St Ursula's Church
Berne, Switzerland
A Church of the Anglican Communion, welcoming all who seek the Lord Jesus Christ
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| St Ursula's Church A Church of the Anglican Communion, welcoming all who seek the Lord Jesus Christ | ||||||||
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Alleluia. Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed, Alleluia!
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, for forty days we have been celebrating with joyful hearts the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, his bursting from the tomb and his defeat of the power of sin and death. He appeared to his disciples many times and told them about the kingdom of God.
Today we recall how he left this earth and returned to his Father, ascending into heaven to take his throne over all dominions and powers. Trusting in his reign over all creation, and submitting to his kingly yet loving rule, let us hear today the story of his parting.
1 Hail the day that sees him rise, Alleluia!
to his throne above the skies; Alleluia!
Christ, the Lamb for sinners given, Alleluia!
enters now the highest heaven! Alleluia!
2 There for him high triumph waits; Alleluia!
lift your heads, eternal gates! Alleluia!
he hath conquered death and sin; Alleluia!
take the King of glory in! Alleluia!
3 Lo! the heaven its Lord receives, Alleluia!
yet he loves the earth he leaves; Alleluia!
though returning to his throne, Alleluia!
still he calls mankind his own. Alleluia!
4 See! he lifts his hands above; Alleluia!
See! he shows the prints of love: Alleluia!
Hark! his gracious lips bestow, Alleluia!
blessings on his Church below. Alleluia!
5 Still for us he intercedes, Alleluia!
his prevailing death he pleads, Alleluia!
near himself prepares our place, Alleluia!
he the first fruits of our race. Alleluia!
6 Lord, though parted from our sight, Alleluia!
far above the starry height, Alleluia!
grant our hearts may thither rise, Alleluia!
seeking thee above the skies. Alleluia!
7 There we shall with thee remain, Alleluia!
partners of thy eternal reign, Alleluia!
there thy face forever see, Alleluia!
find our heaven of heavens in thee, Alleluia!
Seeing we have a great high priest who has passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, and make our confession to our heavenly Father. Hebrews 4.14; 10.22
Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
we have sinned against you and against our neighbour
in thought and word and deed,
through negligence, through weakness,
through our own deliberate fault.
We are truly sorry and repent of all our sins.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, who died for us,
forgive us all that is past and grant
that we may serve you in newness of life
to the glory of your name. Amen.
Almighty God, who forgives all who truly repent,
have mercy upon you,
pardon and deliver you from all your sins,
confirm and strengthen you in all goodness,
and keep you in life eternal;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to his people on earth.
Lord God, heavenly King,
almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks,
we praise you for your glory.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world:
have mercy on us;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father:
receive our prayer.
For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Let us pray that our risen and ascended Lord will lead us to eternal life.
Grant, we pray, almighty God,
that as we believe your only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ
to have ascended into the heavens,
so we in heart and mind may also ascend
and with him continually dwell;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen
1In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning 2 until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4 While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. 'This,' he said, 'is what you have 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, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?' 7 He replied, 'It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set 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, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'
9 When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 While he was going and they were gazing up towards heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. 11 They said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.'
1 Jesus is Lord! Creation's voice proclaims it,
for by his power each tree and flower
was planned and made.
Jesus is Lord! The universe declares it,
sun, moon and stars in heaven cry, 'Jesus is Lord!'
Jesus is Lord! Jesus is Lord!
Praise him with hallelujahs
for Jesus is Lord!
2 Jesus is Lord! Yet from his throne eternal
in flesh he came
to die in pain on Calvary's tree.
Jesus is Lord! From him all life proceeding,
yet gave his life a ransom
thus setting us free.
Jesus is Lord! Jesus is Lord!
Praise him with hallelujahs
for Jesus is Lord!
3 Jesus is Lord! O'er sin the mighty conqueror,
from death he rose,
and all his foes shall own his name.
Jesus is Lord! God sent his Holy Spirit
to show by works of power that Jesus is Lord.
Jesus is Lord! Jesus is Lord!
Praise him with hallelujahs
or Jesus is Lord!
David J Mansell
Alleluia, alleluia.
Go and make disciples of all nations, says the Lord.
Remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
Matthew 28.19,20
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke
Glory to you, O Lord
44 Jesus said to the 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, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.' 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, 46 and he said to them, 'Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.' 50 Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; 53 and they were continually in the temple blessing God.
Praise to you, O Christ
Great joy! It's interesting that we can read a passage of scripture many times but still be struck by words or phrases which had never particularly struck us before. When I was reading the end of Luke's gospel which we've just heard and pondering it to prepare for this sermon, I was very struck by those two words: 'great joy'. After Jesus ascended to heaven the disciples returned to Jerusalem with 'great joy' and were continually in the temple blessing God.
When you think about it, this might be rather surprising. This is Jesus' final farewell. The disciples have been through a lot; the shock of grief at Jesus' brutal execution and the shock of amazement at his resurrection. Since then the Risen Jesus has appeared to them several times. Perhaps they thought he would continue to appear amongst them in this way. But no, on this day, he says a final farewell to them, blesses them and is taken up to heaven. However we understand what actually happened, it is clear that the period of Jesus' earthly ministry has come to an end.
So how might we expect the disciples to feel? Sad, a bit lost, fearful about the future? Instead, when Jesus leaves them, they return to Jerusalem with 'great joy' looking ahead to the future with expectation and confidence.
The Ascension of Jesus is both an end and a beginning; a time to look both backwards and forwards; and 'great joy' can be found as we look in both directions. The beginning of Jesus' life is marked with joy; indeed the same Greek words for 'great joy' are used then as are used in our passage today. The angel, when announcing the birth of Jesus, says to the shepherds 'do not be afraid, for see – I am bringing you good news of great joy for all people' Good news of great joy. Despite the struggles Jesus faced, the opposition, the rejection by the leaders of the people, the betrayal and denial of his closest friends, his torture, suffering and death – nevertheless Jesus' ministry, death and resurrection is God's message of 'great joy' to us. Jesus' teaching, his life and ministry, his death and resurrection can bring us life in abundance and the 'great joy' of forgiveness, healing and new intimacy with God our Father. So it is fitting that the end of Jesus' earthly life, when he is taken up into heaven is also marked by 'great joy' too.
But the ascension of Jesus is not only an end but also a beginning. Luke makes clear how pivotal the ascension is in the bigger scheme of things; as we heard in our readings his gospel concludes with the ascension, and his second book, the book of Acts, begins with the ascension. When Jesus returns to the Father, it's like the end of one act in the drama of God's salvation and the opening of another.
As Jesus prepares to leave his disciples he both looks back at his own ministry, his death and resurrection and how it was foretold in by the prophets; and he also looks forwards as he tells the disciples that they now have a task to fulfil. They are to proclaim repentance and forgiveness of sins to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. The purposes of God as seen in the OT and in the ministry of Jesus will now continue in their work: 'You are my witnesses of these things. And see, I am sending upon you what my Father has promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.' This is the Holy Spirit who will be with them and in them to equip them to share in God's purposes. And as the disciples wait in expectation for the Spirit and the new ministry that lies ahead of them, they are filled with 'great joy.'
We too are called like those first disciples to be witnesses to Jesus' life and love; to share the message of forgiveness, the good news of great joy with others. We are not just spectators but participants in this drama of God's salvation. The task of making disciples of all nations, declaring Jesus' transforming love and forgiveness is OUR task. Of course we may often feel – I do – that we're not up this task of being witnesses! Who are we to preach and live God's forgiveness, healing and promise of new life? How can God work through us in all our weakness and apathy, lack of faith and love? How can we be witnesses to God's love in Christ in our very ordinary, everyday lives? But we are not called to this task on our own - like the first disciples we are promised the power of the Holy Spirit. So we need to pray earnestly for a deepening awareness of and openness to the Spirit among us and within us.
The Spirit does not only equip us for ministry but draws us into the 'great joy' of God. Just as 'great joy' marked the impact of Jesus' ministry from beginning to end, so 'great joy' is also closely associated with the Spirit - indeed joy is a fruit of the Spirit. This doesn't mean things will always be comfortable and easy! Just as Jesus faced struggle and suffering, so did many of those early disciples, and down the centuries many Christians have suffered and died as witnesses to Christ. But nevertheless 'great joy' is a mark of a truly Christian life.
