37A - Ascension Day — 39A - Day of Pentecost
See also my posts from 2014, 2017, 2020, 2023
PSALM 68:1-10, 32-35
Rise up, O God,
so that your enemies and detractors flee from before you.
Like smoke driven by the wind, you disperse them;
and like wax melting near the fire, let them disappear.
But those who live justly will be joyful,
rejoicing in your presence, jubilant and glad.
Sing to God, praise the name of the LORD;
raise up a song to the name of the LORD,
to the one who rides upon the clouds,
and celebrate in the presence of God.
Father of orphans and defender of widows,
this is God in our midst;
the God who gives the abandoned a home,
and leads out the prisoners with music,
while the stubborn inhabit a wasteland.
O God, when you went ahead of your people,
marching through the wilderness,
the earth shook, and even the heavens rained
in the presence of the God of Sinai and of Israel.
You make abundant rain fall, O God;
when your heritage tires, you sustain it.
Your community finds a dwelling place there,
and in your goodness you provide for the needy, O God.
Listen! The rider of the timeless cosmos
who speaks with a mighty voice.
Acknowledge the power of the God whose majesty is over Israel
and whose power is in the clouds.
You are too awesome, O God, for your sanctuary.
God of Israel, you empower and strengthen your people.
Blessed be God.
A CREATIVE MOMENT – READING REF’CE
Continue to use the swathe of white and/or gold/yellow cloth flowing over the front of the worship/communion table and onto the floor as a basis for creativity and symbols during the Easter season.
Click here for some ideas for worship in Lent and Easter gleaned from the pages of “On the Move” (now out of print), originally published by the Joint Board of Christian Education, Melbourne, Australia.
THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
(A prayer to gather the spoken and silent concerns/joys/thanks expressed by the congregation and lead into a more structured Intercession with connection to the lections for the day. Sometimes this prayer borrows lightly from other sources e.g. Uniting in Worship 2 or publications of the Iona Community.)
Gracious God,
we pray for those we have named today
in word and silence,
and we pray for ourselves,
that together,
by the light of your word and the warmth of holy breath,
we may be alive to your sustaining presence,
set free from the inner discord and seIf-interest that traps us,
to joyfully serve you,
accepting today in the hope of the new day
which you bring
in the risen and ascended one ….
(The Prayers of the People continue)
Looking for contemporary music and song resources?
Try David MacGregor’s Together to Celebrate
| HYMN SUGGESTIONS FOR EASTER 7A | |
| Glory be to God the Father | TIS 142 |
| Join all the glorious names of wisdom,love | TIS 205 |
| Christ whose glory fills the skies | TIS 212 |
| All hail the power of Jesus’ name | TIS 224 |
| Christ, from whom all blessings flow | TIS 440 |
| I’m not ashamed to own my Lord | TIS 562 |
| Acts 1:6-14 | |
| A prophet-woman broke a jar | TIS 696 |
| Breathe on me, breath of God | TIS 407 |
| Christians, lift up your hearts … | TIS 423 |
| Hail the day that sees him rise | TIS 369 |
| Hallelujah! sing to Jesus | TIS 517 |
| Like the murmur of the dove’s song | TIS 419 |
| Lord God, the Spirit blest | TIS 404 |
| O Spirit of the living God | TIS 405 |
| Praise the Spirit in creation | TIS 415 |
| Sing a new song, sing a new song | TIS 166 |
| You shall go out with joy | TIS 755 |
| Your words to me are life and health | TIS 430 |
| Psalm 68:1-10,32-35 | |
| Sing of the Lord’s goodness | TIS 183 |
| The just shall rejoice at the presence of God | TIS 38 |
| 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11 | |
| Safe in the shadow of the Lord | TIS 644 |
| The head that once was crowned with thorns | TIS 378 |
| While morning still is breaking | TIS 104 |
| John 17:1-11 | |
| Come, you people, come adore him | TIS 101 |
| Here, Lord, we take the broken bread | TIS 523 |
| Jesus calls us here to meet him | TIS 477 |
| Now is eternal life | TIS 385 |
| Peace with the Father | TIS 466 |