St Edburg's Church - Bicester

Collect of the Day

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.

 

First Reading   Acts 1.1-11

1In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning 2until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3After 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. 4While 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; 5for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’  6So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’ 7He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8But 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.’ 9When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10While he was going and they were gazing up towards heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. 11They 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.’

Psalm   Psalm 47

Refrain: O sing praises to God, sing praises.

1                 Clap your hands together, all you peoples; O sing to God with shouts of joy.  For the Lord Most High is to be feared; he is the great King over all the earth.

3                 He subdued the peoples under us and the nations under our feet.  He has chosen our heritage for us, the pride of Jacob, whom he loves. God has gone up with a merry noise, the Lord with the sound of the trumpet.  O sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises.  For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with all your skill.  God reigns over the nations; God has taken his seat upon his holy throne. The nobles of the peoples are gathered together with the people of the God of Abraham.  For the powers of the earth belong to God and he is very highly exalted.

Refrain: O sing praises to God, sing praises. As Christ was raised by your glory, O Father, so may we be raised to new life and rejoice to be called your children, both now and for ever.

 

Second Reading

Ephesians 1.15-23

15I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love towards all the saints, and for this reason 16I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. 17I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, 18so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, 19and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. 20God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. 22And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, 23which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

 

Gospel   Luke 24.44-53

44Jesus 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.’ 45Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, 46and he said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, 47and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48You are witnesses of these things. 49And 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.’ 50Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. 51While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. 52And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; 53and they were continually in the temple blessing God.

 

Post Communion Prayer

God our Father, you have raised our humanity in Christ and have fed us with the bread of heaven:
mercifully grant that, nourished with such spiritual blessings, we may set our hearts in the heavenly places; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

Copyright acknowledgement (where not already indicated above):  Post Communion (Ascension Day) ©  1985 Mowbray, a Cassell Imprint:After Communion compiled by C L Macdonnell.  Acts 1.1-11 ©  1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ, USA.  Ephesians 1.15-23 ©  1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ, USA.  Luke 24.44-53 ©  1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ, USA.  Psalm 47 ©  The Archbishops' Council 2000.  Collect (Ascension Day) ©  The Crown/Cambridge University Press: The Book of Common Prayer (1662)