I don't mean by this that we should walk round with a false grin on our faces or deny any difficulties, struggles and suffering; but whatever situations we face there is a deep joy available for us in the love of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
At the moment there are many challenges facing us not only as individuals, families and communities, but of course nationally and internationally. We may feel overwhelmed by the enormity of suffering, need, and uncertainty facing our world. We may also be anxious about how things will develop in our own lives and families, our work situations and finances, and indeed our life as a church. Even the many practicalities that need to be considered to enable us to meet again in church may make us feel stressed and uncertain; never mind the bigger call to bear witness to God's grace in a needy world.
But today let us be reminded of the joy at the heart of the gospel; of God's faithfulness in the past and his promise to go before us as we look to the future. Let us rejoice in all that God has done for us in Christ and pray in expectation and confidence for the grace and power and joy of the Spirit.
Revd Helen Marshall
Let us pray to the Father in the name of Jesus, our Ascended Lord.
Heavenly Father, today we remember the wonderful ascension of your Son into heaven watched by the disciples and we give you thanks. Send us the gift of the Spirit and renew your Church with power from on high. Lift up our hearts to the heavenly places and give us all the courage to be your witnesses so that others may know you.
Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer.
Lord God Almighty, the Ancient of Days, let all peoples acknowledge your kingdom; grant on earth the blessing of peace. We give thanks for peace-makers and for all who work to bring your kingdom of justice and love. We pray for those parts of the world which need your peace.
Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer.
Father of all, we thank you for the life of Jesus on earth – he healed the sick and comforted the sad. Now he has ascended in triumph to be with you in heaven. We pray for those in any kind of need – may he who has borne our infirmities strengthen and heal them, that they may find grace.
Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer.
God our Father, make us joyful in the ascension of your Son Jesus Christ who has gone before us to prepare a place for us. May we follow him into the new creation, for his ascension is our glory and our hope.
Merciful Father, accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
Tricia Carrick i
Jesus says: 'Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.
If you love me, rejoice because I am going to the Father'.
Alleluia. John 14.27,28
The peace of the Lord be always with you
and also with you.
1 Lord, enthroned in heavenly splendour,
first-begotten from the dead,
thou alone, our strong defender,
liftest up thy people's head.
Alleluia, alleluia,
Jesu, true and living bread.
2 Here our humblest homage pay we,
here in loving reverence bow;
here for faith's discernment pray we,
lest we fail to know thee now.
Alleluia, alleluia,
thou art here, we ask not how.
3 Though the lowliest form doth veil thee
as of old in Bethlehem,
here as there thine angels hail thee,
Branch and Flower of Jesse's Stem.
Alleluia, alleluia,
we in worship join with them.
4 Paschal Lamb, thine offering, finished
once for all when thou wast slain,
in its fulness undiminished
shall for evermore remain,
Alleluia, alleluia,
cleansing souls from every stain.
5 Life-imparting heavenly Manna,
stricken Rock with streaming side,
heaven and earth with loud hosanna
worship thee, the Lamb who died,
Alleluia, alleluia,
risen, ascended, glorified!
G H Bourne
As our Saviour has taught us, so we pray
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.
Risen Christ,
you have raised our human nature to the throne of heaven:
help us to seek and serve you,
that we may join you at the Father's side,
where you reign with the Spirit in glory,
now and for ever. Amen.
1 Rejoice! the Lord is King.
Your Lord and King adore;
mortals, give thanks and sing,
and triumph evermore:
lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
rejoice, again I say, rejoice.
2 Jesus, the Saviour, reigns,
the God of truth and love;
when he had purged our stains,
he took his seat above:
lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
rejoice, again I say, rejoice.
3 His kingdom cannot fail;
he rules o'er earth and heaven;
the keys of death and hell
are to our Jesus given:
lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
rejoice, again I say, rejoice.
4 He sits at God's right hand
till all his foes submit,
and bow to his command,
and fall beneath his feet:
lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
rejoice, again I say, rejoice.
Charles Wesley
Christ our ascended King pour upon you the abundance of his gifts and bring you to reign with him in glory;
and the blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you now and always. Amen.
Waiting expectantly for the promised Holy Spirit,
go in the peace of Christ. Alleluia, alleluia.
Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia.
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