May 21, 2023
SEVENTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
(Celebrating Jesus’ Ascension)
Gathering
MUSICAL OFFERING
ANNOUNCEMENTS
· Please join us in Calvin Hall following worship today for a time of fellowship. Would you like to bring after worship goodies? The sign up sheet in in Calvin Hall.
· Bible Study will be this Wednesday at 9:00 AM.
· Please see bulletin insert for items needed for Senior Hospitality Center.
· Find the address for Rich and Lois Lewis posted on the bulletin board.
PRAYER REQUESTS
JoAnn Grimm who struggles with health problems.
Arlene Pawlik who is recovering from a broken leg.
Joan Pinkston, on hospice.
PRELUDE
*CALL TO WORSHIP Psalm 68:4, CEB
L: Sing to God! Sing praises to his name! Exalt the one who rides the clouds!
P: The Lord is his name. Celebrate before him!
*GATHERING PRAYER
P: Mighty God, your people are gathered before you to celebrate and honor you.
Compassionate God, we give thanks for the many ways you have blessed us.
Merciful God, we confess the ways we have strayed from your path.
Gracious God, we seek your blessing for families and loved ones.
Just and righteous God, we pray for those who need your help and ours.
Awesome God, let us sing your praise! Amen.
*HYMN All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name #142
(You may be seated.)
1 All hail the power of Jesus’ Name!
Let angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem,
And crown Him Lord of all!
Bring forth the royal diadem,
And crown Him Lord of all!
2 Ye chosen seed of Israel’s race,
Ye ransomed from the fall,
Hail Him who saves you by His grace,
And crown Him Lord of all!
Hail Him who saves you by His grace,
And crown Him Lord of all!
3 Let every kindred, every tribe,
On this terrestrial ball,
To Him all majesty ascribe,
And crown Him Lord of all!
To Him all majesty ascribe,
And crown Him Lord of all!
4 O that with yonder sacred throng
We at His feet may fall!
We'll join the everlasting song,
And crown Him Lord of all!
We'll join the everlasting song,
And crown Him Lord of all!
CALL TO CONFESSION Psalm 68:5-6, CEB
L: Father of orphans and defender of widows is God in his holy habitation.
God settles the lonely in their homes; he sets prisoners free with happiness,
but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
P: Lord God, we confess that sometimes we are the rebellious ones. We see a need before us, but we feel unable to help at that time. We sense your nudge to check on a neighbor or friend, but we are busy at the moment. We say we trust you, but we still try to do things our own way. We believe you are King of the Universe, but we act as if you barely exist. Forgive our impatience, our ingratitude, and our lack of faith. Continue to teach us and guide us day by day to truly live in your light and your love where orphans and widows are befriended, where the lonely find companionship, where prisoners of doubt or addiction, fear or shame are set free, and where the rebellious turn back to you.
WORDS OF ASSURANCE Psalm 68:7-10, CEB
L: When you went forth before your people, God,
when you marched through the wasteland, the earth shook!
Yes, heaven poured down before God, the one from Sinai--
before God, the God of Israel!
You showered down abundant rain, God;
when your inheritance grew weary, you restored it yourself,
and your creatures settled in it.
In your goodness, God, you provided for the poor.
Colossians 1:20, CEB
God reconciled all things to himself through Christ— whether things on earth or in the heavens. He brought peace through the blood of his cross.
Through Christ we are forgiven. P: Thanks be to God!
SONG OF PRAISE Gloria Patri #579
PASSING THE PEACE
(Please greet those around you as we all say these words in unison.)
May the peace of Christ be with you. And also with you.
INTERLUDE
Word
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
P: Holy Spirit, teach us as we hear God’s Word and reflect on it. Amen.
GOSPEL John 17:1-11, CEB
L: When Jesus finished saying these things, he looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, so that the Son can glorify you. 2 You gave him authority over everyone so that he could give eternal life to everyone you gave him. 3 This is eternal life: to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you sent. 4 I have glorified you on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. 5 Now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I shared with you before the world was created.
6 “I have revealed your name to the people you gave me from this world. They were yours and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 This is because I gave them the words that you gave me, and they received them. They truly understood that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.
