A Celebration for Ascension Day

A Celebration for Ascension Day

BBC Radio 4. And now we go live to St Martin-in-the-Fields in London for ‘A Celebration for Ascension Day’. The preacher is the Revd Dr Michael Banner, Dean and Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, and the service is led by the Vicar of St Martin’s, the Reverend Dr Sam Wells. The musical setting for the Eucharist is Schubert’s Mass in G major. The service opens with the Ascension-tide hymn: Hail the day that sees him rise.

HYMN: Hail the day that sees him rise

Words: Charles Wesley (1707-1788) and Thomas Cotterill (1779-1823)

Music: ‘Llanfair’ Robert Williams (1781-1821)

GREETING

Celebrant: Welcome to St Martin-in-the-Fields. A special welcome to the Revd Dr Michael Banner, Dean and Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, our preacher tonight. This annual service for Ascension Day is a highlight for St Martin’s – and an event we always look forward to collaborating on with BBC Religion and Ethics department. Ascension Day is the day Jesus finished his work on earth. He said farewell to his disciples, and told them they would soon receive the Holy Spirit. So we too reflect on Christ’s whole ministry from birth to ascension, and ask the Holy Spirit once again to clothe us with power from on high.

PRAYER OF PENITENCE

Celebrant: Seeing we have a high priest who has passed into the heavens, Jesus the son of God, let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, and make our confession to our heavenly Father.

The choir sings the Kyrie from Schubert’s Mass in G major.

Soloist: Ruby – BBC Young Chorister of the Year 2021

ABSOLUTION

Celebrant: Almighty God, who forgives all who truly repent, pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and keep you in eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

The choir sings the Gloria from Schubert’s Mass in G major.

COLLECT

Celebrant: Grant, we pray, Almighty God, that as we believe your only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ to have ascended into the heavens, so may we in heart and mind also ascend, and with him continually dwell; who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

All: Amen.

READING

Read by: Canon Ann Easter

ANN: A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.

In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over the course of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. ‘This’, he said, ‘is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’

So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up towards heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’

Acts 1:1-11

The word of the Lord

All: Thanks be to God

HYMN: Jesus shall reign where'er the sun

Music: ‘Truro’ – Thomas Williams (1789)

Words: Isaac Watts (1674-1748)

GOSPEL

Read by Dr Krish Kandiah

KRISH: Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.

All: Glory to you O Lord.

The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’

Matthew 28: 16-20

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

All: Praise to you, O Christ.

SERMON - The Revd Dr Michael Banner

The choir sings Let All the World in Every Corner Sing

arr. Sally Albrecht

Celebrant: This is the Good News – God raised Christ from the dead.

All: and enthroned him at his right hand in the heavenly realms.

Celebrant: We died, and our life lies hidden with Christ in God.

All: We set our minds on things above.

Celebrant: When Christ, who is alive, is revealed,

All: Then we too will be revealed with him in glory.

Celebrant: Christ has gone up on high!

All: Alleluia!

INTERCESSIONS

Led by The Venerable Dr Rosemarie Mallett, Archdeacon of Croydon and incoming Bishop of Croydon, and Lyndall Bywater, writer and speaker on prayer.

The Venerable Dr Rosemarie Mallett:

God of glory, you gathered your Son Jesus Christ into heaven when he had completed his work on earth: we lament before you all that seems incomplete. Where there is war, bring hope and endurance; where there is invasion and slaughter, bring transformation and mercy; where there are refugees and displaced persons, evoke compassion and kindness; where there is poverty, send opportunity and courage; where there is injustice, come in truth and wisdom. Shape your people in the paths that lead to peace, that your Son’s kingdom may be known on earth.

Lord, in your mercy

All: Hear our Prayer.

Lyndall Bywater:

God of wonder, your Son’s disciples both rejoiced at his ascension yet were bewildered to find themselves without him; be close to any who don’t know what to make of the heritage of witness and imperialism, and how to honour the good while repairing the bad. Walk with parents and children who find each other both a consolation and a trial. Uphold any whose mental health swings from inspiration to desolation. Redeem all who in bereavement feel both grief and freedom. Guide those who possess that which they most longed for and yet find that possession leaves their hearts still empty. Makes us a people who yearn for what you long to give us.

Lord, in your mercy

All: Hear our Prayer.

The Venerable Rosemarie Mallett:

God of hope, your Son promised that the disciples would be clothed with power from on high. Be close to any for whom rising prices and the energy crisis threatens their livelihood or leaves them imprisoned in poverty. Bless all who struggle in faith; send your Spirit on any for whom faith is elusive or mysterious; and transform the hearts of any whose encounters with your church have left them embittered or hostile. Make your church in great things and small, in humility and courage, a blessing to neighbourhoods and nation.

