May 19, 2024

PENTECOST

10:00am

 

WELCOME

 

OPENING SCRIPTURE

Acts 2:1-21

2When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. ²And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.³Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. ⁴All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

¹⁴But 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. ¹⁵Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. ¹⁶No, 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. ¹⁸Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. ¹⁹And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. ²⁰The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day. ²¹Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

 

PRELUDE          “Prayer for Pentecost”

Gerald Kensinger

 

 

 

 

 

CALL TO WORSHIP

All together in one place;

they heard the rush of a violent wind;

it filled the entire house.

Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared and rested on each of them;

they were filled with the Holy Spirit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*HYMN No. 289       “On Pentecost They Gathered

1 On Pentecost they gathered 
quite early in the day,
a band of Christ’s disciples,
to worship, sing, and pray.
A mighty wind came blowing,
filled all the swirling air,
and tongues of fire aglowing
inspired each person there.

2 The people all around them
were startled and amazed
to understand their language,
as Christ the Lord they praised.
What universal message,
what great good news was here?
That Christ, once dead, is risen
to vanquish all our fear.

3 God pours the Holy Spirit
on all who would believe,
on women, men, and children
who would God’s grace receive.
That Spirit knows no limit,
bestowing life and power.
The church, formed and reforming,
responds in every hour.

4 O Spirit, sent from heaven
on that day long ago,
rekindle faith among us
in all life’s ebb and flow.
O give us ears to listen
and tongues aflame with praise,
so folk of every nation
glad songs of joy shall raise.

 

*CALL TO CONFESSION

God’s Spirit has gathered us for worship. Let us confess our sins and return to God.

 

*PRAYER FOR CONFESSION

Spirit of God, we hesitate and doubt. You call us to act boldly but our fear keeps us from following your call. Forgive our lack of courage. Embolden us to dream big and trust the Spirit to fill us and use us. Help us be Christ’s church without hesitation. Guided by your Holy Spirit, help us usher in your kingdom to come. Amen.

 

*SILENT PRAYER FOR CONFESSION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*ASSURANCE OF PARDON

“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven and freed. Amen.

 

*RESPONSE No. 288

“Spirit of the Living God”             x3

Spirit of the living God,
fall afresh on me.
Spirit of the living God,
fall afresh on me.
Melt me; mold me;
fill me; use me.
Spirit of the living God,
fall afresh on me.

 

Spirit of the living God,
fall afresh on me.
Spirit of the living God,
fall afresh on me.
Melt me; mold me;
fill me; use me.
Spirit of the living God,
fall afresh on me.

 

Spirit of the living God,
fall afresh on me.
Spirit of the living God,
fall afresh on me.
Melt me; mold me;
fill me; use me.
Spirit of the living God,
fall afresh on me.

 

*PASSING OF THE PEACE OF CHRIST

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.

To this peace we were called as members of a single body.

 

The peace of Christ be with you.

And also with you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ANTHEM           “The Power of My Spirit”

Pepper Choplin

 

CHILDREN’S MESSAGE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ordination and Installation

of Deacons and Elders

Commissioning of Trustees

Sentences of scripture

There are varieties of gifts, but it is the same Spirit who gives them. There are different ways of serving God, but it is the same Lord who is served. God works through each person in a unique way, but it is God’s purpose that is accomplished. To each is given a gift of the Spirit to be used for the common good. Together we are the body of Christ, and individually members of it.

 

Statement on ordination and installation

We are all called into the church of Jesus Christ by baptism, and marked as Christ’s own by the Holy Spirit. This is our common calling, to be disciples and servants of our servant Lord. Within the community of the church, some are called to particular service as deacons, as elders, and as ministers of the Word and Sacrament.  Ordination is Christ’s gift to the church, assuring that his ministry continues among us, providing for ministries of caring and compassion in the world, ordering the governance of the church, and preaching the Word and administering the sacraments.

 

Representing the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church, the session of the Presbyterian Church at Woodbury installs to active service those who have been previously ordained: deacons _______________________

 

Constitutional questions

Do you trust in Jesus Christ your Savior, acknowledge him Lord of all and Head of the Church, and through him believe in one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?

I do.

