The Festival of Pentecost – June 09, 2025
known, liturgically, as Whitsunday (Sunday in White)
The History and Significance of Pentecost
The Festival of Pentecost which we are observing today is, in one sense, “The Birthday of the Christian Church.” That’s because today we are commemorating Christ’s sending of the Holy Spirit with power upon the early Church on that first Pentecost. It occurred fifty days after the Resurrection of Christ. Even before that special outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the day of Pentecost (the name is Greek for “50″) was an important day in the hearts of God’s Old Testament people. Approximately 1400 years prior to Christ’s incarnation, faithful Jews were directed to observe it as “the Festival of Weeks” (Exodus 34:22; Deuteronomy 16:10). God wanted them to make use of this occasion to thank Him for His gift of the early wheat harvest, as well as His other material provision (cf Leviticus 23:15).
There’s also another “traditional” designation for this Sunday: it’s called “Whitsunday,” which is an old English term that was connected to the white garments customarily worn on Pentecost Sunday by those about to be baptized into the membership of the Church. The early church had the practice of including the Sacrament of Baptism regularly in its Pentecost celebration — in part, to commemorate the Church’s reception of 3000 souls into the Holy Christian Church on the first Pentecost (which will be recounted in today’s opening Scripture Lesson, Acts 2).
Pentecost, as a Christian festival, dates back (obviously) to the first century although we have no concrete record of its formal observance until the early 3rd century (a reference in I Corinthians 16: 8 probably is connected to the Jewish, rather than Christian, observance of Pentecost). The liturgical color of the altar paraments and clerical vestments is red, the color for the Church, and symbolizes the love of the Holy Ghost or of the tongues of fire. On Pentecost in Italy it has been the custom to scatter rose leaves from the ceiling of the churches to recall the miracle of the fiery tongues; hence in Sicily and elsewhere in Italy, Pentecost is called “Pascha rosatum”. In France it is customary to blow trumpets during the worship service, to recall the sound of the mighty wind which accompanied the Arrival of the Holy Spirit.
An Introduction To Today’s Scripture Lessons
Our Old Testament Reading from Genesis gives us the story of the Tower of Babel. At that time God didn’t want His people to stay in one location and “make a name” for themselves. God scattered them by confusing their language, so that they did not understand one another’s speech. The many different languages became a hindrance to the spread of the Gospel into all the world.
Our Epistle reading tells the story of how the Holy Spirit was sent to the first disciples of Jesus on the first Pentecost. He miraculously gave them the power to proficiently speak in different languages that they had never learned before, so that people from all nations could hear about “the wonders of God.” Peter explained to the people in Jerusalem how this outpouring of the Holy Spirit was the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy in the Old Testament (Joel 2:28-32), and that “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” This reading also serves as the text for today’s sermon.
Finally, in our Gospel Lesson we have the words of Jesus in which He promised once more to send “the Counselor,” the Holy Spirit. Here Jesus also explained how the Holy Spirit would bring convicting testimony before the people of this world – concerning sin, righteousness and judgment.
Pre-Service Prayer – O Heavenly Father, please guide me in wisdom and truth through Your Holy Spirit, as I spend this hour meditating on Your Word and rejoicing in Your limitless love for me. Assist me in being attentive in heart and mind to Your Word, as well as to the hymns of praise, the various petitions, and the prayers of thanksgiving my voice directs toward You. Use this worship service, O Lord, to deepen my love for You, to strengthen my trust in You, and to renew my commitment to You. All this I ask for the sake of and in the name of Your One and only Son, Jesus Christ, my Savior. Amen.
The portions of God’s Word used in this worship flyer have been taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version, Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984. International Bible Society. Used by permisson of Zondervan Publishers. Music and lyrics, as needed, are used with permission via OneLicense.net #A712831
Prayer upon entering the sanctuary
Pre-service Music
We Praise Our God
The Greeting and Introduction to Today’s Service
The Invocation
Pastor We begin this service in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Opening Hymn Hymn 181 “Come, Oh Come, Life-Giving Spirit”
1 Come, oh, come, life-giving Spirit,
God from all eternity!
