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5.31.20 - Pentecost

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God’s People Gather

*Prelude with Amy - Come Now is the Time to Worship

Prelude Pondering
The spirit
likes to dress up like this:
ten fingers,
ten toes,
shoulders, and all the rest
at night
in the black branches,
in the morning
in the blue branches
of the world.
It could float, of course,
but would rather
plumb rough matter.
Airy and shapeless thing,
it needs
the metaphor of the body,
lime and appetite,
the oceanic fluids;
it needs the body’s world,
instinct
and imagination
and the dark hug of time,
sweetness
and tangibility,
to be understood,
to be more than pure light
that burns
where no one is—
so it enters us—
in the morning
shines from brute comfort
like a stitch of lightning;
and at night
lights up the deep and wondrous
drownings of the body
like a star.

― Mary Oliver

*Welcome with Christina
 

*Readers’ Theater - Acts 2:1-13 - with Men's Prayer Group, Women's Bible Study, Loretta, Christina, Elias, Erik, Rex, Joplin, Nan, and Tim


*Opening Song - Spirit of the Living God with Jordann and Nora


*Prayer of Confession & Assurance of Pardon

Holy God, you are with us in every time and place, but sometimes we act as if you reside in a building and we visit you once a week, like a beloved relative in a nursing home. We live as if you are not at work in the world, and as if you have little to do with our lives. But we are wrong, O God, and we ask for your forgiveness! On that glorious day of Pentecost when your Spirit rushed into the lives of your people, you transformed them. They had been hiding in fear, but now they were on fire with zeal to share the good news. Ignite our hearts that have grown cold; renew our spirits with your Spirit, and show us how to BE the church even when we cannot come into the building. We pray in the name of your Son, Jesus.

Silence is kept

Leader: The Spirit comes to renew us, to remind us, to restore us. We are redeemed as God’s people, filled with God’s Spirit, called to serve God’s world. Rejoice, people of God, and be filled with the Spirit!
People: In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven! Thanks be to God. Amen.

*Glory to God


*Sharing the Peace of Christ -  Sweet, Sweet Spirit

Leader: The peace of Christ be with you.
People: And also with you.

God’s Word is Proclaimed

*Children’s Time with Nan


*Scripture - Acts 2: 14-21 & Sermon - All Together in One Place


Responding to God’s Word

*Offering- Holy Spirit Rain Down

If you are able, please continue to send in your offering and pledge.
If you are enrolled in electronic funds transfer, there is no need to do anything different. If you would like to give online using Paypal, click this link:
bit.ly/FPCsterling

*Prayer of Dedication & The Lord's Prayer

Holy God, let your Spirit be poured out upon these gifts, that the may be transformed into acts of mercy, ministry and mission. Amen.

God’s People are Sent

*Closing Song - We Are One In the Spirit – They’ll Know we are Christians


*Benediction



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