Children’s material
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqG_lvZhU-A
Come Holy Spirit into the depths of our longing
Come Holy Spirit unmask and fill us
Come Holy Spirit sustain us in our weakness
Come Holy Spirit redeem your church
Song “Let your Holy Spirit wash over my soul” https://youtu.be/nimruXVlrRk
Let us pray.
Heavenly God, we thank you for the presence of your spirit, within us and around us.
We thank you for the beautiful, diverse and loving community of our church family,
And for the perfect blessing of love in our lives - from you and from each other.
When we sully this love by losing faith,
When we act or speak in spite and anger,
please forgive us.
When we give up or give in to poor treatment, negativity or apathy, or accept falsehoods as truth, light the fire of courage in us again.
May your spirit breathe life and love into our hearts, minds and bodies this coming week.
Fill us with your grace, joy and passion.
We are your hands, eyes and lips on this precious earth Lord, help us use them to nurture each other, seek justice and speak the truth.
In Jesus’ name, Amen (Becky Ince)
The Lord’s prayer in our own language
Song “Fill me up”
Reflection on Acts 2v1-8
Acts 2v1-8
Pentecost was a Jewish festival when the first fruits of the harvest were brought to the Temple. The disciples were the first fruits of a new way, a new faith that would encompass and change the world, followers of Jesus.
At that time there were pilgrims from all over the Roman provinces visiting Jerusalem for the festival. It was like Notting Hill Carnival or Glastonbury or Diwali! They heard their own languages, a reversal of the Tower of Babel! Some people thought the disciples were drunk.
Luke describes 120 people present. That small group changed the world!
There was wind and fire. Fire is associated in the Old Testament with God's presence. Wind is described as one of the instruments through which God acts, the ruach, the breath of God. Jesus witnesses are in Jerusalem, but the church will rapidly move into Judea, Samaria and eventually to the ends of the earth.
As the prophet Joel had promised God has poured out his Spirit. Joel 2v28
The early church described by Luke is a community where gender, ethnicity, and social status were erased. Pentecost de-stigmatized people. All now are on an equal footing under God. The church is a place of equals.
How do we receive the Spirit?
God gives the Spirit as in Acts 2. It comes as we pray and worship God.
Or someone prays for us and we receive it as Saul did in Acts 9v17. We submit to God in humility and prayer. We pray for God’s Spirit in our lives.
Without the Spirit we are like members of a club or a car without petrol. It is the Spirit that marks us out, inspires us and gives us that 5th dimension. It is the Spirit that gives life to us and the churches, and without it we are like hollow shells. So pray for God's Spirit in your life and others and in this church. We need it!
"If you believe and I believe and we together pray
the Holy Spirit must come down and set Gods people free..." African hymn
What is the Spirit saying to us today?
Do not be bystanders!
Do not be a bystander when thousands of poor people are suffering
Do not be complicit
We are not powerless
We have a voice, we have hands and feet,
We have a vote
We are followers of Jesus
We have the Spirit of God
Do not be bystanders!
Come Holy Spirit.
Fill us.
Empower us to be your people.
In Jesus Name. Amen
Song “If you believe and I believe”
Song “Holy Spirit, Living Breath of God”
Loving God
Send us out to be your Co-workers
Filled with the Spirit
To bring Healing
To bring Good news
To bring Justice and Peace
And to live out the Gospel wherever we find ourselves.
Amen
