Gone, but not Absent
“The Lord gave the Word: great was the company of the preachers.”
This depiction of the Ascension blends traditional imagery of heaven and the intersection of heaven and earthly reality with the style of contemporary “new age” commercial art depicting resonance and astral experience. British artist Catherine Andrews painted this image at 19 after having a dramatic epiphany of Christ and the meaning of his work while on an airplane. You can hear her describe the story of her inspiration in this video.
This is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.
— The Holy Apostle and Evangelist St. John (1Jn 5:14)
Sunday After Ascension
Texts for This Week
Prayer
O God, the King of glory, you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven: Do not leave us comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and exalt us to that place where our Savior Christ has gone before; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting.
O Christ our Hope, our Heart’s Desire
The Truro Cathedral Choir (UK) intones the 8th C Latin hymn that speaks so directly to the heart of this season, inviting us to contemplate the power of Christ’s defeat of death and his session at the right hand of the Father; yet also acknowledge the tenderness of our hope towards him who is our ascended Lord.
