Sermon, Part I
Holy Spirit Holes
Reading of the New Testament
Acts 2:1-8 (
NRSV
)
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?"
This is the Word of the Lord.
"Thanks be to God!"
Pastoral Prayer
Almighty God,
Lord of life, hope, and joy,
We come this morning asking You to breathe your Spirit on us.
Enable us to feel the strength and power
of Your breath and the potential that is within us.
Throw open the windows of our lives and let the breeze
of Your Spirit rush in and overcome our stale thinking,
so that we can have new hopes, new dreams, and new possibilities.
Remove the blinders from our eyes that keep us from seeing
those around us who have needs, sorrows,
those who ache, who are hungry, tired, weary,
frustrated, disillusioned, depressed, and hopeless.
O Lord, we pray that You would breathe within us the breath of Your joy.
Well up within us that living water that comes from Jesus Christ.
We also pray that You might free us from the shackles that bind us to the past.
Free us from our bad habits and broken dreams.
And open our eyes this day to what we can become through Christ,
who lived among us, showed us the way to eternal life, and taught us to pray, saying…
The Lord's Prayer
Our Father, which 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 forever.
Amen.
Prayer Response
with Mr. Jonathan Moody, Violinist
Be Still
by David Kauffman; Text based on Psalm 46; This arrangement by William Gokelman
Be still my love, know that I am God.
The mountains shake, the waters roar, the valleys tremble with fear;
And yet our strength, our refuge sure, whispers in our ear.
Though nations fight, though kingdoms fall, though spiteful hearts will harm;
Your mercy holds us, we hear Your call, we linger in your resting arms.
Behold the works our Lord has done, to change these hearts of stone.
God breaks our arrows, God breaks our bows, God calls us chosen, calls us God's own.
Be still my love, know that I am God.
