May 31, 2020 — Pentecost

PRELUDE                                            Spirit Flute at Barr Creek Falls                              ESTHER HALVORSON-HILL

 

WELCOME TO PENTECOST

 

CALL TO WORSHIP

Holy Living God, Heartbeat of Creation,
May our soul bless you!
With the deep breaths we take, fill us with your Spirit of Power and Love.
You made us, you gave us life. May we trust your presence with us today and every day. 
Send forth your Spirit of Understanding and Peace. Renew all creation.
May we glorify you, our God, and sing praises to you all our days.
Praise be to you, our Creator!
Alabado seas, Dios creador! (Spanish)

 

GATHERING HYMN NO. 278                     Come, Holy Ghost, Our Souls Inspire              VENI CREATOR SPIRITUS

Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire,
and lighten with celestial fire.
Thou the anointing Spirit art,
who dost thy sevenfold gifts impart.

 

Thy blessed unction from above
is comfort, life, and fire of love.
Enable with perpetual light
the dullness of our blinded sight.

 

Anoint and cheer our soiled face
with the abundance of thy grace.
Keep far from foes, give peace at home:
where thou art guide, no ill can come.

 

Teach us to know the Father, Son,
and Thee, of both, to be but One,
that through the ages all along,
this may be our endless song:

 

Praise to thy eternal merit, 
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen. 

 

CONFESSION AND ASSURANCE OF GOD'S GRACE

CALL TO CONFESSION

Do not hide your face from us, Lord God. Turn to us as we turn to you in repentance. Hear our confession, forgive our sin, grant us the new life you promise in Christ Jesus, your Son. 

 

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

God of wind and flame, you pour out your Spirit on all your children, empowering the least and the lofty to tell of your mighty deeds. We hear the sound and feel the heat, but instead of recognizing your presence among us, we sneer and refuse to believe you speak through people we would not choose to proclaim your message. 

Forgive us for attempting to limit your Spirit. Silence our cynicism and possess us with your word of grace. Make us your witnesses, those who break down dividing walls between people and relish the new community made possible through the life and love of Jesus Christ. Come, Holy Spirit.
(Silent prayer)
Amen.

 

ASSURANCE OF PARDON (Psalm 103:8–12)

God is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. God will not always accuse, nor will God harbor anger forever; God does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is God's love for those who fear the Lord; as far as the east is from the west, so far has God removed our transgressions from us. Friends, believe the Good News, through Jesus Christ we are forgiven! 

 

ANTHEM                                                       Even When he is Silent                                          KIM ANDRE ARNESE

I believe in the sun, even when it's not shining
I believe in love, even when feel it not
I believe in God, even when He is silent

 

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

Come, Holy Spirit, open the eyes of our hearts. Make our bones burn with your word. Put your message of God's great deeds in our mouths and make them evident in all we say and do. Amen. 

 

SCRIPTURE                                                          Acts 2:1–21

 

SERMON

 

HYMN NO. 66                                       Every Time I Feel the Spirit                        PENTECOST/arr. MOSES HOGAN

 

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH (from A Brief Statement of Faith)

We trust in God the Holy Spirit, everywhere the giver and renewer of life. The Spirit justifies us by grace through faith, sets us free to accept ourselves and to love God and neighbor, and binds us together with all believers in the one body of Christ, the Church. 

The same Spirit who inspired the prophets and apostles rules our faith and life in Christ through Scripture, engages us through the Word proclaimed, claims us in the waters of baptism, feeds us with the bread of life and the cup of salvation, and calls women and men to all ministries of the Church. 

In a broken and fearful world the Spirit gives us courage to pray without ceasing, to witness among all peoples to Christ as Lord and Savior, to unmask idolatries in Church and culture, to hear the voices of peoples long silenced, and to work with others for justice, freedom, and peace. 

In gratitude to God, empowered by the Spirit, we strive to serve Christ in our daily tasks and to live holy and joyful lives, even as we watch for God's new heaven and new earth, praying, "Come, Lord Jesus!"

 

CALL TO OFFERING

God sends the Holy Spirit, gifting us with the ability to serve in a myriad of ways. We are given the gift of faith that enables us to live in hope, love radically and share generously. Let us worship God with our offering. 

 

PRAYER OF DEDICATION

Gracious God, your Spirit rests upon us and drives us out to proclaim the gospel. You entrust us with your message of salvation. You grant us your vision and make your dreams our own. You enlist us as ambassadors for no less than Christ. We are humbled and awed by your choice of us. Take these gifts as signs of our trust and symbols of our gratitude. Bless them and use them to tell your mighty deeds throughout the world. In Christ's name we pray. Amen. 

 

PRAYER OF THE PEOPLE

Lord of all, we are unable to gather in one place. We grieve our inability to sit beside one another, sing together and pass the peace in person. Even as we lament what is lost when we cannot be in the same physical space, we rejoice that nothing separates us from the love of Jesus Christ and there is no barrier that can prevent the Holy Spirit’s coming to us. United in Christ, bound by the Spirit, our community is real and strong, no matter where we are.

 

Confident in your promise to never leave us alone, to hear us when we knock and give to us when we ask, we are bold to pray for those on our hearts and minds. Send the Spirit’s winds of your comfort to surround those who mourn. Stay close to those unable to be near to those they love. Grant rest to the weary and give hope to those on the brink of despair. Kindle the Spirit’s flame of reconciliation between those long estranged and peoples who call each other enemies.

 

As we pass the horrifying milestone of 100,000 American deaths to the coronavirus—one hundred thousand deaths of neighbors, friends, and family—may we stop to lament. May we not belittle this incredible loss of lives, dreams and hopes. May we lament, which is to feel and bear great grief and sorrow, and reflect upon it. We pray for the healing of our nation to go even deeper than our horrible sickness. May we recognize both our national brokenness and see the signs of hope the virus continues to reveal. Our suffering has been painfully racially disproportionate. May our healing be in unison. Inspire us to repentance, to ask why this happened, to understand that it didn’t have to be this way, that we could have been better, smarter, fairer, more compassionate and just.

 

Come, Holy Spirit, engulf this frightening season with the live-giving, mercy-granting, joy-completing, justice-rolling deeds of our God. Come, astound us! Open our mouths so that our lips may proclaim God’s praise. Direct our actions so the world will know we are Christ’s followers by our love. Make us one so we can be ambassadors of reconciliation. Show us your vision and empower us to make your divine dreams our earthly reality. In your powerful name we pray. Amen.

 

THE LORD'S PRAYER

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be your name,
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done, on earth as in heaven. 

 

Give us today our daily bread. 
Forgive our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. 

 

For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen. 

 

CLOSING HYMN NO. 280                                       Come, O Spirit, Swell Among Us                                 EBENEZER

 

CHARGE AND BENEDICTION

 

The Spirit comes and life will never be the same again. 
Come, Holy Spirit,
inspire and lead us on!

 

Send us out, 
excited and enthused, joyful and jubilant,
to share your love now and always. 

 

As we go, may we know the love of God, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. This day and every day! Amen. 

 

POSTLUDE/CHORAL BENEDICTION              Deep Peace to You                TRADITIONAL/arr. RANDY GRANGER

Deep peace of the running wave to you
Deep peace of the flowing air to you
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you
Deep peace of the shining stars to you
Deep peace of the gentle night to you
Moon and stars pour their healing light on you
Deep peace of Christ be the light of the world to you
Deep peace of Christ to you

 

*Note: Parts of the liturgy were adapted from Rev. Jill Duffield, editor of the Presbyterian Outlook. The prayer of the people was also inspired by Jim Wallis, founder of Sojourners. 

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