Worship on the Pentecost Sunday
10:00 am 19 May 2024
Online & Onsite (Mixed Presence) Gathering as a Worshipping Community
Led by the Rev Brad Childs
Music director: Binu Kapadia Vocalist: Ann May Malayang
Elder: Jane de Caen
We gather to worship God
Music prelude
Greeting
L: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
P: and also with you.
Lighting of the Christ candle
Welcome and announcements
Silent preparation for worship
Call to Worship
L: Breathe upon us, Holy Spirit,
P: and inspire our worship with your truth.
L: Stir in our hearts, Holy Spirit,
P: and fill us with your love.
L: Strengthen us, Holy Spirit,
P: and move us to act with your power.
L: Breathe in us, Holy Spirit,
P: and receive our prayers and praise.
Opening praise: Holy Spirit, you are welcome here
Prayers of approach and confession
God of power and possibility, with the flame of your Spirit, you give us energy to move into the world in Jesus’ name.
With the breath of your Spirit, you refresh us to engage life in its complexity.
Your Spirit embraces us in the diversity and difference you wove into our creation and united us in your love.
We praise you for your presence with us in every time and place.
In this time of worship, send us the Holy Spirit once again.
Renew us to serve you in the world that aches for the healing and wholeness you offer through Jesus Christ, our Risen Lord.
God of mystery and mercy, we confess we have not always paid attention to the urging of your Spirit to follow your will and your way.
Too often we claim to belong to Jesus, yet we ignore his teaching.
You created us to love one another, but we resist loving those who differ from us.
Stir our hearts with your Holy Spirit.
Transform who we are, and direct who we shall become through Christ’s redeeming love.
Response: We come to ask your forgiveness, O God
Assurance of God’s love
These words are worthy of our trust and acceptance: In Jesus Christ our sins are forgiven. Be at peace with God, with yourself and with one another. Thanks be to God for God’s steadfast love and mercy!
We listen for the voice of God
Children’s time
Response: Jesus, we are gathered
Story
When I was in school, I studied several languages (Spanish, Latin, Greek and Hebrew). I’m not great with any of them.
Pentecost took place with people from all around the known world who spoke many different languages.
There were Flames, Tongues, and Fire.
People heard God’s Message in their own languages.
The Bible has been translated into 1,658 languages to share God’s message.
One language that everyone speaks is Love. If you love someone, they know it. Now the Holy Spirit has never given me the special gift of speaking in tongues, but I know what the language of Love is. It’s kindness and respect. It’s sharing God’s message by how we act and how we treat each other.
God has given you a message to share, in English, in any language you speak and in all you do.
Prayer: Our God, we pray that you will help us to speak the language of love – to share the Gospel with all people whether we share the same language or not.
The Lord’s Prayer (535)
Transition music
Song: When the Spirit of the Lord (398)
Today’s Message
Scripture reading: Acts 2:1-21 and Romans 8:22-27
Response: Glory to the Father
Message: Pentecost
I heard a story some time ago about a boy who was wandering around the narthex of a large downtown church one Sunday morning. As the ushers looked over, they saw the boy stop and carefully examine a large bronze plaque that was hung on the wall. The ushers came over to say “Hello.” “Why are all those names up there?” the boy asked the ushers. “Those are the names of people who died in the service.” the usher replied. With eyes now open as wide as they had ever been the boy stared at the ushers and asked “the 9:30 service or the one I come too?”
Sometimes it’s easy to get confused about things in the Church. Pentecost is one of those things. Most people know what Christmas is; many know what Easter is but very few people generally know what Pentecost is. And really that’s very understandable because most Christians tend to disagree a bit about what Pentecost is about.
My Grandmother Grace once told me about how she and her friends used to hide in the bushes outside the Pentecostal church and watch the people roll around in the aisles. She said that one of her great regrets in life is laughing at the so-called “Holy Rollers” when all they were doing was trying to understand God in their own way.
The events of Pentecost and different understandings about what happened at Pentecost have helped to create a whole host of different denominations and sects of Christianity. The Toronto Blessing is a group of Charismatic Christians that believes itself to be weekly experiencing the Holy Spirit as worshipers go through fits of uncontrolled laughter. It may not be for me… but I doubt laughing every really hurt anyone.
Many Pentecostals believe that only those who speak in tongues have been given the Holy Spirit and therefore are the only true Christians. That seems odd and perhaps rude at first but then again, John Calvin was the complete opposite. He believed that the original Pentecost experience was a miracle but that it existed only for the birth of the church and that miracles were no longer needed and so, no longer happened. When people spoke of the miraculous, he argued with them (considering them uneducated). It seems Pentecost (a day that’s supposed to be about unity) is dividing us. We all seem to understand what happened differently.
In the story from Acts chapter two, the disciples are gathered together when suddenly a sound “something like” a violent wind came from heaven and filled the house. And then what seemed like “tongues of fire.” Then the tongues separate and rest on each person. And then everyone in the room begins to speak in “other tongues.”
