Gathering Words
When the storms of life are raging, when the world is tossing me, like a ship on the sea…
There’s one who rules the wind and water and He is standing by us.
In the midst of tribulation, when the powers of hell assail, and my strength begins to fail….
There’s one who rules the wind and water and He is standing by us.
Even in the midst of pandemic, when our foe is arrayed against us to undermine every step we take…
There’s one who rules the wind and water and He is standing by us.
He is standing beside us this very moment as we share in prayer with believers we cannot see. We know they are with us because He is standing beside us and them as well as we gather in God’s holy name: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
A SONG OF PRAISE
1 Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire
and lighten with celestial fire;
thou the anointing Spirit art,
who dost thy sevenfold gifts impart.
2 Thy blessed unction from above
is comfort, life, and fire of love;
enable with perpetual light
the dullness of our mortal sight.
3 Teach us to know the Father, Son,
and thee, of both, to be but one;
that through the ages all along
this may be our endless song:
4 Praise to thine eternal merit,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Amen.
THE PRAYER OF THE DAY
O God, who on this day taught the hearts of your faithful people by sending to them the light of your Holy Spirit: Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
We Gather Around the Word of God
The First Lesson
Acts 2:1-21
When the day of Pentecost had come, the disciples 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.' "
The Response
Psalm 104:25-35, 37 Benedic, anima mea
25 O Lord, how manifold are your works! *
in wisdom you have made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.
26 Yonder is the great and wide sea
with its living things too many to number, *
creatures both small and great.
27 There move the ships,
and there is that Leviathan, *
which you have made for the sport of it.
28 All of them look to you *
to give them their food in due season.
29 You give it to them; they gather it; *
you open your hand, and they are filled with good things.
30 You hide your face, and they are terrified; *
you take away their breath,
and they die and return to their dust.
31 You send forth your Spirit, and they are created; *
and so you renew the face of the earth.
32 May the glory of the Lord endure for ever; *
may the Lord rejoice in all his works.
33 He looks at the earth and it trembles; *
he touches the mountains and they smoke.
34 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; *
I will praise my God while I have my being.
35 May these words of mine please him; *
I will rejoice in the Lord.
37 Bless the Lord, O my soul. *
Hallelujah!
The New Testament
1 Corinthians 12:3b-13
No one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body-- Jews or Greeks, slaves or free-- and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
The Gospel
John 20:19-23
When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
The Sermon Fr. Nelson Gaetz
Happy Birthday Church. Today is the birthday of the church, the third major festival of the church year (Christmas, Easter &) Pentecost. With the coming of the Holy Spirit the story of creation re-created is complete. But, just what does that mean? What makes that the birthday of the church? At the risk of sounding like an adult Sunday School class, let me invite you to explore the deep meaning of this church business.
Where to start? I propose we start with familiar words. Words we say every Sunday. Words of the Creed we profess. We say we believe in the church…
Not just any “church” (gathering) but that which is:
ONE
HOLY
CATHOLIC
APOSTOLIC
A good place to start, don’t you think?
We say we believe that the church is all those things. Won’t you spend a few minutes reflecting on what these powerful words mean?
So, we start at the beginning. We claim the church is ONE.
Some say, what a joke. The Bible tells of disputes between Peter and Paul. By the third century, the church was torn apart over and over again by quarreling factions. Some say the church has been divided since 1054. The Great Schism that divided the church east and west. Rome and Constantinople. Pope and Patriarch. And then enter that Augustinian monk and his 95 Thesis in 1517. From him there cascaded John Calvin, Ulrich Zwingli, John Knox, Thomas Cranmer, King James I (King James Bible – often incorrectly called St. James Bible) John and Charles Wesley and numerous Baptist sects. Today there are over 5,000 distinct “denominations” in the US alone. You call that “Unity?” Actually, yes, I do call that unity. All those distinct groups are united in prayer. So many different forms but one reality. Being grounded in ONE God and Father of us all, His Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. At the last supper Jesus prayed that all those who love him might be “one.” If we believe in a God who answers prayer, surly he answers Jesus prayer. Let us remember. It’s never “Jesus and Me” but Jesus and us. We are ONE in him.
HOLY? Did I mention King James and his Bible. If ever there was a NOT saint it was him, but that’s not what holiness consists of. To be Holy is to be so caught up in the “love” that unites Father, Son and Holy Spirit that we stand out. People will stand up in shocked amazement that such a thing could exist. Sinners just like them who never the less cling to God and God’s loving forgiveness. After all, the very purpose of the Church is to make people holy – to draw people into relationship with God. The Word and Sacraments that undergird that relationship keeps drawing us, and others into that Holiness even or especially when we fail.
