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 82
A Psalm of Asaph.
[1] God has taken his place in the divine council;
in the midst of the gods he holds judgment:
[2] “How long will you judge unjustly
and show partiality to the wicked? Selah
[3] Give justice to the weak and the fatherless;
maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.
[4] Rescue the weak and the needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”
[5] They have neither knowledge nor understanding,
they walk about in darkness;
all the foundations of the earth are shaken.
[6] I said, “You are gods,
sons of the Most High, all of you;
[7] nevertheless, like men you shall die,
and fall like any prince.”
[8] Arise, O God, judge the earth;
for you shall inherit all the nations!
Psalm 83
A Song. A Psalm of Asaph.
[1] O God, do not keep silence;
do not hold your peace or be still, O God!
[2] For behold, your enemies make an uproar;
those who hate you have raised their heads.
[3] They lay crafty plans against your people;
they consult together against your treasured ones.
[4] They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation;
let the name of Israel be remembered no more!”
[5] For they conspire with one accord;
against you they make a covenant—
[6] the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
Moab and the Hagrites,
[7] Gebal and Ammon and Amalek,
Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;
[8] Asshur also has joined them;
they are the strong arm of the children of Lot. Selah
[9] Do to them as you did to Midian,
as to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon,
[10] who were destroyed at En-dor,
who became dung for the ground.
[11] Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,
all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
[12] who said, “Let us take possession for ourselves
of the pastures of God.”
[13] O my God, make them like whirling dust,
like chaff before the wind.
[14] As fire consumes the forest,
as the flame sets the mountains ablaze,
[15] so may you pursue them with your tempest
and terrify them with your hurricane!
[16] Fill their faces with shame,
that they may seek your name, O LORD.
[17] Let them be put to shame and dismayed forever;
let them perish in disgrace,
[18] that they may know that you alone,
whose name is the LORD,
are the Most High over all the earth.
Psalm 84
To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.
[1] How lovely is your dwelling place,
O LORD of hosts!
[2] My soul longs, yes, faints
for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and flesh sing for joy
to the living God.
[3] Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may lay her young,
at your altars, O LORD of hosts,
my King and my God.
[4] Blessed are those who dwell in your house,
ever singing your praise! Selah
[5] Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
in whose heart are the highways to Zion.
[6] As they go through the Valley of Baca
they make it a place of springs;
the early rain also covers it with pools.
[7] They go from strength to strength;
each one appears before God in Zion.
[8] O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer;
give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah
[9] Behold our shield, O God;
look on the face of your anointed!
[10] For a day in your courts is better
than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
[11] For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
the LORD bestows favor and honor.
No good thing does he withhold
from those who walk uprightly.
[12] O LORD of hosts,
blessed is the one who trusts in you!
Old Testament Reading
Ezekiel 4
[1] “And you, son of man, take a brick and lay it before you, and engrave on it a city, even Jerusalem. [2] And put siegeworks against it, and build a siege wall against it, and cast up a mound against it. Set camps also against it, and plant battering rams against it all around. [3] And you, take an iron griddle, and place it as an iron wall between you and the city; and set your face toward it, and let it be in a state of siege, and press the siege against it. This is a sign for the house of Israel.
[4] “Then lie on your left side, and place the punishment of the house of Israel upon it. For the number of the days that you lie on it, you shall bear their punishment. [5] For I assign to you a number of days, 390 days, equal to the number of the years of their punishment. So long shall you bear the punishment of the house of Israel. [6] And when you have completed these, you shall lie down a second time, but on your right side, and bear the punishment of the house of Judah. Forty days I assign you, a day for each year. [7] And you shall set your face toward the siege of Jerusalem, with your arm bared, and you shall prophesy against the city. [8] And behold, I will place cords upon you, so that you cannot turn from one side to the other, till you have completed the days of your siege.
[9] “And you, take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and emmer, and put them into a single vessel and make your bread from them. During the number of days that you lie on your side, 390 days, you shall eat it. [10] And your food that you eat shall be by weight, twenty shekels a day; from day to day you shall eat it. [11] And water you shall drink by measure, the sixth part of a hin; from day to day you shall drink. [12] And you shall eat it as a barley cake, baking it in their sight on human dung.” [13] And the LORD said, “Thus shall the people of Israel eat their bread unclean, among the nations where I will drive them.” [14] Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I have never defiled myself. From my youth up till now I have never eaten what died of itself or was torn by beasts, nor has tainted meat come into my mouth.” [15] Then he said to me, “See, I assign to you cow’s dung instead of human dung, on which you may prepare your bread.” [16] Moreover, he said to me, “Son of man, behold, I will break the supply of bread in Jerusalem. They shall eat bread by weight and with anxiety, and they shall drink water by measure and in dismay. [17] I will do this that they may lack bread and water, and look at one another in dismay, and rot away because of their punishment.
- 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...
Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things: Graft in our hearts the love of your Name; increase in us true religion; nourish us with all goodness; and bring forth in us the fruit of good works; 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.