This lesson, the Gospel for this coming Sunday, is a
part of Christ’s high priestly prayer, the end of His farewell discourse at the
Last Supper begun in chapter 13. It is a pray where Jesus prays for His
disciples left in the world. The hour of
His departure has come. He reports to the Father that He has accomplished the
work He was sent to do.
Jesus says, “The
hour has come.” It is the hour of death, and the hour of glory. This is the
hour for which Jesus worked, the hour for which he came to earth. Who things of
his hour of death as the hour of glory? In Jesus’ case his death is a glory by
virtue of the atoning power of His death to take away the sins of the world. In
His death the Father redeemed and reconciled His children. The death of Jesus
was a victory for the Father.
Today is Ascension Day forty days after Easter. It is
the day the Savior returned to the Father to be received by Him. It is a day in
which we remember that this same Ascended Lord will return on the Last Great
Day to receive us into His glory. We are reminded of that great spiritual which
says, “Soon and very soon, we shall see
the king!”
The Ascension has certain important truths to be
proclaimed:
Ø It is the final exaltation of Jesus as Lord of Lords.
Ø It is the universal accessibility of Jesus
Ø It is the coming of age of the Christian in
responsibility
Ø It is the total lordship of Jesus over all creation
A Prayer for
Ascension –Almighty God, as Your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,
ascended into the heavens, so may we also ascend in heart and mind and
continually dwell there with Him, who lives, and reigns with You and the Holy
Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
For
Agriculture - Almighty God, You blessed the earth to make it fruitful, bringing forth
in abundance whatever is needed for the support of our lives. Prosper; we
implore You, the work of farmers, especially in this planting season. Grant
them seasonable weather that they may gather in the fruits of the earth and
thus proclaim Your goodness. May we see by this noble vocation that by Your aid
we are helping to feed the world and cause all who give thanks over their food to
treat those who produce it with honor and respect.
O God of springtime and harvest, we give you thanks
for being the Lord of all the seasons of our lives. From birth to death, you
hold us in your hands and feed us with the abundance of the earth and the love
of your Spirit.
Especially in this day, we give you thanks for those
who work in the earth you have created–farmers and gardeners, who till the
soil, plant the seed, tend the crops, and harvest so others may eat.
We give you thanks for those who with hard toil and
long hours will fill our tables with the gifts of your gracious hand.
Remind us often that every good and perfect gift comes
from you and that those who live close to the land we love work with you as
co-creators of the crops that feed us.
Good Friday
copyright © Ed Riojas, Higher Things
Collects for the
Ascension and Agriculture, Lutheran Service Book copyright © 2006 Concordia
Publishing House, St. Louis
Prayer for Crops and
industry - https://www.faithward.org/prayer-for-crops-and-industry
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