THE DAY OF PENTECOST
For another form of worship in the home based on today’s lessons in the Revised Common Lectionary, go to https://blogs.elca.org/worship/2346/
Easter Troparion (Music: https://tinyurl.com/t3b97pa)
Christ is risen from the dead,
by death hath he trampled down death,
and upon those in the tombs
he hath bestowed life!
Almighty God,
to you all hearts are open,
all desires known,
and from you no secrets are hidden:
Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may worthily
that we may perfectly love you,
and worthily magnify your holy Name;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Alleluia!
HYMN: Ruth C. Duck ©
Tune: Canonbury https://tinyurl.com/y8x96nqo
1 Diverse in culture, nation, race,
we come together by Your grace.
God, let us be a meeting ground
where hope and healing love are found.
2 God, let us be a bridge of care
connecting people evwrywhere.
Help us confront all fear and hate
and lust for power that separate.
3 When chasms widen, storms arise,
O Holy Spirit, make us wise.
Let our resolve, like steel, be strong
to stand with those who suffer wrong.
4 God, let us be a table spread
with gifts of love and broken bread,
where all find welcome, grace attends,
and enemies arise as friends.
PSALMS
Psalm 104 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/ybf8edbo)
1 Praise the Lord, O my soul *
O Lord my God, thou art become exceeding glorious;
thou art clothed with majesty and honour.
2 Thou deckest thyself with light as it were with a garment *
and spreadest out the heavens like a curtain.
3 Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters *
and maketh the clouds his chariot,
and walketh upon the wings of the wind.
4 He maketh his angels spirits *
and his ministers a flaming fire.
5 He laid the foundations of the earth *
that it never should move at any time.
6 Thou coveredst it with the deep like as with a garment *
the waters stand in the hills.
7 At thy rebuke they flee *
at the voice of thy thunder they are afraid.
8 They go up as high as the hills, and down to the valleys beneath *
even unto the place which thou hast appointed for them.
9 Thou hast set them their bounds which they shall not pass *
neither turn again to cover the earth.
10 He sendeth the springs into the rivers *
which run among the hills.
11 All beasts of the field drink thereof *
and the wild asses quench their thirst.
12 Beside them shall the fowls of the air have their habitation *
and sing among the branches.
13 He watereth the hills from above *
the earth is filled with the fruit of thy works.
14 He bringeth forth grass for the cattle *
and green herb for the service of men;
15 That he may bring food out of the earth,
and wine that maketh glad the heart of man *
and oil to make him a cheerful countenance,
and bread to strengthen man’s heart.
16 The trees of the Lord also are full of sap *
even the cedars of Libanus which he hath planted;
17 Wherein the birds make their nests *
and the fir-trees are a dwelling for the stork.
18 The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats *
and so are the stony rocks for the conies.
19 He appointed the moon for certain seasons *
and the sun knoweth his going down.
20 Thou makest darkness that it may be night *
wherein all the beasts of the forest do move.
21 The lions roaring after their prey *
do seek their meat from God.
22 The sun ariseth, and they get them away together *
and lay them down in their dens.
23 Man goeth forth to his work, and to his labour *
until the evening.
24 O Lord, how manifold are thy works *
in wisdom hast thou made them all; the earth is full of thy riches.
25 So is the great and wide sea also *
wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts.
26 There go the ships, and there is that Leviathan *
whom thou hast made to take his pastime therein.
27 These wait all upon thee *
that thou mayest give them meat in due season.
28 When thou givest it them they gather it *
and when thou openest thy hand they are filled with good.
29 When thou hidest thy face they are troubled *
when thou takest away their breath they die,
and are turned again to their dust.
30 When thou lettest thy breath go forth they shall be made *
and thou shalt renew the face of the earth.
31 The glorious Majesty of the Lord shall endure for ever *
the Lord shall rejoice in his works.
32 The earth shall tremble at the look of him *
if he do but touch the hills, they shall smoke.
33 I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live *
I will praise my God while I have my being.
34 And so shall my words please him *
my joy shall be in the Lord.
35 As for sinners, they shall be consumed out of the earth,
and the ungodly shall come to an end *
praise thou the Lord, O my soul, praise the Lord.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son :
and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be :
world without end. Amen.
