Return to Year B: 2008-2009 Resource Index
Scriptures: Ezekial 37:1–14; Acts 2:1–21;
Psalm 104:24–34, 35b; Romans 8:22–27; John 15:26–27, 16:4b–15; Alma
10:27–29;
Doctrine and Covenants 162:2e, 3, 4a, and 163:6c
To prepare for the worship center today, bring items from each of the previous services this month: the house/church sanctuary, the vine with the items clipped to it, the jar labeled “God’s Love,” and the paper chain from last week. For this week prepare a paper windmill on a stick or pencil. Provide a lump of clay or other support for the windmill to be displayed in the worship center.
For the closing of the worship, have a children’s class prepare enough windmills for each worship participant, marked with the words “Let the Spirit Breathe.”
Prelude
Hymns:
“The Spirit of God Like a Fire Is Burning” R-18 or HS 33
“Holy Spirit, Come with Power” HS 287
OR “Open the Eyes of My Heart, Lord” written by Paul Baloche, Integrity’s Hosanna! Music Worship and Rejoice 656
This hymnal is available from Hope Publishing Company. Call 1-800-323-1049, toll free.
Welcome and “We Open Ourselves to the Spirit” see page 27
Praise Scripture Reading
Have two or three people with strong voices read alternate verses from Psalm 104:24–34, 35b. If possible, ask someone to share the scripture in different languages.
Call to Worship: Creation of the Worship Center
See Call to Worship—Drama Presentation
*Hymn: “Come, Holy Spirit, Come” NS 6
OR “Breathe on Me, Breath of God” HS 179
*Invocation
Read the prayer from Let the Spirit Breathe: Personal Psalms, Prayers, and Pieces by Danny Belrose, Herald Publishing House, page 22.
Invite the congregation to close their eyes and share in a few deep breaths together at the close of the prayer.
*Response: “Breathe” written by Marie Burnett, Mercy/Vineyard Publishing
OR “Santo, Santo, Santo NS 43
Message: “The Pentecost Promise and Story”
Based on John 15:26–27, 16:4b–15 and Acts 2:1–21
Hymn: “Like the Murmur of the Dove’s Song” SP 11
OR “Holy Spirit, Come with Power” if not used earlier HS 287
Prayer for Peace see page 27
Scripture Reading: Alma 10:27–29
Disciples’ Generous Response
Each Sunday, as part of the Disciples’ Generous Response, we ask you to integrate the message of “share equally” between Local and World Ministries Mission Tithes. Generosity stories are provided to keep the church in touch with how contributions to Mission Tithes spread the peace of Jesus Christ. Please use the stories, testimonies, and up-to-date contribution information as part of your offertory ministry. Visit www.CofChrist.org/generositystories to print a copy, or contact your pastor, congregational financial officer, or worship coordinator for a copy.
Historically, Pentecost is associated with the harvest—the end of the barley and start of the wheat harvest. An offering of “two loaves of finest wheat”—first fruits—was part of the processional celebration. Suggest that the congregation bring offerings for a food bank, often forgotten at mid year. You can also share by reading from Romans 8:22–27.
Offertory Hymn: “Lord, Whose Love Through Humble Service” HS 17
OR “As Saints of Old Their Firstfruits Brought” HS 405
Blessing and Receiving of Mission Tithes
Ask a person who knows another language to share the prayer.
*Hymn: “Shine, Jesus, Shine” NS 45
OR “Touch Me, Lord, with Thy Spirit Eternal” HS 409
*Congregation Prayer
Ask everyone to join in a circle. Read Doctrine and Covenants 162:2e, 3, 4a (or a chosen portion of it). Invite each participant to share in a sentence prayer, moving around the circle.
*Response: “Sanctuary”
Have a song leader and/or a guitar player lead this popular song. For words and chords, go to www.higherpraise.com/Lyrics3/LordPrepareMe.htm. Go to www.kaneva.com/asset/assetDetails.aspx?assetOd=105441&communityId=0 to hear the melody.
OR “You Shall Go Out with Joy” SP 45
Children pass out windmills for each person to take home.
