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 Lord is glorious in his saints:
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 105
[1] Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name;
make known his deeds among the peoples!
[2] Sing to him, sing praises to him;
tell of all his wondrous works!
[3] Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!
[4] Seek the LORD and his strength;
seek his presence continually!
[5] Remember the wondrous works that he has done,
his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,
[6] O offspring of Abraham, his servant,
children of Jacob, his chosen ones!
[7] He is the LORD our God;
his judgments are in all the earth.
[8] He remembers his covenant forever,
the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,
[9] the covenant that he made with Abraham,
his sworn promise to Isaac,
[10] which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute,
to Israel as an everlasting covenant,
[11] saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
as your portion for an inheritance.”
[12] When they were few in number,
of little account, and sojourners in it,
[13] wandering from nation to nation,
from one kingdom to another people,
[14] he allowed no one to oppress them;
he rebuked kings on their account,
[15] saying, “Touch not my anointed ones,
do my prophets no harm!”
[16] When he summoned a famine on the land
and broke all supply of bread,
[17] he had sent a man ahead of them,
Joseph, who was sold as a slave.
[18] His feet were hurt with fetters;
his neck was put in a collar of iron;
[19] until what he had said came to pass,
the word of the LORD tested him.
[20] The king sent and released him;
the ruler of the peoples set him free;
[21] he made him lord of his house
and ruler of all his possessions,
[22] to bind his princes at his pleasure
and to teach his elders wisdom.
[23] Then Israel came to Egypt;
Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.
[24] And the LORD made his people very fruitful
and made them stronger than their foes.
[25] He turned their hearts to hate his people,
to deal craftily with his servants.
[26] He sent Moses, his servant,
and Aaron, whom he had chosen.
[27] They performed his signs among them
and miracles in the land of Ham.
[28] He sent darkness, and made the land dark;
they did not rebel against his words.
[29] He turned their waters into blood
and caused their fish to die.
[30] Their land swarmed with frogs,
even in the chambers of their kings.
[31] He spoke, and there came swarms of flies,
and gnats throughout their country.
[32] He gave them hail for rain,
and fiery lightning bolts through their land.
[33] He struck down their vines and fig trees,
and shattered the trees of their country.
[34] He spoke, and the locusts came,
young locusts without number,
[35] which devoured all the vegetation in their land
and ate up the fruit of their ground.
[36] He struck down all the firstborn in their land,
the firstfruits of all their strength.
[37] Then he brought out Israel with silver and gold,
and there was none among his tribes who stumbled.
[38] Egypt was glad when they departed,
for dread of them had fallen upon it.
[39] He spread a cloud for a covering,
and fire to give light by night.
[40] They asked, and he brought quail,
and gave them bread from heaven in abundance.
[41] He opened the rock, and water gushed out;
it flowed through the desert like a river.
[42] For he remembered his holy promise,
and Abraham, his servant.
[43] So he brought his people out with joy,
his chosen ones with singing.
[44] And he gave them the lands of the nations,
and they took possession of the fruit of the peoples’ toil,
[45] that they might keep his statutes
and observe his laws.
Praise the LORD!
Psalm 106
[1] Praise the LORD!
Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever!
[2] Who can utter the mighty deeds of the LORD,
or declare all his praise?
[3] Blessed are they who observe justice,
who do righteousness at all times!
[4] Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people;
help me when you save them,
[5] that I may look upon the prosperity of your chosen ones,
that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation,
that I may glory with your inheritance.
[6] Both we and our fathers have sinned;
we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedness.
[7] Our fathers, when they were in Egypt,
did not consider your wondrous works;
they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love,
but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea.
[8] Yet he saved them for his name’s sake,
that he might make known his mighty power.
[9] He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry,
and he led them through the deep as through a desert.
[10] So he saved them from the hand of the foe
and redeemed them from the power of the enemy.
[11] And the waters covered their adversaries;
not one of them was left.
[12] Then they believed his words;
they sang his praise.
[13] But they soon forgot his works;
they did not wait for his counsel.
[14] But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness,
and put God to the test in the desert;
[15] he gave them what they asked,
but sent a wasting disease among them.
[16] When men in the camp were jealous of Moses
and Aaron, the holy one of the LORD,
[17] the earth opened and swallowed up Dathan,
and covered the company of Abiram.
[18] Fire also broke out in their company;
the flame burned up the wicked.
[19] They made a calf in Horeb
and worshiped a metal image.
[20] They exchanged the glory of God
for the image of an ox that eats grass.
[21] They forgot God, their Savior,
who had done great things in Egypt,
[22] wondrous works in the land of Ham,
and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.
