Welcome to Holy Communion for Pentecost Sunday
You will
need something like a candle torch or mobile phone that you can use as a light
at the end of our service.
Join our
zoom meeting:
Meeting
ID: 835 8280 0223
Password:
520477
We meet in
the name of the Father,
and of the
Son,
and of the
Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Alleluia.
Christ is risen.
He is risen indeed.
Alleluia.
As we wait
in silence,
fill us with
your Spirit.
As we listen
to your word,
fill us with
your Spirit.
As we
worship you in majesty,
fill us with
your Spirit.
As we long
for your refreshing,
fill us with
your Spirit.
As we long
for your renewing,
fill us with
your Spirit.
As we long
for your equipping,
fill us with
your Spirit.
As we long
for your empowering,
fill us with
your Spirit.
Hymn: Breathe on me Breath of God - https://youtu.be/a9s8BFHThfc
We say sorry to God:
Jesus
Christ, risen Master and triumphant Lord,
we come to
you in sorrow for our sins,
and confess
to you our weakness and unbelief.
We have
lived by our own strength,
and not by
the power of your resurrection.
In your
mercy, forgive us.
Lord, hear
us and help us.
We have
lived by the light of our own eyes,
as faithless
and not believing.
In your
mercy, forgive us.
Lord, hear
us and help us.
We have
lived for this world alone,
and doubted
our home in heaven.
In your mercy, forgive us.
Lord, hear us and
help us.May the Father forgive us by the death of his Son
and strengthen us to live in the power of the Spirit
all our days. Amen.
Song: Spirit of the Living God - https://youtu.be/ccaFnRYLTok
The Collect:
Holy Spirit, sent by the Father,
ignite in us your holy fire;
strengthen your children with the gift of faith,
revive your Church with the breath of love,
and renew the face of the earth,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
The Pentecost Reading Acts 2:1-8, 12-21
When the day of Pentecost came, all the believers were gathered together
in one place. 2 Suddenly there was a noise from the
sky which sounded like a strong wind blowing, and it filled the whole house
where they were sitting. 3 Then they saw what
looked like tongues of fire which spread out and touched each person
there. 4 They were all filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to talk in other languages, as the Spirit enabled them to speak.
5 There were Jews living in Jerusalem, religious people who had come from
every country in the world. 6 When they heard this
noise, a large crowd gathered. They were all excited, because all of them heard
the believers talking in their own languages. 7 In
amazement and wonder they exclaimed, “These people who are talking like this
are Galileans! 8 How is it, then, that all of us
hear them speaking in our own native languages?
12 Amazed and confused, they kept asking each other, “What does this mean?”
13 But others made fun of the believers, saying, “These people are drunk!”
14 Then Peter stood up with the other eleven apostles and in a loud voice
began to speak to the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem,
listen to me and let me tell you what this means. 15 These
people are not drunk, as you suppose; it is only nine o'clock in the
morning. 16 Instead, this is what the prophet Joel
spoke about:
17 ‘This is what I will do in the last days, God says:
I will pour out my Spirit on everyone.
Your sons and daughters will proclaim my message;
your young men will see visions,
and your old men will have dreams.
18 Yes, even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will proclaim my message.
19 I will perform miracles in the sky above
and wonders on the earth below.
There will be blood, fire, and thick smoke;
20 the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will turn red as blood,
before the great and glorious Day of the Lord comes.
21 And then, whoever calls out to the Lord for help will be saved.’
I will pour out my Spirit on everyone.
Your sons and daughters will proclaim my message;
your young men will see visions,
and your old men will have dreams.
18 Yes, even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will proclaim my message.
19 I will perform miracles in the sky above
and wonders on the earth below.
There will be blood, fire, and thick smoke;
20 the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will turn red as blood,
before the great and glorious Day of the Lord comes.
21 And then, whoever calls out to the Lord for help will be saved.’
This is the
word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
The Spirit of God fills the whole world. Alleluia.
Song: More Love More Power - https://youtu.be/JW9SkRMtXTo
Gospel Reading
Alleluia,
alleluia.
Come, Holy
Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful people
and kindle
in them the fire of your love.
Alleluia.
Hear the Gospel
of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
Glory to
you, O Lord.
John 20:19-23 - Jesus Appears to His Disciples
19 It was late
that Sunday evening, and the disciples were gathered together behind locked
doors, because they were afraid of the Jewish authorities. Then Jesus came and
stood among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. 20 After
saying this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled
with joy at seeing the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them
again, “Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so I send you.” 22 Then
he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If
you forgive people's sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they
are not forgiven.”
This is the
Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to
you, O Christ.
