THE ASCENSION OF OUR LORD May 2020 – Our God is not far from us!
May 24, 2020
+ AS WE GATHER +
Ascension shouldn’t be overlooked. Ascension is a time of happy endings as Jesus concludes His earthly ministry and promises the Holy Spirit’s imminent arrival. Jesus sends His disciples to the ends of the earth as witnesses of His resurrection. He promises that He will always be with us even to the end of the age. We remember today Jesus’ earthly ministry and His mission for us, and we bask in the promise of His presence.
+ PREPARATION +
Press Play below to hear the beginning of the service. (adjust your volume as needed)OPENING HYMN: #493 – A Hymn of Glory Let Us Sing
Press Play below to hear and/or sing along with hymn #493. ONLY Press the play button on the video 1 time. When the hymn is complete continue scrolling down through the rest of the service as usual. (adjust your volume as needed)
HYMN: #493 – A Hymn of Glory Let Us Sing
1 A hymn of glory let us sing!
New hymns throughout the world shall ring:
Alleluia, alleluia!
Christ, by a road before untrod,
Ascends unto the throne of God.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
2 The holy apostolic band
Upon the Mount of Olives stand.
Alleluia, alleluia!
And with His faithful foll’wers see
Their Lord ascend in majesty.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
3 To them the shining angels cry,
“Why stand and gaze upon the sky?”
Alleluia, alleluia!
“This is the Savior,” thus they say;
“This is His glorious triumph day!”
Alleluia, alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
4 “You see Him now, ascending high
Up to the portals of the sky.”
Alleluia, alleluia!
“Hereafter Jesus you shall see
Returning in great majesty.”
Alleluia, alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
5 Be now our joy on earth, O Lord,
And be our future great reward.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Then, throned with You forever, we
Shall praise Your name eternally.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
6 O risen Christ, ascended Lord,
All praise to You let earth accord:
Alleluia, alleluia!
You are, while endless ages run,
With Father and with Spirit one.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
INVOCATION
Pastor: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen.
OPENING SENTENCES
Pastor: Alleluia! Christ is risen and ascended!
People: Christ is risen and ascended indeed! Alleluia!
Pastor: Today is a day of celebration, grief, and anticipation.
People: We celebrate our Lord’s triumph and reign.
Pastor: We grieve that He is not physically present with us.
People: We anticipate the coming of the promised Holy Spirit on Pentecost.
Pastor: And we celebrate that His promise to always be with us remains and will never fade away.
CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
Pastor: Though Christ is ascended on high and is seated at the right hand of the Father, ruling and reigning over all creation, there have been times when we have lived as though we rule and reign over our own lives. We have lived as though Christ were too far away to matter. But our heavenly Father invites us to return to Him, confess our sins, and receive His forgiveness.
Silence for meditation.
Pastor: Heavenly Father,
People: we confess to You that we are sinful and unclean. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we walk in Your perfect way and delight in Your perfect will. Amen.
Pastor: Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die and rise for you. Christ is ascended, and all things are under His feet, including sin, death, and the devil. On account of Christ’s saving work and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen. We are forgiven and restored.
Pastor: Alleluia! Christ is risen and ascended!
People: Christ is risen and ascended indeed! Alleluia!
+ WORD +
HYMN OF PRAISE: Gloria in Excelsis
Press Play below to hear and/or sing along with the Gloria in Excelsis (adjust your volume as needed)HYMN OF PRAISE: Gloria in Excelsis LSB 154
Glory to God in the highest, and peace to His people on earth.
Lord God, heavenly king, almighty God and Father:
We worship You, we give You thanks, we praise You for Your glory.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God:
You take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us.
You are seated at the right hand of the Father; receive our prayer.
For You alone are the Holy One, You alone are the Lord,
You alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Press Play below to hear the audio.PRAYER OF THE DAY
Pastor: Let us pray.
Heavenly Father, Your Son sent us to the ends of the earth with the Gospel and promised always to be with us. Embolden us to spread the good news of Jesus’ death, resurrection, ascension, and return; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
People: Amen.
FIRST READING Acts 1:1–11
(Jesus ascends into heaven and promises the Holy Spirit.)
1In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3To them he presented himself alive after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
4And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
6So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8But 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.” 9And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
PSALM Psalm 47
1Clap your hands, all peoples!
Shout to God with loud songs of joy!
2For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared,
a great king over all the earth.
3He subdued peoples under us,
and nations under our feet.
4He chose our heritage for us,
the pride of Jacob whom he loves.
5God has gone up with a shout,
the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
6Sing praises to God, sing praises!
Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
7For God is the King of all the earth;
sing praises with a psalm!
8God reigns over the nations;
God sits on his holy throne.
9The 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!
EPISTLE Ephesians 1:15–23
(Christ is risen and ascended. All things are under His feet.)
15For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21far 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 one to come. 22And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
VERSE Romans 6:9, Matthew 28:20b
Alleluia. We know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over Him. Alleluia. Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. Alleluia.
HOLY GOSPEL John 17:1-11
Pastor: The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the seventeenth chapter.
1When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.
6“I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. 8For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. 10All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.”
