Order of Worship

May 12, 2024 - 10 a.m. EDT

Prelude - Lantana (Percy Whitlock)

Ringing of the Church Bell
Jason Frye, Ben Frye and their mom

Call to Worship
Maggie Carrington and Daniel Yang

One: In the name of our risen and glorified Lord Jesus Christ, I welcome all of you to this service of worship. Christ has risen from the grave!

All: He died and rose that we might have eternal life.

One: Christ has ascended to the Father!

All: He ascended that we might experience God's presence and power.

One: Today, we celebrate the ascension of our Lord.

All: Let us worship and glorify Christ the King.

Hymn 260 - Alleluia! Sing to Jesus
Zach Boyer, acolyte

Alleluia! Sing to Jesus;
his the scepter, his the throne;
Alleluia! his the triumph,
his the victory alone!
Hark! The songs of peaceful Zion
thunder like a mighty flood:
"Jesus out of every nation
has redeemed us by his blood."

Alleluia! Not as orphans
are we left in sorrow now;
Alleluia! he is near us;
faith believes nor questions how.
Though the cloud from sight received him,
when the forty days were o’er,
shall our hearts forget his promise:
“I am with you evermore”?

Alleluia! Bread of angels,
here on earth our food, our stay;
Alleluia! here the sinful
flee to you from day to day.
Intercessor, friend of sinners,
earth’s redeemer, hear our plea
where the songs of all the sinless
sweep across the crystal sea.

Alleluia! King eternal,
Lord omnipotent we own;
Alleluia! born of Mary,
earth your footstool, heaven your throne.
As within the veil you entered,
robed in flesh, our great high priest;
here on earth both priest and victim
in the eucharistic feast.

Prayer of Confession
Charlie Fortner

One: While we claim to celebrate the ascension of our Lord, the way we live proclaims our lack of faith in God’s power to deal with our world. Let us confess the gap between our faith and practice. Let us pray.

All: We come, O Lord, on this day of glory to confess our lack of trust. While we sing of your lordship over all creation, we have too often acted as though you are powerless in the face of today's events. Help us to live with confidence in your presence today, and in hope for life with you forever. Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness
Reed Collins

One: God’s grace and mercy abounds.

All: God is with us in our confession and transformation.

One: Each of us is beloved, affirmed, and forgiven.

All: Alleluia! Amen!

Response 587 - Alleluia!

Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia! Alleluia!

Sharing the Peace

Welcome and Announcements

Anthem - My Mother’s Love (Tom Shelton)
Children’s Choir
Aaron Wilburn, director

Prayer of Illumination
Parker Bruce

O Lord, your Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Give us grace to receive your truth in faith and love, and strength to follow on the path you set before us; through Jesus Christ, Amen.

Scripture Reading - Psalm 47
Elyse Mautz and Emie Kraus

Clap your hands, all you people! Shout joyfully to God with a joyous shout! Because the LORD Most High is awesome, he is the great king of the whole world. He subdues the nations under us, subdues all people beneath our feet. He chooses our inheritance for us: the heights of Jacob, which he loves. God has gone up with a joyous shout — the Lord with the blast of the ram’s horn. Sing praises to God! Sing praises! Sing praises to our king! Sing praises because God is king of the whole world! Sing praises with a song of instruction God is king over the nations. God sits on his holy throne. The leaders of all people are gathered with the people of Abraham’s God because the earth’s guardians belong to God; God is exalted beyond all. The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

One: The Word of the Lord.

All: Thanks be to God.

Word with Children
Jenni Whitford

Scripture Reading - Acts 1:6-11
Dryden Dickinson

So when they had come together, they asked Jesus, “Lord, are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel now?” Jesus replied, “It isn’t for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has set by his own authority. Rather, 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 end of the earth.” After Jesus said these things, as they were watching, he was lifted up and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going away and as they were staring toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood next to them. They said, “Galileans, why are you standing here, looking toward heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you saw him go into heaven.”

One: The Word of the Lord.

All: Thanks be to God.

Sermon
Wendy McCormick

Prayers of the People
Charlie Ream

One: Let us pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, hear our prayer.

Hymn 464 - Our Father, Which Art in Heaven
Heather Kessler, song leader

Our Father, which art in heaven:
hallowed-a be thy name.
Thy kingdom come; thy will be done:
hallowed-a be thy name.

On earth as it is in heaven:
hallowed-a be thy name.
Give us this day our daily bread:
hallowed-a be thy name.

And forgive us all our debts:
hallowed-a be thy name.
As we forgive our debtors:
hallowed-a be thy name.

And lead us not into temptation:
hallowed-a be thy name.
But deliver us from evil:
hallowed-a be thy name.

For thine is the kingdom,
the power, and the glory:
hallowed-a be thy name.
Forever and ever, amen:
hallowed-a be thy name.

Readings from the Catechism
Heidelberg Catechism
Questions & Answers 46, 49
Huimin Yang and Skylar Kessler

One: What do you mean by saying, “He ascended to heaven?”

All: That Christ, while his disciples watched, was lifted up from the earth to heaven and will be there for our good until he comes again to judge the living and the dead.

One: How does Christ’s ascension to heaven benefit us?

All: First, he pleads our cause in heaven in the presence of his Father. Second, we have our own flesh in heaven — a guarantee that Christ our head will take us, his members, to himself in heaven. Third, he sends his Spirit to us on earth as a further guarantee. By the Spirit's power we make the goal of our lives not earthly things, but the things above where Christ is, sitting on the right hand of God.

Call for the Offering
Ben Ream

We believe in the God of justice and hope, and God believes in us to carry forth the mission of loving and caring for community. Let us now share our gifts and resources. May we continue to walk humbly with God and with our neighbors.

Offertory - Salut d’amour (Edward Elgar)
Yingling and Huimin Yang, violin

Give online at granpres.org/give

Doxology 606 - Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Prayer of Dedication
Elliott Mautz and Austin Kessler

One: For the wondrous ways this offering will bless this community and the world,

All: We dedicate these gifts.

One: For the ways it will help us be witnesses to God’s love and compassion

All: We dedicate these gifts. Let this offering, and the works of our hands and feet, give power to all we stand for as a community of faith.

Hymn - Clap Your Hands, O Faithful People

Clap Your hands, O faithful people!
Shout to God a song of praise!
The Most High our land has ransomed,
and will reign as Lord always!
Great the majesty around us,
sure the paths our feet have trod;
We are claimed as sons and daughters,
children of a gracious God!

With a Shout and blast of trumpet,
God ascends to reign above,
clothed in robes of righteous judgment,
crowned with all redeeming love!
Fill the world with glad rejoicing;
heaven shall sing and earth reply!
Let the nations rise in wonder
all God’s works to glorify!

Benediction
Alex Boyer

Now, let us go forth as witnesses to the wonders of God’s work in the world through Christ. Let us spread the Good News to the ends of the earth. Let us release our upward gaze and embrace an outward gaze so that captives can be set free, systems of injustice can be abolished, status quos can be disrupted, and liberation for all can be experienced. Amen.

Postlude - Fanfare (Jacques-Nicholas Lemmens)

Permission to podcast/stream the music in this service has been obtained from ONE LICENSE with license A-722069.