Ascension Sunday: Instructed Eucharist, Liturgy, and Intercession

May 17, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Cross Before Candles

The wooden cross leads every procession, candles flickering behind. Disciples follow tangible reminders: Jesus’ sacrifice clears the path to God’s presence. Symbols bypass arguments, speaking through splinters and wax. Acolytes carry what preachers can’t articulate. [11:10]

This cross isn’t decoration. It’s Christ’s victory made visible. When Peter denied Him, the cross already stood as answer. When Thomas doubted, the cross’s shadow reached his feet. Physical signs anchor drifting hearts.

You walk past symbols daily—stoplights, wedding rings, flags. What tangible reminder will you place to redirect your gaze toward Christ? Keep a small cross in your pocket today. When your fingers brush it, remember: His sacrifice opened the way. What ordinary object could become your “processional cross” this week?

“Oh, sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises!”
(Psalm 47:6, BCP 2019)

Prayer: Ask God to make you aware of physical reminders of His presence throughout your day.
Challenge: Sing one hymn aloud today, even if alone.

Day 2: Secrets in Plain Sight

Twelve centuries of Christians prayed: “Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open…” Kneelers creak as you voice what saints whispered. This Collect for Purity names what we hide—God already sees. [13:14]

Jesus knew Nathanael under the fig tree before they met. He saw Zacchaeus in the sycamore, Peter’s three denials. The prayer isn’t informing God, but aligning us: “Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts.”

We edit prayers, curate social feeds, hide messes. What if you prayed raw today—no spiritual filters? The Collect invites brutal honesty before a kind Father. Where are you pretending God doesn’t see what’s hidden?

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”
(Psalm 51:10, BCP 2019)

Prayer: Confess one specific hidden thought to God using the Collect’s exact words.
Challenge: Write the Collect for Purity on a card. Read it before your next meal.

Day 3: Scars at the Throne

Nail-marked hands lift your name before the Father. Jesus stands in heaven’s court as both advocate and evidence: “See My wounds—they’re covered.” His intercession never pauses. [40:07]

The disciples watched Him ascend, but He didn’t stop working. Like Moses raising weary arms during battle, Christ’s eternal posture secures victory. Your failures aren’t final while His scars remain visible.

When shame whispers “God’s disappointed,” picture Jesus showing His hands to the Father on your behalf. What burden can you release today, knowing He’s already pleading your case?

“Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.”
(Romans 8:34, ESV)

Prayer: Thank Jesus for three specific ways He’s advocated for you this month.
Challenge: Write a prayer request. Place it where you’ll see it, remembering Christ sees it too.

Day 4: Liturgy’s Living Chain

A martyr’s prayer book sits in your pew. Cranmer compiled ancient prayers, knowing blood would seal his witness. Every “Amen” links you to reformers, mystics, and apostles. [14:21]

Liturgy isn’t rote repetition—it’s接力 baton passed through persecution. When words fail, the church’s prayers sustain. Like Paul singing in prison chains, inherited words become lifelines.

What trial makes your own words dry up? Borrow the prayer book’s language when your heart falters. Which ancient phrase could anchor you this week?

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
(1 Peter 2:9, ESV)

Prayer: Pray the Lord’s Prayer slowly, emphasizing each petition as if new.
Challenge: Light a candle during evening prayers, joining centuries of nocturnal worship.

Day 5: Thin Place at the Table

Incense curls like Isaiah’s vision. “Holy, holy, holy” echoes from saints around the throne. The chalice overflows with more than wine—it’s the thin place where heaven’s veil tears. [01:01:03]

Anglican theologian Michael Ramsey said, “Eucharist means the Christ who died is the Christ who is here.” The same hands that broke bread with Peter offer it to you.

You’ll take bread today—maybe a grocery store loaf. But in the taking, Christ meets you. How will you still your heart to recognize Him in the breaking?

“The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?”
(1 Corinthians 10:16-17, ESV)

Prayer: Before eating today, thank Christ for making all meals echo the Last Supper.
Challenge: Read John 6:53-58 aloud before your next meal.

Sermon Summary

We begin worship by singing together because song lifts us into prayer and Scripture commands us to sing. We use ancient words and patterns so our whole life joins the life of God: body, mind, and spirit receive meaning through symbols, candles, robes, and especially the sacraments. We practice a liturgical rhythm drawn from Scripture and the historic prayer book so our devotion does not depend on novelty or a single person's performance. The liturgy grounds us in the Bible, gives steady ways to confess and to pray, and hands us prayers and psalms when we cannot find words ourselves.

