Ascension of Our Lord — May 17, 2026

What this episode covers

Immanuel Lutheran Church Ascension of Our Lord — May 17, 2026 Ascension of Our Lord Joplin Missouri — on Sunday, May 17, 2026, Immanuel Lutheran Church gathered to celebrate the Ascension of Our Lord, observed on the seventh and final Sunday of the Easter season. Pastor Christopher Ramstad preached from Acts 1:1-11, exploring how Christ’s ascension is not just a dramatic exit — it is the bold opening of the church’s ongoing story as Spirit-filled witnesses to the ends of the earth. Ascension of Our Lord — Worship Service at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Joplin, Missouri (10:30 AM) Ascension of Our Lord in Joplin Missouri: The Story That Never Ends At Immanuel Lutheran Church in Joplin, Missouri, the Easter season concludes with one of the most underappreciated festivals on the church calendar. Ascension Day fell on Thursday, May 14 — exactly 40 days after Easter — but Immanuel observed it this Sunday, gathering to celebrate the risen Lord’s triumphant ascension to the right hand of the Father. As Pastor Ramstad reminded the congregation, this day marks not an ending but a new beginning: the church’s calling to be witnesses of the risen Christ, beginning in Jerusalem and extending to the ends of the earth. Ascension of Our Lord — Sunday worship at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Joplin, Missouri, May 17, 2026 Scripture Readings Three readings from Holy Scripture proclaimed the mystery of Christ’s ascension and the church’s Spirit-filled mission. The First Reading from Acts 1:1-11 described the risen Christ commanding His apostles to wait for the Holy Spirit, then being taken up into heaven before their eyes. The Epistle from Ephesians 1:15-23 declared that God seated Christ at His right hand “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion.” The Holy Gospel from Luke 24:44-53 described Jesus opening the disciples’ minds to the Scriptures, commissioning them as witnesses beginning from Jerusalem, and being “carried up into heaven.” “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8 (ESV) Sermon: The Book of Acts and Your Story Pastor Ramstad opened with a question he had posed to the high school Bible study the week before: “What one book — besides the Bible — changed your life?” Answers ranged from Hatchet to Lord of the Rings. What makes a story truly memorable? It needs a solid opening, a compelling plot, and an ending that sticks the landing. The Book of Acts delivers all three. Luke writes to Theophilus — whose name means “friend of God” or “loved by God” — and begins where his Gospel ended: with the Ascension. “Jesus was taken up,” Pastor Ramstad noted. “It’s passive. The Father did this.” Right from verse one, this is God’s story unfolding. The disciples asked: “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” Jesus redirected them: “You will be my witnesses.” The Greek word is martus — from which we get the English word martyr. Ten of the eleven apostles standing on that hillside would eventually give their lives for that witness. Bearing the name of Jesus comes with a cost — and a power. Jesus called it dunamis, the dynamite-power of the Holy Spirit: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.” This same Spirit-empowered witness continues in the church today — including here in Joplin, Missouri. The Book of Acts ends with Paul in Rome, “proclaiming the kingdom of God with all boldness and without hindrance” — and then simply closes. No tidy resolution. Because the story is not over. The angels promised: “This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go” (Acts 1:11). That promise is the ending of every Christian’s story. Pastor Ramstad applied this to those gathered on this Ascension Sunday: your story in Christ has a solid opening — Holy Baptism in the Triune name. A Spirit-