May 23, 2021 The Festival of Pentecost
also traditionally known as “Whitsunday” (“White Sunday”)
The Power of Pentecost –
some 2000 years ago in Jerusalem, but also within us, in Lowell, today
Power can be used in at least two ways: it can be unleashed, or it can be harnessed. The energy in ten gallons of gasoline, for instance, can be released explosively by dropping a lighted match into the can. Or, it can be channeled through the engine of a Chevrolet in a controlled burn and used to transport a person 350 miles. Explosions are spectacular and immediate. By contrast, controlled burns have more of an enduring effect, of staying power. God the Holy Spirit works both ways when it comes to creating and sustaining our faith in the one, true, Triune God. On the day of Pentecost, the Spirit – as promised — exploded on the scene. His presence was heard in the sound of the rushing wind and the appearance of what seemed like “tongues of fire” on the heads of Jesus’s followers (Acts 2:3). That amazing day, thousands of souls were affected by one incredible burst of God’s power. Through Peter’s (and the others’) preaching of the Gospel, over 3000 persons were miraculously brought to saving faith by the Spirit. But He also works through the Means of Grace (the Gospel in Word and Sacrament) that has been entrusted to the Church — that institution which God established to utilize the Holy Spirit’s power for the long haul. Through the dynamic and enduring power of God’s Word and the Sacraments of the Lord’s Supper and Baptism, the Spirit has worked (typically “behind the scenes”) to create and continue saving faith in the hearts of generations of believers….right up to us, today here at Grace Lutheran.
As the Holy Spirit on Pentecost dramatically empowered the hearts and lives of a small band of Christians in Jerusalem (numbering about 120 souls), He enabled them to powerfully proclaim the Gospel to others in a way they never had done before…..and God grew His Church in an astonishing way — from having 120 members to over 3000 souls — all added in one day!
As we remember and celebrate that amazing occasion this morning, we’ll also want to reflect on the way the Holy Spirit has also brought His amazing power into our own hearts and lives – not only converting us from unbelief to saving faith, but empowering us to lead Godly lives and to serve our Lord faithfully while we live here on earth – waiting for the day He calls us from our earthly service into His heavenly presence.
The History and Significance of Pentecost
The Festival of Pentecost which we are observing today, sometimes known as “The Birthday of the Christian Church,” commemorates Christ’s sending of the Holy Spirit upon the early Church. It occurred fifty days after the Resurrection of Christ. Even before the 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 observed it as “the Festival of Weeks” (Ex 34:22; Deut 16:10) making use of this occasion to thank God for His gift of the early wheat harvest (cf Leviticus 23:15).
The other designation for this day is the traditional title of “Whitsunday,” an old English term associated with the white garments customarily worn on Pentecost Sunday by those about to be baptized into the membership of the Church. The early church’s practice of including the Sacrament of Baptism as a regular part of its Pentecost celebration was intended, in part, to commemorate the 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 either the love of the Holy Ghost or the tongues of fire on the disciples’ heads. On Pentecost in Italy it is 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.
Today’s Scripture Lessons and Worship Service
Our worship service today is especially dedicated to praising the Holy Spirit for His work of bringing people to faith and keeping them in the one true faith. Recognizing that He does this faith-imparting and faith-strengthening work through “The Means of Grace,” that is – the Gospel of forgiveness and salvation as conveyed to us in the Inspired Word of God and as applied to us in the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, it is fitting for us to go for our Spiritual growth to the Word as the centerpiece of our service today. Accordingly…..
Our Opening Lesson on this Pentecost Day is Luke’s inspired (and, most likely, eyewitness) account, found in Acts 2, of the Spirit’s dramatic coming with power to the Church in Jerusalem on that first Pentecost, nearly two millennia ago. On that day, working through Peter’s Pentecost Preaching, the Holy Spirit brought about the conversion of 3000 souls. Then, as now, the Holy Spirit’s working in the preaching of the Gospel brings souls from unbelief to faith, from hostility toward Christ to being in love with Him. Let us resolve today and in the future, to do as Peter did then. May we, personally and collectively, faithfully and boldly proclaim the Gospel of forgiveness and salvation through Christ, and may the Spirit build the Church through the preaching of that Word.
In this morning’s Children’s Lesson we’ll use the example of a cell phone, its battery and that ever-important battery charger to describe how the Holy Spirit works in us as our “power source” – powering our faith, and powering our ability to witness to others about Jesus, and to do the other work God has assigned to us here on earth.
Today’s Old Testament Lesson relates the story of Moses’ being overwhelmed by the burdens of leading Israel, particularly of dealing with their complaints. The Lord’s solution was to pour out the Holy Spirit on some of Israel’s elders so that they might assist Moses in serving and guiding the nation. 1400 years later, in an even more dramatic way, God again poured out His Spirit on His Church to equip its members for service to Him.
Our Gospel Lesson presents Jesus promising His disciples that He will send them another Counselor (the Holy Spirit) who will be with them forever once He returns to heaven. Note in the closing verses one of the reasons for our certainty regarding the plenary (full) inspiration of the Scriptures: the Spirit “Whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I told you.
Our Sermon is based on our opening reading (Acts 2). We’ll be focusing on the “core” of Peter’s Pentecost sermon where he explains the significance of that day’s outpouring of the Holy Spirit to the crowd assembled before him. We’ll concentrate on three elements of his message: “The Main Point” (that Christ crucified and risen IS our Lord and Savior); “God’s Plan” (first, that we have been saved by God’s grace [NOT our works/goodness], and also that God has brought us to faith [something we can’t do] through the faith-imparting work of the Holy Spirit); and finally “Our Purpose” (which is to live Godly, faithful lives for our good and especially for God’s glory…..something the Holy Spirit empowers/enables us to do through our faithful use of His “Means of Grace” – namely, His Word and the Sacraments).
Next we will be singing Hymn 177, “Come Holy Ghost Creator Blest,” as our Sequence Hymn (a “sequence” hymn is a hymn sung between the morning’s various Scripture lessons). Originally sung in Latin as “Veni Creator Spiritus,” this ancient hymn has been a customary part of Christian celebrations of Pentecost for 14 centuries. Though the melody a somewhat challenging one to sing, please give it your best effort this morning, knowing you are joining countless Christians down through the centuries who have shared, with you, in the celebration of God the Holy Spirit’s work in and for the Church.. (To help those of you who are not well acquainted with this hymn, our organist will play through the first verse in its entirety before we begin singing it today.)
Finally, we’ve also included a spoken-sung responsive litany prayer asking for God’s preservation and extension of His Kingdom, so that we might capitalize on the blessings and opportunities He gives us to do His work, and so that others might join us as believing members of His Church now and forever. This special prayer has been developed around the familiar hymn (# 441) “Our God Our Help In Ages Past.”
If Your Child Becomes Restless during the service this morning, that’s okay … We love children here at Grace Lutheran. In fact, we encourage parents to bring their children into worship whenever possible. This helps children learn why we come here each week: to praise God and hear His Word. Furthermore, we believe that the power of God the Holy Spirit in the written and spoken Word blesses the hearts and souls of little children, no less than adults.
However, a restless child might, from time to time, need a moment or two alone with mom or dad. If your little one needs some quiet time to gather composure again, we encourage you to make use of our children’s nursery for as long as your child needs it. You will be able to view the service from the nursery’s window into our worship area, and also to listen to the worship service through the PA/speaker system tied into the nursery. And one additional note….for the convenience of our smaller worshipers and their parents, we have included a restroom as a part of our nursery area; if necessary, you can also find a pull-down changing table there.
Pre-Service Prayer Heavenly Father, I pray that You would send Your Holy Spirit into our hearts this morning, as You so blessed Your Church on that first Pentecost Sunday, so many years ago. As we meditate on Your Word and receive again the assurance of full forgiveness of all our sins through Christ Jesus, please renew and invigorate us all, that we might be comforted in all our afflictions, led into all truth, and equipped for every good work for You. Bless our worship, study, and fellowship this morning in the name of Jesus Christ, Your Son, my Savior and Redeemer. Amen.
All Scripture Quotations in this worship flyer have been taken from
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version Copyright 2019,
The Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission
Music and lyrics, as needed, are used with permission via OneLicense.net #A712831
A Special Service for Pentecost Sunday
Silent Prayer upon entering the sanctuary
Pre-service music
Pre-Service Hymn singing, beginning at 9:25 a.m.
