First Lutheran Church

May 29, 2022 – Ascension Sunday

Luke 24:44-53[Jesus said to the eleven and those with them,] “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; and they were continually in the temple blessing God.

Sermon

“The Paschal Candle”

Pastor Greg Ronning

This past Thursday, Christians all over the world celebrated - “Ascension Day.”  Today many churches, including First Lutheran are celebrating “Ascension Sunday,” - the first Sunday after the Ascension.The Ascension happens on the fortieth day after Easter, on that day the resurrected Jesus reminds the disciples that the promised Holy Spirit will soon arrive, leads them out as far as Bethany, blesses them, and is carried up, ascends, into heaven.

In worship on this special day, the Paschal Candle, plays a central role, bearing witness to the Ascension and reminding us of the coming of the Holy Spirit.  The Paschal Candle has been a part of Christian Worship for hundreds of years.  Paschal comes from the Greek and Hebrew word for “Passover,” reminding us of the story of the Exodus, Moses leading God’s people out of slavery in Egypt into the Promised Land.  Later, in Latin, its meaning changes to include Easter, and the story of the resurrection of Christ.  Jesus becomes the Passover lamb, conquering death, and bringing life abundant and everlasting.

In many churches Easter begins with the lighting of this special candle.  During the past six years, The Table has gathered for an Easter Vigil, and as part of that service, at midnight, as Easter morning begins, the candle is lit and the first “alleluia” in Orange County is sung celebrating the resurrection of Christ.  The Paschal Candle is lit every time we gather for worship in the season of Easter, signifying the presence of the risen Christ among us.  We will also light this candle on days we celebrate baptisms and gather for memorial services, on those occasions the candle reminds us that in baptism we are connected to Christ in death and in resurrection, that we are the beloved of God, that in Christ we have life everlasting.

The Paschal Candle itself proclaims the Gospel. 

It reminds us, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

The candle has a cross on it, with “nails” that mark the wounds, the suffering, Christ endured for our sake, for the sake of the world, “for God so loved the world.” 

The Candle bears the letters, “Alpha” and “Omega” Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet, and Omega is the last. We are reminded that Christ is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last, that the love of God endures forever. 

And finally, the Paschal Candle is dated with the current year, “2022.”  Christ is present not just as “Alpha” and “Omega” but also today, present here and now, before us, behind us, beside us, above us, and deep within us; Christ is with us in this very present moment.

And today, on the day that we commemorate the Ascension, at the conclusion of the reading of Gospel reading, as we imagine Christ rising up into the heavens; we extinguish the flame, signifying the end of the presence of God incarnate among us in Jesus. 

Today’s Gospel tells us that after The Ascension the disciples returned to Jerusalem filled with great joy.  And while it must have been a glorious moment, I can’t help but imagine that they were also filled with some sadness, and that at some point, they must have been wondering, perhaps with some apprehension, what will come next?  Suddenly Jesus is gone, the light has gone out, the darkness, at lease for the moment - has returned.

This morning when I extinguished the flame, and as I watched the smoke rise up, and then disappear, I felt such a sadness.  This past week, and the week before, I felt it as our world plunged back into darkness.  The senseless violence in our world is overwhelming, racism that leads to the targeted shooting murder of black people - shopping for groceries; hatred that leads to the violent gunning down killing of fourth graders while sitting and learning in their classroom.  I can’t help but feel that we are plunging into a deep darkness.  The candle has gone out, and we don’t seem to know what to do about it, we don’t seem to be able to rise up and do something, do anything, that might make a difference.  I don’t understand why we can’t heed the word of the prophet Isaiah, “Beat our swords into plowshares and our spears into pruning hooks.”

And the Paschal Candle remains extinguished, but that’s the point, and believe it or not, that’s God’s response to the present darkness. The Paschal Candle remains unlit precisely to remind us just how God is now and still very present in the world today, present in a new and even more powerful way. 

Next Sunday we will gather to celebrate the Day of Pentecost.  On the day of Pentecost, the flame returns, not in the person of Jesus, not to the Paschal Candle, but this time it will descend upon the followers of Jesus, dancing upon their heads, setting their hearts on fire, and anointing “the faithful gathered” as the Body of Christ!  God is suddenly once again very present – but in a new way! And those early followers of Jesus, filled with the Spirit, united as the church, the body of Christ, - will change the world in their proclamation of the good news of the Gospel.

And that Sprit continues to come even now, in ever new and exciting ways, present anew for every time and place.  Just as it was present in the very first days of the church, so it is present in this current time and place. Present in you and me, and countless others, gathered together as church!  The Paschal Candle remains unlit to remind us not to look to heaven for Jesus, but to look inside and beside us for Christ, for Christ fleshed out again in our gathered unity around the gospel of Jesus Christ.

So, hear the good news, we are not alone, Christ has not left us alone, God has sent the Holy Spirit to gather us up, and open us up not only to the presence of God, but to be the presence of God; for each other, and with each other, for the sake of the world.

If you are feeling afraid and alone in this present darkness, calm yourself and listen for the spirit, listen for the invitation to gather together with faithful people doing faithful things, and discover the peace that comes from such belonging, the peace that comes with belonging and purpose, the peace that is yours as a child of God.

If you are confused and seeking clarity and direction, return to the scriptures and enter into a conversation in that holy place where the Word comes to life; in the midst of community, in the diverse community of the beloved of God.   Let us seek the Kingdom together.

If you are feeling frustrated, if you are feeling a call to act, if you want to make a difference; center yourself and listen for the spirit. And then gather up members of the body, abide in the word, abide in prayer, abide in such a way that these things might lead to action and not just “thoughts and prayers.”

Today, the Paschal Candle, unlit, proclaims that God is present here and now in us.  Today in our good old Gospel Hymns we are reminded that: “We” have been gathered up by the river, the waters of our baptism; that “Together” we are in the everlasting arms of Jesus, that “Together” we are the everlasting arms of Jesus for each other and the world; that in Jesus “We” have a friend, present in the burdens that we bear; that as we “break bread together,” as we “drink wine together,” in holy communion “We” become the “Holy Community,” the church, the body of Christ; that we are blessed by a tie that “binds our hearts in a unity” that is like that above; that a closer walk with thee, is a walk that “we do together;” and that while each of us may love to tell the story, the story is better told by a “community that lives out” the old, old, story of Jesus and his love.

In the midst of this present darkness, let us be reminded that in Christ we are the light, the light that shines in the darkness, the light the darkness cannot overcome.  May God open our eyes to the flame that surely still burns as bright as ever today!  Amen.