reader: "Dear Ann Landers. I've been meaning to say thank you for eight years. Now I'm going to do it.
"I had a situation at work that was making me miserable. I'd wake up in the middle of the night perspiring, and hating the people who had caused the problem. I had developed a rotten cold that I couldn't get rid of for months. Then, in March 1990, I read a Gem Of The Day in your column. It said: 'Hanging on to resentment is letting someone you despised set up housekeeping in your head.'
"That did it. Whenever I would become angry, I would recite that gem to myself. Within a week, my cold disappeared. Thanks a million. (sgd) Grateful in D.C."
____________
Clarence Charest was a tennis player, a successful one. But one day he went hunting with friends. A terrible accident occurred, his right arm was shattered and had to be amputated. There went his tennis career. Or at least, that's what everyone thought. But Clarence Charest, though right-handed, began to learn to play tennis with his left hand. He had prayed about his dilemma and decided to relearn tennis. One day Charest entered the tournament of The National Veteran's Tennis Association. He won the national championship -- three times in the next five years. There's what personal courage coupled with strong faith in God can accomplish.
____________
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 47 -- "Clap Your hands all you people." or
Psalm 110 -- "The Lord says to my Lord...."
Prayer Of The Day
Arm me with courage to see myself as you see me, O God. Sustain me in honest self-appraisal, that I may yet stand up to the demands of the righteous life and be found worthy at the end. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Lesson 1: Acts 1:1-11 (C, RC, E)
Jesus was taken up into heaven and was soon obscured by clouds. I'm sure there are some of us who interpret this literally, and there are many of us who assume this was poetic imagery. It doesn't really matter. What does matter is that here we have Luke, continuing the reports of his Gospel. After repeating his introduction to Theophilus, Luke tells of the unforgettable hour in which Jesus took leave of his friends after assuring them that they would soon receive an empowering Spirit, and after also making it clear that their questions about the future were inappropriate and would not be answered. As Jesus passed from view, two white-clad figures appeared, urging the apostles to get back to work. In effect, we have a stage setting here. Jesus, having reassured his friends (and us) that we would receive help in life, goes on and leaves the way open for those who are called into his service to quit staring into space and to get down to the hard work of living and teaching the faith.
Lesson 2: Ephesians 1:15-23 (C, E); Ephesians 1:17-23 (RC)
Paul addresses his Ephesian friends with great affection. They have won this affection by their faith and their loving attitudes. Paul reminds them that the power which will henceforth work in them is the same power as God used in raising Jesus from death. Paul concludes this section by giving what amounts to a benediction, affirming Christ as Lord of the Church. For me, the most significant point to be made is the fact that Paul was praying for his people, asking God to give them the Spirit who will make them wise and give them mighty strength. Intercessory prayer. The New Testament doesn't directly address intercession, so much as it incidentally demonstrates it.
Gospel: Luke 24:44-53 (C); Luke 24:46-53 (RC); Luke 24:49-53 (E)
Jesus assures his disciples that the Scriptures of their former faith have been fulfilled. They rightly foresaw that Jesus must suffer and die, then be returned from death. He then instructs them to return to the city until such time as "the power from above" settles upon them. Following this, Jesus disappears and the disciples go into the temple to give thanks to God.
SERMON SUGGESTIONS
Title: "You Shall Receive Power"
Text: Acts 1:1-11
Theme: The two white-clad figures in this report, perhaps angels, perhaps people sent by God, urge the apostles to return to their mission, assured that "Jesus, who was taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way that you saw him go into heaven." The apostles then return to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives where this remarkable event has taken place. One senses that the two men dressed in white were not insensitive to the feelings of the apostles. But they did apparently understand that there is a kind of religion which turns away from the arena of life and loses itself in meditation and speculation. That's not Christianity. Ours is a working man's faith, a means of facing the worst as well as the best of life with courage, strength, and integrity.
1. We are to live life with honor. That is the key requirement to this Christian faith.We are to exemplify all the highest qualities of humankind in the way we treat each other and in the way we treat others outside our faith. Jesus effectively substituted a twofold commandment for the myriad of little rules known to his hearers. We are to love God, and we are to love each other.
2. By living life with honor we can find happiness. There is no other way. Assuming a distinction between pleasure and happiness, one may derive a certain short term pleasure as a result of dishonesty, or misrepresentation. It doesn't last. What we eventually discover is that God is the source of real happiness and God withholds that gift from those who betray the values of his Son. That doesn't mean we have to be perfect. We all make mistakes, fall short, sometimes make a mess of things. As long as God sees that we're sincerely trying, I believe that He wills joy in our lives.
