(Image: “The Ascension” JESUS MAFA 1973, Painting, Cameroon)
©Order of Worship for Sunday May 17, 2026
Seventh Sunday of Easter
Ascension of the Lord
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Prelude:…………“Hail Thee, Festival Day!” ……….…..Greg D.
Words: Venantius Honorius Fortunatus, c. 530-609 Music: Ralph Vaughan Williams, 1906.
Coming of the Light:
Greetings:………………………………………….…Lusi R.
Announcements:……………………………………….Lorri B.
Call to Worship:…………………………………………..Ian D.
Creator God, how great is your name!
All creation sings of your glory, and so do we.
You have exalted us and crowned us with honor-
even the infants join stars and moon in singing your praise.
How great, O God, is your name in all the earth! Amen.
Richard Eslinger, © Upper Room Books
Opening Prayer: ……………Psalm 47………..Ian D.
Clap your hands, all you peoples; shout to God with loud songs of joy.
For the Lord, the Most High, is awesome, a great king over all the earth.
He subdued peoples under us and nations under our feet.
He chose our heritage for us, the pride of Jacob whom he loves.
God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises.
For God is the king of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm.
God is king over the nations; God sits on his holy throne.
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.
Opening Hymns: “Tradin’ My Sorrows” #3108 W&S
Words and Music: Darrell Evans © 1998, arr.© 2010 Integrity’s
Hosanna Music (ASCAP
I tradin’ my sorrows, I’m tradin’ my
shame, I’m layin’ them down for the joy of the
Lord. I’m tradin’ my sickness,
I’m tradin’ my pain, I’m layin’ them
down for the joy of the Lord.
Yes, Lord, yes, Lord, yes, yes, Lord. Yes, Lord, yes, Lord,
yes, yes, Lord. Yes, lord, yes, Lord, yes, yes, Lord. Amen.
I am pressed but not crushed, persecuted
not abandoned; struck down but not destroyed.
I am blessed beyond the curse, for his
promise will endure that his joy’s gonna be my strength.
Though the sorrow may last for the night,
his joy comes with the mornin’.
I tradin’ my sorrows, I’m tradin’ my
shame, I’m layin’ them down for the joy of the
Lord. I’m tradin’ my sickness,
I’m tradin’ my pain, I’m layin’ them
down for the joy of the Lord,
for the joy of the Lord.
“Forever” #3023 W&S
Words and Music: Chris Tomlin © worshiptogether.com Songs
(ASCAP) sixsteps Music (ASCAP) admin. At EMICMGP
Publishing.com
1. Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King;
his love endures forever.
For he is good, he is above all things;
his love endures forever.
Sing praise, sing praise!
2. With a mighty hand and outstretched arm,
his love endures forever.
For the life that’s been reborn;
his love endures forever.
Sing praise, sing praise,
Sing praise, sing praise!
Forever God is faithful, forever God is strong,
Forever God is with us, forever, forever!
3. From the rising to the setting sun,
his love endures forever.
And by the grace of God we will carry on;
his love endures forever.
Sing praise, sing praise!
Sing praise, sing praise!
Forever God is faithful, forever God is strong,
Forever God is with us, forever, forever!
Passing of the Peace:……………………………………Lusi R.
Let us offer signs of reconciliation and peace to one another.
Gloria Patri:………“Glory Be to the Father” #71 UMH
Words: Lesser Doxology, 3rd-4th century
Music: Henry W. Greatorex, 1851
Glory be to the Father
and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen. Amen.
Giving of our tithes and offerings:…………………Lusi R.
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Offertory:………….“Treasures of the Heart”…………..Greg D.
Music: GDixon © 1986
Offertory Response:………… “The Doxology”………..#94 UMH
Words: Thomas Ken, 1674 Music: Geistliche Kirchengesänge, 1623; Adapt. © 1989 The United Methodist Publishing House
.
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; praise God,
all creatures here below: Alleluia! Alleluia! Praise God the
source of all our gifts! Praise Jesus Christ, whose power up-lifts! Praise the Spirit, Holy Spirit! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Prayer After Receiving:……………………………….Lusi R.
Prayers of the People:………………………………..Lusi R.
The Lord’s Prayer: “The Lord’s Prayer” #3069 W&S
Our Father, Father in heaven,
hallowed be, hallowed be, thy name.
1. Your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it
is in heaven.
Our Father, Father in heaven,
hallowed be, hallowed be, thy name.
2. Give us today our daily
bread. Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who
sin against us.
Our Father, Father in heaven,
hallowed be, hallowed be, thy name.
3. Save us from the time of
Trial and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, power, and glory are yours
now and forever.
Our Father, Father in heaven,
hallowed be, hallowed be, thy name.
Epistle Lesson Lesson:………….Acts 1:1-14……..Ian D.
Jesus sends the apostles
In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and teach 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 during 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 toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward 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.”
Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying: Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.
Hymn of Preparation:…“Spirit Song” #347, UMH
Words and Music: John Wimber, 1979 © 1979 Mercy Publishing
1. O let the Son of God enfold you with his Spirit and his love.
Let him fill your heart and satisfy your soul.
O let him have the things that hold you, and his Spirit like a dove
will descend upon your life and make you whole.
Jesus, O Jesus, come and fill your lambs.
Jesus, O Jesus, come and fill your lambs.
2. O come and sing this song with gladness as your hearts are filled with joy.
Lift your hands in sweet surrender to his name.
O give him all your tears and sadness; give him all your years of pain,
and you’ll enter into life in Jesus’ name.
Jesus, O Jesus, come and fill your lambs.
Jesus, O Jesus, come and fill your lambs.”
Sermon:………………………………………………………Lusi R.
Response to the Word:
Closing Hymn:……“I’ll Fly Away” #2282 TFWS
1. Some glad morning when this life is o’er,
I’ll fly away; to a home on God’s celestial shore,
I’ll fly away.
Refrain
I’ll fly away, O glory, I’ll fly away. When I die,
hallelujah, by and by, I’ll fly away.
2. When the shadows of this life have gone,
I’ll fly away; like a bird from prison bars has flown,
I’ll fly away.
Refrain
I’ll fly away, O glory, I’ll fly away. When I die,
hallelujah, by and by, I’ll fly away.
3. Just a few more weary days and then,
I’ll fly away; to a land where joys shall never end,
I’ll fly away.
Refrain
I’ll fly away, O glory, I’ll fly away. When I die,
hallelujah, by and by, I’ll fly away.
Dismissal with Blessing:………………………Lusi R.
Postlude:…………………………………………………Greg D.
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Sunday May 17th Worship Service