We are here to help people love and worship God. We aim to be, and encourage others to become, committed and active disciples of Jesus,
who love God and worship him, who know the power of the Holy Spirit and who show God’s love in every part of their lives.
Risen Christ,
you have raised our human nature to the throne of heaven:
help us to seek and serve you,
that we may join you at the Father’s side,
where you reign with the Spirit in glory,
now and for ever.
‘Collect for Ascension Day’, Common Worship: Collects and Post Communions © The Archbishops' Council (2000)
Spirit of truth:
guide us into all the truth;
consume all the lies
that shroud the world in hate;
pray in us
with sighs too deep for words;
and let the victim’s voice ring out
with hope for a new world;
through Jesus Christ, who goes to the right hand of God.
Amen.
‘Collect for Pentecost’ (Year B), Prayers for an Inclusive Church © Steven Shakespeare (2009)
This is, genuinely, one of my favourite seasons of the Christian calendar: as we journey through Easter, Ascension, and Pentecost, we are reminded that we are invited to be Easter People – Children of God, and joint heirs with Christ; it is also a reminder, as we read through Acts, that the story of God’s chosen people is not finished(!) I have shared two seasonally appropriate collect prayers above (for Ascension day and Pentecost, respectively), which both speak of a living God, who calls us forward towards brave new horizons. If you read them one after the other, notice the shifting of focus and attention between ‘the throne of heaven’ and ‘the world’ in this present moment in our history.
I sometimes worry that we are not as present to, or connected with, each other as we used to be, and that the value of ‘community’ is being lost. I regularly pray that we would see more love and less division in our world, our communities, and in our homes. So, I rejoice whenever I encounter such moments, which assure me that God’s Spirit is alive and well, and that we remain capable of learning and changing. I also delight in those moments when the value of community and our interconnected stories are being rediscovered afresh. It brings me great pleasure to share with you that a May Queen will be joining us in church for our 10am service on Sunday 12th May – marking a return to a community tradition, of which I have heard many fondly told stories, and I look forward to experiencing for myself.
In this season, we will see the church decorations turn red for Pentecost (Sunday 19th May) – this is one of the rarer liturgical colours in the church, used to represent the sacrificial love of the Cross, and/or the fire and joy of the Holy Spirit, and new life in the world. You might like to respond by wearing your most red/fiery🔥 clothing and accessories during this weekend to join in the celebration of God’s continuing work in our world (facepainting: optional). However you choose to celebrate this colourful time of year, I pray that you will have a joyful and blessed May.
Rev’d Sam Ellmore, curate
St Mary's Church, Priory Road, Ecclesfield, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S35 9XZ, United Kingdom
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