Alternate texts liturgy w/communion for Ascension of the Lord

Texts: Daniel 7:9–14; Psalm 113; Ephesians 1:15–23; Luke 24:44–53

Call to Worship
We can stare up at the sky,
or be Jesus' followers here and now.
We can search for directions to glory,
or we can serve with hope and love.
We can wring our hands, worrying we are alone,
or we can discover the Beloved Community
which is all around us.

Prayer of the Day
God of the heavens,
the lowly left in the dust
you take time to life,
the poor consigned to the ash heap
you raise to be close to you.

We think we must keep
our eyes trained to the sky
to find you,
Beloved of God’s heart,
but you continue to walk
with us at every moment.

Spirit of awareness,
open the eyes of our faith
to see the Risen Christ
not far off in the distance,
but as close as our breath,
as you continue to guide,
feed, love, inspire, and send us.

God in Community, Holy in One,
even while we feel alone,
remind us you are with us,
even as we pray as we are taught,
(The Lord’s Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
Though we may tend to believe that hope as disappeared as like smoke from a blown-out candle, still God is present in our lives. Listening to our words, knowing our hearts, blessing us with grace and mercy. Let us pray together as we tell God of our foolish lives.

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
   Why do we spend so much time staring off into space, Ancient of Days, when you make it clear we are called to serve others around us? We admit we would prefer seats of power not towels and basins to clean up messes. We long for proof when we should focus on your promises. We daydream of glory and so come to believe being humble is for suckers.
   Forgive us for how quickly we forget, God of grace. Jesus has not left us but filled us with all the things we need. Compassion for the hurting, justice for the vulnerable, a community for the lonely, love for the hated, hope for these moments of concern. May we continue to look for Jesus, not in the distance, but in those who are around us, with us, among us each day. Amen.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Grace
Remember this, dear friends. We have not been left alone; we are not on our own. Christ is the Risen Lord, still present in our lives and in our world.
This is indeed good news. We have been forgiven, lifted, and now are sent out to share grace, hope, justice, and life with all people. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Affirmation of Faith (Adapted from Ephesians 1)
We believe
in the God of glory and grace,
who brought forth Jesus from the grave
and lifted him to rule over every power.

We believe that Christ is the head
of all who seek to follow him.
The Church, fallible and faithful,
is his body on earth.

We believe that
the Beloved Community
is filled with the Holy Spirit
calling us to bear witness
to the hope of our calling
to share good news with
with all of God’s people. Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering
Ancient of Days, you are fresh and alive in our midst. Receive the gifts we offer, so they may be used to bring new life, new hope, new love to all our siblings. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.

The Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the One who was lifted up be with you.
May the Ascended Lord be with you.
Let us offer our hearts to the Ancient of Days.
We bring them to the One
who gives our hearts their true home.
May we join in singing praises to our God.
We sing glad songs to our God.

It is always right, as well as your delight,
God of days ancient and fresh,
to raise your children from the dust of poverty
and to lift those we toss aside
like so many worthless souls.
Before you taught time to dance,
you imagined that dust which
would not only make the stars
but which you would use
to shape us into your image.
You thought of prophets and pilgrims
who would carry your words
and you hoped for mothers
who would sing songs of justice
to children who looked for hope.
You wrapped muscles and sinews,
skin and nerves around us while
Spirit breathed life into us,
but we decided that we would rather
listen to the boasts of the arrogant
and the foolish promises of the powerful.
When we continued to turn away
you sent your Beloved to us
to show us the way back home.

So, with those who serve you
and all who long for your grace,
we sing your praises:

Holy, holy, holy are you, God of all time.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who comes in your name.
Hosanna in the highest!

You alone are holy, Ancient of days,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, our Savior.
He was not only your Word
at the beginning of all things,
he is the One who opened the scriptures
and fulfilled all of your promises,
He chose to set aside his glory
to become as human as we are,
to reveal that Beloved Community
not built on power and threats,
but on grace and hope.
Refusing the garb of glory,
he put in death’s crown,
giving his life in trust to you,
until you brought him
out of the grave to new life.

And as we remember all that he did and said,
as we recall that presence of grace and love,
we sing of that mystery we know as faith:

Revealing salvation to us, Christ dies.
Revealing resurrection life for us,
   God raised Christ from the dead.
At the right time, glory will be revealed
   to us when Christ comes.

As we gather around this Table
where you pour out your Spirit
upon these gifts, and on your children,
we pray, Loving God,
that by the broken bread and
the cup pf grace,
we might be filled the presence
of the One who is still with us,
so we may no longer look
to the sky afraid and alone,
but go to bring justice,
to share grace,
to confront hate with love,
and to defeat evil with goodness.

And when time comes to an end,
gather us with our siblings from all time,
as we sing our praises to you,
God in Community, Holy in One,
now and forevermore. Amen.

Sending
May we go, not in fear but with faith.
We will go with open hearts
trusting in God’s love.
May we go, not looking up but around.
We will go to share the grace of Jesus
as well as his justice for all the world.
May we go, not alone but together.
We will be sent by the Spirit
to be blessings which heals the broken,
offers comfort to the lonely,
which lifts the poor.

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman