St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh

Midweek Devotion 18th May 2023

Led by Rev Sigrid Marten

Welcome to our Midweek Devotion from St. Giles Cathedral, the High Kirk of Edinburgh on Ascension Day.

Jesus says,

“See, I am making all things new...

To the thirsty I will give water as a gift

from the spring of the water of life.”

(Revelation 21:5,6)

Our lesson today is written in the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 1 (verses 1-14).

Reflection

In the introduction to the Acts of the Apostles we are reminded that this book was written down by the same person who is responsible for the gospel of Luke. The life and death and resurrection of Jesus and the events in the lives of the disciples are seen as one continuing story of salvation which finds its fulfilment in Christ.

The book of Acts begins with a story about the friends of Jesus feeling bereft and lost when Jesus leaves them. Just like in the story about the women at the grave in Jerusalem, two men in white robes appear to the disciples when they stand gazing into the sky after the ascension of Jesus. And the words of those two figures are very similar. To the women at the grave they say, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.” (Luke 24:5)

To the disciples on Mount Olivet they say, “...why do you stand looking up towards heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

It seems, both times the friends of Jesus are a bit stuck: as if their shock has paralysed them, they stand looking at what was. They are looking back, they are looking up. The men in white robes challenge them to move on, to look forward to the future.
It is maybe an obvious thing to do at times of crisis, just to freeze, in a similar way that a bird that has flown into a window will lie completely still, until its nerves have recovered from the shock of the impact, before it flies off again. And maybe it is an important self-preservation mechanism of the body, just to shut down to help us to recover from some of the blows that life deals us.

But what we learn from those men in white – dare we call them angels? - is that we need to make sure we don’t stay in that frozen moment for too long. Life does go on, and Christ is risen and offers us new life and the promise of the Holy Spirit, just like for those first friends of Jesus.

The Easter story continues with the women going back to the others and telling them the Good News that Christ is risen.

The Ascension story has the disciples return to Jerusalem to wait for the coming of the Spirit that Christ has promised them, and they spend much of that time together in prayer.

These stories are about those liminal times when the old is gone, but what lies ahead might not be apparent yet. They speak to us of the new life which is already being prepared in those times of waiting, of praying, of trusting that in the risen Christ we have a future which is greater than anything we can imagine. That story of salvation is the story of our salvation, and our task is to share it with all who are looking for Good News.

Prayer

Living God!

May the life you have redeemed from death

be alive in us,

that in our living and being

we proclaim a life that never dies,

and is so full of alleluias,

of the love of justice

and the making of peace,

it can never die.

May we find a million ways

to proclaim that you are alive:

in word and deed,

in hope and action,

in longing and being,

in singing and speaking,

in laughter and care,

in question and wonder,

in faith and belief.

Living God!

May we be your resurrection people,

alive to life

and ready to share it with the world.

Hear us, live in us,

reshape us,

call us anew and again

into life and all its fullness.

Living God!

During Christian Aid week especially

we pray for all who work towards peace with justice

in the many places where life is hard,

especially in the global South;

where change seems impossible,

where climate change affects people’s lives severely,

where poverty takes away choices

and destroys livelihoods,

where good healthcare and education are lacking,

where injustice is rife,

and your children are suffering every day.

Living God!

May we discover your abundant life

in sharing our resources with one another.

May your life-giving power become known

through our love,

rooted in your unfathomable love for us all.

May it be for us all like a spring of water,

gushing up to eternal life.

All our prayers we gather into the words

that Jesus taught us to pray together:

Our Father which art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name;

thy kingdom come,

thy will be done,

in earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, the power,

and the glory, for ever and ever.

Amen

Blessing

The peace of God

which passes all understanding,

keep your hearts and minds

in the knowledge and love of God,

and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

And the blessing of the living God,

Creator, Redeemer and Comforter,

be with you, now and forever more.

Amen

Organ music

J.S.Bach Fugue in C major BWV 545