| Worship Order for Sunday | ||
|
Long Green Valley Church of the Brethren
Pentecost
Beginning with Praise
(9:50 am)
“Fluye” *Hymn
“Holy
Spirit, come with power”
26 *Opening Prayer
(ends with the Lord’s Prayer) Jesus’ Promise John 15:26-27, 16:4-7 Response “Fluye” The Spirit of Truth John 16:8-15 Returning
our Tithes and Offerings
The
Spirit who Intercedes
Romans 8:22-27 Sharing
a joy, a concern, a word of testimony or praise *Hymn
“Move
in our midst”
418 *Postlude
*Rise in body or in spirit #'s are from Hymnal: A Worship Book Worship leaders - see basic guidelines |
|
1 - The Day of Pentecost is here: 2 - the day when the flames of faith dance in
our hearts. 1 - The Day of Pentecost is here: 2 - the day when our babbling speech becomes
the Good News for the world. 1 - The Day of Pentecost is here: 2 - the day when compassion is seared into
our souls. 1 - The Day of Pentecost is here: 2 - let the people of God rejoice. Alleluia!
by
Thom M. Shuman |
|
1 - Spirit of the Living God, dance with us
on this day. 2 - Come, Whirlwind of Wonder! 1 - Sing to the groaning of creation. 2 - Come, still small voice of Hope! 1 - Enflame us with your passion for justice. 2 - Come, Liberator of the Least! 1 - Purify us of our grasping greediness. 2 - Come, Advocate of selfless living! 1 - Silence our gossiping tongues. 2 - Come, Harmony of God's Heart! 1 - Wind of God, blow through us; 2 - Fire of God, burn within us; 1 - Tongue of God, speak to us on this day of
renewal and birth, 2 - even as we pray as Jesus teaches us,
by
Thom M. Shuman |
|
Returning our Tithes and Offerings Pray with me.
Even today, O Lord, there are many things yet to be told. With the
presence of your Spirit as our friend and advocate, help us to
handle them now. Take us by the hand and guide us into the truth.
Nudge us to make use of what you provide, that we might continue
the work of Jesus this day - simply, peacefully, and together.
Amen. Ushers, please come forward and receive our
offerings.
|
|
written closer to the time (if not at the moment) perhaps one like this
|
|
For the young at heart
(after Acts 2:1-4 is read)
When my children were little, it always amazed me how quickly they
could make a mess. One minute a room was clean, everything picked
up. The next, toys were scattered everywhere. Anything not in a
safe place, up high or out of reach, was a potential
mess-in-the-making. Does this sound at all familiar to you? Was
there ever a time your mom or dad talked about you being like a
“whirlwind,” blowing through the house and making messes? Maybe
when you were younger?
Adults talk about “child-proofing” rooms. But almost in the same
breath we also talk about how much energy children have. It’s like
older people like your parents, or me, or every adult in this room
today, wishes we had half the amount of get-up-and-go that you
have. Watching you sometimes makes us tired, but it also makes us
long for the days when we were young like you, and could - as the
prophet Isaiah put it - “run
and not be weary, walk and not faint”
(40:31).
Today is Pentecost, the birthday celebration of the church. Were
you listening as Meghan read the first few verses of the second
chapter of Acts? If you remember from
last week, ten days before
this, Jesus “ascended,” he left them to go be with God. His
leaving on that day was a “different kind of sad” from the day he
was killed on a cross. He promised that they weren’t going to be
left alone, that a new teacher was coming.
Well, today, we celebrate that new teacher coming. Only that
teacher arrived on the scene sort of like a child enters a room.
So much energy! Blowing all around, a whirlwind. Almost takes your
breath away. Like a fire burning out of control … almost. The
disciples remembered it, using words like “wind” and “fire.” It
was like a little bit of fire coming and settling on each person
(light the “oil of joy”
lamp). After that, they could not shut up. They were full of
all sorts of interesting things to say.
Now, you are going to help the rest of us get a “feel” for what
happened on that first Pentecost, and what happens for us even
today. The rest of us will sing a song about the joy which is ours
as the Holy Spirit comes into our lives like a breath of fresh
air, like a fire, like the energy of a child, like oil which
anoints for a greater purpose… Did I mention oil? Look at this lamp. What is inside it that helps it burn? Oil. Did you know that when someone in our church is sick, we sometimes anoint them with oil to remind them that God is always near? We do so to help them know that they are not helpless or hopeless, that they have a power within them that is greater than their illness. They can be well. We also anoint people for other purposes.
While we sing the next song, I’m going to invite everyone to come
forward to be anointed by you,
our young people. I have four containers of oil, each with a
little sponge in it. To anoint, just put your forefinger on the
sponge and press down. That will put a little oil on your finger.
Then, with your finger, make the sign of the cross on the forehead
of whoever comes to you (do
it to each child). Do
you think you can do that?
To the rest of you gathered today, I invite you to allow our
children to anoint you with the oil of joy. Remember that the Holy
Spirit is not a story from the past. It is the power and presence
of God for today. This Spirit comes to us as wind and fire, as
child-like joy and energy, as the wisdom of the ages fresh and
new, as old as time itself and new as an infant just born, full of
possibility and imagination. Turn in your hymnal to #301, “Joys
are flowing like a river,” and stand. If you feel so moved,
come forward with your hymnal as you sing and stand before one of
our children. May you feel the touch of God through the touch of
their finger. The Spirit still flows!
|
|
The Pentecost Story
(continued) 1 - Now there were devout Jews from every
nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 2 - And at this sound the crowd gathered and
was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native
language of each. 1 - Amazed and astonished, they asked, 2 - “Are not all these who are speaking
Galileans? 1 - And how is it that we hear, each of us,
in our own native language? 1 - Parthians, 2 - Medes, 1 - Elamites, 2 - and residents of Mesopotamia, 1 - Judea 2 - and Cappadocia, 1 - Pontus 2 - and Asia, 1 - Phrygia 2 - and Pamphylia, 1 - Egypt 2 - and the parts of Libya belonging to
Cyrene, 1 - and visitors from Rome, both Jews and
proselytes, 2 - Cretans and Arabs 1 - in our own languages we hear them
speaking about God’s deeds of power.” 2 - All were amazed and perplexed, saying to
one another, 1 - “What does this mean?” 2 - But others sneered and said, 1 - “They are filled with new wine.” 2 - But Peter,
(2 comes down the steps to speak) 1 - standing with the eleven, raised his
voice and addressed them,
(while 2 speaks, 1 moves over to the
side) 2 - “Men 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, for it is only nine
o’clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the
prophet Joel: 1 - ‘In the last days it will be, God
declares,
from
the New
Revised Standard Version |
|
God still moves in our midst.
|
|
Interested in Sunday School? |
||
|
International Lesson: |
International Lesson: |
International Lesson: |
|
International Lesson: |
International Lesson: |
International Lesson: |
|
While one of our adult classes follows the International
lesson above (see
also), using |
For children and youth, we use the new |
|
|
©2014 Peter
L. Haynes
|
|||
|
return to |
return to |
return to |
return to |