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June 1, 2025: Ascension of the Lord
Prelude: Chorale Prelude on Llanfair
Welcome
CALL TO WORSHIP —Cf Psalm 47
L: Clap your hands, all you peoples.
A: Shout unto God with a cry of gladness.
L: God has gone up with a shout.
A: The Lord with a blast of the trumpet.
L: Sing praise to God, sing praise.
A: Sing praise to our king, sing praise.
L: For God is king over all the nations.
A: God reigns from his mighty throne.
OPENING HYMN:
Hail the Day that See Him Rise UMH 312
OPENING PRAYER: UMBoW 404
O God, the King of Glory,
you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ
with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven.
Do not leave us comfortless,
but send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us,
and exalt us to that place
where our Savior Christ has gone before,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
One God in glory everlasting. Amen.
ACT OF PRAISE: Gloria Patri UMH 71
Joys & Concerns
Pastoral Prayer
Passing of the Peace
HYMN BEFORE SCRIPTURE:
Christ Whose Glory Fills the Skies UMH 173
Today’s Epistle reading is taken from the Acts of the Apostles
(Acts 1:1-11)
1 In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and teach 2 until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 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. 4 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; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 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.” 9 When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. 11 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.”
The Word of the Lord. THANKS BE TO GOD.
*Please stand as you are able for the Gospel Acclamation
and remain standing for the reading of the Gospel.
*GOSPEL ACCLAMATION: Celtic Alleluia TWFS 2043
This morning’s Gospel reading is from the Gospel of Luke (Luke 24:44-53)
44 Then Jesus 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.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, 46 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 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 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.”
50 Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and they were continually in the temple blessing God.
The Gospel of the Lord. THANKS BE TO GOD.
Music for Meditation:
The Head That Once Was Crowned with Thorns
Children’s Message
Music at the Gradual: I Will Not Leave You Comfortless
—William Byrd (1543-1623)
Report from Annual Conference —Gemina Archer-Davies
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Music during the Offertory:
Christ Victorious, Christ Now Reigning —Stephen Caracciolo
*DOXOLOGY UMH 95
THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY COMMUNION
Musical setting by Elise Eslinger, UMH 17-18
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is right, and a good and joyful thing
always and everywhere to give thanks
to you, Almighty God,
Creator of heaven and earth.
You have given us the spirit of wisdom and revelation
so that, with the eye of our hearts enlightened,
we might know the hope to which you have called us.
And so, with your people on earth
and all the company of heaven,
we praise your name and join
their unending hymn:
Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
Holy are you,
and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ.
You put your power to work in him
when you raised him from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and in seated at your right hand.
Your Spirit anointed him
to preach good news to the poor,
to proclaim release to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed, and
to announce that the time had come
when you would save your people.
He healed the sick, fed the hungry, and ate with sinners.
By the baptism of his suffering, death, and resurrection,
you gave birth to your church,
delivered us from slavery to sin and death,
and made with us a new covenant
by water and the Spirit.
On the night in which he gave himself up for us
he took bread, gave thanks to you,
broke the bread,
gave it to his disciples, and said,
“Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.”
When the supper was over
he took the cup,
gave thanks to you,
gave it to his disciples, and said,
“Drink from this, all of you;
this is my blood of the new covenant
poured out for you and for many
for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this, as often as you drink it,
in remembrance of me.”
And so,
in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving
as a holy and living sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of faith.
Christ has died; Christ is risen;
Christ will come again.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us,
gathered here,
and on these gifts of bread and wine.
Make them be for us
the body and blood of Christ,
that we may be for the world
the body of Christ,
redeemed by his blood
for you have put all things under his feet
and have made him head over all things
for his Church.
By your Spirit make us one with Christ,
one with each other,
and one in ministry to all the world,
until Christ comes in final victory
and we feast at the heavenly banquet.
Through your Son Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit in your holy church,
all honor and glory is yours, almighty God,
now and forever. Amen.
And now with the confidence of children of God,
we are bold to pray:
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. Amen.
BREAKING OF THE BREAD
Because there is one loaf,
we, who are many, are one body,
for we all partake of the one loaf.
The bread which we break is a sharing in the body of Christ.
The cup over which we give thanks
is a sharing in the blood of Christ.
MUSIC DURING THE COMMUNION:
We Proclaim/Lord Enthroned in Heavenly Splendor
David Meyer & William Owen
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION:
Eternal God,
we give you thanks for this holy mystery
in which you have given yourself to us.
Empower us to be the body of Christ here on earth..
Grant that we may go into the world
in the strength of your Spirit,
bearing in us the light of Christ,
to give ourselves for others,
in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Announcements
*CLOSING HYMN:
*Benediction
*BENEDICTION RESPONSE: Shalom to You UMH 666
Postlude: Paraphrase on a Theme of Handel
—Alexandre Guilmant (1832-1911)
The flowers on the altar today are dedicated to
the glory of God.
DAILY SCRIPTURES
Mon: Ephesians 4:1-16 Tues: Philemon
Wed: 1 Corinthians 6:1-10 Thur: 1 Corinthians 3:5-23
Fri: Romans 12:1-21 Sat: Colossians 3:5-17
SPECIAL THANKS TO TODAY’S VOLUNTEERS!
| Greeters | St. Matthew’s Members |
| Ushers | Anita Darnell*, Maysen Gore-Duran,Kaiee Hooper, Diana Scatliffe |
| Acolytes | St. Matthew’s Members |
| Liturgist | Kaiee Hooper |
| Communion | Deanna Lesche, Angela Cockrell, George Huffman |
| Counters | Dare Draughn (lead), Clyde Draughn, Marie Comstock |
| Musician | Chancel Choir |
| Broadcasting | The Hulens, George Wood, Steve Smith,Bruce Thoman, Zoom Team |
| Welcome Desk | Beth Lingg |
| Coffee Hour | Loring & Margie Dague |
| Today | 8am | Garden Service & Coffee Hour | Garden/FH |
| 11am | Coffee Hour | Fellowship Hall | |
| Children’s Sunday School | Room 126 | ||
| Adult Sunday School | Parlor | ||
| 4pm | Youth Group | ||
| Mon. | 7pm | Gloria Ringers | Music Room |
| Tues. | 945am | Bible Study In-person | Parlor |
| 11am | Angel Gang | ZOOM | |
| 7pm | Evening Bible Study | ZOOM | |
| Wed. | 8am | Men’s Breakfast | Rip’s Country Inn |
| 1030am | Helping Hands | Rooms 223-225 | |
| 7pm | Simple Prayer | Sanctuary | |
| Thurs. | |||
| Sat. | 930am | Altar Guild | Sanctuary |
MORNING PRAYER CALL: Monday-Saturday, 630-645am
Dial 267-807-9601 and enter access code: 111-576-270 #
June 2 – 7: Pastor JW Park
Opportunities to Study and Worship
– Tuesday Morning Bible Study meets at 945am in the Parlor.
– Tuesday Evening Bible Study Tuesdays at 7pm on Zoom*.