Pastoral Letter 12

Dear Members of St. Andrew’s Uniting Church, Friends and Adherents,

As we approach the end of May and Pentecost is just on the corner, we will unfortunately not be able to have our traditional combined service with our neighbouring St. Aidan’s Anglican Church. We were all hoping that Sunday 31 May would be a good chance to recommence our Sunday Services in our beautiful Sanctuary, with Mark’s live organ music and our angelic choir singing for us. But we are not still allowed to do so, though week by week the government is announcing steps to ease the restrictions. Yes, we are very anxious to start our regular programs and services, but we need to be a little bit more patient and abide with the instructions that we keep on receiving from the Uniting Church leaders and the Presbytery.

The Ministers of the Uniting Church have received this letter from the Synod, which says:

Dear Ministers,

As the COVID-19 restrictions begin to ease, we can only imagine the mixed emotions of people eagerly anticipating the return to gathered worship countered by the anxiety of potential second wave outbreaks.

We did want to encourage you – we won’t be closed forever. The day will come when we will joyfully throw open the doors to our people and discover what the new post-COVID normal is. In fact, planning work has already begun on identifying processes and scenarios that will support this return

The Guidance Note on Use of Property prioritised health and well-being. No matter how deeply we feel the pain of closed churches, no one wants to see people exposed to further risk. Feedback has been mixed, but mostly positive as people understand what is at stake. We hope the responses made to you have been similarly understanding.

There are many complicating factors to balance, including:

• Managing and monitoring social distancing (what do you do in cases of enthusiastic huggers)
• Recording names and contact details of every person in attendance of every event (including hire groups) in case of an outbreak
• Cleaning and disinfecting of all surfaces, including light switches, railings, door handles, microphones, pew Bibles, supplies – both congregation and hire groups.
• Singing (or not)
• Cleaning and disinfecting of toilets after each use.
• Food preparation and handling

At this stage, we don’t have an estimate of when we might return to gathering in person. It all depends on how Australians responds to Stage One and whether new outbreaks occur – but it will happen!  In the meantime, we ask for your continued patience and understanding.

We stand in awe of your resilience and creativity, and marvel at what you have accomplished in such a short and difficult time. No doubt you are also considering what should be different and what your new normal might be. We look forward to your ideas and contributions.

The Moderator continues to offer ‘Moderator in Session’ opportunities for gathering via Zoom. If you

In the meantime, we give thanks that God continues to be with us. 

Also, attached you will find a copy of the Covid-19 Guidelines Note 10 if you are interested to read.

Attached you will find this Sunday’s Order of Service, please join us tomorrow morning at 9:30 am by reading the script, the Prayers, Responsive Reading, Bible Readings and sing the hymns and think about all those who are worshiping with you at the same time. I am attaching the hymns in music and video format to make it easy for you to sing along. Please do not forget to light a candle, if you wish, which represents Christ with us.

Keep on praying and leave everything in the hands of our great God, who is our refuge and strength.

If you have any prayer points, please let me know and I will include them in the next week’s letter.

Krikor

Your Minister

Message Summary

Ascension

We don’t know much about the event of the Ascension and very little is recorded in the scripture.

According to Matthew, Jesus appears to His disciples for the last time on the mountain of Galilee. John has no mention of this event. Luke says: “When he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven”. And Mark makes a brief statement about His departing saying: “After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God”. He came from heaven, from God with a mission of salvation and again He left the world and went back to the Father.

He came from heaven and went back to heaven; He came from the Father and went back to the Father. For sure He could not stay here in this world. And He did not need to stay; He had to go there, from where He came. And He did. And it was good that He did. And why did He ascend to heaven? It is simple. Where could he have stayed here in the world; with whom, whose house and who was going to welcome Him? Isn’t it better that everyone go to his or her home/house and stay there? The Lord Jesus went to His Father’s house, He went to heaven. He did well; otherwise most probably, O my God, He could have been left in the streets. No! He did well by going to His Father’s house “and he sat at the right hand of God” (Mark 16:19).

