HOPE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
May 11, 2008
GATHERING
Prelude
Announcements “Happy Mothers Day”
Call to Worship
Greeting (See Ruth 2:4)
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Joel 1:1a; 2:28-29 (Day of Pentecost)
The word of the Lord to the prophet:
I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your old shall dream dreams and your young shall see visions.
Call to Worship (responsive)
Let God's people be joyful. Sing to God; sing praises to God's name.
Sing to God; sing praises to God's name.
The heavens open at the presence of God.
Sing to God; hear God's mighty voice.
God gives power and strength to all God's people.
Let us worship God.
Prayer of the Day (all)
Almighty God, at the feast of Pentecost you sent your Holy Spirit to the disciples, filling them with joy and boldness to preach the gospel; empower us with that same Spirit to witness to your redeeming love and draw all people to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Opening Hymn
Confession and Pardon
Call to Confession (Holy Communion)
In the Lord's Supper, Christ is present by the power of the Holy Spirit, and offers us his body, broken for our sake, and his blood, shed for the forgiveness of our sins. As we prepare to receive this great gift, let us confess our sin and hear the promise of forgiveness.
Confession: (all)
Almighty God, you poured your Spirit upon gathered disciples creating bold tongues, open ears, and a new community of faith. We confess that we hold back the force of your Spirit among us. We do not listen for your word of grace, speak the good news of your love, or live as a people made one in Christ.
Have mercy on us, O God.
Transform our timid lives by the power of your Spirit, and fill us with a flaming desire to be your faithful people, doing your will for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Declaration of Forgiveness
God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which God loved us, even when we were dead through our sin, made us alive together with Christ and raised us up with him.
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God. Amen. Eph. 2:4, 5a, 6a, 8
The Peace: Phil. 4:7
May the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus. Amen.
A sign of peace may be shared.
Gloria Patri
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning,
is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, Amen.
THE WORD
Prayer for Illumination
Lord, open our hearts and minds by the power of your Holy Spirit, that as the scriptures are read and your Word is proclaimed, we may hear with joy what you say to us today. Amen.
First reading: Acts 2:1-21
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs--in our own languages we hear them speaking about God's deeds of power." All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" But others sneered and said, "They are filled with new wine."
But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
'In the last days it will be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams.
Even upon my slaves, both men and women,
in those days I will pour out my Spirit;
and they shall prophesy.
And I will show portents in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and smoky mist.
The sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the coming of the Lord's great and glorious day.
Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.'
Sermon
Hymn
Affirmation of Faith
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen
Prayers of the People
THE EUCHARIST
Offering
Scriptural Sentences: Ps. 24:1
Let us return to God the offerings of our life and the gifts of the earth.
The earth is the Lord's and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it.
Offertory
Concluding prayer (all)
Blessed are you, God of all creation; through your goodness we have these gifts to share.
Accept and use our offering for your glory and for the service of your kingdom.
Blessed be God forever.
Invitation to the Lord's Table (Holy Communion)
According to Luke, when our risen Lord was at table with his disciples, he took the bread, and blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him. Luke 24:30, 31
Great Thanksgiving - (Day of Pentecost)
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is truly right and our greatest joy to give you thanks and praise, eternal God, creator and ruler of the universe. With the majesty of your hand, you shaped this world and all that is in it. By your Holy Spirit, you breathed life into human form, and set us on the earth to praise and serve you. When we wandered from your ways and were lost in sin's wilderness, your truth burned in the hearts of prophets who called your people to return to the path of righteousness. In the fullness of time you sent your Son to be our deliverer. In every age your Holy Spirit has led us in your ways.
Remembering all your mighty and merciful acts, we take this bread and this wine from the gifts you have given us, and celebrate with joy the redemption won for us in Jesus Christ.
Accept this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving as a living and holy offering of ourselves,
that our lives may proclaim the One crucified and risen.
Great is the mystery of faith: Christ has died,
Christ is risen, Christ will come again.
Gracious God, pour out your Holy Spirit upon us and upon these your gifts of bread and wine, that the bread we break and the cup we bless may be the communion of the body and blood of Christ. By your Spirit unite us with the living Christ and with all who are baptized in his name, that we may be one in ministry in every place. As this bread is Christ's body for us,
send us out to be the body of Christ in the world.
By the fire of your Spirit, O God, forge us into one church, many and different people, together in Christ's embrace. Set our hearts aflame with a love for the truth and the desire to do your will, that our witness to Christ may burn brightly in lives of joyful discipleship.
Keep us faithful in your service until Christ comes in final victory and we shall feast with all your saints in the joy of your eternal realm.
Through Christ, all glory and honor are yours, almighty Father, with the Holy Spirit in the holy church, now and forever. Amen.
Lord's Prayer
Breaking of the Bread
Communion of the People
Invitation
Jesus said: I am the bread of life.
Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:35
Communion
Prayer After Communion (Day of Pentecost)
Gracious God, may we who have received this sacrament live in the unity of your Holy Spirit, that we may show forth your gifts to all the world. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
SENDING
Closing Hymn
Charge and Blessing
Charge: As God's own...
As God's own, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, and patience, forgiving each other as the Lord has forgiven you, and crown all these things with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. See Col. 3:12-14.
Blessing: The Lord...
The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord be kind and gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor
and give you peace.
Alleluia! Amen.
See Num. 6:24-26
Go in peace.
The congregation responds:
Go in peace.
Song of Hope
Postlude and Blessing Circle
