The Ascension of the Lord is 40
days after Easter Sunday and thus always falls on a Thursday which means most
people never worship around that story.
Thus, The Revised Common Lectionary suggests that worship planners might
want to use the texts for that day on the Seventh Sunday of Easter at least
occasionally. This is an especially good
option for children for two reasons:
1.
The Ascension
story answers the child’s question, “where is Jesus now?” His life walking around on the earth is over,
but he lives with God and continues to love the whole world from there. As he left, he clearly passed the baton to
his disciples – and to us.
2.
As you complete
the cycle of liturgical seasons about Jesus’ life and passion (Advent,
Epiphany, Lent, and Easter), Ascension Day is a chance for worship review (How
did we follow and celebrate Jesus in each season?) and a peek ahead to the rest
of the liturgical year.
The
texts for the day are the same all years of the lectionary cycle. I have gathered ideas from other years in
this blog and added one or two new suggestion.
So, there is no need to search for other posts on this blog. What I have to offer is here.
t Even if you focus on Ascension Day, remember that it
may also be the last week of school.
Actually children feel that rising from one grade to the next is similar
to Jesus rising from earth to heaven.
They expect their lives in the next grade to be totally different – and
hopefully more wonderful. It is an
important day to recognize in some way during the congregation’s worship. There is one text-based suggestion below. Go to School Is Out!!! (2014) for more general ideas.
t If you have been adding ribbons to the paschal candle, complete it by adding one last gold mesh ribbon to
the top. Add it after reading the
Ascension story noting that Jesus disappeared in a light-filled cloud. Ponder aloud all the disciples and we learned
about Jesus between the amazing empty tomb and the cloud into which he ascended
40 days later. Also note the shiny
mysteries that are beyond anything we understand.
Ascension of
the Lord Texts
Luke
24:44-53 and Acts 1:1-11
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| Ascension, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=54351 [retrieved April 9, 2012] Original source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/skip/111045024/. . |
t The Vanderbilt Divinity Library’s great on-line art
collection includes a variety of artist’s depictions of the Ascension –
with directions on using them without fee for non-commercial purposes if you
print their attribution. (Go to Vanderbilt Divinty Library - Art in the Christian Tadition .) The art ranges from a very
simple painting of Christ with arms outstretched to a very abstract twirling
tower of metal bars. Before reading the
ascension story, briefly display a variety of these noting with amazement that
each one is one person’s idea about the same event. Read the story. Then, revisit the pictures pondering the
similarities and differences. Enjoy the
mysteriousness of the event. No one
today can know exactly what it looked like.
Then, provide children (all worshipers?) with paper and colored pens or
crayons with which to create their own picture of what happened. Invite them to post their pictures in a
prepared space or tape them to the altar rail at the close of the service.
 |
Tonkin, Mike and Liu, Anna. Singing, Ringing Tree (Panopticons),
from Art in the Christian Tradition,
a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN.
[retrieved March 25, 2015].
Original source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/paperpariah/4271795395/.
|
While surfing, I
bumped into more information about the tower of metal tubes. As far as I can gather, the artist did not
create it as an Ascension statement. I
do not know for sure why the Vanderbilt folks categorized that way – but I can
see their point. Go to This link for recordings of the sounds made by the wind moving through the tubes. There might even be a Pentecost connection
there.
t Display
pictures of Jesus’ birth, healing, teaching, Palm Sunday, Crucifixion, Empty
Tomb, and Ascension. With the children review Jesus’ life, death
and resurrection. Then tell the story of
the Ascension in your own words. Stress
that during his life on earth, his disciples knew Jesus as a very special
person, after Easter Jesus was different.
He appeared and disappeared sometimes in locked rooms but still ate fish and
bread. Thomas could touch him. Since the Ascension, people have seen Jesus
only in visions and dreams. Jesus is
still alive and is not just with God, but part of God.
t Instead of using
pictures, bring out seasonal paraments from Advent through Easter. If you have seasonal banners, hang them all
in sequence and walk your way through them.
Or, lay out your stoles in order and match them to their seasons. Recall things you did during each season to
remember that part of Jesus’ life. Even
add them (or let a different child add each one) to your robe as you talk about
their seasons and then wear all of them for the rest of the service.
t Sing
the review of Jesus’ life with “O Sing a
Song of Bethlehem” or “I Danced in the Morning.” The first is easier for children to
follow. But before singing either, walk
worshipers through it in their hymnals.
t Today’s texts include two versions of the same
story. If both are to be read, have them
read by different readers. Even add a
third reader to read Matthew’s Great Commission. Challenge worshipers to listen for
similarities and differences in the stories.
Raise the question, “How does Jesus’ story end in all these
versions?” The answer is that it ends
with the disciples (and us) being sent to write the next chapters.
t Near
the end of school many elementary schools have field days featuring, among
other events, relay races. Describe or
ask some children to help you demonstrate the passing of a baton in a relay
race. Children could run the perimeter
of the sanctuary, carrying a baton which they pass to the next child at the
front of the sanctuary. Then explain
that though Jesus did not actually pass a baton to his disciples, he did tell
them very clearly that they were to take up his ministry on earth. His earthly part of the race was complete,
but theirs was just starting.
If you have a
wood worker in the congregation, ask him or her to prepare a baton for each
child or each worshiper. Dowels can be
cut into 8 inch lengths and the ends sanded.
Wood burn or draw with a marker a cross on each baton. As you give one to each child say, “NAME,
Jesus needs you to be his disciple.” At
the benediction raise a baton in one hand offering it to the whole congregation
with words of challenge. With the other
hand bless them, reminding them that God will be with them as they carry their
baton.
