Heavenward in Heart and Mind

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be always acceptable to thee, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer, and Lord, give us here today, eyes to see and ears to hear so we can learn your word together as a family. We offer you all the praise, honor, and Glory for it in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Good evening, my fellow encouragers!

Today, we mark one of the great feasts of the Church: The Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is a day that is often overlooked in Christianity, but it is no small thing. We frequently say, when speaking of Christ and our salvation, “because of His life, death, and resurrection…” omitting His ascension.

The Creed says it plainly: “He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty.” That is not something symbolic or metaphorical. It is the glorious truth of our faith. Christ Jesus, having risen from the dead, did not simply vanish from sight. He ascended bodily into the heavens and reigns as true God and true Man.

At first glance, this might sound like a departure. We read in Acts, as the apostles looked on, He was lifted up, and a cloud took Him out of their sight. It almost sounds like the end … Jesus going away and leaving His followers behind. But the Ascension is not Christ’s retreat, but His coronation. It is not the ending; it is the fulfillment of God’s plan.

Daniel saw this moment long before, in his vision: “Behold, one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom.” That prophecy is fulfilled in the Ascension. Christ has not disappeared; He has been enthroned.

The Ascension means that Jesus Christ is not just a memory. He’s not merely a teacher from long ago. Christ is a living King who reigns even now. He reigns from heaven with all authority. And more than that, He reigns as one of us.

For the same Jesus who ascended is the one born of the Virgin Mary. He still bears the marks of the nails. He has taken our humanity into the very presence of God.

The Collect today expresses it so beautifully: “Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that since we do believe thy only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ to have ascended into the heavens; so we may also in heart and mind thither ascend, and with him continually dwell.”

We are invited on Ascension Day to lift up our hearts … to orient our thoughts, our decisions, our hopes, toward the heavenly. We do not live aimlessly. We live under a King.

Our Psalm calls out: “O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth. Say among the heathen that the Lord reigneth.” The Lord reigns. It’s the bold declaration that Christ is Lord over kings and countries, over time and eternity, over this world and the next. Christ is Lord over all creation.

This makes a significant difference in how we live. Many of us may never have thought of our daily lives as “heavenly,” but today I tell you, because of the Ascension, your work is intricately woven into God’s great plan. When we offer all we do to Christ, it becomes a part of His kingdom. And that kingdom is not future-only. It is here now, wherever hearts are lifted heavenward.

The Ascension is not about Jesus escaping this earthly realm. It’s not about Jesus going far away. Instead, it means that the whole world is now under His kingship. He didn’t leave us. He ascended to fill all things. He is present with us in the Spirit. He governs His Church, He intercedes for us, and He reigns in glory.

When the apostles saw Him ascend, they stood there, staring into the sky. I might have done the same. But then two angels appeared and said, “Why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus shall so come in like manner.” In other words, stop standing still—He will return, but until then, there is work to do.

So, what did the disciples do? They went back to Jerusalem. But they didn’t go sorrowful or afraid. St. Luke tells us they returned with great joy and were continually in the temple, blessing God.

Let that be our posture, too. Joyful. Faithful. Worshipful. Always looking heavenward in heart and mind.

The Ascension marks the beginning of the Church’s age and our mission—to make disciples, to preach the gospel, to baptize in His Name. It starts with hearts turned toward Christ and lives shaped by His Word.

So, let us lift up our hearts. Let us pray more earnestly. Let us sing with greater joy. Let us love more freely. And let us do all of it knowing that our Redeemer lives, and reigns, and calls us to dwell with Him even now.