大象传媒

Please note:

This script cannot exactly reflect the transmission, as it was prepared before the service was broadcast. It may include editorial notes prepared by the producer, and minor spelling and other errors that were corrected before the radio broadcast.

It may contain gaps to be filled in at the time so that prayers may reflect the needs of the world, and changes may also be made at the last minute for timing reasons, or to reflect current events.

听

RADIO 4 CONTINUITY:听 大象传媒 Radio 4.听 The Archbishop of Canterbury is the preacher, with celebratory music of George Frideric Handel, in our Celebration for Ascension Day - live from St Martin-in-the-Fields in London鈥檚 Trafalgar Square.听 The service is led by the Vicar of St Martin鈥檚, the Revd Dr Sam Wells and begins with music from Handel鈥檚 鈥楿trecht Te Deum鈥�: 鈥榃e Praise Thee, O God鈥�.

CHOIR INTROIT 鈥� WE PRAISE THEE, O GOD听 (Approx Dur: 2鈥�00鈥�)
We Praise Thee, O God. We acknowledge thee to be the Lord.

WELCOME 听(SPEECH 1)
CELEBRANT:听听 Welcome to St Martin-in-the-Fields and a special welcome to the Archbishop of Canterbury.听 This annual service for Ascension Day is a highlight both for St Martin鈥檚 and for 大象传媒 Radio Four.听听 In our long association with the 大象传媒, nowadays 鈥楽unday Worship鈥� is often broadcast from here, as well as the annual 鈥楻adio 4 Christmas Appeal鈥�.听 This church鈥檚 English Baroque architecture is a backdrop to St Martin鈥檚 true mission:听 to city, nation, and all of society.听 That combination of stately solemnity and joyful exuberance is reflected in the hymn writing of Charles Wesley and Isaac Watts 鈥� and also in the music of their contemporary, George Frideric Handel, who inaugurated the newly-built St Martin鈥檚 organ in 1727.听听 The composer left us no masses, but much of his sacred music was written in response to events of national significance.听听 He wrote the 鈥楾e Deum鈥�, from which the choir will be singing excerpts throughout this service, in thanksgiving听 that more than a decade of warring between European states, had been brought to an end in 1713 by the Peace of Utrecht.
Ascension Day is the day Jesus finished his work on earth, and left the disciples ready to receive the Holy Spirit a few days later.听 He ascended to reign as Prince of Peace, so we too reflect on Christ鈥檚 whole ministry from birth, and ask the Holy Spirit once again to clothe us with power from on high.听

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
ALL:听听 He is risen indeed.听 Alleluia!听

OPENING HYMN听Hail the day that sees him rise,

CONFESSION (SPEECH 1)
CELEBRANT:听 Seeing we have a great 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.

God our Father, you have time and eternity in your hands; but we want all to be now, to be soon, to be instant.

Lord, have mercy.
ALL:听 Lord, have mercy.

Lord Jesus, your wounded hands show us the cost of love; but we want love without sacrifice.

Christ, have mercy.
ALL:听 Christ, have mercy.

Holy Spirit, you clothe us with power from on high; but we want power and control in our own hands.

Lord, have mercy.
ALL: Lord, have mercy.听

CHOIR 鈥楰YRIE鈥� 鈥� VOUCHSAFE, O LORD (Approx Dur: 2鈥�45鈥�)
Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this day without sin.听 O Lord, have mercy upon us, as our trust is in thee.

ABSOLUTION (SPEECH 1)
CELEBRANT:听 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:听 Amen

CHOIR 鈥楪LORIA鈥� 鈥� DAY BY DAY WE MAGNIFY THEE听听 (Approx Dur: 2鈥�15鈥�)
Day by day we magnify thee and we worship thy name ever world without end.

COLLECT (SPEECH 1)
CELEBRANT:听听 Grant, we pray, almighty God, that as we believe your only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ to have ascended into the heavens, so we in heart and mind may 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 for ever.
ALL:听 Amen.

READING -听 Acts 1:1-11听 (SPEECH 2)
READER:听 Mike Wooldridge, 大象传媒 World Affairs Correspondent.

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 1.