 

Do you accept the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be, by the Holy Spirit, the unique and authoritative witness to Jesus Christ in the Church universal, and God’s Word to you?

I do.

 

Do you sincerely receive and adopt the essential tenets of the Reformed faith as expressed in the confessions of our church as authentic and reliable expositions of what Scripture leads us to believe and do, and will you be instructed and led by those confessions as you lead the people of God?

I do and I will.

 

Will you fulfill your office in obedience to Jesus Christ, under the authority of Scripture, and be continually guided by our confessions?

I will.

 

Will you be governed by our church’s polity, and will you abide by its discipline? Will you be a friend among your colleagues in ministry, working with them, subject to the ordering of God’s Word and Spirit?

I will.

 

Will you in your own life seek to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, love your neighbors, and work for the reconciliation of the world?

I will.

 

Do you promise to further the peace, unity, and purity of the church?

I do.

 

Will you seek to serve the people with energy, intelligence, imagination, and love?

I will.

 

 

To deacons:

Will you be a faithful deacon, teaching charity, urging concern, and directing the people’s help to the friendless and those in need? In your ministry will you try to show the love and justice of Jesus Christ?  I will.

 

 

To members:

Do we, the members of the church, accept N. and N. as deacons and elders, chosen by God through the voice of this congregation to lead us in the way of Jesus Christ?

We do.

 

Do we agree to encourage them, to respect their decisions, and to follow as they guide us, serving Jesus Christ who alone is Head of the Church?

We do.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prayer of ordination

Eternal God, we give you thanks for your steadfast faithfulness to us.  In every age you have called forth leaders to serve you and equipped them with your gifts. Among your people Israel, you anointed prophets, priests, and rulers. You called pastors and teachers, bishops, elders, and deacons to build up your church.  With Moses, the seventy elders bore the burdens of your people, ministering in the power of your Spirit.  Alongside the apostles, deacons cared for all in need and guarded the community’s peace. In the church, deacons, elders, and pastors serve together, so that your whole people might be equipped for ministry, and built up into the full unity of Christ.  For your servants in every age, O God, and for the church of Jesus Christ, we give you all thanks and praise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gracious God, through the waters of baptism, you have claimed us as your own and called us to share in Christ’s ministry.  Pour out your Holy Spirit upon us, that we may discern the gifts you have given, calling them forth from one another, and together use these gifts for the good of all.  In obedience to Christ, and in the unity of his Spirit, may we proclaim good news, make disciples, be light and leaven, share our bread, offer a cup of cold water, wash one another’s feet.  Make us strong in Christ to live as your people and show forth your saving love in the world, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

Declaration of ordination and installation

1. and N., you are now deacons in the church of Jesus Christ and for this congregation. Be faithful and true in your ministry so that your whole life will bear witness to the crucified and risen Christ.

 

Welcome

 

 

 

 

 

 

Charge

The end of all things is near; therefore, be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers. Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining. Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UNISON PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION

Please join me in the unison prayer…

Open our hearts and minds by the power of your Spirit, Holy God, that we might hear and receive the message you intend for us today. Amen.

 

SCRIPTURE       Philippians 4:4-8

4 Rejoice[a] in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.[b]5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about[c] these things.

 

Pause…

 

This is the Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God!!

 

SERMON           “A Legacy of Joy”

Rev. Dr. Rose Niles

 

Commentary and Liturgy from the Book of Common Worship (PCUSA), “Call to Worship” Website, Michelle L. Torigian, Scott Hoezee, Tara W. Bulger, Teri McDowell Ott, April Fiet, PCUSA Book of Confession, and The New Interpreter’s Commentary

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH

The Apostles’ Creed Interpreted

What do you believe when you confess your faith in “God the Father Almighty”?

That God is a God of love,

and that God’s love is powerful beyond measure.

What do you affirm

when you confess your faith in Jesus Christ as “our Lord”?

That having been raised from the dead

he reigns with compassion and justice

over all things in heaven and on earth,

especially over those who confess him by faith;

and that by loving and serving him above all else,

we give glory and honor to God.

 

What do you believe when you confess your faith in the Holy Spirit?

That apart from the Holy Spirit,

our Lord can neither be loved, nor known, nor served.