We Praise Our God
The Introduction and Invitation to Worship
The Opening Scripture Lesson
for the Festival of Pentecost Acts 2:1-47
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the rushing of a violent wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw divided tongues that were like fire resting on each one of them. 4 They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, since the Spirit was giving them the ability to speak fluently.
5 Now there were godly Jewish men from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6 When this sound was heard, a crowd came together and was confused, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7 They were completely baffled and said to each other, “Look, are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them speaking in his own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, and of Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt, and the parts of Libya around Cyrene; visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes; 11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring in our own languages the wonderful works of God.” 12 They were all amazed and perplexed. They kept saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others mocked them and said, “They are full of new wine.”
14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and spoke loudly and clearly to them: “Men of Judea, and all you residents of Jerusalem, understand this, and listen closely to my words. 15 These men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day. 16 On the contrary, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 This is what God says will happen in the last days:
I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh.
Your sons and your daughters will prophesy.
Your young men will see visions.
Your old men will dream dreams.
18 Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
19 I will show wonders in the sky above,
and signs on the earth below,
blood and fire and a rising cloud of smoke.
20 The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
21 And this will happen: Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord
will be saved.
22 “Men of Israel, hear these words! Jesus the Nazarene was a man recommended to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know. 23 This man, who was handed over by God’s set plan and foreknowledge, you killed by having lawless men nail him to a cross. 24 He is the one God raised up by freeing him from the agony of death, because death was not able to hold him in its grip.
25 “Indeed, David says concerning him:
I saw the Lord always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.
26 Therefore my heart was glad,
and my tongue rejoiced.
My flesh also will rest in hope,
27 because you will not abandon my life to the grave,
nor will you let your Holy One see decay.
28 You have made known to me the paths of life.
You will fill me with joy in your presence.
29 “Gentlemen, brothers, I can speak confidently to you about the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Since he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath that he would seat one of his descendants on his throne, 31 he saw what was coming and spoke about the resurrection of Christ, saying that he was neither abandoned to the grave nor did his flesh see decay.
32 “This Jesus is the one God has raised up. We are all witnesses of that. 33 So, after he was exalted to the right hand of God and after he received the promised Holy Spirit from the Father, he poured out what you are now seeing and hearing.
34 “For David did not ascend into heaven, and yet he says:
The Lord said to my Lord,
‘Sit at my right hand,
35 until I make your enemies
a footstool under your feet.’
36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
37 Now when the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Gentlemen, brothers, what should we do?”
38 Peter answered them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far away, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
40 He testified solemnly with many other words and was appealing to them, saying, “Escape from this crooked generation.”
41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand people were added.
42 They continued to hold firmly to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of the bread, and to the prayers. 43 Awe came over every soul,[n] and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They were selling their possessions and property and were distributing the proceeds according to what anyone needed.
46 Day after day, with one mind, they were devoted to meeting in the temple area, as they continued to break bread in their homes. They shared their food with glad and sincere hearts, 47 as they continued praising God and being viewed favorably by all the people. Day after day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.
The Opening Hymn Hymn 176 “Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord”
Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord, May all graces be outpoured
On each believer’s mind and heart; Your fervent love to them impart.
Lord, by the brightness of Your light In holy faith Your Church unite.
From ev’ry land and ev’ry tongue; This to Your praise, O Lord, be sung.
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Come holy Light, Guide Divine, And cause the Word of Life to shine;
Teach us to know our God aright And call Him Father with delight.
From every error keep us free Let none but Christ our Master be
That we in living faith abide, In Him, our Lord, with all our might confide.
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Come holy Fire, Comfort true; Grant us the will Your work to do.
And in Your service to abide Let trials turn us not aside.
Lord, by Your pow’r prepare each heart, To our weakness strength impart
That bravely here we may contend, Through life and death to You, Our Lord ascend.
Alleluia, Alleluia!
the Congregation will rise for the invocation
The Invocation
Pastor We begin this service in the name of the Father
Congregation Who gave us our lives through His almighty power.
P: And of the Son
C: Who redeemed our lives with His precious blood.
