The Lord be with you. And also with you.
We come from scattered lives to meet with God, apart and yet together, in spirit and in the truth of God’s unending love for us. Let us worship him for he is our strength and our song and our saving hope.
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 on you,
Pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and keep you in eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
ASCENSION Acts 1:1-14
FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS
Have you ever tried to make something without following the instructions? - a flat-pack bookcase or cabinet? Most households have been through this scenario - pieces of wood, screws - it all looks so obvious and easy - unless you want a bookcase that will actually stand up and hold books!
FOLLOWING JESUS’ INSTRUCTIONS
Jesus gave his disciples instructions before he left this earth because they had work to do. He had started that work and completed his part of it. Now they were to carry on the work. But first they were to
WAIT ON GOD in prayer
You can be waiting in a queue to get into a supermarket for an hour these days and it can be difficult not feeling it is a waste of time. Waiting for the lockdown to come to an end is tiresome and stressful as we don’t know when life will get back to normal. Waiting is difficult for us.
And yet Jesus told his disciples to wait - but for what? “…wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptised with water, but in a few days you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.’ v4-5
WHY did they need the baptism in the Holy Spirit?
They needed POWER to be witnesses of Jesus Christ
They needed the GIFTS of the Holy Spirit to enable them for mission and ministry in order to bless others
They needed the FRUIT of the Holy Spirit to transform them from the inside out to have a Christ-like character.
HOW were they to WAIT?
They were to spend their time in PRAYER – to ask – seek – knock – to develop their relationship with God and to pray – “Thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.â€
Each of us too needs the filling of the Holy Spirit just as the disciples did. We need His power in our lives to DO the work he wants us to do and to BE the people he wants us to be and to be His witnesses in the power of his love.
Let us be expectant in this week coming up to PENTECOST – let us pray for the Holy Spirit to fill us and work in our lives any way He sees fit.
May the Lord Bless you in every way. Amen
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
Show us your mercy, O Lord,
and grant us your salvation.
O Lord, save the Queen
and grant her government wisdom.
Let your ministers be clothed with righteousness
and let your servants shout for joy.
O Lord, save your people
and bless those whom you have chosen.
Give peace in our time, O Lord,
and let your glory be over all the earth.
O God, make clean our hearts within us
and renew us by your Holy Spirit.
Go before us, Lord, in all our doings, with your most gracious favour, and further us with your continual help; that in all our works begun, continued and ended in you, we may glorify your holy name, and finally by your mercy attain everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and ever living God, we give you thanks for bringing us safely to this day: Keep us from falling into sin or running into danger, and in all things guide us to know and do your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Collect for the 7th Sunday of Easter
O God the King of Glory,
you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ
with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven:
Mercifully give us faith to know
that, as he promised,
he abides with us on earth to the end of time;
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
be with us all evermore. Amen.
Blessing
The God of peace,
Who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus,
That great shepherd of the sheep
Through the blood of the eternal covenant
Make us perfect in every good work to do his will
Working in us that which is well pleasing in his sight:
And the blessing of God Almighty
The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit
Be with us and remain with us always. Amen
Let us go in the peace to serve the Risen Christ.
Thanks be to God. Alleluia! Alleluia!
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