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Virtual Worship – May 31, 2020
The Service For The Lord’s Day PENTECOST SUNDAY
MAY 31, 2020 WHENEVER “To the church, Pentecost brought light, power, joy. There came to each illumination of mind,
assurance of heart, intensity of love, fullness of power, exuberance of joy. No one needed to ask if they had received the Holy Ghost. Fire is self-evident.”
… SAMUEL CHADWICK (1832–1917)
Gathering Together for “Virtual” Worship
THE PENTECOST ACCOUNT Acts chapter 2 PRELUDE VIDEO “Pentecost” (from “A.D. The Bible Continues”) PRELUDE (Brandon Cook)
CALL TO WORSHIP This is our truth: God sends the Holy Spirit and calls forth his church from nothing, making us all part of something more than ourselves.
Blessed is God, in whose unity we are called to be one people. And yet what God has called into being has been broken and scarred. The church that was born in an upper room on Pentecost has struggled and failed: We do not always live as we have been called; we need God’s redemption for any hope of lasting unity.
Blessed is the time to come when all will at last be one. While hatred rules, redemption will not come. While God’s people set themselves apart from one another, love cannot overcome. Until we let the Sprit guide and lead us, our brokenness cannot be healed.
Let the day dawn when God’s love rules all the world, when all exiles can come home and worship God always like we do now. Amen.
CHIMES OF THE HOLY TRINITY
* HYMN # 126 “Come, Holy Spirit, Heavenly Dove” (at the end)
PRAYER OF CONFESSION (unison prayer) O God of all things new and fresh, remind us to show your love and peace to those around us. Remind us that each day is a chance to love a neighbor and show kindness in the name of Jesus. Every moment contains a call to work for justice. Around us for the taking are opportunities to show your compassion to others. Even as we struggle with fatigue and impatience, your Sprit continues to bring transformation and change. Help us embrace your presence so we do not miss any chance to love and serve you. Save us, O God, from our automatic fear of new things and from anxiety over needed changes. Open us again to your will, O Lord. Amen.
CHORAL RESPONSE # 572 “Kyrie” (As sung each week at Christ) Lord, have mercy upon us. Christ, have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy upon us.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
* RESPONSE “Gloria Patri”
* SHARING THE PEACE OF CHRIST May the Peace of Christ be with you. And also with you.
(If you are worshiping with family this morning, share the peace of Christ with them; If this reminds you of someone you might need to reach out to, make a note to send them an email or text and share Christ’s peace that way.)
Proclaiming the Word OLD TESTAMENT READING: Isaiah 43: 19 – 21 (last page)
ANTHEM (Brandon Cook)
NEW TESTAMENT READING: 2nd Corinthians 5: 17 – 21 (last page)
SERMON “When Everything Changes” (Rev. Sellers) (Today’s sermon will be a bit different; during the service a short “summary” version will be shared. The longer, “main” version will be a different video; one that you may choose to watch after the service. This is because the sermon will likely be longer than usual; instead of doing it in two or three parts during the next few week’s services, it will be posted as a longer, single video.)
Responding to the Word
* HYMN # 322 “Spirit of the Living God” (2 times)
AFFIRMATION OF PENTECOST (responsive affirmation – if we dare ) Come, Holy Spirit, come: Descend with all your gracious power and make this house your home, come as a light that reveals to us our darkness, a light that can fill the emptiness in our souls, Come and lead us out of the darkness into the light where the righteous walk. Come, Holy Spirit, come: Come as the wind that can sweep away the deadness within us, a wind that sweeps everything clean. Come, Holy Spirit come: Come, search and freshen our souls with your living energy. Come Holy Spirit, come: Come as the fire and purge our hearts like sacrificial flames. Let our hearts and minds, our bodies and souls, be cleansed and offered again to the God who creates and sustains us all.
Come Holy Spirit and open us to the infinite that is your home. Open our closed world to the possibility and beauty in which you exist.
Come, Holy Spirit, come: Make our lost world your home where all can again embrace the majesty and complexity, the beauty and simplicity that are yours. Come, Holy Spirit, come: We are yours and you are ours. Amen.
CONCERNS AND CELEBRATIONS; ANNOUNCEMENTS AND PLANS PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE AND 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 debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
OFFERING OUR GIFTS AND OURSELVES TO GOD As you listen to the video offertory this morning, please take a moment or two to be intentional in your support of our churches. However you do it, remember that this is more than supporting staff or paying bills; this is accepting the opportunity of being a part of what God is doing in our world.
VIDEO OFFERTORY “By My Spirit” (Eden’s Bridge)
* RESPONSE # 592 “Doxology” Praise God from whom all blessings flow; praise him, all creatures here below; praise
him above, ye heavenly host; praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
* PRAYER OF DEDICATION
Carrying the Word Into the World
* HYMN # 492 “Baptized in Water” * CHARGE AND BENEDICTION * POSTLUDE * VIDEO POSTLUDE “Holy Spirit, Breath of God” (Keith and Kristin Getty)
(Italic words are spoken by the leader; Bold words are spoken by everyone.)
