[This reflection was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 12/Jun/2022]
Recently on ‘Connect in Faith’ we had a special Ascension Day service. This is one Christian festival that tends to be overlooked, partly because it falls on a working day and perhaps because it lies between the two great festivals of Easter, when Jesus rose from the dead, and Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came in power. Yet there are some wonderful Ascension Day hymns which remind us of the significance of Jesus being taken up to heaven in glory. One is Charles Wesley’s “Hail the day that sees him rise”.
Hail the day that sees him rise, Alleluia!
Glorious to his native skies; Alleluia!
Christ, awhile to mortals given, Alleluia!
Enters now the highest heaven! Alleluia!There the glorious triumph waits; Alleluia!
Lift your heads, eternal gates! Alleluia!
Wide unfold the radiant scene; Alleluia!
Take the King of glory in! Alleluia! [1]
Another great Ascension Day hymn is “Alleluia, sing to Jesus” by William Chatterton Dix. I have loved this hymn for many years, but only recently discovered it had a 4th verse:
Alleluia! King eternal, thee the Lord of lords we own;
Alleluia! born of Mary, earth thy footstool, heaven thy throne.
Thou within the veil hast entered, robed in flesh, our great High Priest.
Thou on earth both Priest and Victim in the Eucharistic Feast. [2]
Normally praise and worship don’t come easily to me, but after hearing these hymns and reading the Bible verses which inspired them, all I wanted to do was worship Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords.
[1] See Psalm 25 v 9,10
[2] See Isaiah 66 v 1-2, Hebrews 9 v 11-12, Rev 19 v 11-13, 16.
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Contributed by Helen Ruffhead; © the Author
