Pentecost
The word ‘Pentecost’ comes from the Greek meaning simply ‘fiftieth.’ Pentecost Sunday ends the season of Easter and symbolizes a new beginning. It celebrates the unleashing of the Holy Spirit on the world and the empowering of the church to reach the world with the gospel. In remembering Pentecost and living in light of this powerful turning point the church expresses gratitude to Christ for sending “another counselor” (John 14:16), celebrates the work of the Spirit in the renewal of all creation, and professes its confidence and security in knowing the Spirit’s power is available for its mission.
- Calling -
O Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim Your praise.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen. Alleluia!
Alleluia. The Spirit of the Lord filleth the world:
O come, let us adore him. Alleluia.
- Constitution -
Read/Listen, Meditate, Pray, and Contemplate on God’s Word, remembering that God is with you and ready to speak to you because he loves you.
Job 25
[1] Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said:
[2] “Dominion and fear are with God;
he makes peace in his high heaven.
[3] Is there any number to his armies?
Upon whom does his light not arise?
[4] How then can man be in the right before God?
How can he who is born of woman be pure?
[5] Behold, even the moon is not bright,
and the stars are not pure in his eyes;
[6] how much less man, who is a maggot,
and the son of man, who is a worm!”
Job 26
[1] Then Job answered and said:
[2] “How you have helped him who has no power!
How you have saved the arm that has no strength!
[3] How you have counseled him who has no wisdom,
and plentifully declared sound knowledge!
[4] With whose help have you uttered words,
and whose breath has come out from you?
[5] The dead tremble
under the waters and their inhabitants.
[6] Sheol is naked before God,
and Abaddon has no covering.
[7] He stretches out the north over the void
and hangs the earth on nothing.
[8] He binds up the waters in his thick clouds,
and the cloud is not split open under them.
[9] He covers the face of the full moon
and spreads over it his cloud.
[10] He has inscribed a circle on the face of the waters
at the boundary between light and darkness.
[11] The pillars of heaven tremble
and are astounded at his rebuke.
[12] By his power he stilled the sea;
by his understanding he shattered Rahab.
[13] By his wind the heavens were made fair;
his hand pierced the fleeing serpent.
[14] Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways,
and how small a whisper do we hear of him!
But the thunder of his power who can understand?”
Job 27
[1] And Job again took up his discourse, and said:
[2] “As God lives, who has taken away my right,
and the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter,
[3] as long as my breath is in me,
and the spirit of God is in my nostrils,
[4] my lips will not speak falsehood,
and my tongue will not utter deceit.
[5] Far be it from me to say that you are right;
till I die I will not put away my integrity from me.
[6] I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go;
my heart does not reproach me for any of my days.
[7] “Let my enemy be as the wicked,
and let him who rises up against me be as the unrighteous.
[8] For what is the hope of the godless when God cuts him off,
when God takes away his life?
[9] Will God hear his cry
when distress comes upon him?
[10] Will he take delight in the Almighty?
Will he call upon God at all times?
[11] I will teach you concerning the hand of God;
what is with the Almighty I will not conceal.
[12] Behold, all of you have seen it yourselves;
why then have you become altogether vain?
[13] “This is the portion of a wicked man with God,
and the heritage that oppressors receive from the Almighty:
[14] If his children are multiplied, it is for the sword,
and his descendants have not enough bread.
[15] Those who survive him the pestilence buries,
and his widows do not weep.
[16] Though he heap up silver like dust,
and pile up clothing like clay,
[17] he may pile it up, but the righteous will wear it,
and the innocent will divide the silver.
[18] He builds his house like a moth’s,
like a booth that a watchman makes.
[19] He goes to bed rich, but will do so no more;
he opens his eyes, and his wealth is gone.
[20] Terrors overtake him like a flood;
in the night a whirlwind carries him off.
[21] The east wind lifts him up and he is gone;
it sweeps him out of his place.
[22] It hurls at him without pity;
he flees from its power in headlong flight.
[23] It claps its hands at him
and hisses at him from its place.
Job 28
[1] “Surely there is a mine for silver,
and a place for gold that they refine.
[2] Iron is taken out of the earth,
and copper is smelted from the ore.
[3] Man puts an end to darkness
and searches out to the farthest limit
the ore in gloom and deep darkness.
