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.
Praying the Psalms
Psalm 135
[1] Praise the LORD!
Praise the name of the LORD,
give praise, O servants of the LORD,
[2] who stand in the house of the LORD,
in the courts of the house of our God!
[3] Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good;
sing to his name, for it is pleasant!
[4] For the LORD has chosen Jacob for himself,
Israel as his own possession.
[5] For I know that the LORD is great,
and that our Lord is above all gods.
[6] Whatever the LORD pleases, he does,
in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and all deeps.
[7] He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth,
who makes lightnings for the rain
and brings forth the wind from his storehouses.
[8] He it was who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
both of man and of beast;
[9] who in your midst, O Egypt,
sent signs and wonders
against Pharaoh and all his servants;
[10] who struck down many nations
and killed mighty kings,
[11] Sihon, king of the Amorites,
and Og, king of Bashan,
and all the kingdoms of Canaan,
[12] and gave their land as a heritage,
a heritage to his people Israel.
[13] Your name, O LORD, endures forever,
your renown, O LORD, throughout all ages.
[14] For the LORD will vindicate his people
and have compassion on his servants.
[15] The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.
[16] They have mouths, but do not speak;
they have eyes, but do not see;
[17] they have ears, but do not hear,
nor is there any breath in their mouths.
[18] Those who make them become like them;
so do all who trust in them.
[19] O house of Israel, bless the LORD!
O house of Aaron, bless the LORD!
[20] O house of Levi, bless the LORD!
You who fear the LORD, bless the LORD!
[21] Blessed be the LORD from Zion,
he who dwells in Jerusalem!
Praise the LORD!
Psalm 136
[1] Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
[2] Give thanks to the God of gods,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
[3] Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
[4] to him who alone does great wonders,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
[5] to him who by understanding made the heavens,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
[6] to him who spread out the earth above the waters,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
[7] to him who made the great lights,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
[8] the sun to rule over the day,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
[9] the moon and stars to rule over the night,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
[10] to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
[11] and brought Israel out from among them,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
[12] with a strong hand and an outstretched arm,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
[13] to him who divided the Red Sea in two,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
[14] and made Israel pass through the midst of it,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
[15] but overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
[16] to him who led his people through the wilderness,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
[17] to him who struck down great kings,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
[18] and killed mighty kings,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
[19] Sihon, king of the Amorites,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
[20] and Og, king of Bashan,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
[21] and gave their land as a heritage,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
[22] a heritage to Israel his servant,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
[23] It is he who remembered us in our low estate,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
[24] and rescued us from our foes,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
[25] he who gives food to all flesh,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
[26] Give thanks to the God of heaven,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
Old Testament Reading
Ezekiel 32
[1] In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me: [2] “Son of man, raise a lamentation over Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him:
“You consider yourself a lion of the nations,
but you are like a dragon in the seas;
you burst forth in your rivers,
trouble the waters with your feet,
and foul their rivers.
[3] Thus says the Lord GOD:
I will throw my net over you
with a host of many peoples,
and they will haul you up in my dragnet.
[4] And I will cast you on the ground;
on the open field I will fling you,
and will cause all the birds of the heavens to settle on you,
and I will gorge the beasts of the whole earth with you.
[5] I will strew your flesh upon the mountains
and fill the valleys with your carcass.
[6] I will drench the land even to the mountains
with your flowing blood,
and the ravines will be full of you.
[7] When I blot you out, I will cover the heavens
and make their stars dark;
I will cover the sun with a cloud,
and the moon shall not give its light.
[8] All the bright lights of heaven
will I make dark over you,
and put darkness on your land,
declares the Lord GOD.
[9] “I will trouble the hearts of many peoples, when I bring your destruction among the nations, into the countries that you have not known. [10] I will make many peoples appalled at you, and the hair of their kings shall bristle with horror because of you, when I brandish my sword before them. They shall tremble every moment, every one for his own life, on the day of your downfall.
[11] “For thus says the Lord GOD: The sword of the king of Babylon shall come upon you. [12] I will cause your multitude to fall by the swords of mighty ones, all of them most ruthless of nations.
“They shall bring to ruin the pride of Egypt,
and all its multitude shall perish.
[13] I will destroy all its beasts
from beside many waters;
and no foot of man shall trouble them anymore,
nor shall the hoofs of beasts trouble them.
[14] Then I will make their waters clear,
and cause their rivers to run like oil,
declares the Lord GOD.
[15] When I make the land of Egypt desolate,
and when the land is desolate of all that fills it,
when I strike down all who dwell in it,
then they will know that I am the LORD.
[16] This is a lamentation that shall be chanted; the daughters of the nations shall chant it; over Egypt, and over all her multitude, shall they chant it, declares the Lord GOD.”
[17] In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me: [18] “Son of man, wail over the multitude of Egypt, and send them down, her and the daughters of majestic nations, to the world below, to those who have gone down to the pit:
[19] ‘Whom do you surpass in beauty?
Go down and be laid to rest with the uncircumcised.’
[20] They shall fall amid those who are slain by the sword. Egypt is delivered to the sword; drag her away, and all her multitudes. [21] The mighty chiefs shall speak of them, with their helpers, out of the midst of Sheol: ‘They have come down, they lie still, the uncircumcised, slain by the sword.’
[22] “Assyria is there, and all her company, its graves all around it, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, [23] whose graves are set in the uttermost parts of the pit; and her company is all around her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who spread terror in the land of the living.
[24] “Elam is there, and all her multitude around her grave; all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who went down uncircumcised into the world below, who spread their terror in the land of the living; and they bear their shame with those who go down to the pit. [25] They have made her a bed among the slain with all her multitude, her graves all around it, all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword; for terror of them was spread in the land of the living, and they bear their shame with those who go down to the pit; they are placed among the slain.
[26] “Meshech-Tubal is there, and all her multitude, her graves all around it, all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword; for they spread their terror in the land of the living. [27] And they do not lie with the mighty, the fallen from among the uncircumcised, who went down to Sheol with their weapons of war, whose swords were laid under their heads, and whose iniquities are upon their bones; for the terror of the mighty men was in the land of the living. [28] But as for you, you shall be broken and lie among the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword.
[29] “Edom is there, her kings and all her princes, who for all their might are laid with those who are killed by the sword; they lie with the uncircumcised, with those who go down to the pit.
[30] “The princes of the north are there, all of them, and all the Sidonians, who have gone down in shame with the slain, for all the terror that they caused by their might; they lie uncircumcised with those who are slain by the sword, and bear their shame with those who go down to the pit.
[31] “When Pharaoh sees them, he will be comforted for all his multitude, Pharaoh and all his army, slain by the sword, declares the Lord GOD. [32] For I spread terror in the land of the living; and he shall be laid to rest among the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword, Pharaoh and all his multitude, declares the Lord GOD.”
- 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, you declare your almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity: Grant us the fullness of your grace, that we, running to obtain your promises, may become partakers of your heavenly treasure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
- Commission -
Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.
(1 Thessalonians 5:23–24)
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord and our neighbors.