Readings
Acts 1:1-11: Jesus promises the Holy Spirit to his disciples. Then he is taken up into heaven, with the assurance of the angels that he will return.
Psalm 47: A celebration of and call to praise the God who is high over all.
OR Psalm 93: A psalm celebrating God’s reign and majesty
Ephesians 1:15-23: Pau’s prayer for the Ephesians that they may know the power of Christ who is over all and fills all.
Luke 24:44-53: Jesus reminds the disciples of how he has fulfilled the Scriptures, then he promises the Holy Spirit, blesses them and is taken up to heaven.
Note: Ascension Day may be celebrated on the day, or on Easter 7
(Bible summaries by John van de Laar, Sacredise)
Ascension Day is an important threshold moment in the Christian story. God is both transcendent and immanent – closer than your breath while simultaneously being higher than the stars above.The disciples move from walking beside Jesus to learning how to live by the Spirit. It is both an ending and a commissioning. There’s also something deeply pastoral about Ascension in this moment of history: Christ is not absent, but no longer confined to one place, one people, or one body. The risen Christ fills all things (Ephesians), blesses the disciples as he departs (Luke), and entrusts ordinary people with the ongoing work of love and witness (Acts).
Worship themes to develop could include:
From presence to promise
Looking upward, sent outward
Christ beyond us, Spirit within us
Opening prayer
God of earth and heaven,
you gathered disciples on a hillside, between grief and hope,
between what had been and what was yet to come.
Christ had walked among them, broken bread with them,
taught them, healed them, shown them the way of love.
And then,
not abandoned them, but blessed them.
In the mystery of Ascension,
you remind us that Christ is not confined
to one place, one people, or one moment in history,
but fills all creation with mercy and life.
So gather us now.
Lift our eyes beyond fear and despair.
Stretch our hearts beyond the limits we place upon your grace.
And prepare us again
to receive the breath of your Spirit.
In this time of worship,
make us attentive to your presence
among the wounded, the waiting, and the hopeful.
Through Christ, who reigns not through domination
but through love. Amen.
Prayer of confession
Risen and ascended Christ,
we confess that we often stand staring into the sky,
waiting for certainty,
waiting for rescue,
waiting for someone else to act.
You call us to be witnesses,
yet we remain silent in the face of injustice.
You send us toward our neighbour,
yet we cling to comfort and familiarity.
You bless the world with peace,
yet we contribute to division, fear, and suspicion.
Forgive us when faith becomes passive.
Forgive us when we confuse worship with escape from the world.
Forgive us when we look upward
but fail to see Christ among the suffering of the earth.
Teach us again the courage of the disciples,
to wait with hope, to pray with expectation,
and to trust the Spirit who is still moving among us.
(Silence)
Ascended Christ,
lift our hearts toward your kingdom
so that our hands may serve your world. Amen.
Words of Assurance
Hear the good news:
The Christ who ascended in blessing
has not abandoned the earth.
The Spirit is still being poured out.
Hope is still alive.
Love is still at work among us.
In Christ, we are forgiven, renewed, and called again
to be bearers of good news.
Thanks be to God.
Prayers of the People
Ascended Christ,
you reign not from a distant throne
but in solidarity with the whole creation.
So we pray for your world.
For places torn apart by war and violence,
where people long for peace but wake each day to fear…
For refugees and displaced people,
searching for safety, dignity, and welcome…
For those burdened by illness, grief, or exhaustion,
especially those who feel alone in their suffering…
For communities weighed down by rising costs,
uncertainty, and anxiety about the future…
For the church,
that we would not become fixated on heaven
while neglecting the cries of the earth…
Teach us to live as people of Ascension hope:
grounded in compassion,
open to the Spirit,
and courageous in love.
We pray for all who wait – for healing, for justice,
for reconciliation, for courage.
Hold them in your blessing.
And while we wait for the fullness of your kingdom,
keep us faithful in the work of peace.
Through Christ our hope and our risen Lord.
Amen.
Prayer before communion
Risen and ascended Christ, though beyond our sight,
you remain present among us in bread broken,
in cups shared, in neighbours welcomed,
in justice pursued, and in love made visible.
As you once blessed the disciples before departing,
bless us now in this meal.
Feed us with hope. Strengthen us for service.
And make us ready for the coming of your Spirit.
Amen.
Congregational response/affirmation
Christ has ascended in glory.
Yet Christ remains among us.
The Spirit is promised.
Hope is alive.
Why do we stand looking toward heaven?
We are called to serve on earth.
The risen Christ sends us into the world.
In love, courage, and peace. Amen.
Sending/blessing
Go now,
not clinging to what has passed,
but trusting the Spirit yet to come.
Go with eyes lifted toward hope
and feet grounded in love.
And may Christ who blesses the disciples still,
the Spirit who breathes courage into fearful hearts,
and the God who reigns in justice and mercy,
be with you now and always. Amen.
