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THE FORTIETH DAY OF EASTER—May 13, 2021
THEME: Psalm 118. 1-3a, 46, 48
I love you, O God, my strength. God Most High is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon God, who is worthy to be praised. God Most High lives! Blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation. Indeed, you exalted me above my adversaries.  (https://64.media.tumblr.com/8fd8df1dc84b9c61af6e9fb8374d9631/tumblr_inline_pjzscsM2sx1qkqzlv_500.jpg) OPENING WORDS In the Blessed Name of God: Holy, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal— we are an Easter people. Thanks be to God. Alleluia! We celebrate the great mystery of faith: Christ, though in the image of God, didn’t deem equality with God something to be clung to—but instead became completely empty and took on the image of oppressed humankind: born into the human condition, found in the likeness of a human being. Jesus was thus humbled— obediently accepting death, even death on a cross! Because of this, God highly exalted Christ and gave to Jesus the name above every other name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee must bend in the heavens, on the earth and under the earth, and every tongue proclaim to the glory of God: Jesus the Christ reigns supreme! Alleluia! Christ is risen. Alleluia! Exalted is the Christ. Alleluia! Ascended is the Servant of God. Alleluia! OPENING PRAYER Grant, we pray, almighty God, that we, who believe your only-begotten One our redeemer, ascended this day to the glory where life has no end, may also in heart and mind there continually dwell; following in the way that is truth and life indeed. This we ask in the name that is above all names, exalted as the Sovereign One, Christ our Redeemer. Amen. CONFESSION FOR ASCENSION Psalm 93, Ephesians 1:15–23 God of heights, lift us up: We are crawling in the mire of everyday routine. God of the heavens, lift us up: We are overwhelmed with the attention required by the things of this earth. God of the stars, lift us up: We cannot see past the clouds of “truth” that some would have us believe. God of the sun, lift us up: We are dazzled by the false jewels of society. God of the moon, lift us up: We are taxed by others’ demands for us to shine for them. God of the universe, lift us up: We want to stretch and breathe and see and be awe-struck. God of heights, lift us up. —Rachel G. Hackenberg PSALMODY ♦ Psalm 21. 13 Be exalted, O God, in your strength! We will sing and praise your power. (NRSV) ♦ Psalm 46. 10 “Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.” (NRSV) ♦ Psalm 57.5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens. Let your glory be over all the earth. (NRSV) ♦ Psalm 97. 9 For you, O God, are most high over all the earth; you are exalted far above all. (NRSV) ♦ Isaiah 52.3 See, my servant shall prosper; he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high. (NRSV) ♦ Matthew 23. 12 All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted. (NRSV) ♦ Hebrews 7. 26 For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, blameless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. (NRSV) ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 1. 3-11; 2. 33 After the Passion, Jesus appeared alive to the apostles—confirmed through many convincing proofs—over the course of forty days, and spoke to them about the reign of God. On one occasion, Jesus told them not to leave Jerusalem. “Wait, rather, for what God has promised, of which you have heard me speak,” Jesus said. “John baptized with water, but within a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” While meeting together they asked, “Has the time come, Rabbi? Are you going to restore sovereignty to Israel?” Jesus replied, “It’s not for you to know times or dates that Abba God has decided. You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; then you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth.” Having said this, Jesus was lifted up in a cloud before their eyes and taken from their sight. They were still gazing up into the heavens when two messengers dressed in white stood beside them. “You Galileans—why are you standing here looking up at the skies?” they asked. “Jesus, who has been taken from you—this same Jesus will return, in the same way you watched him go into heaven.” Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from God Most High the promise of the Holy Spirit, the Beloved and Begotten One has poured out this that you both see and hear. —Priests for Equality. The Inclusive Bible. Sheed & Ward. PSALM 47 People everywhere—clap your hands! Shout to God with a joyful voice! For God Most High is awe-inspiring, the great Ruler over the whole earth. God subdues peoples for us, and puts the nations under our feet. God chooses our inheritance for us, the pride of Leah, Rachel and Jacob, the object of God’s love. God ascended the throne with a shout, with trumpet blasts! Sing praise to God, sing praise! Sing praise to our Sovereign One, sing praise! For God's sovereignty is over all the earth—sing praise and understand! God is Sovereign over all the nations; God sits on the throne of holiness. World leaders are gathered, and so are the people of Sarah and Abraham’s God, for God Most High reigns over all the earth, and is exalted above all. —adapted from Priests for Equality. The Inclusive Bible. Sheed & Ward. EPHESIANS 1. 