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| "The Ascension" - by James Tissot |
FIRST READING:
Acts 1: 1 - 11
1
In the first book, O The-oph'ilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus
began to do and teach,
2
until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commandment
through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.
3
To them he presented himself alive after his passion by many proofs,
appearing to them during forty days, and speaking of the kingdom of
God.
4
And while staying with them he charged them not to depart from
Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said,
"you heard from me,
5
for John baptized with water, but before many days you shall be
baptized with the Holy Spirit."
6
So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, will you
at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?"
7
He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons
which the Father has fixed by his own authority.
8
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you;
and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and
Sama'ria and to the end of the earth."
9
And when he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up,
and a cloud took him out of their sight.
10
And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men
stood by them in white robes,
11
and said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven?
This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the
same way as you saw him go into heaven."
PSALM:
Psalms 47: 2 - 3, 6 - 9
2
For the LORD, the Most High, is terrible, a great king over all the
earth.
3
He subdued peoples under us, and nations under our feet.
6
Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing
praises!
7
For God is the king of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm!
8
God reigns over the nations; God sits on his holy throne.
9
The princes of the peoples gather as the people of the God of
Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong to God; he is highly
exalted!
SECOND READING:
Ephesians 1: 17 - 23 Or
4: 1 - 13 Or
4: 1 - 7, 11 - 13
17
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give
you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,
18
having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is
the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his
glorious inheritance in the saints,
19
and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power in us who
believe, according to the working of his great might
20
which he accomplished in Christ when he raised him from the dead and
made him sit 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 that which
is 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 fulness of him who fills all in all.
Or
1
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy
of the calling to which you have been called,
2
with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one
another in love,
3
eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one
hope that belongs to your call,
5
one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6
one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in
all.
7
But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of
Christ's gift.
8
Therefore it is said, "When he ascended on high he led a host of
captives, and he gave gifts to men."
9
(In saying, "He ascended," what does it mean but that he
had also descended into the lower parts of the earth?
10
He who descended is he who also ascended far above all the heavens,
that he might fill all things.)
11
And his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some
evangelists, some pastors and teachers,
12
to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the
body of Christ,
13
until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of
the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of
the fulness of Christ;
Or
1
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy
of the calling to which you have been called,
2
with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one
another in love,
3
eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one
hope that belongs to your call,
5
one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6
one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in
all.
7
But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of
Christ's gift.
11
And his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some
evangelists, some pastors and teachers,
12
to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the
body of Christ,
13
until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of
the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of
the fulness of Christ;
GOSPEL: Mark
16: 15 - 20
15
And he said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the
gospel to the whole creation.
16
He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not
believe will be condemned.
17
And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they
will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues;
18
they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it
will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they
will recover."
19
So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up
into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.
20
And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked
with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it.
Amen.