We hold both spontaneous prayer and set prayer as gifts. The Bible shows Jesus and the apostles praying from the heart and also praying the Psalms and established prayers. Prewritten prayers and the Psalter give us language in suffering and in joy, and the prayer book gathers biblical phrases into forms that shape our imagination and faith. The book of common prayer preserves ancient creeds and reforming wisdom while remaining ready to be reshaped by Scripture. That steady rhythm means the liturgy itself continually declares gospel truth, even when our private words falter.

We confess our sins and hear a declaration of forgiveness that names God as the cause of our pardon. The communal confession readies us for holy communion, and the words of absolution function as a faithful, authorized reminder that the work of Christ cleanses those who turn to him.

We remember Ascension Sunday and the truth that Christ now intercedes for us at the right hand of the Father. Christ prays on our behalf, pleads the victory of the cross, and serves as our advocate so that when we stumble we do not stand alone. That reality reshapes how we pray for one another and how we approach suffering and judgment.

We come to the Lord’s table as a participation in heavenly worship. The Eucharist frames earth and heaven together, sanctifies bread and wine as signs through which Christ becomes present to believers, and calls us to receive that presence with penitence and faith. We leave the table sent to love and serve, carrying the prayerful work of Christ into daily life.

Key Takeaways

1. Singing is prayer and praise Singing gathers our voices into Scripture’s call to worship and trains our hearts to pray with the body. Music embeds truth in memory and feeling so the gospel moves beyond ideas into our lives. When we sing the Psalms and hymns we rehearse faith before we reason it. [11:10]
2. Liturgy shapes our corporate devotion The liturgy gives a shared structure that resists novelty as the measure of truth and devotion. Repeating creeds, collects, and prayers forms believers into a people who think, confess, and live by biblical narrative together. That formation keeps personal piety from becoming private religion. [14:21]
3. Prewritten prayers give us words Scripture and the prayer book provide language for our darkest and simplest needs when speech fails. The Psalms and traditional prayers connect present weakness to the wisdom of the church across ages. Using those words trains us to pray honestly and theologically. [18:28]
4. Ascension affirms Christ's ongoing intercession Christ’s ascension means he functions now as our advocate before the Father, pleading the work of the cross on our behalf. That active intercession changes how we understand judgment and personal failure because the risen Lord prays for our restoration. We join that ministry when we pray for one another. [40:07]
5. Eucharist encounters Christ in signs The Lord’s Supper unites our worship with heavenly praise and makes Christ present through bread and wine to those who come in faith and repentance. Communion does more than recall past events; it embodies communion with Christ and the body of believers. Receiving it renews and sends us into the world. [61:03]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[11:10] - Singing and Psalmody
[12:05] - Symbols and Sacred Art
[14:21] - What Liturgy Means
[17:30] - Prayers: Spontaneous and Written
[37:56] - Ascension and Christ's Intercession
[49:25] - Confession and Absolution
[60:44] - Eucharist and Heavenly Worship
[67:29] - Communion Practice and Blessing

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
- Acts 1:1-11 (ESV): "In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, 'you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.' So when they had come together, they asked him, 'Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?' He said to them, 'It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.' And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.'"

Observation Questions

According to Psalm 47:6 (referenced in the sermon), why are believers called to sing? How does this connect to the idea that "singing is prayer and praise"? [11:10]
The sermon emphasizes that liturgy "resists novelty as the measure of truth and devotion." What biblical examples or patterns does the liturgy draw from? [14:21]
In John 17 (referenced in the sermon), how does Jesus model both spontaneous prayer and reliance on Scripture (e.g., quoting Psalms)? [17:30]

Interpretation Questions

The sermon argues that prewritten prayers "give us language in suffering and in joy." How might using the Psalms or traditional prayers help someone who feels spiritually "stuck" or unable to articulate their needs? [18:28]
Acts 1:11 says Jesus "will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven." How does Christ’s ascension and promised return shape the way believers approach suffering, judgment, and daily life? [40:07]
The sermon describes the Eucharist as a "participation in heavenly worship." What does 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 suggest about the relationship between communion, unity, and Christ’s presence? [01:01:03]

Application Questions

Singing embeds truth in "memory and feeling." What hymn, Psalm, or worship song has helped you internalize a biblical truth during a difficult season? How could you incorporate more intentional singing into your daily routine? [11:10]
The sermon highlights the value of prewritten prayers when "speech fails." When have you struggled to pray on your own? How might using a prayer book or Psalm this week help you connect with God? [18:28]
Christ’s intercession means he "pleads the victory of the cross" for believers. How might remembering this truth change how you pray for someone who feels guilty or spiritually defeated? [40:07]
The Eucharist "renews and sends us into the world." What practical step could you take after receiving communion to carry Christ’s love into your workplace, family, or community? [01:01:03]
Liturgy forms believers into a people who "confess and live by biblical narrative together." How could participating in a structured prayer or creed this week deepen your sense of connection to the global church? [14:21]