Outside there is a large crowd with people gathered from all around the known world. But somehow everyone outside hears the gospel message proclaimed in their own native language. Some of the people nearby are skeptical and think the disciples and other travelers are simply drunk and attempt to dismiss them. But many others come to believe.
Just what was happening at Pentecost though is a little hard to tell. There was no camera around to capture the event; it was written two thousand years ago, and it was written in another language complete with its own traditions, background, idioms and much more. At first it might seem straightforward enough (The Holy Spirit came as tongues made of fire and gave people a magical language so they could share the gospel with the world beyond) but… What does it mean that Luke (the writer of Acts) doesn’t actually say that a great wind came? No instead he himself can’t describe it…calling it “something like a mighty wind.”
Next Luke can’t describe the so-called tongues… instead calling them “what seemed like tongues of fire.”
Next what does tongues of fire mean? By tongues are we meant to literally envision tongues but made of fire? Or are “tongues of fire” a figure of speech that describes the flickering edges or tops of the flames? What is speaking in tongues anyway? Are they speaking other human languages as some suggest? Did they know the languages they were speaking but simple felt compelled to speak as some say… or did they speak human languages they had never studied before? Or are they babbling nonsensical words or are they speaking the language of angels as many Charismatic Christians believe?
On the more literary front, many scholars have pointed out that the events of Acts 2 appear to mirror the events that take place at the bottom of Mt. Sinai in the book of Exodus. Both have a violent wind, both have the theophany (fire of God), both have the presence of God being revealed in a new way, both have a multitude of people gathered, both make a point to note that people from foreign lands are present and both note the Word being given to the people to share.
Other scholars have noticed that what happened in Acts 2 is actually the exact opposite of what happened in Genesis 11 at the Tower of Babel. The say that in Babel the people didn’t trust in God’s promise to Noah to never again flood the earth and so they began to make a structure to reach the heavens where they could go and be above God’s reproach and so be “like gods” themselves. In response God confuses their language and scatters them throughout the world as a curse. In contrast to this, on the day of Pentecost they say, God lifts the curse and creates a kind of universal language and speaks to people from all around the known world who are all gathered together once again.
Is the story history the way we define history, history the way they defined history or was the whole event meant to be a literary or figurative way of explaining the beginnings of a spiritual revival that first century people would have easily understood but has been largely lost on us?
Want to know what I think happened? Would you like to know exactly what I think happened?
I don’t have a clue. I don’t know why but strangely and quite frankly I don’t really care all that much to know exactly what happened.
But I’ll tell you what I do know.
Three times a year the Jews were to take a pilgrimage up to Jerusalem. Shavu’ot is one of the three. It comes from Ex. 34:22 which says that God’s people were to have a festival on the Sabbath following seven weeks after the Passover. In Leviticus 23:16 it says, “You shall number the festival after 50 days”. By the New Testament times, the Hebrew Bibles were nearly out of use and most people; even Rabbis read a Greek translation called the Septuagint. The Septuagint translation of the above texts just reads “You shall have a festival at ‘pentekostes’” the Greek word for 50 (“You shall have the festival at 50”). While the Passover was about the exodus from Egypt, the pentekostes was commonly thought to be about the giving of the Ten Commandments. But officially the holiday was a pre-harvest festival called “The Feast of First Fruits.”
See in the early first temple period when the nomadic Israelites had just left the desert and first begun to farm, they began to celebrate the festival of first fruits. It was an extreme act of faith. See farmers didn’t just cultivate crops all at the same time. It took a long time to plant and a long time to bring in the crops. Farming is hard and dangerous today, but this was an even harder time. For most people there were no irrigation systems, no safe place to store next year’s seed, no guarantee of pleasant weather, no pesticides to keep crops from being destroyed, and only a few ways to take out loans (none of which were pleasant) if nothing grew. A weak harvest could mean starvation and the death of a whole extended family. Two weak harvests and death was almost certain. Now it should be noted that Leviticus asks the people to give a tithe or tenth of their earning as a sacrifice to God for the festival but here’s where the feast of first fruits gets really serious.
See – at the feast of first fruits, they gave 1/10 of their harvest. But it’s not 1/10 after the harvest is all over. It’s the first 10% of the crop. At the beginning of the harvest before it had all come in, long before they knew if the rest of the crop would mature, if the rain would come, if the bugs wouldn’t eat it all, if there would be enough to eat, if enough to eat… enough to store, if enough to store then enough to save for planting the following year. Before they knew anything at all… they would take the first 10% of their crop, and during the harvest season… travel to the Temple in Jerusalem (at the time when they should be watching their crops most carefully) and they would take that first 10% (their only food for the whole year thus far… all of it) and they would burn it.
They would burn it because they trusted God would provide them with more.
Shavu’ot… Pentekostes… That is why the disciples are gathered together in that room 50 days after Jesus was killed. There is a party going on… it’s the 50th day. It’s a pentecostes. It is an exciting time… but it’s also a very selfless time when the people really stepped up to the plate in faith, where they stuck their necks out as far as they could possibly go.