9 “I’m praying for them. I’m not praying for the world but for those you gave me, because they are yours. 10 Everything that is mine is yours and everything that is yours is mine; I have been glorified in them. 11 I’m no longer in the world, but they are in the world, even as I’m coming to you. Holy Father, watch over them in your name, the name you gave me, that they will be one just as we are one.
ACTS Acts 1:6-14,NCV
L: 6 When the apostles were all together, they asked Jesus, “Lord, are you now going to give the kingdom back to Israel?”
7 Jesus said to them, “The Father is the only One who has the authority to decide dates and times. These things are not for you to know. 8 But when the Holy Spirit comes to you, you will receive power. You will be my witnesses—in Jerusalem, in all of Judea, in Samaria, and in every part of the world.”
9 After he said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud hid him from their sight. 10 As he was going, they were looking into the sky. Suddenly, two men wearing white clothes stood beside them. 11 They said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing here looking into the sky? Jesus, whom you saw taken up from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you saw him go.”
12 Then they went back to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. (This mountain is about half a mile from Jerusalem.) 13 When they entered the city, they went to the upstairs room where they were staying. Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon (known as the Zealot), and Judas son of James were there. 14 They all continued praying together with some women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and Jesus’ brothers.
EPISTLE 1 Peter 5:6-11, NIV
L: 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.
SERMON Cast Your Cares
Cast your cares on him. He cares for you. Those two phrases have been in my head since 2nd grade, because this verse in an older version were the basis of my favorite song in our grade school song book at St. John’s Lutheran Grade School. I don’t remember the song anymore, but the verse is still with me.
There are other scriptures that tell us not to be anxious. I think of Matthew 6:25 which tells us not to be anxious or worry about our life, that God will provide. Anxiety and worry are among the cares we need to throw away. Many scripture verses tell us not to be afraid. Fear is another care to cast away from us. While it is important to recognize these cares because they indicate there is a concern, an issue to be dealt with, 1 Peter 5:7 tells us what to do with them once we have recognized and admitted them to ourselves. We need to turn them over to God. We can’t solve or resolve them by ourselves, but God can give us whatever we need to get through them.
There are many ways to say the same thing. Here are a few of my favorite translations and paraphrases of 1 Peter 5:7:
Throw all your anxieties upon him, because he cares about you. CJB
God cares for you, so turn all your worries over to him. CEV
Turn all your anxiety over to God because he cares for you. GW
Leave all your worries with him, because he cares for you. GNT
You can throw the whole weight of your anxieties upon him, for you are his personal concern. PHILLIPS
Since God cares for you, let Him carry all your burdens and worries. VOICE
Turn all your troubles over to him, because he cares for you and is watching over you. WE
I love the way the Classic Amplified Version sums it all up:
Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.
So, choose your favorite version and make it a memory verse this week and for life, I’ve pinned some copies to one of the bulletin boards.
There are two parts to this statement. The first is what to do with our cares whether they be worry or fear or anxious thoughts. They might be personal, for a friend or family member, or they might be the condition of the world around us, even far away from us.
They might be health related, financial, political, or about a relationship. They might be occasional or constant. But all of them, every one of them we can toss into God’s hands because….Well, that’s the second part of the statement, because God cares. God truly cares about every detail of our lives and every other life on this planet. God cares about what is going on with you this week. God cares about the struggles of citizens in the Ukraine. God cares about the Uighurs in China. God cares about the children who lost their lives on our border. God cares about each and every one of us in every nation every day.
God who created us loved us so much, that God sent Jesus into the world to save us. Jesus came to teach by word and by example and demonstrated over and over again God’s care and concern for the least and the forgotten, for those suffering from disease and those suffering from guilt or shame, for those the world chose to ignore or walk past. Jesus demonstrated God’s love and care for all of us.
