Ascension
We gather for worship today in celebration of the Ascension of Christ. Just as this was a new experience to the disciples who witnessed these events so today our worship will bring us new experiences, in song.

Call to Worship (Psalm 68: 4)
Sing to God, sing praises to his name;
    lift up a song to him who rides upon the clouds—
his name is the Lord—
    be exultant before him.

HYMN 558 Lord, the light of your love is shining (Shine, Jesus, Shine)

Prayers
God of love,
light a flame of love in our hearts to you,
a flame of love to our families and friends,
a flame of love to our neighbours,
a flame of love to our enemies.

Son of the Mary,
light a flame of love in our hearts to all,
from the lowliest thing that lives,
to the Name that is highest of all.

God of life,
grant us your forgiveness.

We have been heedless in our thoughts,
cruel in our words,
shameful in our actions.
We are indifferent to a world made sad
by want and wastefulness;
we pass by on the other side
when we see our neighbour in need;
we wander from the way that leads to peace
in paths of our own pleasing.
God of life,
grant us your forgiveness.

silence

God of the new day and God of love,
you created us and you have redeemed us.
As you scatter the mist
from the hills,
banish the deeds of darkness
from the sons and daughters of your light.
Help us to know and believe
that, as the children of your love,
we are free to begin again;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

God and Jesus and Spirit of wholeness,
as Three and as One,
shield us and save us,
possess us and aid us,
clear our path,
go before our souls
each step of the stormy world.

Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Scriptures

Acts 1: 6-14
The Ascension of Jesus
So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 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.’ When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up towards heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. 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.’

Matthias Chosen to Replace Judas
Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away. When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.

John 17: 1-11
Jesus Prays for His Disciples
After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.

I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.

HYMN 437 He is exalted

Reflection

Parting is such sweet sorrow

So says Juliet to Romeo in Act 2 of Shakespeare’s well known tragedy. However, in light of today’s Bible readings, we have to wonder if the disciples would have agreed with her. True, the contexts are different; she is bidding a good night to her lover, Romeo, whereas the disciples were in a very different, and much more complex, situation. Today is the nearest Sunday to the celebration of Ascension, and the disciples are once more being parted from their beloved Lord. They had already suffered his traumatic loss once before in the events that we now call Easter; yet their joy had been restored when the Risen Jesus had appeared to them not just once in the upper room but on a number of times and places. Each time he had been there to prepare them for the next stage of their faith journey. It hadn’t been long since he had been restored to them, and now he was being taken away once more. How must they have felt? What grief must they have known? How did they find the strength, and will, to go on?

Grief is something with which we are all acquainted. We will have experienced it through the death of a loved one, or the permanent breakdown of an important relationship. Today, though, we are also experiencing forms of loss that are new to us. We are experiencing loss as elements of our freedom are restricted; we fell hurt as elements of our culture are closed down; we experience estrangement as our social circles, our community, is prevented from meeting as we would prefer. Psychologists tell us that these are all recognised causes of grief, and more.

To return to the disciples, how did they cope in their grief? The answer lies, in part, in their faith heritage. To us the events of the Ascension are strange, but to the disciples they would have resonated with familiar stories. They would have been immediately drawn to the stories of the prophet Elijah; today we tend to think of him only in reference to either his encounter with the still, small, voice of God, or with his fatal encounter on Mount Carmel with the prophets of Baal. The disciples would also have been drawn to the story of the ascension, the rapture, of Elijah. In this story (to be found in II Kings) he is swept up into the presence of God rather than allowed to face natural death and decay. The disciples would have recognised not only this, but a number of other stories alongside, it that would have given them hope. They would have had hope that this parting was not the end, but the beginning of something new.

Moses spent forty days on the mountain; Elijah spent forty days on Mount Horeb; Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness; the disciples were prepared for forty days by the Risen Jesus. The disciples would have seen this pattern of preparation and growth. Moses and Elijah prepared disciples (Joshua and Elisha) to take on their ministry, and now Jesus had done the same. But the parallels do not end there; Joshua and Elisha also ‘inherited’ something of their former teacher. Importantly for the disciples, Elisha gained a double portion of the Spirit that had empowered Elijah; this enabled him to serve and do great things for God. Knowing these stories, the disciples would have been encouraged to view their position as similar; they would have been getting ready to move on with their mission.

We turn to ourselves. In our grieving for what, and who, we have lost during this pandemic what may we do to begin to look forward? Perhaps we can take our lead from the disciples, and look to this as a time when we can prepare ourselves to serve. We can ready ourselves to reach out to our community. We can become bearers of a message of grace and hope that strengthens others in difficult times. We can, ultimately, take this time to prepare ourselves for mission. And we begin, as did the disciples, in prayer.

Amen.

Prayers of Intercession

Let us pray for the Church,
the world, and one another.

For the Church we pray, the bright lamp of faith,
her ministers and people, and this parish.
May the King of angels protect her,
keep her, and save her.