Mary from
Australia last year made the batons using PVC pipe and had the children write
short prayers asking Jesus to help them be his disciples in the world to insert
in their pipe. Bill Waterstradt gave the
children copies of the eyes-hands-feet of Jesus worksheet at the end of this post to fill out and
insert in their PVC pipes.
t Tell
the story with movements which you invite
the children to do with you. Begin with
hands and faces looking up (as Jesus
ascends). Drop your hands to your
sides (as you ponder what the angels
said). Then, go into marching pose
pumping your arms (as the disciples take
up the task). Repeat these motions
and the angels words during the benediction at the end of worship.
“He ascended to heaven and
sits on the right hand of God the Father
Almighty”
t If your congregation often recites the Apostles’ Creed
in worship, this is a good day to highlight the phrase, “he ascended to heaven,
and sits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty.” It is often lost in the all the phrases toward
the end of the creed. Rehearse the
previous phrases about Jesus connecting them to stories the children know. Stop with “he ascended to heaven” noting the
connection to today’s story. Next say,
“he sits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty.” Conjure up an image of God sitting on a
heavenly throne and laugh at the mental picture of Jesus sitting on God’s
hand. Restate the phrase so that Jesus
sits right beside God on God’s right.
Note the importance of that position in old stories about kings. The most important person other than the king
always sat on the kings’ right hand.
Conclude that what we are saying about Jesus is that he is right with
God and that he is more important than any angel or any person who has ever
lived. Finally, invite the congregation
to say the whole creed together saying this phrase especially as if you know it
is true on this day.
Acts
1:1-11
t Have
children bring pew Bibles with them to the front before the scripture reading. Help everyone find the Table of Contents,
then the list of New Testament books.
Together read the names of the first four books aloud. Briefly note that these books contain all the
stories about Jesus. Then read aloud
“The Acts of the Apostles” and introduce it as the story of the beginning of
the church. Without reading all the long
complicated names of the letters, point out that all the rest of the books,
except the last, are letters that people wrote to each other during the stories
that are told in Acts. Then, help the
children find Acts 1:1 (give the page number) and read it stopping immediately
after “In the first book, Theophilus.”
Identify Luke as “the first book” and introduce Luke – Acts as a two
book set that was written for a friend named Theophilus (maybe Theo
today). Then read the rest of verses
1-5. Briefly summarize the big change
that is happening here as the disciples move from being with Jesus to becoming
the church. Send them back to their
seats with their fingers holding the place to follow along as you read the
whole text for the day. (This will
obviously work only when most of the children are readers.)
Psalm
47
t Psalm
47 begins with a call for applause.
After pointing this out, teach the congregation a simple short
clapping pattern which they then repeat after a worship leader or the
choir says each verse or after verses 1, 4, 7, and 9. You might try clapping the rhythm of the
first line of “Peoples, Clap Your Hands!” (Genevan 47 which is # 194 in The
Presbyterian Hymnal) or enlist the aid of a music leader in selecting
another good pattern.
t Tie
Psalm 47 psalm to the Ascension by reminding
people that Jesus was God in human skin.
That makes this a fitting praise for Jesus as he ascends.
Psalm
93
t Psalm 93
celebrates God who is more powerful than the flood waters or the sea surf. If
you have a sound team, work with them to produce a recording of powerful water
sounds to play as the congregation reads the psalm aloud – loudly to be heard
over the recording. (Hint, hint:
if you produce such a recording, could you post it, and let the rest of us know
where to find it, the less technically able among us would be oh so grateful J.)
Verses 1,2,5 any water sounds
Verse 3 rushing water sounds
(flood or big
waterfall)
Verse4 heavy surf sounds
Go to the Comments at the end of Year A - The Sunday After the Ascension of Christ for an idea about doing this without recording it.
Ephesians
1:15-23
I think the Contemporary English Version (CEV)
may offer the best translation of this text for children. Today verses 19-23 can be heard as Paul’s
comments to the Christians in Ephesus about the Ascension.
t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t
19 I
want you to know about the great and mighty power that God has for us
followers. It is the same wonderful power he used 20 when he
raised Christ from death and let him sit at his right side in heaven. 21
There Christ rules over all forces, authorities, powers, and rulers. He
rules over all beings in this world and will rule in the future world as well. 22
God has put all things under the power of Christ, and for the good of the
church he has made him the head of everything. 23 The church is
Christ’s body and is filled with Christ who completely fills everything.
t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t
Verses 19-21 describe Jesus Ascension
power. Verse 22-23 then describe the
passing of Jesus’ ministry to the church.
Jesus is the Lord of the church.
The church is Jesus body present to do his ministry in the world.
t Spin out specific examples of today’s
“forces, authorities, powers, and rulers” and
celebrate the fact that Christ is more powerful. For the children, list all armies (whether
ours or theirs); terrorists who kill people to get their way; all presidents,
prime ministers, and kings (the ones we like as well as the ones we don’t), any
bully, etc.
t The
church as the body of Christ is a metaphor. To help children explore both sides of the
metaphor describe how different people and groups in your congregation serve as
different parts of the body. This would
be an easy way to draw children into the “real” sermon. Laugh with everyone about the idea that the
minister might be the mouth of the church.
Then, point out that your mouth will not be around at the swimming pool
or at the office this summer when someone needs to stand up for Jesus’ ways or
say Jesus’ kind, loving words. Insist
that each of them must be Jesus’ mouth where they are. Then go on to imagine who are the hands
describing what they do being sure to include children serving as hands and so
forth. (Hmmm, I wonder how Jesus’ feet
would play soccer?) Offer children a
sermon worksheet with outlines of the body parts you will explore. Invite them to write or draw in each part at
least one way they can be that part of Jesus’ body.
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| Get someone to improve on this and adapt it to feature the parts of Jesus’ body discussed in the sermon or as a last resort copy it with my permission and print as is. |
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