CATHOLIC? - No, not Roman Catholic but really “catholic” as in universal. Not just that the church is to be found in every corner of the world but that the message we share is universal. That is FOR everyone. God so loved the world (John 3:16) – not one corner of it, not one group of people, not just you or me but the world. The whole world. Every last bit of it. That’s a “universal” “catholic” faith.
Finally, APOSTOLIC. Sometimes apostolic has come to mean teachings ratified by the apostles and their successors. Truths guarded by an institution or a specific way of ordering leadership. I prefer to think of it in a more challenging way. The very word “apostolic” comes from the Greek word “Apostolikos”– “to be sent” like a letter is “sent” or as my grandparents would say “posted.” That’s us – people sent on a mission, posted out. That mission is to proclaim the faith (One) invite people to follow Jesus (Holy) everywhere (Catholic.)
That’s why the spirit was showered on the apostles – and us - because we have a big job to do. We need all the help we can get.
COME HOLY SPIRIT.
Amen.
THE NICENE CREED
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
THE PRAYERS
Great and Glorious LORD our God, bewilder our sense of the ordinary, and help us also to be amazed and astonished on this day. Let us experience again, the wonder and joy of a living and active faith, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Fall afresh on us
Great and Glorious LORD our God, with the Holy Spirit upon us, let us be emboldened to stand before the leaders of this world, our nation, and our community, with the substance and grace to encourage the renewal of this earth and its people. Spirit of the living God Fall afresh on us
Great and Glorious LORD our God, lighten the burden of pain for those who are weakened in body, spirit, and soul. Let their hearts be filled with the peace of knowing that You hear their every prayer. We now join our voices to pray for those in need, especially those we name here. Spirit of the living God Fall afresh on us
Great and Glorious LORD our God, grant peace to all who have hope in the unseen, even in the midst of grief. Help us all to wait in faithful patience to join our loved ones who now live again in the glory of Your highest heaven. We pray especially for those who remember: Spirit of the living God Fall afresh on us
Great and Glorious LORD our God, as the Spirit descends upon us, quicken the hearts and minds of all who lead us in Your Church, Michael and DeDe, our bishops, Nelson, our Rector, and the Wardens and Vestry of this congregation so that they may energize and excite our life in faith within the Church, and through all of every-day life. Spirit of the living God Fall afresh on us.
Holy and Living God, You above all, desire our redemption and salvation, and yet all of Creation groans as if in labor. To us this day You send the Spirit to intercede, to make us strong where we are weak, to fill us with the fire of faith, and to know that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Our joyful and unending prayers ascend to Jesus our Christ and the Holy Spirit our Advocate, who together with You, live as One God, now and forever. Amen.
On Pentecost people heard the Good News in many different languages. Many churches celebrate Pentecost by having different parts of the worship service said in different languages.
As we turn now to pray as our Lod taught, I invite you to say the Lord’s prayer in a language other than English if you can. Here are some examples.
Latin
PATER noster, qui es in cœlis;
sanctificatur nomen tuum:
Adveniat regnum tuum;
fiat voluntas tua,
sicut in cœlo, et in terra.
Panem nostrum cotidianum da nobis hodie:
Et dimitte nobis debita nostra,
sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris:
et ne nos inducas in tentationem:
sed libera nos a malo.
Quia tuum est regnum, et potestas, et Gloria,
in saecula. Amen.
German
Unser Vater in dem Himmel!
Dein Name werde geheiliget.
Dein Reich komme.
Dein Wille geschehe auf Erden wie im Himmel.
Unser täglich Brot gib uns heute.
Und vergib uns unsere Schulden,
wie wir unsern Schuldigern vergeben.
Und führe uns nicht in Versuchung,
sondern erlöse uns von dem Übel.
Denn dein ist das Reich und die Kraft
und die Herrlichkeit in Ewigkeit. Amen
Spanish
Padre nuestro que estás en los cielos
Santificado sea tu Nombre
Venga tu reino
Hágase tu voluntad
En la tierra como en el cielo
Danos hoy el pan de este día
y perdona nuestras deudas
como nosotros perdonamos nuestros deudores
y no nos dejes caer en al tentación
sino que líbranos del malo.
Amen.
English
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be 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, and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
Now may the Lord bless us, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
AMEN.