3. By living life happily with honor, we pass the habit to our children. Those of us who have done a lot of counseling have observed that almost everyone turns out like one or both parents. Exceptions may be dysfunctional families in which counseling has enabled change. But most of us end up saying, "I sound like my dad," or "I sound just like Mother." I am convinced that a child growing up in a home where Christian values are extolled and practiced, will unfailingly become the same kind of person. Each person develops a unique personality, true. But values are learned quite early, are based more on observation than on moral preachments, and become the basis of a person's hope for the future.
Title: "Our Mighty Strength"
Text: Ephesians 1:19, 20
Theme: What a remarkable statement: "How very great is his power at work in us who believe. This power working in us is the same as the mighty strength which he used when he raised Christ from death ..." That's some promise. It's also some sermon theme.
1. My small powers are increased by God. If we believe in God, we become able to do many things, works of great moment and value, if we choose to do so.
2. Paul's use of the word "believe" means more than intellectual conviction. I think he meant something here akin to faith, to actual commitment on our part. It implies that we do something with this power which is not mere selfish striving. It implies a worthy undertaking.
3. This implies integrity. The minute I begin to compromise my ethical values for personal gain at the expense of someone else, I lose this strength. The minute I lose sight of the responsibility to serve the needs and interests of others as well as myself, I lose this strength. But when I devote myself to worthy endeavors, and when I stand for the best I know, and when I strive not only for my own welfare and success I discover amazing capacities within myself.
Title: "The Reason Christ Died"
Text: Luke 24:44-47
Theme: This passage reports the final appearance of Jesus, and his summary of the purpose of his death: that everyone in God's creation, beginning with the Jews, but including all, would learn that through repentance we can be forgiven for all sins. The implication here is that through repentance and forgiveness, we can be saved from destruction.
1. Repentance. This means more than being sorry. Our daily newspapers often report the tearful expressions of regret by criminals while on trial for vicious crimes. However, one suspects that the regretful miscreant is mainly sorry for having been caught. It's good business to be sorry in court. Sometimes the judge buys it and is lenient. But true repentance is profoundly deep, involving more than regret. Repentance begins by accepting responsibility. Its regret is accompanied by a determination to put things right as much as possible. The regretful little boy apologizes for breaking the neighbor's window. The repentant little boy apologizes, admits responsibility, then insists on paying for the damage. Repentance also means a firm determination not to repeat the offense. Of course we do repeat our sinful acts. I do. In spite of everything, I catch myself doing or saying something which last month I vowed I would never do again. But still, my determination slowly makes me better. At least, if my intentions to be better are sincere, I improve, and God can see that. If my motivation is the highest one of all, love for others, then God is surely pleased.
2. Forgiveness. This works two ways. Jesus taught us in the Lord's Prayer to pray "forgive us our debts (trespasses) as we forgive our debtors (those who trespass against us)." So we know that to receive God's forgiveness, really receive it, transforms us, slowly but surely in most cases, into people who forgive others as they hurt us. Of course we're human, imperfect. Like Paul, we do that which we would not do, and we do not do that which we would do, but still if our intent is sincere, we grow and change. God accepts us on those terms. In the end our sins will not be held against us. We will be accepted as though we were perfect.
3. Salvation. This word, while not appearing in the text, is the sum of the previous two parts. But it's a word which means somewhat different things to different people. Mainline Protestants shy away from this word as being a bit too preachy. "Have you been saved, brother?" is a kind of humorous punch line in some frivolous circles. Yet if the word has lost meaning, the meaning is central to human existence. To be saved means that God is happy with us and will continue to bless our lives. Of course it means much more. Release from destructive temptations which damage and even ruin us. That's salvation. The purging of hatred and destructive anger, that's salvation. Deepened love relationships with those people who are important to us, that's salvation. Discovery of the power of prayer, and of the sheer joy of doing something fine for another person with no thought of reward. That's salvation. Confidence in the face of threat, illness, and death. That's salvation. Life after death. That's salvation.
ADDITIONAL ILLUSTRATIONS
A lady called the SPCA to report that there was a skunk in her basement. The expert suggested that she place bread crumbs on the basement steps and out the door. Then when the skunk was outside, she could close the door. The lady thanked the expert and did as suggested. An hour later, she called back and the expert asked if the skunk was gone. "No," she said. "Now I have two skunks in my basement." (re: How, when we give in to a small temptation, we often find it easier the next time.)