In the first chapter of Acts, we read Jesus farewells His disciples after spending three years with them, after He totally changed and revolutionised their lives. They were never the same, they were totally changed and became His courageous witnesses and they did their best to spread the Good News of the Gospel. Their daily occupation was not anymore fishing; nor the tax collecting like Matthew. And not also pursuing political agenda, like Judas the zealot. And finally like the other Judas, to betray Him. The direction of their lives was changed, and they commenced their mission being His faithful servants.

After Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples had their last 40 days with Him and now it was time to say their farewells. He encourages and charges them by giving His Great Commissioning to continue the work that He had begun by going to ends of the world. Jesus organised His work, left them and went to the place from where He had come. So, by His ascension to heaven, He leaves behind Him few important things and challenges. When He was on the cross, He said: “It is finished” (John 19:30), which means that the forgiveness of sins has been done and the salvation completed.

But there was a lot to be done.

As we look today to the important event of Ascension, we are going to consider three important points:

A. What is the Ascension and what is significant in that

B. Why Jesus ascended to heaven

C. What now?

A. What is the Ascension and what is significant in that?

After Jesus doing His part in full, He went up to heaven with great glory. His glory was seen with bright shiny light, causing blindness to the human eye. A light, which is not possible to see or look at with human eyes. There are certain kinds of clouds that cover the eyes of the disciples, as well as ours. But what kind of clouds are they:

1. The cloud of doubt and confusion

On different occasions the disciples asked Jesus about the time and the form of the coming Kingdom. Even John the Baptist being confused, he sent his disciples to Jesus, enquiring to know if He was the Messiah or shall they wait for another one. Peter, being bewildered and confused, forgetting what Jesus had told him earlier, denied Him three times. The reason? Simple. Their eyes were covered by the clouds. We also have heavy clouds in our eyes, and because of them, we don’t see Him, our Lord and Saviour. Until those clouds are gone, it will be impossible for us to see Christ.

2. The cloud of ignorance

Regardless of the truth that He on several occasions called them to serve and commissioned them for mission, they were not able to accomplish and did not have the ability to do their part. They tried, but they were not successful. Jesus gives His final instructions to them, but they are so immersed in their worries and thoughts that they were not able to see His glory. This cloud of ignorance had also covered their eyes. We too, in our daily chores and business, forget our aim, our call and our responsibility. Let us ask God that these clouds be moved too.

3. The cloud of unbelief

And finally, there is the cloud of unbelief. The faith of the disciples was weak, and they needed the fullness of the Spirit. Their weak faith results in unfaithfulness. They were lacking eyes of faith to see glory and the greatness of the Lord Jesus. Because of our weak faith, we too can have a lack of faithfulness. Therefore, let us pray for the Lord to make our faith stronger in order these clouds are moved too.

Heavy and dark clouds become barriers for our sight. But with eyes of faith and the fullness of the Spirit it is possible to “see the glory of God … and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God” (Acts 7:54-55).

B. Why Jesus ascended to heaven?

Jesus did not ascend to heaven only to reveal that our eyes are covered with different kinds of clouds and to make clear that they should be removed so we can clearly see the way that was opened before us. But He ascended to heaven to do a few things for us.

1. To open way

Jesus ascended to heaven to open the way. We read in the epistle written to the Hebrews: “A new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body” (Heb. 10:20). To bring us near God, we needed a new way and our Lord opened that way for us. Also, we have to say that this way is not an ordinary and a simple way, but a way that leads us to the Tree of Life. A light for an eternal life, which is only possible through His life, death, resurrection and ascension.

2. To prepare

Jesus was not satisfied by just opening a way and providing us the means. But He ascended to heaven to prepare a place for us and to all those who believe. In John we read: “I am going there to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2). A place where we can rest from the pain and suffering of this world. A place where we will never go hungry and be thirsty, no tears and no sadness. A place where we will find fountains of living water.

3. To be an advocate

According to the word of God, the sinners deserve death. But this law is turned into grace by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The one who is condemned to death to go to heaven and to enjoy the bounties of heaven needs an advocate. That advocate is Jesus. He has sat at the right hand of God and does that work for us.

