Opening Prayer

Why are we looking up to heaven?
Christ has come; Christ has risen; Christ will come again.

Why are we looking ahead to the future?
The Holy Spirit is among us now. In our baptism, we have already died and risen with Christ.

Why are we afraid of death and dying?
God’s love casts out our fear.

Why are we afraid to follow Jesus?
In Christ, we have the promise of new life now, eternal life to come.
In Christ, we join our hearts to worship God, who has prepared for us to enter the reign of God.

Children’s Time

Jesus returns to heaven

Confession & Words of Assurance

Almighty God, 

we confess that we have our eyes set in the clouds instead of on the earth You have given us. 
We desire heavenly treasure but we keep believing that worldly means will help us attain it. 

Forgive us for our short sightedness. Draw us away from the temptations to seek worldly power and measures of success, and call us to the down-to-earth message of Your love, to care for the needs of those around us, especially the oppressed and marginalized. 

You have called us through scripture to care for the widows and orphans among us; help us to see all those who are left out by society and are in need. Help us to break down the dividing walls that we have placed, so that we may truly be one, as You and Christ are one. For it is in Christ’s name we pray. Amen.

You matter. This is the underlying truth of all commandments and commissions. You are called, faults and all, to be apostles. Your sins were your teachers. Learn from them and let them go knowing they have all been forgiven. You have other work to do rather than to dwell on your past.

Scripture

Jesus is Taken to Heaven

Acts 1:⁶ While the apostles were still with Jesus, they asked him, “Lord, are you now going to give Israel its own king again?”^[b]

⁷ Jesus said to them, “You don’t need to know the time of those events that only the Father controls. ⁸ But the Holy Spirit will come upon you and give you power. Then you will tell everyone about me in Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria, and everywhere in the world.” ⁹ After Jesus had said this and while they were watching, he was taken up into a cloud. They could not see him, ¹⁰ but as he went up, they kept looking up into the sky.

Suddenly two men dressed in white clothes were standing there beside them. ¹¹ They said, “Why are you men from Galilee standing here and looking up into the sky? Jesus has been taken to heaven. But he will come back in the same way that you have seen him go.”

^12-13 The Mount of Olives was about half a mile from Jerusalem. The apostles who had gone there were Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon, known as the zealot, and Judas the son of James.

After the apostles returned to the city, they went upstairs to the room where they had been staying.

¹⁴ The apostles often met together and prayed with a single purpose in mind. The women and Mary the mother of Jesus would meet with them, and so would his brothers.

Sermon

Performed by Margaret Whisselle

Prayers of the People

 (taken from the World Vision prayers for the pandemic)

(Please add your prayers aloud and in the comment in section below)

Christ Jesus, you taught us to love our neighbour,
and to care for those in need
as if we were caring for You.
In this time of anxiety, give us strength
to comfort the fearful, to tend the sick,
and to assure the isolated
of our love, and Your love.

Give skill, sympathy and resilience
to all who are caring for the sick,
and Your wisdom to those searching for a cure. Strengthen them with Your Spirit,
that through their work
many will be restored to health.

Sustain those working for our continued ability to meet our needs, the clerks who process our goods, the truckers, pilots and engineers who keep deliveries moving, the politicians working to ensure we can live under new restrictions, the community leaders tending to the vulnerable in our midst.

Restore their energy, build up their willingness to help those in need, and provide them with the opportunities to feel gratitude rather than censor.

We are not people of fear:
we are people of courage.
We are not people who protect our own safety:
we are people who protect our neighbours’ safety.
We are not people of greed:
we are people of generosity.
We are your people God,
giving and loving,
wherever we are,
whatever it costs
For as long as it takes
wherever you call us.

Gathering all these prayers into one, we offer the prayer tradition has taught us:

Our Father, who art in heave, hallowed be Thy name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Benediction & Commission

As you stay in your space

remember we are here in the power of the Holy Spirit, to be God’s witnesses; to proclaim the Good News to everyone we encounter, to share the love that God has lavished on us in Jesus Christ.

So be confirmed in the power and strength of God, to bear witness to all you have seen and experienced.