15-23 From the time I first heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of the holy ones, I have never stopped thanking God for you and remembering you in my prayers. I pray that God Most High, the God of the Beloved and Begotten One, the God of glory, will give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation, to bring you to a rich knowledge of the Creator. I pray that God will enlighten the eyes of your mind so that you can see the hope this call holds for you—the promised glories that God’s holy ones will inherit, and the infinitely great power that is exercised for us who believe. You can tell this from the strength of God’s power at work in Jesus, the power used to raise Christ from the dead and to seat Christ in heaven at God’s right hand, far above every sovereignty, authority, power or dominion, and above any other name that can be named—not only in this age, but also in the age to come. God has put all things under Christ’s feet and made Christ, as the ruler of everything, the head of the church, and the church is Christ’s body; it’s the fullness of the One who fills all of creation. —Priests for Equality. The Inclusive Bible. Sheed & Ward. LUKE 24. 44-53 Then Jesus said to them, “Remember the words I spoke when I was still with you: everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the psalms had to be fulfilled.” Then Jesus opened their minds to the understanding of the scriptures, saying, “That is why the scriptures say that the Anointed One of God must suffer and rise from the dead on the third day. In the Beloved and Begotten's name, repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of all this. “Take note: I am sending forth what God Most High has promised to you. Remain here in the city until you are clothed with the power from on high.” Then Jesus took them to the outskirts of Bethany, and with upraised hands blessed the disciples. While blessing them, the Christ left them and was carried up to heaven. The disciples worshiped the risen Christ and returned to Jerusalem full of joy. They were found in the Temple constantly, speaking the praises of God. —Priests for Equality. The Inclusive Bible. Sheed & Ward. WORDS FOR CONTEMPLATION As Jesus said, "stay, wait...Remain here in the city until you are clothed with the power from on high." I know how your mind rushes ahead, trying to fathom what could follow this. What will you do, where will you go, how will you live? You will want to outrun the grief. You will want to keep turning toward the horizon, watching for what was lost to come back, to return to you and never leave again. For now, hear me when I say all you need to do is to still yourself, is to turn toward one another, is to stay. Wait and see what comes to fill the gaping hole in your chest. Wait with your hands open to receive what could never come except to what is empty and hollow. You cannot know it now, cannot even imagine what lies ahead, but I tell you the day is coming when breath will fill your lungs as it never has before, and with your own ears you will hear words coming to you new and startling. You will dream dreams and you will see the world ablaze with blessing. Wait for it. Still yourself. Remain. Stay. —adapted from Richardson, Jan. Circle of Grace: A Book of Blessings for the Seasons. Wanton Gospeller Press. PRAYER FOR THE DAY Christ of God, on this day you ascended higher than all the heavens, and you fill the whole universe. Clothe your church with power from on high that we may preach repentance for the forgiveness of sins in your name until you return; You, O Christ, fill everything in every way. You are the awesome Sovereign over all the earth, and you live with God Most High and the Holy Spirit, one God, greatly exalted, now and forever. —Stratman, Paul. Now and Forever: New Collects for Modern Lectionaries: Written for the Sunday and Festival themes in the Revised Common Lectionary. Peace O God to all whose lives entwine with ours. Peace to all who walk this earth with us. Peace to friend and to stranger, to neighbors near and far, Peace to all who struggle. Peace to the lost, the broken and the hurting. Peace from the Christ who has redeemed and saved us. Peace from the One who sits at the right hand of God. An advocate for all God’s children. May we follow the Christ into the new creation and join in making all things whole. —https://godspacelight.com/2012/05/17/ascension-day-getting-us-ready-for-pentecost/ BENEDICTION Let us go forth into the new seasons of our lives. We go forth into growing and changing and living. Let us go with caring awareness for the world and all that is in it. We go to discover the needs and opportunities around us. Let us go forth in peace and be led out in joy. We go in God’s continuing presence, with the power to love and the strength to serve. Amen. —Mary Ann Neevil, Bread for the Journey, Ruth Duck, ed., Pilgrim Press, 1981, p. 49. _________________________________________________ Jesus Christ ascended into heaven First born of a new creation Marking the way with his blood Shining as a light for all to see An advocate in heaven Now at the right hand of God Holy Spirit descended from above Indwelling presence of God Opening our hearts to the Good News of Christ Leading us into all truth An advocate within Forever with all who are called by God’s name. |
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As a clergyperson with a disability now retired, this is my humble attempt to provide a ministry that some will find helpful. I have always focused on be inclusive and have struggled with the church's tradition of referring to God and humankind with masculine names and pronouns. Since the 1970's, thanks to my dear sister-in-law, I have been aware of the discrimination of women and have worked in the parish and community for equal rights with an equity of access to the resources that add blessing to life. I hope this site is of meaning to those who read it and worship with me and others within it. Peace.