Prayer at the Close of Day

COMPLINE

P: The Lord Almighty grant us a quiet night and peace at the last.

C: (sing) Amen.

P: It is good to give thanks to the Lord,

C: (sing) To sing praise to your name, O Most High;

P: To herald your love in the morning,

C: (sing) Your truth at the close of day.

P: Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.

C: (sing) Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.

EVENING HYMN: 175 Hail the Day that Sees Him Rise

1 Hail the day that sees him rise To his throne above the skies!

Christ, the Lamb for sinners giv’n, Reascends his native heav’n.

2 There the glorious triumph waits: Lift your heads, eternal gates.

He has conquered death and sin; Take the King of glory in!

3 See, the heav’n its Lord receives, Yet he loves the earth he leaves;

Though returning to his throne, Still he calls mankind his own.

4 See, he lifts his hands above; See, he shows the prints of love.

Hark! His gracious lips bestow Blessings on his Church below.

5 Still for us he intercedes; His prevailing death he pleads.

He, the first of all our race, Near himself prepares a place.

6 There we shall with you remain Partners in your endless reign,

There your face unclouded view, Find our heav’n of heav’ns in you.

Text: Charles Wesley, 1707-88, abr., alt.

CONFESSION OF SINS

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord,

C: who made heaven and earth.

P: Let us confess our sins in the presence of God and of one another.

Silence for self-examination

P: Almighty God, our heavenly Father,

C: we have sinned against you in our thoughts, in our words, in our deeds, and in all that we have not done. Forgive us in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Deliver and restore us, that we may rest in peace.

P: By the mercy of God we are redeemed by Jesus Christ, and in him we are forgiven. Let us rest in his peace until the rising of the sun when we shall serve him in newness of life.

C: Amen.

REMAIN SEATED

Psalm 91

The shelter of the love of God

is my refuge and my light:

I trust in him to guide my days

and protect me through the night

Because I come to him in love

and trust him in all things

He answers when I call his name:

he shelters me with his wings.

My faith is in the Lord alone,

his Word my help and shield.

When thousand stumble by my side,

his faithfulness is revealed.

Because I come to him in love

and trust him in all things

He answers when I call his name:

he shelters me with his wings.

Ever safe within his love I'll be

secure through all my days,

The wonder of his mighty love

always fills my heart with praise.

Because I come to him in love

and trust him in all things

He answers when I call his name:

he shelters me with his wings.

The Word

First Lesson: Acts 1:1-11
Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit to the Apostles.

I wrote my first book, Theophilus, about everything Jesus began doing and teaching ² until the day he was taken up, after he had given instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. ³ After he had suffered, he presented himself alive to the apostles with many convincing proofs. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and told them things about the kingdom of God.

⁴ Once, when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for what the Father promised, which you heard from me. ⁵ For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

⁶ So when they were together with him, they asked, “Lord, is this the time when you are going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

⁷ He said to them, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has set by his own authority. ⁸ 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.”

⁹ After he said these things, he was taken up while they were watching, and a cloud took him out of their sight. ¹⁰ They were looking intently into the sky as he went away. Suddenly, two men in white clothes stood beside them. ¹¹ They said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing here looking up into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

Hymn: 169 vv. 1

Alleluia! Sing to Jesus; His the scepter, his the throne.

Alleluia! His the triumph, His the victory alone.

Hark! The sounds of peaceful Zion Thunder like a mighty flood:

“Jesus out of ev’ry nation Has redeemed us by his blood.”

Second Lesson: Ephesians 1:16-23
Paul tells us the importance of Christ’s ascension.

¹⁶ I never stop giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. ¹⁷ I keep praying that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, will give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in knowing Christ fully. ¹⁸ I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope to which he has called you, just how rich his glorious inheritance among the saints is, ¹⁹ and just how surpassingly great his power is for us who believe. ²⁰ It is as great as the working of his mighty strength, which God worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹ far above all rule, authority, power, and dominion, and above every name that is given, not only in this age but also in the one to come. ²² God also placed all things under his feet and made him head over everything for the church. ²³ The church is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

Hymn: 169 vv. 2

Alleluia! Bread of heaven, Here on earth our food, our stay;

Alleluia! Here the sinful Flee to you from day to day.

