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!
The mercy of the Lord is everlasting:
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.
2 Chronicles 13
[1] In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah began to reign over Judah. [2] He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Micaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah.
Now there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. [3] Abijah went out to battle, having an army of valiant men of war, 400,000 chosen men. And Jeroboam drew up his line of battle against him with 800,000 chosen mighty warriors. [4] Then Abijah stood up on Mount Zemaraim that is in the hill country of Ephraim and said, “Hear me, O Jeroboam and all Israel! [5] Ought you not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingship over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt? [6] Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up and rebelled against his lord, [7] and certain worthless scoundrels gathered about him and defied Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and irresolute and could not withstand them.
[8] “And now you think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David, because you are a great multitude and have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made you for gods. [9] Have you not driven out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made priests for yourselves like the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes for ordination with a young bull or seven rams becomes a priest of what are not gods. [10] But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him. We have priests ministering to the LORD who are sons of Aaron, and Levites for their service. [11] They offer to the LORD every morning and every evening burnt offerings and incense of sweet spices, set out the showbread on the table of pure gold, and care for the golden lampstand that its lamps may burn every evening. For we keep the charge of the LORD our God, but you have forsaken him. [12] Behold, God is with us at our head, and his priests with their battle trumpets to sound the call to battle against you. O sons of Israel, do not fight against the LORD, the God of your fathers, for you cannot succeed.”
[13] Jeroboam had sent an ambush around to come upon them from behind. Thus his troops were in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them. [14] And when Judah looked, behold, the battle was in front of and behind them. And they cried to the LORD, and the priests blew the trumpets. [15] Then the men of Judah raised the battle shout. And when the men of Judah shouted, God defeated Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. [16] The men of Israel fled before Judah, and God gave them into their hand. [17] Abijah and his people struck them with great force, so there fell slain of Israel 500,000 chosen men. [18] Thus the men of Israel were subdued at that time, and the men of Judah prevailed, because they relied on the LORD, the God of their fathers. [19] And Abijah pursued Jeroboam and took cities from him, Bethel with its villages and Jeshanah with its villages and Ephron with its villages. [20] Jeroboam did not recover his power in the days of Abijah. And the LORD struck him down, and he died. [21] But Abijah grew mighty. And he took fourteen wives and had twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. [22] The rest of the acts of Abijah, his ways and his sayings, are written in the story of the prophet Iddo.
Psalm 35
Of David.
[1] Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me;
fight against those who fight against me!
[2] Take hold of shield and buckler
and rise for my help!
[3] Draw the spear and javelin
against my pursuers!
Say to my soul,
“I am your salvation!”
[4] Let them be put to shame and dishonor
who seek after my life!
Let them be turned back and disappointed
who devise evil against me!
[5] Let them be like chaff before the wind,
with the angel of the LORD driving them away!
[6] Let their way be dark and slippery,
with the angel of the LORD pursuing them!
[7] For without cause they hid their net for me;
without cause they dug a pit for my life.
[8] Let destruction come upon him when he does not know it!
And let the net that he hid ensnare him;
let him fall into it—to his destruction!
[9] Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD,
exulting in his salvation.
[10] All my bones shall say,
“O LORD, who is like you,
delivering the poor
from him who is too strong for him,
the poor and needy from him who robs him?”
[11] Malicious witnesses rise up;
they ask me of things that I do not know.
[12] They repay me evil for good;
my soul is bereft.
[13] But I, when they were sick—
I wore sackcloth;
I afflicted myself with fasting;
I prayed with head bowed on my chest.
[14] I went about as though I grieved for my friend or my brother;
as one who laments his mother,
I bowed down in mourning.
[15] But at my stumbling they rejoiced and gathered;
they gathered together against me;
wretches whom I did not know
tore at me without ceasing;
[16] like profane mockers at a feast,
they gnash at me with their teeth.
[17] How long, O Lord, will you look on?
Rescue me from their destruction,
my precious life from the lions!
[18] I will thank you in the great congregation;
in the mighty throng I will praise you.
[19] Let not those rejoice over me
who are wrongfully my foes,
and let not those wink the eye
who hate me without cause.
[20] For they do not speak peace,
but against those who are quiet in the land
they devise words of deceit.
[21] They open wide their mouths against me;
they say, “Aha, Aha!
Our eyes have seen it!”
[22] You have seen, O LORD; be not silent!
O Lord, be not far from me!
[23] Awake and rouse yourself for my vindication,
for my cause, my God and my Lord!
[24] Vindicate me, O LORD, my God,
according to your righteousness,
and let them not rejoice over me!
[25] Let them not say in their hearts,
“Aha, our heart’s desire!”
Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up.”
[26] Let them be put to shame and disappointed altogether
who rejoice at my calamity!
Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor
who magnify themselves against me!
[27] Let those who delight in my righteousness
shout for joy and be glad
and say evermore,
“Great is the LORD,
who delights in the welfare of his servant!”
[28] Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness
and of your praise all the day long.
Psalm 146
[1] Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD, O my soul!
[2] I will praise the LORD as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
[3] Put not your trust in princes,
in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.
[4] When his breath departs, he returns to the earth;
on that very day his plans perish.
[5] Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the LORD his God,
[6] who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them,
who keeps faith forever;
[7] who executes justice for the oppressed,
who gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets the prisoners free;
[8] the LORD opens the eyes of the blind.
The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down;
the LORD loves the righteous.
[9] The LORD watches over the sojourners;
he upholds the widow and the fatherless,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
[10] The LORD will reign forever,
your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the LORD!
- 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 -
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)
Let us go forth in the name of Christ.