Good morning and welcome to the Mantua Center Christian Church on this Pentecost Sunday!
- We are a community seeking to have…
- Welcome whether You are here at church or worshiping with us online.
- Today I want to celebrate a few things:
- Day of Kindness
- Return to the church building on July 4th. With all the great news about the vaccine’s effectiveness, we have moved up our timeline. There will be so much to do over the next month or so to ready the space and get prepared. Keep on the lookout to for changes that may occur in our policies outdoors as well.
- In worship today, we will celebrate the Gift of the Holy Spirit and what it might mean for us to be led by and live by the Spirit in our lives.
- As we prepare for worship, let’s listen to this reading by Rev. Tim Graves and then hear our passage from Acts read by Doug Rice….
A Pentecost Call to Worship by Tim Graves…
The wind at our backs, we entered Jerusalem.
Only to watch him die on the cross.
It spiraled so quickly.
Trial. Torture. Crucifixion. Death.
But on the third day
the breath of God blew new life into our futures.
Fifty days with the risen Jesus.
Before he ascended,
Jesus reminded us that the Spirit will come.
It was on Pentecost.
It was on Pentecost
when the wind breathed
into each and every one of us…
Opening Scripture: Acts 2:1-4 (live) - Doug Rice
*Response - Weave
*Call to Worship (live) - Chad
One: Do not give an easy or unthinking response to this day’s call to worship.
For today we ask God’s Spirit to fill us, that we may prophesy,
and dream dreams, and see visions. The call to worship today
is a summons to be touched by holy fire.
All: Even now the flames may dance above our heads,
One: igniting our opinions on peacemaking so that they blaze into commitment.
All: Even now the flames may be burning into our hearts,
One: animating us, leaving us no peace as individuals
until God’s justice and peace fill the earth as the waters fill the seas.
All: Prophets, visionaries, dreamers! Let us all worship with courage and with hope!
One: Let us worship God!
—written by members of The First Presbyterian Church of West Seneca.
*Song of Praise: (recorded) - Spirit of the Living God
Spirit of the Living God,
Fall afresh on me.
Spirit of the Living God,
Fall afresh on me.
Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me...
Spirit of the Living God,
Fall afresh on me.
Children’s Moment (live) - Ally Hurd
Pastoral Prayer (live) - Sarah Smith
Scripture Reading - Galatians 5:16-26
16 Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, 21 envy,[a] drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, competing against one another, envying one another.
Sermon - Pentecost (Fruits of the Spirit)
Communion
Meditation (live) - Katie Baird
Communion Hymn (recorded) - Breathe On Me Breath of God #254
| 1 Breathe on me, Breath of God, fill me with life anew, that I may love what thou dost love, and do what thou wouldst do. 2 Breathe on me, Breath of God, until my heart is pure, until with thee I will one will to do and to endure. | 3 Breathe on me, Breath of God, till I am wholly thine, until this earthly part of me glows with thy fire divine. 4 Breathe on me, Breath of God, so shall I never die, but live with thee the perfect life of thine eternity. |
Prayer & Lord’s Prayer (live) - Katie Baird
Words of Institution (live) - Sarah Smith
Distribution
Closing Hymn (recorded) - Spirit of God, Descend Upon #265
1 Spirit of God, descend upon my heart;
wean it from earth, through all its pulses move;
stoop to my weakness, mighty as thou art,
and make me love thee as I ought to love.
2 I ask no dream, no prophet ecstasies,
no sudden rending of the veil of clay,
no angel visitant, no opening skies;
but take the dimness of my soul away.
3 Teach me to feel that thou art always nigh;
teach me the struggles of the soul to bear,
to check the rising doubt, the rebel sigh;
teach me the patience of unanswered prayer.
4 Teach me to love thee as thine angels love,
one holy passion filling all my frame;
the baptism of the heaven-descended Dove,
my heart an altar, and thy love the flame.
*Benediction (live) - Chad Delaney
Together, wherever we are...we are community seeking to have open minds, open hearts, and open arms. Together we have found ways to continue living the Resurrection, Living by the Spirit and as you leave this place we know your time of worship will continue as you seek to follow the Spirit’s Leading in the way of Jesus Christ.
Today we will have time after worship for conversation if you want to stick around for that. Please, take your Living the Resurrection Jars on your way out.
As we close together let’s hear this Blessing for Pentecost Day called “When We Breathe Together” by Jan Richardson...
When We Breathe Together
A Blessing for Pentecost Day by Jan Richardson
This is the blessing we cannot speak by ourselves.
This is the blessing we cannot summon by our own devices,
cannot shape to our purpose, cannot bend to our will.
This is the blessing that comes when we leave behind our aloneness
when we gather together
when we turn toward one another.
This is the blessing that blazes among us
when we speak the words strange to our ears
when we finally listen into the chaos
when we breathe together at last.
Departing Music - Come, Gentle Spirit by John Turner Jan Green