Pentecost Evening Service of Communion on 28th May 2023 at 6-30pm. Online
Welcome
Call to worship
We come from many places to worship here today.
Across the world, Christians of every nation and language
will gather to worship the same God who calls us here.
The Spirit knows no boundaries and speaks all languages.
Let us open our hearts and minds to receive the Spirit.
In a world dry and thirsty
Living Water flows;
In a world fainting and breathless
Divine Wind blows;
In a world cold and dark
Spirit’s Flame glows;
Spirit has always been here, and we open our awareness
to perceive her and receive her.
Spirit is here! We give thanks and celebrate!
A gathering prayer
Lord, be here with us today.
Let us hear you speaking
with words we understand deep in our being.
As we hear your voice,
comfort, encourage, challenge and motivate us.
May your Holy Spirit inspire us, unite us and guide us.
Breathe on us afresh.
Renew our hope in your love and resurrection.
Speak new life to everyone,
wherever they are in the world.
Amen.
Song Holy Spirit we welcome you
Holy spirit, we welcome you
Holy spirit, we welcome you
Move amongst us with holy fire
As we lay aside all earthly desire
Hands reach out and hearts aspire
Holy spirit, holy spirit, holy spirit, we welcome you
Holy spirit, we welcome you
Holy spirit, we welcome you
Let the breeze of your presence blow
That your children here might truly know
How to move in the spirit's flow.
Holy spirit, holy spirit, holy spirit, we welcome you
Holy spirit, we welcome you
Holy spirit, we welcome you
Please accomplish in me today
Some new work of loving grace i pray
Unreservedly have your way
Holy spirit holy spirit holy spirit we welcome you
A prayer of confession
O God, despite our failings, you welcome, embrace and enfold us.
Despite our deaf ears, you continue to speak to us.
Despite our blind eyes, you continue to show us the way.
Despite hearts hardened to the world’s needs, you always love us.
Despite our uncertainty, you trust us with your message.
Despite our faltering and mumbling, you entrust us with your Word.
Despite the fact that we are unworthy, you see worth in us.
In our wanderings and wonderings, you stick with us.
All this and so much more, O God: you offer us your forgiveness.
Assurance of forgiveness
We fail you O God,
yet loud and clear you speak words of acceptance
and forgiveness to us:
my child, your sins are forgiven.
Amen.
A prayer of praise and thanksgiving
On this day of Pentecost,
we give praise to you, Almighty God.
For the glorious gifts of your Spirit:
we give our heartfelt thanks and praise.
For dreams and visions of life, light and truth:
we give our heartfelt thanks and praise.
For tongues of fire and gleaming light:
we give our heartfelt thanks and praise.
For lightening dark corners in our lives:
we give our heartfelt thanks and praise.
For warming our cold hearts:
we give our heartfelt thanks and praise.
For all you enable us to do and so much more:
we give our heartfelt thanks and praise.
For the frisson of excitement your Spirit brings:
we give our heartfelt thanks and praise.
For the comfort the guiding the support it offers us:
we give our heartfelt thanks and praise.
Amen.
Reading
Acts 2: 1 - 21
The Holy Spirit Comes
2 On the day of Pentecost[a]
all the believers were meeting together in one place. 2 Suddenly,
there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it
filled the house where they were sitting. 3 Then, what looked like
flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And
everyone present was
filled with the Holy
Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this
ability.
5 At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. 6 When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers.
7 They were completely amazed. “How can this be?” they exclaimed. “These people are all from Galilee, 8 and yet we hear them speaking in our own native languages! 9 Here we are—Parthians, Medes, Elamites, people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, the province of Asia, 10 Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the areas of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism), Cretans, and Arabs. And we all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done!” 12 They stood there amazed and perplexed. “What can this mean?” they asked each other.
13 But others in the crowd ridiculed them, saying, “They’re just drunk, that’s all!”
Peter Preaches to the Crowd
14 Then Peter stepped forward with the eleven other apostles and shouted to the crowd, “Listen carefully, all of you, fellow Jews and residents of Jerusalem! Make no mistake about this. 15 These people are not drunk, as some of you are assuming. Nine o’clock in the morning is much too early for that. 16 No, what you see was predicted long ago by the prophet Joel:
17
‘In the last days,’ God says,
‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy.
Your young men will see visions,
and your old men will dream dreams.
18
In those days I will pour out my Spirit
even on my servants—men and women alike—
and they will prophesy.
19
And I will cause wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below—
blood and fire and clouds of smoke.
20
The sun will become dark,
and the moon will turn blood red
before that great and glorious day of the Lord arrives.
21
But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord
will be saved.’
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
We believe in the Divine Creator of all that has been made;
the Parent of the whole creation.
We believe in the Divine Saviour of all that has fallen;
the Restorer of our broken world.
We believe in the Divine Life of all that lives;
the Love that binds all things together
in one divine family. Amen.
Prayers of intercession
Holy Spirit, rain down upon us we pray. Fall upon your church just as at that first Pentecost, when your Mighty outpouring of power transformed lives and ignited the life of the church.
In this country only 45% of people profess to be Christian. Church buildings are being turned into homes rather than buildings of worship. But it doesn’t matter where we meet as a church so long as our hearts are yours. We pray for a reigniting of your fire in all who follow and worship Jesus as Lord and Saviour.