Sermon
The Holy Spirit brings Peace:
When Jesus first appears to his disciples (we hear in John’s gospel), he
brings peace. Jesus breaths the Holy Spirit on his followers and they receive
peace. Peace instead of fear; peace instead of confusion; peace instead of
doubts. Their situation doesn’t change. They are still working out what it
means that Jesus is alive; they still have enemies and challenges. But when the
Holy Spirit brings us peace, we know we aren’t alone; that God will never leave
us.
At the end of our service we’re going to ask for God’s blessing on some
form of light that we’ve got with us. I
hope that our phones or torches or whatever we have will then remind us that we
carry God’s peace with us. We can be secure; we also carry that peace out into
a world that’s worried and confused and anxious. We can be that peace between
people too- wherever we go.
The Holy Spirit brings Power:
After all the waiting, after Jesus has gone back to heaven, he promises
power. Peter and the others are changed. They’re no longer hiding, they’re out in
the street telling what’s happened. They aren’t confused any more- they
understand and can explain the scriptures to other people and show what God has
done. Extraordinary things happen too- they can speak in languages they didn’t
learn before. What had divided people in the past, is now taken away- everyone
can hear for themselves.
The Holy Spirit’s power still changes people. As Christians we become the people God has
called us to be. We’re no longer shaped just by our past or what the world
wants. We are more like Jesus. And we do see God at work in our lives. That’s
why we pray- so we can see God’s power.
The Holy Spirit brings Purpose:
When Jesus returned to heaven, he gave his followers a new commission.
Go into all the world and make disciples - that means telling other people so
they can too follow Jesus. They receive the peace that the Holy Spirit brings.
They can know that God forgives them as Jesus promises. And in turn too, they
can become more like Jesus and more like the people they were meant to be.
Peter, who had denied Jesus, lied about himself, doubted the women who
saw Jesus first, shows us that purpose. Confident and empowered by the Spirit,
he’s the person Jesus said he would be. Peter means- a rock; the solid base on
which the new church was built.
So how might God’s Holy Spirit be changing us?
And here is one way in which we can be partners in helping change
another part of the world.
IBBA Girls School - https://youtu.be/SE6fOO0XnA8
The Creed
Let us declare our faith in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Christ died for our sins
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he was buried;
he was raised to life on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures;
afterwards he appeared to his followers,
and to all the apostles:
This we have received,
and this we believe.
Amen.
Prayers of Intercession
We pray for
God to fill us with his Spirit.
Generous
God,
we thank you
for the power of your Holy Spirit.
We ask that
we may be strengthened to serve you better.
Lord, come
to bless us
and fill us with your Spirit.
We thank you
for the wisdom of your Holy Spirit.
We ask you
to make us wise to understand your will.
Lord, come
to bless us
and fill us
with your Spirit.
We thank you
for the peace of your Holy Spirit.
We ask you
to keep us confident of your love wherever you call us.
Lord, come
to bless us
and fill us with your Spirit.
We thank you
for the healing of your Holy Spirit.
We ask you
to bring reconciliation and wholeness
where there
is division, sickness and sorrow.
Lord, come
to bless us
and fill us
with your Spirit.
We thank you
for the gifts of your Holy Spirit.
We ask you
to equip us for the work which you have given us.
Lord, come
to bless us
and fill us
with your Spirit.
We thank you
for the fruit of your Holy Spirit.
We ask you
to reveal in our lives the love of Jesus.
Lord, come
to bless us
and fill us with your Spirit.
We thank you
for the breath of your Holy Spirit,
given us by
the risen Lord.
We ask you
to keep the whole Church, living and departed,
in the joy
of eternal life.
Lord, come
to bless us
and fill us
with your Spirit.
Generous
God,
you sent
your Holy Spirit upon your Messiah at the river Jordan,
and upon the
disciples in the upper room:
in your
mercy fill us with your Spirit,
hear our
prayer,
and make
us one in heart and mind
to serve you with joy for ever. Amen.
The Peace
The fruit of
the Spirit is love, joy, peace.
If we live
in the Spirit, let us walk in the Spirit.
The peace of
the Lord be always with you
and also with you.
Let us offer
one another a sign of peace.
Offertory Song: Consuming Fire - https://youtu.be/6XOBBUu_23M
Holy Communion - https://youtu.be/t3vn5cg9DKE
The Lord
is here
His
Spirit is with us.
Lift up
your hearts.
We
lift them to the Lord.
Let us
give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right
to give thanks and praise.
Lord of
all life,
you
created the universe,
where all
living things reflect your glory.
You give
us this great and beautiful earth,
to
discover and to cherish.
You give
us happy times
and
things to celebrate.
