The Celebration of the Gospel
May 31, 2020 – Pentecost Sunday
Prelude begins 15 minutes into the video
There was a sound like the rush of a violent wind,
and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.
—Acts 2.3-4
_____________We are Received as the Beloved of God _______
PRELUDE
GREETING
OPENING PRAYER
Loving God, Spirit of life in us, we praise you for the gift of life,
and for the beauty of your grace.
We open our hearts to receive your Word,
and to allow your creating and healing energy
to fill us and transform us.
Bless us as we worship, and make us vessels of your grace.
We rejoice in you. We give ourselves to serve you. We worship you. Alleluia
SONG – Holy Spirit, Wind of Heaven — Steve G-H
Holy Spirit, Wind of Heaven, Breath of Life, our warmth and light,
Power of Creation, bringing hopeful dawn from darkest night:
you have birthed us, you have borne us; you have blessed us all our days,
now you fill our lungs with singing; how you fill our hearts with praise!
Holy Spirit, flame of passion, you who brought your Church to be,
re-create us as your Body, holy in our unity.
Fill us with your fierce compassion, gentle courage, trust and peace.
Lead us all to love each other; make our sad divisions cease.
Holy Spirit, Dove descending, heart of Christ within us all,
speak your wisdom, move among us, help us hear your inner call.
Be the only power that moves us; be our life, O singing Dove!
Holy Spirit, come, revive us! Fill us with your heart of love!
CHILDREN’S TIME
_____________We are Transformed by the Word of Christ _______
NEW TESTAMENT – Acts 2.1-21
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language?” There were Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs. They said, “In our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power!” All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”
But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: “People of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. These people are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
“In the last days it will be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young shall see visions,
and your old shall dream dreams.
Even upon my slaves, both men and women,
in those days I will pour out my Spirit;
and they shall prophesy. …
Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
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SONG – Our Living Breath – Steve G-H
O Holy One, Creator of the stars of night,
whose dust we are, created with your light,
now breathe your spirit into us and give us life;
give us new hearts that beat with your delight.
Our dust and ashes, Love, we give in faith to you.
Receive our lives, our sin, our wounds, our death;
and raise us up with Christ from death to life by grace.
God, may we be your love and you our living breath.
Breathe into us the breath of your compassion, God,
the breath to sing your praise in all we do,
the breath to run the race of justice, long and far.
Breathe, holy breath: empower and renew.
O be the grace that fills our lungs, reviving us;
O be the wind on which our hearts can soar;
O be our life, our beauty and our living breath.
O Spirit, come breathe in us now and evermore.
EPISTLE – 1 Corinthians 12.4-13
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses. For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
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GOSPEL – John 7.37-39
On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, Jesus cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, “Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’ ” Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive.
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SERMON – Holy Spirit, the movement of God
SONG – Breathe
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
SHARING THE PEACE OF CHRIST
_____________We are Sent in the Power of the Holy Spirit _______
OFFERING
SONG – Spirit of God – Steve G-H
Spirit of God, bright Wind, breath that bids life begin,
blow as you always do; create us anew.
Give us the breath to sing, lifted on soaring wing,
held in your hands, borne on your wings.
Alleluia! Come, Spirit, come.
Spirit of God, bright Dove, grant us your peace and love,
healing upon your wings for all living things.
For when we live your peace captives will find release,
held in your hands, borne on your wings.
Spirit of God, bright Hands, even in far-off lands
you hold all the human race in one warm embrace.
No matter where we go you hold us together so,
held in your hands, borne on your wings.
Spirit of God, bright Flame, send us in your holy name,
the power to heal, to share your love everywhere.
We cannot fail or fall or know defeat at all,
held in your hands, borne on your wings.
Spirit of God in all, we gladly hear your call,
the life in our hands that sings, the power of your wings.
Born of your grace we rise, love shining in our eyes,
held in your hands, borne on your wings.
Alleluia! Come, Spirit, come!
BLESSING AND SENDING
RESPONSE
May the grace and peace of Christ be with you, my friends.
Go and share the love of God, love that never ends.
POSTLUDE