A Service of Worship for
​Ascension Sunday
​May 16, 2021


​And the world cannot be discovered
by a journey of miles, 
no matter how long, 
but only by a spiritual journey, 
a journey of one inch, 
very arduous and humbling and joyful,
 by which we arrive at the ground at our own feet, 
and learn to be at home.

Wendell Berry
Worship notes are included at the bottom of this page and in the Worship Order located at the link below.
With this link you can make a donation to Covenant through PayPal or a credit card. 
Adult Education:
This Sunday, our speaker will be Amanda Focke, Head of Special Collections at Rice University's Fondren Library. She will give a talk entitled "Where do we go from here? The complex path to memorializing the Sugar Land 95," drawing on her work helping to curate the Reginald Moore Sugar Land Convict Leasing System Research Collection. Zoom link is available on the Online Gatherings page on our website: https://www.covenanthouston.org/covenant-gatherings.html
Full worship service video:
COFFEE TIME Gathering on Zoom
Today, 11AM
We will begin as a large group before we transition into “rooms" for coffee time. 
​Log in details on the Online Gatherings page. 
Prelude
"A Mighty Fortress is Our God," by Dieterich Buxtehude. Andrew Bowen, organ. 

​Call to Worship

Christ Candle

Opening Prayer
Spirit of life, come to us to break down barriers;
  to widen horizons;
    to make us less judgmental.
Help us to see the larger picture and the kinder conclusion;
  to love and let live;
    to embrace and forgive;
      to sustain and care.

Help us to reach out to our better selves,
  that we may love more and hate less,
    care more and reject less,
      that bound together by understanding
        we may sustain each other through trial and tribulation,
          through joy and happiness,
            through sickness and health.

Help us, O God, to be joined in a common purpose of hope and fulfillment.
  Renew and revive us.
    We seek a common, holy ground for one and all.
Amen.

​Scripture Lesson:  Acts 1:1-11
​
​Hymn
"Holy Spirit, Truth Divine," Tune: Tune 13. Words: Samuel Longfellow. The Covenant Singers. Andrew Bowen, organ. 

​Time for Children

Confession
Unison Confession
We touch this strength, our power,
who we are in the world,
when we are most fully in touch with 
one another and with the world.

There is no doubt in my mind that, in so doing, 
we are participants in ongoing incarnation, 
bringing God to life in the world.

For God is an eternally creative 
source of our relational power, our common strength, 
a God whose movement is to empower,
bringing us into our own together,
a God whose name in history is love
which is just, mutually empowering, and co-creative.
​Music
"Come Down, O Love Divine," Words: Bianco da Siena, Music: Ralph Vaughan Williams, Arr: Phillip Dietterich. The Covenant Singers, directed by David Lee, Andrew Bowen, organ. 

​Proclamation

​Prayer
Dear God Who is Love,  

You left instructions.  
Clear and easy to follow.  
Just two simple rules.  Love your God and your neighbor as yourself. 
With no qualifications, exclusions or judgements.  Especially no judgements.

So we trust that You mean exactly what You say.  
We are all wonderfully made.
We need not be afraid.
There is more than enough for everybody.

And we claim the power and the authority to carry on your example.
Healing the sick.  At warp speed!
Feeding the hungry.  So easy a trickle down will do it.
Rescuing the refugee.  We have plenty of wall space for welcome posters.
Loving the marginalized.  Even when they don’t listen.

We’re still getting all this organized. 
But we’ll have it worked out when You return.
Because You left instructions.

Amen
​- Bill Kline
​​
​Invitation
​
​Prayer of Dedication
May my feet rest firmly on the ground
May my head touch the sky
May I see clearly
May I have the capacity to listen
May I be free to touch
May my words be true
May my heart and mind be open
May my hands be empty to fill the need
May my arms be open to others
May my gifts be revealed to me
So I may return that which has been given
Completing the great circle.

Doxology

Affirmation of Faith
Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads.

Benediction

Postlude
"When I Can Read My Title Clear," by Dale Wood. Andrew Bowen, organ.
Worship Notes

The worship leader is Bill Kline.

The prelude and postlude are played by Andrew Bowen, organ.

The Call to Worship is from Guerrillas of Grace by Ted Loder.

The Opening Prayer is by Rhys Williams.

The Unison Confession is adapted from Touching Our Strength by Carter Heyward.

The Prayer of Dedication is a prayer from the Terma Collective printed in Life Prayers from Around the World, edited by Elizabeth Roberts and Elias Amidon.
​
The Affirmation of Faith is by Henry David Thoreau.

Sunday schedule for today: 
9:00 - Adult Education with Zoom
10:00 - Worship via videos on the Worship Page
11:00 - Transition from worship to coffee time with Zoom

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