P: And of the Holy Spirit
C: Who gave us eternal life through faith in Christ Jesus.
P: Amen.
We Make Confession Of Our Sins To God
Pastor We have come together in the presence of God, our Heavenly Father, who created us to love and serve Him as His dear children. But We have disobeyed Him through our thoughts, words, and actions, and deserve only His wrath and punishment. Therefore, let us now turn to Him, acknowledging our sinfulness and seeking His forgiveness for all our sins. In the words of Jeremiah, we confess:
Congregation Although our sins testify against us, O LORD, do something for the sake of Your name. For our backsliding is great; we have sinned against You.
Pastor In the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, we acknowledge how thoroughly sin fills our lives, even our very being:
Congregation From within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy slander, arrogance, and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean.’
Pastor Along with the Apostle John, we recognize:
Congregation If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
Pastor And in the words of David, before the Lord we plead:
Congregation I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against You, You only have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are proved right when You speak and justified when You judge. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Pastor Jesus says to His people: “If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven.” Our Savior’s perfect life and sacrificial death have paid for the guilt and penalty of our sins, and for the sins of the whole world. Do you believe this?
Congregation Yes, I believe this.
Pastor Then be assured that you are a dear child of God and an heir of everlasting life. And carrying out my office as a called servant of Christ, and according to His command and authority, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. May the peace of God rest upon all of you. Amen.
Congregation Hymn 609 “We Praise You, O God, Our Redeemer, Creator”
We praise You O God, our Redeemer Creator
In grateful devotion our tribute we bring:
We lay it before You, we kneel and adore You;
We bless Your name; glad praises we sing.
We worship You God of our Fathers, we bless You.
Through trial and tempest, our Guide You have been;
When perils o’er take us, You will not forsake us,
And with Your help, O Lord, our battles we win.
With voices united, our praises we offer;
To You, Great Jehovah, glad anthems we raise.
Your strong arm will guide us, Our God is beside us.
To You, our Great Redeemer, fore’er be praise! Amen.
The Prayer for Today
O Almighty God, + bless the preaching of Your Word + among the congregation of believers on earth. + Bless us with the gift of the Holy Spirit + to make us wise unto salvation through faith in Christ, + to equip us for faithful service to You + to fill us with joy that service, + and to strengthen our faith through Your Word and Sacraments + that we might remain in the true Christian faith as long as we live. + We ask this in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, + Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, + one God, for ever and ever. + Amen.
The Sequence Hymn Hymn 177 “Come Holy Ghost, Creator Blest”
verses 1-3
“Come Holy Ghost, Creator Blest” (in its Latin original, “Veni Creator, Spiritus”) is one
of the oldest hymns in Christendom and in our hymnal. Originally it was sung as
a “chant” rather than as a congregational hymn. By tradition this hymn has been part
of the observance of Pentecost in Christian churches for nearly 14 centuries. Consequently, we have chosen to include it in our worship this morning. While its melody is somewhat foreign to our ears, let’s sing it with enthusiasm, and with the understanding that we are joining, through our praises, a Pentecost-procession spanning some 1400 years.
1 Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest, And make our hearts your place of rest;
Come with your grace and heav’nly aid, And fill the hearts which you have made.
‘
2 To you, the Counselor, we cry, To you, the gift of God most high;
The fount of life, the fire of love, The soul’s anointing from above.
3 Your light to ev’ry thought impart, And shed your love in ev’ry heart;
The weakness of our mortal state With deathless might invigorate.
We Hear God’s Word
The Old Testament Lesson Numbers 11, selected verses
The people were complaining about their hardships so that the Lord heard it. When the Lord heard it, his anger burned. So the Lord’s fire burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. 2 The people cried out to Moses, and Moses prayed to the Lord. So the fire died down. 3 They named that place Taberah, because the Lord’s fire burned among them.
4 The foreign rabble who were among the Israelites were overcome by their craving. The Israelites also wept once again and said, “Who is going to give us meat to eat? 5 We remember the fish we ate in Egypt free of charge, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. 6 But now our lives are wasting away. We have nothing at all to look at except this manna.” …….
