Dear Friends,
On the 17th May we are celebrating Ascension Day. It is regarded as one of the important festivals in the Church’s year, but I think it is probably the least observed. That is probably because we don’t really understand it.
On the 17th May we are celebrating Ascension Day. It is regarded as one of the important festivals in the Church’s year, but I think it is probably the least observed. That is probably because we don’t really understand it.
First of all it marks the end of the Easter Season. It rounds off the Easter Story by describing that Jesus returns to the Father in Heaven. His mission on earth has been accomplished. He has shown us as a human being what God is like so far as our finite minds can comprehend that.
In an age when they believed that heaven was literally above the earth, then it made sense to them to describe the event as Jesus ascending upwards into heaven
We use spatial terms still when we want to say that someone achieves something. We say of a child that he or she goes up to the next class.
We say of a person who has just heard about a promotion at work or has just got married that he or she is on cloud nine. We talk about someone being on a high
Secondly, the story of the Ascension reassures us that Jesus is Lord and that he reigns. Again this may seem a somewhat old fashioned way of speaking, but essentially what it means is that Jesus’ values hold sway or have sovereignty in the world.
We look up to Jesus – again a spatial metaphor. We find this way of speaking so descriptive. We try and emulate him or try to be like him because we believe that God’s love and as part of that, the way of sacrifice and service, is the most important way of living our lives. That is why the Feast of the Ascension is so important and why we ought to observe it.
With all good wishes,
Geoffrey
From the Parish Registers
Christenings
Henry Jack Harrison at Cookley - 1st April
Daisy Annabelle Baylet and Matthew Winsper at Cookley - 7th April
Charlie Adam Jones and Cassie Jayne Jones at Wolverley – 14th April
Ruby Emma Garrish at Cookley - 21st April
William Alfred Manning at Wolverley - 22nd April
Weddings
Sean Roberts and Lydia Rowles at Wolverley -13th April
Benjamin Green and Rebecca Cannon at Wolverley -21st April
David Garrish and Emma Green at Cookley -21st April
Funerals
Peter Fellows at Wolverley - 16th April
Joan Chadwick at Wyre Forest Crematorium -17th April
Tom Burkett at Wolverley - 24th April
John Fereday at Cookley -1st May
In an age when they believed that heaven was literally above the earth, then it made sense to them to describe the event as Jesus ascending upwards into heaven
We use spatial terms still when we want to say that someone achieves something. We say of a child that he or she goes up to the next class.
We say of a person who has just heard about a promotion at work or has just got married that he or she is on cloud nine. We talk about someone being on a high
Secondly, the story of the Ascension reassures us that Jesus is Lord and that he reigns. Again this may seem a somewhat old fashioned way of speaking, but essentially what it means is that Jesus’ values hold sway or have sovereignty in the world.
We look up to Jesus – again a spatial metaphor. We find this way of speaking so descriptive. We try and emulate him or try to be like him because we believe that God’s love and as part of that, the way of sacrifice and service, is the most important way of living our lives. That is why the Feast of the Ascension is so important and why we ought to observe it.
With all good wishes,
Geoffrey
From the Parish Registers
Christenings
Henry Jack Harrison at Cookley - 1st April
Daisy Annabelle Baylet and Matthew Winsper at Cookley - 7th April
Charlie Adam Jones and Cassie Jayne Jones at Wolverley – 14th April
Ruby Emma Garrish at Cookley - 21st April
William Alfred Manning at Wolverley - 22nd April
Weddings
Sean Roberts and Lydia Rowles at Wolverley -13th April
Benjamin Green and Rebecca Cannon at Wolverley -21st April
David Garrish and Emma Green at Cookley -21st April
Funerals
Peter Fellows at Wolverley - 16th April
Joan Chadwick at Wyre Forest Crematorium -17th April
Tom Burkett at Wolverley - 24th April
John Fereday at Cookley -1st May
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