The Reflectionary

I’ll admit it. I put my hand up and confess. I find the endless ‘Alleluias’ irritating.

I mean, they’re OK on Easter Day: ‘He is risen indeed, Alleluia!’ That’s fine. But if you say the daily office between Easter and Pentecost, every third word is Alleluia it seems, and I can’t wait to be rid of them.

Does that make me sound like a grump? Maybe, and I’m sorry for that, cos I’m not a grump and I really am glad that Jesus is risen and all that. But I don’t want to punctuate every sentence with it.

The Lord (Alleluia) be with you. (Alleluia)
And also (Alleluia) with you.
Would (Alleluia) you like a cup of (Alleluia) tea?
Yes (Alleluia) please.

But maybe I should learn to love it, because the amazing Good News that Jesus is Lord of life and lives for ever is worth peppering through every day.

So with that in mind, here are some resources for Ascension, the culmination of Jesus’ earthly ministry, as he fulfilled Daniel’s vision of ‘one like the son of Man, coming on the clouds of heaven’ to receive glory and power at the right hand of the Father.

Alleluia, I suppose.

Ascension Resources

• To the Ends of the Earth Together Apart intergen resource pack – 10-page PDF
• Bin-bag ascension science activity (including video!) – perfect for Messy Church
• Ian Paul’s blog on the centrality (quite literally in the case of Luke’s writings) of the Ascension

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Liturgy for Ascension Day – Seventh Sunday in Easter

Acts 1:1-11, Ephesians 1:15-23, Luke 24:44-53

Confession and Absolution

Father of Glory,
we confess that we have not loved you with our whole hearts.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Neither have we loved our neighbours as ourselves.
Christ, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Forgive us, we pray, for the sake of your son.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,
give us a spirit of wisdom and revelation as we come to know him.
And, with the eyes of our hearts enlightened,
may we know the hope to which he has called us,
may we know the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints,
may we know the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe.
Amen.

Blessing and Dismissal

As Jesus ascended from death to life to glory,
so may we be lifted up with him to God our Father.
As Jesus blessed the saints with power from on high,
so may we, his saints today, be empowered by the Holy Spirit.
As Jesus proclaimed forgiveness to all nations,
so may we proclaim the Good News of the kingdom to all we meet.
And may the blessing of God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
be with us and empower us as his witnesses
to the end of the earth.
Go in the power of the Lord Jesus, risen, ascended and glorified.
Amen.