Ascension Day 2020

'May God arise, may his enemies be scattered; may his foes flee before him….Sing to God, sing in praise of his name, extol him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before him - his name is the LORD….When you ascended on high, you took many captives; you received gifts from people, even from the rebellious - that you, LORD God, might dwell there. Praise be to the LORD, to God our Saviour, who daily bears our burdens. Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death… ...Praise be to God!'  [Psalm 68.1, 4, 18-20, 35b] (NIV)

'... all that Jesus began to do and to teach | until the day he was taken up to heaven,
after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. | ... |
After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. |
They were looking intently into he sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in
white stood beside them. | 'Men of Galilee,' they said, 'why do you stand here looking up into
the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the
same way you have seen him go into heaven.'  [Acts 1.1b-2, 9-11] (NIV)
 

Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless, and the treasury of compassion
inexhaustible, look kindly upon us, and increase Your mercy in us, that in
difficult moments we might not despair, nor become despondent, but with
great confidence submit ourselves to Your Holy Will, which is Love and Mercy 
itself.   Amen.

from Reading Between the Lines Volume 1 Old Testament Daily by Glen Scrivener

 The God-forsaken God

'My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?' [Psalm 22.1] (KJV) cp Mark 15.34

' ... As Jesus hung on the cross, he prayed these words - known as the prayer of dereliction - to a black and silent heaven. Through his death Jesus was plumbing the very depths of our human condition - all the way down to godforsakenness.

How should we understand this? God the Son godforsaken! On the one hand we must affirm that Christ is fully God - the eternal Son of the Father. But also we should maintain that he is fully human - our Brother, bone of our bones and flesh or our flesh.

Therefore, since he enters our situation, who can deny that our experience of life is indeed 'godforsakenness'? Godlessness is one of the most keenly felt aspects   of our humanity. Where is God? How can he feel so remote when 'in him we live, and move, and have our being' [Acts 17.28]? How can we be so estranged from the Source of our life? Why does God seem so far off?

Jesus enters into all of that, and not just the feeling of it, but the reality of it. On the cross, Jesus shares our alienation from God due to our sins. He doesn't have a bungee cord wrapped around him, descending only so far but no further. No, he falls to the depths. The Lord of heaven endures hell.

This means that Christianity has a surprising response to the age-old question: 'Where is God when it hurts?'  The Christian can say, 'I know a God who asked that question himself!'

This means that the experience of hurt can never disprove this God. He has been the godforsaken God. He has so identified with you in your plight that he has asked that question with you and for you.

Therefore if God takes even godforsakenness to himself, then there simply is no situation in which we need to despair. Even in the most profound experiences of abandonment can be a participation in the suffering of Christ – and therefore an experience of the deepest divine fellowship!

Whatever depths you are plumbing, Jesus has gone deeper, and he's done it for you. The answer to Christ's question is given in the gospel: why was he forsaken? Answer: for you – so that you might be adopted. He was forsaken so that, no matter what you feel, you never will be. He prayed a prayer of abandonment so that you can pray a prayer of approach. Call on him now.' 

Graham Thrussell

Hymnbook: No 261 Christian Worship

John Ryland 1753-1825

Sovereign Ruler of the Skies

'Sovereign Ruler of the skies,
Ever gracious, ever wise!
All my times are in Thy hand,
All events at Thy command.

His decree, who formed the earth,
Fixed my first and second birth;
Parents, native place, and time,
All appointed were by Him.

He that formed me in the womb,
He shall guide me to the tomb;
All my times shall ever be
Ordered by His wise decree.
 

Times of sickness, times of health,
Times of penury and wealth,
Times of trial and of grief,
Times of triumph and relief.

Times the tempter's power to prove; 
Times to taste a Saviour's love -
All shall come, and last, and end
As shall please my heavenly Friend.

Plagues and deaths around me fly;
Till He bids I cannot die;
Not a single shaft can hit
Till the God of love sees fit.' 

Graham Thrussell 

From: The Valley of Vision - A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions  
The Valley of Vision

'Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly,
Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision,
where I live in the depths but see thee in the heights;
hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold thy glory.

Let me learn by paradox
that the way down is the way up,
that to be low is to be high,
that the broken heart is the healed heart,
that the contrite heart is the rejoicing spirit,
that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,
that to have nothing is to possess all,
that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,
that to give is to receive,
that the valley is the place of vision.

Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells,
and the deeper the wells the brighter thy stars shine;

Let me find thy light in my darkness,
thy life in my death,
thy joy in my sorrow,
thy grace in my sin,
thy riches in my poverty,
thy glory in my valley.'

Graham Thrussell

A Prayer of St Chrysostom

'Almighty God, who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto thee;  
and dost promise, that when two or three are gathered together in thy name thou wilt grant their requests:
Fulfil now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants, as may be most expedient for them;
granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come life everlasting. Amen.'

Graham Thrussell

St. Richard’s Prayer

Thanks be to Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ,
For all the blessings Thou hast given me,
For all the pains and insults Thou hast borne for me;
O most merciful redeemer, friend and brother,
May I know Thee more clearly, love Thee more dearly,   
And follow Thee more nearly, day by day.

Christopher Doman

Sebastian Temple

Make me a channel of your peace,
Where there is hatred let me bring your love,
Where there is injury, your pardon Lord
And where there’s doubt true faith in you.

Make me a channel of your peace,
Where there’s despair in life let me bring hope, 
Where there is darkness only light,
And where there’s sadness only joy.

Make me a channel of your peace,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
In giving of ourselves that we receive,
And in dying that we’re born to eternal life,

O Master grant that I may never seek
So much to be consoled as to console,
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved as to love with all my soul.

Madeline Doman

A hymn for Holy Week by Fred Pratt Green

To mock your reign, O dearest Lord,
They made a crown of thorns;
Set you with taunts along that road
From which no one returns.
They could not know, as we do now,
How glorious is that crown;
That thorns would flow'r upon your brow,
Your sorrows heal our own. 

In mock acclaim, O gracious Lord,
They snatched a purple cloak,
Your passion turned, for all they cared,
Into a soldier's joke.
They could not know, as we do now,
That, though we merit blame,
You will your robe of mercy throw
Around our naked shame 

 A sceptred reed, O patient Lord,
They thrust into your hand,
And acted out their grim charade
To its appointed end.
They could not know, as we do now,
Though empires rise and fall,
Your kingdom shall not cease to grow
Till love embraces all.
 
Gaye Reynolds

A prayer of Julian of Norwich

In you, Father all-mighty, we have our preservation and our bliss.
In you, Christ, we have our restoring and our saving.
You are our mother, brother, and Saviour. In you, our Lord the Holy Spirit, is marvellous and plenteous grace.  
You are our clothing; for love you wrap us and embrace us.
You are our maker, our lover, our keeper.
Teach us to believe that by your grace all shall be well, and all shall be well,
and all manner of things shall be well. Amen

Helen Pilling

Ephesians Ch1 v13

This is a lovely scripture to dwell on.
 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth,
the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal,    
the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the
redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.”

Kevin Durban-Jackson

That God with special care will keep the dear ones while they wake or sleep,
and give their Guardian Angels power to guide and help them hour by hour.
For He who hears and answers prayer can see the absent everywhere,
and can tell them all we think and say, and make them hear us while we pray.    

Pauline Senior

Philippians chapter 4 verses 4-8 on rejoicing, praying and contemplating on the 5 verses

Andy Blumer

From Bishop Michael

Heavenly Father,
in the midst of adversity – help us find beauty in brokenness,       
wisdom in weakness, joy in every gesture of love and care.
Make us fools for love of You and neighbour;
fill us with that foolishness which is the world’s disguise
for faith, love, and charity in your eyes.
Amen

A Prayer from Frank Topping      

 Lord,
Teach me to rest in you.
Teach me to see the sky
and think of nothing else
but the joy of it.
Teach me to look
at field and flower
and be soothed
by colours and seasons.
Teach me to close my eyes
and to rest
in the Love that has supported me    
all my days.
Teach me, Lord
to rest in you.
AMEN

Liz Brown

 Attributed to St Columba in the 6^th Century,                                        

It is such a powerful prayer, and especially at this difficult time,
we all need to know that we are certainly not alone.
 
Alone with none but you, my God,
I journey on my way.
What need I fear, when you are near,
O King of night and day?
More safe am I within your hand
Than if a host did round me stand.
My life I yield to your command,
And bow to your control,
In peaceful calm, for from your arm
No power can snatch my soul. 

Gaye Reynolds