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Prepare for Worship
As you prepare for this time of worship find a time and space that will allow you to focus on God. (I encourage you to find an hour that can be devoted to uninterrupted worship.) Perhaps, you could light a candle to mark this as a sacred time. |
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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Worship in Song
Sing Together: How Great Thou Art |
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Confession of Sin & Reminder of our Forgiveness
Confess responsively: |
Our help is in the name of the Lord,
who made heaven and earth. Psalm 124:8 If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared. Psalm 130:3-4 Together as God's people, let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying: God, be merciful to me, a sinner. Luke 18:13 ~Pause for confession and reflection~ Almighty God, have mercy upon me, forgive me my sins, and lead me to everlasting life. Amen. Almighty God, merciful Father, in Holy Baptism You declared us to be Your children and gathered us into Your one, holy Church, in which You daily and richly forgive us our sins and grant us new life through Your Spirit. Be in our midst, enliven our faith, and graciously receive our prayer and praise; through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. |
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Worship in Song
Sing together: I, the Lord of Sea and Sky (WOV 752) |
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Children's Time
Watch this video illustrating our sermon theme! |
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Downloadable & Printable Children's Resources
Ascension Coloring Sheet Ascension Word Puzzle Children's Bulletin (Ages 3-6) Children's Bulletin (Ages 7+) |
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Memory Verse
Read aloud (and make up actions to help you remember!) |
For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.
Isaiah 41:13 |
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Confession of Faith
We confess our common belief in God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Speak aloud: |
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again 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. |
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Worship in Song
Sing Together: God of Wonders |
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Scripture Reading from Ephesians 1:15-23
Read aloud carefully and attentively |
15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having 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, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far 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. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
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Scripture Reading from Luke 24:44-53
Read aloud carefully and attentively. |
44 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
50 And he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. 51 While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and were continually in the temple blessing God. |
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Scripture Reading from Acts 1:1-11
Read aloud carefully and attentively. |
In the first book, O Theophilus, I (Luke) have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
4 And 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; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But 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.” 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and 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.” |
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Sermon: Witnesses of the Reign of God
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Response to the Word
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Prayers of the Church
Take some time to pray for the needs of the church, your family, our community, and the world. |
This week we also remember to pray for:
1. Pray for Church Family– Leonard & Elsie Wenzel 2. Pray for Healing –Emmett, Florence, Joyce, Joe, Kristen, Colette, Scott, Carol, Finn (Joyce's Great-Grandson) 3. Pray for those in WSCH– Esther, Leonard, Ted 4. Pray for Church Ministries – Song Leaders and Musicians 5. Extended Church Body – Little Flower Catholic Church 6. Pray for all affected for Covid-19 7. Pray for our Government Leader – Reeve Tim Geiger |
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The Lord's Prayer:
Pray aloud: |
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. |
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Benediction
Speak these words of blessing over yourself and your family as a reminder that you have been sent out in the power of our living Lord |
And I ask God that with both feet planted firmly on love you’ll be able to take in with all Christians the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love.
Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives—full in the fullness of God. God can do anything, you know— far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! Not by pushing us around but by working within us, through the power of God’s Spirit. All glory to the God of Creation! All glory to the Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ! And all glory to the Spirit of God, at work among us and within us! Go in the love of God! Amen. adapted from Ephesians 3:16-21 (Eugene Peterson's paraphrase The Message) And now may the Lord bless us and keep us. May the Lord make His face shine upon us and be gracious to us. May the Lord look on us with favour and give us His peace. Numbers 6:24-26 |
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Worship in Song:
Sing together: We Want to See Jesus Lifted High |
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We want to see Jesus lifted high, a banner that flies across this land.
That all men might see the truth and know He is the way to heaven. We want to see, we want to see We want to see Jesus lifted high We want to see, we want to see We want to see Jesus lifted high Step by step we're moving forward little by little we're taking ground, Every prayer a powerful weapon, strongholds come tumbling down And down and down and down. We're gonna see, we're gonna see We're gonna see Jesus lifted high We're gonna see, we're gonna see We're gonna see Jesus lifted high Doug Horley ©1993 Thankyou Music CCLI License # 11133666 |
