Sunday, May 23, 2021
Welcome to Pentecost Sunday!
Jesus has risen to be with God and the Holy Spirit is sent to the disciples to
bring comfort, and to guide them in their ministry and missional work of the
early Christian church.
Come, let us celebrate the Church as we worship the Lord!
Opening Prayer:
Come to us Holy God, in this time of worship.
We come to praise You, to sing of our joy to You,
and we come in reverent prayer.
In the still silence, ---
we worship You, for You are with us always.
Amen.
Hymn: Voices United #382, Breathe on me Breath of God
Lighting of the Christ Candle
This candle is lit as a symbol of God's Spirit, presence, and power.
May it, open us to new thinking and doing,
shine upon us and through us, and
move within us.
Scripture Reading: Romans 8:22-27 (NRSV)
The Spirit prays for us with sighs too deep for words.
Hymn: Voices United #194, Filled with the Spirit's Power
Scripture Reading: John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15 (NRSV)
Jesus will send the Spirit of Truth
and
Sermon: Celebrating the Church, by Karen Chandler
Instrumental Reflection
A time to reflect on the scripture and the message during a moment of instrumental reflection.
Offering Invitation
We were saved in hope, and in this time of offering,
we are invited to hope for what we don't see;
we are encouraged to help create hope for what others can't see.
Let us give generously through the power of God's Holy Spirit,
for we are the children of God.
Our offering is both a practical and symbolic act of our commitment to serve Christ and build His church. Although we can’t actually pass the plate’ online, you are encouraged to continue your gift to the church, as the work of the St Paul’s and the staff continues:
Drop your envelope (cheque or cash) at the church;
Mail your cheque to the church;
Go on PAR (call the church for details);
Use the Donate button at the top of the page (it will take you to SPUC’s Canada Helps page where you can donate online and get an instant tax receipt).
Donations to St. Paul's United Church have decreased over the past few months and your support is needed to maintain our ministry and mission. Thank you.
Offertory Hymn: Voices United #541, Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow
Offering Prayer
Through these gifts and the lives they touch,
send your Spirit into the world.
For your Spirit is mighty enough to move mountains,
strong enough to transform lives,
and powerful enough to birth your new creation.
Through these gifts we now bring,
cause wonders to occur.
With this hope, we pray. Amen.
Prayers of the People
God of power and presence,
Today we ask for the gift of the Holy Spirit to help us pray:
Today we pray for:
~ Peace and an end to conflict in Israel and Palestine;
~ An end to system racism as we approach the 1-year anniversary of
George Floyd's death;
~ All residents, health care workers and essential workers in Manitoba
who are experiencing record high COVID-19 numbers;
~ All of your children who are facing pandemic fatigue and other
health-related illnesses.
In silence now God, we offer you our own personal prayers and petitions.
God who searches our hearts,
hear our prayers.
Hear these our prayers, O God, in Jesus' name we pray, Amen.
The Lord's Prayer
And of all the prayers silent and spoken, we pray the one prayer that unites us in Your presence, O Lord (you can sing with the video or recite the words below):
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed by 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, the power, and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Hymn: More Voices #79, Spirit, Open My Heart
Sending Forth
As we extend ourselves into God's creation,
may we do so filled with the Holy Spirit
who directs us in prayer
who gives us words to share; and
who sets us on fire,
so that others can experience God's love through our actions.
Hymn: Go Now in Peace
Food for the Journey
If you are interested in learning or delving a little deeper into the bible and biblical text through other mediums such as podcasts, videos and bible study, be sure to check out The Bible Project (bibleproject.com). It's fun and educational.
Here is a video from The Bible Project on the Holy Spirit. Enjoy!
Closing Notes
Don't forget to extinguish your candle(s).
Rev. Debbie Johnson has joined St. Paul's to provide some Pastoral Care to our congregation on a part-time basis. If you would like a call or email from Rev. Debbie, please contact the office at 416-261-4222. More information and a video from Rev. Debbie can be found on our church homepage.
Please join us for Zoom Coffee Time on May 23, 2021 from 11:30 am-12:00 pm:
Meeting ID: 829 432 3094
Dial in: +1 647 558 0588
Note that portions of this service are drawn and adapted from various resources:
o The Offering Invitation (adapted) and Offering Prayer is from The Abingdon
Worship Annual 2018, Contemporary and Traditional Resources for
Worship Leaders, Edited by Mary J. Scifres and B.J. Beu. Copyright 2017 by
Abingdon Press, page 122. Copyright © Mary J. Scifres. Used by
permission.
Thank you to:
Ian Sortwell for reading Paul's Letter to the Romans today.
Max Laumeister for his web script that makes our YouTube videos work.
PNGWNG.com, Canva.com, and Pixabay.com websites for the images and backgrounds.
And, thank you to all of the artists whose music and videos were used in the service:
o Chet Valley Churches
o Heritage United Church
o Vagle Brothers
o Haewook Kim
o Ebenezer United Church
o Tina Vanderpol Melodium75
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