But Jesus didn’t leave it at that. He took it a step further. Jesus took upon himself the weight of the whole world. In Bible study this week, a few of us were reminded that Jesus felt that heavy weight not just on the cross. It began as he prayed in Gethsemane, which means olive press. We saw in video the weighty stone pillar used in Bible times to rest heavily on the olives pressing the oil out of them to be used in a variety of ways – for healing, for lighting lamps, for cooking, and more. Jesus knew the weight of those stone pillars and that’s how he experienced the weight of all our cares including our sin to the extent that he sweat out drops of his own blood as he prayed, “Father, not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:39-44)
Jesus surrendered his life on this earth, so that we might be free of those burdens ourselves. Jesus died on the cross taking our sin with him, because he cares, because he loves us. But of course God didn’t leave it at that. What we have celebrated for this whole season of Eastertide, what we celebrate as a mini-Easter every Sunday is this, that God raised Jesus from that death to eternal life. Why is this important? Because the risen Christ has one more chance to teach his followers in a way they could now better understand, and because of the promise Jesus made to them.
Turn back to the Gospel of John we read today. What did Jesus pray for them? That God would watch over them, and that they would become one, just as Jesus is one with God. In talking to his disciples just before this prayer, Jesus had promised them the Holy Spirit. That Spirit would guide them into the truth and empower them for ministry. Today in terms of the church calendar, we honor that time of waiting for the Holy Spirit to come which you will celebrate next week as Pentecost.
Look next at the Ascension story in Acts 1. Luke completed his gospel telling the story of Jesus and hinted forward to this story where he begins the sequel; Acts is the story of Jesus’ faithful followers as they become what we call the Church. In chapter 1 the disciples still don’t quite understand what is going on; they are eager for a political kingdom which would reestablish the glory of Judea and Israel with Jerusalem at its center. But that is not at all what God had in mind or what Jesus came to accomplish. The kingdom is to be a spiritual one and it is meant to be much broader than just the territory claimed by the Jews.
My favorite verse in this passage is v.8, to go into all the world and be witnesses, starting in Jerusalem and Judea, but continuing into the whole world. God’s care and concern and love and intentions are for more than just one nation, more than for just one religious affiliation. God’s love and care and concern are for the whole world. God is indeed King of the Universe. Just as the prophet Isaiah reminded the Jews they were to become a “light to the nations” Jesus told his disciples to take their witness to the rest of the world.
As I read commentaries on these scriptures, I was struck that commentators on John’s Gospel and Luke’s book of Acts saw the same two things emphasized in these passages – unity and prayer. Jesus prayed for those belonging to him to become one just as he and God are one. After Jesus ascended, the disciples and other followers gathered together including the women who followed him and members of his own family. As another translation puts it, “all were united in their devotion to prayer, along with some women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.”
And that we can toss all of our worries and fears to you,
Because you have promised to be with us and to help us.
We bring all of this to your throne of mercy and grace,
Praying as you taught your disciples to pray…
LORD’S PRAYER
P: 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.
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, now and forever. Amen.
OFFERING OUR LIVES
P: God of the Universe, we thank you for our lives and all life and blessings around us. We offer you our gifts, our resources, our time, and our service. Amen.
*DOXOLOGY Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow #592
*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH Apostle’s Creed ecumenical
P: I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth,
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s 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. On the third day He rose again.
He ascended into heaven He is seated at the right hand of the Father,
And He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.
*HYMN Rejoice, Ye Pure in Heart #145
(You may be seated.)
1 Rejoice ye pure in heart!
Rejoice, give thanks, and sing!
Your festal banner wave on high,
The cross of Christ your King.
Refrain:
Rejoice! rejoice!
Rejoice, give thanks, and sing!
2 Yes, on through life's long path,
Still chanting as ye go;
From youth to age, by night and day,
In gladness and in woe. (Refrain)
3 At last the march shall end;
The wearied ones shall rest;
The pilgrims find their home at last,
Jerusalem the blest. (Refrain)
4 Then on, ye pure in heart!
Rejoice, give thanks, and sing!
Your festal banner wave on high,
The cross of Christ your King. (Refrain)
Sending Forth
My announcement:
I know I have missed some Sundays because of my own health issues.
This worked out however for the Pastor Nominating Committee to meet.
Prior to this I had asked to take the summer off.
I need time for my health, for some projects at home, and for family.
The Wednesday morning Bible Study will meet four more weeks to finish this unit.
But today is the last time I will preach until September.
Syd already has pulpit supply lined up as needed.
I’ll see you back here then. So, now…
*CHARGE & BLESSING
POSTLUDE
* Sections of the service preceded with * are times to stand if you are able to do so.
Bold text is to be read together aloud as a congregation.
