June 1, 2025  Easter 7/Ascension 

Candle lighting

Welcome and Announcements 

Call to Worship
God, we come to praise you for the mighty power of your royal reign!
Glorious and Righteous King of all things:  we come today to worship you.
Holy God, we give thanks for your continuing reign of truth and love.
LORD Most High God, Creator of all that was and is, and all that will be: we sing our praises and offer our thankful prayers for all your gifts to us. 

Hymn:  321  Praise to the Lord, the almighty

Prayer of Approach
Unknowable God, we praise you that you sent Jesus to earth for our sake.  We praise you  for increasing our blessing as you drew Jesus to your side—promising his companions Spirit, power, mission, and purpose.  WE praise you that in your presence Jesus prays for all his followers that we too may be blessed with Spirit, power, mission and purpose.   

We bow before you in worship, trusting in a future that we cannot yet see.  Guide us into your depths, that we may glimpse the Spirit already at work in our lives—revealing your truth and empowering us to bear witness to the risen Christ.
We come seeking your Mystery, your Wisdom, your Glory, but admit our weakness in service; hear us as we confess before you…. 

 

 

Prayer of Confession:
Heavenly Father, Jesus asked that His Church be one as You and He are one,
but Christians have not been united as He prayed.
We have isolated ourselves from each other and have failed to listen to each other. We have misunderstood and ridiculed and allowed differing understandings to divide us.   

In doing so we have offended against You,
against all our brothers and sisters in the Church.
Forgive us Father, and make us fully one.  Blot out our sins, renew our minds, rekindle our hearts, and guide us by Your Holy Spirit into the oneness that is Your Will. In Jesus name we pray.  Amen. 

Assurance of Pardon 

Forgiveness and love have been poured out upon you, to offer hope to all nations. You are called and blessed to be messengers of God’s good news to all people. You walk in the forgiveness that comes from Jesus and his continuing prayers for your strength and faithfulness.  AMEN. 
Passing the Peace 

 

Hymn:  358  There is a redeemer

Scripture:

Responsive  Psalm 97 p 935
John 17: 20-26 p 1680 

 

Sermon:  Jesus prays for you! 

We are coming to the end of the Easter Season.  Ever since the resurrection Jesus has been walking with the disciples and teaching them what they would need to know before he returns to the Father.   

On the journey to Jerusalem, we saw how Jesus was preparing the disciples for the arrest and crucifixion.  But starting at the Last Supper we see Jesus switching his tone, to preparing the disciples for when the Holy Spirit would come. 

 

Today, we are going back to that Upper Room and pausing to look at the prayers that Jesus had for all the disciples and all subsequent members of the body of his Church.   

These prayers were a part of the way in which Jesus was preparing his followers for his absence, first by death, and then by the Ascension. 

 

On Thursday was the Remembrance of the Ascension, celebrated on the 40th  day after the Resurrection.  Today is the final Sunday of Easter, and next week we will be catapulted into the promised power of the Holy Spirit.   

But are we ready? 

 

John places this prayer after the Last Supper and before the disciples left to go to Gethsemane.  That may for us seem to be out of place, but the Commentators I looked at this week kept saying that those who developed the order of readings in the Lectionary likely chose it for this Sunday, because it is the last thing we need to know before the Spirit comes to inhabit the Church. 

 

We need to know that Jesus prayed for us while he was on earth. 

 

More importantly, we need to know that Jesus prays for us from his position on the throne beside God.   

 

We see a glimpse of that in the Psalm we read today.   

Psalm 97 is what is known as an enthronement Psalm.  This is a pronouncement that no matter what, God is on his throne, and all is right with the world. 

Listen to it again, in the words from The Message: 

 God rules: there’s something to shout over!
On the double, mainlands and islands—celebrate! 

2 Bright clouds and storm clouds circle ’round him;
Right and justice anchor his rule. 

3 Fire blazes out before him,
Flaming high up the craggy mountains. 

4 His lightnings light up the world;
Earth, wide-eyed, trembles in fear. 

5 The mountains take one look at God
And melt, melt like wax before earth’s Lord. 

6 The heavens announce that he’ll set everything right,
And everyone will see it happen—glorious!  Ps 97: 1-6 MSG 

 

There is power here: 
God rules.   

God will set everything right.   

Everyone will see and it will be glorious.   

The commentator Mast reminds us that this enthronement is a reference to Jesus, coming back to Heaven after his sojourn on earth.  For a time, a short time, he gave up his entitlement to the throne to live as one of us, for the sake of all of us. 

 

Mast writes:  this psalm helps us to see the earth-shaking importance of Christ’s ascension…  He continues, saying, As Easter fades into the distance, and Pentecost waits around the corner, we need to be reminded that the Ascension is as important as the Resurrection and as powerful as Pentecost.    