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.听 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.听听 While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. 鈥楾his, he said, 鈥榠s what you have heard from me;听 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.鈥�
听
So when they had come together, they asked him, 鈥楲ord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?鈥櫶� He replied, 鈥業t is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority.听 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.鈥櫶�听 When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.听听 While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them.听听 They said, 鈥楳en of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven?听听 This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.鈥�

This is the word of the Lord.听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 ALL:听 Thanks be to God.
GRADUAL HYMN听Rejoice, the Lord is King! Your Lord and King adore;

THE GOSPEL - Luke 24: 44-53 (SPEECH 2)

READER:听听 Elizabeth Oldfield, Thought for the Day contributor and Director of Theos.

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
ALL:听 Glory to you, O Lord.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, 鈥楾hese are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you鈥攖hat everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.鈥櫶� Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, 鈥楾hus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.听 You are witnesses of these things.听听 And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.鈥�
听
Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them.听听 While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven.听听 And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy;听 and they were continually in the temple blessing God.

This is the Gospel of the Lord.
ALL:听 Praise to you, O Christ.
SERMON (SPEECH 4 - PULPIT)

THE ARCHBISHOP:
Ascension is about power and victory, but not as we know it.
If you鈥檙e a fan of Star Trek you鈥檒l hear the allusion: 鈥渋t鈥檚 life, Jim, but not as we know it鈥�. Though I鈥檓 told no one ever actually said that, any more than Sherlock Holmes said 鈥渆lementary, my dear Watson鈥�. But even though I am not a Trekkie it鈥檚 a good line.
Ascension is about power or victory, but not as we know it. The accounts include words like 鈥榩ower鈥�, 鈥楰ingdom鈥�, 鈥榳itness鈥�, 鈥榩roofs鈥�, and 鈥榩romise of the Father鈥� 鈥� such that the disciples, who weren鈥檛 any quicker on the uptake after the resurrection than before 鈥� ask about the restoration of the Kingdom of Israel.
If power is going to be given to them surely that means conquest? If Jesus speaks of a Kingdom surely they are about to see it? Given the proof that he has overcome death, are they the witnesses 鈥� the honoured heralds, sent in the name of the Lord?
No, it is not as we know it. The power is intangible and does not make us superman or wonder woman. The Kingdom is elusive and invisible. The proofs and promises will be disbelieved by many. The victory offers no conclusive culmination, only a beginning鈥� while being a witness invites danger, leading to sacrifice and suffering, if not death. The power that comes is to be given away not hung onto, Jesus was no Mugabe clinging to power. There would be no public glory or acclaim, merely hard work and sacrifice, like most of those who serve the church round the world today. I spoke to someone yesterday working for reconciliation in a civil war, whose name will never be known outside the circles of his own friends 鈥� yet he carries a cross of suffering for Christ.
Put like that it makes the worst of any recent manifesto looks like words of gold, to which people would flock by contrast. Few would be elected on the manifesto of Jesus, surely?
Yet the church grew at such a rate despite opposition and suffering that 300 years later the Empire that had casually swiped away the life of Jesus with the sort-of attention we might give to a mosquito, found itself surrendering to this church. The same disciples who beforehand seem foolish and act only in their own interests, were willing to lay down their lives, confident in the promises of God, the Kingdom of God and the triumph of Christ.
The Ascension is victory, power and life, but not as we know it.
So what do we know, and where is our confidence?
The outcome of the completed victory of Jesus is that we cannot live enmeshed in the same concerns and despairs and joys any longer. The result of the completed victory of Jesus is that in all history there is only one inevitability, the promised return of Jesus the Christ. He will come back in just the way he departed, when the Kingdom of Heaven will be fully visible and tangible. No set-backs, no failures of the visible church, or its leaders, no powers on earth or in heaven are able to cause history to have any other conclusion. Jesus has established the way ahead.
Yet the path often does not feel inevitably leading to a glorious conclusion. The conquest of evil does not look definitive.
So our path is a path of suffering because the path of Jesus was one of suffering, and his followers cannot expect a better time than he had. Not miserable and dour suffering, but a path that is full of the presence of Christ even if also the presence of evil. He has gone and we are to carry on, filled with the Holy Spirit, but carry on notwithstanding. We are surely more than ever aware of the suffering not only of Christians but of all sorts and kinds of people, more than we ever have been. Their images, their agonies come to us direct, unmediated, calling loudly.
Yet it should not be a path of solitary suffering, because the church is a family of witnesses to the reality of Jesus. Suffering is amplified by isolation and healed by association. One visit abroad I made last year was so short that if you had blinked you would have missed it. Yet the local Bishop, in a country afflicted with Ebola, spoke of the effect of us being there. Why? Because it told him he was not alone.
The path of suffering is also one where the church family is empowered by the Holy Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit does not give us the power to fight, to attack each other, to hate, to destroy, but the power to love, to witness to declare repentance for those things that destroy life and forgiveness that liberates us to anew future. Last Sunday we remembered 70 years since VE day. At the service in Westminster Abbey was a Bishop from Germany. That country has demonstrated repentance and has found renewal and forgiveness and thus Europe has been given the light of reconciliation and the hope of peace. That is a sign of the work of the Spirit through human beings.
What could be more important than the message we are left to proclaim? What can be more essential to that message than the gift of power from God, power to liberate not dominate, to bring life not law, freedom not fear?
Ascension is about power or victory, but not as we know it. The Ascension set our destination, and in its compelling conquest assures us of the promises and mission that catch hold of us and compel us to change our world, never to despair, always to endure, to rejoice, to celebrate, to tolerate our failings, patiently to endure suffering, knowing that the victory of Jesus the Christ is certain.
Jesus brought us God 鈥� but not as we knew it. Our challenge is not to make Jesus fit the God we but to realize that God is the Jesus we see.

