Ascension of the Lord (observed)

Chimes of the Hour
Welcome/Announcements
Introit
 
Call to Worship
 
Pastor: God has ascended amid shouts of joy,
Congregation: the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets.
Pastor: Sing praises to God, sing praises;
Congregation: sing praises to our King, sing praises.
Pastor: For God is the King of all the earth;
Congregation: sing to him a psalm of praise.
Pastor: God reigns over the nations;
Congregation: God is seated on his holy throne.
 
Hymn
 
Call to Confession
 
Jesus has ascended in triumph to his heavenly throne. There he hears our prayers, pleads our cause before the Father, and reigns over all. We who take refuge in him are blessed. Come, then, let us approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Let us pray:
 
Prayer of Confession (in unison)
 
Almighty God, you have raised Jesus from death to life, and crowned him Lord of all. We confess that we have not bowed before him, or acknowledged his rule in our lives. We have gone along with the ways of the world, and failed to give him glory. Forgive us, and raise us from sin, that we may be your faithful people, obeying the commands of our Lord Jesus Christ, who rules the world and is head of the church, his body. Amen.
 
Kyrie
 
Assurance of Pardon
 
Pastor: Hear the good news of the gospel: God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. In Christ, by God’s grace, we are saved.
 
Congregation: Praise God, from whom all blessings flow!
 
Gloria
 
Passing the Peace
 
Pastor: After his resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples in the house where they were hiding, and bade them his peace. May the peace of Christ be with you!
Congregation: The peace of Christ be with you also!
 
Prayer for Illumination
 
Scripture
 
Liturgist: Ephesians 1:15-23
 
Liturgist: The Word of the Lord!
Congregation: Thanks be to God!
 
Pastor: Luke 24:44-53*
 
Pastor: The Gospel of the Lord!
Congregation: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!  
 
Sermon:   
 
Affirmation of Faith:
 
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
 
Hymn
 
Sharing our Joys and Concerns
 
Prayers of the People
 
Lord’s Prayer
 
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 debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
 
Offering/Music
 
Doxology
 
Prayer of Dedication
 
Invitation to the Lord’s Table
 
Great Thanksgiving
 
Pastor: The Lord be with you.  
Congregation: And also with you.
Pastor: Lift up your hearts.
Congregation: We lift them to the Lord.
Pastor: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. 
Congregation: It is right to give him our thanks and praise. 
 
Communion Prayer
 
Sanctus (see insert)
 
Post Sanctus
 
Words of Institution
 
Memorial Acclamation
 
Pastor: Together we proclaim the mystery of faith:
Congregation (sung in unison): Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again. 
 
Prayer of Blessing on the Bread and Wine
 
The Great Amen
 
Fraction
 
Pastor: The bread which we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ?
Congregation: We who are many are one body, and we all share the same loaf.
Pastor: The cup for which we give thanks, is it not our sharing in the blood of Christ?
Congregation: The wine which we all share is our communion in the blood of Christ.
 
Communion 
 
Agnus Dei
 
Prayer after Communion
 
Hymn
 
Benediction
 
Threefold Amen 
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