Worship - May 23, 2010

Long Green Valley Church of the Brethren
Long Green & Kanes Rds., near Glen Arm, Md.
May 23, 2010
Worship 10:00 am Sunday School 11:10am

Pentecost Sunday

“Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.”
(John 14:12)

Beginning with Praise (9:50 am) "Spirit divine, inspire our prayers" 30
Announcements
Prelude

Responsive Call to Worship

*Hymn "New earth, heavens new" 299

*Opening Prayer

The Scripture Story Acts 2:1-21

For Children "Ruach"

Hymn (vs. 1-3) "Spirit divine, inspire our prayers" 30

Sharing a joy, a concern, a word of testimony or praise
(please be brief, and aware of God's listening presence)

Hymn (vs. 4-6) "Spirit divine, inspire our prayers" 30

Pastoral Prayer

Scripture Romans 8:14-17

Returning our Tithes and Offerings

Offertory (Please sign the attendance pad and pass it on)

*Response "Spirit of the living God" 349

*Dedication/Lord's Prayer

Scripture John 14:8-17

Message "Redefining greatness" (mp3)

*Hymn "Breathe on me, breath of God" 356

*Responsive Benediction 762

*Postlude

*Rise in body or in spirit

#'s are from Hymnal: A Worship Book

Worship leaders - see basic guidelines

Call to Worship

In the first spank that jolts us to breathe naked from the womb,
we receive the Holy Spirit.
With the first breaths drawn into our lungs this morning,
we receive the Holy Spirit.
On windy fall days storming down leaves,
we receive the Holy Spirit.
In the spring's waking the landscape,
we receive the Holy Spirit.
By the inspirations that prompt us to do good and resist evil,
we receive the Holy Spirit.
In the breathing in and out that animates today's talk, song and work,
we receive the Holy Spirit.
Recalling the story of risen Jesus breathing on the disciples,
we receive the Holy Spirit.
Remembering our baptism and the laying on of hands,
we receive the Holy Spirit.
In gratefulness for this day's light and life,
we receive the Holy Spirit.

from Lectionary Planning Helps for Sundays

Opening Prayer

O Holy Spirit, Love of God, infuse your grace,
and descend plentifully into my heart.
Enlighten the dark corners of this neglected dwelling,
and scatter there your cheerful beams;

Dwell in that soul that longs to be your temple;
water that barren soil, over-run with weeds and briars,
and lost for want of cultivating,
and make it fruitful with your dew from heaven.

O Come, as the refreshment of those that languish and faint.
Come, and like a star,
guide those that sail the tempestuous sea of the world.
You are the only haven of the tossed and shipwrecked.

Come glory and crown of the living,
only safeguard of the dying.

Come, Holy Spirit, in much mercy,
and make us fit to receive you. Amen.

by St. Augustine of Hippo, 354-430; adapted.
Copyright © 1993, 2000 Order of Saint Luke Publications.
from Lectionary Planning Helps for Sundays.

Dramatic Reading of Acts 2:1-21

Narrator -

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked,

Voices 1-16 are seated scattered throughout the congregation. They stand and speak (loud and clear!) their line, and remain standing until the whole scripture reading is completed. Then they sit. Only the narrator, voice 1, and the voice of Peter use microphones.

(click on the links below to hear pronunciation of these words)

Voice 1 -

"Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? (gal-ih-LEE-uhnz) And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language?

Voice 2 -

Parthians, (PAHR-thee-uhnz)

Voice 3 -

Medes, (meeds)

Voice 4 -

Elamites, (EE-luh-maits)

Voice 5 -

and residents of Mesopotamia, (mehs-o-po-TAY-mih-uh)

Voice 6 -

Judea (dzhou-DEE-uh)

Voice 7 -

and Cappadocia, (kap-ih-DO-shee-uh)

Voice 8 -

Pontus (PAHN-tus)

Voice 9 -

and Asia, (Ay-sha)

Voice 10 -

Phrygia (FRIH-dzhih-uh)

Voice 11 -

and Pamphylia, (pam-FIHL-ih-uh)

Voice 12 -

Egypt (E-jipt)

Voice 13 -

and the parts of Libya (LIH-bih-uh) belonging to Cyrene, (sai-REE-neh)

Voice 14 -

and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, (pros·e·lytes)

Voice 15 -

Cretans (KREE-tihnz)

Voice 16 -

and Arabs - (EHR-uhbs)

Voice 1 -

in our own languages we hear them speaking about God's deeds of power."

Narrator -

All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another,

Voices 1-16 -

"What does this mean?"

Narrator -

But others sneered and said,

Voice 1 -

"They are filled with new wine."

