A Festival Service for Pentecost

The Opening

Preludes: "Come, God, Creator, Holy Ghost"
J. S. Bach

"Breathe on Me, Breath of God"
Edwin T. Childs

Choral Call to Worship:
"Breathe on Me, Breath of God"

Sentences of Dependence and Greeting:

Leader: Our help is in the name of the Lord,
People: Maker of heaven and earth.
Leader: Grace, mercy and peace be to all of you, from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in this place.
People: Amen.

"Psalm for the Pentecost Season"

(from Psalm 104) Joe Zsigray
for cantor and congregation, with all singing the refrain

Refrain: Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.(repeat)

*Hymn: "For Your Gift of God the Spirit" (PH,RIL)

st. 1: all in unison
st. 2: choir
st. 3: all in harmony
st. 4: choir
st. 5 all in unison

Confession and Assurance

Call to Life in the Spirit (from Galatians 5):

Leader: You, brothers and sisters, are called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.
People: The entire law is summed up in a single command, Love your neighbor as yourself.
Leader: So, I say, live by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For what the sinful nature and the Spirit desire are contrary to one another. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
People: For the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control. Against such things there is no law. Since we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

Prayer of Confession
All Sing: Spirit of the living God, fall fresh on me;
Spirit of the living God, fall fresh on me.
Melt me! Mold me! Fill me! Use me!
Spirit of the living God, fall fresh on me.

Assurance of Pardon

The Word of God

Prayer for Illumination: "Blessed Jesus, at Your Word" (PH; TH) sung by the choir

New Testament Lesson: Acts 2:1—21

Old Testament Lesson: Joel 2:28-29

Sermon

Hymn: "Filled with the Spirit's Power" (PH; RIL)

st. 1: choir
st. 2: women
st. 3: all

The Response

Congregational Prayer
After hearing "Lord, we pray to you,"
the congregation responds by saying, "Lord, hear our prayer."

The Offering
Offertory: All sing "Lord of All Good, We
Bring Our Gifts to You" (PH, RIL)

st. 1 unison
st. 2 harmony
st. 3 unison

*The Thanksgiving:

Leader: Lift up your hearts.br/> People: We lift them up to the Lord.
Leader: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People: It is right to give thanks it is our joy and our peace, at all times and in all places to give thanks to you, Holy Father, Almighty, Everlasting God, through Christ our Lord.
Leader: We praise you and we sing with joy:

*Doxology: "Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow"

*Benediction

*Organ Postlude: Prelude and Variations on Old Hundredth, Var. 10 Calvin Hampton

This Pentecost liturgy was prepared for the Conference on Public Worship, Calvin Seminary, August 8, 1985. The liturgy can be used both on Pentecost Sunday and during the season after Pentecost.

Reformed Worship 7 © March 1988, Calvin Institute of Christian Worship. Used by permission.