WORSHIP RESOURCES
Day of Pentecost
Romans 8:22-27
The Spirit Intercedes
Additional Scriptures
Ezekiel 37:1-14; Psalm 104:24-34, 35b; John 15:26-27, 16:4b-15; Acts 2:1-21 (A,B,C);
Doctrine and Covenants 161:1b; 165:2b
Worship Preparation
This worship is designed to be a reflective service while recognizing the Day of Pentecost. If possible, dim the lights in your sanctuary or gathering space. Use flashlights, stage lights, candles, or screen with a projector or monitor to illuminate one section of the gathering space. Be mindful of worship participants’ need to safely navigate the worship setting and find their seats.
For the Personal Reflection, hand out note cards or pieces of paper and writing utensils.
WE GATHER
Prelude
Hymn of Praise
“O Holy Dove of God Descending”
CCS 44
OR “Holy Spirit, Come with Power”
CCS 46
OR “Called to Gather as God’s People”
CCS 152
Welcome
Today is the Day of Pentecost. Just as those gathered for the ’Coming of the Holy
Spirit’ in Jerusalem, today we gather as disciples sensing the fiery presence of the Holy Spirit.
Call to Worship
O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures! And how awesome they are.
Yonder is the sea, great and wide, creeping things innumerable are there,
living things both small and great! And how awesome they are.
When you send forth your Spirit, they are created; a
nd you renew the face of the ground. And how awesome it is.
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have being.
Bless the Lord, O my soul. How awesome you are!
-Psalm 104:24-34, adapted
WE CENTER
Hymn of the Spirit
“Meet Me in a Holy Place”
CCS 162
OR “Come, Holy Spirit Come” sing twice
CCS 154
Encourage participants to sing in languages other than their own.
OR “Ubi Caritas et Amor” sing several times
CCS 152
Invocation
Sung Response
“Bless the Lord” sing twice
CCS 575
Prayer for Peace
Light the Peace Candle.
Prayer
Ring bell and pause.
We are the ones the world awaits to live the words we pray…
God, grant us courage that we dare to practice peace each day.
Ring bell and pause.
We are the ones the world awaits to live the words we pray…
God, grant us courage to confess when we fall short,
to embrace community, not cultivate division.
Ring bell and pause.
We are the ones the world awaits to live the words we pray…
God, grant us the knowledge to make plows
from strong blades designed to destroy.
Ring bell and pause.
We are the ones the world awaits to live the words we pray…
God, let this be the moment where we are baptized
by your Spirit and the living promise of your peace.
Ring bell and pause.
Amen.
-based on “We Are the Ones the World Awaits,”
CCS 305, by Edith Sinclair Downing
WE REFLECT
Scripture Reading: Romans 8:22-27
Personal Reflection
Invite the congregation into a time of personal reflection. Using the cards provided, have them respond to the question:
How has the Holy Spirit worked in or through you?
Project or print the question for all to see. Allow a significant amount of time for this reflection.
Reflective music could be playing in the background.
Participants will be encouraged to share their reflections during the Disciples’ Generous Response.
Hymns of Reflection
“God Turned the Spirit Loose in Wind”
CCS 484
OR “Searcher of Hearts”
CCS 178
OR “Though I May Speak with Bravest Fire”
CCS 166
Morning Message
Based on Romans 8:22-27
WE SHARE
Disciples’ Generous Response
Statement
God’s generosity is continuously revealed in the mysteries of life.
Sunrises and sunsets, laughter and tears, in the melting of hearts and heartache.
But it’s also revealed in the simplest of gestures.
A disciples’ generous response is a lifelong commitment to discovering
what you’ve already received, where it came from and how you can use it
for God’s purposes and vision for creation.
We are instruments of God’s peace and generosity.
Just as the Spirit endowed the early Christian followers,
the same Spirit leads us onward today.
Sharing
Invite participants to share their written thoughts from the Personal Reflections activity.
Scripture Reading: Doctrine and Covenants 165:2b
As we share our mission tithes either by placing money in the plates or through eTithing, use this time to thank God for the many gifts received in life. Our hearts grow aligned with God’s when we gratefully receive and faithfully respond by living Christ’s mission.
If members of your congregation are meeting online: We can give through the church’s website at www.CofChrist.org/give or through eTithing at www.eTithing.org Consider showing these URL’s on screen
Blessing and Receiving of Local and Worldwide Mission Tithes
WE RESPOND
Hymn of Renewal
“The Spirit of God like a Fire Is Burning”
CCS 384
Encourage participants to sing in languages other than their own.
OR “Called by Christ to Love Each Other”
CCS 577
OR “God of Dawn, Each Day’s Renewal”
CCS 51
Pastoral Prayer of Blessing
Sending Forth: Doctrine and Covenants 161:1b
Postlude
SERMON AND CLASS HELPS
Year B—Letters
Day of Pentecost
Romans 8:22–27
Exploring the Scripture
Our scripture passage from Romans 8 does not contain images we usually associate with Pentecost. There are no stories of wind, fiery tongues resting on people, or different nationalities speaking multiple languages and understanding one another. Instead, we encounter another image of the Holy Spirit the Apostle Paul proclaims is centered in the message of hope that adopts us into the family of God.
Life in the Holy Spirit is a significant theme in this part of Paul’s message. To understand its importance, Paul notes the suffering experienced by the disciples. But it is not necessarily the suffering from persecution but suffering that comes because of our sin and choices that can feel like we are in bondage. Yet not only humankind suffers; it is all of God’s creation. In this suffering, Paul proclaims, the whole creation groans together in labor pains, waiting for God’s adoption and redemption of our lives.
At the center of this passage is a message of hope. For Paul, the hope needed is birthed from our assurance that God has a future for all creation that will come. It is a future that is more than we can see in the moment and our suffering. But in God’s trustworthiness, when our burdens become so heavy, we cannot even find the words to pray, the Holy Spirit offers that gift of interceding on our behalf to God.
Through that gift of love expressed in the Holy Spirit—which abides with us, advocates for us, and empowers us in our waiting—we are adopted and formed into that relationship with God and one another in sacred community. When we see ourselves as that sacred community in God, we are living in God’s future, which is unfolding in our lives.
Pentecost—the gift of the Holy Spirit—takes us to the threshold between what is and what will be. We experience suffering in what is. We struggle in the moment with the presence of human brokenness and creation’s destruction. And yet, as we stand at the threshold of what will be, the Holy Spirit assures us what is before us is God’s future. This informs how we can live daily as disciples.
This passage looks at what the Holy Spirit was doing for new Christians in Rome. We hear Paul’s apostolic message: In the struggles and suffering they shared with all God’s creation, something new was preparing to be birthed in their lives. As part of our exploration of this scripture lesson, we must ask what is being birthed in our lives today?
On this day of Pentecost, we take time to remember what the Holy Spirit was doing. We can then begin to look forward with fresh eyes to see better what the Holy Spirit is doing in our lives and the church today. Responding to the call to compassionate action and ministry becomes a living expression of the Holy Spirit at work through us.
Central Ideas
- Pentecost is the gift of the Holy Spirit working within our lives, which makes hope possible as we awaken to God’s future before us.
- In our human struggles and weakness, we can find comfort and assurance the Holy Spirit is interceding for us to God, who knows our heart.
- As the Apostle Paul proclaims, hope is birthed within us, not from what we can see, but from the assurance that is with us and continues to redeem us in our suffering and challenges.
Questions for the Speaker
- How do you see the Holy Spirit working in the lives of the congregation, community, workplace, and school?
- How does Paul’s expression of the whole creation groaning for that adoption and redemption speak to the groaning you feel inside when you look at life and the world around you? How do the words of counsel from Doctrine and Covenants 155:7 (“Know, O my people, the time for hesitation is past. The earth, my creation, groans for the liberating truths of my gospel which have been given for the salvation of the world.”) challenge us on how to live today?
- When have you or someone in the congregation felt the heavy burden of human suffering in the world and then experienced the gift of God’s hope through the presence of the Holy Spirit?
- How does the message of Pentecost stimulate new conversations about how the Holy Spirit is inviting the congregation to explore its mission in new ways in the community and neighborhood?
SACRED SPACE: A RESOURCE FOR SMALL-GROUP MINISTRY
Year B Letters
Day of Pentecost
Romans 8:22–27 NRSVUE
Gathering
Welcome
Pentecost means “fiftieth day.” On the fiftieth day after Passover, Jews celebrated with a festival. For Christians, Pentecost marks the fiftieth and final day of the Easter season. At Pentecost, the Spirit moves among the disciples and crowds of onlookers. It is on Pentecost that the disciples begin their Spirit-filled ministry. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit often is depicted as flames of fire or a dove descending to the people.
Prayer for Peace
Ring a bell or chime three times slowly.
Light the peace candle.
One who breathes peace, you promised us the Holy Spirit, and today we celebrate its presence among us in this very place! Thank you for this Helper, whose closeness we sometimes see, sometimes feel, but always know.
As winds signal the change of seasons,
as fire warms the cold,
as breezes carry butterflies on their migration,
as embers hold the hope of renewal,
inspire us to bring peace wherever it is needed.
As peace flows in every language, open our eyes to the small corners in need of peace. Open our arms to hold another, quiet our voices to listen in the commotion, and strengthen our shoulders for the hard work ahead.
In the gentle and just name of Jesus. Amen.
Spiritual Practice
Centering Prayer
Centering prayer is a method of meditation used by Christians to sit in silence with God. This prayer helps us experience God’s presence within us.
Slowly read the following instructions:
Sit with relaxed posture and close your eyes. We will spend five minutes in centering prayer.
Breathe in a regular, natural rhythm.
As you breathe in, name what you would like to receive, and as you exhale, state what you would like to release (for example: breathe in peace, exhale fear).
Breathe in and out, focusing on what you are breathing in and what you are exhaling.
Watch the time for five minutes. Urge participants to continue the breath prayer for the full five minutes. When time is up, share these closing instructions:
Offer a brief word of thanks to God, take a deep breath, and open your eyes when you are ready.
Sharing Around the Table
Romans 8:22–27 NRSVUE
We know that the whole creation has been groaning together as it suffers together the pains of labor, and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope, for who hopes for what one already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with groanings too deep for words. And God, who searches hearts, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
Life in the Holy Spirit is a significant theme in this part of Paul’s message. To understand its importance, Paul notes the suffering experienced by the disciples. It is not necessarily the suffering from persecution, but suffering that comes because of our sin and choices that can feel like we are in bondage. Yet not only humankind suffers; it is all God’s creation. And in this suffering, Paul proclaims, the whole creation groans together in labor pains, waiting for God’s adoption and redemption.
At the center of this passage is a message of hope. For Paul, the hope needed is birthed from our assurance that God has a future for all creation that will come. It is a future that is more than we can see in the moment and in our suffering. But in God’s trustworthiness, when our burdens become so heavy that we cannot even find the words to pray, the Holy Spirit offers that gift of interceding on our behalf.
Through that gift of love expressed in the Holy Spirit that abides with us, advocates for us, and empowers us in our waiting, we are adopted and formed into relationship with God and one another in sacred community. When we see ourselves as that sacred community in God, we are living in God’s future that is unfolding in our lives.
On this day of Pentecost, we remember what the Holy Spirit was doing. We then can begin to look forward with fresh eyes to see better what the Holy Spirit is doing today in our lives.
Questions
- How do you see the Holy Spirit working in your life, your community, workplace, or school?
- How does Paul’s expression of the whole creation groaning for that adoption and redemption speak to the groaning you feel inside when you look at life and the world around you?
- How does the message of Pentecost stir new ideas of how to join the Holy Spirit in mission?
Sending
Generosity Statement
Beloved Community of Christ, do not just speak and sing of Zion. Live, love, and share as Zion: those who strive to be visibly one in Christ, among whom there are no poor or oppressed.
—Doctrine and Covenants 165:6a
The offering basket is available if you would like to support ongoing, small-group ministries as part of your generous response.
Pray with me:
God of passion and purpose, may your Spirit guide our decisions as we make Responsible Choices with our resources. May we be wise in spending, prudent in saving, and generous in sharing so that your healing, wholeness, and well-being might be extended to all. Amen.
Invitation to Next Meeting
Closing Hymn
Community of Christ Sings 42, “As the Wind Song through the Trees”
Closing Prayer
Optional Additions Depending on Group
- Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper
- Thoughts for Children
Thoughts for Children
You will need:
- Picture of a dove
- Lit candle (electric may be substituted)
- A blanket
God has promised that God’s Spirit always will be with us. We call this the Holy Spirit.
In the Bible we learn about God’s Spirit. Lots of words have described the Holy Spirit:
Dove (Show the picture.)—How might the Holy Spirit be like a dove? (Listen to what the children share, and then say:) When Jesus was baptized, the Spirit flew down like a dove and landed on Jesus.
Flame (Light or turn on the candle.)—How might the Spirit be like a flame? (Give the children time to share their ideas, and then say:) It flickered like a flame and touched everyone.
Comforter (Let the children touch the blanket or wrap themselves in it.)—How might the Spirit be like a comforter? (Affirm any responses from the children, and then say:) We feel as if we are wrapped in God’s love when we feel the Spirit with us.
Breath/wind (Breathe out.)—How is the Spirit like breath or wind? (Give the children time to think of their answers, and then say:) Sometimes the Spirit is like a mighty wind, and sometimes it is as quiet as Jesus breathing the Spirit upon the disciples. We can hear the Spirit in our breath, too. Cup your hands over your mouth and breathe into your hands. Listen…Can you hear the Spirit?
God promises the Holy Spirit always will be with us. Listen and watch for the Spirit in your life.