Opening Prayer
Lord, be a bright flame before me, be a guiding star above me, be a smooth path below me, be a kindly shepherd behind me, today and forever more. Amen.
—St. Columbanus, 543-615
TEXT
Psalm 95 NRSV
O come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
For the Lord is a great God,
and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth;
the heights of the mountains are his also.
The sea is his, for he made it, and the dry land,
which his hands have formed.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.
O that today you would listen to his voice!
Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,
as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,
when your ancestors tested me,
and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.
For forty years I loathed that generation
and said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray,
and they do not regard my ways.”
Therefore in my anger I swore, “They shall not enter my rest.”
READ
Our risen Lord Jesus has conquered death; he has defeated his enemies and procured our salvation. But the Story is not over; we await, in this season of feasting, his ascension and coronation as our High King, and his sending of the Spirit. As we approach the Feast of his Ascension, let us marvel at his fulfillment of ancient hopes and expectations. Because YHWH is indeed king— and, through incarnation, in ways we never could have anticipated.
Praise our Creator
Praise our Creator and Savior eternal,
Him who redeemed us from death and the grave;
Sing of His greatness, O hail and adore Him,
Strong to deliver, and mighty to save.
Praise Him, praise Him,
Glory in the highest unto Him ascribing;
Praise Him, praise Him,
Blessed be His Name, our Lord and King!
Praise our Creator and gracious defender,
Rock where in safety we still may abide;
He is our Shepherd, how gently He leads us,
Where in the valley the cool waters glide.
Praise our Creator, the fountain of goodness,
Now in His grandeur exalted above;
Rest in His mercy and trust in His promise,
Ever to keep us, upheld by His love.
—Fanny J. Crosby, 1820-1915, Praise Our Creator, 1895