____________
Maurice Nicoll spoke of "the inner revelation of knowing."
Ortega y Gasset once remarked that "life is fired at us point blank."
Socrates said, "Wonder is the feeling of a philosopher, and philosophy begins with wonder."
Socrates said, "No god is a philosopher or seeker after wisdom for he is wise already. Neither do the ignorant seek after wisdom; for herein is the evil of ignorance, that he who is neither good nor wise is nevertheless satisfied with himself."
"Man never can say definitely and consistently what it is that he really wishes (nor can he) determine with certainty what would make him truly happy; because to do so he would have to be omniscient."
-- Immanuel Kant
____________
Norman Vincent Peale told about a parishioner, a prominent citizen, who came to his study and begged for help. It seems he was beset by anxiety attacks and didn't want to consult a psychologist for fear word would get out about his problem. The clergyman counseled him as best he could and the man left. A few days later, however, he returned and said the problem had become terribly severe. This time the pastor told the man to take off his wristwatch and get on his knees. The man, somewhat skeptically, did as instructed. He was then told to pray for two minutes that God would take away his anxiety. The man, a bit reluctantly, did as instructed. When the two minutes had elapsed, he started to get off his knees, but his clergyman ordered him to remain where he was and to pray for two minutes, thanking God for taking away his anxiety. "How do I know He took it away?" the man asked. "Because you asked Him to," the pastor replied.
The man left and the pastor didn't see him again for several years. But one day, this well-known preacher and author addressed a large group of businessmen. When he was done, the man he had counseled so many years before came to him and thanked him for helping him overcome his anxiety problems. "Are you still doing what I asked you to do?" the pastor asked. "Yes," the man replied. "Except now I spend half a minute asking God to take away my anxiety and three and a half minutes thanking God for doing so."
____________
Victor Frankl, founder of Logotherapy based on life's meaning, wrote in one of his books that there is no hope for mental health so long as a person has the attitude of "What can I get out of life?" Mental health, he wrote, occurs when a person begins to ask: "What do I owe to life? What does it expect of me?"
____________
Randall Cunningham, benched as quarterback by the Philadelphia Eagles, dropped out of pro football. "I was burned out," he recently said in a national television interview. "I didn't want to play football again." He spent the 1997 season away from the game. Then he was picked up as backup quarterback by the Minnesota Vikings. Asked how he was able to accept this role, he said, "I knew who I was. That year out helped me to know that. I accepted my new role." But Cunningham was then activated as starting quarterback and, as of this writing, is now ranked as number one quarterback in the NFL. Asked how he felt about that, he said, "God's grace has been poured down on me. I am humbled by that. I am ready to do whatever I'm asked now because God helped me finally know who I am."
____________
What humbles me to the dust, and
Bows my soul down with awe and adoration,
Is that the mighty God in whose hands
Is all power in heaven and earth, Who might, if he were less great,
By overwhelming will
Break down my will,
Comes, rather, to my heart's door, and
Stops there to knock.
-- Thanks to J. W. Hamilton
____________
Ann Landers received this letter from a reader: "Dear Ann Landers. I've been meaning to say thank you for eight years. Now I'm going to do it.
"I had a situation at work that was making me miserable. I'd wake up in the middle of the night perspiring, and hating the people who had caused the problem. I had developed a rotten cold that I couldn't get rid of for months. Then, in March 1990, I read a Gem Of The Day in your column. It said: 'Hanging on to resentment is letting someone you despised set up housekeeping in your head.'
"That did it. Whenever I would become angry, I would recite that gem to myself. Within a week, my cold disappeared. Thanks a million. (sgd) Grateful in D.C."
____________
Clarence Charest was a tennis player, a successful one. But one day he went hunting with friends. A terrible accident occurred, his right arm was shattered and had to be amputated. There went his tennis career. Or at least, that's what everyone thought. But Clarence Charest, though right-handed, began to learn to play tennis with his left hand. He had prayed about his dilemma and decided to relearn tennis. One day Charest entered the tournament of The National Veteran's Tennis Association. He won the national championship -- three times in the next five years. There's what personal courage coupled with strong faith in God can accomplish.
____________
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 47 -- "Clap Your hands all you people." or
Psalm 110 -- "The Lord says to my Lord...."
Prayer Of The Day
Arm me with courage to see myself as you see me, O God. Sustain me in honest self-appraisal, that I may yet stand up to the demands of the righteous life and be found worthy at the end. In Jesus' name. Amen.
