Long Green Valley Church of the Brethren
Long Green & Kanes Rds., near Glen Arm, Md.
May 30, 2004
Worship 10:00 am Sunday School for all ages 11:15 am

Pentecost

  Morning Praise (9:45 am)
  Announcements
  Prelude

*Call to Worship                                                                     (back of bulletin)

*Hymn                           "Holy Spirit, come with power"                               26

*Opening Prayer

  Scripture                                  Acts 2:1-8, 12

  For Children                                  "3 in 1"
                                              (Pre-schoolers leave for playful worship)

  Scripture                                Psalm 104:24-30

  Hymn                     (vs. 1-2) "Breathe on me, breath of God"                       356

  Message                        "And they spring to life"

  Hymn                             "Joys are flowing like a river"                               301

  Responding with our joys and concerns

  A moment of quiet remembrance

  Hymn                     (vs. 3-4) "Breathe on me, breath of God"                       356

  Praying Together

  Responding with our Tithes and Offerings

  Offertory                      "Holy Ghost, with Light Divine"                   Gottschalk

*Hymn                                   "Move in our midst"                                      418

*Benediction

#'s are from Hymnal: A Worship Book

Worship leaders - see basic guidelines

Call to Worship

One - The picture on this bulletin was taken at NYC 2002, where thousands of youth gathered together in one place. This flame was a reminder of the Holy Spirit. Do we still hear the sound of the wind which blew through that gathering? Does that fire still burn in the heart? Are we open today to God’s Spirit being poured into this gathering?

All - Yes! Here we are

One - Together in one place, praying

All - A sound like the rush of a mighty wind

One - Tongues, as of fire, rest upon each person

Men - All are filled with the Holy Spirit

Women - All speak as they are given ability

Youth - All hear in their own language

One - All are amazed and astonished

All - What does this mean?

One - Listen!

All - Wind

One - Fire

All - Spirit

One - Poured out upon all

"Holy Spirit, come with power"

- Pete Haynes, pastor
Long Green Valley Church of the Brethren, Glen Arm, Maryland
Church of the Brethren Living Word Bulletin
Anchor/Wallace, Sleepy Eye MN 56085, "The Living Word Series"
   

Opening Prayer

      Yes, Lord, breathe upon your congregation with your Holy Spirit. With these lips we praise you.

      "Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, you are very great. You are clothed with honor and majesty, wrapped in light as with a garment. You stretch out the heavens like a tent, you set the beams of your chambers on the waters, you make the clouds your chariot, you ride on the wings of the wind, you make the winds your messengers, fire and flame your ministers." (Psalm 104:1-4)

      Yes, Lord, breathe upon your congregation with your Holy Spirit. Amen!
   

Acts 2:1-8, 12

1 - "When the day of Pentecost had come, (emphasize "day")
2 - when the day of Pentecost had come, (emphasize "come")
1 - they were all together in one place.
2 - And suddenly
1 - suddenly
2 - from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind,
1 - (blow into the microphone)
2 - and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.
1 - Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them,
2 - (light a match in front of microphone and light a candle)
1 - (light a match in front of microphone and light a candle)
2 - and a tongue rested on each of them.
1 - All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak
          in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
2 - Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven
          living in Jerusalem.
1 - And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered,
          because each one heard them speaking in the native language
         of each.
2 - Amazed and astonished, they asked,
1 - ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?’
2 - ‘How is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language?’
1 - ‘What does this mean?’
             (pause, making clear the scripture reading is over)
2 - Indeed, ‘What does this mean?’
1 - Today is a day of celebration.
2 - The Holy Spirit has come.
1 - God?... Jesus? ... Holy Spirit?
2 - ‘What does this mean?’
1 - ‘What does this mean?’
2 - ‘What does this mean?’
    

For Children
"3 in 1"
(A Picture of God)

         A children's picture book, written by Joanne Marxhausen, illustrated by Benjamin Marxhausen, ©1973, Concordia Publishing House. Listen to the story online (or purchase the video that has been made of it). Though out of print, this book can still be found at Amazon.com.

Read by a church member.
   

A moment of quiet remembrance

         While today is a celebration of the birthday of the church, and the gift of the Holy Spirit which makes it possible, this weekend is also a time of remembrance. Many families, whose loved ones did not come home from war - or who did return, but were forever marked by the terror that war is - will find special ways of honoring the sacrifice theses persons made, keeping alive their memory. Perhaps your family has experienced such a loss. Maybe a friend of yours is someone who did not come home, or who returned with scars. Let’s take a few moments and quiet ourselves, not to honor war, but to honor the memory of those who have been caught up in it over the years. "Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable," wrote the apostle Paul, "if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." (Philippians 4:8)

(Silence)

         Turn now in your hymnal to #733 and let’s pray together what St. Francis long ago poured from his heart, appropriate words for a time such as this.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
                  Where this is hatred, let me sow love;
                  Where there is injury, pardon;
                  Where there is doubt, faith;
                  Where there is despair, hope;
                  Where there is darkness, light; and
                  Where there is sadness, joy.
         O divine Master,
                  grant that I may not so much seek
                           to be consoled as to console;
                           to be understood as to understand;
                           to be loved as to love.
                                    For it is in giving that we receive;
                                          It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
                                    and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
     

Praying Together

written closer to the time (if not at the moment)

Returning our Tithes and Offerings

         Brothers and sisters, "all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. You did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. You have received a spirit of adoption." That is, you aren’t an orphan. God has made you His own. When praying, in those moments when we reach out to our heavenly parent just like a little child might, "we cry, "Abba! Father!" it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God. And if children, then we are heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ -- if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him." (Romans 8:14-17)
         Brothers and sisters, let us make wise use of the inheritance we have already received from God, knowing it is but a foretaste of glory. Please pray with me.

Benediction

May the glory of the LORD endure forever;
         may the LORD rejoice in his works --
                  who looks on the earth and it trembles,
                  who touches the mountains and they smoke.
         I will sing to the LORD as long as I live;
         I will sing praise to my God while I have being.
May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the LORD.
         Bless the LORD, O my soul. Praise the LORD!
                                    (Psalm 104:31-35)