May your power never fail us;
Dwell within us constantly.
Then shall truth and life and light
Banish all the gloom of night.
2 Show us, Lord, the path of blessing;
When we trespass on our way,
Cast, O Lord, our sins behind you
And be with us day by day.
Should we stray, O Lord, recall;
Work repentance when we fall.
3 With our spirit, Lord, bear witness
That we are the saints of God
Who rely upon him solely
When we’re chastened by the rod;
For we know, as children should,
That the cross is for our good.
4 Prompt us, Lord, to come before him
With a childlike heart to pray;
Sigh for us, O Holy Spirit,
When we know not what to say.
Then our prayer is not in vain,
And our faith new strength shall gain.
5 Grant our hearts in fullest measure
Wisdom, counsel, purity,
That we always strive to please you,
Working for you willingly.
Let the gospel spread and grow,
Bringing Satan’s overthrow.
Following this hymn, the Congregation will rise as….
We Make Confession Of Our Sins To God
Pastor Beloved in the Lord, let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins to God our Father, asking Him, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to grant us forgiveness.
Congregation Holy and merciful Father, I confess that I am by nature sinful and that I have disobeyed You in my
thoughts, words, and actions; I have done what is evil and failed to do what is good. For this I deserve Your punishment, both now and in eternity. But I am truly sorry for my sins and trusting in my Savior, Jesus Christ, I pray: Lord have mercy on me, a sinner.
(Sung) Lord have mercy on us;
Christ have mercy on us;
Lord, have mercy on us.
Pastor God our heavenly Father has been merciful to us, and has given his only Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Therefore, as a called servant of Christ, and by His authority, I forgive you all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
(Sung) Amen.
Glory be to God on high
and on earth peace good will to men.
We praise You, we bless You, we worship You.
We glorify You, we give thanks to You for Your great glory.
O Lord God heavenly King, God the Father almighty.
O Lord, the only begotten Son, Jesus Christ,
O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
You take away the sin of the world. Have mercy on us.
You take away the sin of the world. Receive our prayer.
You sit at the right hand of God the Father.
Have mercy on us.
For You only are holy. You only are the Lord.
You only, O Christ, with the Holy Spirit.
Are most high in the glory of God the Father. Amen
The Prayer for Today
P: The Lord be with You
C: (sung) and also with you
P: Let us pray
The Prayer (Offered by the Pastor)
C: (sung) Amen.
After which the Congregation will be seated as
We Hear God’s Word
The Old Testament Scripture Lesson Genesis 11:1-9
Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2 As men moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar, and settled there. 3 They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we can make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”
5 But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building. 6 The LORD said, “If as one people speaking the language, they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down there and confuse their language, so they will not understand each other.”
8 So the LORD scattered them from there all over the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why it was called Babel – because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth.
The Psalm of the Day……Psalm 51 b (Please turn to page 87 of Christian Worship)
The New Testament Lesson Acts 2:1-21
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs–we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”
Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: “`In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
The Verse of the Day
P:
C: (sung) Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Page 18
P: (Announces the Gospel Lesson….”please rise for the Gospel Lesson”)
After which the Congregation will rise
C: (sung) Glory be to You, O Lord! Page 18
The Gospel Lesson John 15:26-27
26 “When the Counselor comes, Whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth, Who goes out from the Father—He will testify about Me. 27 And you also must testify, because you have been with Me from the beginning.”
C: (sung) Praise be to You, O Christ Page 18
The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit; Born of the virgin Mary; Suffered under Pontius Pilate; Was crucified, died and was buried; He descended into hell; The third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven; And is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; From there He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit; The Holy Christian Church, the Communion of Saints; The forgiveness of sins; The resurrection of the body; And the life everlasting. Amen.