In these
we taste your kingdom,
a feast
for all your children.
You made
us all,
each
wonderfully different,
to join
with the angels
and sing
your praise:
Holy,
holy, holy is the Lord,
Holy
is the Lord God Almighty: x2
Who
was and is and is to come,
Holy,
holy, holy is the Lord
We thank
you, loving Father,
because,
when we turned away,
you sent
Jesus, your Son.
He gave
his life for us on the cross
and shows
us the way to live.
Send your
Holy Spirit
that
these gifts of bread and wine
may be
for us Christ’s body and his blood.
On the
night before he died,
when
darkness had fallen,
Jesus
took bread.
He gave
thanks, broke it,
and
shared it with his disciples, saying:
‘This is
my body, given for you.
Do this
to remember me.’
After
they had eaten, he took the cup of wine,
gave
thanks, and shared it with his disciples, saying:
‘This is
my blood, poured out for you and for many,
for the
forgiveness of sins.’
So
Father, with this bread and this cup
we
celebrate his love, his death, his risen life.
As you
feed us with these gifts,
send your
Holy Spirit,
and
change us more and more
to be
like Jesus our Saviour.
Help us,
Father, to love one another,
as we
look forward to that day
when
suffering is ended,
and all
creation is gathered in your loving arms.
And now
with St Catherine and all your saints
we give
you glory,
through
Jesus Christ,
in the
strength of the Spirit,
today and
for ever.
Amen.
We continue with the words of The Lord's Prayer:
Our
Father in heaven,
hallowed
be your name,
your
kingdom come,
your
will be done,
on
earth as in heaven.
Give
us today our daily bread.
Forgive
us our sins
as we
forgive those who sin against us.
Lead
us not into temptation
but
deliver us from evil.
For
the kingdom, the power,
and
the glory are yours
now
and for ever. Amen
We break
this bread
to share
in the body of Christ.
Though
we are many, we are one body,
because
we all share in one bread.
Every
time we eat this bread
and drink
this cup,
we
proclaim the Lord’s death
until he
comes.
Alleluia.
Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.
Therefore
let us keep the feast. Alleluia.
Prayer of Spiritual Communion
Thanks be to you, Lord Jesus Christ,
for
all the benefits you have given me,
for
all the pains and insults you have borne for me.
Since
I cannot now receive you sacramentally,
I ask
you to come spiritually into my heart.
O most
merciful redeemer, friend and brother,
may I
know you more clearly,
love
you more dearly,
and
follow you more nearly, day by day. Amen
Prayer after Communion
Faithful
God,
who fulfilled
the promises of Easter
by sending
us your Holy Spirit
and opening
to every race and nation
the way of
life eternal:
open our
lips by your Spirit,
that every
tongue may tell of your glory;
through
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Blessing of Light
Blessed are
you, sovereign God, overflowing in love.
With
Pentecost dawns the age of the Spirit.
Now the
flame of heaven rests on every believer.
Strong and
weak, women and men tell out your word;
the young
receive visions, the old receive dreams.
With the new
wine of the Spirit
they
proclaim your reign of love.
Amid the
birth pangs of the new creation
the way of
light is made known.
Source of
freedom, giver of life,
blessed are
you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Blessed be
God for ever.
Each member of the congregation has a candle or torch or phone light.
Commission
For fifty days we have celebrated the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ
over the powers of sin and death. We have proclaimed God’s mighty acts and we
have prayed that the power that was at work when God raised Jesus from the dead
might be at work in us.
As part of God’s Church here in Stoke Aldermoor and New Century Park, I
call upon you to live out what you proclaim.
Empowered by the Holy Spirit, will you dare to walk into God’s future,
trusting him to be your guide?
By the
Spirit’s power, we will.
Will you
dare to embrace each other and grow together in love?
We will.
Will you
dare to share your riches in common and minister to each other in need?
We will.
Will you
dare to pray for each other until your hearts beat with the longings of God?
We will.
Will you
dare to carry the light of Christ into the world’s dark places?
We will.
May the
Spirit,
who hovered
over the waters when the world was created,
breathe into
you the life he gives.
Amen.
May the
Spirit,
who
overshadowed the Virgin when the eternal Son came among us,
make you
joyful in the service of the Lord.
Amen.
May the
Spirit,
who set the
Church on fire upon the Day of Pentecost,
bring the
world alive with the love of the risen Christ.
Amen.
And the
blessing of God almighty,
the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you
and remain with you always.
Amen.
Song: We are marching - https://youtu.be/cqNdoExJido
Filled with
the Spirit’s power,
go in the
light and peace of Christ. Alleluia, alleluia.
Thanks be to
God. Alleluia, alleluia.