Immanuel Lutheran Church Sioux City

Immanuel Lutheran Church
Sioux City, Iowa
"Christ, In,With and Through Us!"
Services: Saturday 5:30 p.m. Sunday 10:30 a.m.

Ascension Day (21 May 2009)

Forty days after Easter we celebrate the ascension of our Lord to heaven. (As recorded in Luke 24: 50-53; also the longer ending of Mark (16:19). Because of the ascension record in Acts 1:6-11, we usually connect the words of Jesus in Matthew 28:16-20 with this event , as well)

     We easily focus on the visual in this event- what was amazing to the disciples and even stranger to us in a scientific age - Jesus physical movement into the sky. But behind this gesture of our Lord is the truth that his visual, physical presence has been removed from us so that a spiritual replacement might come to us all - the Holy Spirit- through which he will be with us always . The gift of his constant presence for his followers was promised by Jesus to his followers in ths Scriptures (Matthew 28:19-20, Luke 24:49, Acts 1:4).

     Ascension appears to be a sad moment. But the diciples returned home rejoicing. Christ had returned triumphant to his heavenly Father, who obviously accepted his victorious Son back at his right hand of power, where he now reigns in glory for us.

       Once Ascension was among the most important festivals of the church. But like the other weekday festival, Epiphany, the Ascension is now often neglected, even in liturgical churches. As late as the middle ages, a procession - sometimes to a nearby hill - or a pilgrimage to a special place was a regular tradition on this day.

Images and Words for Ascension Day

Ascension: The word simply means "a rising up" and should remind us of the movement in worship of persons ascending to the altar as to the presence of God.

"I am the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last": These are words of our Lord from the end of the book of Revelation(22:12-13), where he adds, " I am coming soon" Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet.

The Paschal Candle: may be extinguished on this day to signify that Jesus visible presence is withdrawn from us.

The Lion and the Dragon are often used as symbols of the triumphant Christ in his power in heaven and the devil. who is battling for the souls of humankind here on earth.

White is the liturgical color for Ascension Day.

"Grace Happens Here"

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