Lord, in your mercy

All: Hear our Prayer.

Lyndall Bywater:

God of love, you know our hearts and hear our sorrows: visit those we carry close to us who struggle with fear, danger, pain, grief or regret. Transfigure our darkest hours, that in our anxiety we may know you closer than ever before, and in our isolation we may find you near at hand. Fill our hearts with your song and our souls with your praise, that when our day is done, our lives may have been a litany of your glory.

Merciful Father

All: Accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

OFFERTORY HYMN: Alleluia, sing to Jesus

Words: W. Chatterton Dix (1837-1898)

Music: ‘Hyfrydol’ Richard Huw Pritchard (1811-1887)

EUCHARISTIC PRAYER

Celebrant: The Lord is here.

All: His Spirit is with us.

Celebrant: Lift up your hearts.

All: We lift them to the Lord.

Celebrant: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

All: It is right to give thanks and praise.

Celebrant: Glorious God, in Moses, the prophets, and the psalms you showed your purpose for your people and your love for your world. In Jesus you fulfilled your promises and opened to us your heart, and in his passion and death we saw the consequences of our rejection of that purpose and love.

Yet you raised Jesus from the tomb; in his resurrection you invited us into the company of your eternal joy, and in his ascension on high you sealed as complete his work among us.

So, with angels and archangels and all the company of heaven, we praise you for ever, singing:

The choir sings the Sanctus from Schubert’s Mass in G major.

Celebrant: Gracious God, your son at his Ascension promised the disciples they would be clothed with power from on high. Send now your Holy Spirit, that we may be clothed with the presence of your Son among us, and that bread broken, and wine outpoured, may be for us Christ’s body and blood.

Who, at supper with his disciples, took bread, gave you thanks, broke the bread, and gave it to them, saying, ‘Take, eat: this is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ After supper he took the cup. Again he gave you thanks, and gave it to his disciples, saying, ‘Drink this, all of you: this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ Great is the mystery of faith.

All: Christ has died.

Christ is risen.

Christ will come again.

Celebrant: Generous God, your son told his disciples to stay in the city until they were clothed by the Spirit; give courage to those whom you call to stay in places of danger and confusion when their hearts are full of doubt and disillusion.

Your son withdrew from the disciples when they did not know what the future would hold; be close to all who face an uncertain future and deeply know their need of you.

Your son’s disciples were continually in the temple praising you; give your church a fresh outpouring of your Spirit and make it a blessing to all the children of your earth. Until the completion of your son’s ministry becomes the completion of your whole creation, and you are all in all, one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Celebrant: In the broken body of Christ

All: We enter the broken heart of God.

THE LORD’S PRAYER

Celebrant: Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us:

All: 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 trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation;

but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom,

the power and the glory,

for ever and ever.

Amen.

The choir sings the Agnus Dei from Schubert’s Mass in G major.

Soloist: Ruby – BBC Young Chorister of the Year 2021

INVITATION

Celebrant: Christ lived and died and rose that we might join the heavenly banquet as God’s companions forever. Come, share the feast prepared for us from the foundation of the world.

DISTRIBUTION OF THE EUCHARIST

The choir sings Ave verum corpus arr. Stephanie Martin.

POST-COMMUNION PRAYER

Celebrant: God our Father,

All: you have raised our humanity in Christ and have fed us with the bread of heaven. Mercifully grant that with such spiritual blessings we may set our hearts in the heavenly places; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

HYMN: Crown him with many crowns

Words: Matthew Bridges (1800-1894), Alternative text, Godfrey Thring (1823-1903)

Music: ‘Diademata’ G.J. Elvey (1816-1893)

BLESSING AND DISMISSAL

Celebrant: Christ, our ascended King, pour upon you the abundance of his gifts and bring you to reign with him in glory; and the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit be among you and remain with you now and for ever.

All: Amen.

Celebrant: Go in the peace of Christ. Alleluia, Alleluia!

All: Thanks be to God. Alleluia, Alleluia!

Voluntary: Summer Moon – Florence Price (Strings)

 closing announcement: 

The London Mozart Players with Summer Moon by Florence Price. A Celebration for Ascension Day’ came live from St Martin-in-the-Fields in London’s Trafalgar Square. It was led by the Vicar, the Revd Dr Sam Wells, and the preacher was the Revd Dr Michael Banner, Dean and Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge.

St Martin’s Voices and the London Mozart Players were directed by Andrew Earis. The organist was Polina Sosnina.

The producer was Alexa Good.