 

The ascension was a crucial part of the story of Redemption.   

Jesus lived as one of us.   

He died for us.   

He rose again to give us eternal life.   

That is the essential of his earthly ministry. 

We are reminded that  the work and ministry of Jesus began in creation, and continues after the resurrection.  When he returns to the Heavens and reclaims the throne that is his, he settles in to do what he has always done—intercede for the sake of humans. 

 

In all of the accounts that we have of Jesus praying, we hear maybe a word or two uttered to bring healing.  But when Jesus retreats to the hills to pray, we do not get an account of what he talked about in prayer before God.   

All that changes in John’s account of that night in the Upper Room.  He records that Jesus prays for his disciples and what Jesus asked for from God. .   

That prayer reminds God of what Jesus has done with and for the disciples  and how he has prepared them for their calling.  He reminds God of what he has requested from Him  for the disciples.   

Remember the disciples are present this time.  They are hearing the prayer.  They are learning what Jesus prays for, when he holds them in his heart.  There is power in that.  

We are reminded that Jesus is praying to God, but he is also telling the disciples what his prayers for them are.    

 

Let’s look at what he makes sure the disciples  hear about his prayers for them.   

 

Jesus prays that God will protect them by the power gained in Jesus’ name.   

That is the power over death and hell.  It is the power over sin.  It is the power to love others and to forgive others.  It is the power to be the justice and peace of God in the world.  

 

Jesus prays that God will protect them from the evil one. 

When his followers feel set upon and oppressed by the evil of the world, or the persecution that is directed toward them, God will be their protection.   

 

Jesus prays that God will sanctify them with the truth of Scripture.   

In their ongoing sanctification they will come to know more and more about God, by recalling what Jesus taught, by considering what the Scriptures teach, and by reflecting on how God is showing his presence through the mission and ministry that they do. 

Jesus prays that God will send them into the world. 

There is real power in that sending.  Frankly I don’t think that we would willingly choose to go into the world.  Ministry is scary, discouraging and dangerous.  

So God SENDS US! 

  

The hymn Will you come and follow me, points out just how difficult it is to choose in our own strength to go into the world. 

It poses the questions of how deeply we would commit to following God.   

Will we leave everything behind?   

Will we care for cruel and kind? 

Will we risk the hostile stare?   

Will we set the prisoners free? Will we kiss the leper clean?  

Yikes! 

 

But when God sends us, then we go where his love and footsteps show. And we will live and move in him.  And God will live and move in us.   

In the words of that hymn, we are beginning to get to the heart of the prayer of Jesus.   

 

And at this point in the prayer, we overhear not only the prayer for the disciples, but also the prayer for us.   

Jesus says, “20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.”  John 17: 20-21 NIV 

So everything that Jesus has already asked God to give to the disciples, he asks God to give to us as well.  All that and more.   

For us, and for the disciples, he prays for unity.   

A unity like Jesus has with God and the Spirit.   

That unity is important, because when the whole Church stands as one with Jesus and God, the world will see and believe.  And Jesus reminds God that when that happens the whole world will be filled with the glory of God.   

That emphasis on unity continues in this prayer.  It is important, because unity is perhaps our greatest challenge.  

We see in the unfolding of Acts and the Epistles to the churches, that unity was difficult to uphold.   

There were differences regarding gentiles being welcome in the Church, whether circumcised or not.   

There were differences about eating food previously offered to idols.   

There were differences and squabbles in congregations, and between the disciples.  

 There was dissension regarding making the offering to the Church in Jerusalem, after their troubles.  

  

Over the years the standards of belief became what was hoped to unify the church.  The Apostle’s Creed and the Nicene Creed are examples of documents of unity.  

The differences in belief and practice have continued through the ages.  The Reformation sought to address some of the problems in the Roman Catholic church.  And throughout the years after the Reformation there were churches that broke away on a regular basis.  One wit has said that the Protestant church is by nature schismatic.   

WE all come at faith with a different outlook at what is right and holy; but that doesn’t have to divide us. 

 When the ministerial in Olds, stumbled on the differences among us, my favorite Baptist, George Munchinsky, reminded us that one day we will all arrive in Heaven and learn that we all have been wrong.   

 

Yet there are signs that we can all come together, as we learn to live as Paul directs—to know only Christ, and Christ crucified.   

That greatest act of God’s love for us is that unifying force that binds the church on earth with the church in heaven.   

God’s love seen in us, and our love for God seen in how we love each other.   

God’s love given through us and our love for the world bringing the world back to God.  

 

That is what Jesus is asking for when he asks God to unify us with him. 

 

It will not be easy.   

We will fail.   

We will fall short.   

We will not want to go where God will send us.   

