Wakefield Christians will gather at Sandal Castle to celebrate Ascension Day

Churches Together meets at Sandal Castle, on Ascension Day, Thursday, May 18 at 7:30am.

Wakefield Christians will gather at Sandal Castle to celebrate Ascension Day with hymns and prayers. To be fair, it’s not one of those festivals that bring out greetings cards or special food like Easter and Christmas or even new clothes, like Whit Sunday. The amazing story of Jesus isn’t fully told without the finale of Ascension and Pentecost.

Mary Taylor writes: We all know now about coronations. We’ve just seen the magnificence and splendour of Charles III being crowned King. In the same way the Ascension story of Jesus returning to his glorious place in heaven is His coronation.

After serving all of humankind through love and sacrifice he is now elevated and crowned as God’s chosen king. No wonder that the example of Jesus the servant king took a prominent place amidst all the ritual in Westminster Abbey.

And having been crowned, the King gives gifts. Not a concert or a souvenir mug but the gift of the Holy Spirit. First, Jesus ascends to His throne and then showers his followers with a Pentecost harvest to share with others.

For those of us following the way of Jesus we take two important steps of allegiance. First, we acknowledge Jesus is king over our own lives. We bow to his wisdom about how to live lives of love. And second, we receive the gift of His Spirit who gives each of us power for good.

An earthly coronation comes along only rarely. Only a few get to be there and see it in the flesh. Only a few get to see the king dressed in all his fine robes. On the other hand, seeing King Jesus, is a daily, powerful experience open to all through prayer and obedience. We’re all invited!

Mary Taylor, lives in Wakefield: pastoral supervisor and retired Baptist Minister.

Pilgrim’s Progress is edited by Nick Shields

*Churches Together meets at Sandal Castle, on Ascension Day, Thursday, May 18 at 7:30am.