In Our Worship
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Pentecost Sunday
Breathing together
John 7.37-39
1 Corinthians 12.4-13
Acts 2.1-21
______________________________________________
Sunday’s Worship:
Ruach, Rachel Mary Wright
Suddenly there came from heaven a sound like the rush of a great breath…
All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit
and began speaking in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
— Acts 2.4
_______ We Gather as The Body of Christ_______
GREETING
PRELUDE Spirit Of The Living God Robert W. Thygerson
CALL TO WORSHIP
Leader: Spirit of Creation, you call us into being.
All: Spirit of life, you breathe your presence into us.
Spirit of love, you fill us with blessings for others.
Spirit of Christ, you breathe us into the world.
Spirit of God, be our life and our power.
Spirit of God, make us your Body, the Body of Christ.
SONG Spirit Song Blue hymnal #347
CHILDREN’S TIME
______________ We Attend to the Word______________
THE WORD IN SONG Ev’ry Time I Feel the Spirit arr. Moses Hogan
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Breath of God, wind that blew over the sea at Creation; breath that brought to life the human form, made of the dust of the earth; Spirit that led Jesus through all his days: breathe life into us now; re-create us, and fill our bodies and souls with your Word of life, your song of blessing. We breathe deeply of your presence. In the secret language of the heart, speak to us. Amen.
FIRST READING Acts 2.1-21.
[The disciples experience the Spirit so powerfully that Luke describes them as if they were on fire. They go into the streets of Jerusalem and begin talking about God’s love to people from all over the known world, each in those people’s native languages. Peter explains the event by quoting the prophet Joel’s vision of God pouring out the Spirit on all people of every age, gender and social station. ]
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 their own native languages. 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—and they all 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. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose—are you kidding? It’s 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.
And I will show portents in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below, blood,
and fire, and smoky mist.
The sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day.
Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
SECOND READING 1 Corinthians 12.4-13
[The Spirit lives in the members of the Church in many ways, through varying gifts.. But though the Body has many parts, it is only one Body, with one Spirit.]
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.
There are varieties of services, but the same Lord.
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 is given 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 the se 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. Alleluia!
GOSPEL John 7.37-39
[Jesus is a life-giving stream that flows to us (“Come to me and drink”); this stream, by the grace of the Spirit, also flows from us to others. ]
On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, 38 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.’ ” 39 Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified
SERMON
SONG Breathe On Me, Breath of God Blue hymnal #420
THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE … PASSING THE PEACE
THE WORD IN SONG
8:15 This is My Father’s World (Pax Mane)
10:30 Morningdance Cathy Moklebust (Bells of St. Matthew’s)
_______ We Are Sent in Ministry to the World_______
OFFERING OUR GIFTS Sweet, Sweet Spirit Doris Akers, arr: Fred Bock
OFFERING SONG Spirit of the Living God Blue hymnal #393
PRAYER
Gracious God, we give you these gifts as symbols of our lives. Receive them with love, bless them with grace and use them according to your will. With each breath, breathe into us your Holy Spirit, your spirit of love, your spirit of peace and mercy. And in the power of that grace, send us out to share your love, for the sake of the healing of the world, in the name of Christ. Amen.
THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH IN THE WORLD
SONG Spirit of Gentleness Blue hymnal # 2120
* THE BLESSING AND SENDING FORTH
RESPONSE We stand and sing to our neighbors:
May the grace and peace of Christ be with you my friends.
Go and share the love of God, love that never ends.
POSTLUDE
Finale from Violin Sonata César Franck, arr: Homer Whitford