prayer, and labor by Holy Spirit power. My face is set. My gait is fast.

My
goal is heaven. My road may be narrow, my way rough, my companions
few, but my guide is reliable and my mission is clear. I will not be bought,
compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed. I
will not flinch in the face of sacrifice or hesitate in the presence of the adversary. I will not negotiate at the table of the enemy. I won't give up, shut
up, or let up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, and
preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must give
until I drop, preach until all know, and work until He comes. And when He
does come for His own, He'll have no problems recognizing me. My
colors will be clear!

Prayer for Spiritual Formation

Leader: Dear J esus,
Our hearts realize that You have ascended in more ways than one
We deeply know Your victory at the cross, upon resurrection and
now Your ascension
May our lives forever grow in the Joy of Your fount of Grace
May we bear much fruit for Your Holy Gospels sake
All good gifts come down from You
We are truly blessed.
ALL: AMEN
(Please observe a moment of Silence)

BENDICTION
Scattering Proclamation (Inspired from Luthers prayer #126For a More Charitable Feeling Toward Neighbors)

Leader: O Dear God, change me by Your Grace... In the name of the Father, Son & Holy Spirit
ALL AMEN (Please make the sign of the Cross)

Thank you for worshiping with us!

http://gracehubdiscipleshipministries.weebly.com/

The Grace Hub

Sunday MorningWorship
May 17 2015
th

Seventh Sunday of Easter Ascension of Our Lord observed

Prelude Music Welcome & Announcements

Lighting of the Christ Candle
GATHERING We Confess
(inspired by We Believe Article 22s Collect, 1 John 5:9-15 &

(Please stand if able)

Martin Luthers Prayer #121For Help in Keeping the Commandments & #124For Love Toward Others & Setting 3 from the LCMS hymnal)

Leader: 9If we receive human testimony, the testimony of God is greater;

for this is the testimony of God that he has testified to his Son. 10Those who
believe in the Son of God have the testimony in their hearts. Those who do
not believe in God have made him a liar by not believing in the testimony
that God has given concerning his Son.
ALL: And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life
is in his Son. 12Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the
Son of God does not have life. 13I write these things to you who believe
in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have
eternal life.
Leader: Lor d J esus Chr ist, do not let us pr etend that we have glor y
like You, because You offer us Your cup of suffering in the Holy Communion to drink. Fill us, instead, with gentleness of spirit, patience in suffering,
and a willingness to be identified with the cross-lived life
11

ALL: AMEN.

Leader: Dear Father in heaven, for the sake of Your dear Son Jesus
Christ grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may be true learners of Christ, and
therefore acquire a heart with a never-ceasing fountain of love.
Let us confess with Luther
ALL: Lord God, I have indeed transgressed Your commandments. I
have been impatient in reverses and trials. I am unsympathetic and
unmerciful. I do not help my neighbor. I am unable to resist sin. I do
not tire of doing wrong. Dear Lord, pour out Your Grace to me and
give me Your Holy Spirit so that I may be obedient and keep each of
Your commandments. Help me to be at odds with the world and to
give my heart and soul to You. Amen.
Silence is kept for reflection.
Leader: Upon this your confession, I, by vir tue of my office, as a
servant of the Word, announce the Grace of God unto all of you, and in the

stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins
in the name of the Father and of the Son
ALL: AMEN

and of the Holy Spirit.

(Please m ake the sign of the Cross)

Scripture Lessons for the Evening (please be seated)

A Reading from The Book of Acts (Dont read this aloud: Acts 1:1-11)
1
In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from
the beginning 2until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3After
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. 4While 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; 5for 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? 7He replied, It is not for you to know
the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8But 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. 9When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a
cloud took him out of their sight.10While he was going and they were gazing up
toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. 11They 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.
Leader: The Word of the Lord ALL: Thanks Be to God
A Reading from St. Pauls Letter to the Ephesians (Dont read this aloud: Ephesians 1:15-23)
15
I 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.
Leader: The Word of the Lord
ALL: Thanks Be to God
A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke
(Dont read this aloud: Luke 24:44-53) Please Stand
ALL: Glory to You, O Lord
44
Then he said to them, These are my words that I spoke to you while I was
still with youthat 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.
50
Then 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.
Leader: The Word of the Lord
ALL: Praise to You, O Christ

Sermon by Pastor Nicole Collins

Hymn of the Day All Good Gifts
from the Godspell album
Peace
Prayer Circle
Holy Communion
Please take this opportunity to reflect in your heart how this Means of
GraceChrist actual presence feeds and restores your soul. As St. Paul
would say: Listen with your heart wide open. Then, TASTE, SEE & DELIGHT that the Lord is Good!
LORDS PRAYER: Please recite what version is comfortable for you.
(Please be seated)

The Disciples Creed (Based on a young Zimbabwe pastor)

ALL: I'm a part of the fellowship of the unashamed. The die has been
cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I'm a disciple
of His and I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My
past is redeemed. My present makes sense. My future is secure. I'm done
and finished with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth
knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap living, and
dwarfed goals. I live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, lift by