BUT… Jesus is enthroned beside God and there he daily prays for us. Surely we can believe that God answers his prayers!  

 

Every day Jesus  continues to pray for our unity in love and in faith.  He continues to pray that the love of God for all creation and all people will be seen in every believer.   

We may have different doctrines and creeds.  We have different rules, laws and regulations that determine our polity.  But what is important  to remember is, that our unity as a congregation and as God’s Church on earth, is in our love for God and for all of God’s people, and for all of God’s world.   

 

I am reminded of the words of Paul, who I think, has perfectly encapsulated the unity of love that Jesus is speaking of.  In the letter to the Corinthians Paul writes:  

8-10 Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompleteness will be canceled.  1 Corinthians 13: 8-10 MSG 

Paul continues:  12 We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us! 

13 But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.  1 Corinthians 13: 12-13  MSG 

 

So as we stand at the cusp of the celebration of the gift of the Holy Spirit, we are reminded that we are saved by the Love of God in Christ Jesus, and that we are called to be God’s love to one another and to the world.   

MORE THAN THAT, we are reminded that we are lifted daily on the prayers of Jesus.  

Jesus concludes his prayer saying, “26 I have made you[e] known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”  John 17: 26 NIV 

                          God knows us.  

 We know God.   

God loves us.   

We love God.   

And we live so that God’s love is in us.   

This is what Jesus prays for us every day.   

May we live in the strength of his prayer for us.  Amen. 

 

Hymn:  485 Saviour like a shepherd lead us

Offering and Doxology 830

Offertory Prayer 

You O God speak about gathering all things together,
     of unity and reconciliation,
          of love and sharing,
          of filling all things with yourself.
You invite us into a conversation,  into dialogue, and into the power of love. 

In the power of that love, we present to you our gifts and offerings.  We give you back the most powerful gift you have given us as we live with your love into the world.  Bless and multiply every gift we bring that you may be glorified and that the world will know you and love you.  Amen 

 

 

Gathering Prayer Requests
Prayer of Thanksgiving and Intercession 

God of all ages, through Jesus and the Spirit you have formed your kingdom.  WE rejoice that you have called us into that Kingdom.   Help us hold firmly on to Jesus so that neither death, nor our own sin, nor love of the world can separate us from him. 

We thank you that Jesus  stands at your right hand to pray for each one of us personally, and not only for us but for all your followers still living here on earth. We ask you to reveal to us, those things that Jesus desires to give us.  Give us patience as we wait for your word to control us and lead us. Bless those who spread the good news about Christ to people to people everywhere,  so that they can respond to the warmth of your love and care. 

 

WE BRING YOU THE JOYS THAT HAVE LIFTED OUR HEARTS IN THIS TIME 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We hold before you all those in need of your love and care. 

CONCERNS 

Fires:  MB, SK, states of emergency, and also AB, BC, ON, NFLD… all evacuees, all firefighters.  Bring the resources that they need, and when the time is right guide them in rebuilding.   

National Salmon week:  be with those who work to provide ways for salmon to grow in safety.  May their efforts increase the salmon population.  Bless all those whose industry is buoyed in the salmon harvest.  Keep them safe on the waters.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comfort the sick and those who are shaken by the loss of a loved one.  

Bless the elected leaders of our country and help them to set before them the needs of all the people, that they may rule with justice and compassion.   

WORLD 

 

 

 

We pray for the deep ache of the world, as demonstrated in Switzerland this past week, with the collapse of the glacier.   

We pray for the people of Nigeria, as they recover from massive flooding.  Help the earth to heal from the damage of climate change, and show us how to live in a way that protects the earth.   

We pray for the fruition of the peace process between the Ukraine and Russia, and between Hamass and Israel.  We pray that all affected by these wars receive the aid that they will need, and that your justice will prevail.   

May we go on our way rejoicing that Jesus has visited us today!  May we bring that joy to all the people we meet this week.  Fill our hearts with your Spirit of mysteries and miracle to empower the work we offer you this week.   We ask this in the name of Jesus who taught us to pray, saying:   Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, for ever. . Amen 

 

Hymn: 645 Follow me the Master said

 

Benediction  

As people of faith we have gathered for worship. 

As people of faith we go out to share the story of faith, and the story of life in Jesus with the world around us. 

As you go out to give a living witness, remember that the Holy Spirit walks with you. 

as you go out to testify to God’s love active in the world, remember that Jesus prays for you. 

As you go out to be God’s servant, remember that God’s overflowing love and grace is with you.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit go forth to share the laughter and the hope, the joy and the trust of walking with our Lord.  

Blessing Song:  252 He is Lord v1

He is Lord, he is Lord,  he is risen from the dead and he is Lord.  Every knee shall bow
every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord 

3-Fold Amen