Monthly Archives: May 2008

As the Anglican World Turns…

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You may have heard about events surrounding St. Christopher’s, Spartanburg. Recently, many members of the vestry resigned, and the Rev’d George Gray, Rector, indicated to the Bishop that he was unable to continue serving. In response to these events, Bishop Henderson returned the parish to Mission status, and named the Rev’d Michael Bullock, Canon to the Ordinary, Priest-In-Charge. Bishop Henderson also inhibited the Rev’d Gray. If you would like to learn more about this, details are available on the diocesan website: www.edusc.org.

I visited St. Christopher’s a couple of times when we were living in Spartanburg. It is one of the most beautiful contemporary churches I know. I also have friends on staff there. This has been in process for a long time, and St. Chris’s has been a parish in trouble, for a number of reasons for a very long time, too. Let us pray that from this deep wound will emerge healing and new vitality in that place.

There is also increasing news as we look forward to the Lambeth Conference in July. Some bishops and provinces (notably Uganda) have declared that they will not be attending Lambeth and conservatives are organizing an alternative, known as GAFCON, which will take place in June. Stay tuned–things may get interesting, if you don’t find it all rather boring by now.

After-Thoughts on the Ascension

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On Thursday, we celebrated the Feast of the Ascension.  It came just as I was also preparing to discuss the Resurrection in my Intro to Biblical Literature courses at Furman. Thinking about both, and reading again the gospels’ accounts of the Resurrection, reminded me of both the importance of the Ascension, and our faith’s uncertainty about it.

Only the Gospel of Luke (and its related work, the Book of Acts) clearly report on the ascension. Luke 24:51 reads in part “he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. Acts 1:9 says much the same thing. What I find interesting is that in contrast to Luke, neither Matthew or John say anything about the ascension. John uses the language of “being lifted up” throughout the gospel, but it always refers, at least in part, to the crucifixion.

What Matthew and John agree on is that Jesus appeared to his disciples in Galilee and that he gave them some final instructions. Matthew’s version is what we call the Great Commission. Jesus sends his disciples out into all the world, to teach, make disciples, and baptize. And he concludes that commission with the promise, “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

What intrigues me is that this promise of Christ’s continuing presence with his disciples is in some way a direct contradiction of the notion that in the Ascension, Jesus returned to heaven, where he sits at the right hand of God.

In the end, the Ascension is about both Jesus’ presence, and his absence from us.