Opening Prayer

God of incredible surprises, help us focus our energy on you and your saving grace. As we offer you our praise this morning, renew in us the confidence that you are in our midst, working in us through your Holy Spirit. Thank you for waking us up this morning, opening our eyes to see you, and our hearts to love you and to love our sisters and brothers. Blessed are you, Holy One! Amen.

Prayers of the People

With mouths gaping open and eyes looking heavenward, we trace the ascension of our beloved Savior Jesus Christ back to you. We would like to stand here, looking heavenward and thinking about how much Jesus means to us, but we are called to lower our eyes and get moving to serve you in this world, Lord. You have asked us to live out our Resurrection faith in service, offering peace and justice, hope and healing to all whom we meet. Together lift up those near and dear to us in prayer. We pray for your healing mercies for all who are ill, who mourn, who are lost and alone. We rejoice in prayer with those who have received special joys during this week. All these things are important to us and we know they are important to you. Help us to live the prayers we ask. Help us to be agents of healing and mercy, of peace and hope. We offer our lives and prayers to you in the name of our ascended Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Scripture - John 17:1-11

17  After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you,  2  since you have given him authority over all people,[ a ] to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.  3  And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.  4  I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do.  5  So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.

6  “I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.  7  Now they know that everything you have given me is from you;  8  for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.  9  I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours.  10  All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them.  11  And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.