Intercessor, Friend of sinners, Earth’s Redeemer, hear our plea

Where the songs of all the sinless sweep across the crystal sea.

Gospel: Luke 24:44-53

Luke summarizes Christ’s work between Easter and Ascension

⁴⁴ He said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms.”

⁴⁵ Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. ⁴⁶ He said to them, “This is what is written and so it must be: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, ⁴⁷ and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. ⁴⁸ You are witnesses of these things. ⁴⁹ Look, I am sending you what my Father promised. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

⁵⁰ He led them out as far as the vicinity of Bethany. He lifted up his hands and blessed them. ⁵¹ And while he was blessing them, he parted from them and was taken up into heaven. ⁵² So they worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. ⁵³ They were continually in the temple courts, praising and blessing God. Amen.

Hymn: 169 vv. 3

Alleluia! Not as orphans, Are we left in sorrow now;

Alleluia! He is near us; Faith believes, nor questions how.

Though the cloud from sight received him When the forty days were o’er,

Shall our hearts forget his promise: “I am with you evermore”?

Following the lesson the response is sung or said

P: Into your hands I commend my spirit.

C: Into your hands I commend my spirit.

P: You have redeemed me, O Lord, God of truth

C: Into your hands I commend my spirit.

P: Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

C: Into your hands I commend my spirit.

Hymn 341 Crown Him with Many Crowns

1 Crown him with many crowns, The Lamb upon his throne;

Hark how the heav’nly anthem drowns All music but its own.

Awake, my soul, and sing Of him who died for thee,

And hail him as thy matchless King Through all eternity.

2 Crown him the Lord of love-Behold his hands and side,

Rich wounds, yet visible above, In beauty glorified.

No angel in the sky Can fully bear that sight,

But downward bends his wond’ring eye At mysteries so bright.

3 Crown him the Lord of life, Who triumphed o’er the grave

And rose victorious in the strife For those he came to save.

His glories now we sing Who died and rose on high,

Who died eternal life to bring And lives that death may die.

4 Crown him the Lord of heav’n, Enthroned in worlds above;

Crown him the King to whom is giv’n The wondrous name of Love.

Crown him with many crowns As thrones before him fall;

Crown him, ye kings, with many crowns For he is King of all.

Text: Matthew Bridges, 1800-94, st. 1-2, 4, abr., alt.; Godfrey Thring, 1823-1903, st. 3.

Sermon

Offering

The following are sung or said.

P: Hear my prayer, O Lord.

C: Listen to my cry.

P: Keep me as the apple of your eye.

C: Hide me in the shadow of your wings.

P: In righteousness I shall see you.

C: When I awake, your presence will give me joy.

Prayer of the Church

Lord’s Prayer(sung)

The Lord’s Prayer is sung as follows:

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us; Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever.

Amen.

HYMN 173—On Christ’s Ascension I Now Build

1 On Christ’s ascension I now build

The hope of my ascension.

This hope alone has always stilled

All doubt and apprehension;

For where the head is, there as well

I know his members are to dwell

When Christ shall come and call them.

2 Since Christ returned to claim his throne,

Great gifts for me obtaining,

My heart shall rest in him alone,

No other rest remaining,

For where my treasure went before,

There all my thoughts shall ever soar

To still their deepest yearning.

3 Oh, grant, dear Lord, this grace to me,

Recalling your ascension,

That I may serve you faithfully,

Adorning your redemption;

And then, when all my days will cease,

Let me depart in joy and peace

In answer to my pleading.

Text: Josua Wegelin, 1604-40; tr. William M. Czamanske, 1873-1964, alt.

Gospel Canticle

The following is sung.

P: Guide us waking, O Lord,

C: And guard us sleeping:

P: That awake we may watch with Christ,

C: And asleep we may rest in peace.

C: (sing) In peace, Lord, in peace you let your servant now depart according to your word. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for every people, a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of your people Israel. In peace, in peace.

Blessing

P: The almighty and merciful Lord—the Father, the Son, (+) and the Holy Spirit—bless us and keep us.

C: Amen.

Compline II © 2002 NPH. Reprinted under OneLicense.net # A-703297.

Psalm 91 © 1976 Lillenas Publishing Co. Reprinted under OneLicense.net # A-703297.