Jesus is not departing “up to” some higher but other floor in the universe, but to his God and Father upon whom the very existence of the universe depends, and in whom we all “live and move and have our being.” The Ascension is not an abandonment but the beginning of a new and more intimate nearness ”“ his continuing, ubiquitous, always-available presence with us and for us, not to a different and distant point within the universe, but transcending and filling all things. He is Ascended from one particular place to the heavenly, the divine places, far above all rule and dominion and power, as St. Paul says in our epistle, so that he now fills all in all ”“ not an abandonment, but a new and available nearness.
I was there for this sermon. Patrick Allen always touches my heart…
BTW, we all call him Spud.
Kendall, thank you for posting this sermon as well as the next piece by Al Zadig. I’m so thankful for these fine, SC clergy!
Spud, this as excellent an explanation of the Ascension as i’ve ever read – thank you!