[4] He opens shafts in a valley away from where anyone lives;
they are forgotten by travelers;
they hang in the air, far away from mankind; they swing to and fro.
[5] As for the earth, out of it comes bread,
but underneath it is turned up as by fire.
[6] Its stones are the place of sapphires,
and it has dust of gold.
[7] “That path no bird of prey knows,
and the falcon’s eye has not seen it.
[8] The proud beasts have not trodden it;
the lion has not passed over it.
[9] “Man puts his hand to the flinty rock
and overturns mountains by the roots.
[10] He cuts out channels in the rocks,
and his eye sees every precious thing.
[11] He dams up the streams so that they do not trickle,
and the thing that is hidden he brings out to light.
[12] “But where shall wisdom be found?
And where is the place of understanding?
[13] Man does not know its worth,
and it is not found in the land of the living.
[14] The deep says, ‘It is not in me,’
and the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’
[15] It cannot be bought for gold,
and silver cannot be weighed as its price.
[16] It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,
in precious onyx or sapphire.
[17] Gold and glass cannot equal it,
nor can it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.
[18] No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal;
the price of wisdom is above pearls.
[19] The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it,
nor can it be valued in pure gold.
[20] “From where, then, does wisdom come?
And where is the place of understanding?
[21] It is hidden from the eyes of all living
and concealed from the birds of the air.
[22] Abaddon and Death say,
‘We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.’
[23] “God understands the way to it,
and he knows its place.
[24] For he looks to the ends of the earth
and sees everything under the heavens.
[25] When he gave to the wind its weight
and apportioned the waters by measure,
[26] when he made a decree for the rain
and a way for the lightning of the thunder,
[27] then he saw it and declared it;
he established it, and searched it out.
[28] And he said to man,
‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom,
and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
Psalm 109
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
[1] Be not silent, O God of my praise!
[2] For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me,
speaking against me with lying tongues.
[3] They encircle me with words of hate,
and attack me without cause.
[4] In return for my love they accuse me,
but I give myself to prayer.
[5] So they reward me evil for good,
and hatred for my love.
[6] Appoint a wicked man against him;
let an accuser stand at his right hand.
[7] When he is tried, let him come forth guilty;
let his prayer be counted as sin!
[8] May his days be few;
may another take his office!
[9] May his children be fatherless
and his wife a widow!
[10] May his children wander about and beg,
seeking food far from the ruins they inhabit!
[11] May the creditor seize all that he has;
may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil!
[12] Let there be none to extend kindness to him,
nor any to pity his fatherless children!
[13] May his posterity be cut off;
may his name be blotted out in the second generation!
[14] May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD,
and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out!
[15] Let them be before the LORD continually,
that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth!
[16] For he did not remember to show kindness,
but pursued the poor and needy
and the brokenhearted, to put them to death.
[17] He loved to curse; let curses come upon him!
He did not delight in blessing; may it be far from him!
[18] He clothed himself with cursing as his coat;
may it soak into his body like water,
like oil into his bones!
[19] May it be like a garment that he wraps around him,
like a belt that he puts on every day!
[20] May this be the reward of my accusers from the LORD,
of those who speak evil against my life!
[21] But you, O GOD my Lord,
deal on my behalf for your name’s sake;
because your steadfast love is good, deliver me!
[22] For I am poor and needy,
and my heart is stricken within me.
[23] I am gone like a shadow at evening;
I am shaken off like a locust.
[24] My knees are weak through fasting;
my body has become gaunt, with no fat.
[25] I am an object of scorn to my accusers;
when they see me, they wag their heads.
[26] Help me, O LORD my God!
Save me according to your steadfast love!
[27] Let them know that this is your hand;
you, O LORD, have done it!
[28] Let them curse, but you will bless!
They arise and are put to shame, but your servant will be glad!
[29] May my accusers be clothed with dishonor;
may they be wrapped in their own shame as in a cloak!
[30] With my mouth I will give great thanks to the LORD;
I will praise him in the midst of the throng.
[31] For he stands at the right hand of the needy one,
to save him from those who condemn his soul to death.
- Communion -
Pray for yourself, others, our church, our neighbors, and the world.
Pray the Lord’s Prayer & the collect of the week:
Our Father who art in heaven...
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.
- Commission -
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (2 Corinthians 13:14)
Let us go forth in the name of Christ.