听

CHOIR ANTHEM听 - LIFT UP YOUR HEADS, O YE GATES
(From Messiah - Approx Dur: 3鈥�00鈥�?)
Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors,and the King of Glory shall come in!
Who is this King of Glory?听 The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.
Who is this King of Glory?听 The Lord of Hosts, He is the King of Glory.

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH (SPEECH 1)
CELEBRANT:听听 This is the Good News 鈥� God raised Christ from the dead
ALL:听and enthroned him at his right hand in the heavenly realms.

We died, and our life lies hidden with Christ in God.
ALL:听 We set our minds on things above.

When Christ, who is alive, is revealed,
ALL:听Then we too will be revealed with him in glory.

Christ has gone up on high!
ALL:听Alleluia!听

PRAYERS
(Led by two Daily Service presenters.听 Katharine Longworth, 大象传媒 Religion & Ethics Radio Producer and The Revd Dr Kirsty Thorpe, United Reformed Church Minister.)

听

KATHARINE: (SPEECH 2)听
King of Glory, give us grace and energy to glorify you with hearts and hands and voices.听听 Fill us with the joy that inspired your first followers to spread your good news through all the world so that we may share the elation of the Resurrection with those in need of your presence.听 Bring light to all those who walk in darkness and comfort those who dwell in sorrow so that they may rejoice in your love.听听 As we celebrate your ascension into heaven, open our hearts so that you may dwell in us and among us.
Lord of Life
ALL:听 make known your glory.

KIRSTY:(SPEECH 1)听听听
Lord of Hosts, you set humanity as stewards over all creation.听 Give our leaders wisdom and understanding so that they may always be guided by the commandment to love their neighbour as themselves.听听 Soften hardened hearts and strengthen the hands which serve your kingdom so that all may work for what is right, just and true.听 As you commissioned men and women to care for your world, open our eyes to see the power of your love at work around us.
Lord of Life
ALL:听 make known your glory.

听

听

KATHARINE:听 (SPEECH 2)听
Prince of Peace, bring peace to nations torn apart by war and undermined by the fear of conflict. Pour out your blessing on those who strive for reconciliation and strengthen those who work to heal the many wounds of war.听 Encourage us to learn from the past and live in the present moment as those whose hope lies in the future you hold out to us.听 As we seek to create your Kingdom on earth, open our minds so that we might better understand the needs of all your children.
Lord of life
ALL:听 make known your glory.

KIRSTY: (SPEECH 1)听
Lord strong and mighty, send your strength to those going through trials and suffering, especially the people of Nepal.听 Bring hope to all who lack care and protection, for whom every day is a struggle for safety and security.听 Shelter them under the shadow of your wing and lift up those who are pulled down by despair.听 As we live in hope for your return, open our hands to offer care and friendship to those in need so that they might be encouraged by the hope that lies in your son, Jesus Christ.
Lord of life
ALL:听 make known your glory.

