May 17, 2020, Music, Readings, Prayers and illustrations
Rogation takes place in the springtime, when there is a renewing of the earth. In our country, it follows Easter, the season of resurrection, usually on the Sixth Sunday in Eastertide. Renewal and resurrection therefore are also underlying themes of this occasion.
The Week Ahead…
May 17 – 7:00pm – Join here at 6:30pm for gathering – service starts at 7pm
May 17 – 11:15am – National Cathedral church service online
Catch their daily podcast during the Easter Season
May 20 – 10:00am – Ecumenical Bible Study through Zoom
May 21 – 7:00pm – The Ascension – Join here at 6:30pm for the 7:00pm service.
The Ascension day sermon is posted here
“Tonight we wait in our own upper rooms.
Jesus knows us each by name. Jesus chose each one of us to be here, in this group of his disciples. Jesus has blessed us by putting us here together to wait.
This year the upper room and the waiting resonate deeply because of the situation in which we find ourselves. Waiting—waiting not only for the pandemic to end, but also waiting to see how we, the disciples, will be changed, how the church will be changed, and how the Holy Spirit will pour into and empower us for whatever is ahead. ”
May 24 – 10:00am – Join here at 9:30am for gathering – service starts at 10am Meeting ID 834 7356 6532 Password 748475
May 24 – 11:15am – National Cathedral church service online
May 24 – Ascension Sunday
Hometown Hero Chris Fisher
From the Free Lance-tar, May 17, 2020. By Rob Hedelt
Like many people who hang onto a nugget of advice from a wise, older relative, Chris Fisher says something his grandfather told him years ago shapes how he lives.
The 44-year-old ICU nurse and scoutmaster said his grandfather advised him to chip in and help in the community as much as he could for as long as he could. The older man knew that one day, Fisher might need help from someone else.
“I really do believe that service and volunteerism is an important part of character,” he said. “And I’ve tried to do what he recommended.”
Fisher lives that credo. He works long shifts treating COVID-19 patients at Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center and provides volunteer care for fellow church members. He also instructs advance members of his Boy Scout troop in Tappahannock—something he does virtually these days. For all the ways he helps other, Fisher has been declared a Hometown Hero.
Ascension, May 21, 2020
In the coming days the Church celebrates two great festivals: Ascension and Pentecost
– The Ascension : with the farewell speech.
– Pentecost : return of Jesus to the Father with the promise of the Holy Spirit as our advocate.
and the laying on of the apostles’ hands.
God is present in his Church, by the Holy Spirit, even after Jesus’ return to the Father. The Christian community will then be God’s presence in the world where God comes to meet us. In and through the community of disciples, God’s saving action in the world takes place.
Biblical scholar Ronald Coleman wanted to be clear on Ascension -"We do not, as a matter of fact, believe that Jesus ended his earthly ministry with the equivalent of a rocket launch, rising a few hundred miles above the earth. Nor do we think Jesus was the first to be “beamed up,” to use the term made so familiar by the television series Star Trek."
The New Testament treats the Ascension as an integral part of the Easter event.
It is the final appearance Jesus’ physical and resurrected presence on earth. It is the final component of the paschal mystery, which consists also of Jesus’ Passion, Crucifixion, Death, Burial, Descent Among the Dead, and Resurrection.
Along with the resurrection, the ascension functioned as a proof of Jesus’ claim that he was the Messiah. The Ascension is also the event whereby humanity was taken into heaven. There is a promise he will come again.
So when is it ? The Ascension in Luke 24 is on Easter Sunday evening or, at the latest, the next day; in John 20, sometime between the appearance to Mary Magdalene (who is told not to touch the risen One because he has not yet ascended) and the appearance to Thomas (who is invited to touch him); in Acts 1, after the forty days (which, however, are symbolic of the time of revelation; there may be no intention to suggest that the ascension actually “occurred” on the fortieth day). We celebrate Ascension on the 40th day, this year Thursday May 30 or the closest Sunday, June 2.
The main scriptural references to the Ascension are Mark:16:19, Luke:24:51, and Acts:1:2 and vvs. 8-10. Luke 24 says "While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven". In Acts " he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen." Jesus commissions his followers, rather than simply blessing them; and we have an appearance from two men in white robes.
Mount Olivet, near Bethany, is designated as the place where Christ left the earth. The feast falls on Thursday, May 25 and it is one of the most solemn in the calendar, ranking with the feasts of the Passion, Easter and Pentecost.
In disappearing from their view "He was raised up and a cloud received Him out of their sight" (Acts 1:9), and entering into glory He dwells with the Father in the honur and power denoted by the scripture phrase."
In a way, Jesus’ abandonment of the disciples upon the Mount of Olives is more profound than their abandonment on Calvary. After all, the disciples themselves predicted he would die. But no one could have imagined the Resurrection and the extraordinary forty days during which Jesus dwelled again with his friends. Forty days with the resurrected Jesus – appearing in the upper room, along the way to Emmaus, upon the beach at Galilee! Imagine their despair when this, the Jesus present to them in such an astonishing way, enters the Cloud on the Mount of Olives.
