1. Morning Worship Liberation
Ascension Day
Festival
14th May 2015
Bishop Justus Church of England School

2. Gather The Lord be with you And also with you
Today is Ascension Day when we celebrate Jesus’ ascension to heaven. The disciples and followers of Jesus had to take new responsibility after Jesus left them. Without Jesus present to guide them they had make their own decisions.

3. Then [Jesus] led them out of the city as far as Bethany, where he raised his hands and blessed them. As he was blessing them, he departed from them and was taken up into heaven. They worshipped him and went back into Jerusalem, filled with great joy, and spent all their time in the Temple giving thanks to God.
Luke 24:50-53
Imagine what it might have been like to see Jesus’ ascension.
How do you think you would have felt if you were one of his disciples?
Receive

4. Engage
Watch this interpretation of Jesus’ ascension
Watch this Sand art depiction of the resurrection and ascension
Jesus’ ascension required his disciples and us as a Christian community to take his mission over and become independent.
Discuss growing up and gaining independence what are the appropriate age levels for different responsibilities?
Recall the first time you went to the shops on your own,
cooked a meal, walked to school etc.
Think how it felt…
What was good / difficult about doing things for yourself?
What independence do you most look forward to?
What worries you?
How can we take on Jesus’ mission?
How can we ‘grow up’ as Christians?
Other Ideas
Play a game of challenges (use your own ideas)
e.g. stand on the desk and sing,
behave like a chicken for a minute etc.
Discuss why we feel challenged by things that push us out of our comfort zone
How does it feel if we can realise our goals and meet challenges?
When the going gets tough…… persevering
Discuss how you think the disciples would have felt when Jesus left them…?
It is through the perseverance and courage of the early Christians that we have the Church today….. Think about times you have felt like giving up….
Discuss what might have happened to The Beatles and Einstein:
'We don't like their sound. Groups of guitars are on the way out.'
(Decca Recording company, rejecting The Beatles in Pye, Columbia and HMV also rejected them. Oops..)
'You will never amount to very much.'
(Munich schoolmaster to Albert Einstein aged 10)

5. Christ has no body now but yours No hands, no feet on earth but yours
Respond
Christ has no body now but yours
No hands, no feet on earth but yours
Yours are the eyes through which He looks
compassion on this world
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.
Amen
Teresa of Avila

6. Go Walk in God’s light, to rejoice in God’s love,
and to reflect God’s glory
Amen