40 Days After Easter

I like to tease my Sunday school students by asking them what day of the week Ascension is on this year. I invariably get different responses, unless someone in the class is on to my joke.

Because asking what day of the week Ascension's on is like asking what day of the week Easter's on: because it's always the same day of the week -- Easter on Sunday, and -- coming exactly 40 days after Easter -- Ascension is always on Thursday.

On Ascension, we celebrate Christ's leaving His disciples, and returning to the Father. Of course, he is always with us, as He promised in Matthew 18:20 (" For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them") and Matthew 28:20 ("I am with you always, even unto the end of the world") but on Ascension, Christ is no longer visible to us, and His church no longer hears Him directly, but through His ministers.

And we celebrate that change, that time when our Savior is not visibly with us, but is with us in His word, and in His sacraments.

We'll be celebrating with a time of prayer at noon this Ascension, Thursday, May 25th. Come for prayer as you are able and remember our Savior's ascending up to with the Father.