Psalm 145 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y6vmd4lv)
1 I will magnify thee, O God, my King *
and I will praise thy Name for ever and ever.
2 Every day will I give thanks unto thee *
and praise thy Name for ever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord, and marvellous worthy to be praised *
there is no end of his greatness.
4 One generation shall praise thy works unto another *
and declare thy power.
5 As for me, I will be talking of thy worship *
thy glory, thy praise, and wondrous works;
6 So that men shall speak of the might of thy marvellous acts *
and I will also tell of thy greatness.
7 The memorial of thine abundant kindness shall be shewed *
and men shall sing of thy righteousness.
8 The Lord is gracious, and merciful *
long-suffering, and of great goodness.
9 The Lord is loving unto every man *
and his mercy is over all his works.
10 All thy works praise thee, O Lord *
and thy saints give thanks unto thee.
11 They shew the glory of thy kingdom *
and talk of thy power;
12 That thy power, thy glory, and mightiness of thy kingdom *
might be known unto men.
13 Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom *
and thy dominion endureth throughout all ages.
14 The Lord upholdeth all such as fall *
and lifteth up all those that are down.
15 The eyes of all wait upon thee, O Lord *
and thou givest them their meat in due season.
16 Thou openest thine hand *
and fillest all things living with plenteousness.
17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways *
and holy in all his works.
18 The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him *
yea, all such as call upon him faithfully.
19 He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him *
he also will hear their cry, and will help them.
20 The Lord preserveth all them that love him *
but scattereth abroad all the ungodly.
21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord *
and let all flesh give thanks unto his holy Name for ever and ever.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son :
and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be :
world without end. Amen.
PRAYER
Come, Holy Spirit!
Rain upon our dry and dusty lives.
Wash away our sin
and heal our wounded spirits.
Kindle within us the fire of your love
to burn away our apathy.
With your warmth bend our rigidity,
and guide our wandering feet. Amen. Book of Common Worship
THE WORD OF GOD
Reading: Acts 2
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, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.’ All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’ But others sneered and said, ‘They are filled with new wine.’
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. 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:
“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.”
‘You that are Israelites, listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know— this man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law. But God raised him up, having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power. For David says concerning him,
“I saw the Lord always before me,
for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken;
therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
moreover, my flesh will live in hope.
For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
or let your Holy One experience corruption.
You have made known to me the ways of life;
you will make me full of gladness with your presence.”
‘Fellow Israelites, I may say to you confidently of our ancestor David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would put one of his descendants on his throne. Foreseeing this, David spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, saying,
“He was not abandoned to Hades,
nor did his flesh experience corruption.”
This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you both see and hear. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,
“The Lord said to my Lord,
‘Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool.’ ”
Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.’
Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what should we do?’ Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.’ And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.’ So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.
HYMN: Michael Forster ©
Tune: Diademata https://tinyurl.com/yafx73r2
1 Come, Holy Spirit, come!
Inflame our souls with love,
transforming every heart and home
with wisdom from above.
O let us not despise
the humble path Christ trod,
but choose, to shame the worldly-wise,
the foolishness of God.
2 Come with the gift to heal
the wounds of guilt and fear,
and to oppression’s face reveal
the kingdom drawing near.
Where chaos longs to reign,
descend, O holy Dove,
and free us all to work again
the miracles of love.
3 Spirit of truth, arise;
inspire the prophet’s voice:
expose to scorn the tyrant’s lies,
and bid the poor rejoice.
O Spirit, clear our sight,
all prejudice remove,
and help us to discern the right,
and covet only love.
4 Give us the tongues to speak,
in every time and place,
to rich and poor, to strong and weak,
the word oflove and grace.
Enable us to hear
the words that others bring,
interpreting with open ear
the special song they sing.
5 Come, Holy Spirit, dance
within our hearts today,
our earthbound spirits to entrance,
our mortal fears allay.
And teach us to desire,
all other things above,
that self-consuming holy fire,
the perfect gift of love!
Reading: 1 Corinthians 12.3b–13
Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says ‘Let Jesus be cursed!’ and no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit.
