Here
is a pastoral prayer for Ascension Day by Rev. Bryce Calder. It was posted on
the Scotland’s Starters for Sunday website.
Prayer
(inspired by the
events in Acts 1:6-11)
Almighty
God,
We
come today reminded of your greatness and glory,
your
sovereign power and eternal purpose
all
expressed so wonderfully in Jesus Christ, our Lord,
Risen
and Ascended.
We
thank you for the wonder of Ascension,
that
marvelous yet mysterious moment
in
the life of the Apostles
which
left them gazing heavenwards in confusion
yet
departing in joy.
We
thank you for the way that it brought the earthly ministry of Jesus
to
a fitting conclusion;
signifying
his oneness with you,
and
demonstrating your final seal of approval
on
all that he had done.
We
thank you that through his Ascension
Jesus
is now set free to be Lord of all:
no
longer bound to a particular place or time,
but
with us always—able to reach even to the ends of the earth.
We
thank you that through his departing
Jesus
prepared for his coming again:
through
his Spirit,
his
Church,
and
his coming again in glory.
Gracious
God,
Forgive
us for so often failing
to
grasp the wonder of Ascension,
for
living each day as though it had never been.
Forgive
the smallness of our vision,
the
narrowness of our outlook,
the
weakness of our love,
the
nervousness of our witness,
our
repeated failure to recognize
the
fullness of your revelation in Christ.
Give
us a deeper sense of wonder,
a
stronger faith,
and
a greater understanding of all you have done.
Father
God,
Like
the Apostles,
we
too will never fully understand all Ascension means.
We
accept, but we do not fully understand.
We
believe, yet we have many questions.
Help
us, despite our uncertainty, to hold firm to the great truth
that
the wonder of Christ Jesus
goes
far beyond anything we can ever imagine,
and
in that faith may we live each day
to
his glory and honour. Amen.
~
written by Rev Bryce Calder, and posted on the Church of Scotland’s Starters for Sunday website. http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/5981/starters_05_06_11.pdf
