Call to Worship
Today is the Day of Pentecost when the Christian Church remembers
the coming of the Holy Spirit.
As you prepare to spend time with God, have your Bible with you.
Some people may like to have a red flower or a red cloth as the colour of Pentecost.
When you are ready, light your candle.
Psalm 104:33-34 (CEV)
As long as I live,
I will sing and praise you,
the Lord God.I hope my thoughts will please you,
because you are the one who makes me glad.
Song
TiS 408
O breath of God, breathe on us now
and move within us while we pray;
You are the spring of our new life,
The very light of our new day.
Be with me when no other friend
the mystery of my heart can share;
be always known, when fears descend,
by your best name of Comforter.
Prayer
On the day of Pentecost,
the followers of Jesus were all together in the same place.
Today, on this Day of Pentecost, we are scattered.
We are sad.
We cannot see each other face to face.
We cannot hear the sound of our friend’s voice or touch their hand.
Spirit of God, Spirit of Jesus, Holy Spirit, come to me today.
In my loneliness, touch me with the flame of your love.
In my isolation, breathe your life in me.
In my sadness, fill me with your dreams for the future.
Alone and together,
Holy Spirit, touch us with your life.
Amen
Prayer of Confession
Let us take a moment to talk to Jesus about the troubles of our week.
Lord Jesus, I am sorry because I…
I am very sorry because I…
I am truly sorry because I…
Please, in your mercy and grace, forgive me.
Hear the Spirit of Jesus say to you:
My child, I love you. I know you through and through.
I have carried your failures on the cross. You are forgiven.
Bible reading
The Coming of the Holy Spirit
Acts 2:1-7 (CEV)
On the day of Pentecost all the Lord’s followers were together in one place. Suddenly there was a noise from heaven like the sound of a mighty wind! It filled the house where they were meeting. Then they saw what looked like fiery tongues moving in all directions, and a tongue came and settled on each person there. The Holy Spirit took control of everyone, and they began speaking whatever languages the Spirit let them speak. Many religious Jews from every country in the world were living in Jerusalem. And when they heard this noise, a crowd gathered. But they were surprised, because they were hearing everything in their own languages. They were excited and amazed …
Now read on from Acts 2: 7-21 in your own Bible.
Think of friends from Gungahlin Uniting Church who will be reading in another language today. Arabic, Sinhalese, Korean, French, German, Mandarin, Cantonese, Welsh, Urdu, one of the languages of Uganda.
See their faces in your mind.
“When the last days come,I will give my Spirit to everyone.Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will have dreams. In those days I will give my Spirit to my servants, both men and women, and they will prophesy.
A question
Where do you see signs of the Spirit today?
Who are our prophets, our dreamers and our visionaries?
Write a note of encouragement to someone whose visions and dreams have been important to you.
Pray for them.
Song
Loving Spirit, loving Spirit
Shirley Erena Murray
TiS 417
Loving Spirit, loving Spirit,
You have chosen me to be
You have drawn me to your wonder,
You have set your sign on me.
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,
Like a father you protect me,
teach me the discerning eye,
hoist me up upon your shoulder,
let me see the world from high.
Friend and lover, in your closeness
I am known and held and blessed;
in your presence is my comfort,
in your presence I may rest.
Loving Spirit, loving Spirit,
You have chosen me to be
You have drawn me to your wonder,
You have set your sign on me.
Visual Reflections on Pentecost
This week there are two reflections, one on the birth of the church and our annual prayer for renewal and revival, the other invites you to imagine God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit artistically.
If you go the artistic route I invite you to consider sending in your creations, if you sculpt, collage, paint, sketch, etch, mould, write poetry or build please show us your creations.
If you go the route of reflecting on renewal and revival then perhaps you may like to email in your own prayer for revival, let us know what you’re praying for this week.
Prayers for others
Ron Reeson
O Holy Spirit of God
Today is Your day – well, the annual day we celebrate your coming to earth as the Spirit of Jesus, to be with us, and in us, and beside us.
Jesus said You are the Helper If ever we needed help, it is now.
Some of us are tackling tasks we have never done before. Please come to our aid.
You are the One who distributes gifts for serving Give us all gifts which we can use for You in serving others in these days, maybe gifts we have never experienced.
You said you would give us power to witness Bring to our mind those who we should contact, support, visit. Help us find ways to do what is best
You are the Spirit of Unity Bring together countries in conflict with each other, and people who are angry with leaders who they feel are more interested in the polls than the health of the nation, and are not guiding wisely them and well
You are the Spirit of Reconciliation Bring together families in which there is increased tension and conflict at this time
You said You would lead us into truth Give wisdom to those seeking to find and create a vaccine for the coronavirus
You are the Comforter Stand by those who grieve at this time or fear the worst for a loved one. Make real the presence of Christ to them, and in them.
You are the Spirit who leads. Guide the church council as it seeks to find the best ways to provide oversight for the worship, pastoral care and functioning of the church community in this difficult, unusual and unique time.
Spirit of God, You who breathed over the waters at Creation, breathe on your creation again, and give it new life and hope.
And finally we pray for ourselves
Breathe on me , breath of God;
Fill me with life anew.
That I may love all that you love
And do what you would do.
Amen
Song
Great God, your Spirit, like the wind
TiS 416
Great God, your Spirit, like the wind unseen but shaking things we see
will never leave us undisturbed, fulfil our dreams or set us free,
until we turn from faithless fear and prove the promise of your grace
in justice, peace and daily bread, with joy for all the human race.
Lord shake us with the force of love, to rouse us from our dreadful sleep;
remove our hearts of stone and give new hearts of flesh to break and weep
for all your children in distress and dying for the wealth we keep.
Help us prevent, while we have time, the blighted harvest greed must reap.
And then, in your compassion, give your Spirit like the gentle rain,
creating fertile ground from which your peace and justice spring like grain;
until your love is satisfied, with all creation freed from pain
and all your children live to praise your will fulfilled, your presence plain.
Blessing
Father, bless us as we go,
Jesus, walk beside us.
Holy Spirit guide us.
– Robin Mann
Prepared for people in Gungahlin Uniting Church, ACT by Margaret Reeson