St Stephen Lutheran Church Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Order of Worship, Ascension Day Vespers, May 21, 2020, 7 p.m.

EVENING PRAYER for ASCENSION

Vespers

(Lutheran Book of Worship, page 142)

Jesus Christ is risen from the dead.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

We are illumined by the brightness of his rising.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Death has no more dominion over us.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Joyous light of glory:

of the immortal Father;

heavenly, holy, blessed Jesus Christ.

We have come to the setting of the sun,

and we look to the evening light.

We sing to God, the Father, Son,

and Holy Spirit:

You are worthy of being praised

with pure voices forever.

O Son of God, O Giver of life:

The universe proclaims your glory.

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give him thanks and praise.

We praise and thank you, O God, for you are without beginning and without end.

Through Christ you are the creator and the preserver of the whole world; but, above all, you are his God and Father, the giver of the Spirit and the ruler of all that is, seen and unseen.

You made the day for the works of light and the night for the refreshment of our weakness.

O loving Lord and source of all that is good, mercifully accept our evening sacrifice of praise.

As you have conducted us through the day and brought us to night’s beginning, keep us now in Christ; grant us a peaceful evening and a night free from sin; and, at the last, bring us to everlasting life through Christ our Lord.

Through him we offer glory, honor, and worship to you in the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever.

Amen

Let my prayer rise before you as incense;

the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

O Lord, I call to you; come to me quickly;

hear my voice when I cry to you.

Let my prayer rise before you as incense;

the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

Set a watch before my mouth, O Lord,

and guard the door of my lips.

Let not my heart incline to any evil thing;

let me not be occupied in wickedness with evildoers.

But my eyes are turned to you, Lord God;

in you I take refuge. Strip me not of my life.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;

as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Let my prayer rise before you as incense;

the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

Silence for meditation.

Let the incense of our repentant prayer ascend before you, O Lord, and let your lovingkindness descend upon us, that with purified minds we may sing your praises with the Church on earth and the whole heavenly host, and may glorify you forever and ever.

Amen

Psalm 47

¹ Clap your hands, | all you peoples;*

shout to God with a | cry of joy.

² For the Lord Most High is | to be feared;*

he is the great king over | all the earth.

³ He subdues the | peoples under us,*

and the nations un- | der our feet.

⁴ He chooses our inheri- | tance for us,*

the pride of Jacob | whom he loves.

⁵ God has gone up | with a shout,*

the Lord with the sound | of the ram's horn.

⁶ Sing praises to | God, sing praises;*

sing praises to our | king, sing praises.

⁷ For God is King of | all the earth;*

sing praises with | all your skill.

⁸ God reigns o- | ver the nations;*

God sits upon his | holy throne.

⁹ The nobles of the peoples have gath- | ered together*

with the people of the | God of Abraham.

¹⁰ The rulers of the earth be- | long to God,*

and he is high- | ly exalted.

Lord Jesus, the dominion of the universe is yours, for you have ascended on high and are seated on the throne prepared for you by the Father. Gather all peoples into your Church and make them a holy nation, a royal priesthood, your own chosen heritage, to praise and adore your divine majesty now and forever. (325)

Amen

Hymn A Hymn of Glory Let Us Sing

The Lutheran Hymnal (1941)

1 A hymn of glory let us sing;
New songs thro'out the world shall ring:
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Christ, by a road before untrod.
Ascendeth to the throne of God.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

2 The holy apostolic band
Upon the Mount of Olives stand;
Alleluia! Alleluia!
And with His followers they see
Jesus' resplendent majesty.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

3 To whom the angels, drawing nigh,
"Why stand and gaze upon the sky?
Alleluia! Alleluia!
This is the Savior," thus they say;
"This is His noble triumph-day."
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

4 "Again shall ye behold Him so
As ye today have seen Him go.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
In glorious pomp ascending high
Up to the portals of the sky."
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

5 Oh, grant us thitherward to tend
And with unwearied hearts ascend,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Unto Thy kingdom's throne, where Thou,
As is our faith, art seated now.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

6 Be Thou our Joy and strong Defense,
Who art our future Recompense:
Alleluia! Alleluia!
So shall the light that springs from Thee
Be ours through all eternity.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

7 O risen Christ, ascended Lord,
All praise to Thee let earth accord,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Who art, while endless ages run,
With Father and with Spirit One.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Translator:	Benjamin Webb (1854, alt.)
Author:	The Venerable Bede, d. 735

Readings Ephesians 1:15-23

¹⁵I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward 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.

Luke 24:44-53

⁴⁴[Jesus said to the eleven and those with them,] “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 worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; ⁵³and they were continually in the temple blessing God.

