Scripture Readings

The Seventh Sunday in Easter or Ascension Sunday
In Year C

If your church did not have an Ascension Day service on Thursday, use the Ascension Day readings instead.

Scripture readings are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® NIV® ©1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society, used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. All rights reserved.

First Reading
Psalm
Epistle Reading
Gospel Reading

First Reading

     Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.
     When the owners of the slave girl realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.”
     The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
     About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”
     The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
     They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole family.
—Acts 16:16-34, NIV

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Psalm

The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad;
     let the distant shores rejoice.
Clouds and thick darkness surround him;
     righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
Fire goes before him
     and consumes his foes on every side.
His lightning lights up the world;
     the earth sees and trembles.
The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
     before the Lord of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
     and all the peoples see his glory.
All who worship images are put to shame,
     those who boast in idols—
     worship him, all you gods!
Zion hears and rejoices
     and the villages of Judah are glad
     because of your judgments, O LORD.
For you, O LORD, are the Most High over all the earth;
     you are exalted far above all gods.
Let those who love the LORD hate evil,
     for he guards the lives of his faithful ones
     and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
Light is shed upon the righteous
     and joy on the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous,
     and praise his holy name.
—Psalm 97, NIV

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Epistle

     “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
     “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.
     “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”
     The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.
     He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”
     Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
     The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.
—Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21, NIV

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Gospel

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