Ascension, Pentecost and the Presence of God

The story of the Ascension can be seen as nothing more than a way to tie up one of the gospel's loose ends: if Jesus rose from the dead, then his body is no longer in the tomb, so where is it? He didn't die a second time, and he isn't keeping human company in the same way as  before his crucifixion, but the Ascension story gives a reason for this: he has not only risen from the tomb, but also ascended into heaven.

This was all very well in an age which accepted the idea that the dwelling place of God is in the heavens, but it seems a little strained in the age of space travel. People have traveled in space ships through the nearer parts of the heavens, and it seems perfectly clear that the heavens are no more the dwelling place of God than the earth is. Clearly, there is no point in trying to re-insert our minds into a world where we can really believe that Jesus rose bodily to the right hand of God.

The point of the Ascension story for us must be that questions about where the body of Jesus might be are not so much 'answered definitively' as 'completely pointless'. If we want to know where or how to find Jesus in our world, then we need to think differently.

Easter - what does it mean, and why does it matter?

What is the meaning of Easter? Is it a straightforward miracle story (if there is such a thing), or is it something more than a remarkable historical event?

According to Marcus Borg (in 'Speaking Christian'), Easter has two basic meanings: 'Jesus lives', and 'Jesus is Lord'. Is it possible to be sceptical about the empty tomb, and yet convinced of these two truths?

The Meaning of 'God'

Does the word 'God' refer to a being beyond the universe? Another being in addition to the universe?

Or does the word 'God' refer to a sacred presence all around us?

If we go for the second of these ideas, can we account for the relationship with God that Christian faith invites us to have?

The Word of the Lord

Is it helpful, or even truthful, to follow a reading from the Bible with 'This is the word of the Lord?' Clearly, it would not be any better to say 'This is not the Word of the Lord', so we're not in an argument about whether or not the Bible, or any part of it, is actually given to us by God. To re-use an analogy I first heard from Athol Gordon ( a lay reader in Dundee during the 1980s and 90s), the thing to remember about the Bible is that it's gift-wrapped. As a result, we need to know how best to unwrap it.

Last Wednesday in the Inn, we tried and failed to identify what is said after readings in the New Zealand Liturgy. I've now downloaded the relevant texts, and can reveal that the practice is as follows:-

       The appointed readings follow, the reader first saying

       A reading from … (chapter … beginning at …)

       Silence may follow each reading.

       The reader may say

       Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.

       Thanks be to God.

Does that seem like an improvement? And would you prefer the silence or the response?