Call to Worship—Drama Presentation
Instrumental music plays softly. (Use tunes from different cultures of the world.)
Narrator: How does God’s Spirit come to us?
Mime blows on the windmill, then passes it to someone in the front row to hold. Mime pretends the wind is blowing it. Scratches head, then does the “a-ha” with finger pointing up, and brings out the house/church and sets it on the worship center table.
Narrator: Through “Abide,” we live in it. (pause) How does God’s Spirit come to us?
Mime blows on the windmill again, searches, then brings out the vine and places it in the worship center.
Narrator: Through staying attached to God. (pause) How does God’s Spirit come to us?
Mime blows on the windmill again, searches, then brings out “God’s Love” jar and places it in the worship center.
Narrator: God’s love colors everything that we do. (pause) How does God’s Spirit come to us?
Mime blows on the windmill again, searches, then brings out the chain, breaks it apart further, and, with a great sigh of relief, places it in the worship center.
Narrator: The witness we share brings God’s Spirit to others. (pause) How does God’s Spirit come to us?
Mime blows on the windmill, and places it in the clay in the worship center. (music fades)
Scriptures: Ezekial 37:1–14; Acts 2:1–21;
Psalm 104:24–34, 35b; Romans 8:22–27;
John 15:26–27, 16:4b–15
Exploring the Scriptures
The book of Acts is a continuation of the Gospel of Luke, which began with the birth of John the Baptist and ended with Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension. This second book attributed to Luke began with Jesus’ ascension and described the church’s beginning and expansion into other lands and the gentile world.
Acts 2:1–21 affirms that after Jesus’ death his followers were empowered by the Holy Spirit to continue his ministry. This event occurred on “the day of Pentecost,” a Jewish festival that originated as an agricultural festival but evolved into a celebration of God giving the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai. While Luke does not explicitly make the connection, the readers of that time would have understood that the church began with the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day they celebrated the coming of the law.
The Twelve and 120 men and women were together when the Spirit came “like the rush of a violent wind…tongues, as of fire” (Acts 2:2–3). Throughout Hebrew scripture, wind and fire represent God’s presence and power. Those gathered were “filled with the Holy Spirit,” a common biblical expression for being empowered by God. They “began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.” In early Christianity, speaking in tongues—inspired but unintelligible words—was a common and honored expression of deeply religious experience. This Pentecost is the only scriptural reference to the unique experience of speaking, hearing, and understanding a language that one had not known previously. Acts 2 points to the church as a community becoming universal and inclusive that transcended languages and cultures, rather than being primarily a Jewish sect.
At the Tower of Babel, God’s judgment confused human language so people could not understand each other. The Pentecostal experience was a reconciling act and a reversal of God’s judgment. Through Christ, God began to form a community that transcended language, race, gender, and culture.
“Jews from every nation under heaven” and people from a list of fifteen nations presented a glimpse of what the church was ideally called to be—an international, diverse body of Christ’s disciples.
This diverse body heard the spoken word in their own languages “speaking about God’s deeds of power.” Biblical references to the world’s creation, the deliverance of Israel from Egypt, and God’s covenant with them had reached the pinnacle in Christ’s life, ministry, death, and resurrection, and now the coming of the church through the Spirit’s uniting power.
Peter addressed the crowd, delivered the first recorded Christian sermon, and became the spokesperson for the apostolic witness. The sermon wasn’t preached to the believers but to the seekers. It modeled witness and was missionary and evangelistic in nature, proclaiming Christ and calling the people to faith.
Peter quoted Joel 2:28–32, which predicted the coming of the Holy Spirit in the last days. However, this sermon didn’t signal the end times but proclaimed the church’s mission to all nations and to “all flesh.” All flesh in the Hebrew scripture limits the Holy Spirit to prophets and religious leaders. However, Peter extended all flesh to include the entire community and affirmed that “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Christ came to seek out and to save the lost. In this Pentecostal experience God’s grace was for everyone, a central theme in Luke’s theology.
Central Ideas
Questions for the Speaker