The Text for Ascension and the 7th Sunday of Easter, 2015

First Reading: Acts 1:15–17, 21–26

¹⁵In those days Peter stood up among the believers (together the crowd numbered about one hundred twenty persons) and said,  ¹⁶Friends, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit through David foretold concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus —  ¹⁷for he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry."  ²¹So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,  ²²beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us — one of these must become a witness with us to his resurrection."  ²³So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias.  ²⁴Then they prayed and said, "Lord, you know everyone's heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen  ²⁵to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place."  ²⁶And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.

Psalm 1

1

Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of

 the wicked, 

    nor lingered in the way of sinners,

    nor sat in the seats of the scornful!

2

Their delight is in the law of the LORD, 

    and they meditate on his law day and night.

3

They are like trees planted by streams of water,

bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither; 

    everything they do shall prosper.

4

It is not so with the wicked; 

     they are like chaff which the wind blows away.

5

Therefore the wicked shall not stand upright when judgment comes, 

    nor the sinner in the council of the righteous.

6

For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, 

    but the way of the wicked is doomed.

Second Reading: 1 John 5:9–13

⁹If we receive human testimony, the testimony of God is greater; for this is the testimony of God that he has testified to his Son.  ¹⁰Those who believe in the Son of God have the testimony in their hearts. Those who do not believe in God have made him a liar by not believing in the testimony that God has given concerning his Son.  ¹¹And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.  ¹²Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

¹³I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

Gospel: John 17:6–19

⁶I 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.  ¹²While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled.  ¹³But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves.  ¹⁴I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world.  ¹⁵I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one.  ¹⁶They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world.  ¹⁷Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.  ¹⁸As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.  ¹⁹And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.