Today we celebrate Ascension Day.

Ascension Day celebrates Jesus ascension to heaven after he was resurrected on Easter Day.

On Good Friday, Jesus died on the cross. On Easter Sunday, he came back to life. During the forty days which followed that first Easter, he kept appearing to his followers. Ascension Day marks the last appearance of Jesus to the disciples after his resurrection at Easter.

The name ‘ascension’ comes from the accounts in the Bible in Mark’s Gospel and Luke’s Gospel that tell of Jesus being taken up into heaven – he ascended. Jesus told his disciples that he would always be with them, and promised them the gift of the Holy Spirit (at Pentecost). At Ascension, Christians celebrate the kingship of Jesus.

Ascension Day is the 40th day after Easter Sunday and always falls on a Thursday (hence its other name Holy Thursday). It marks the end of Rogationtide.

2009 – 21 May
2010 – 13 May
2011 – 2 June
2012 – 17 May
2013 – 9 May
2014 – 29 May
2015 – 14 May
2016 – 5 May
2017 – 25 May
2018 – 10 May
2019 – 30 May
2020 – 21 May

Ten days after Ascension Day is Pentecost which marks the coming of the Holy Spirit to the disciples.

As children bring their broken toys
With tears for us to mend,
I brought my broken dreams to God
Because He was my friend.

But then instead of leaving Him
In peace to work alone,
I hung around and tried to help
With ways that were my own.

At last I snatched them back and cried,
“How could you be so slow”
“My child,” He said, “What could I do?
You never did let go.”

- written by Robert J. Burdette

A man came home from work late again, tired and irritated, to find his 5 year old son waiting for him at the door.

“Daddy, may I ask you a question?”

“Yeah, sure, what is it?” replied the man.

“Daddy, how much money do you make an hour?

“That’s none of your business! What makes you ask such a thing?” the man said angrily.

“I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?” pleaded the little boy.

“If you must know, I make $20.00 an hour.”

“Oh,” the little boy replied, head bowed. Looking up, he said, “Daddy, may I borrow $10.00 please?”

The father was furious. “If the only reason you wanted to know how much money I make is just so you can borrow some to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you’re being so selfish. I work long, hard hours everyday and don’t have time for such childish games.”

The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door. The man sat down and started to get even madder about the little boy’s questioning. How dare him ask such questions only to get some money.

After an hour or so, the man had calmed down, and started to think he may have been a little hard on his son. Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $10.00, and he really didn’t ask for money very often. The man went to the door of the little boy’s room and opened the door. “Are you asleep son?” he asked.

“No daddy, I’m awake,” replied the boy.

“I’ve been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier,” said the man. “It’s been a long day and I took my aggravation out on you. Here’s that $10.00 you asked for.”

The little boy sat straight up, beaming. “Oh, thank you daddy!” he yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow, he pulled out some more crumpled up bills. The man, seeing that the boy already had money, started to get angry again. The little boy slowly counted out his money, then looked up at the man.

“Why did you want more money if you already had some?” the father grumbled.

“Because I didn’t have enough, but now I do,” the little boy replied.

“Daddy, I have $20.00 now. Can I buy an hour of your time?”

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Share some time with those who need you. They need our time more then we will ever know.