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: ABOUT PENTECOST Celebrating Pentecost Sunday provides the occasion for Christians to recognize God’s Holy Spirit at work in the life of the church and in the lives of individuals. What is this day? Where does it originate? The word Pentecost comes from the Greek word Πεντηκοστή (Pentēkostē), which means fiftieth; and on the Christian calendar, Pentecost is the fiftieth day after Christ’s resurrection. The Jewish festival of Pentecost is also called ָׁשבּועֹות, (Shavu’ot or ‘weeks’), because it follows Passover by seven complete weeks.
The Christian traditions surrounding Pentecost originate in Acts 2, where the gathered disciples experience the presence and power of God’s Holy Spirit. The account speaks of a sound “like the howling of a fierce wind” and something like “individual flames of fire alighting on each one of them” (verses 2-3, CEB). The disciples were “filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them to speak” (verse 4, CEB). In fulfillment of Christ’s promise in Acts 1:8, the disciples received power from the Holy Spirit to communicate the good news of Jesus Christ. The Christian world views this empowerment as the birth of the church.
SERVICE NOTES: Today’s Video Prelude is one idea of what the day of Pentecost might have looked like when the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus’ disciples in that undisclosed “house” in Jerusalem, as depicted in the NBC miniseries “A.D. The Bible Continues” produced by Roma Downey (“Touched by an Angel”) and Mark Burnett (“Survivor”).
The Video Offertory today is “By My Spirit, recorded by the Celtic musical group “Eden’s Bridge” from Yorkshire, England. This group, formed by siblings Richard and Sarah Lacy in 1993 is known for their Celtic hymns and worship songs. Today’s offertory’s music is set to pictures of the Highlands in Scotland.
Today’s Video Postlude, by Keith and Kristin Getty is “Holy Spirit, Breath of God” along with “Gabriel’s Oboe,” one of the main themes from the 1986 movie “The Mission” that starred Robert DeNiro and Jeremy Irons.
Happy Birthdays to: Dale Phillips, Saturday, May 30th Helen Marks, Monday, June 1st Kelly Tano, Thursday, June 4th Sallye Campbell, Wednesday, June 10th Bill Thomason, Saturday, June 13th
MULBERRY CONTACT INFORMATION www.mulberrypc.org
Christ Contact Information www.christpccharlotte.org
Pastor: Rev. Rodger Sellers [email protected] 704-796-3117
Admin: Tina Emmons [email protected]
Music Dir: Brandon Cook [email protected] 704-941-9400
Announcements and Notes LAST WEEK’S MEMORIAL DAY TRIBUTE TO VETERANS:
An oversight in last week’s memorial day tribute to veterans did not include Richard L. Pearson, who was a member of Christ for many years. Dick Pearson served in the Navy and was married to Annette Pearson, who is a member of Mulberry.
FATHER’S DAY, JUNE 21ST: We need pics of all our Dads! Email or drop by a pic so we can honor and remember all our dads on June 21st during worship.
THURSDAY NIGHT VIRTUAL WORSHIP TAPING SESSION: If you would like to attend this coming week’s virtual worship taping session on June 4th at Mulberry, please either call or email Rodger beforehand. Attendance is capped at 10 people and we’ll begin 6:30 PM.
NO WEEKLY “ZOOM IN” CATCH UP THIS WEEK: There won’t be a “Zoom In” call this week – other meetings are conflicting. We will meet next on Wednesday, June 10th and will send a new meeting ID and password for that; there was some confusion with the previous one so we’re going to “clear the cache” and start fresh. Join us at 6 PM a week from this Wednesday to catch up with everyone.
Christ and Mulberry Prayer Concerns – May 31st, 2020 (Updated as of Saturday, May30th)
Pray for: Peace and sanity in Minneapolis and other cities that have experienced such violence
and calamity in the past week since. Bill Thomason (MPC member), that the setback with his eye and vision clears up
quickly and that he continue healing with his back. Linda Carpenter (CPC member) for her eye and the plans being made with a retina
specialist. 4-year-old little girl named Sofie (A friend of Judy Seller’s brother-in-law): She has
been in the hospital in Bonn, Germany since April 1st and had 3 surgeries for a spinal problem.
Everyone who is experiencing anxiety and depression due to the ongoing limitations and restrictions in our daily lives.
Those out of work and struggling to make ends meet financially. Sylvester Barbee’s God Mother, who has end-stage cancer. Lewis West, that the ruptured vertebra in his back heals quickly and fully. Our friends and family in assisted living or nursing homes who can’t have visitors, like
Maggie Thrower, Lillian Williamson, Louise Carter, Lorraine Smith, Lorenzo Conyers. Keith Bigham (Deborah Ray’s husband) with some current health concerns. Susan Kinley (Linda Sadler’s friend): Under hospice care. All our members and friends that we’ve not had regular contact with lately. All those who do not have a church family to love and support them in difficult times. The Lorien Academy of the Arts, as they plan for a summer camp. The Creative Player Foundation, as they also try to figure out how to move forward
with summer program plans. All our church leaders who are prayerfully looking at how we continue to safely and
responsibly move forward in our plans for reopening.
Isaiah 43: 19 – 21: 19 I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a
way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. 20 The wild animals will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches; for I give water in the
wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people, 21 the people whom I formed for myself so that they might declare my praise. 2nd Corinthians 5: 17 – 21: 17 So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. 20 So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
