June 4, 2017 Pentecost Sunday

THEME: Shaken AND Stirred--a Spirited Faith Poured Out on Us

NOTES: This is Pentecost Sunday when we celebrate the birth of the church through the coming of the Holy Spirit. It is a day to celebrate the Good News of God's love in Christ. Our spiritual goal for ourselves as we leave worship on Pentecost is that we be convicted and equipped by the Holy Spirit for a confident faith.

Here's an odd bit of inspiration:  As James Bond, Agent 007, the late Roger Moore used to order his drink- "A martini, shaken, not stirred." Because martinis can be made with one of two strong spirits (gin or vodka), and one gets shaken, while the other gets stirred, his comment indicates the type of liquor he is ordering. As we looked at our spiritual goal for this Sunday, we realized that by asking God both to convict AND equip us, we were asking to be BOTH shaken and stirred! Maybe a cocktail seems like an odd place to start a sermon, but bear with us a moment! Imagine the disciples pouring out of that upper room so long ago, no longer fearful but confident, excited and ready to share Good News! The folks in the neighborhood outside actually thought they WERE drunk! This is the beginning of the church! As we read our scriptures this week to prepare for worship, let us think about the powerful Spirit that flows through them shaking us out of fear and stirring to life the gifts we have been given...

Scripture: Acts 2:1-18

 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. ² 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. ³ Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. ⁴ All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

⁵ Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. ⁶ And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. ⁷ Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? ⁸ And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? ⁹ Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰ Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, ¹¹ Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” ¹² All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” ¹³ But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”

¹⁴ But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. ¹⁵ Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. ¹⁶ No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

¹⁷ ‘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.
¹⁸ Even upon my slaves, both men and women,
    in those days I will pour out my Spirit;
        and they shall prophesy.

8:30 AM Order of Service

The Gathering

Welcome  

Correspondence from 2 Timothy 1:3-7 (will be spoken from the sound room)*

 Beloved, I am grateful to God—whom I worship with a clear conscience, as my ancestors did—when I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you. For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.

                                                                           

Prelude

We Gather in The Light of Christ

Lighting the Christ Candles                                               

Children come forward to light the candles as we share the responsive reading.

Leader:  In the beginning, God said,
People: 'Let there be light' and there was light!
Leader: We light these candles today,
People: Because God is with us in this time and in this place!

Hymn of Praise: CH#16 "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing"    sts. 1,3

Call to Worship 

Leader: God of wind and fire,
People: When you send your Spirit, we are created anew.
Leader: God of mighty oceans and still waters,
People: When we receive your baptism, we are born anew.
Leader: God of bread and wine,
People: When we eat at your table, we are nourished anew.
Leader: So pour out your Spirit
People: Let sacred waters flow
Leader: Fill us with holy food.
People: May our hearts and our hands be open wide
to receive your gifts of life. Amen.

~ written by Joanna Harader       


                                                  

Invocation                                                                     Unison      

Come, Holy Spirit, come and be a new reality.

Free us from fear.

Give us courage to speak of your marvelous ways

and of your hope

so that we may live each day fully. 

In the name of Christ we pray, Amen.

--Sonya Dyer    

We Contemplate God’s Word

Scripture:  Acts 2:1-18                                            

Sermon/Meditation                    
                                       

We Pray Together

We Share Our Joys & Concern                                        

Prayer Hymn: CH#254 "Breathe on Me, Breath of God                     1&2

Praying Together                                                                

We Gather at The Lord’s Table

Invitation to the Table                        

Communion Hymn: CH#249 "Spirit"                                     ALL

The Elder’s Prayer of Communion

Words of Institution

The Lord’s Supper

All are welcome to share at the Table.  Come forward using the center aisle.  As you partake of the bread and the cup you are welcome to place an offering in the wooden bowl in front of the table.  The offering you share supports the ministries and life of Christ’s church.

The Lord’s Prayer                  

We Go Forth into the World

Correspondence from I Corinthians 12:4-13

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit;  and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord;  and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone.  To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.  To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit,  to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,  to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.  All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.
 

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.  For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
Challenge for Discipleship                                              

Hymn of Discipleship:  CH#253 "Spirit, Come Dispel Our Sadness"             ALL

Blessing                                                                      

Children extinguish the candles as we share the responsive reading.  

Leader: The light that was in one place at one time, is now in all places and all times,
People: For God has placed the light in us!
Leader: We go in peace!
People: Amen!

10:40AM Service

Welcome 

Correspondence from 2 Timothy 1:3-7 (will be spoken from the sound room)*

 Beloved, I am grateful to God—whom I worship with a clear conscience, as my ancestors did—when I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you. For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.

  

Prelude                                                                     

We Gather in the Light of Christ

Call to Worship

Leader: God of wind and fire,
People: When you send your Spirit, we are created anew.
Leader: God of mighty oceans and still waters,
People: When we receive your baptism, we are born anew.
Leader: God of bread and wine,
People: When we eat at your table, we are nourished anew.
Leader: So pour out your Spirit
People: Let sacred waters flow
Leader: Fill us with holy food.
People: May our hearts and our hands be open wide
to receive your gifts of life. Amen.

~ written by Joanna Harader 
Hymn of Praise: CH#16 "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing"    sts. 1,3

The Acolytes light the Christ candles.

 

Invocation                                                                     Unison  

Come, Holy Spirit, come and be a new reality.

Free us from fear.

Give us courage to speak of your marvelous ways

and of your hope

so that we may live each day fully. 

In the name of Christ we pray, Amen.

--Sonya Dyer

Passing of the Peace

We return to our seats as the piano music begins.   
   

Hymn of Faith: CH#477 "Pass It On"                sts. 1, 3

We Offer Our Hearts to God

Call to Offering

The offering you share supports the ministries and life of Christ’s church.

Offertory

Doxology CH #46

Prayer of Dedication

Leader: Holy One,

you have given yourself to us

in Creator, in Christ, in the Spirit.

We now give back to you:
People: this money that seems so little;

this worship that seems so small;

these words that never quite get it right.

Leader: Receive what we offer

and transform it by the power of your Spirit into:
People: enough money,

sufficient praise,

worthy words
for proclaiming and enacting

your peace, justice, and love in the world.

~ written by Joanna Harader

We Contemplate God’s Word

Scripture:   Acts 2:1-18                                                                  

  

Anthem

Children’s Sermon                                                       

Sermon/Meditation                                                           

We Prayer Together

We Share Our Joys & Concerns                                        

Prayer Hymn: CH#254 "Breathe on Me, Breath of God                     1&2

Praying Together                                                               

We Gather at The Lord’s Table

Invitation to Communion

Christians of all denominations and backgrounds are welcome to share in communion. Please hold each element as we partake in unison.

Communion Hymn:CH#249 "Spirit"                                     ALL

Prayers for Bread & Cup and Words of Institution

The Lord’s Prayer                                                          

We Go Forth into the World

Correspondence from I Corinthians 12:4-13

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit;  and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord;  and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone.  To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.  To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit,  to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,  to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.  All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.
 

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.  For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

 Challenge for Discipleship                                                    

Hymn of Discipleship: CH#253 "Spirit, Come Dispel Our Sadness"             ALL

Acolytes come forward.

Blessing                                                                          

Acolytes extinguish the candles as we share the responsive reading. 
 

Leader: The light that was in one place at one time, is now in all places and all times,

People: For God has placed the light in us!
Leader: We go in peace!
People: Amen!
 

Parting Song:  GHoF   #485 "Revive Us Again"   sts. 1 & 4