Welcome to Wondering Wednesday. You are encouraged to use this as personal devotion and reflection. After that, you are welcome to hop on the church Facebook page or Instagram page and wonder with others.
Are you ready to celebrate Ascension Day? Guessing not. And that is ok. But let’s prepare a bit for this lesser known Christian holiday. The feast of the Ascension is observed on the 40th day after Easter (this year May 18th), always falling on Thursday. The story of Jesus ascending to heaven is mentioned briefly in Luke 24:50–51 and more completely in Acts 1:6–11.
Some scholars believe that the earliest commemorations of the Ascension were tied to the celebration of Easter or Pentecost. Today, the Ascension is not a major celebration in many Protestant churches, though some churches hold special Ascension Day services. Ascension Day is a legal holiday in parts of Europe, and businesses are closed.
Ponder this week: – what do you know about Ascension? – spend a few moments looking up images of the Ascension. Which are your favorite, why? Which are your least favorite, why?
Pray…Be with us, O Spirit, and form us as witnesses to the love of God in Christ. Grace our hands, eyes, ears, mouths, and even our noses with your power so that we experience and share your love with anyone who seeks to know it. Amen