After which the Congregation will be seated for
The Hymn of the Day Hymn 183 “Holy Spirit, Light Divine”
1 Holy Spirit, Light divine, Shine upon this heart of mine;
Chase the gloom of night away; Turn the darkness into day.
2 Holy Spirit, Love divine, Cleanse this guilty heart of mine;
In your mercy pity me; From sin’s bondage set me free.
3 Holy Spirit, Joy divine, Cheer this saddened heart of mine;
Fill me with your heav’nly peace; Let it grow and still increase.
4 Holy Spirit, Pow’r divine, Dwell within this heart of mine;
Cast down ev’ry idol throne; Reign supreme and reign alone.
5 See, to you I give my heart; Cleanse my life in ev’ry part;
Your own temple I would be Now and for eternity.
The Sermon Based on Acts 2:1-14
We Offer Our Gifts and Prayers to the Lord
After the sermon the Congregation will rise for
The Offertory – based on Psalm 51:10-12
Create in me a clean heart O God
And renew a right Spirit within me.
Cast me not away from Your presence,
And take not Your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me with Your free Spirit.
Our Offerings of Love to our Lord
Offerings will be received this morning through offering plates passed among those who have gathered here for worship. However, for those viewing this service online, we offer you the following suggestions for providing God with Your thank-offerings through our ministry:
1) You can mail a check (no cash, please) to our church address
(415 N. 6th Place, Lowell, AR 72745); or
2) You can donate through our website: www.gracelutherannwa.com
After which the Congregation rises for prayer
Today’s General Prayer
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, Who art in heaven Hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil; For Thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory for ever and ever. Amen.
After which the Congregation will be seated for
The Third Hymn Hymn 188 “Creator Spirit, By Whose Aid”
1 Creator Spirit, by whose aid
The world’s foundations first were laid,
Come, visit ev’ry humble mind;
Come, pour your joys on humankind.
From sin and sorrow set us free;
May we your living temples be.
2 O Source of light, our Counselor,
The Father’s help to us assure.
Come down, as promised, with your fire,
And hearts with heav’nly love inspire.
Your sacred, healing message bring
To sanctify us when we sing.
3 Giver of grace, descend from high
In answer to our earnest cry.
Help us eternal truths receive
And practice all that we believe.
Give us your wisdom that we see
The glory of the Trinity.
4 Immortal honor, endless fame,
Attend th’ almighty Father’s name;
The Savior-Son be glorified,
Who for all humankind has died;
And equal adoration rise
To you, O Spirit, in the skies.
The congregation will rise as
We Conclude Our Worship
The Closing Prayer
P: Almighty God, grant to Your Church the Holy Spirit and the wisdom that comes down from above. Let nothing hinder Your Word from being freely proclaimed to the joy and edifying of Christ’s holy people, so that we may serve You in steadfast faith and confess Your name as long as we live, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, forever and ever.
C: (sung) Amen.
The Benediction
The LORD bless you and keep you.
The LORD make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you.
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.
C: (sung) Amen.
The Closing Hymn Hymn 190 “We Now Implore God, the Holy Ghost”
1 We now implore God the Holy Ghost
For the true faith which we need the most,
That in our last moments he may befriend us
And, as homeward we journey, attend us.
Lord, have mercy!
2 Shine in our hearts, O most precious Light,
That we Jesus Christ may know aright,
Clinging to our Savior, whose blood has bought us,
Who again to our homeland has brought us.
Lord, have mercy!
3 O sacred Love, grace on us bestow,
Set our hearts with heav’nly fire aglow
That with hearts united we love each other,
Of one mind, in peace with ev’ry brother.
Lord, have mercy!
4 O highest Comfort in ev’ry need,
Grant that neither shame nor death we heed
That e’en then our courage may never fail us
When the foe shall accuse and assail us.
Lord, have mercy!
Silent prayer, Announcements, Post-service music