Ascension as the beginning of the Church’s mission
The Ascension is the beginning of the church’s mission.
1. It is powered by the Spirit
2. It is a call to be witnesses
3. It is worldwide is scope
The Ascension holds the promise of Christ’s return.
The Purpose of the Ascension:
A. For Man’s Redemption
B. For Jesus to be our Advocate
C. So The Spirit Could Come
D. To Prepare a place for Us
Since May 2016, The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the people of Thy Kingdom Come have been bringing the world together in prayer. St Peter’s has been part of this international prayer initiative for several years. In the gospel according to Luke, before Jesus ascended, he told the disciples to go to back to Jerusalem and await the coming of the Holy Spirit. They did as he asked, spent ten days absorbed in prayer as they waited, and the Holy Spirit came upon them at Pentecost. Through these prayerful disciples, the Holy Spirit brought the Church to birth. Following the example of these disciples, we can spend time in intentional prayer during these ten days, praying for people around the world to be filled with the Spirit and to come to know Jesus more fully.
How can you participate ? 4 Ways to start:
1. Prayers from Ascension to Pentecost
The nine days from Ascension Day to the Eve of Pentecost are the original novena–nine days of prayer.
Before he ascended, Jesus ordered the disciples not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there to be baptized by the Holy Spirit. After his Ascension, they returned to the upper room in Jerusalem where they devoted themselves to prayer. These last days of the Great Fifty Days of Easter can be a time for us to prepare for the celebration of Pentecost.
2. Listen to Tom Wright’s podcast (below and less than 5 minutes each day) or here
3. Pray for 5 people
Download the card. This card will easily fit inside your wallet, purse or book. Choose five people you would regularly like to pray for and write their names down onto a list. If you’re not sure who to pray for, ask God to guide you as you choose. Once you have settled on 5 names, commit to praying for them regularly. Use this card as a daily reminder to pray for them.
4. Go deeper with a Prayer Journal
Each day there is a passage from the Bible, a short reflection, a prayer, and a suggestion for action. There is also space each day for your own notes. Did a phrase jump out at you? Did God bring something to your mind as you prayed that day? When you tried to take action, how did it go? Make a note so that you can remember what God has been saying to you through your reading, your prayers, and your action
Thy Kingdom Come resource – a Daily Podcast from N. T. Wright
Listen to the Bishop Tom Wright’s podcast over the next 11 days (May 21-May 31) from Ascension to Pentecost. Wright is a both a prominent theologian and author. He was the Bishop of Durham from 2003 to 2010. He then became Research Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at St Mary’s College in the University of St Andrews in Scotland until 2019, when he became a senior research fellow at Oxford University. He has written over 70 books but has specialized in Paul.
In a 2003 interview, he said that he could never remember a time when he was not aware of the presence and love of God and recalled an occasion when he was four or five when “sitting by myself at Morpeth and being completely overcome, coming to tears, by the fact that God loved me so much he died for me.”
Here is the complete collection.
The podcast on Day 1 is all about the roots of evangelism which emphasizes “bringing God’s promise of Comfort into life where it matters most – in the heart mind and file not the least the grieving.. to anyone who will listen.”
Thy Kingdom Come for Kids – Madison’s Prayer Box
In this video, Madison, 8 years old, makes a prayer box. “A lot of people are going to need some prayers because this coronavirus is a really bad virus,” says Madison. Follow along with this process video to learn how to create a prayer box from supplies you can find in your home.
Ascension Art: trying to make it visual.."
The Ascension has always been a challenge to understand through the scriptures. Artists have played a role in giving us a visual depiction of the event. They have been doing this for over a 1000 years. 
Read more about Ascension art with a collection of 17 works …
Our own Ascension art – St. George’s Ascension window
These are earliest windows produced for the church in 1885 and dedicated to Rev. Edward McGuire who served as rector her for 45 years from 1813-1858 and was the rector when the current Church was built in 1849. It was produced in Germany but we do not know the maker. There are three panels increasing the drama and focus. The window is the front of the church directly in front of parishioners.
The Ascension took place 40 days after the Resurrection when Jesus led the disciples to the Mount of Olives. He raised his hands, blessed them and then was lifted up until a cloud took him out of their sight. This is shown in the middle window. He is shown, arms raised, disappearing into a cloud with his feet and the hem of his clothes visible. His feet still show scars of the crucifixion.
Continue with the article and a photo gallery …
Lectionary, May 24, Easter 7
I.Theme – The Ascension and its implications for the church
"The Ascension" – Catherine Andrews
The lectionary readings are here or individually:
Old Testament – Acts 1:6-14
Psalm – Psalm 68:1-10, 33-36
Epistle –1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11
Gospel – John 17:1-11
The New Testament treats the Ascension as an integral part of the Easter event. It is the final appearance Jesus’ physical and resurrected presence on earth.