Response

In many and various ways

God spoke to his people of old by the prophets.

But now in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.

The GOSPEL CANTICLE is sung.

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;

my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed.

The Almighty has done great things for me,

and holy is his name.

He has mercy on those who fear him

in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm;

he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,

and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel,

for he has remembered his promise of mercy,

the promise he made to our fathers,

to Abraham and his children forever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,

and to the Holy Spirit;

as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen

The LITANYof the ASCENSION* is said.

Lord, have mercy upon us.        Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.    Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.        Lord, have mercy upon us.

O Christ, hear us. O Christ, graciously hear us.

O Holy Trinity, one God in three persons:
Have mercy upon us.
Jesus, King of Glory, who ascended into heaven in the sight of Your disciples;
Have mercy upon us.
Jesus, who is seated in glory at the right hand of the Father;
Have mercy upon us.
Jesus, unto whom all power is given in heaven and in earth, whose kingdom shall have no end:
Have mercy upon us.
Jesus, who is adored by all the angels of God:
Have mercy upon us.
Jesus, who is the happiness of the blessed:
Have mercy upon us.
Jesus, who has opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers:
Have mercy upon us.
Jesus, who is able to save to the uttermost those that come unto God by You:
Have mercy upon us.
Jesus, who promises that whatever we ask in Your name, You will do it:
Have mercy upon us.

Jesus, who by the power of the Holy Spirit is supernaturally present in the Sacrament of the Altar;
Have mercy upon us.
Jesus, who is gone to prepare a place for us and who will come again in glory to judge the world:
Have mercy upon us.
Jesus, who will receive Your own unto Yourself that they may be with You where You are in glory:
Have mercy upon us.

By Your glorious resurrection and ascension; Good Lord, deliver us.
By Your all-powerful intercession; Good Lord, deliver us.
By Your triumphant majesty and power:
Good Lord, deliver us.

That we who are risen with You may set our affections on things above, not on things on the earth; Hear us, good Lord.
That we may be holy and without blame before You in love;

Hear us, good Lord.
That keeping Your commandments we may abide in Your love; Hear us, good Lord.
That through the power of the Comforter You would abide with us; Hear us, good Lord.
That in you we may have peace: Hear us, good Lord.
That You would pour down Your Holy Spirit upon Your church;
Hear us, good Lord.

O Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world:
O Jesus, spare us.
O Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world:
O Jesus, hear us.
O Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world:
O Jesus, have mercy upon us.
God is gone up with a shout. Alleluia!
And the Lord with the sound of the trumpet. Alleluia!

Assist us mercifully O Lord, in these our supplications; and grant, that like as we do believe the Savior of humankind to be seated with You in Your Majesty, so we may feel that He abides with us, according to His promise, even unto the end of the world: Through Your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Amen

We pray to you, almighty God, in this time of pandemic. You are our refuge and our strength, a very present help in time of trouble. Do not let us fail in the face of these events. Uphold us with your love, and give us the strength we need. Help us in our confusion, and guide our actions. Heal the sick, console the bereaved and afflicted, protect the innocent and helpless, and deliver all who are in peril; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ, for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but also in our lives, by giving up ourselves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages.

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, and the power, and the glory,

forever and ever. Amen

Let us bless the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Hymn Look, The Sight Is Glorious

Lutheran Book of Worship 156

1 Look, oh, look, the sight is glorious,

see the man of sorrows now;

from the fight returned victorious,

ev’ry knee to him shall bow.

Crown him! Crown him!

Crowns become the victor’s brow.

2 Crown the Savior! Angels crown him!

Rich the trophies Jesus brings;

on the seat of pow’r enthrone him

while the vault of heaven rings.

Crown him! Crown him!

Crown the Savior, King of kings.

3 Sinners in derision crowned him,

mocking thus the Savior’s claim;

saints and angels crowd around him,

own his title, praise his name.

Crown him! Crown him!

Spread abroad the victor’s fame!

4 Hark! Those bursts of acclamation!

Hark! Those loud triumphant chords!

Jesus takes the highest station;

oh, what joy the sight affords!

Crown him! Crown him!

King of kings and Lord of lords!

Text: Thomas Kelly, 1769-1855, alt.

Sermon

Prayer and Benediction

Lord God, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

The almighty and merciful Lord, the Father, + the Son, and the Holy Spirit, bless and preserve you.

Amen

*Litany of the Ascension by the Rev. Greg Harbaugh, STS

Thursday, May 21, 2020

Order of Worship, Ascension Day Vespers, May 21, 2020, 7 p.m.