10 Moses heard people from all the clans weeping, each one at the entrance to his own tent. At the same time, the Lord’s anger burned fiercely, and Moses was displeased. 11 Moses said to the Lord, “Why have you treated your servant so badly? Why have I not found favor in your eyes? Why do you put the burden of all these people on me? 12 Did I conceive all these people by myself? Am I the one who gave birth to them so that you tell me to carry them in my arms to the land which you swore to their fathers, just as a woman who is nursing carries a baby? 13 Where is there meat for me to give to all these people? Listen, they are weeping to me and saying, ‘Give us meat so that we can eat.’ 14 I am not able to carry all these people by myself, because that is too much for me. 15 If you are going to treat me this way, please kill me right now. If I have found favor in your eyes, do not let me see my own ruin.”
16 So the Lord said to Moses, “Gather seventy men from the elders of Israel for me, men whom you know to be elders and officers for the people. Take them to the Tent of Meeting and make them stand there with you. 17 I will come down and talk with you there. I will take from the Spirit that is on you and will put it on them. They will share the burden of the people with you so that you will not have to carry it by yourself. ……….24 Moses went out and told the people the Lord’s words. He gathered seventy men from the elders of the people and had them stand all around the tent. 25 The Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him. He took from the Spirit that was on Moses and put it on the seventy elders. When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but they did not do it again. 26 Two men, however, remained in the camp. The name of one was Eldad, and the name of the other was Medad. They were listed among the elders, but they had not gone out to the tent. The Spirit rested on them, and they prophesied back in the camp. 27 A young man ran and reported this to Moses. He said, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp!” 28 Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide from his youth, answered, “My Lord Moses, stop them!” 29 Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? If only all of the Lord’s people were prophets so that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!” 30 Then Moses returned to the camp along with the elders of Israel.
The Congregation anticipates the Gospel Lesson by singing
The Sequence Hymn Hymn 177 “Come Holy Ghost, Creator Blest”
verses 4-6
4 Drive far away our wily foe, And your abiding peace bestow;
If you are our protecting guide, No evil can with us abide.
5 Teach us to know the Father, Son, And you, from both, as Three in One
That we your name may ever bless And in our lives the truth confess.
6 Praise we the Father and the Son And Holy Spirit, with them One,
And may the Son on us bestow The gifts that from the Spirit flow!
after which the Congregation will rise out of respect for the words of our Savior to hear
The Gospel Lesson John 14:15-26
15 “If you love me, hold on to my commands. 16 I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. 17 He is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it does not see him or know him. You know him because he stays with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you. 19 In a little while the world will see me no longer, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 The one who has my commands and holds on to them is the one who loves me. And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father. I too will love him and show myself to him.”
22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, what has happened that you are going to show yourself to us and not to the world?”
23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will hold on to my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 The one who does not love me does not hold on to my words. The word that you are hearing is not mine, but it is from the Father who sent me. 25 I have told you these things while staying with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I told you.
The Confession of our Luther’s explanation to the Third Article
Faith in God the Holy Spirit of the Apostles’ Creed)
Cong: 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.
Pastor: “What does this mean?”
All: I know that I cannot, by my own thinking or choosing, + believe in Jesus Christ my Lord, or come to Him. + But the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel; + enlightened me with His gifts, + sanctified and kept me in the one true faith. + In the same way, + He calls, gathers, enlightens, + and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, + and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. + In this Christian Church, + He daily and fully forgives all sins, to me and all believers in Christ. + On the last day He will raise me and all the dead; + And He will give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ. + This is most certainly true! + Amen.
After which the Congregation will be seated for
The Children’s Lesson Acts 1:8
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Powered by the Holy Spirit
The Hymn of the Day “Come, O Mighty Spirit, Come”
to the tune of Liebster Jesus (“Blessed Jesus, At Your Word”)
Come, oh mighty Spirit, come Make our hearts Your habitation.
Work within and cleanse us from Sin and guilt and condemnation.
Come to us in times of gladness Be our strength in days of sadness!
Holy Spirit, like a wind Guide us toward Your heavenly portals.
When we falter, then extend Loving grace to sinful mortals.
Bless us with Your supplication In our moments of temptation!
We cannot by our own strength Trust in Christ our Lord and Savior.
So dear Spirit, work at length That Your gifts we all might savor.