[23] Therefore he said he would destroy them—
had not Moses, his chosen one,
stood in the breach before him,
to turn away his wrath from destroying them.
[24] Then they despised the pleasant land,
having no faith in his promise.
[25] They murmured in their tents,
and did not obey the voice of the LORD.
[26] Therefore he raised his hand and swore to them
that he would make them fall in the wilderness,
[27] and would make their offspring fall among the nations,
scattering them among the lands.
[28] Then they yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor,
and ate sacrifices offered to the dead;
[29] they provoked the LORD to anger with their deeds,
and a plague broke out among them.
[30] Then Phinehas stood up and intervened,
and the plague was stayed.
[31] And that was counted to him as righteousness
from generation to generation forever.
[32] They angered him at the waters of Meribah,
and it went ill with Moses on their account,
[33] for they made his spirit bitter,
and he spoke rashly with his lips.
[34] They did not destroy the peoples,
as the LORD commanded them,
[35] but they mixed with the nations
and learned to do as they did.
[36] They served their idols,
which became a snare to them.
[37] They sacrificed their sons
and their daughters to the demons;
[38] they poured out innocent blood,
the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,
and the land was polluted with blood.
[39] Thus they became unclean by their acts,
and played the whore in their deeds.
[40] Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people,
and he abhorred his heritage;
[41] he gave them into the hand of the nations,
so that those who hated them ruled over them.
[42] Their enemies oppressed them,
and they were brought into subjection under their power.
[43] Many times he delivered them,
but they were rebellious in their purposes
and were brought low through their iniquity.
[44] Nevertheless, he looked upon their distress,
when he heard their cry.
[45] For their sake he remembered his covenant,
and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
[46] He caused them to be pitied
by all those who held them captive.
[47] Save us, O LORD our God,
and gather us from among the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
and glory in your praise.
[48] Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting!
And let all the people say, “Amen!”
Praise the LORD!
Old Testament Reading
Amos 7
[1] This is what the Lord GOD showed me: behold, he was forming locusts when the latter growth was just beginning to sprout, and behold, it was the latter growth after the king’s mowings. [2] When they had finished eating the grass of the land, I said,
“O Lord GOD, please forgive!
How can Jacob stand?
He is so small!”
[3] The LORD relented concerning this:
“It shall not be,” said the LORD.
[4] This is what the Lord GOD showed me: behold, the Lord GOD was calling for a judgment by fire, and it devoured the great deep and was eating up the land. [5] Then I said,
“O Lord GOD, please cease!
How can Jacob stand?
He is so small!”
[6] The LORD relented concerning this:
“This also shall not be,” said the Lord GOD.
[7] This is what he showed me: behold, the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. [8] And the LORD said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said,
“Behold, I am setting a plumb line
in the midst of my people Israel;
I will never again pass by them;
[9] the high places of Isaac shall be made desolate,
and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste,
and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.”
[10] Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words. [11] For thus Amos has said,
“‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword,
and Israel must go into exile
away from his land.’”
[12] And Amaziah said to Amos, “O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, and eat bread there, and prophesy there, [13] but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom.”
[14] Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah, “I was no prophet, nor a prophet’s son, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs. [15] But the LORD took me from following the flock, and the LORD said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’ [16] Now therefore hear the word of the LORD.
“You say, ‘Do not prophesy against Israel,
and do not preach against the house of Isaac.’
[17] Therefore thus says the LORD:
“‘Your wife shall be a prostitute in the city,
and your sons and your daughters shall fall by the sword,
and your land shall be divided up with a measuring line;
you yourself shall die in an unclean land,
and Israel shall surely go into exile away from its land.’”
New Testament Reading
Luke 2
[1] In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. [2] This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. [3] And all went to be registered, each to his own town. [4] And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, [5] to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. [6] And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. [7] And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
[8] And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. [9] And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. [10] And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. [11] For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. [12] And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” [13] And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
[14] “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
[15] When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” [16] And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. [17] And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. [18] And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. [19] But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. [20] And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
[21] And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
[22] And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord [23] (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) [24] and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” [25] Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. [26] And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. [27] And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, [28] he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,
[29] “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
according to your word;
[30] for my eyes have seen your salvation
[31] that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
[32] a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to your people Israel.”
[33] And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. [34] And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed [35] (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
[36] And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, [37] and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. [38] And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
[39] And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. [40] And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.
[41] Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. [42] And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. [43] And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, [44] but supposing him to be in the group they went a day’s journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, [45] and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. [46] After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. [47] And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. [48] And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” [49] And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” [50] And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. [51] And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.
[52] And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.
- 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...
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
- Commission -
After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. (1 Peter 5:10-11)
Let us go forth in the name of Christ.