The Ascension Of Our Lord
Worship
Lectionary Worship Workbook
Series IV, Cycle A
Hymns
Holy Spirit, Truth Divine (CBH 508, UM465)
Peoples, Clap Your Hands! (PH194)
A Hymn Of Glory, Let Us Sing (NCH259, PH141)
Rejoice, The Lord Is King! (CBH288, UM716, PH155)
Alleluia! Sing To Jesus! (PH144)
Hail, O Festal Day! (NCH262)
Spirit Divine, Inspire Our Prayers (CBH30, PH325)
Hail The Day That Sees Christ Rise (NCH260)
Anthems
People Of God, Rejoice!, Allen Pote, Hope Pub., SATB/handbells
God Has Gone Up, Titcomb, H. W. Gray, SATB
Sing To God, Butler, CGA, 2--part
Christ's Own Body, Margaret Tucker, 2--part
Call to Worship (based on Psalm 47)
Leader: Clap your hands, all you peoples;
People: Shout to God with loud songs of joy.
Leader: For God, the Most High, is awesome,
People: A great ruler over all the earth.
Leader: God has gone up with a shout,
People: Our God with the sound of a trumpet.
Leader: Sing praises to God, sing praises;
People: Sing praises to our marvelous God.
Leader: For God is ruler of all the earth;
All: Sing praises with a psalm.
Call to Confession
In the book of Acts, two angels asked Jesus' followers, "People of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven." Let us confess our sins of disbelief unto our God. Let us pray.
Prayer of Confession
O Great and glorious God, for whom all things are possible, why is it so hard for us to believe? We read the story of your ascension into heaven, and the first thing we want to say is, "Right. That sounds like complete fiction to us." But it isn't the words of the story that are important. What is important is our belief that, with you, all things are possible. All things.... Forgive us, God, for forgetting to pray when our life gets out of control. Forgive us for not knowing that you are right there, walking beside us, wanting to be part of our lives and our decision--making. Forgive us for not talking to you about all aspects of our lives - the joyful, the discouraging, the bothersome, and the difficult. On this Ascension Sunday, help our unbelief. Amen.
Assurance of Forgiveness
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus said, "Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins are to be proclaimed in his name to all nations." Brothers and sisters, through Jesus the Christ our sins are forgiven.
Scripture Readings
A choral speaking choir would work well for both these passages - with several solo voices.
Acts 1:10--11: Have the choir stand in two rows with the soloists on the first row, something like this:
X X X X X X X X X
X X 1 3 4 2 X X
Voice 1: While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father.
Voice 2: "This," he said, "is what you have heard form me; for John baptized with water but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."
Voice 1: So when they had come together, they asked him,
Speaking Choir: Lord, is this the time when you will be restored the kingdom to Israel?
Voice 2: He replied, "It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
Speaking Choir: When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them.
Voices 3 and 4: They said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."
Luke 24:44--53: Move the choir into a V--shape with the solo voice who is Jesus at the tip
X X X X
X X X
X X
S
Choir: Then he said to them:
Solo: These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you - that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.
Choir: Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them,
Solo: Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.
Choir: Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands, he blessed them. While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; and they were continually in the temple blessing God.
Benediction (based on Ephesians 1:17--21)
Leader: May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the God of glory, give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation.
People: So that, with the eyes of our hearts enlightened, we may know what is the hope to which we have been called
Leader: That you may know the glorious inheritance among the saints and the immeasurable greatness of God's power for us who believe
People: Far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. Amen.
Holy Spirit, Truth Divine (CBH 508, UM465)
Peoples, Clap Your Hands! (PH194)
A Hymn Of Glory, Let Us Sing (NCH259, PH141)
Rejoice, The Lord Is King! (CBH288, UM716, PH155)
Alleluia! Sing To Jesus! (PH144)
Hail, O Festal Day! (NCH262)
Spirit Divine, Inspire Our Prayers (CBH30, PH325)
Hail The Day That Sees Christ Rise (NCH260)
Anthems
People Of God, Rejoice!, Allen Pote, Hope Pub., SATB/handbells
God Has Gone Up, Titcomb, H. W. Gray, SATB
Sing To God, Butler, CGA, 2--part
Christ's Own Body, Margaret Tucker, 2--part
Call to Worship (based on Psalm 47)
Leader: Clap your hands, all you peoples;
People: Shout to God with loud songs of joy.
Leader: For God, the Most High, is awesome,
People: A great ruler over all the earth.
Leader: God has gone up with a shout,
People: Our God with the sound of a trumpet.
Leader: Sing praises to God, sing praises;
People: Sing praises to our marvelous God.
Leader: For God is ruler of all the earth;
All: Sing praises with a psalm.
Call to Confession
In the book of Acts, two angels asked Jesus' followers, "People of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven." Let us confess our sins of disbelief unto our God. Let us pray.
Prayer of Confession
O Great and glorious God, for whom all things are possible, why is it so hard for us to believe? We read the story of your ascension into heaven, and the first thing we want to say is, "Right. That sounds like complete fiction to us." But it isn't the words of the story that are important. What is important is our belief that, with you, all things are possible. All things.... Forgive us, God, for forgetting to pray when our life gets out of control. Forgive us for not knowing that you are right there, walking beside us, wanting to be part of our lives and our decision--making. Forgive us for not talking to you about all aspects of our lives - the joyful, the discouraging, the bothersome, and the difficult. On this Ascension Sunday, help our unbelief. Amen.
Assurance of Forgiveness
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus said, "Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins are to be proclaimed in his name to all nations." Brothers and sisters, through Jesus the Christ our sins are forgiven.
Scripture Readings
A choral speaking choir would work well for both these passages - with several solo voices.
Acts 1:10--11: Have the choir stand in two rows with the soloists on the first row, something like this:
X X X X X X X X X
X X 1 3 4 2 X X
Voice 1: While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father.
Voice 2: "This," he said, "is what you have heard form me; for John baptized with water but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."
Voice 1: So when they had come together, they asked him,
Speaking Choir: Lord, is this the time when you will be restored the kingdom to Israel?
Voice 2: He replied, "It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
Speaking Choir: When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them.
Voices 3 and 4: They said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."
Luke 24:44--53: Move the choir into a V--shape with the solo voice who is Jesus at the tip
X X X X
X X X
X X
S
Choir: Then he said to them:
Solo: These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you - that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.
Choir: Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them,
Solo: Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.
Choir: Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands, he blessed them. While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; and they were continually in the temple blessing God.
Benediction (based on Ephesians 1:17--21)
Leader: May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the God of glory, give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation.
People: So that, with the eyes of our hearts enlightened, we may know what is the hope to which we have been called
Leader: That you may know the glorious inheritance among the saints and the immeasurable greatness of God's power for us who believe
People: Far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. Amen.