For the world we pray, the creation of God,
its land and sea, its peace and prosperity.
May the Christ move through all the earth,
blessing it.

For those who are ill we pray,
and for those who suffer.
May the Good Shepherd
who knows and loves his sheep
make them whole and well, active and content.

For those who work we pray,
and for all who weave
the patterns of this world’s life.
May the King of grace
give to their labour
growth and substance,
until the day of gladness come.

For those we love, and for ourselves we pray.
May the guarding of God be theirs and ours,
until together we come
to the High King’s house in heaven,
in the name of Father, Son, and Spirit Holy.

God of surprises,
in every age you have called men and women
from security to danger,
from comfort to hardship,
from silence to speaking-out:
we honour you and we honour them.

We remember with gratitude and wonder
the impetuous fisherman,
the despised tax-collector,
the zealous persecutor,
and all the other friends
and witnesses of Christ,
who lived out what they heard and saw
and wrote for us the story of his life.

We remember with gratitude and wonder
those courageous souls
who first brought the Gospel to our shores,
and braved wild northern seas,
defied rocks and skerries,
crossed moorland and mountain,
to offer Christ to our ancient peoples.

We remember with gratitude and wonder
holy men and women of later days,
who made Christ’s presence bright
in word, and water, wine and bread;
and lit a flame of glory to his name
in places which became,
through praise and prayer,
beacons of hope and sanctuaries of his grace.

We remember with gratitude and affection
those who first led us to you,
parents, teachers, ministers,
men and women who worshipped with us;
and those we once loved here on earth.

We celebrate their faith-filled lives,
and pray that they may be
bright flames before us,
guiding stars above us,
smooth paths below us,
a sure defence behind us,
until we reach our home,
the court of Christ, the peace of heaven.
Amen.

HYMN 558 Lord, I lift your name on high

Benediction
The guarding of the God of life be on you,
the guarding of the loving Christ be on you,
the guarding of the Holy Spirit be on you,
every day and night,
to aid you and enfold you,
each day, each night.
Amen

Acknowledgements
New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)
New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Edition, copyright © 1989, 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.
Prayers are based on those in the Church of Scotland Book of Common Order – Third Ed. (2005) – ©Panel on Worship of the Church of Scotland 1994

Call to Worship (Psalm 66:19-20)
Truly God has listened;
he has given heed to the words of my prayer.
Blessed be God,
because he has not rejected my prayer
or removed his steadfast love from me.

HYMN 132 Immortal, invisible, God only wise

(This hymn does not embed – please click on the link below.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spE-BE23qxA

Prayer of approach and confession
Eternal and ever-blessed God,
we give You thanks
for the joy that comes
when we gather to worship together
and are truly united as the people of God.

We thank You for the family of faith,
united in our desire to follow Jesus.
Thank You for those with whom we have laughed,
who have made this world a more cheery place.
Thank You for those with whom we have wept
and we have shared our sorrows
in our times of need.

We bless You for those we have served alongside
sharing together in a common task,
whose support has made the work more manageable
We bless You for those who have shared our dreams
and pursued our visions,
as partners in a common purpose,
working to an agreed goal.

Thank You for those with whom we worship together,
for those with whom we pray together,
for those in whose company
we have listened to Your voice
and sought to see You face to face.

Forgive us for everything that has interrupted
the companionship we should enjoy:
for selfishness that made us want nothing
but our own way,
for intolerance which made us see nothing
but our own point of view,
for self-assertiveness that made us seek to impose
our own will upon others.

Have mercy, good Lord.
Forgive us for arguments in which we lost our temper,
for discussions in which bitter words
and sarcastic comments were thrown about,
for things we said in the heat of the moment
and now bitterly regret.
Have mercy, good Lord.
So cleanse and purify us, that in the days to come
we will work to live in unity with one another
because we are one in Christ.

Hear this our prayer
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

The Lord’s Prayer

Scriptures
Acts 17:22-31 – Paul at the Aeropagus
Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, ‘Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, “To an unknown god.” What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things. From one ancestor he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him—though indeed he is not far from each one of us. For “In him we live and move and have our being”; as even some of your own poets have said,

“For we too are his offspring.”

Since we are God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of mortals. While God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.’

John 14:15-21 – The Promise of the Holy Spirit
If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you for ever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.

‘I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.’

HYMN 586 Come, Holy Ghost, our hearts inspire

Reflection
Picture the scene; it’s Athens of two thousand years ago. Paul is in one of its public areas, one where the men of the city liked to gather to discuss the political and philosophical ideas of the day. Into this place of sharing Paul brings his message. He addresses his audience in terms that they understand, getting alongside them, and making himself intelligible. He even quotes approvingly from a number of their poets. He uses their culture as a means to an end; it’s a door for him to enter into their conversation and to gain a hearing. Paul begins with where they are in life, on what they regard as firm and safe ground, but soon moves on to his message. He points them to who their unknown god really is – the creator of heaven and earth, of humanity and all that is. He tells them that they need to follow this God if they want to know life in all its fullness. He tells them that they need to abandon their old gods, suggesting that they are nothing more than man-made idols. He doesn’t stop there. Paul tells them that they need to change their direction in life and follow the one true God; this implies that they will need to change their ways of life to match.

