Greetings all…this morning I was needing help to meditate on Jesus ascending. When I looked to Google there were many voices…many familiar and not really helpful. I appreciate Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father but I don’t think it’s been helpful for our planet putting heaven way up there so we can ignore what goes on down here. I agree with Jesus that the divine rule of love can happen here and now. It’s what Brian McLaren means when he says the Gospel is not an evacuation plan but a transformation plan.

Anyway, back to ascension day – I finally searched for what N.T. Wright might say and Eerdman’s blog had posted a chapter from his book Following Jesus. What Tom, to his friends, had written spoke a word of hope to my heart … thanks be to the Holy One. Thanks Tom / EERDWORD for providing my lectio for this morning, allowing me to hear a word from the Holy One today.

In this chapter from his book Following Jesus: “Heaven and Power”, Tom writes: “Heaven is the extra dimension, the God-dimension, of all our present reality; and the God who lives there is present to us, present with us, sharing our joys and our sorrows, longing as we are longing for the day when his whole creation, heaven and earth together, will perfectly reflect his love, his wisdom, his justice, and his peace.”. 

This is good news for me and all of us. It’s good to be reminded that God is present to us as we go through the challenges of a pandemic, health concerns, family crisises, all the ups and downs of being human. 

Speaking of being human, here’s Kate Bowler new book. You can hear her talking about it @ https://youtu.be/79dzKRLhChE.

You also really need to hear / see her TEDMED talk @ https://tinyurl.com/m9m54am

Here is the link to Tom’s chapter and insight into asceniontide. 

Blessings on this ascension day 2021