Seventh Sunday of Easter

The Collect:

O God, the King of glory, you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven: Do not leave us comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and exalt us to that place where our Savior Christ has gone before; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

First Lesson: Acts 1:6-14

⁶So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” ⁷He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. ⁸But 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.” ⁹When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.¹⁰While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. ¹¹They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

¹²Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away. ¹³When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. ¹⁴All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.

Psalm: Psalm 68:1-10, 33-36

¹ Let God arise, and let his enemies be scattered; *
       let those who hate him flee before him.
² Let them vanish like smoke when the wind drives it away; *
       as the wax melts at the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
³ But let the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; *
       let them also be merry and joyful.
⁴ Sing to God, sing praises to his Name;
  exalt him who rides upon the heavens; *
       YAHWEH is his Name, rejoice before him!
⁵ Father of orphans, defender of widows, *
       God in his holy habitation!
⁶ God gives the solitary a home and brings forth prisoners into freedom; *
       but the rebels shall live in dry places.
⁷ O God, when you went forth before your people, *
       when you marched through the wilderness,
⁸ The earth shook, and the skies poured down rain,
  at the presence of God, the God of Sinai, *
       at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
⁹ You sent a gracious rain, O God, upon your inheritance; *
       you refreshed the land when it was weary.
¹⁰ Your people found their home in it; *
       in your goodness, O God, you have made provision for the poor.
³³ Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth; *
       sing praises to the Lord.
³⁴ He rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens; *
       he sends forth his voice, his mighty voice.
³⁵ Ascribe power to God; *
       his majesty is over Israel;
       his strength is in the skies.
³⁶ How wonderful is God in his holy places! *
       the God of Israel giving strength and power to his people!
       Blessed be God!

Second Lesson: 1 Peter 4:12-14, 5:6-11

¹²Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. ¹³But rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed. ¹⁴If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory, which is the Spirit of God, is resting on you. ⁶Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. ⁷Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.

⁸Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. ⁹Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering.

¹⁰And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. ¹¹To him be the power forever and ever. Amen.

Gospel: John 17:1-11

¹After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, ²since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. ³And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. ⁴I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. ⁵So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.

⁶”I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. ⁷Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; ⁸for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. ⁹I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. ¹⁰All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them.

¹¹And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.

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