I’ve recently watched the first season of an American comedy-drama that asks the ultimate question about our ability to change direction in life, and serve God’s ways. In the language of theology, it asks about ‘repentance’, just as does Saint Paul. In a sense it is ‘ultimate’ as it asks if no less than the devil could repent! Whether or not the show’s creators are serious or sincere in their asking of the question is not what matters, what does is the importance and truthfulness of the question itself. To rephrase it, “is anyone beyond turning and following the ways of God”?

We live in times that are both strange and challenging. The current lockdown has seen many grow restless or impatient, while others have taken matters into their own hands, ignoring the advice of both science and medicine. But what about us? Can we, as the people of God, follow good advice irrespective of whether it is of human or Godly origin? Can we follow, even to our own discomfort, sound advice whether it comes from a sage or an apostle? In a sense this is what the apostle Paul is asking; he wants us to follow good advice and turn our lives from following our own paths to those of God. It may seem to limit our choices or actions, we may even feel that it is inconvenient or irritating, but following will lead, ultimately, to life in all its fullness. The television program referred to earlier seems to presuppose that even the devil can turn around, and be redeemed, implying that if he can then so could we. Paul calls on us to change and to follow.

Where, though, may we find the strength and ability to follow? Our Gospel reading, speaks of how Jesus’ followers would be supported once he was gone from among them. What’s being pointed out is that this life of following, discipleship, is not a solo effort. In part it’s a joint effort of the community of faith. Importantly, Jesus reminds us that we are not alone as he would send “another helper”. This helper would aid his followers in living the life they are called to. The Holy Spirit of God is with each of us, empowering, comforting, helping us as we seek to redirect our lives from paths of our own choosing to those God has chosen for us.

In the Aeropagus the unknown god of the Greeks is distant, and unmoved by the lives of the people. Paul tells both them and us that the true God is not like that. The true God, he states, is in our midst, journeying alongside us.
Amen.

Prayers of intercession
Let us take our weariness and tiredness to God
who picks up those who have fallen
and raises up those who are brought low
Bless those, good Lord,
who are bowed down
under the burdens they must carry.
We pray for those who are crushed by their responsibilities at work
and those who feel the pain of our world,
who marvel that others can seem so indifferent to it.
Help them to keep on going.
Bring supportive friends alongside them.
Give them tokens of Your grace,
fresh vision and courage
and signs of encouragement in their struggle.

Let us take our loneliness to God,
who delights to put the solitary into families.
God our Father,
bless those who are lonely
those who have grown old
and whom the passing years have taken
all their friends and contemporaries.
Bless those who are shy,
who find it hard to initiate conversation
and have never known real friendships.
We pray for strangers in a foreign land,
for asylum seekers and refugees,
separated by language and culture
from familiar ways and much loved customs.
We remember all those
who even in the midst of crowds feel alone.

Help the Church, we pray,
to be a place of acceptance and belonging,
a place of welcome and inclusion,
where all can find a home,
a listening ear, a friendly smile and a helping hand.
Let us take our sorrows to God,
who binds up the broken-hearted
and comforts those who mourn.
Bless those whose hearts are sore today.
Be very close to those
whose family circle has been invaded
and whose joy has been darkened by death.
We remember those who have lost loved ones
for whom they have cared,
whose needs they have met,
whose lives have been so intertwined
that they still listen for a voice
they will not hear again.

We remember wives who have lost husbands
and husbands who have lost wives;
parents who have lost children,
who find their homes strangely silent and empty now
and children who have lost parents,
who are confused by a world that seems
less secure and more frightening than before
and all who for whom
familiar places, and sounds and smells
awaken memories that bring tears in their wake.
Thank You for our faith.
May they rest in peace and rise in glory.

Let us turn to God in trust
and recommit ourselves to God.
Send us forth this day
with the joy that no-one can take from us,
the life which is Your life
and the hope that gives strength to our actions.
Help us to sing of our faith
and in that singing find our strength to go on,
trusting in Jesus who lived among us,
died for us and rose again
and who prays for us today,
even as we pray to Him.
In His name we pray
Amen

HYMN 512 To God be the Glory

Benediction
Now to him who is able to keep you from falling, and to make you stand without blemish in the presence of his glory with rejoicing, 25 to the only God our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority, before all time and now and for ever.
Amen.

Acknowledgments
New Revised Standard Version (Anglicised)
New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Edition, copyright © 1989, 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.
Prayers
Very. Rev’d. Colin Sinclair, Moderator to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland 2019-2020, and minister of Palmerston Place Church, Edinburgh.