May 21, 2023
SEVENTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
(Celebrating Jesus’ Ascension)
Gathering
MUSICAL OFFERING
ANNOUNCEMENTS
· Please join us in Calvin Hall following worship today for a time of fellowship. Would you like to bring after worship goodies? The sign up sheet in in Calvin Hall.
· Bible Study will be this Wednesday at 9:00 AM.
· Please see bulletin insert for items needed for Senior Hospitality Center.
· Find the address for Rich and Lois Lewis posted on the bulletin board.
PRAYER REQUESTS
JoAnn Grimm who struggles with health problems.
Arlene Pawlik who is recovering from a broken leg.
Joan Pinkston, on hospice.
PRELUDE
*CALL TO WORSHIP Psalm 68:4, CEB
L: Sing to God! Sing praises to his name! Exalt the one who rides the clouds!
P: The Lord is his name. Celebrate before him!
*GATHERING PRAYER
P: Mighty God, your people are gathered before you to celebrate and honor you.
Compassionate God, we give thanks for the many ways you have blessed us.
Merciful God, we confess the ways we have strayed from your path.
Gracious God, we seek your blessing for families and loved ones.
Just and righteous God, we pray for those who need your help and ours.
Awesome God, let us sing your praise! Amen.
*HYMN All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name #142
(You may be seated.)
1 All hail the power of Jesus’ Name!
Let angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem,
And crown Him Lord of all!
Bring forth the royal diadem,
And crown Him Lord of all!
2 Ye chosen seed of Israel’s race,
Ye ransomed from the fall,
Hail Him who saves you by His grace,
And crown Him Lord of all!
Hail Him who saves you by His grace,
And crown Him Lord of all!
3 Let every kindred, every tribe,
On this terrestrial ball,
To Him all majesty ascribe,
And crown Him Lord of all!
To Him all majesty ascribe,
And crown Him Lord of all!
4 O that with yonder sacred throng
We at His feet may fall!
We'll join the everlasting song,
And crown Him Lord of all!
We'll join the everlasting song,
And crown Him Lord of all!
CALL TO CONFESSION Psalm 68:5-6, CEB
L: Father of orphans and defender of widows is God in his holy habitation.
God settles the lonely in their homes; he sets prisoners free with happiness,
but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
P: Lord God, we confess that sometimes we are the rebellious ones. We see a need before us, but we feel unable to help at that time. We sense your nudge to check on a neighbor or friend, but we are busy at the moment. We say we trust you, but we still try to do things our own way. We believe you are King of the Universe, but we act as if you barely exist. Forgive our impatience, our ingratitude, and our lack of faith. Continue to teach us and guide us day by day to truly live in your light and your love where orphans and widows are befriended, where the lonely find companionship, where prisoners of doubt or addiction, fear or shame are set free, and where the rebellious turn back to you.
WORDS OF ASSURANCE Psalm 68:7-10, CEB
L: When you went forth before your people, God,
when you marched through the wasteland, the earth shook!
Yes, heaven poured down before God, the one from Sinai--
before God, the God of Israel!
You showered down abundant rain, God;
when your inheritance grew weary, you restored it yourself,
and your creatures settled in it.
In your goodness, God, you provided for the poor.
Colossians 1:20, CEB
God reconciled all things to himself through Christ— whether things on earth or in the heavens. He brought peace through the blood of his cross.
Through Christ we are forgiven. P: Thanks be to God!
SONG OF PRAISE Gloria Patri #579
PASSING THE PEACE
(Please greet those around you as we all say these words in unison.)
May the peace of Christ be with you. And also with you.
INTERLUDE
Word
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
P: Holy Spirit, teach us as we hear God’s Word and reflect on it. Amen.
GOSPEL John 17:1-11, CEB
L: When Jesus finished saying these things, he looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, so that the Son can glorify you. 2 You gave him authority over everyone so that he could give eternal life to everyone you gave him. 3 This is eternal life: to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you sent. 4 I have glorified you on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. 5 Now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I shared with you before the world was created.
6 “I have revealed your name to the people you gave me from this world. They were yours and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 This is because I gave them the words that you gave me, and they received them. They truly understood that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.
