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!
Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness:
O come, let us adore him.
- 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.
Praying the Psalms
Psalm 10
[1] Why, O LORD, do you stand far away?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
[2] In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor;
let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised.
[3] For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul,
and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the LORD.
[4] In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him;
all his thoughts are, “There is no God.”
[5] His ways prosper at all times;
your judgments are on high, out of his sight;
as for all his foes, he puffs at them.
[6] He says in his heart, “I shall not be moved;
throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity.”
[7] His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression;
under his tongue are mischief and iniquity.
[8] He sits in ambush in the villages;
in hiding places he murders the innocent.
His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless;
[9] he lurks in ambush like a lion in his thicket;
he lurks that he may seize the poor;
he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net.
[10] The helpless are crushed, sink down,
and fall by his might.
[11] He says in his heart, “God has forgotten,
he has hidden his face, he will never see it.”
[12] Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up your hand;
forget not the afflicted.
[13] Why does the wicked renounce God
and say in his heart, “You will not call to account”?
[14] But you do see, for you note mischief and vexation,
that you may take it into your hands;
to you the helpless commits himself;
you have been the helper of the fatherless.
[15] Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer;
call his wickedness to account till you find none.
[16] The LORD is king forever and ever;
the nations perish from his land.
[17] O LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted;
you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear
[18] to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,
so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.
Psalm 11
To the choirmaster. Of David.
[1] In the LORD I take refuge;
how can you say to my soul,
Flee like a bird to your mountain,
[2] for behold, the wicked bend the bow;
they have fitted their arrow to the string
to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart;
[3] if the foundations are destroyed,
what can the righteous do?
[4] The LORD is in his holy temple;
the LORD’s throne is in heaven;
his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man.
[5] The LORD tests the righteous,
but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.
[6] Let him rain coals on the wicked;
fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.
[7] For the LORD is righteous;
he loves righteous deeds;
the upright shall behold his face.
Psalm 12
To the choirmaster: according to The Sheminith. A Psalm of David.
[1] Save, O LORD, for the godly one is gone;
for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man.
[2] Everyone utters lies to his neighbor;
with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.
[3] May the LORD cut off all flattering lips,
the tongue that makes great boasts,
[4] those who say, “With our tongue we will prevail,
our lips are with us; who is master over us?”
[5] “Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan,
I will now arise,” says the LORD;
“I will place him in the safety for which he longs.”
[6] The words of the LORD are pure words,
like silver refined in a furnace on the ground,
purified seven times.
[7] You, O LORD, will keep them;
you will guard us from this generation forever.
[8] On every side the wicked prowl,
as vileness is exalted among the children of man.
Old Testament Reading
Jeremiah 33
[1] The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah a second time, while he was still shut up in the court of the guard: [2] “Thus says the LORD who made the earth, the LORD who formed it to establish it—the LORD is his name: [3] Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. [4] For thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city and the houses of the kings of Judah that were torn down to make a defense against the siege mounds and against the sword: [5] They are coming in to fight against the Chaldeans and to fill them with the dead bodies of men whom I shall strike down in my anger and my wrath, for I have hidden my face from this city because of all their evil. [6] Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security. [7] I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel, and rebuild them as they were at first. [8] I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me, and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me. [9] And this city shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and a glory before all the nations of the earth who shall hear of all the good that I do for them. They shall fear and tremble because of all the good and all the prosperity I provide for it.
[10] “Thus says the LORD: In this place of which you say, ‘It is a waste without man or beast,’ in the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without man or inhabitant or beast, there shall be heard again [11] the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voices of those who sing, as they bring thank offerings to the house of the LORD:
“‘Give thanks to the LORD of hosts,
for the LORD is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever!’
For I will restore the fortunes of the land as at first, says the LORD.
[12] “Thus says the LORD of hosts: In this place that is waste, without man or beast, and in all of its cities, there shall again be habitations of shepherds resting their flocks. [13] In the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the Shephelah, and in the cities of the Negeb, in the land of Benjamin, the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, flocks shall again pass under the hands of the one who counts them, says the LORD.
[14] “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. [15] In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. [16] In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The LORD is our righteousness.’
[17] “For thus says the LORD: David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel, [18] and the Levitical priests shall never lack a man in my presence to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings, and to make sacrifices forever.”
[19] The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: [20] “Thus says the LORD: If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night will not come at their appointed time, [21] then also my covenant with David my servant may be broken, so that he shall not have a son to reign on his throne, and my covenant with the Levitical priests my ministers. [22] As the host of heaven cannot be numbered and the sands of the sea cannot be measured, so I will multiply the offspring of David my servant, and the Levitical priests who minister to me.”
[23] The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: [24] “Have you not observed that these people are saying, ‘The LORD has rejected the two clans that he chose’? Thus they have despised my people so that they are no longer a nation in their sight. [25] Thus says the LORD: If I have not established my covenant with day and night and the fixed order of heaven and earth, [26] then I will reject the offspring of Jacob and David my servant and will not choose one of his offspring to rule over the offspring of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes and will have mercy on them.”
- 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...
Let your continual mercy, O Lord, cleanse and defend your Church; and, because it cannot continue in safety without your help, protect and govern it always by your goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
- Commission -
The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.
(Numbers 6:24-26)
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord and our neighbors.