Ascension
Morning Prayer
Greeting
God ascends to shouts of joy.
The Lord amid trumpet blasts, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Praise the Lord, all you nations.
Acclaim God, all you peoples. Alleluia, Alleluia!
Doxology
Psalm 113
God’s glory shines over the heavens.
Servants of God, praise,
praise the name of the Lord.
Bless the Lord’s name
now and always.
Praise the Lord’s name
here and in every place,
from east to west.
The Lord towers above nations,
God’s glory shines over the heavens.
Who compares to our God?
Who is enthroned so high?
The Lord bends down
to see heaven and earth,
to raise the weak from the dust
and lift the poor from the mire,
to seat them with princes
in the company of their leaders.
The childless, no longer along,
rejoice now in many children.
Hallelujah!
1 Timothy 3:16
Christ is taken up in glory.
Astounding mystery
at the heart of our faith:
One who appeared in human flesh, alleluia!
was attested by the Spirit, alleluia!
seen by angels, alleluia!
proclaimed to Gentiles, alleluia!
believed in by the world, alleluia!
taken up in glory, alleluia!
Reading: Hebrews 9:24
For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made by human hands, a mere copy of the true one, but her entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.
Canticle of Zechariah
I am ascending to my God and your God. Alleluia!
Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
who shepherds the people and sets them free.
God raises from David’s house
a child with power to save.
Through the holy prophets
God promised in ages past
to save us from enemy hands,
from the grip of all who hate us.
The Lord favored our ancestors
recalling the sacred covenant,
the pledge to our ancestor Abraham,
to free us from our enemies,
so we might worship without fear
and be holy and just all our days.
And you child, will be called
Prophet of the Most High,
for you will come to prepare
a pathway for the Lord
by teaching the people salvation
through forgiveness of their sin.
Out of God’s deepest mercy
a dawn will come from on high,
light for those shadowed by death,
a guide for our feet on the way to peace.
Intercessions
Christ Jesus, you stand before God pleading on our behalf. You know the needs of your people. Answer us as we pray to you:
--Christ Jesus, our hope and our salvation, have mercy on your people.
We bring to you our brothers and sisters who suffer under political regimes that deny basic human freedoms…
We bring to you abused and battered children who have no one to protect them…
We bring to you the young people who have no one to guide them to maturity…
We bring to you those suffering from famine and drought…
We bring to you the refugees and immigrants who struggle to build new lives in unfamiliar environments…
Our Father
Prayer
God of heaven and earth, your glory fills the universe. All peoples praise you for the wonders you have worked among us. As we remember the mystery of Christ’s death and rising, help us to remember that he has not left us orphans. We have not known his touch or seen his face, but we believe that he is with us now. Deepen our faith. Open our eyes to see his presence in our midst. Amen.
Blessing
Christ be before me and behind me. Amen.
Christ be on my right and on my left. Amen.
Christ be within me and around me, never to part. Amen.