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Call to Worship (based on Psalm 97)

L:   The LORD is king! Let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad!
P:  The heavens proclaim his righteousness; and all the peoples behold his glory.
L: Light dawns for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart.
P: Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name!
L: Come, let us worship God who lifted up our Lord Jesus to be by his side and rule with Him in splendor and majesty.

 

Call to Worship

L: Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
P: To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever.

Or Psalm 47 or 93 responsively

 

Ascension Day Litany of Illumination

P:       Jesus Christ is the Light of the world,

C:        the light no darkness can overcome.

P:       Stay with us, Lord, for it is evening,

C:        and the day is almost over.

P:       Be our light and scatter the darkness,

C:        and hear our evening hymns of praise.
 

P:         Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who led your people Israel with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Enlighten our darkness by the light of your Christ. May his Word be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path; for you are merciful, and you love your whole creation. We, your creatures, glorify you: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

C:        Amen.

 

Prayer of Confession (borrowed from Rev. David Beswick, http://www.beswick.info/rclresources/E7B97OS.htm)

You are the King of Glory, O Christ, and yet we must confess that we forget that God has honored you above everything in heaven and on earth.
Forgive us Christ, King of Glory, and help us to remember you in glory.

In your glory with God the Father, you continually pray and intercede for us, yet we forget to pray for ourselves and for others.
Forgive us Christ, our great high priest, and continue to pray for us.

From your glory you have promised to come again to judge the living and the dead, and yet we lose hope and forget to look for you.
Forgive us Christ, our Saviour and Lord, and restore confidence in your eventual victory over all our enemies. In your name, Amen.

 

Memorial Day Prayer

            Lord of the nations, on this day when we remember the struggles through which our country has gone in its efforts to preserve our liberties, we thank Thee for having made our country great and our people free. Above all do we thank Thee for the blessings of religious liberty to preach Thy Word without hindrance and to worship Thee according to the dictates of Thy holy and infallible Word.

    We pray Thee to hold Thy gracious protecting hand over us and over all the people of our country. Guide those in authority and grant them wisdom so to rule that peace and prosperity may be ours according, to Thy will.

    Thou hast told as that that nation is blessed whose God is the Lord and therefore we pray most of all that Thy Gospel, which alone can make men truly free, may be preached in all its truth and purity throughout our land. Thou hast granted us religious liberty.

    Help us to use this freedom to the fullest extent, so that through the length and breadth of our nation men may hear from Thy people the good news of their salvation in Christ. Bring to us and to them and to all men all over the world that peace which passes all understanding and which is to be found in the knowledge that Jesus loves us and has redeemed us from all our sin. We ask it in His name. Amen 

 

Prayer of the Day (based on all texts):
by Rev. Frank Schaefer

God of Power and Possibilities, we praise your holy name.  You have exalted and glorified our beloved Jesus, your Son, who humbled himself out of love and compassion for us.  We thank you, Lord, for the possibilities you have opened up for us through your Son:

• for the work of Jesus' Spirit in and through our lives

• for the courage and strength to go on when it seems impossible

• for the capacity to reach out to fellow human beings in love and compassion

• for the strength and comfort we find in and through your church, Christ's body on earth.

Help us daily to humble ourselves before you and help us to grow in our capacity to love and stand in unity with our brothers and sisters, so that Christ's prayer will be fulfilled in us.  May the world see our love and unity in Christ and turn to you, o ever-loving God.  All honor and glory and power be to you Father of our Lord, Giver and Completer of our faith. Amen.

 

Closing Prayer (based on the Epistle Lesson)

Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they will have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates.  The one who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming soon."  The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen.

 

Ascension Day Prayer of Preparation

Ever-living God,
your eternal Christ once dwelt on earth,
   confined by time and space.
Give us faith to discern in every time and place
   the presence among us
   of him who is head over all thinks and fills all,
even Jesus Christ our ascended Lord.  Amen.
 

Ascension Day Prayer--Petitions by the People

P:     Blessed Jesus, you ascended to the right hand of your Father’s majesty, power, and glory and now reign as eternal King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

C:      We praise you for your victory over sin, death, Satan, and hell.

P:     O ascended Prophet, equip your church to proclaim the precious gospel message of God’s love for all the world.

C:      Give courage to our hearts, power to our words, and success to our efforts.

P:     O ascended High Priest, represent us before the Father as his own dear children and heirs.    Defend us against Satan’s every accusation.  Ask for the Father’s rich blessings in our everyday lives.

C:      Plead for his mercy and grace on our behalf.

P:     O ascended King, direct the affairs of governments and nations that they may serve the best interest of your church.

C:      You are our Lord, Master, and King.

Special prayers and intercessions may follow.

P:       Hear us, Lord, as we bring you our private petitions.

Silent prayer.

P:       As the disciples lifted their eyes to watch your ascension, so lift our eyes daily to look for your coming again in glory.

C:     Lord Jesus, come quickly.  Amen.

P:    The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

C: Amen.

 

Closing Prayer for Ascension Day

O God, the King of glory,
you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ
with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven.
Do not leave us comfortless,
but send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us,
and exalt us to that place where our Savior Christ has gone before, one God, in glory everlasting.  Amen.