Call to worship
Dear loving and merciful Lord, we are today reminded that you are at work, within us, through us, around us, everywhere.
Help us to be your Pentecost people, declaring the power of the spirit.
Amen
STF 357– Jesus, the name high over all
Jesus -the name high over all,
In hell, or earth, or sky!
Angels revere, and nations fall,
And devils fear and fly.
Jesus – the name to sinners dear,
The name to sinners given!
It scatters all their guilty fear,
And turns their hell to heaven
Jesus, the prisoner’s fetters breaks,
And bruises Satan’s head;
Power into strengthless souls it speaks,
And life into the dead.
O, that the world might taste and see
The riches of His grace!
The arms of love that compass me
Would all the world embrace,
His only righteousness I show,
His saving truth proclaim;
Tis all my business here below
To cry: “Behold the Lamb”
Happy, if with my latest breath
I may but gasp His name;
Preach Him to all, and cry in death:
“Behold, behold the Lamb!”
Bible Readings
Acts 2:1-21
The Holy Spirit comes at Pentecost
2 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 other 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 their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: ‘Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our 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.’
Peter addresses the crowd
14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: ‘Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine 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 on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
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 heavens 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.”
John 7:37-39
Reflections on the readings
Welcome to the World Day of Pentecost for all humankind. It is international in a sense because jews across the world traditionally made pilgrimages to Jerusalem three times a year to celebrate; the {i} Passover known as Pesah in the Spring; {ii} the Pentecost or Shavuot; celebrated during spring time,
and {iii} the Tabernacle, which is Sukkot, also known as Festival of Booths { in autumn} at the end of the harvest time.
Pentecost by name, or feast of weeks or the day of first fruit, in Greek it means 50 days after Passover, celebrating the first buds of the harvest.
If you are celebrating your 50th birthday, or the 50th anniversary of your relationship, or, since your company has formed, or the 50th year of your church mission witness, or the 50th year of serving in the humanitarian sector, or perhaps today is your 50th year of your faithful Christian witness, then, you are the first bud of the Lord’s harvest.
Alleluia, Praise the Lord!
Pentecost Sunday is one of those moments in the Church year that disturbs us, that
takes us out of our comfort zone and invites us to think again about who we are as a
church, and how we are connecting with the Spirit of God that is at work in all things,
inviting us to hear again God’s call on our lives.
Although the Jews visiting Jerusalem came from different global cultures, they were drawn into Jerusalem to be the first fruit of God’s harvest. God visited them and demonstrated he was with them by baptizing them with his holy spirit and was heard speaking with other languages as God’s spirit endowed upon them.
In principle, the Holy Ghost prophetically moved the church into a rich heritage of a multicultural diversity under the lordship of Jesus Christ. Making Jesus not only a Saviour to the Jews alone, but also a Lord of the entire human race as it was during creation in Genesis.
The outpouring of the holy spirit during the day of Pentecost was fulfilled by the prophecy of the prophet Joel in Chapter 2 where the Spirit of God was poured out on everyone, sons and daughters.
It is demonstrated that none should ever boast to have the monopoly of God’s spiritual gifts. God’s spirit is not an exclusive phenomenon, but available to serious seekers who open their hearts to God as in John 7:38-39.
Note the difference when God’s spirit came upon the apostles; what happened?
Note another difference when those who claim God’s spirit has visited them;
Note the evils, blasphemy, and corruptions associated with them. Is that really God’s holy spirit or something else?
He is a spirit of love and harmony, embracing every creed. What we claim to have today, if it brings rifts, competitions, rivalries, suffering, oppression, counterfeit miracles, spiritual bullying, and abuse, then that is not God’s spirit but something else.
I feel like God is telling me to tell you; today, is your turn, to experience God’s Holy Spirit and be baptized into his love, which is the greatest gift above all.
Where do you find yourself standing on this invitation from God? As you celebrate Pentecost, what do you feel remains an indelible spiritual marking and commemoration of this beautiful day that the Lord has made so that we can rejoice in it?
In the gospel of John 7:37-38, we find the invitation, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within ‘.
Let this be your prayer for today, come holy spirit fall upon us again, refreshen us and make us your witnesses. Amen.
Happy blessed Shavuot dear friends.
Intercessory prayers:
Let us pray,
Heavenly God, pour out your spirit on each one of us, fill the hearts of every nation and its leadership with the fire that cannot be put out, to burn all evil around our world.
Your children are thirsty to be satisfied by your justice and love, guide us on the path you have laid out before us.
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on all those who are gathered across the world for the commemoration of your Pentecost.
With your mighty rushing wind, shake forth the foundation of the wicked one, and purify our world with a freshness, we pray.
Amen.
The Lord's Prayer
Please use the version that you prefer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
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 us 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 for ever.
Amen.
STF 393: She sits like a bird, brooding on the waters
She sits like a bird, brooding on the waters,
Hovering on the chaos of the world’s first day:
She sighs, and she sings, mothering creation,
Waiting to give birth to all the Word will say.
She wings over earth, resting where she wishes,
Lighting close at hand or soaring through the skies;
She nests in the womb, welcoming each wonder,
Nourishing potential hidden to our eyes.
She dances in fire, startling her spectators,
Waking tongues of ecstasy where dumbness reigned;
She weans and inspires all whose hearts are open,
Nor can she be captured, silenced, or restrained.
For she is the Spirit, one with God in essence,
Gifted by the Saviour in eternal love;
She is the key opening the scriptures,
Enemy of apathy and heavenly dove.
Blessing
Go in peace, Pentecostal people, and may the Spirit of God go with you.
Go in peace, and build a better world, in Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Materials partially adopted from Leeds’s North East Circuit