Holy Spirit reignite the fire in our hearts. Fill us afresh with your Living Water. Transform your church.
Come Holy Spirit, with your tongues of fire,
and fall upon us in power today.
At Pentecost your tongues of fire settled on the disciples enabling them to communicate in all languages. Holy Spirit, you impart the language of love and eternal life. You are not restricted to any race or particular group of people. Jesus’ salvation is open to all.
Holy Spirit, we pray for all who communicate the gospel to the world. Give them words people can relate to and understand. Open ears and hearts to receive. Empower Christians the world over.
Come Holy Spirit, with your tongues of fire,
and fall upon us in power today.
Fire signifies God’s purifying presence. We pray for our world to be purified and rid of all the evils of:
• War
• Injustice
• Hatred
• Discrimination
• Apathy
We pray for your hand on China who is being seen as a growing threat to Taiwan and the western world.
We pray for the unsettling influences of Artificial Intelligence in all areas of life and the thousands of jobs threatened by it.
Holy Spirit, fall afresh, cleanse and purify the world. You are more powerful than anything created by humankind. Move in all areas of life and on all continents.
Come Holy Spirit, with your tongues of fire,
and fall upon us in power today.
We pray for wisdom, unity and truth in our government. We pray that the voices of all Christians in parliament will be heard. And that they will be effective witnesses in the corridors of power.
Holy Spirit, your power is above all. Transform this nation.
Come Holy Spirit, with your tongues of fire,
and fall upon us in power today.
We pray for your Mighty power, Holy Spirit on
• The sick to receive healing.
• The bereaved to be comforted.
• The lost to see a path open before them.
• The hungry to be fed.
We take a moment now, to ask you Holy Spirit to fall and move in the lives of those we know personally to be in need.
Holy Spirit, may all in need see and marvel at the touch of your hand. Transform lives in ways never imagined.
Come Holy Spirit, with your tongues of fire,
and fall upon us in power today.
Holy Spirit, you are the breath of life. Come breathe new life into our communities today. Speak into the lives of the young people who hang about the streets, easy targets for those who seek to groom, manipulate and entice our youngsters into drink, drugs, prostitution and crime. Make our streets safe places to walk.
Strengthen the vulnerable, and purify with your living water those who seek to corrupt.
Come Holy Spirit, with your tongues of fire,
and fall upon us in power today.
We pray that with each new dawn all creation will be refreshed. Fill us to overflowing that we may boldly speak your powerful language of love and point the way to Jesus in a way others will understand and receive.
May the thirsty drink deeply of you and find their lives changed by your Mighty power. Empower and reignite your church this day.
Come Holy Spirit, with your tongues of fire,
and fall upon us in power today. Amen.
As our Saviour Jesus taught us, so we pray
All Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever. Amen.
THE COMMUNION
We celebrate the Divine Spirit, who hovered over creation
and brought order out of formlessness.
We praise you, Spirit.
We celebrate the Divine Spirit, who filled Jesus with power and wisdom
and, through him, made divine life available to all.
We praise you, Holy Spirit.
We celebrate the Holy Spirit, who has been poured out
on all people, and leads us into the Reign of God.
We praise you, Holy Spirit.
And so, as we gather at this table,
we recognise the Spirit’s Presence among us,
and we open our hearts to the Spirit’s influence.
Silence
God, we come knowing that we depend on you
for life and truth and love.
We come knowing that you welcome us with open and accepting arms.
We come ready to meet with you,
and be changed by the encounter.
Amen.
The Lord Jesus, on the eve of His crucifixion,
gathered his friends for a meal.
During supper, he took a loaf of bread, and gave thanks for it.
Then he broke it and passed it among them with these words:
This is my body which is broken for you.
Take, eat and remember me.
After the meal, Jesus took a cup of wine and gave thanks for it.
Then he passed it among them with these words:
This is my blood which is shed for you.
Take, drink and remember me.
So now, we eat and we drink, and we remember Jesus
and the Divine Love he showed us. Amen.
Spirit, as we share this bread and wine, let it be a sharing
in Christ’s body and blood, Christ’s life and presence;
And may we embody your life, love, and presence
in our homes and community.
Amen.
Communion is received
PRAYERS AFTER RECEIVING
Thank you, Divine Spirit,
for this meal of remembrance,
and for coming to us as we have shared it.
May the love we find at this table
be reflected in our lives;
May the power we receive at this table
make us peacemakers and healers;
And may the Spirit who fills us again at this table
lead us to be those who proclaim God’s Reign
in every word we speak
and in everything we do.
Amen.
Be thou my vision
Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best thought, by day or by night
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light
Be Thou my wisdom, and Thou my true word
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord
Thou my great Father, and I Thy true son
Thou in me dwelling and I with Thee one
Riches I heed not, nor vain, empty praise
Thou mine inheritance, now and always
Thou and Thou only first in my heart
High King of heaven, my treasure Thou art
High King of heaven, my victory won
May I reach heaven's joys, O bright heaven's sun
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall
Still be my vision, O ruler of all.
Blessing
The next online service will be on Sunday 25th June at 6-30pm