Bless us with Your gifts of teaching, Faith, and service, and of preaching.
Lift the veil up from our eyes So we all might see more clearly.
That our treasure surely lies In the Lord, Who loves us dearly.
For He promised us a mansion When He earned for us salvation!
As on that first Pentecost Come to us, our faith inspire.
Grant us strength to reach the lost; May Your will be our desire.
Guide us through our earthly story, ‘Til we live in heav’nly glory! Amen.
after which the Congregation will REMAIN SEATED for
The Greeting Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ! O Lord, open my lips, that my mouth may declare Your praise. Amen.
The Sermon Text Acts 2:1-47
“More Power For Us”
after the Sermon, the Congregation will REMAIN SEATED for the post-sermon blessing
The Post-Sermon Blessing
May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God our Father, Who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. Amen.
We Respond To God’s Word with our Offerings
Our Offerings of Love to our Lord
Due to some continuing Covid concerns, we won’t be passing an offering plate today during today’s worship service. However, those in attendance may leave their offerings in the offering plates
by the exit doors at the close of our service today.
For those watching today’s service, we offer you the following suggestions for providing God with Your thank-offerings through our ministry:
1) You can send a check (no cash) in the mail to the church address
(415 N. 6th Place, Lowell, AR 72745); OR
2) You can go online to our website (www.gracelutherannwa.com)
to use the giving option there.
after which, the Congregation will rise for
We Offer our Prayers to the Lord
Today’s Special Prayers
Included in our prayers this morning are:
A Prayer of Intercession for our brother Fred Cusanelli, who will
undergo a heart procedure this coming Thursday morning.
plus
A Prayer of Thanksgiving on behalf of the Olivia and Craig Laine,
who are celebrating their wedding anniversary this Wednesday.
In addition, We Offer a Responsive Prayer for this Pentecost Sunday
- O God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast, And our eternal home,
P: We praise You, O Lord, for the harvest of souls that You have brought into Your kingdom on Pentecost and throughout the history of the Church. Let all the saints on earth and saints in heaven join today in praising Your holy name.
- Under the shadow of Your throne Your saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is Your arm alone, And our defense is sure.
P: Send Your Holy Spirit down on us with power. Use us as You used Peter on Pentecost. No matter how humble our background may be or how poorly we may seem to be equipped to be Your messengers, give us boldness to speak of You, the crucified and risen Savior.
- Before the hills in order stood Or earth received its frame,
From everlasting You are God, To endless years the same.
P: Lord, we thank You for the way You have led Your Church in the past. We thank You for protecting it when Satan has harassed it with persecution and false prophets. We thank You for those whom You have raised up to testify boldly to the truth.
- A thousand ages in Your sight Are like an evening gone,
Short as the watch that ends the night Before the rising sun.
P: Open our eyes to the many opportunities to witness. Open our mouths to speak boldly about the risen Christ. Help us to see the particular blessings that enable us to preach Your gospel to all nations.
- Time, like an ever-rolling stream, Soon bears us all away;
We fly, forgotten, as a dream Dies at the op’ning day.
P: We especially thank You for the gift of your dear Son, our Savior, who has rescued us from death and hell and has gathered us into his kingdom. To Him be the glory now and forever.
- O God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come,
Still be our guard while troubles last And our eternal home!
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, forever and ever. Amen.
We Prepare To Leave With Our Lord’s Blessing
Pastor – The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.
The Closing Hymn Hymn 536 “Lord Jesus Christ, the Church’s Head”
- Lord Jesus, Christ the Church’s Head, You are her one Foundation;
In You she trusts, before You bows, And waits for Your salvation.
Built on this Rock secure, Your Church shall endure
E’en Though the world decay And all things pass away.
Oh, hear, oh, hear us, Jesus!
- O Lord, let this Your little flock, Your name alone confessing,
Continue in Your loving care, True unity possessing.
Your Sacraments, O Lord, And Your saving Word
To us e’er pure retain. Grant that they may remain
Our only strength and comfort.
- Help us to serve You evermore With hearts both pure and lowly;
And my Your Word, that light divine, Shine on in splendor holy
That we repentance show, In faith ever grow;
The power of sin destroy And all that does annoy.
Oh, make us faithful Christians!
- And for Your Gospel let us dare To sacrifice all treasure;
Teach us to bear Your blessed cross, To find in You all pleasure.
Oh, grant us steadfastness In joy and distress,
That we You ne’er forsake. Let us by grace partake
O endless joy and glory.
Silent Prayer
Announcements
Post-Worship Music
Announcements
Last Week at Grace Worship Attendance: 70 Communed: 62 Online views: 22
Bible Class: 22 Sunday School: 5 Tuesday Bible Study : 16
Wednesday Classes: 6 women, 5 men (plus 12 online views)
Budgetary Offerings: $2703 Online Offerings: $91.50
Serving Us NEXT SUNDAY Fellowship: (Vacant…..would you help?)
Elders: Vic Walker, Rick Tragasz Altar Guild: Tina Wambold, Harriet Johnson
Ushers: Tim Huebner, Kelvin Johannes, Kent Mayer
Upcoming Birthdays/Anniversary May 26 – Craig and Olivia Laine;
May 26 – Blake Adams; May 26 – Erica Litrell; May 28 – Erica Skogen;
This Coming Week at Grace Lutheran Church
Today Morning Worship at 9:30 a.m. Fellowship Time: 10:40 a.m.
Sunday School: 11 a.m. Bible Class, 11 p.m
Youth Confirmation Class, noon to 1:15 p.m.
Tuesday Morning Bible Study, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Wednesday NO Evening Bible Study…in lieu of
Pre-School/Kindergarten Graduation Ceremony, 6 p.m.
Saturday Outreach Calling/Visitation, meet at church at 10:00 a.m.
Sunday Morning Worship 9:30 a.m. (Festival of the Holy Trinity)
Fellowship Period, 10:40 a.m. Bible Class / Sunday School – 11 a.m.
Youth Confirmation Class, noon to 1:15 p.m.
Outreach Calling SATURDAY MORNING ……please consider joining us this coming Saturday morning, May 29th, when we’ll leave from church at 10:00 a.m. to make outreach visits to non-churched families around our church. We have many people we’d like to visit……and who need to be visited and encouraged spiritually…..but we need more help to get all those visits made – perhaps help from you? If you have any questions about what we do on these visits, or if you’d be willing to help, please speak with Pastor.
Meditations Reminder Copies of the latest edition of Meditations, (devotions beginning next Sunday and continuing through the end of August) — which is an excellent daily devotional booklet — are available for everyone on both tables in the church entryway. Please do take home your copy today.
Fellowship Volunteers Requested (and Needed) ….We’ve resumed our after worship fellowship on Sundays – offering food and drink, plus good conversation with each other. In the coming weeks and months we could use your help in preparing the coffee and other drinks, plus furnishing light snack items. A sign-up poster on the fellowship fall bulletin board covers next week plus the remainder of the months of this year. Please consider volunteering to serve one or more Sundays. If requested, a reimbursement can be provided of up to $25 per Sunday. It comes through our “donation jar.”
Bible Classes Today and Tuesday – In today’s Bible class we hope to finish our two week study of II John. Roughly 300 words long, it is one of the Bible’s shortest books. The key point of 2 John speaks has to do with the critical importance to our faith of distinguishing between faithful and false teachers (that’s the part we’ll be especially looking at today). On Tuesday morning, from 10:30-11:30 am, we’ll continue our study of I Kings 15-17, covering the reigns of Judah’s King Asa, along with Israel’s Kings Nadab, Baasha, and “wicked king” Ahab. If you can’t attend in person, please consider participating over the phone. Call 1-701-802-5405, then dial 7519304#. We will also “attempt” to broadcast the class in video through YouTube.com (check for Tuesday Bible Class, Grace Lutheran Church & Academy.”
DO YOU KNOW ANYONE YOU COULD INVITE & BRING TO CHURCH?…. Perhaps there’s someone from within your circle of friends, relatives, acquaintances, or neighbors who is not currently involved with a church. Please consider encouraging them to find us on the internet at either our web site (www.gracelutherannwa.com) or through our YouTube page (Grace Lutheran Church and Academy, Lowell, Arkansas) and join in our online worship services. Or you might consider sharing a copy of our worship flyer with someone whom you think would benefit from it.