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Dear Church Family,
We are delighted to gather for worship over the phone or in person for our Simple Prayer Service. We share with you
the Order of Worship that we will use on the evening of
Wednesday, June 4, 2025.
We will begin the service at 7 PM. Please join us by using our Conference Call. We want everyone to have the opportunity
to worship. We are so happy to have you join us.
Welcome to St. Matthew’s UMC!
Conference Call
Please Dial-in: 267-807-9601
Use access code: 111-576-270#
Simple Prayer for June 4, 2025
Wednesday OF THE 7th WEEK OF EASTER
Greeting and Welcome
*Lucenarium: Lighting of the Christ Candle
Leader: Jesus Christ is the light of the world
All: A light no darkness can extinguish.
Leader: The Lord is risen!
All: The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!
Leader: The Lord be with you.
All: And also with you.
Leader: Lift up your hearts.
All: We lift them up to the Lord.
Leader: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
All: It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Leader: Blessed are you, Lord God of our salvation,
to you be praise and glory forever.
All: As once you ransomed your people from Egypt
and led them to freedom in the promised land,
so now you have delivered us
from the dominion of darkness
and brought us into the kingdom of your risen Son.
May we, the first fruits of your new creation,
rejoice in the new life you have given us,
and praise you for your mighty acts.
Leader: Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
All: Blessed be God for ever and ever. Amen.
Hymn Now the Green Blade Riseth UMH 311
Epistle Reading: Ephesians 1:17-23
17 May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, 18 so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may perceive what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. 20 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, 21 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. 22 And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
The Word of the Lord. THANKS BE TO GOD.
Congregational Response Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24
1 O give thanks to the Lord, for the Lord is good;
God’s steadfast love endures forever!
2 Let Israel say,
“God’s steadfast love endures forever.”
14 The Lord is my strength and my might;
the Lord has become my salvation.
15 There are glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous:
“The right hand of the Lord does valiantly;
16 the right hand of the Lord is exalted;
the right hand of the Lord does valiantly.”
17 I shall not die, but I shall live,
and recount the deeds of the Lord.
18 The Lord has chastened me sorely,
but he did not give me over to death.
19 Open to me the gates of righteousness,
that I may enter through them
and give thanks to the Lord.
20 This is the gate of the Lord;
the righteous shall enter through it.
21 I thank you that you have answered me
and have become my salvation.
22 The stone that the builders rejected
has become the chief cornerstone.
23 This is the Lord’s doing;
it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
GOSPEL LESSON: John 16:16-20
Jesus said to his disciples, 16 “A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me.” 17 Then some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying to us, ‘A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me,’ and ‘because I am going to the Father’?” 18 They said, “What does he mean by this ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about.” 19 Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Are you discussing among yourselves what I meant when I said, ‘A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’? 20 Very truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will have pain, but your pain will turn into joy.
The Gospel of the Lord. THANKS BE TO GOD.
MUSIC FOR MEDITATION
REFLECTION: Ascensiontide Hope —Rev. Rachel M. Srubas
Processions! Pageants! Picnics! Roasted fowl! Bird-shaped pastries! Historically, European Christians celebrated Jesus’ ascension into heaven with symbols of flight and ascent.
Ascensiontide is the season that leads up to Pentecost. How might we observe today’s Ascension Feast? We could share a chicken dinner with family and friends or decorate a batch of sweets inspired by ornithologist-baker Sarah MacLean. Her blog Bird on the Move features dozens of “biologically accurate bird cookies.”
After forty joy-filled days with the crucified-but-risen Christ, Jesus’ followers must have grieved bidding him goodbye yet again when he ascended. They surely needed time to weep, wait, wonder, and worship before they could accept the Holy Spirit’s fiery Pentecost gifts of language, dreams, prophecies, and power to perform—as Jesus had promised—even greater ministries than his.
Jesus’ promise extends to all Christians. Beyond Ascension scriptures and reclaimed culinary customs, this feast day invites us to hope that our waiting will lead to new beginnings and our griefs will turn to joy. Until the winds of Pentecost sweep in, we could treat Ascensiontide as a sacred season for grieving our goodbyes, releasing our grip on past attachments, and preparing to receive God-given healing. The promise is sure: Our losses will be divinely lightened. Our sorrows will take flight. Joy will alight like a lark in our hearts. We will rise to do good works for our risen and ascended Lord.
THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE:
As candles are lit and prayers are lifted up from the silence of our hearts by those assembled, all may sing as the musicians lead
Alleluia, alleluia UMH 186
THE LORD’S PRAYER
CLOSING PRAYER (all in unison):
Lord, You have arisen forever in my heart.
May the sunrise remind me to shine in Your light.
May the caress of a gentle breeze
remind me of Your compassion.
May the fragrance of a flower
remind me to blossom in Your love.
May the singing of birds
bring a song of joy to my lips.
And in the closing of each day
may I remember to quietly pray.
Wherever I am, whatever I do,
may my thoughts in joy return to You. Amen.
—Susan Helene Kramer
Benediction
Response: Triple Amen UMH 898