4. To send the Holy Spirit

Jesus ascended to heaven, also to give us the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, Helper. He knew that His disciples would not be able to perform their duty with their own strengths. They would need continuous support, even if Jesus stayed in the world, He would not have been able to go with them everywhere. So, He ascended so that the Spirit, God’s presence, be with them always. The promise that Jesus made, quickly was fulfilled, when ten days later on the day of Pentecost the Spirit came upon them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, received power and strength and went out to serve.

Jesus ascended to heaven to open the way, to prepare a place, to be our advocate and to send the Holy Spirit. He did His part, completed the mission and He did everything fully.

C. What now?

There is a lot to be done. It is our turn and our duty to continue the work that has begun. So, what now?

1. Unfinished Work

The work of the salvation of the Gospel should continue. As long as there are people who have not heard the good news, it means that the work has not been completed. Lord Jesus has left this important work to us, to the church. It is our duty to continue this work faithfully, until He comes.

2. Undeniable Message

It is not possible to deny the message of salvation. Man, Satan and cults cannot challenge that. Simple, the gospel of Jesus Christ is indisputable; the proofs are clear and simple. Nothing can cover its truth.

3. Unspeakable Love

No one can question the Love of Christ. He gave His life, so that we live. He left His heavenly home, came to the world, He shed His blood on the cross and died. He said to the Father: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing”. He did all this because He had an unspeakable love for everyone.

4. Unmistakable Plan

The witness makes an oath to say the truth. Many times, we do wrong and by refusing to become His witnesses. The plan is our witnessing. Witnessing, starting from our immediate surrounding; home, workplace, church, neighbourhood and to the ends of the world.

5. Unwavering or Steadfast Witnessing

Our obligation is to witness after receiving strength from heaven. Our witnessing could glorify Christ or bring shame to Him. If we expect His coming soon, we need to clean ourselves and be His witnesses. Paul says. “Our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed” (Rom. 13:11).

6. Unconquerable Strength

After the ascension, the disciples gathered in the Upper Room and waited for the heavenly power to commence their mission. They were not afraid from the people anymore and courageously they witnessed and spread the Gospel. If we surrender ourselves to the power of the Spirit, nothing will stop us, even the gates of hell will not be able to stand against us.

7. Unfailing Promise

A promise was given to the disciples. The promise, that Jesus will come back in the same way they have seen Him go into heaven. It is left to us always to be ready.

Until He comes, we have a part to play and a responsibility to do the work He has left behind for us.

Lord Jesus ascended to heaven. He did His part. Now it is our turn. We have a challenge put before us. Yes, we too are looking intently up into the sky today. But let us not forget that the Lord Jesus, who ascended to heaven to open the way, to prepare place, to be our advocate and to send the Holy Spirit, he will come back the same way He went.

Therefore, the time and the chance is given to us to act and to do our part and wait with great hope for His return. Jesus has chosen us, has called us, and also, He has entrusted to us a duty. According to His command, it is left to us faithfully and with complete faithfulness to serve Him.

Therefore, the church’s and our obligation and duty is to serve and be His courageous witnesses. Jesus ascended to heaven, after He did His part and duty fully, to continue His work, up there, in heaven, near God, as our advocate. At the same time, He gives us the chance to continue His work with the heavenly strength given to us and only for His glory.

Let the clouds that cover our eyes be removed, our eyes be opened, so that we can see and believe Him, who is Lord and Saviour.

By His ascension, a task comes to its conclusion for Jesus, but at the same time that same task remains to be an unaccomplished task for the church and the body of Christ. If the church is the Church it is supposed to be and if the disciples are really His disciples, they should follow in the footsteps of their Master and Teacher, who gave them a clear command for a job to be done. And the church should do that specific job, which is to be His witness.

The church has to go forward with the help of the Lord. In this way a new era starts for the Christians. It is the responsibility of every Christian to be a witness. The Word of God should be spread by the church which is filled with the Spirit. We have to preach about salvation, if we do not, then we are not the Church and cannot be a living witness for God.

Let us testify and preach about the resurrected Christ, who ascended to Heaven as He is the only means of our salvation.

Come, let us start doing what we are supposed to do with the grace of our Lord and Saviour.

Amen!