top of page

Find service words and other posts here

Fresh Winds Blowing: Ascension Sunday

Welcome to St. Paul’s Anglican, Fort Garry! Here you’ll find the order of service for Sunday, May 16, 2021. The service will be on our YouTube page by Sunday morning.

Bless the Broken Road- Instrumental

Prelude- arr by Jon Schmidt


Acknowledgement

For thousands of years Indigenous people have walked in this land, on their own country. Their relationship with the land is at the centre of their lives.

We acknowledge the Indigenous People of Canada, past, present, emerging, and their stewardship of this land throughout the ages where we have been welcomed.


Welcome

A warm welcome is extended to all who are gathering St. Paul’s this morning for our time of worship together. Your presence both enriches us and this time of celebration together.


Sentence

Go and make disciples of all nations, says the Lord; I am with you always, to the close of the age.

Matthew 28.19, 20

Hymn

When Morning Gilds the Skies- VU339

When morning gilds the skies,

My heart awak'ning cries:

May Jesus Christ be praised!

When the evening shadows fall,

This rings my curfew call;

May Jesus Christ be praised!


To God the Word on high,

The host of angel’s cry:

May Jesus Christ be praised!

Let mortals too, up raise

Their voice in hymns of praise;

May Jesus Christ be praised!


Let all of humankind

In this their concord find;

May Jesus Christ be praised!

Let all the earth around

Ring joyous with the sound

May Jesus Christ be praised!


Be this, while life is mine

My canticle divine;

May Jesus Christ be praised!

Be this th’eternal song

Through all the ages long;

May Jesus Christ be praised!


Gathering of the Community

Lord Jesus, breathe on me; give me strength today. Holy Spirit, work in me. For this I pray.

Come let us gather in the joy and wonder of the Easter Season

Let us celebrate Christ’s presence in our world today.

Jesus has promised that wherever we are, his Spirit will be in our midst.

Lord Jesus, breathe on me; give me strength today. Holy Spirit, work in me. For this I pray.


Prayer of the Day

Refreshing God, in times of dryness you are like cool, spring rains giving new life to the parched places of our lives. We come before you now to celebrate the new life you give to us and others each and every day. Amen


Collect of the day

Almighty God, your Son Jesus Christ ascended to the throne of heaven that he might rule over all things as Lord. Keep the Church in the unity of the Spirit and in the bond of his peace, and bring the whole of creation to worship at his feet, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen



Proclamation of the Word


A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11

In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. After 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.

While 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; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?" He replied, "It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But 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." When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward 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 47

Refrain Sing praise to God, Sing praises

Clap your hands, all you peoples; * shout to God with a cry of joy. For the Lord Most High is to be feared, * the great sovereign over all the earth, who subdues the peoples under us * and the nations under our feet; who chooses our inheritance for us, * the pride of Jacob whom God loves.

Sing praise to God, Sing praises


God has gone up with a shout, * with the sound of the ram’s-horn. Sing praises to God, sing praises; * sing praises to our sovereign, sing praises.

For God is sovereign of all the earth; * sing praises with all your skill.

Sing praise to God, Sing praises


God reigns over the nations * and sits upon the holy throne. The nobles of the peoples have gathered together * with the people of the God of Abraham. The rulers of the earth belong to God, * who is highly exalted.

Sing praise to God, Sing praises


A Reading from the letter to the Ephesians 1:15-23

I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I 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, so 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, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. God 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, far 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. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.


Gradual Hymn

Good Christians All Rejoice and Sing - 211

Good Christians all, rejoice and sing!

Now is the triumph of our King!

To all the world glad news we bring;

alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!


The Lord of life is risen today!

Sing songs of praise along his way;

Let all the earth rejoice and say;

alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!


Praise we in songs of victory

That love, that life which cannot die,

And sing with hearts lifted up high;

alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!


Your name we bless, O risen Lord

And sing today with one accord

The life laid down, the life restored

alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!