The Ascension is the final component of the paschal mystery, which consists also of Jesus’ Passion, Crucifixion, Death, Burial, Descent Among the Dead, and Resurrection. Along with the resurrection, the ascension functioned as a proof of Jesus’ claim that he was the Messiah. The Ascension is also the event whereby humanity was taken into heaven.
The Ascension is the beginning of the church’s mission more so than Pentecost:
1. It is powered by the Spirit
2. It is a call to be witnesses
3. It is worldwide is scope
The Ascension holds the promise of Christ’s return
The Ascension also effectively connects the story of Jesus with the story of the church .
The early church recognized the significance of the Ascension. It is found in every major creed. For example, the Apostles’ Creed states: “On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.”
The risen Jesus now sits in a position of authority ("the Father’s right hand"). With Jesus at the Father’s right hand, we can never think of God in the same way again, that is, apart from Jesus.
Ascension is all about direction.
1. Looking upwards
Where is heaven ? When the early church confessed that Jesus had ascended into heaven, the emphasis was not so much on a place – the emphasis was on God’s immediate presence. The church was confessing that Jesus had entered into the divine glory – that the risen Jesus now dwelt in the immediate presence of God. This may explain the meaning of the phrase, "a cloud took him out of their sight" (Acts 1:9). Oftentimes in scripture, a cloud represents the shekinah glory of God, the sign of God’s presence (cf. Exo. 33:7-11; Mark 9:7).
2. Heading downwards
Apostles are grouped together in Jerusalem awaiting their next step. "Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away. When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying…l these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer
3. Setting outwards.
This is an opportunity to reflect on the mission imperative of the church, the dangers of the church looking inward and the strength we gain from a Jesus now in the heavens who equips us for service
An Alternate Take – "The Ascension Never Actually Happened – Ascension is Always Happening"
From a sermon from Pastor Dawn Hutchings. Full sermon
Dawn cites the story of Larry Walters who in 1982 ascended to a height of 16,000 in a lawn chair lifted by over 40 helium balloons. He intended to come down by shooting out the balloons with a bb gun. However, he dropped the gun. By luck, he shot out enough balloons to get him down though he wandered into a commercial airline path and almost ran into some power lines. That’s a true story but she cited a movie in Australia base on Larry’s story – Danny Deckchair which is not true.
"The movie’s hero, Danny, is a bored labourer who drives a cement mixer. Danny is an unlikely Christ figure whose story is similar to Larry’s. Danny ascends from his backyard in Sydney during a barbecue and lands less than gracefully in a small town in the Australian outback. By this act of departure and arrival everything changes not only for Danny, but also for those he left behind and those he meets in the outback. Danny’s unique departure inspires those at home to take risks of their own: to live life more boldly, to act on their dreams, to become all they can be.
"In acting out his dream, Danny finds new confidence and becomes the source of inspiration and affirmation for the townsfolk in the outback who used to see themselves as backwater hicks, but now see the importance of their actions in the life of their town. Everyone is transformed by Danny’s ascension. New Life and love accompany his resurrection.
"With that said, let me just say, that the Ascension never actually happened. It is not an historical event. If a tourist with a video camera had been there in Bethany they would have recorded absolutely nothing – but it’s always happening.
"The Ascension story is about the joy the disciples felt about the ongoing ever so real presence of Jesus after his death. The God they saw in Jesus they found in themselves. In Jesus’ departure they discovered that they could love as wastefully as he did. They could live abundantly as Jesus did. They could heal and reconcile just as Jesus did. With Jesus pointing the way they had found God and while Jesus was gone, the God that Jesus pointed to was everywhere, even in them.
"May these realizations live and breath and have their being in you. May you know the joy of seeing Jesus point the way, the joy of finding God, may you know the God Christ points to who is everywhere, even in you. May you love as extravagantly as Jesus loved. May you live as abundantly as Jesus lived. May you be Christ’s Body here and now, in this place in this time!
Make a Gift Today! 2. Contact the Rev Catherine Hicks, Rector 4. Server Schedule May, 2020 5. Latest Newsletter-the Parish Post (May , 2020) 6. Calendar 9. Music, Readings, Prayers and illustrations, May 17, 2020 10. Latest Sunday Bulletin (May 24, 2020 10:00am), and Sermon (May 17, 2020) 11. Recent Services: Photos from Easter 3, April 26, 2020 Photos from Easter 4, May 3, 2020 |
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Saints of the Week, – May 17 – May 24, 2020
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William Hobart Hare, Bishop, 1909 Thurgood Marshall, Public Servant, 1993 |
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Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury, 988 |
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Alcuin of York, Deacon & Abbot, 804 |
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[Lydia of Thyatira], Coworker of the Apostle Paul John Eliot, Missionary among the Algonquin, 1690 |
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[Helena of Constantinople], Protector of the Holy Places, 330 |
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Nicolaus Copernicus, 1543, and Johannes Kepler, 1543, Astronomers |
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Jackson Kemper, Bishop & Missionary,1870 |