Dear Friends,
Welcome to our resources for Pentecost Sunday. This week, Rev. Alan Reynolds has kindly prepared our service, so our very many thanks for his preparation and teaching.
For those from All Saints’, this Sunday would have seen us meeting jointly with Preshenlle URC church so you may like to include them in your prayers this week.
This will be (I think) our eleventh Sunday at Home. I would greatly value hearing any reflections on what we are doing, and what our priorities should be as we seek to witness to Christ and his grace in this time. Perhaps if you have thoughts, you would like to be in touch. Our buildings remain closed but God’s message is not chained:
"Remember Jesus Christ,
raised from the dead, descended from David.
This is my gospel, for which I am suffering ...
But God’s word is not chained" (2 Timothy 2:8–9)
It was lovely to see many faces for 'coffee time' after the service last week. This Sunday you are also invited to join us again via Zoom. Please email if you would like to be sent the link.
With my warmest greetings in Christ our Risen Lord,
Steve
PENTECOST – FESTIVAL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Theme: The life giving breath of God.
Welcome to our worship together today. After the Ascension of Jesus we enter the Age of the Holy Spirit.
We hear today from St. Luke’s Acts of the Apostles that dramatic moment.
Opening Prayer
Your Spirit is with us
Your Spirit is with us
Your Spirit is with us
Your Spirit is with us
Your Spirit is with us
Your Spirit is with us
Your Spirit is with us
Your Spirit is with us
The Lord is here
We need not fear
We are surrounded by love
We are immersed in peace
We rejoice in hope
We travel in faith
We live in eternity
The Lord is here
Hymn
O Breath of Life
Preparation & Confession
Almighty God to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hidden: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and glorify your holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
As we remember our sins, and the sins of the world ……. so we pray:
Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy.
Word of God
Our first reading is Acts 2:1-13, read by Janet from All Saints’.
Earlier this year one of the gales brought a wind that ripped off part of the roofing of my small study summer house. The rain came in. By contrast I write this in a heatwave with a gentle warm breeze that is relaxing. Wind comes – to circulate the rain – to scatter the pollen – to test the roots of the trees, besides being an outdoor play companion for windsurfers, paragliders and kite flyers.
The disciples were naturally unprepared for the full impact of the wind of the Spirit. As the first generation they had much to learn, some of it painful. The ‘new’ stretches us and our imagination is often limited.
Hymn
Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me
Our next reading is from Acts 2:14-21, read by Barbara from All Saints’.
St. Luke gives us two imaginative images for the Spirit – wind and fire. They express the inner spiritual experience of God, who is active and dynamic with us.
The symbol of ‘wind’ has a long and varied usage in the Bible:
Active in Creation - “moving over the face of the waters.” Genesis 1. vs. 2
“Breathing life” into Adam, into humanity. Gen.2.7
“Breathing life” into lifeless Israel. (Ezekiel 37.1-14) dry bones can live again!
St. Mark introduces us to Jesus as the man filled with the Spirit. Mark 1.9-13
St. John tells of Jesus ‘breathing’ the Spirit upon the disciples. John 20.22
they too will experience the ‘living water of the Spirit’. John 7.38
Our final reading is from John 7:37-39, read by Caroline from St Mary’s.
We have an advantage over the disciples in that we can draw upon all the Old and New Testaments (Gospels and Letters) to help us as we reflect upon the work of the Spirit with us, our inner life. How we have come to see God’s work in the world and within us.
Today we can focus on three key words : LOVE - LIGHT - LIFE All of the Spirit.
First, let us affirm our Faith as we declare:
We believe and trust in God the Father, who made the world.
We believe and trust in his Son, Jesus Christ, who redeemed mankind,
We believe and trust in his Holy Spirit, who gives life to the people of God.
This is our faith.
We believe and trust in one God, Father Son and Holy Spirit.
Hymn
The Spirit lives to set us free
Reflection
The first of the three key words is LOVE
Everything is grounded in LOVE – the creation we see around us and all that is within us.
God creates out of LOVE. “For God so loved the world ….” (John 3.16) A love that goes on giving.
We experience this love through the grace and ministry of Jesus Christ. His love is brought to us through the Spirit, who will lead us to the truth that is Jesus Christ. The Spirit will make known, glorify Jesus. We move from learning about Him, to a deep personal knowing Him. As we continue to ‘abide in Him’ so the divine love grows within us. (cfJohn 14-16) Those crucified arms are still stretched out to embrace and include. We remember that, “ … we love because he first loved us ...” (1 John 4. 1-12) As a child learns to love by being loved, so the Spirit leads us to the Father’s love in Christ.
LOVE leads us to LIGHT
It is amazing to think that the physical light in the universe comes from the terrifying heat generated in the midst of the stars. We are bathed, even roasted, in the suns light. The light of the soul is born of the light that is brought to us by the Spirit from our Lord. This dimly burning wick burns ever brighter as we allow the ‘Spirit of Truth’ to lead us. (John 15.27) St, John records Jesus declaring that those who believed in Him would receive “living water”, that is the Spirit. (John 7.38) For Jesus is ‘the Light of the World’ (John 8.12). Out of the vastness of the darkness that is space, the light reaches us.
Gods love and light generate LIFE
Our material world us shot through with Life. We have both matter and Spirit. As human beings we have the gift of life that is ‘breathed’ into us.’ We are called to a special relationship with our Creator. We are alive with something of God’s life. We have the ability to respond. This life is fully seen in all its human potential in Jesus, “In Him was life ...” (John 1.1-12) He is the living Word of Life who comes to Bethlehem – to be born in us – through “the Spirit who will blow where he wills” (John 3.8)
There is a difference between being alive, and living. Many are certainly alive, but not necessarily fully living. To be fully alive requires the ‘water of life’ to flow through us in many different ways.
So, on that Pentecostal Day, Luke tells us “... and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit ...”
Wind and fire. In the midst of the Temple festivities the disciples experience the wonderful presence of God in Christ. ‘The living water’ flowed through them. Their uncertainties were dispelled as the life and energy of Jesus came to them, and through them. “His Spirit is with us.” Now there is a Christian community and fellowship that becomes the Church – entrusted with the future. The dynamic of Jesus’
Love – Light – Life will now break out into a needy world. As St. Paul encourages us, “Let us walk by the Spirit.” (Gal.5.25)
Prayers
We come now to our prayer and intercessions:
Holy Spirit of God, all powerful as the wind you came to the Church that day of Pentecost, to quicken its life and empower its witness. Come now as the wind of heaven and breathe new life into our souls: and revive your work among us that God in all things may be glorified.
We bring to the Lord those for whom we would pray today:
The needs of our troubled world. Those whose lives have been forever changed.
World leaders and those who make long lasting decisions on health and the environment.
The Church's ministry and healing work,
The many who are troubled through sickness, anxiety, bereavement, despair ….
Neighbours, friends, family ….
renew the face of the earth
renew the face of the earth
renew the face of the earth
renew the face of the earth
renew the face of the earth
renew the face of the earth
renew the face of the earth
renew the face of the earth
Come Holy Spirit come ……….
Holy Spirit bring your direction to our lives
Holy Spirit bring many to living faith
Holy Spirit breathe your life to refresh and restore
Holy Spirit help us to use all gifts and abilities
Holy Spirit help the dry bones to live
Holy Spirit kindle hearts that are dull and cold
Holy Spirit fill your Church, our hearts and minds
Please continue with your own prayers and with the Lord's Prayer.
Hymn
There is a Redeemer
Conclusion
Let us go in peace to love and serve the Lord
in the power of the Spirit and in the name of Christ. Amen.