Here are worship materials for the 7th Sunday of Eastertide, also Ascension Sunday. If you'd like to listen along to the recitation of this liturgy, click here to stream or download a podcast of this.
Call to Worship Psalm 68 Adapted
One: Let God rise up, let his enemies be scattered;
All: let those who hate flee before him.
One: As smoke is driven away, so drive hatred away;
All: as wax melts before the fire, let wickedness perish before God.
One: And let the righteous be joyful!
All: Let them exult before God.
One: Let them be jubilant with joy.
All: Sing to God, sing praises to his name!
One: Lift up a song to him who rides upon the clouds.
All: His name is the Lord.
One: Be exultant before him.
All: Father of orphans and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.
One: God gives the desolate a home to live in;
All: he leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious live in a parched land.
One: O God, when you went out before your people, the earth quaked.
All: When you marched through the wilderness, the heavens poured down rain at the presence of God,
the God of Sinai, at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
One: Rain in abundance, O God, you showered abroad;
All: you restored your heritage when it languished;
One: your flock found a dwelling in it;
All: in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy. One: Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.
All: Sing praises to the Lord, O rider in the heavens,
the ancient heavens.
One: Listen, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice.
All: Ascribe power to God, whose majesty is over all,
whose power is in the skies.
One: Awesome is God in his sanctuary, the God of Israel;
All: he gives power and strength to his people.
One: Blessed be God, in whose name we greet one another,
“The peace of God be with you.”
All: And also with you.
One: Let us pray.
Prayer of Invocation (in unison)
Ascending God, who dwells in high places, we pray that you not leave us as orphans, that instead you fill even your absence with your presence.
As we reach the end of Eastertide, as we hear once again the story of Jesus’ ascension to your right hand, we realize we have much in common with those first disciples, made to wait for further word, made to wait. While you went on ahead, there they were to wait. While you go on ahead, here we wait.
As we do so, reassure us that you are in no one place so that you might be in every place, that you don’t belong to the world but that the world belongs to you; and bless us to recognize that we live amidst your dominion, though closed out of our sanctuaries, still very much dwelling amidst your sovereign beauty and love.
Grant us patience and faithfulness.
Grant us hope and yearning.
Grant us wisdom as to when best to gather in person again, grant us contentment for what is now, and grant us courage for the world we’ll find when all this is past, the one we’ll build together. Grant that it might make even more manifest your beloved reign.
This we pray made bold in Christ, who took on the cross that your grace might pour forth and your glory might be revealed as most manifest in self-giving love. Amen.