9 “I’m praying for them. I’m not praying for the world but for those you gave me, because they are yours. 10 Everything that is mine is yours and everything that is yours is mine; I have been glorified in them. 11 I’m no longer in the world, but they are in the world, even as I’m coming to you. Holy Father, watch over them in your name, the name you gave me, that they will be one just as we are one.
ACTS Acts 1:6-14,NCV
L: 6 When the apostles were all together, they asked Jesus, “Lord, are you now going to give the kingdom back to Israel?”
7 Jesus said to them, “The Father is the only One who has the authority to decide dates and times. These things are not for you to know. 8 But when the Holy Spirit comes to you, you will receive power. You will be my witnesses—in Jerusalem, in all of Judea, in Samaria, and in every part of the world.”
9 After he said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud hid him from their sight. 10 As he was going, they were looking into the sky. Suddenly, two men wearing white clothes stood beside them. 11 They said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing here looking into the sky? Jesus, whom you saw taken up from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you saw him go.”
12 Then they went back to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. (This mountain is about half a mile from Jerusalem.) 13 When they entered the city, they went to the upstairs room where they were staying. Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon (known as the Zealot), and Judas son of James were there. 14 They all continued praying together with some women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and Jesus’ brothers.
EPISTLE 1 Peter 5:6-11, NIV
L: 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.
SERMON Cast Your Cares
Cast your cares on him. He cares for you. Those two phrases have been in my head since 2nd grade, because this verse in an older version were the basis of my favorite song in our grade school song book at St. John’s Lutheran Grade School. I don’t remember the song anymore, but the verse is still with me.
There are other scriptures that tell us not to be anxious. I think of Matthew 6:25 which tells us not to be anxious or worry about our life, that God will provide. Anxiety and worry are among the cares we need to throw away. Many scripture verses tell us not to be afraid. Fear is another care to cast away from us. While it is important to recognize these cares because they indicate there is a concern, an issue to be dealt with, 1 Peter 5:7 tells us what to do with them once we have recognized and admitted them to ourselves. We need to turn them over to God. We can’t solve or resolve them by ourselves, but God can give us whatever we need to get through them.
There are many ways to say the same thing. Here are a few of my favorite translations and paraphrases of 1 Peter 5:7:
Throw all your anxieties upon him, because he cares about you. CJB
God cares for you, so turn all your worries over to him. CEV
Turn all your anxiety over to God because he cares for you. GW
Leave all your worries with him, because he cares for you. GNT
You can throw the whole weight of your anxieties upon him, for you are his personal concern. PHILLIPS
Since God cares for you, let Him carry all your burdens and worries. VOICE
Turn all your troubles over to him, because he cares for you and is watching over you. WE
I love the way the Classic Amplified Version sums it all up:
Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.
So, choose your favorite version and make it a memory verse this week and for life, I’ve pinned some copies to one of the bulletin boards.
There are two parts to this statement. The first is what to do with our cares whether they be worry or fear or anxious thoughts. They might be personal, for a friend or family member, or they might be the condition of the world around us, even far away from us.
They might be health related, financial, political, or about a relationship. They might be occasional or constant. But all of them, every one of them we can toss into God’s hands because….Well, that’s the second part of the statement, because God cares. God truly cares about every detail of our lives and every other life on this planet. God cares about what is going on with you this week. God cares about the struggles of citizens in the Ukraine. God cares about the Uighurs in China. God cares about the children who lost their lives on our border. God cares about each and every one of us in every nation every day.
God who created us loved us so much, that God sent Jesus into the world to save us. Jesus came to teach by word and by example and demonstrated over and over again God’s care and concern for the least and the forgotten, for those suffering from disease and those suffering from guilt or shame, for those the world chose to ignore or walk past. Jesus demonstrated God’s love and care for all of us.
