Ascension Thursday, 2025

As I write this, today is Ascension Day; the day the church remembers that after his death and resurrection, Jesus was bodily taken into heaven as his friends watched. This is not the most astonishing thing that happened in this part of the Acts of the Apostles, for something bigger was yet to come.

The story of Jesus’ life, as told by the Gospel of Luke and Acts of the Apostles, reaches its summit as the Spirit of God comes to where the disciples are holed-up and “filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.” (Acts 2: 2-4) For the author of Luke, the coming of the Holy Spirit is the point of the story of Jesus, the purpose of God’s actions accomplished by Jesus in his life. As far as Luke is concerned, the Spirit is the reason Jesus came to earth: that we might be immersed into the holy power of God and continue to participate in what God designs for all creation.

With the significance of this Godly gift to us, I wonder why we seem to have so little understanding of the Holy Spirit and of her character. (I deliberately use the feminine pronoun here because it is a tradition that reaches back into Jewish history when The Spirit of God, “wisdom” was always a “she.” Also, I think it important to erase the false lines of distinction when we call God “He,” or “Father,” while eliminating any feminine reference to God’s nature. It seems to me to be less threatening to folks to refer to the Spirit as ‘she’ than to referring to God as ‘she,’ even though theologians would yank my Trinitarian card for suggesting the possibility of a separate identity for God creator, incarnate and sustainer!) It would be a mistake to say the Holy Spirit had been held in some sort of stasis until she was set free on the day of Pentecost. The Spirit of God, present at the beginning of creation, never left us. She was present as the waters gathered on the earth, in the pyre prepared for Isaac, in the fire of the burning bush, and in the hearts of God’s faithful as we were exiled from our homeland.

Jesus’ ascension provided the opportunity for God to ‘kick start’ our collective memory reminding us that what gave Jesus the RIGHT to call God his Parent, the POWER to feed 5,000 people, and the WISDOM to give high dignity to the oppressed was nothing less than the pervasive presence of God that drives all creation towards its objective: ONE. This Holy Spirit, this presence and character of God that permeates all that exists in the universe, is nothing less than God!

When we pray, we do so in the presence of the Spirit of God who inspires the prayer, who moves our lips, and who plants hope in us. When we are confronted with oppression and are moved to fight for liberation, it is the Spirit of God in us initiating and effecting that movement. Experiencing loss and death, it is the Spirit who draws us towards inner-healing, and which binds us to those who are lost in death yet still are connected to us in a new way.

The Ascension of Jesus is also a literary device that moves all people (even non-believers, in Acts) from the reliance on the story of the physical Jesus as the source of liberation, healing and oneness, to the awesome knowledge that the continued story of liberation and healing for the world is put into our hands. We are not left alone in this holy task but share in the lifeblood of the Spirit of God whence all hope for liberation and unity comes.



Christopher +

Readings for Next Week

June 8, 2025

Acts 2:1-21

Genesis 11:1-9

John 14:8-17, (25-27)

Psalm 104:25-35, 37

PUNCH Graduation Party:

Party for foster students is on Sunday, June 8 at The Center from 1-2 p.m. If you are gifting from the Angel Tree, please return your gifts to the office by Sunday, June 1. If you bring them on a Sunday, see Jen Broders or Kathy Lundberg and they can help you.

Honoring Trinity Graduates:

Do you know anyone who is graduating from high school or college this year? If so, please send their name along with the name of their school to the Meggan in the office by June 2^nd. We will feature them in a special insert in the church bulletin, and we will have a special coffee hour on June 8^th to honor those graduates.

Wednesday Night Dinner Study:

The group that gathered on Wednesday nights during Lent is now meeting through the Easter Season and includes dinner. We are reading “The Sin of Certainty: Why God Desires Our Trust More Than Our 'Correct' Beliefs" by Peter Enns, available on Amazon. Dinner starts at 5:30, concluding before choir practice at 7:00.

Outreach News:

Churches United is facing a budget deficit of $37,624 for outreach programs in the QC area, worsened by federal funding cuts. The Trinity Outreach Committee has donated $1,000 and is challenging the congregation to contribute more. Churches United welcomes any donations, which can be made via checks to Trinity with "Churches United" noted in the memo.

Donations Needed for Hygiene Kits:

We are seeking additional donations of small items to create “hygiene kits” for those in need. We require items such as soap, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and other personal care products that we can assemble and distribute to the less fortunate in our community. Please drop off any contributions at the church office. If you have any questions, please contact Sue Burrough at ssburrough@aol.com.

Trinity Shirts:

We are coordinating an order for t-shirts and sweatshirts that showcase our logo and our mission to Do Christ’s Work. If you’re interested in placing an order, please let the office know your preferred size and style. The prices for these items vary from $13.00 to $28.00, based on the size and whether you select a t-shirt or a sweatshirt. We will proceed with the order once we have a minimum of 25 shirts.

Anglican identity:

We will gather in the Great Hall on Wednesday June 11^th from 5:30- 7:30 PM. with Rev. Elizabeth Poppelwell.

Episco-Pride Committee at the QC-Pride Fest:

You’re invited to swing by our booth on Friday, June 6th, and Saturday, June 7th, 2025, at the QC Pride Fest!

Festival Hours:

Friday, June 6^th 4 – 11:00 PM

Saturday, June 7^th Noon – 11:00 PM

Location:

Schwiebert Riverfront Park, 101 17th St,

Rock Island, IL 61201. See you there!

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has signed up to volunteer at our booth. Your support means the world to us!

Online Giving Portal:

We are excited to share that you can now make pledges or contributions through our online platform! For your convenience, feel free to scan the QR Code below for easy access. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Meggan in the office at 563-323-9989 or via email at Meggan@qctrinity.org.