HYMN OF THE DAY: #537 – Beautiful Savior
Press Play below to hear and/or sing along with hymn #537. ONLY Press the play button on the video 1 time. When the hymn is complete continue scrolling down through the rest of the service as usual. (adjust your volume as needed)
HYMN OF THE DAY: #537 – Beautiful Savior
1 Beautiful Savior,
King of creation,
Son of God and Son of Man!
Truly I’d love Thee,
Truly I’d serve Thee,
Light of my soul, my joy, my crown.
2 Fair are the meadows,
Fair are the woodlands,
Robed in flow’rs of blooming spring;
Jesus is fairer,
Jesus is purer,
He makes our sorr’wing spirit sing.
3 Fair is the sunshine,
Fair is the moonlight,
Bright the sparkling stars on high;
Jesus shines brighter,
Jesus shines purer
Than all the angels in the sky.
4 Beautiful Savior,
Lord of the nations,
Son of God and Son of Man!
Glory and honor,
Praise, adoration
Now and forevermore be Thine!
SERMON
SERMON – Ascension Sunday 2020, Our God is not far from us!
Read along with the video with the sermon text here >>>
Press Play below to watch the sermon below. ONLY Press the play button on the video 1 time. When the video is complete continue scrolling down through the rest of the service as usual. (adjust your volume as needed)
SERMON – Ascension Sunday 2020, Our God is not far from us!
Press Play below to hear the audio.APOSTLES’ CREED
Pastor: God has made us His people through our Baptism into Christ. Living together in trust and hope, we confess our faith.
All: I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints.
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
Pastor: Let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Dear heavenly Father, You sent Your Son into our world with a mission to seek and to save the lost. Thank You for His life, ministry, suffering, death, and resurrection. Most especially today we thank You for seating Him at Your right hand in His ascension. We thank You for we know that Christ is ascended.
People: He rules and reigns in glory.
Pastor: Lord, at the end of His earthly ministry, Jesus sent His disciples out to the ends of the earth with a mission to be witnesses of His resurrection. Strengthen us as we continue their faithful witness. Embolden all missionaries and evangelists by constantly opening a door for Your Word to be spoken. We ask this in faith for we know that Christ is ascended.
People: He rules and reigns in glory.
Pastor: Lord, thank You for sending the promised Holy Spirit to guide us in all of our ways. Conform our lives to the Word of God and transform us by the renewing of our minds. We ask this with boldness for we know that Christ is ascended.
People: He rules and reigns in glory.
Pastor: Lord, we live in a world with imperfect leaders, imperfect laws, and imperfect communities, but we know that all things are under Christ’s feet, and He has all power and authority. So we ask for You to send Your perfect wisdom to our elected and appointed officials, especially now as they seek to restore stability and prosperity to our nation, Instill Your perfect justice in our lawyers and judges, and bring Your perfect hope to our communities. We ask this in hope for we know that Christ is ascended.
People: He rules and reigns in glory.
Pastor: Lord, we pray for those who are on our prayer list, the sick and recovering, those who are hospitalized and homebound, especially those affected in any way by this pandemic. Strengthen them and give them patience in their afflictions. We ask this in love for we know that Christ is ascended.
People: He rules and reigns in glory.
Pastor: Finally, Lord, we ask for Your comfort for all those who grieve the death of loved ones, especially the . Grant them peace as they hope in the resurrection to eternal life. We ask this knowing that Christ is ascended.
People: He is returning soon. Amen.
OFFERING
LORD’S PRAYER Matthew 6:9–13
All: 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 trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
CLOSING PRAYER
Almighty God, as Your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, ascended into the heavens, so may we also ascend in heart and mind and continually dwell there with Him, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
BENEDICTION
Pastor: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace. Numbers 6:24–26
People: Amen.
HYMN: #525 – Crown Him with Many Crowns
Press Play below to hear and/or sing along with hymn #525. ONLY Press the play button on the video 1 time. When the hymn is complete continue scrolling down through the rest of the service as usual. (adjust your volume as needed).
HYMN: #525 – Crown Him with Many Crowns
1 Crown Him with many crowns,
The Lamb upon His throne;
Hark how the heav’nly anthem drowns
All music but its own.
Awake, my soul, and sing
Of Him who died for thee,
And hail Him as thy matchless king
Through all eternity.
2 Crown Him the virgin’s Son,
The God incarnate born,
Whose arm those crimson trophies won
Which now His brow adorn:
Fruit of the mystic rose,
Yet of that rose the stem,
The root whence mercy ever flows,
The babe of Bethlehem.
3 Crown Him the Lord of love.
Behold His hands and side,
Rich wounds, yet visible above,
In beauty glorified.
No angels in the sky
Can fully bear that sight,
But downward bend their wond’ring eyes
At mysteries so bright.
4 Crown Him the Lord of life,
Who triumphed o’er the grave
And rose victorious in the strife
For those He came to save.
His glories now we sing,
Who died and rose on high,
Who died eternal life to bring
And lives that death may die.
5 Crown Him the Lord of heav’n,
Enthroned in worlds above,
Crown Him the king to whom is giv’n
The wondrous name of Love.
Crown Him with many crowns
As thrones before Him fall;
Crown Him, ye kings, with many crowns,
For He is king of all.