Sermon Clips

40s

#LiturgicalWorship

“pattern of worship here is based not just on what we think is gonna be exciting, like when the pastor drove the motorcycle down the center aisle at the megachurch a number of years ago, not what we think is gonna be trendy or cool, but our worship here is based on what we see in the Bible, what is taught about worship, the way God's covenant people do worship, and the way that that's been understood and expressed by the universal church across the ages. The way we worship, and this is a buzzword you'll often hear in Anglican churches, is liturgical We use the liturgy and that comes from two Greek words. It means the work of the people or the public service”

36s

#ChristOurAdvocate

“He's our advocate. He's in our corner. He's got our back. Jesus is lifting us up in intercession and prayer before the father. In Romans eight thirty one in this beautiful passage, it says, if God be for us, who can be against us? We're told in the bible in the creeds that Jesus Christ is going to be the judge at the last day to whom we must give an account and then in Romans eight thirty four, it says, who is to condemn? And we might think, well, Jesus is the one who can condemn us. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died.”

41s

#GraceAndIntercession

“When you come to Christ in faith, he embraces you, he cleanses you, he lifts you, and he intercedes for you. He he's got you. Whenever we fall down, whenever we get confused or off track or we're hurt or we don't know what's going on, remember this, Jesus is interceding for you. He is speaking your name before the heavenly father. He is lifting you up. And I've known I've known some great prayer warriors in my life, but chief among all of them, Jesus Christ is our intercessor. Thanks be to God for that.”

37s

#WorshipWithAllOurBeing

“We use symbols because they communicate to us in a way that that goes beyond just sort of rational thoughts or ideas. Symbols communicate to us intuitively. They they they communicate to us aesthetically, they resonate with our sense of beauty and wonder. And of course, above all, we have all these different symbols, but above all we have the sacraments, which are the symbols that God gave us to communicate his word and his love to us. As whole beings, we're not just minds or intellect, we are that, we're also body, we're also spirit and our worship here touches us and connects on all those levels.”

32s

#JesusFullyGodAndMan

“and this creed was originally prepared at a time when there was confusion about who is Jesus? Is he really God come among us? And the creed affirms as explicitly as possible, yes. Jesus is fully man and fully God and that's why he's our savior. That's why he can overcome the chasm between man and God created by sin because Jesus is both man and God and he comes to reconcile us to the father. That's what he does, that's who he is and so we believe in him.”

41s

#EucharistAsThanksgiving

“it's a beautiful strong prayer and it this whole liturgy of the table as it sometimes is called, it rehearses again and again, it reminds us again and again what the God who created us has also done to save us by giving his son Jesus Christ. And the sacrament of the Lord's Supper or Holy Communion, it's also called the Eucharist sometimes which means thanksgiving in Greek, it holds before us in these physical signs the promises of God that through the broken body of Jesus, through the shed blood of Jesus, we are saved. We are made right with God. We are brought into fellowship with him. It's more though than just a reminder of what he's done.”

40s

#NiceneCreed

“We're gonna join together in a moment in the creed. Creed comes from a Latin word credo, which just means I believe. And every time we say this, we're affirming what we believe like the basics of our faith, but we're also saying whom it is that we trust. We don't just believe that God is real, we also believe in God, personally putting our trust in him. We use the Nicene Creed on most Sundays and for over seventeen hundred years, actually seventeen hundred and one years, the universal church, Protestant, Roman Catholic, Eastern nowadays has affirmed our faith together using these words.”

37s

#SongsArePrayers

“So when you look at the prayer life of Jesus, apostles, the early church, you see them using both spontaneous free prayer and also traditional pre written prayer. It's not either or, it's both and and both of those are important and have an important part to a role to play in our spiritual life. Also, every song that we sing together as a group, unless we're making it up spontaneously, which would be pretty nifty thing to do with a group of people, all singing together, every song you sing is a pre written prayer, it's just set to music and we offer it as a prayer as worship to God.”

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Ascension Sunday: Instructed Eucharist, Liturgy, and Intercession

Devotional

Day 1: Cross Before Candles

Day 2: Secrets in Plain Sight

Day 3: Scars at the Throne

Day 4: Liturgy’s Living Chain

Day 5: Thin Place at the Table

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Ascension Sunday: Instructed Eucharist, Liturgy, and Intercession

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