On this Ascension Thursday I attended the Act of Consecration at our local Christian Community. For this Festival the green on the Priest’s chasuble changes to gold. The epistle speaks about how Christ having completed the ‘sending’ by The Father, is now the meaning of the Earth. His ascending is our ascending. The ‘Father Ground of the World’ is now accessible to us in the aura of the Earth, opening us to future worlds that we are called to co-create.
Rev. Jeana Lee spoke a beautiful sermon using the imagination of a dandelion – How it is a reflection of the Sun. And then it dies – transforming into a globe of seeds to be dispersed by the wind, reappearing everywhere…
In The Gospel reading from John 16, we hear what The Christ says to the disciples, preparing them for when He would leave them on Good Friday, & then return to bring them the esoteric teachings during the 40 days after the Resurrection (John 16:25: “Though I have been speaking to you figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father”)
Then on Ascension Thursday He seems to leave them again to make way for the Holy Spirit. It is now during these 10 days until Pentecost when we feel most alone: “The hour is coming, it has already come, when you will all be scattered, each to their own loneliness”
This is an opportunity calling us to consciously gather in the ‘Upper Room’, each of us facing our own loneliness together. Reviewing how the life of Christ lives in our lives today…So that we can will to be a pure vessel for the Holy Spirit – Open to the fires of enthusiasm that empower us to take up our cross & do our work in the world.
Many are called few are chosen. YOU are called. You are welcome, to join us in co-creating the Upper Room in the ethers tonight:
Dear friends if you will to join us on Ascension Thursday – Please contact Diane McGary, mcgary.family@comcast.net – Then you will receive an email with the zoom link.
The Anthroposophical Society in Greater Boston is offering an exciting Event on Ascension Thursday, May 26th 4 pm PT / 6 pm CT / 7pm – 8:30 pm Eastern time.
Climbing Jacob’s Ladder – Celebrating the Festival of Ascension with Hazel Archer-Ginsberg & Eurythmy with Maria Ver Eecke
“In heavy clouds let Him ascend
And so also let Him downward tread.
In cooling streams let Him be sent,
In flames of fire blaze His descent,
In air & essence, sound & dew
To permeate our whole earth thru” ~Novalis
Ascension is a Festival of the Elements, & of the Hierarchies, it relates to the Transfiguration & the fulfillment of the promise of the ‘Second Coming’. Together we will explore the mystery of ‘As Above so Below’.
Hazel Archer-Ginsberg is a trans-denominational minister, essayist, lecturer, performer, and poet. She writes and curates ‘Reverse Ritual, Understanding Anthroposophy Through the Rhythms of the Year’ and the ‘I Think Speech’ podcast. Hazel’s been the Cultural Events and Festivals Coordinator for the Rudolf Steiner Branch in Chicago for over 10 years. She is a member of the Central Regional Council, the School for Spiritual Science, the Esoteric Youth Circle, and the General Council of the Anthroposophical Society in America.
Register by contacting Diane McGary, mcgary.family@comcast.net
Hope to see you there!! – YES! Please feel free to spread the word!
Yours, Diane McGary, mcgary.family@comcast.net
Hi Hazel,
I had to look up chasuble for the meaning of turning green to gold, which I still don’t quite understand, but maybe in the long run, I do 🙂
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chasuble
We know that Christ entered earth evolution in order to effect the green. This is utterly esoteric, but very important for what has become our salvation as the human race on earth, which is the fourth sphere. So, to wear gold as the vestment must mean an important event exists to take place, and be memorialized. CC has the idea here, and thanks for mentioning this change of Chasuble for this Ascension Thursday. I admit not knowing much about CC, but I know that they adhere to Steiner’s Christology. This is always worth listening to. Thanks for these remarks. Green to Gold is an awesome image in which I am visualizing right now in seeing how the one vestment enables what now must become golden. This makes perfect sense on Ascension Thursday.
The chasuble & the altar vestments change with the festivals, in the time between the Resurrection & Ascension the main color of the priestly garment is red with a green Lemniscate in front & a green U-shape in back, Then at Ascension the green becomes a brilliant shimmering gold against the red, it is quite striking.
The insert prayer also changes. They are mantic & very powerful, containing the essence of the Holy Day – the Word received by Steiner directly from the Spiritual World…each word vibrates into my very soul, but often I cannot remember the exact wording of the poetry.
This is still an oral tradition that has not been breached, there are no written copies available for the public, one must he there in the presence – to listen – it is like a seed implanted in my spirit that grows unseen…
Hi Hazel,
In the direct aftermath of the Last Supper, which is described in John, chapter 13 to some degree, and wherein the ceremony involving the washing of the feet of the disciples is designed to convey something of importance to them, we also have the identifying of the betrayer in Judas. It is here that Christ is conducting a ceremony that will effect a change of consciousness in the disciples, and this includes Judas, who goes out in the night to do what he must do. Then, as indicated, Christ says, “Now is the Son of Man glorified”.
Then, Christ takes the time to convey a very special gospel to His disciples, and this forms the content of chapters 14 through 17 of the Gospel of John. Here is where He promises them that He will send the Helper, who can also be designated as the Intercessor, or Paraclete. In other words, the Spirit of Truth, which John the Baptist had once expressed for a time before being beheaded.
Thus, these four chapters (14-17) can be a meditative exercise in which Christ hammers home the reason why He has come, and prepared the way to the Father. He feels the pain that they are enduring in knowing that He must leave. Yet, He tells them that this is the only way that He can return to them. Just like the seed of the dandelion, which shows gold, and assures renewal.
So, this reference from chapter 16, verse 25, is really good because it stands at the very point where the disciples begin to see what Christ means for salvation. Their brokenheartedness becomes a new revelation, and a new power received here when all this discourse to them is realized with these words:
29 His disciples said, “Lo, now You are speaking plainly and are not using a figure of speech. 30 Now we know that You know all things, and have no need for anyone to question You; by this we believe that You came from God.” 31 Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? 32 Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. 33 These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”