Pentecost Sunday Worship Order of Service

St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

DAY OF PENTECOST  –  Coronavirus

05-23-2021      10:00AM Zoom Worship

A TIME OF REFLECTION… AND A CALL TO WORSHIP:        Lisa Tillison + Juanita Williams

A Dear God, When was the last time
that we heard the wind of your Spirit
roar through this place,
like the howling of a hurricane?

B Dear God,
When was the last time
we felt your fire light up our room
and our timid hearts,
setting off multiple alarms
and giving forth some bright shine?      

A Dear God,
When was the last time
we appeared to be strangely intoxicated ,
drunk with unlimited joy
and crazy with your love?

B Dear God,
When was the last time
we added our own say
to your story,
taking it to the streets
in public and on purpose?

A Dear God,
When was the last time
your Spirit and your will
trumped our fear
and made us alive and bold
to represent Jesus?

B Dear God,
Was Pentecost
a single historical experience
never to be repeated?

A Dear God,
As we meet together
and celebrate once again
the memory of that first Pentecost –
come into our hearts,
come into our lives,
come into your churches,
come into this world…

B Dear God,
Give us new breath,
awaken our spirits,
lend fire to our words
and add strength to our witness!’
HALLELUJAH, AMEN!

OPENING SONG: “Revive Us Again” Trudi Wright

• We praise Thee, O God, for the Son of Thy love, for Jesus who died and has now gone above.

HALLELUJAH, thine the glory!    HALLELUJAH, Amen!

HALLELUJAH, thine the glory!    Revive us again!

• We praise Thee, O God, for Thy Spirit of Light, who has shown us our Savior and scattered our night.

• All glory and praise to the Lamb who was slain, who has borne all our sin and has cleansed ev’ry stain.

• Revive us again; fill each heart with Thy love; may each soul be rekindled with fire from above.

FIRST READING:   ACTS 2:1-21  (FLAMES IN OUR HAIR AND FIRE IN OUR BLOOD!)  Linda Crawford

[Introduction: Pentecost was a Jewish harvest festival that marked the fiftieth day after Passover. With images of wind, fire and “drunkenness”, Luke portrays the Holy Spirit being poured out upon a hidden community of 120 of the followers of Jesus ten days  after the ascension of Jesus. Filled with the Spirit, the disciples were inspired and empowered to give witness to the power of Christ’s  resurrection before the gathered and astonished people who had assembled in Jerusalem for the festival. About 3,000 people joined up with Jesus that day!]

 1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.

2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.

3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.

4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.

6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his or her own language.

7 Utterly amazed, they asked, “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans?

8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in his or her own native language?

9 Parthians, Medes, and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,

10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt, and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome

11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs — we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”

12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”

13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”

14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I now say.

15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning.

16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

17 ‘ In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will  prophesy, your young men will see vision, your old men will dream dreams.

18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.

19 I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke.

20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.

21    And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ ”

[NIV, New International Version]

SONG SELECTION: “Breathe on Me”         Paul Samuel

SECOND READING:   ROMANS 8:22-27  (GROANING FOR CHANGE, PRAYED UP BY THE SPIRIT!)

Ben Shipanga

[Introduction: Paul suggests that the whole creation is like a pregnant woman groaning in labor pains, about to give birth. Something is about to  happen; but for now there is waiting. In God’s own time the entire creation will share what Christians have now – adoption by God and transformation into a new status of redemption. Christians already have the “first fruits” of the Holy Spirit through the  experience of patient hope for the future and the knowledge that the Spirit presently intercedes for us even when we are unable to pray.]  

21 We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now;

23 and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have been the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.

24 For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen?

25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it in patience.

26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.

27 And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

[NRSV, New Revised Standard Version]

GOSPEL VERSE: “Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.

  Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.            Timyk Hillsman 

  Break me, melt me, mold me, fill me.

  Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.” 

HOLY GOSPEL:   JOHN 15:26-27; 16:4b-15  (INSPIRED, GUIDED, EMPOWERED BY THE SPIRIT!)

Shola Oyemola          

[Introduction: We remember back to the upper room on the last night that Jesus was alive, when he tried to prepare his disciples for his death. Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as “the Advocate” and described the difference the Spirit would make in their lives and in the world. Pentecost calls us to recognize that the Spirit is alive and active not just on a spectacular day in the first century but constantly and always – even now!]  

15:26 [Jesus said:]  “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth Who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf.

27 You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning.

16:4b “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you.  5 But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 

6 But because I say these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts.

7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.

8 And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment:

9 about sin, because they do not believe in me;

10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer;

11 about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.

12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.

13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

14 He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

15 All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” [NRSV, New Revised Standard Version]

SONG SELECTION Dyani Myles 

THE SERMON: Pastor David Maddox II

SONG SELECTION Valary Lewis

THE APOSTLES’ CREED:

We confess our faith in Jesus Christ, crucified and risen… Tamell Hillsman 

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

  I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.   Amen.

OFFERING… Energized by the Holy Spirit, we eagerly seek to spread the JOY OF JESUS here, there, and all over! 

OFFERING SONG:       “Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! O what a foretaste of glory divine!
                                        Heir of salvation, purchase of God, born of his Spirit, washed in his blood.

[Carol Lee] THIS IS MY STORY, THIS IS MY SONG,
PRAISING MY SAVIOR ALL THE DAY LONG!   [sing the chorus 2 times] 

         We are God’s people, we are Christ’s Church, called by God’s Spirit into the world.
 We have God’s power from heaven above, we’ll share God’s justice, mercy and love!” 

OFFERING PRAYER:   Jaimee Tillison  

O Lord our God, if your Spirit is alive within us, then stretch our time and abilities, our money and our mouths, all that we are and all that we have, to testify to your amazing grace in Jesus Christ.  Someone somewhere is in need of your Good News.  Amen.

MUSIC SELECTION: Dennis Fortune

THE PRAYERS… We pray for NEW LIFE in the Spirit and for the MISSION of the Church to the world! If we aren’t faithful in our daily living and fruitful in witnessing to others the good news of Jesus Christ, then we aren’t really the Body of Christ! 

Valerie Taylor Samuel

THE LORD’S PRAYER
CLOSING SONG           Yvette Myles
THE BENEDICTION:

L   We have a call. Let’s not ignore it. We have an opportunity. Let’s not miss it. This is our day. This is our time.
     Let’s be and become the Church here, now, all over, and on purpose!
     May we be faithful in our living and fervent in our loving!

C Therefore, go out, sisters and brothers, into the world with courage and conviction,
 bearing the love of God,
 the good news of [+] Jesus Christ,
 and the power of the Holy Spirit
 in every word you speak, and in everything you do.
ALLELUIA AND AMEN!