Pentecost Sunday

This is part of the worship series, 
"Grounded and Growing—Bearing Fruit”

Series Introduction | Ascension Sunday | Pentecost
Love | Joy | Peace | Patience | Generosity & Kindness | 
Faithfulness | Gentleness | Self-Control | Communion Liturgy

Also in this year-long Grounded and Growing series: 
Advent and Christmas | Epiphany | Lent and Easter

Key Theme: God gives the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of the fullness of life to come, even as the Spirit causes us to bear the fruit of life and peace in ever increasing abundance.

Pentecost is the Christian name for the Old Testament Jewish festival of Shavuot, or Feast of Weeks. This festival, celebrated fifty days after Passover, marked the beginning of the wheat harvest and was also a day set aside to remember the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai. During the feast, all able-bodied men were required to travel to Jerusalem to give a firstfruits offering at the temple—an act of grateful recognition that the harvest to come was a gift from God.

When Christ ascended into heaven, he promised that the Holy Spirit would come upon his followers. His words were fulfilled on Pentecost, when thousands were gathered in Jerusalem for this harvest festival. So Paul, reflecting on this gift of the Spirit in Romans 8, refers to the Spirit as “first fruits.” As creation groans with longing to be restored, the Spirit is the guarantee of the harvest to come, when the master farmer redeems all things to himself. 

This promise is an active one. Even as we wait for this final redemption, the Spirit brings new life to those who, as branches to a vine, are in Christ Jesus. No longer do God’s people stand condemned under the law given at Sinai. We need not strive in fear to uphold the law lest we be excluded from the harvest. Instead, we are invited to receive the Holy Spirit, who unites us with Christ, our Savior—the first fruit of those who have died. In this unity there is life and peace, as the Spirit moves within us, giving us the power to do what the law could not do and we could not do on our own—bear the good fruit of a grateful life.

Service Outline

Call to Worship

Opening Song

“Cantai ao Senhor/O Sing to the Lord” ^{Brazil traditional, trans. Cartford}

Greeting

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 
—2 Corinthians 13:14 ^NRSVUE

Songs of Praise

“King of Kings” ^{Ligertwood et al.}
“Fear Not, Rejoice and Be Glad” ^Wright

Call to Confession

On the day of Pentecost, Peter preached to the gathered crowds, proclaiming that Jesus, who they had killed, was the Messiah. Grieved by their sin, the people asked Peter, “What shall we do?”

Peter answered them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
—Acts 2:37–39, adapt. ^NIV

Let us repent of our own sins, our own refusal to acknowledge Christ as Lord and Savior, and ask for God’s forgiveness. 

Prayer of Confession

Almighty God,
who sent the promised Holy Spirit to bring life and hope,
we confess that we do not always trust this promise.

Rather than rest in the assurance of our salvation,
we live in fear, 
striving to uphold a law that is powerless to save.

Our striving causes us to boast 
in our own power and righteousness,
and to live in vain comparison with others.
We forget that our salvation and our sanctification
are gifts from you.

Forgive us for our pride and lack of trust. 
Help us live in gratitude and peace.

We pray this through Christ our Lord,
in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Amen. 

Assurance of Pardon 

There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you. 
—Romans 8:1–2, 11 ^NRSVUE

Song of Thanksgiving

“Great Are You Lord” ^{Leonard et al.}

Passing of the Peace

May the God of hope fill you
with all joy and peace in believing,
so that you may abound in hope
by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
—Romans 15:13 ^NRSVUE

Prayer for Illumination

Scripture Reading

First Reading: Acts 2:1–4, 14a, 22–24, 32–39
Psalm: Psalm 104:24–35
Second Reading: Romans 8:1–25

Sermon

“The First Fruits of the Spirit”

Song of Response

“Holy Spirit, Living Breath of God” ^{Getty and Townend}

Breath Prayer

Earlier in the service we sang, “It’s your breath, in our lungs, so we pour out our praise, we pour out our praise.” On Pentecost we proclaim that our life is a gift, and everything we do that is good and just and beautiful and true, we do because of our union with Christ, through the power of the Spirit of God moving within us. One of the ways we experience this union with Christ is through prayer. 

[Before leading the congregation in the prayers of the people, consider leading them through a simple breath prayer as a way of underscoring the movement of the Spirit as the very breath in our lungs. As people breathe in slowly, you might say, “Holy Spirit, fill us with your presence.” As people breathe out, you might say, “that we might bear good fruit.” Do this a few times as a group, breathing slowly, before moving into the prayers of the people.]

Prayers of the People

Offering, Offertory Prayer

Song of Dedication & Doxology:

“Come, Holy Ghost” ^{Maurus, Benedict & Mills}

Benediction

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
the love of God,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit
be with you all.
Amen. 
—2 Corinthians 13:14 ^NIV