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.
HYMN: Elton Trueblood ©
Tune: Ebenezer https://tinyurl.com/ybx4jelr
1 God, whose purpose is to kindle:
Now ignite us with your fire;
While the earth awaits your burning,
With your passion us inspire.
Overcome our sinful calmness,
Stir us with your saving name;
Baptize with your fiery Spirit,
Crown our lives with tongues of flame.
2 God, who in your holy gospel
Wills that all should truly live,
Make us sense our share of failure,
Our tranquillity forgive.
Teach us courage as we struggle
In all liberating strife;
Lift the smallness of our vision
By your own abundant life.
3 God, who still a sword delivers
Rather than a placid peace,
With your sharpened word disturb us,
From complacency release!
Save us now from satisfaction,
When we privately are free,
Yet are undisturbed in spirit
By our neighbor’s misery.
Reading: John 7:37-39
On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, “Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.” ’ Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
CANTICLE
(Setting: Richard Hillert https://tinyurl.com/w3xtu8o)
Refrain:
This is the feast of victory for our God.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
1 Worthy is Christ, the Lamb who was slain,
Whose blood set us free to be people of God. [Refrain]
2 Power, riches, wisdom, and strength,
And honor, blessing, and glory are his. [Refrain]
3 Sing with all the people of God,
And join in the hymn of all creation. [Refrain]
4 Blessing, honor, glory, and might
Be to God and the Lamb forever. Amen. [Refrain]
5 For the Lamb who was slain
Has begun his reign. Alleluia! [Refrain] Revelation 5:12-14
THE PRAYERS Joe Milner http://liturgy.slu.edu
For the Church: that we may faithfully confess Jesus as Lord and be guided by the Holy Spirit to continue the mission of Christ in our time
For fuller utilization of the Gifts of the Spirit: that God will help us recognize and put into practice all the gifts which we have been give so that the Body of Christ may be strong in serving the reign of God
For a new Pentecost: that God will pour out the Spirit in a new and abundant way to renew humanity and all of creation
For a Spirit of unity: that God will destroy all the divisions that separate the human family and restore our ability to work together against disease, famine, and injustice
For a Spirit of love: that we may fulfill Christ’s command to love one another by placing our time, energy, and gifts at the service of others and helping them to carry their daily burdens
For a Spirit of truth: that we may open our minds and hearts to all the ways that truth is manifest particularly in the scriptures, tradition, the wisdom of those who have gone before us, and in the humanities and the sciences
For a Spirit of hope: that all who are overwhelmed by life may find new reasons to live this day and be gifted with a vision of all that could be tomorrow
For a Spirit of justice in the world: that the needy, the exploited, the abused, and the victims of war may know freedom, relief from oppression, and their dignity as daughters and sons of God
For the Spirit of healing: that God will touch all who are ill, particularly those with Covid-19, strengthen their minds, bodies, and spirits, and restore them to wholeness
For a Spirit of forgiveness: that God will break the bonds of resentment and vengeance that freeze our hearts and free us to forgive as we have been forgiven by God
For a Spirit of reverence: that all hearts may recognize God as creator and work to protect and preserve God’s gift of creation, our common home
For the Spirit of life: that God will be merciful and give eternal life to all who have died or who are approaching death
For a Spirit of wisdom for all government and business leaders: that they will develop policies for reopening society that both protect society and promote the well-being of everyone
For a Spirit of Peace: that God will dissolve the hatred in human hearts, free the earth from nuclear weapons, and establish a season of peace throughout the world
For all who are unemployed: that God will relieve their anxiety and open new opportunities for them to find work and support themselves
(Traditional chant: https://tinyurl.com/ydzx5jdp)
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 trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
[For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.]
God our creator, earth has many languages,
but your gospel proclaims your love
to all nations in one heavenly tongue.
Make us messengers of the good news
that, through the power of your Spirit,
all the world may unite in one song of praise;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen. Book of Common Worship
https://tinyurl.com/rkxkpmc
Go in peace, alleluia, alleluia!
Thanks be to God, alleluia, alleluia!
May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace
in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Romans 15:13
Oremus 