FIrst Presbyterian Church, Niles MI - Bulletin 8:30 Service of Wholeness

Monday

Jan032011

Contemplative Worship Service

Pentecost

8:00 a.m. May 27, 2012

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The gift of the Holy Spirit brings guidance to humanity, glory to Christ, and clarity of God’s righteousness to the believer. Henceforth God’s people shall be led to behold the extent of God’s truth. Christ’s name is to be praised in all that they do. He intercedes on behalf of their weaknesses, and promises to uphold them when judgment occurs. With the gift of empowerment, all things are now possible, so long as they occur in God’s name.

WELCOME

PRELUDE

WORDS OF MEDITATION When the Day of Pentecost Came David Lemmon

TIME OF SILENCE AS WE PREPARE FOR WORSHIP

GATHERING Pentecost Prayer John McLuckie

RESPONSE Spirit of the Living God

Spirit of the living God, Fall afresh on me;

Spirit of the living God, Fall afresh on me.

Melt me, mold me, Fill me, use me.

Spirit of the living God, Fall afresh on me.

MEDITATION ON Acts 2:1-21

SILENT PRAYER OF CONFESSION God of Fire David Hamflett

ASSURANCE OF PARDON

RESPONSE 136 Sovereign Lord of All Creation

Sovereign Lord of all creation, Ground of being, life and love;

Height and depth beyond description only life in You can prove:

You are mortal life's dependence: Thought, speech, sight are ours by grace;

Yours is every hour's existence, Sovereign Lord of time and space.

Jesus Christ, the One for others, We, Your people, make our prayer:

Help us love as sisters, brothers, all whose burdens we can share.

Where Your name binds us together, You, Lord Christ, will surely be;

Where no selfishness can sever, There Your love the world may see.

Holy Spirit, rushing, burning wind and flame of Pentecost,

Fire our hearts afresh with yearning to regain what we have lost.

May Your love unite our action. Nevermore to speak alone:

God, in us abolish faction, God, through us Your love make known.

PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION

SCRIPTURE READING: Romans 8:22-27 and John 15:26-27; 16:4b-16

MEDITATION

TIME OF SILENCE AS WE LISTEN TO GOD

RESPONSE 316 Breathe On Me, Breath Of God

Breathe on me, Breath of God, Fill me with life anew,

That I may love what Thou dost love, And do what Thou wouldst do.

Breathe on me, Breath of God, until my heart is pure,

Until with Thee I will one will, to do and to endure.

Breathe on me, Breath of God, till I am wholly Thine,

Until this earthly part of me glows with Thy fire divine.

Breathe on me, Breath of God, So shall I never die,

But live with Thee the perfect life of Thine eternity.*

INVITATION TO THE LORD’S TABLE

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING

We are the body of Christ.

His Spirit is with us.

Let us lift up our hearts.

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give our thanks and praise.

It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God, for you pour out your Spirit on all flesh and amaze us with your deeds of power. In your infinite wisdom, you created the earth and made it pregnant with new life. You raised living creatures from the dust, by the power of your Word and breathed into them the breath of your Spirit. Your Son, Jesus, taught us your truth and, before being given up to death, he promised to send us the Holy Spirit to support us in both strength and weakness as we labor with you to bring to birth the promised fulfillment of our deepest hopes and yearnings. In these last days you have poured out the new wine of the Spirit, intoxicating us with visions and dreams, awakening within us your marvelous gifts and firing our tongues with everlasting songs of joy. Therefore with our hearts lifted high, we offer you thanks and praise at all times through Jesus Christ our Lord. Blessed is our brother Jesus, who comes behind the doors we have closed and breathes on our fear his fearful peace; who, on the night when he was betrayed, took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and said:

"This is my body, which is for you. Do this to remember me."

In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying:

"This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, whenever you drink it,
to remember me."

So, as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the mystery of our faith:

Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.

Therefore, here in this place, we celebrate the life that was born at Bethlehem, the life that Jesus has shared among his community through the centuries, And shares with us now. Made one with him, and thus one with each other, we lay before you these gifts of bread and wine, in token of our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, for here we offer and present to you ourselves, our bodies, minds and spirits, to be a holy and continuous sacrifice to you. Come now, O Spirit of Christ, brood over these bodily things, this bread and this wine.

May they be for us your body and blood, vibrant with life, healing, renewing
and making us whole.

And draw us into your blazing heart, that as your gifts are consumed in us, we might be consumed in transfiguring love and thus become one with you,

Bone of your bone, flesh of your flesh, living our prayer and praying our life
until love and fidelity embrace, peace and justice kiss, and all are free as Christ is free.

Because you are one with us, O Christ, make us one with you as we pray the prayer you taught us:

THE LORD’S PRAYER

COMMUNION OF THE PEOPLE**

*PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION

*RESPONSE 398 There’s a Sweet, Sweet Spirit

There's a sweet, sweet Spirit in this place, And I know that it's the Spirit of the Lord;

There are sweet expressions on each face,

And I know they feel the presence of the Lord.

Refrain:

Sweet Holy Spirit, Sweet heavenly Dove,

Stay right here with us, Filling us with Your love;

And for these blessings we lift our hearts in praise.

Without a doubt we'll know that we have been revived

When we shall leave this place.

*BENEDICTION

*PASSING OF THE PEACE

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* Those who are able please stand.

** Communion will be served by intinction. As you come forward to share the bread and the cup, please place your offering in the plate