The Holy gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. Luke 24:44-53

Then he said to 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." Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And 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." Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into

heaven. And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; and they were continually in the temple blessing God.


Homily


An Affirmation of Faith

In response to the word reflected on, let us stand and share an affirmation of faith.


We believe in a light that smothers darkness. It tears through every shadow in our world, and leaves a clarity brighter than the sun, and we name that light: God!


We believe in a love that crushes hatred, and leaves a space for forgiveness,

to rebuild, redesign, and re-create our world, and we name that love: God!

We believe in a truth that rips through injustice revealing a different vision for our world:

of freedom, fairness, and future,

and we name that truth: God!


We believe in a hope that rattles oppressors,

shaping the intent of the Creator

for a people destined for love,

and we name that hope: God!


We believe in a time towards which all history travels,

where all our lives will be held,

and bound into eternity,

and we name that time: God!


Offertory Hymn

All Who Are Thirsty- MV 4

All who are thirsty, all who are weak

Come to the fountain.

Dip your heart in the stream of life.

Let the pain and sorrow be washed away

In the waves of God’s mercy

As deep cry’s out to deep.


Come Lord Jesus come

Come Lord Jesus come

Come Lord Jesus come

All who are thirsty, all who are weak

Come to the fountain.

Dip your heart in the stream of life.

Let the pain and sorrow be washed away

In the waves of God’s mercy

As deep cry’s out to deep.


Holy spirit come

Holy spirit come Holy spirit come

Holy spirit come


As deep cry’s out to deep, we sing

Come Lord Jesus come

Come Lord Jesus come

Come Lord Jesus come


Prayer over the Gifts

Eternal God, our Saviour Jesus Christ has promised to be with us until the end of time. Accept all we offer you this day, and renew us in his transfigured life; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen


The Prayers of Intercession

Petition- by Sarah Hart

O Lord, have mercy on us all,

grant us your peace,

bring us your healing.

For those who tend the sick with love that knows no fear,

be ever at their side.

And for the suffering ones

who lean into your care,

with healing now abide.

For those who serve the weak

with kindness reaching out,

O be their source and help.

And for the lonely ones,

may every heart be found

and in your mercy, held.

For those who freely give

who toil without praise,

lead them to rest in you.

And we who may receive,

O help us understand

our debt of gratitude.

For those who’ve lost so much

and fear for losing all,

O fill their cup with hope.

And let us reach in faith,

reminding those who weep

that they are not alone.


The Lord’s Prayer


The Doxology

Glory to God,

whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. Glory to God from generation to generation, in the Church and in Christ Jesus, for ever and ever. Amen.


Closing Hymn

Come Away to the Skies -225

Come away to the skies

my beloved, arise

and rejoice in the day thou wast born

on this festival day,

come exulting away,

and with singing to Zion return.


Now with singing and praise,

let us spend all the days

by our gracious Creator bestowed,

while by grace we receive

from God’s bounty, we live

to the honour and glory of God


For the glory we were

first created to share

both the nature and kingdom divine!

Now created again

that our lives may remain

Throughout time and eternity, thine


We with thanks do approve

the design of that love

which has joined us to Jesus’ name; so united in heart

let us nevermore part

till we meet at the feast of the lamb.


Hallelujah we sing,

to the heavens’ high King

and our rapturous praises repeat;

to the Lamb that was slain,

hallelujah again,

Sing all heaven, and fall at his feet.

The Blessing


Commission and Benediction

As people of faith we have gathered for worship.

As people of faith we now return to the world.

Go out to share the story of faith, the story of life, with the world around us.

We share the faith in word and in deed, in speech and in action.

As we go out to give a living witness, as we go out to testify to God's love active in the world, go knowing that God goes with us, sharing the laughter and the hope, the fears and the tears.

Thanks be to God! Amen. Alleluia


Comments


bottom of page