And on that day, the Ruach HaKodesh (the very Breath of God) came into that place. And as opposed to how things had been before (an insular and tight knit group), verse four says the Breath of God and the Fire and Spirit “came to all present.” What’s more the Spirit didn’t just “rest” on them as He did in the Old Testament but instead verse five says he “filled them.” Everyone began at once preaching the gospel and outside travelers from all around the known world heard the message of Christ in his or her own language. Because of Pentecostes when the people gave their first fruits, God birthed the Church through the disciples… the First Fruits of many (including you) who would share the gospel with others. Because he trusted that there would be more.
Sometimes it’s easy to get confused about things in the Church. And that’s understandable. Exactly what happened that first Christian Pentecost day two thousand years ago? I don’t have a clue. I don’t know for sure if they were literal tongues or just flames (both would be miracles). I don’t know if the story is more literal or literary. I don’t know for sure if they were known languages, angelic tongues, or something else. I don’t know if God still does the same kind of miracles today or if this was just for those first believers. I don’t know… but strangely and quite frankly I don’t really care all that much. Because I may not know all the minute details of exactly what happened at that first Christian Pentecost, but I do think I know what it means that it happened.
I think what John the Baptist had said in Luke 3:16 came true when he said,
“I baptize with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”
I think Jesus did what he said he’d do in John 14:16 when he said, “And I will ask the Father and He will send you another advocate who will never leave you.”
I think what Christ said Acts 1:8 came true where he said, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.”
I think that first Pentecost day they were the first fruits of those called to proclaim the message of Christ to all the world and that you and I are a part of that harvest just as you and I are called to proclaim it to all the world in every language and every corner of creation. Because Acts chapter two is the birthplace of the Church as we know it… and when the Bible says, “12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, ‘What does this mean?’” I believe Peter is right to answer that question by saying, “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Because the Church might be confusing at times and the gospel hard to grasp but the Spirit of God wants everyone to hear it.
May the Lord Bless you and keep you,
May you be the first fruits of all those you touch,
And may we always proclaim Happy Birthday to the Church of Jesus Christ, in every language everywhere knowing that by the power of the Sprit, “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Song: I am the church (475)
We respond to serve God: Our time of giving
Reflection on giving: At Pentecost, God poured out gifts of the Spirit upon the Church, to equip Christ’s followers to bear witness to him throughout the world. We offer our gifts and our lives to God so that the witness of the Church will continue with the blessing of the Holy Spirit in this generation and beyond.
Prayer of gratitude and for others and ourselves
Spirit of grace and power, bless the gifts we offer so that they may accomplish surprising things in Jesus’ name. Bless our lives, too, so that our words and actions bear witness to Jesus’ love and mercy each and every day.
Wind of the Spirit, blow through your whole church on this day of Pentecost: Blow through us and renew our faith. Re-awaken our love for God. Let the flames of your love warm our hearts with trust in Jesus Christ. Dare us to do great things in his name.
Wind of the Spirit, blow through us and renew our faith and hope.
Wind of the Spirit, blow through us and give us energy to serve you as the body of Christ working in the world. Open our eyes to recognize needs for ministry and mission around us. Open our hearts to welcome newcomers and meet those we don’t yet know. Open our hands to share in tasks that need doing, and open our lips in prayer and praise.
Wind of the Spirit, blow through us and renew our faith and hope.
Wind of the Spirit, blow through us and give us understanding for all those whose lives seem so different from ours (brief silence)
- for those facing situations we’ve never encountered (brief silence)
- for those with whom we’ve disagreed (brief silence)
- for problems and challenges we face at home, at work, and in the world facing so much turmoil. (longer silence)
Wind of the Spirit, blow through us and renew our faith and hope.
Wind of the Spirit, blow through us and bring healing
- for all who face pain or illness, discouragement, or disappointment (brief silence)
- for all who know sorrow, sadness, or grief (brief silence)
- for those who feel pressure in these uncertain times (longer silence)
Wind of the Spirit, blow through us and renew our faith and hope.
Wind of the Spirit, blow through us and bring us the compassion we see in Christ Jesus to serve the world you love in his name.
Blow through us and refresh us as his faithful followers.
Unite us across our differences as together, we pray, Amen.
Song: Jump with joy (406)
Sending out with God’s blessing
On this Pentecost Day, go in the strength of the Spirit to serve with renewed energy wherever the Spirit moves you. And may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit, and the grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Response: God to enfold you
Music postlude
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Numbers in brackets after a song/hymn indicate that it is from the 1997 Book of Praise of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. Those and other songs are being used in accordance with the specifications of Dayspring’s licensing with One License (3095377) and CLC (A735555).
The Rev. Brad Childs retains the copyright (© 2024) on all original material in this service. As far as Brad Childs is aware, all of the material that has not been attributed to others is his own creation or is in the public domain. Unacknowledged use of copyrighted material is unintentional and will be corrected immediately upon notification being received.