All Saints Gazette: Ascension Edition
Greetings from All Saints!
This week:
Thursday, 18:00, Vrijburg: Bible Study with Mpho
Next Eucharist:
May 19, Pentecost, 17:30
Looking ahead:
June 2, 18:00, Worship with Bishop’s Visitation! We’re always grateful for whoever is present, but a big crowd would be nice for this one.
The Ascension of Jesus Christ
Thursday is one of the major feasts of The Episcopal Church and most other Christian communities, the Ascension of Jesus. Here are the Bible readings and prayer for the day. We aren’t able to have a Eucharist this year, but you can go to Bible study. But here’s a question for you to ponder: why is Jesus ascending (i.e. leaving in a very real sense) good news?
The picture below is the chapel of the Ascension on the Mount of Olives, now a Palestinian neighborhood across the Kidron Valley from the Old City in Jerusalem. This site is traditionally venerated as the place where Jesus ascended into heaven.
The second picture below is a stone from the exact spot, containing part of his footprint. The current structure is a 12th century crusader rebuilding of an earlier Byzantine church. Interestingly, it is located inside a mosque, but is an active site of Christian pilgrimage and devotion, which is welcomed by the Muslim community.
The sharing alone would account for why this site is moving. Such things are actually quite common in the world, if rather counter to sensibilities about religions, place, and ownership that have become dominant. Perhaps it helps in this case that the place is holy, not because something is there to lay claim to, but because something vanished?
The Ascension can be hard to place in the ways that we construe salvation. Why is this good news? Perhaps if he had stuck around instead of flying off to wherever, quite a few things would have gone differently. “Nevertheless I tell you the truth,” says Jesus, “It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you” (John 16:7). This Comforter, the Holy Spirit, is more than a consolation prize. The Holy Spirit is the presence of God among us as surely as Jesus was. And Jesus goes on to say:
I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. John 16:13-16
There was nothing lacking in Jesus, but his disciples couldn’t receive something yet. What might that have been? Who has known the mind of God? Still, here’s a hint: “The one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12).
At any rate, theologians have noticed that it’s always in the act of blessing that he vanishes.
What does the Ascension mean to you? Feel free to share your thoughts with the All Saints WhatsApp group!
Bishop’s Visitation
Don’t forget that on June 2 (not our next service, but the one after that) will welcome Bishop Eddington. One of the ways Episcopalians are weird is that we believe that when the bishop comes, the whole church community is mysteriously present with them, so this visitation is a big deal. It’s a way that we are part of the whole Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe, the whole Episcopal Church, and the whole church in all the world. Also, Bishop Mark is cool; you’ll like him. Come, bring a friend or two, bring an enemy or two!
Beloved Community Corner
Our weekly gatherings for prayer, Bible study, Eucharist, and a shared meal serve as the foundational pillars upon which beloved community is built. Through prayer, we deepen our connection to the divine and seek guidance in living out the principles of love and compassion. Bible study provides us with spiritual nourishment and guidance, helping us to understand the teachings of Jesus Christ and apply them to our lives. The Eucharist brings us together in communion with one another and with God, reminding us of our shared humanity and the sacrificial love of Christ. Finally, our shared meals foster fellowship and community, breaking down barriers and nurturing bonds of friendship and solidarity. In coming together regularly for these sacred practices, we cultivate a sense of belonging and mutual support, building a community rooted in love, justice, and equality.
All Saints People
Tell us about your name! This week, we asked Duetta:
That's all for today!
Want to talk to a priest? We want to talk to you too!
Website: https://allsaintsamsterdam.church/
Mpho: mpho@allsaintsamsterdam.church
Kyle: kyle@allsaintsamsterdam.church
General: info@allsaintsamsterdam.church