The Holy Spirit is the personal bond

by which Jesus Christ unites us to himself,

the teacher who opens our hearts to Christ,

and the comforter who leads us to repentance,

empowering us to live in Christ’s service.

 

What do you affirm when you speak of “the life everlasting”?

That communion with Jesus Christ

is eternal life itself.

In him we were chosen

before the foundation of the world.

By him the eternal covenant with Israel

was taken up, embodied, and fulfilled.

To him we are joined by the Holy Spirit through faith,

and adopted as children,

the sons and daughters of God.

Through him we are raised from death to new life.

For him we shall live to all eternity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*HYMN No. 291        “Spirit, Spirit of Gentleness”

Refrain:
Spirit, spirit of gentleness,
blow through the wilderness, calling and free.
Spirit, spirit of restlessness,
stir me from placidness,
wind, wind on the sea.

1 You moved on the waters;
you called to the deep;
then you coaxed up the mountains
from the valleys of sleep;
and over the eons
you called to each thing,
“Awake from your slumbers
and rise on your wings.” (Refrain)

2 You swept through the desert;
you stung with the sand;
and you goaded your people
with a law and a land.
When they were confounded
with idols and lies,
then you spoke through your prophets
to open their eyes. (Refrain)

 

3 You sang in a stable;
you cried from a hill;
then you whispered in silence
when the whole world was still.
And down in the city,
you called once again
when you blew through your people
on the rush of the wind. (Refrain)

4 You call from tomorrow;
you break ancient schemes;
from the bondage of sorrow
the captives dream dreams.
Our women see visions;
our men clear their eyes.
With bold new decisions
your people arise. (Refrain)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE PASTORAL PRAYER & THE LORD’S PAYER

God who gathers us, on this Pentecost Sunday, in this season of the Spirit and the first signs of summer, grant us the courage of a planted seed, poised for growth, ready to burst from the dark, rich soil of Word and worship. May the timing of our growth coincide with your created order. May we bloom in righteousness as the sun rises high and the crops grow tall.

 

Peaceful Spirit, in this season of war and violence, as bombs fall and AR- 15s are used to gun down the innocent and refugees flee their homes in search of safe haven, save us from evil and free us from our addiction to violence and weapons of destruction. Bend the arc of the universe towards justice. Inspire us with courage to resist the evil of racism, to proclaim your inclusive love, to root out the enemies of righteousness, to persist for peace.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spirit of wisdom and understanding, as you gathered diverse peoples on Pentecost, embolden us with a Christian hospitality that welcomes and receives all. Open our hearts to empathy and understanding of the circumstances of others. Empower us with your radical love that can strengthen and save. May we, your people, call on you with one voice, as one body, giving thanks and praise for your promise of redemption.

 

In your mercy, Beloved God, hear the prayers of your people. Now, as the Body of Christ, we pray as Christ taught us, “Our Father…”.

 

Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name.  Thy kingdom come.  Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen

 

 

 

 

 

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OFFERING OF TITHES & OFFERINGS

God’s Spirit is among us making all things new. Let us participate in this new creation by offering our gifts to God.

 

OFFERTORY

 

*RESPONSE N0. 607              “Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow”

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
praise Christ, all people here below;
praise Holy Spirit evermore;
praise Triune God, whom we adore. Amen.

 

*PRAYER OF DEDICATION

You have blessed each of us with gifts to serve and share, Most Generous God. May the offerings we present today be used to further your Kingdom and build your beloved community. Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*HYMN No. 293        “Loving Spirit”

1 Loving Spirit, loving Spirit,
you have chosen me to be,
you have drawn me to your wonder,
you have set your sign on me.

2 Like a mother you enfold me,
hold my life within your own,
feed me with your very body,
form me of your flesh and bone.

3 Like a father you protect me,
teach me the discerning eye,
hoist me up upon your shoulder,
let me see the world from high.

4 Friend and lover, in your closeness
I am known and held and blessed:
in your promise is my comfort,
in your presence I may rest.

5 Loving Spirit, loving Spirit,
you have chosen me to be,
you have drawn me to your wonder,
you have set your sign on me.

 

*BENEDICTION

May the spark of God ignite you,

May the love of Christ renew you,

May the Holy Spirit fill you,

on this Pentecost Sunday and the days to come. Amen.