But Jesus didn’t leave it at that. He took it a step further. Jesus took upon himself the weight of the whole world. In Bible study this week, a few of us were reminded that Jesus felt that heavy weight not just on the cross. It began as he prayed in Gethsemane, which means olive press. We saw in video the weighty stone pillar used in Bible times to rest heavily on the olives pressing the oil out of them to be used in a variety of ways – for healing, for lighting lamps, for cooking, and more. Jesus knew the weight of those stone pillars and that’s how he experienced the weight of all our cares including our sin to the extent that he sweat out drops of his own blood as he prayed, “Father, not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:39-44)
Jesus surrendered his life on this earth, so that we might be free of those burdens ourselves. Jesus died on the cross taking our sin with him, because he cares, because he loves us. But of course God didn’t leave it at that. What we have celebrated for this whole season of Eastertide, what we celebrate as a mini-Easter every Sunday is this, that God raised Jesus from that death to eternal life. Why is this important? Because the risen Christ has one more chance to teach his followers in a way they could now better understand, and because of the promise Jesus made to them.
Turn back to the Gospel of John we read today. What did Jesus pray for them? That God would watch over them, and that they would become one, just as Jesus is one with God. In talking to his disciples just before this prayer, Jesus had promised them the Holy Spirit. That Spirit would guide them into the truth and empower them for ministry. Today in terms of the church calendar, we honor that time of waiting for the Holy Spirit to come which you will celebrate next week as Pentecost.
Look next at the Ascension story in Acts 1. Luke completed his gospel telling the story of Jesus and hinted forward to this story where he begins the sequel; Acts is the story of Jesus’ faithful followers as they become what we call the Church. In chapter 1 the disciples still don’t quite understand what is going on; they are eager for a political kingdom which would reestablish the glory of Judea and Israel with Jerusalem at its center. But that is not at all what God had in mind or what Jesus came to accomplish. The kingdom is to be a spiritual one and it is meant to be much broader than just the territory claimed by the Jews.
My favorite verse in this passage is v.8, to go into all the world and be witnesses, starting in Jerusalem and Judea, but continuing into the whole world. God’s care and concern and love and intentions are for more than just one nation, more than for just one religious affiliation. God’s love and care and concern are for the whole world. God is indeed King of the Universe. Just as the prophet Isaiah reminded the Jews they were to become a “light to the nations” Jesus told his disciples to take their witness to the rest of the world.
As I read commentaries on these scriptures, I was struck that commentators on John’s Gospel and Luke’s book of Acts saw the same two things emphasized in these passages – unity and prayer. Jesus prayed for those belonging to him to become one just as he and God are one. After Jesus ascended, the disciples and other followers gathered together including the women who followed him and members of his own family. As another translation puts it, “all were united in their devotion to prayer, along with some women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.”
And that we can toss all of our worries and fears to you,
Because you have promised to be with us and to help us.
We bring all of this to your throne of mercy and grace,
Praying as you taught your disciples to pray…
LORD’S PRAYER
P: 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.
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, now and forever. Amen.
OFFERING OUR LIVES
P: God of the Universe, we thank you for our lives and all life and blessings around us. We offer you our gifts, our resources, our time, and our service. Amen.
*DOXOLOGY Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow #592
*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH Apostle’s Creed ecumenical
P: I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth,
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s 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. On the third day He rose again.
He ascended into heaven He is seated at the right hand of the Father,
And He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.
*HYMN Rejoice, Ye Pure in Heart #145
(You may be seated.)
1 Rejoice ye pure in heart!
Rejoice, give thanks, and sing!
Your festal banner wave on high,
The cross of Christ your King.
Refrain:
Rejoice! rejoice!
Rejoice, give thanks, and sing!
2 Yes, on through life's long path,
Still chanting as ye go;
From youth to age, by night and day,
In gladness and in woe. (Refrain)
3 At last the march shall end;
The wearied ones shall rest;
The pilgrims find their home at last,
Jerusalem the blest. (Refrain)
4 Then on, ye pure in heart!
Rejoice, give thanks, and sing!
Your festal banner wave on high,
The cross of Christ your King. (Refrain)
Sending Forth
My announcement:
I know I have missed some Sundays because of my own health issues.
This worked out however for the Pastor Nominating Committee to meet.
Prior to this I had asked to take the summer off.
I need time for my health, for some projects at home, and for family.
The Wednesday morning Bible Study will meet four more weeks to finish this unit.
But today is the last time I will preach until September.
Syd already has pulpit supply lined up as needed.
I’ll see you back here then. So, now…
*CHARGE & BLESSING
POSTLUDE
* Sections of the service preceded with * are times to stand if you are able to do so.
Bold text is to be read together aloud as a congregation.
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