35B - Easter 5B — 37B - Ascension Day
See also my post from 2012, 2018, 2021, 2024
CALL TO WORSHIP (Psalm 98:4-9a)
Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all the earth;
break forth in joyous acclamation, shout with joy and sing praises.
Sing praises to the LORD with music,
and with the sound of celebration.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
shout with joy in the presence of the LORD, our King.
Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
the world and those who live in it.
Let the rivers clap their hands;
let the hills proclaim with shouts of joy,
in the presence of the LORD,
PRAYER OF ADORATION AND CONFESSION (from Psalm 98)
LORD God, we do indeed sing a new song
for you have done marvellous things.
Your right hand and holy arm have gained victory
You have made known this victory;
and shown your salvation to all the nations of the earth.
You have cared for your loved ones with steadfast love and faithfulness:
and all the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God and King.
With all the earth we make a joyful shout to you, O LORD,
in joyous acclamation, shouts of joy and songs praise.
Let our praise come to you, O LORD,
in songs of praises, in music, in the sound of celebration.;
with trumpets, and the sound of the horn
shout with joy in your presence, O LORD, our King.
The sea roars, and all that fills it; the world and those who live in it;
the rivers clap their hands
and the hills proclaim your presence with shouts of joy, O LORD,
For you are coming to judge the earth;
coming to judge the world with actions that put things right,
and all the peoples with justice.
Dare we then bring to you our darkest possessions;
our sorrow, pity, anger, fears;
the hurts of our living, our oceans of tears?
But if we cannot bring them to you, to whom shall we go?
There are times we cannot sing your songs,
times we cannot speak your good news,
times we cannot share your love,
(A time of silence is kept)
Risen One, still among us,
raise us from our pain and brokenness
give us the eyes to see,
the ears to hear,
the words to share.
Touch us, heal us and strengthen us,
so that we may live in the wholeness you desire;
to the glory of your name. Amen.
(This confession borrows two phrases from ” Comfort, comfort, all my people” a hymn by Robin Mann and three phrases from “Lord of all love”, a hymn by Colin Gibson.)
| Psalm 98 (A Choral Reading) | |
| F: | Sing to the LORD a new song; |
| M: | God has done marvellous things. |
| All: | God’s right hand and holy arm have gained victory. |
| R: | The LORD has made known this victory; |
| L: | and has shown salvation |
| All: | to all the nations of the earth. |
| F: | With steadfast love |
| M: | and faithfulness |
| All: | the LORD God has cared for Israel. |
| L: | All the ends of the earth |
| R: | have seen the victory of our God and King. |
| F: | Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all the earth; |
| M: | break forth in joyous acclamation, |
| L: | shout with joy and sing praises. |
| All: | Sing praises to the LORD |
| F: | with music, |
| M: | and with the sound of celebration. |
| L: | With trumpets |
| R: | and the sound of the horn |
| All: | shout with joy in the presence of the LORD, our King. |
| M: | Let the sea roar, |
| F: | and all that fills it; |
| L: | the world, |
| R: | and those who live in it. |
| M: | Let the rivers clap their hands; |
| F: | let the hills proclaim with shouts of joy |
| All: | at the presence of the LORD, |
| L: | For the LORD is coming |
| R: | to judge the earth; |
| M: | coming to judge the world |
| F: | with actions that put things right, |
| All: | and all the peoples with justice. |
A CREATIVE MOMENT – Psalm 98
In addition to the treatments of the psalm presented above, Psalm 98 offers the opportunity to add sound – and plenty of it – instruments, both conventional and unconventional, sound recordings, sound effects. If you’re really ambitious, have access to the equipment and people who can use it creatively, project matching video images with the sound.
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 will borrow lightly from other sources e.g. Uniting in Worship 2 or publications of the Iona Community.)
Holy God,
Creator of all,
bearer of all;
receive our tiredness,
our emptiness,
our fear,
our despair.
Give us rest
and fill us again with longing.
Even as we pray for ourselves
be present to those we have named on our lips
and in the silence of our hearts
and those whose troubles are known only to you.
Loving God of all generations,
hear the cries of your world,
in Jesus’ name…
(The Prayers of the People continue)
Looking for contemporary music and song resources?
Try David MacGregor’s Together to Celebrate
Or metrical psalms? Try Dale A. Schoening’s Sing the Psalms
| HYMN SUGGESTIONS FOR EASTER 6 – YEAR B |
|
| A new commandment I give unto you | TIS 699 |
| In Christ there is no east or west | TIS 459 |
| May the mind of Christ my Saviour | TIS 609 |
| Son of God, eternal Saviour | TIS 606 |
| Acts 10:44-48 | |
| Come down, O love divine | TIS 398 |
| Filled with the Spirit’s power | TIS 411 |
| Fold to your heart your sister and your brother | TIS 587 |
| God of grace and God of glory | TIS 611 |
| Holy Spirit, come, comfirm us | TIS 413 |
| Psalm 98 | |
| Creation sings a new song to the Lord | TIS 166 |
| Let all the world in every corner sing: | TIS 105 |
| O sing a new song to the Lord | TIS 56 |
| Praise to the Lord, the Almighty | TIS 111 |
| Sing of the Lord’s goodness, | TIS 183 |
| Sing to the Lord a new song | TIS 57 |
| l John 5:1-6 | |
| Lord Jesus, we belong to you | TIS 686 |
| John 15:9-17 | |
| Help us to accept each other | TIS 648 |
| I come with joy to meet my Lord | TIS 533 |
| In heavenly love abiding | TIS 588 |
| Jesus lives ! your terrors now | TIS 372 |
| Jesus, where’er thy people meet | TIS 445 |
| Man more than man | TIS 355 |
| O Jesus I have promised | TIS 595 |
| O breath of God, breathe on us now | TIS 408 |
| Robe yourself, my soul, with gladness | TIS 503 |
| The Son of God proclaim | TIS 528 |
| The law of Christ alone can make us free | TIS 630 |
| Where there is charity and love | TIS 434 |