Narrator -

But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them,

Voice of Peter -

"Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem (dzheh-ROU-suh-lehm), 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 (DZHO-ehl): ‘In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord's great and glorious day. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’"

from the New Revised Standard Version,
copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the
National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

For Children
Ruach"

Scripture: Acts 2:1-13
Focus: This little word study is a fun way to focus on the meaning of ruach, the Hebrew word for Spirit, a word that also means wind, breath, and life. Through an understanding of this word, children should gain a better understanding of the power we receive from God’s Spirit - the power that was shown on the first Pentecost.
Experience: To experiment with a "windy" pronunciation of various words related to the story of Pentecost and to discuss what happened when God s Spirit came upon the disciples.
Arrangements: None are needed.

LEADER: Good morning! Who can tell us what special day this is?

CHILDREN: Sunday? My aunt’s birthday! Pentecost?

L: It’s all those things, evidently, but it is especially Pentecost, a day that is a kind of birthday for the church. All Christian churches, everywhere, were born on a day fifty days after Easter when God’s Spirit blew on the disciples like the sound of wind. What sound does the wind make?

C: Whooosh.

L: That’s really good! Can you say the word "wind" in a windy way? (You may need to demonstrate.)

C: Whhhhhhiiiinnnd.

L: That works! OK, now try saying "breath" in a windy way.

C: Breeaaaathhhhh.

L: Good! How about "life"?

C: Llllliiiiifffffe.

L: It’s getting a little harder, isn’t it? This one may be the hardest of all, how about the word "spirit"?

C: Sssssppiiiirrrrriiitttt.

L: (Pause.) That didn’t sound too windy, I’m afraid. But there’s hope! Did you know that there’s a word in another language, a language called Hebrew, that not only sounds windy, but means all the things we’ve been saying with all these other words? The word is ruach, and it means wind and breath and life and spirit. Can we say "ruach" in a windy way? (Ruach is pronounced roo-ach, with the "ch" as in the Scottish word loch.)

C: Rooooooooooaaaaaaaaawwwk.

L: That was really good! And what does ruach mean?

C: Wind. Spirit. Life.

L: And breath.

C: Breath!

L: So when it says in the book of Acts that there was a sound like a rushing wind that came around the disciples, it is saying that there was a sound like what?

C: Whooosh.

L: (Laughing) All right, but also a sound like this: roooooaaaaccchhh!

C: Rooooooaaaawwwk!

L: And when it says that the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit, the book of Acts is telling us that they were filled with what?

C: Rooooooaaaawwwk!

L: Good! And what else were the disciples filled with? What does the word ruach mean?

C: Breath. Wind. Spirit. Life.

L: Right. And when the disciples were filled with God’s Holy Spirit - with breath and life - they began to tell everyone else about where this wonderful life came from. They talked about God and about what Jesus had done and how much God loves everyone. And many people believed in Jesus and became his followers. Let’s have a prayer to thank God for life and breath and wind and Spirit (Prayer.)

from Welcoming the Children (p.62-64), by Brandt D. Baker
consider purchasing this book - it's a great resource!

Pastoral Prayer

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

Returning our Tithes and Offerings

The apostle Paul writes that all of us are children of God. Even if we didn’t grow up in the church, we are part of God’s family. Even if our last name isn’t found in the history of this congregation, it’s listed in the Lamb’s Book of Life. We may not be able to call anyone here a cousin, but we are family nonetheless! In fact, we are all adopted. God chose to bring us in and make us sons and daughters. And that is no small matter. Because we are family, we share in a great inheritance. Only this inheritance is not meant to be horded or wasted in self-centered ways. God wants us to share it freely and welcome others into the family with open arms, something we can’t do if we are holding tightly onto our possessions, afraid that there’s never enough to go around. Ponder that as you return your offering. Ushers?

Dedication/Lord's Prayer

Okay, my fellow brothers and sisters, let’s turn to our “Abba! Father!” and pray with simple trust the prayer Jesus taught, saying,

Our Father….

Responsive Benediction

ALL:   Come, Holy Spirit.
Left:     Come as Holy fire and burn in us.
Right: Come as Holy Wind and cleanse us within.
Left:     Come as Holy Light and lead us in our darkness.
Right: Come as Holy Truth and dispel our ignorance.
Left:     Come as Holy Power and overcome our weakness.
Right: Come as Holy Life and dwell in us.
ALL:   Send us, abide with us, use us,
            that the Father may be glorified
            and our joy be made full. AMEN

Hymnal #762
Ancient prayer, source unknown,
adapted by Charles F. Whiston, 20th c.,
A Prayer Companion.
Last paragraph by The Hymnal Project,
which revised Whiston's adaptation,
copyright © 1992 The Hymnal Project