Lutheran Ping!
Posted on 05/17/2007 8:36:27 PM PDT by lightman
One Ascension Day I was making final preparations for the Service in the upstairs workroom when I heard some fluent Pennsylvania Dutch coming from the Narthex. Knowing that the few of our members who “speachen zie deutsch” were not likely to arrive so early, I supposed that the Dutch was being spoken by a stranger. My supposition proved correct, for there, in the Narthex, was an Amishman complete with straw hat and chinwhiskers along with an “English” companion--his driver, I presumed. Steven Miller (an Amish convert) had returned to his family homestead and was showing his professor friend the churches of the area.
Steven was very impressed that we were about to have a worship service, for the Amish regard Ascension Day as a great Holy-day on which none but the most necessary of work should be done. Perhaps this is motivated by fear, for the Ascension Gospel tells us that ‘this Jesus, who has been taken from you, will return in the same manner.” (Luke); which, when juxtaposed with the warning that “on that day two men will be working in the field, one will be taken, and one will be left?” (Matthew) could give rise to the notion that those working on Ascension Day were risking their own personal parousia. Irrespective, it is faithful.
But Steven also had many questions about how we were worshiping that night, for, of course, the Nave was filled with helium balloons. The questions were sincere and curious, not sarcastic and critical. The questions were good because they caused me to reflect on ‘why we do what we do.”
The balloons, on one level, are simply a play on the word Ascension. A balloon ascension is appropriate for Ascension Day. The releasing of the balloons is all the more appropriate because the very action causes the worshiper to gaze into the heavens, until the balloon vanishes from sight’ becoming like the Eleven who stood watching their Lord ascend until He was no longer visible.
This is in contrast to the beginning of the Lent-Easter-Pentecost cycle, the Paschal journey, for, on Ash Wednesday, our eyes are cast down and our heads are bowed. Forty days prior to Easter we are confronted by the dust of the earth--forty days after Easter we look with joy to the heavens. Or, as expressed fourth century hymn by John of Damascus:
From death to life eternal, from this world to the sky
Our Lord has brought us over with songs of victory .
There is a progression from the solid state of ashes, through the liquid of Baptismal water at Easter, to the buoyant gas that propels the message-bearing balloons.
Paradoxically, the Paschal journey begins with the substance of a chemical reaction: Ashes are produced by the burning, or rapid oxidation, of plant material (mostly carbon--which chemistry students will know to be one of most reactive of elements.. The journey ends with balloons filled with a chemical that is “inert” and entirely non-reactive.
The fact that the balloons carry with them a message of Christian hope makes this custom all the more fitting, as the farewell words of Jesus are that “repentance and forgiveness of sins {are} to be preached to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.’ (Another name for Jerusalem is Zion). How wonderful then, that the prophecy of Isaiah finds a fulfillment by our gathering “the word of the Lord shall go forth from Zion” (Isaiah 2:2)
The message borne by the balloons is simply the blessed hope that is the Epistle for Ascension Day:
I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you... God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come.
The message carried by the balloons has been found by persons as far away as Brooklyn, New York; Delaware; Chambersburg; the outer banks of North Carolina and Smithburg, Maryland. The dispersion of the message calls to mind another couplet from the ancient hymn:
The day of resurrection, earth tell it out abroad
The Passover of gladness, the Passover of God.
The message has found persons who are gladdened and encouraged that at least one congregation still keeps Holy-day and remembers her Lord’s Ascension. Perhaps, in that way, we are not all that different from our Amish visitor.
May you be among those who keep Holy-day, giving thanks for the hope to which God has called you.
Ascensiontide ping.
Steven was very impressed that we were about to have a worship service, for the Amish regard Ascension Day as a great Holy-day on which none but the most necessary of work should be done. Perhaps this is motivated by fear, for the Ascension Gospel tells us that ‘this Jesus, who has been taken from you, will return in the same manner.” (Luke); which, when juxtaposed with the warning that “on that day two men will be working in the field, one will be taken, and one will be left?” (Matthew) could give rise to the notion that those working on Ascension Day were risking their own personal parousia. Irrespective, it is faithful.
I don't know how familiar you are with NY State, L, but the Finger Lakes region, where a few Amish make their home, is very beautiful. It is a shame that Ithaca has become such a liberal town. It should be a conservative town!
Anyway, I had a friend who lived out that way, in Romulus. One cool, fall day we went for a walk past a great Amish farm and as we passed the windows, we saw these little Amish kids, with bonnet covered heads, pop up and then quickly pop back down, in that innocent embarrassment that only children truly possess.
In Albion, there are also some Amish families. Their corn fields don't boast manicured rows; even the life of the weeds is respected. In concession to modern times -which is impossible to avoid- they use a public phone booth when the need to make a call arises.
They are an important Christian witness, as the memory of that 13 year-old martyred girl plainly shows us.
A quiet imagination and a quiet dedication to the Law is their signature. The Law matters. God grant that we recover it.
God bless, L and thanks again.
I never have liked or used a "balloon ascension." It is a novelty, it seems too gimmicky to me, and I think people would remember the gimmick more than the point it's supposed to make or the rest of the service itself.
Some churches still keep the Feast on the 40th day after Easter. . . .
We did last night; we celebrated the Ascension of Our Lord. In the parishes I've served where Ascension service on the 40th day (always a Thursday) had fallen by the wayside--likewise, Epiphany service on January 6, regardless of the day of the week--I have tried to restore those major festivals to being observed, on the proper days. We usually don't get great attendance, but so what.
When you push Epiphany and Ascension to the following Sunday, then you lose the distinctives of that Sunday.
As I was sitting in a parking lot with a busted fuel pump, we couldn’t make it.
Quite comforting and no gimmicky ballon stuff. Word AND Sacrament. The sermon was about the Law and Gospel in the Ascension account.
Hmmmmm...ballons...Ablaze!...I get it...
Thank you
We learned a song, can't remember if it was named Let there be Peace, or Let it Begin With Me,
Let there be peace on earth,
and let it begin with me
Let there be peace on earth
a peace that was meant to beTo take each moment,
and live each moment
in peace, eternally
Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me
The song was beautiful and simple with just the guitar as instrument.
On the other hand, I'm with C.S. Lewis in that I really dislike the organ. It is intolerably intrusive. Just after you'd communed and were kneeling down, the organist would start belting out these chords. It made you just want to turn to the loft and shout, for Pete's sake, will you please keep it down! I'm trying to meditate and pray here!
BTTT for Ascension Day AD 2008
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