Word for Word 5/13/26

Tomorrow, May 14, is Ascension Day.

While not as widely known as other Christian holidays, it is one of the Church’s great feasts. Observed forty days after Easter, Ascension Day marks the moment when the risen Christ ascended into Heaven as his disciples watched in wonder.

In many parts of the world - especially Germany - Ascension Day remains widely celebrated. Churches hold special worship services, bells ring, and families gather outdoors. In some villages, processions and festivals fill the day with music, food, and community. For many German immigrants who settled throughout this area, Ascension Day was once an important part of church life and family tradition.

But Ascension Day is not simply about Jesus returning to the Father. In fact, the story points us toward what comes next.

Before ascending, Jesus gives the disciples a mission: Continue my work. Feed the hungry. Welcome the stranger. Heal the hurting. Love your neighbor. Share hope with a weary world.

Now that’s a tall order. But Jesus promises the disciples - and us - that we do not work alone.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus says something astonishing: “The one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these.”

At first, this sounds impossible. How could we possibly do greater works than Jesus? We can because Christ sends the Holy Spirit to guide, strengthen, and inspire us.

That promise leads directly to Pentecost, which the Church will celebrate ten days after Ascension Day. Pentecost is often called the birthday of the Church - the moment the Holy Spirit set them on fire, transforming them from anxious followers hiding behind locked doors into bold disciples who carried Christ’s love to the whole world.

And perhaps that is the true meaning of Ascension Day. Christ ascends, but love continues. Compassion goes on. You and I have been entrusted to share these gifts.

Every act of kindness becomes holy work. Every meal shared, every lonely neighbor visited, every word of forgiveness, every stand for justice and dignity - these become ways the Spirit continues Christ’s ministry through our ordinary lives.

Ascension reminds us that faith is not about standing still looking up into the sky. It is about looking around us and asking: Who needs hope? Who needs compassion? Who needs to know they are beloved?

May your Ascension Day be blessed!

Pastor Laura Gentry
Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, Lansing