KATHARINE:听 (SPEECH 2)听听
Merciful Father, accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ.
ALL:听 Amen.

CELEBRANT:听 (SPEECH 1)听
Risen, ascended Lord, you wish for us to be where you are.听 Your will is to free us from all that holds us captive, and to make us more human.
ALL:听 Lead us by your Spirit to walk in your company with all who love the truth.听 Amen.

THE PEACE听 (SPEECH 1)
CELEBRANT:听 Jesus said, 鈥楶eace I leave with you, a peace the world cannot give.鈥櫶� The peace of the Lord be always with you.
ALL:听 And also with you.

Let us offer one another a sign of peace鈥� and as we share the peace together, our service now moves on from the reading of the word of God, preaching about it and praying through it, to the receiving of the bread and wine as a reminder of his death 鈥� until He comes again.

OFFERTORY HYMN O worship the King, all glorious above,

EUCHARISTIC PRAYER听 (SPEECH 3 鈥� ALTAR)
CELEBRANT:听听 The Lord is here.
ALL:听 His Spirit is with us.

Lift up your hearts.
ALL:听 We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
ALL: It is right to give thanks and praise.

CELEBRANT:听听听 Glorious God, in Moses, the prophets, and the psalms you showed your purpose for your people and your love for your world.听 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, we join in praise with all the company of heaven:听

听

CHOIR 鈥楽ANCTUS鈥櫶� - TO THEE, CHERUBIM AND SERAPHIM听 (Approx Dur: 1鈥�00鈥�?)
To thee, Cherubim and Seraphim continually do cry:听 Holy, Holy Holy: Lord God of Sabaoth; heaven and earth are full of the majesty of thy glory.

CELEBRANT:听听听 Gracious God, your son at his ascension promised the disciples they would be clothed with power from on high.听 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鈥檚 body and blood. Who, at supper with his disciples, took bread, gave you thanks, broke the bread, and gave it to them, saying, 鈥楾ake, eat: this is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.鈥櫶� After supper he took the cup.听 Again he gave you thanks, and gave it to his disciples, saying, 鈥楧rink 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.听 Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.鈥櫶� Great is the mystery of faith.听

ALL:听 听Christ has died.
听Christ is risen.
听Christ will come again.

CELEBRANT:听听 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鈥檚 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.听 Until the completion of your son鈥檚 ministry becomes the completion of your whole creation, and you are all in all, one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
ALL: Amen

THE LORD鈥橲 PRAYER
CELEBRANT:听 As our Saviour has commanded and taught us, we are bold to pray:
ALL:听
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,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

BREAKING OF THE BREAD
CELEBRANT:听听 In the broken body of Christ
ALL:听 We enter the broken heart of God.

INVITATION
CELEBRANT:听听 Christ lived and died and rose that we might join the heavenly banquet as God鈥檚 companions forever.听 Come, share the feast prepared for us from the foundation of the world.听

CHOIR 鈥楢GNUS DEI鈥� 鈥� WE BELIEVE THAT THOU SHALT COME TO BE OUR JUDGE听听 (Dur: 2鈥�30鈥� - during communion)听
We believe that Thou shalt come to be our Judge. We therefore pray thee, help thy servants, who thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood.听 Make them to be numbered with thy saints in glory everlasting. O Lord save thy people and bless thine heritage;听 govern them and lift them up for ever.

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
CELEBRANT:听 God our Father,
ALL:听 you have raised our humanity in Christ and have fed us with the bread of heaven.听 Mercifully grant that with such spiritual blessings we may set our hearts in the heavenly places; through Jesus Christ our Lord.听 Amen.

THANKSGIVING HYMN Jesus shall reign where鈥檈r the sun

THE BLESSING (SPEECH 3听 - ALTAR)

THE ARCHBISHOP:听 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听 be among you and remain with you now and for ever.
ALL:听 Amen

CHOIR - HALLELUJAH CHORUS听 (from Messiah) 鈥� Approx Dur: 3鈥�45鈥�?

VOLUNTARY
La Rejouissance from Handel鈥檚 鈥楳usic for the Royal Fireworks鈥� (1749).听 Approx Dur: 3鈥�00鈥