PENTECOST SUNDAY

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening sentence and prayer:

Pentecost celebrates ‘the great beginning of the Church,’ the day the Holy Spirit first came to confused and frightened disciples. Praise God for this great Gift, and ask for a new outpouring in this, our day.
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Gracious God, send down upon Your people the flame of Your Holy Spirit, and fill Your Church with life and power. May your life-giving Spirit lend fire to our words and strength to our witness. Send us forth to the nations of the world to proclaim with boldness Your wondrous work of raising Christ to Your right hand. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever.
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Spiritual Song: “Waiting Here for You”

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A Reading from the Book of Acts: Acts ACTS 2:1-11 (NLT)

On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.

At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers.

They were completely amazed. “How can this be?” they exclaimed. “These people are all from Galilee, and yet we hear them speaking in our own native languages! Here we are — Parthians, Medes, Elamites, people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, the province of Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the areas of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism), Cretans, and Arabs. And we all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done!”
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A Reading from the Psalms: Psalm 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34 (NLT)

Let all that I am praise the Lord. O Lord my God, how great you are! You are robed with honor and majesty.
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O Lord, what a variety of things you have made! In wisdom you have made them all. The earth is full of your creatures.
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But if you turn away from them, they panic. When you take away their breath, they die and turn again to dust. When you give them your breath, life is created, and you renew the face of the earth.
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May the glory of the Lord continue forever! The Lord takes pleasure in all he has made!
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May all my thoughts be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord.
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A Reading from the Letters: 1 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13 (NLT)

So I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus, and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.

There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.

A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.
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The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.
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A Reading from the Gospels: John 20:19-23 (NLT)

That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said. As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord! Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

Intercessions:

Come Holy Spirit we need you; renew the face of the earth:

+ Come with Power to fill the leaders of the Church and to breathe new life into all of God’s people…. Lord, hear our prayers.

+ Come as Spirit of Life and breathe new life and enthusiasm into faith communities around the world…. Lord, hear our prayers.

+ Come as Witness to those who have recently made professions of faith – that they may always know they are children of God…. Lord, hear our prayers.

+ Come as Convicter of sin to all who have fallen short of God’s glory and have gone their own way – that we may repent and return home to the Father…. Lord, hear our prayers.

+ Come as Indwelling Presence to every believer – that we may exhibit the good fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control….. Lord, hear our prayers.

+ Come as Comforter to all to all who are troubled or distressed – that we may find peace and rest for our souls…. Lord, hear our prayers.

+ Come as Counselor to all who are confused and faced with difficult decisions – that we may find guidance and direction…. Lord, hear our prayers.

+ Come as Intercessor to all who are at a loss how to pray – translate the groanings of our spirits into petitions before the throne of grace…. Lord, hear our prayers.

Creator God, Your Spirit breathes Life into us and sustains us. Fill us now to overflowing, and hear the cries of our hearts through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Spiritual Song “Fill Me Now”

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+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen