Nativity View

We don’t talk much about “feast days” in the Lutheran church. Sometimes we call them “festivals” instead. Whether you call it a festival or a feast day, there is a day in our liturgical calendar that sneaks by most of us every year, tucked quietly between the celebration of Easter and the fire of Pentecost. It's Ascension Day, and this year it falls on May 14th — forty days after Easter it’s always on a Thursday. I think it might be one of the most underrated days in the entire church calendar. And for those of us trying to live as active, engaged Christians in the world right now, it has a lot to say to us.

Here's what happened on that first Ascension Day, as Luke tells it at the opening of Acts: Jesus was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight. And the disciples just... stood there. Staring up at the sky. Until two figures in white appeared and basically said, Hey — why are you standing around looking up? Get moving. It's almost a little funny. But it's also one of the most important moments in the New Testament.

Because here's the thing the Ascension is really telling us: Christ is no longer walking around in a physical body. Ours are the only ones available. We are it. The church isn't sitting around waiting for Jesus to come fix things — we are the fixing. We are the hands, the feet, the voice. That's not just a nice saying on a church bulletin. It's a serious theological claim that shapes everything about how we spend our time and energy.

And friends, look at what this congregation is doing with that.

Every week, our AIO Food Pantry volunteers, and every month, our Loaves and Fishes volunteers are making sure hungry neighbors can walk in and eat with dignity. Our Creation Care Team has been digging into the problem of food waste, working to make sure that abundance doesn't get thrown away when people right here in our community are going without. We're walking alongside Homeworthy to help our unhoused neighbors find stable places to live — because a roof over your head is not a luxury, it's a human right. And when we collected sleeping bags for people spending cold nights outside, that wasn't a charity drive. That was theology in action. That was us saying, “you are not forgotten.”

We're also doing something that takes real courage: speaking out against Christian Nationalism. I want to be clear — that's not a political statement. It's a faith statement. When the name of Jesus gets used to justify cruelty, to shut out the stranger, to wage war, and to dress up the will to dominate in religious clothing, we have an obligation to stand up and say, that is not the Gospel we follow. The Christ who ascended is the same one who fed crowds, washed feet, and welcomed everyone the world had pushed aside, the same one who proclaimed peace.

Ascension Day is a nudge — maybe more like a shove — away from passive waiting and toward active presence in the world. We don't get to stand there staring at the sky. We turn around, face what's in front of us, and keep working.

Amos 5:23-24: “Stop your noisy songs; I do not want to listen to your harps. Instead, let justice roll down like a river that never goes dry.” (from The Bible in Today’s English Version)

In this Old Testament passage and the verses leading up to it, the prophet Amos delivers to Israel an emphatic message from God that is both a warning and a tongue-lashing, recounting their misplaced priorities and unfaithfulness. And what are they to understand from this? That God chooses justice over religious rituals and is not pleased with hypocrisy, that actions which bring about justice are God’s priority.

I know this about God. As a Christian, I have long been taught to care about justice for the vulnerable and marginalized. And yet I admit I can see myself in this story, as someone who needs strong reminders of what’s important. I can fail to see where my actions or in-actions contribute to injustice. And when I do see the connections, I’m sometimes either unable or unwilling to make changes. Perhaps I have reaped or am reaping benefits from the status quo. I am guilty of all of the above. But, that isn’t the end of the story. There’s good news. We see through scripture how God continues to be faithful to Israel, and so I believe that God is there with love and grace for me, too.

I share this passage about justice because of the creation care concern of climate change and its clear relationship to social justice. Our awareness of climate change is not new. It may seem like old news, and we may have numbed our worries about it or even become complacent. What is a newer realization is that in the wake of climate changes, many issues of social justice have become apparent. These we now call issues of “climate justice”. Climate extremes disproportionately impact the poor and people of color across the world. Sea level rise threatens some 1,000,000,000 (yes, a billion!) people living below the projected level of coastal waters, many of whom are also the poorest. Low income communities located near fossil fuel industry sites suffer greater toxic exposure and harm to their health. And there are many more examples of climate-related injustices. Most of us are insulated from the more serious of the consequences of climate change, but that doesn’t mean we don’t bear responsibility. On the contrary. We bear more responsibility. Together with Russia, the US ranks highest in per capita production of greenhouse gases and 2nd in national production, much of it due to the lifestyle we enjoy.

In 2023, the ELCA adopted a social message entitled “Earth’s Climate Crisis”. Within the context of our faith, it lays out a clearly documented case for the urgency and responsibility in addressing the crisis. It asserts that, “climate change presents humanity with a kairos moment; that is, a critical moment in time when God is leading us into decisive action”. The Greek word ‘kairos’ is found in the Old Testament and was also used by Jesus. It holds both the sense of great need and great hope in God.

I agree that our kairos moment is here and that we must act, for the good of creation and for justice. In that spirit, the Nativity Creation Care Team has taken some beginning steps. We’ve made plans to offer two opportunities to the congregation over the next couple of months. On May 3 following worship, we will show a beautiful and sensitive film called “The Last Ice Age”, together with a soup lunch and time for discussion (see Betty or Lynne for more information). On June 18 at 7 pm, all are invited to a lecture by environmentalist, author and pioneer of climate activism, Bill McKibbon, at the Camden Congregational Church. We hope to gather a group from Nativity to attend and show our support (see Ollie for more information).

The team also discussed a worldwide initiative on the part of the World Council of Churches called an Ecumenical Decade of Climate Justice Action. It is an invitation for individuals and church organizations to take action. The national Lutherans Restoring Creation organization suggests that congregations pass resolutions in support of participation, which would then be taken up at the synod assemblies and hopefully eventually taken up at the national assembly level.

This kairos moment can also be an impetus to reaffirm Nativity’s Congregational Covenant to Care for Creation and consider how you might take part. Actions can be undertaken in our homes and communities as well. The Maine Climate Monitor sends out a free weekly email newsletter covering climate-related news in Maine. I’ve found it helpful for staying informed and advocating for just policies. Policies affect people, and we are a church that believes in public engagement.

So, along with the people of God in Biblical times, may the people of God at Nativity in 2026 take our tongue-lashing with humility, and may we recognize our kairos moment. Let’s act, however we are able, and trust God to be with us, bringing about renewal in us and in the world. And may our actions bring a river of justice that never grows dry.

Month of May

Altar Care - Carolyn Ramm

Flowers - Annie Appleton

Acolyte - Ann Walker

May 3

Assistant - Fred Walker

Usher - Carol Brazier

Reader - Ted Long

May 10

Assistant - Carolyn Ramm

Usher - Bruce Cobb

Reader - Sherry Cobb

May 17

Assistant - Hans Akselsen II

Usher - Tina Huntley

Reader - Ann Kossuth

May 24

Assistant - Marty Taylor

Usher - Kim Murphy

Reader - Judy Pelletier

May 31

Assistant - Fred Walker

Usher - Jane Monhart

Reader - Marty Taylor