As we journey through Ascensiontide, we occupy the sacred space that exists between Jesus’ ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

In recent years this season has been marked by the “Thy Kingdom Come” initiative;
a global movement inviting Christians across different denominations and traditions to join in prayer between Ascension and Pentecost. Churches Together in Northampton is encouraging its participating churches to recognise this time as an opportunity to encourage ecumenical unity. At the heart of the ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ movement is Jesus’ prayer in John 17, especially Jesus’ longing for his followers to be one, and his desire for the world to come to believe through their unity and love.

Jesus’ final prayer is centred on unity amongst the disciples. This does not mean uniformity but rather a deep spiritual oneness in that diversity that is rooted in God’s love in Christ and the Holy Spirit. This spiritual unity reflects the relationship between the Father and the Son: intimate, loving, purposeful. When we live in loving unity, between neighbours, churches, and traditions we see something of the nature of God in us.

For Methodists the idea of unity is expressed through ‘connexonalism’ which is at the heart of our ecclesiology; believing that no worshipping community exists in isolation but that every church and every believer is connected together as we support one another and share in our resources, ministry, and mission. Connexionalism is experienced by the Church as a way of life, which assumes that all contribute to and receive from the life and mission of the whole Church by belonging, mutuality and interdependence in Christ and through the Holy Spirit.

We see examples of unity and interconnectedness on many levels. On the evening 20^th March 2025 a fire that started at an electricity substation Nestles Avenue, in Hayes Hillingdon, shut down Heathrow Airport; one of the busiest international airports in the world. The fire led to over 1000 flights being cancelled and disruption to over 200,000 airline passengers. Something that started as a small spark in a substation went on to have a huge impact on people across the globe as connecting flights were missed and other flights across the world had to be delayed, cancelled, or rerouted.

The unity of the Church is similar. Our words and actions, even as one person, can have a huge impact both positive and negative. This is because God’s people are interconnected and what we say and do has an impact. The more we are one in love and unity, the more we will be in sharing that love as the effective Church that Jesus prayed for.

The unity that we find in Christ forms a central part of our calling and mission. Jesus links the unity of His people with the credibility of the Gospel. When the Church is united in love and purpose, then the world takes notice. Our loving unity can become a powerful witness in a divided world. In this unity we are called to embody the grace and reconciliation that we have received in Christ, to demonstrate to the world how community should be

In the passage, Jesus longs for His people to be with him, to see His glory, and to live in the love shared within the triune God. This is not just about our eschatological future; it is also about the present experience of knowing and being known by God in Christ and the Holy Spirit. In Ascensiontide, we are reminded that Christ reigns in the here and now, and that we are already caught up in his eternal life, as his Kingdom establishes itself amongst us.

During this season I invite you to reflect on the ways that we might experience unity with Christ. What are the divisions that we see, in church and society, that we might help seek to heal? How might we be a visible sign of God’s unity every day? Who might we pray for to come to know the love of God in Christ Jesus? In this Ascensiontide season, let us commit ourselves to being open to God’s Kingdom being made known amongst us in love and unity.