Celebrating Eastertide from Home: Ascension
In these worship resources,
we continue our journey in Eastertide.
Getting started
Read a reflection on Eastertide and ideas for celebrating this season from home
Opening to the Word
God has gone up with a shout,
the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.Ascendit Deus in jubilo,
et Dominus in voce tubae.
Psalm 46 (47):5
The Liturgy of the Word
Click on one of the reading references to read the Bible passages:
Short Reflection
For forty days after his resurrection, the disciples saw the one in whom they had begun to recognise the face of God.
And yet, this short time later, their Lord was to leave them again.
I have said these things to you
while I am still with you.But the Advocate, [παρακλέτος] the Holy Spirit,
whom the Father will send in my name,
will teach you everything,
and remind you of all that I have said to you.
John 14:25-26
It is only by leaving that the Spirit can come to them.
In these nine days before Pentecost, let us earnestly ask the Spirit of God to come to us and to renew the face of the earth (cf. Ps 103).
Veni, Creator Spiritus.
Come,Holy Ghost, our souls inspire.
Prayer
At this time, pray for our politicians and leaders.
Pray for those caring for patients with COVID-19
and for those working to protect the most vulnerable in society from this disease.
Pray for essential workers.
Pray for us all.
Music for reflection *
JS Bach: Heut triumphieret Gottes Sohn BWV 630 **
To-day God’s only-gotten Son
Arose from death, and triumph won,
Alleluya, Alleluya,
In mighty pomp and rich array;
His therefore be the praise alway.
Alleluya, Alleluya.
attributed to Kaspar Stolzhagen (1591)
trans. G.R. Woodward
An Eastertide hymn
1 Blest be the everlasting God,
the Father of our Lord!
Be God’s abounding mercy praised,
and majesty adored!
2 When from the dead he raised his Son,
and called him to the sky,
God gave our souls a lively hope
that they should never die.
3 There’s an inheritance divine
reserved against that day;
’tis uncorrupted, undefiled,
and cannot fade away
4 Saints by the power of God are kept,
till that salvation come;
we walk by faith as strangers here,
till Christ shall call us home.
Isaac Watts, alt.
Alternative Eastertide Hymn (especially for the evening)
1 Stay with us Lord, for day is almost over;
Come to us in peace and greet us with your word.
You we have known, your love has sought and found us:
Speak to us now, our brother and our Lord.
2 Stay with us Lord, your word like fire within us
Sheds its searching light on all our despair:
We had forgotten you, the risen Master,
Taking our way, you talked with us there.
3 Stay with us Lord, and ever go before us,
Soon will your future dawn on us like day;
Stretch out your hand to hold and lead us always,
Gentle and strong one, Lord of our way.
Words: Alan Griffiths
© 1995 Alan Griffiths
from ‘Hymns for Prayer & Praise‘
The Lord’s Prayer
You can say this in any language you choose.
Here it is, in English, Latin and French.
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your Kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those
who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom,
the power and the glory are yours.
Now and for ever. Amen.
Pater noster, qui es in cælis;
sanctificatur nomen tuum:
adveniat regnum tuum;
fiat voluntas tua,
sicut in cælo, et in terra.
Panem nostrum cotidianum da nobis hodie:
et dimitte nobis debita nostra,
sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris:
et ne nos inducas in tentationem:
sed libera nos a malo.
Quia tuum est regnum,
et potestas, et gloria, in saecula.
Amen.
Notre Père qui es aux cieux,
que ton nom soit sanctifié.
Que ton règne vienne.
Que ta volonté soit faite sur la terre comme au ciel.
Donne-nous aujourd’hui notre pain de ce jour.
Pardonne-nous nos offences
comme nous pardonnons aussi
à ceux qui nous ont offensés.
Et ne nous soumets pas à la tentation,
mais délivre-nous du mal.
Car c’est à toi qu’appartiennent le règne,
la puissance et la gloire
pour les siècles des siècles. Amen.
Concluding prayer
Almighty God,
whose blessed Son our Saviour Jesus Christ
ascended far above all heavens
that he might fill all things:
mercifully give us faith
to perceive that, according to his promise,
he abides with his Church on earth,
even to the end of the ages;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God,
in glory everlasting. Amen.
Alleluia! Christ is risen.
He is risen indeed. Alleluia.
* You can find more organ music from Holy Trinity Church, Stirling
on Alistair Warwick‘s website and on SoundCloud
** Uploaded for Ascension Day, this is a one-take recording, with some errors, which will be corrected in a future take.
In these strange times, we are called to trust
Other resources
Acknowledgements
The Bible texts of the Old Testament, Epistle and Gospel lessons are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993, 1995 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Collects are from the Scottish Episcopal Church, 1982.
The hymn ‘Stay with us Lord’ by Alan Griffiths, is taken from ‘Hymns for Prayer & Praise‘.
Images, unless otherwise stated, are from lockdown, by Alistair Warwick.
Music engraved by The Art of Music.
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