Full worship service for Ascension Sunday. Joy? preached by Rev. Lou Ellen Hartley. Soloists Mary Kwantes and Jeff Sandquist. Pianist Lorie Francis.
Music streamed under CCLI license #20587126 and OneLicense #A-727888.
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Preached by Rev. Lou Ellen Hartley. Based on Ephesians 1:15-23; Luke 24:44-53; Acts 1:1-11.
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1 Clap your hands, all you peoples;
shout to God with loud songs of joy.
2 For the Lord, the Most High, is awesome,
a great king over all the earth.
3 He subdued peoples under us,
and nations under our feet.
4 He chose our heritage for us,
the pride of Jacob whom he loves.Selah
5 God has gone up with a shout,
the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises;
sing praises to our King, sing praises.
7 For God is the king of all the earth;
sing praises with a psalm.[a]
8 God is king over the nations;
God sits on his holy throne.
9 The princes of the peoples gather
as the people of the God of Abraham.
For the shields of the earth belong to God;
he is highly exalted
Prayer
Holy God, your love is higher than the heavens and your grace is wider than the seas. Awaken our hearts to the joy of your presence and open our lips to sing your praise; to the glory of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Psalm 103
Thanksgiving for God’s Goodness
Of David.
1
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name.
2
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and do not forget all his benefits—
3
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
4
who redeems your life from the Pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5
who satisfies you with good as long as you live[a]
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Prayer: God of all mercies, we praise you that you have brought us to this day, brightening our lives with promise and hope in Jesus Christ. Especially we thank you for the warmth of sunlight, the wetness of rain and all that nourishes the earth; the presence and power of your Spirit; the support and encouragement we receive from others; those who provide for public safety and well being; the mission of the church around the world; (other prayers of thanksgiving….).
Merciful God, strengthen us in prayer that we may lift up the brokenness of this world for your healing, and share in the saving love of Jesus Christ. Especially we prayer for those in positions of authority over others; the lonely and forgotten; children without families or homes; agents of caring and relief; the church in Asia and the Middle East; (other prayers of intercession…).
In your son’s most precious name we pray, Amen.
1 I call upon you, O Lord; come quickly to me;
give ear to my voice when I call to you.
2 Let my prayer be counted as incense before you,
and the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice.
3 Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord;
keep watch over the door of my lips.
4 Do not turn my heart to any evil,
to busy myself with wicked deeds
in company with those who work iniquity;
do not let me eat of their delicacies.
5 Let the righteous strike me;
let the faithful correct me.
Never let the oil of the wicked anoint my head,[a]
for my prayer is continually[b]against their wicked deeds.
6 When they are given over to those who shall condemn them,
then they shall learn that my words were pleasant.
7 Like a rock that one breaks apart and shatters on the land,
so shall their bones be strewn at the mouth of Sheol.[c]
8 But my eyes are turned toward you, O God, my Lord;
in you I seek refuge; do not leave me defenseless.
9 Keep me from the trap that they have laid for me,
and from the snares of evildoers.
10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
while I alone escape.
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen
Psalm 72;1-2, 12-14
(Of Solomon.)
Give the king your justice, O God,
and your righteousness to a king’s son.
May he judge your people with righteousness,
and your poor with justice.
For he delivers the needy when they call,
the poor and those who have no helper.
He has pity on the weak and the needy,
and saves the lives of the needy.
From oppression and violence he redeems their life;
and precious is their blood in his sight.
Prayer
You know us, Creator God, because you made us. You know us, because you were one of us. We are made in your image. Help us to reflect it more clearly. We were made for living. Help us to live in Christ. We were made to live abundantly. Help us live in your abundant love, grace, wisdom, and hope. You made us with minds of our own. Help us to use our minds, to think clearly, and make decisions which reflect your love for your creation. You made us to have great emotions. Help us use those emotions for compassion, justice, forgiveness, healing, joy, and peace. You made our bodies fragile. Help those who are ill to heal. You made us mortal. Help us to embrace our lives as well as our deaths and to live like we matter to you and to others. We rely on you for all we have and all we are. Help us to share. Bless us and keep us in your love. Amen.
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Psalm 99
1 The Lord is king; let the peoples tremble!
He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!
2 The Lord is great in Zion;
he is exalted over all the peoples.
3 Let them praise your great and awesome name.
Holy is he!
4 Mighty King,[a] lover of justice,
you have established equity;
you have executed justice
and righteousness in Jacob.
5 Extol the Lord our God;
worship at his footstool.
Holy is he!
6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
Samuel also was among those who called on his name.
They cried to the Lord, and he answered them.
7 He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud;
they kept his decrees,
and the statutes that he gave them.
8 O Lord our God, you answered them;
you were a forgiving God to them,
but an avenger of their wrongdoings.
9 Extol the Lord our God,
and worship at his holy mountain;
for the Lord our God is holy.
(Spend a moment offering prayers of thanksgiving and intercession)
Eternal God, your hand shaped our lives by grace and your hand rescued us from sin by love. May your hand guide us through this day, shielding us from all evil, strengthening us to do justice and love, in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
(from Daily Prayers)
Psalm 116
I love the Lord, because he has heard
my voice and my supplications.
2
Because he inclined his ear to me,
therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
3
The snares of death encompassed me;
the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
I suffered distress and anguish.
4
Then I called on the name of the Lord:
“O Lord, I pray, save my life!”
5
Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
our God is merciful.
6
The Lord protects the simple;
when I was brought low, he saved me.
7
Return, O my soul, to your rest,
for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.
8
For you have delivered my soul from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling.
9
I walk before the Lord
in the land of the living.
10
I kept my faith, even when I said,
“I am greatly afflicted”;
11
I said in my consternation,
“Everyone is a liar.”
12
What shall I return to the Lord
for all his bounty to me?
13
I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the Lord,
14
I will pay my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people.
15
Precious in the sight of the Lord
is the death of his faithful ones.
16
O Lord, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the child of your serving girl.
You have loosed my bonds.
17
I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice
and call on the name of the Lord.
18
I will pay my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people,
19
in the courts of the house of the Lord,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord!
Prayer:
Attentive God, you hear our prayers when we offer them with joy and when we are lost in despair. You hear our prayers when we are confused and angered and when we are strong and at peace. Hear us today as we offer thanks for your attentiveness and for your understanding. Hear us today as we lift up our world in all its turmoil. We have so many questions, concerns, hopes, and fears. You are with us through all of life, even when life is uncomfortable, inconvenient, dangerous, and unsure. We cling to your presence in this time. May your gift of faith anchor us, your gift of grace temper us, and your gift of peace accompany us. In Christ we pray, Amen.
There is a FREE online Christian education opportunity titled Being in Relationship starting soon. It is offered as a collaboration between Our Bible App and Auburn Seminary. (Auburn Seminary has a covenant agreement with PC(USA) for education of pastors and other leaders.) From their web site:
This program has been created for you if you have not been affirming or accepting of LGBTQ+ people. You recognize that LGBTQ+ people attend your church, your school and are even a part of your family. As a result, you would like to learn how to better understand, serve and be in community with them.
The class consists of four seminars that are scheduled every three weeks, starting May 14, 2020. This is an excellent opportunity if you would like to learn more, but are hesitant to discuss sensitive issues with people in our congregation or others who are close to you. If you have any questions, visit the program’s web site (https://www.ourbibleapp.com/bir) or contact Jonathan Kimball.