Celebrating Pentecost & Honoring Memorial Day
Prelude - “Praise Him, Praise Him!!” [by C. G. Allen ] - Sarah Park
Welcome to Mantua Center Christian Church
-- a community seeking to have open minds, open hearts, and open arms.
Ministry Leaders and congregants are invited to come forward to the mic, to give a mission update or share ways for people to get involved in missions and ministries.
Scripture - Acts 2:1-7, 12, 38-39
2When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.5 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. 7Amazed and astonished, they asked, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?’
12All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’
38Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.’
*Response - Weave #495
Weave, weave, weave us together, Weave us together, in unity and love.
Weave, weave, weave us together, weave us together, together in love.
*Call to Worship - Nora Brant
One: The Holy Spirit gives us life and pours on us the power to become new people!
All: The winds of the Spirit give us breath and the fire of the spirit kindles in us a love for God and each other.
One We come here in faithfulness and are ready for the surprise that God’s Spirit brings.
All: We open our lives to the presence of God and trust God’s promise to us that we can live new lives of freedom and grace.
One: May God help us to be true people of the spirit, letting holy surprises fill our days.
All: Amen.
*Opening Hymn - Wind Who Makes All Winds That Blow #236
SUNG TO THE TUNE OF JOYFUL, JOYFUL WE ADORE THEE #2
Wind who makes all winds that blo-ow gusts that bend the sap-lings low,
Gales that heave the sea in wav-es, stir-rings in the mi-nd’s deep caves
Aim our breath with stead-y pow-er on yo-ur church this day, this hour
Raise, re-new the life we’-ve lost, Spir-it God of Pen-te-cost.
Fire who fuels all fires that bu-rn suns a-round which plan-ets turn,
Bea-cons mark-ing reefs and sho-als, shining truth to guide our souls
Come to us as once yo-u ca-me: burst in tongues of sa-cred flame!
Light and Pow-er, Might and Stren-ght, fill your church, it’s breadth and length.
Ho-ly Spir-it, Wind and Fl-ame, move within our mor-tal frame.
Make our hearts an al-tar py-re, kindle them with yo-ur own fire.
Breathe and blow upon th-at bla-ze till ou-r lives, our deeds and ways,
Speak that tongue which ev-ery la-nd by your grace shall un-der-stand.
Invitation to Generosity
Invitation - Nora Brant
Offertory - “Oh, Spread the Tidings ‘round ” [by W. J. Kirkpatrick]
Response “Give Thanks” #528
Give thanks with a grateful heart, give thanks to the Holy One,
give thanks because he’s given Jesus Christ his Son. Give Thanks!
Offering Prayer - Nora Brant
Children’s Moment - Pam Baynes
Special Music - “America the Beautiful” Rex Koury [tune by Samuel A. Ward] - Jan Green
Pastoral Prayer & The Lord’s Prayer - Jon Secaur
Holy Communion
Meditation - Roger Cram
Hymn - We Come as Guests Invited #386
1 We come as guests invited
when Jesus bids us dine,
his friends on earth united
to share the bread and wine;
the bread of life is broken
the wine is freely poured
for us, in solemn token
of Christ our dying Lord.
2 We eat and drink, receiving
from Christ the grace we need,
and in our hearts believing
on him by faith we feed;
with wonder and thanksgiving
for love that knows no end,
we find in Jesus living
our ever-present friend.
3 One bread is ours for sharing,
one single, fruitful vine,
our fellowship declaring
renewed in bread and wine:
renewed, sustained, and given
by token, sign, and word,
the pledge and seal of heaven,
the love of Christ our Lord.
Prayer - Pete Pruszynski
Words of Institution - Pete Pryszynski
Music - “Lord, I’m coming home” [By W. J. Kirkpatrick] -Sarah Park
Scripture - Matthew 3:13-17 - Jon Secaur
Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?’ But Jesus answered him, ‘Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then he consented. And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved,* with whom I am well pleased.’
Sermon - “A Better God” - Jon Secaur
*Closing Hymn - Take my Life #609, v.1-3, 6
1 Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days;
let them flow in ceaseless praise,
let them flow in ceaseless praise.
2 Take my hands, and let them move at the impulse of thy love.
Take my feet, and let them be
swift and beautiful for thee,
swift and beautiful for thee.
3 Take my voice, and let me sing; unto God my praise I bring.
Take my lips, and let them be
filled with messages from thee,
filled with messages from thee.
6 Take my love, my Lord, I pour at thy feet its treasure-store.
Take myself, and I will be
ever, only, all for thee,
ever, only, all for thee.
A Memorial Day Tribute - Jon Secaur
Benediction - Jon Secaur
Postlude - “There’s Sunshine in my soul today” [by J. R. Sweney] - Sarah Park