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Genesis 11:1-9 The Tower of Babel [or Acts 2:1-11]
Psalm 104:24-34 The Spirit in creation
Acts 2:1-21 The Coming of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost [or Romans 8:14-17]
John 14:8-17 The promise of the Spirit of Truth
Possible Hymns
[Hymn numbers are for the Australian Hymn Book]
51 Father, in whom we live
92 God has spoken by his prophets
141 O for a thousand tongues
202 The people that in darkness walked
307 Joy! because the circling year / brings our day of blessing here
308 Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire
310 Come down, O love divine
318 O Spirit of the living God
321 O breath of God, breath on us now
324 God sends us his Spirit - Spirit friend
327 Holy spirit come confirm us
329 O Holy Spirit, by whose breath
377 Spirit divine attend our prayers
Sermon summary Pentecost 1 Year C
Unity in the Spirit
The Tower of Babel is a very ancient symbolic story [Genesis 11:1-9]. It can
have a great deal of significance for people across the centuries because it
arises out of the universal human desire for unity with each other and communion
with God. They said: ..let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise we shall
be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth." -- Genesis 11:4.
And they tried to climb up to God. Come, let us build ourselves a city,
and a tower with its top in the heavens. They finished up unable to understand
each other and scattered abroad -- a result of human pride. [Compare Genesis
3:4-5,22-24]
The second part, the antidote to the poison of the Tower of Babel, is what
happened to the followers of Jesus when they were gathered together in the upper
room at Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost [Acts 2:1-42]. There, in spite of
all their differences of language, race and nationality, they began to understand
one another. Amazed and astonished, they asked, " ...how is it that we hear,
each of us, in our own native language? -- Acts 2:7-8. So we have fulfilment
of the human hope for unity through communion with God. [See also Joel 2:28-32;
Acts 10:44-47; Galatians 3:28; 1 Corinthians 12:13]
[A note: The Pentecost Symbols and the Uniting Church Logo.
Wind, flames and the dove descending from heaven are symbols
of the Holy Spirit coming upon the people who gather in the name of Jesus. In
the Uniting Church logo, tongues of flame form the wings of a dove. The symbol
of flames in a burning bush was a traditional sign of the Presbyterian Church;
and a dove was included in the Methodist coat of arms. The wind of the Spirit
was seen in the Congregational Church in a sign of the power driving a ship
representing the church, which is repeated with the U sign and the cross in
our Uniting Church logo; while a ship sign is also the central part of the widely
used ecumenical symbol as in the badge of the World Council of Churches.]
The Gathering of the People of God
CALL TO WORSHIP
Jesus said, "I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate,
to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, ... he abides with you,
and he will be in you." -- John 14:16-17
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful people, and
kindle in us the fire of your love.
HYMN 377 Spirit divine attend our prayers
PRAYER OF ADORATION
CONFESSION [In three parts, concluding ...] Lord have
mercy. Lord have mercy.
Christ have mercy. Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy.
DECLARATION OF FORGIVENESS
The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into
the world to save sinners. -- 1 Timothy 1:15
Hear then Christ's word of grace to us: Your sins are forgiven.
Thanks be to God.
DOXOLOGY: Gloria in Excelsis [Sing Alleluia 100b]
Service of the Word
INTRODUCTION OF THEME: Unity in the Spirit
A word to the children.
FIRST READING Genesis 11:1-9 The Tower of Babel
PSALM 104:24-34 The Spirit in creation
FOR THE EPISTLE Acts 2:1-21 The Coming of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost
Singing Group: Holy Spirit we welcome you / move among us with holy fire
GOSPEL John 14:8-17 The promise of the Spirit of Truth
HYMN 324 God sends us his Spirit - Spirit friend
SERMON
A CANTICLE FOR PENTECOST
Holy is God! Holy, the mighty One!
Holy the immortal One! Holy God, have mercy on us.
Blessed are you, most high God! When you came down at Babel, you confused
the tongues and divided the nations.
But when you distributed the tongues of fire at Pentecost, you called
all people to unity. Therefore, with one accord, we glorify the
Holy Spirit.
Blessed are you, most high God! When you sent the Spirit upon the apostles,
the Hebrews were struck with awe; they heard them speak in many tongues, as
the Spirit inspired them.
They knew them to be illiterate, and now they saw them wise; speaking
divine truths and bringing Gentiles to believe.
When the faithless ones witnessed the power of the Spirit, they took
it to be drunkenness when in fact it was salvation for the faithful.
Therefore, with one accord, we glorify the Holy Spirit.
Holy God, Lover of souls, make us worthy of the revelation of this
Spirit within us.
Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, present in all places and filling
all things, the giver of life and the treasury of blessings, come and dwell
in us.
You, Holy Spirit, provide every gift: you renew the church and restore
wholeness;
you shed abroad the love of God;
you grant wisdom to the illiterate; you use simple
fishermen through whom you begin to draw the whole world into
Christ's net.
Through you we have seen the true light, we have received the spiritual
gifts, we have found the true faith.
Therefore, O counsellor, equal in majesty with the Father and the Son,
glory to you, Lord.
Holy the immortal One, the Spirit, the Comforter, who proceeds from
the Father and reposes in the Son.
All holy Trinity, glory to you.
Adapted from the Liturgy of the Orthodox Church
CREED [Choir: We believe]
OFFERING
SHARING TIME [Notices, Celebrations and requests for intercessions; and a witness]
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
THE COLLECT FOR THE DAY
The Lord's Supper
THE PEACE
HYMN 327 Holy spirit come confirm us
GREAT PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. Itis right to give
our thanks and praise.
Thanks and praise ..... in the eternal hymn: [SA 100c and 100d]
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
We thank you ....
[The great prayer of thanksgiving continues, recalling God's
goodness in caring for his people, the life and saving work of our Lord Jesus
Christ, how he commanded his disciples to remember him with the bread and the
wine, and we pray for the gift of the Holy Spirit on us and what we do.]
THE LORD'S PRAYER
BREAKING THE BREAD
THE LAMB OF GOD [Choir: Sing Alleluia 100e]
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us .
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, grant us peace.
COMMUNION
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
The Sending Forth of the People of God
HYMN 92 God has spoken by his prophets
WORD OF MISSION
BLESSING
DISMISSAL
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord: In the name of Christ. Amen.
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