A Creative/Traditional Pentecostal Service

The following service adapts traditional texts and patterns for Pentecost worship. Adapt to the needs of the local congregation.

In the early church Pentecost was not the beginning of a new season, but the end of the Easter season (as in the Jewish calendar from Passover to the Feast of Weeks). In the twentieth century, Pentecost has received greater attention because of the renewed emphasis on the Holy Spirit, especially from the charismatic movement. More churches are coming into a greater experience of the Holy Spirit, making Pentecost Sunday a time to celebrate not only the primitive church's experience, but also the experience of the twentieth-century church with the new outpouring of the Spirit. The service below is an adaptation of the ancient St. John Chrysostom liturgy. Unlike Western worship, which moves in linear fashion from one point of worship to another, this Pentecost worship ties all the themes of worship into a single tapestry. A Pentecost Liturgy Entrance Hymn [all standing] Minister: Blessed is the kingdom of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: now, and forever: world without end. People: Amen. Minister: In peace let us pray to the Lord. People: Lord, have mercy. Minister: For the peace from on high and for the protection of the holy churches of God, let us pray to the Lord. All: Lord, have mercy. Minister: Lord our God, you are very great. People: Praise the Lord, O my soul. Minister: You are clothed with splendor and majesty, and wrapped in light as with a garment. People: Praise the Lord, O my soul. Minister: You have made the winds your messengers and flames of fire your servants. People: Praise the Lord, O my soul. Minister: You have made the waters flow and the grasses grow and bread and wine to fill our hearts. People: Praise the Lord, O my soul. Minister: How many are your works, O Lord. In wisdom you made them All: the earth is full of your creatures. People: You open your hand and give us all good things. Send us your Spirit. Create in us a new heart and renew the face of the earth. Minister: Lord, may your glory endure forever. We will sing praise to you as long as we live. All: Praise the Lord, O my soul. (Alleluia sung) Minister: Sovereign Lord, You promised to create new heavens and a new earth. People: Hear us, O Lord. Minister: You promised to forget our former offenses and to remove the sound of weeping from our ears. People: Hear us, O Lord. Minister: You are the Lord who is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in love. People: Hear us, O Lord. Minister: Remember to rejoice over your city, and take delight in your people. People: Compassionate God, when you called, we did not answer. When you spoke, we did not listen. Minister: Lord, have mercy. People: We confess we have done evil in your sight. Minister: Lord, have mercy. People: We have not heard the cries of the poor. We have not answered the needs of our neighbors. We have not loved you as you love us. Minister: Lord, have mercy. People: We are truly sorry and want to repent. Minister: Lord, have mercy. People: Take away all our sins, heal our wounded souls, and fill us with your holiness. All: Lord, have mercy. Minister: God has promised, "I will help you. I will give you peace like a flowing river. As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you. I will gather you from all nations and you will be my people. Let your hearts rejoice and be glad." People: Let our hearts rejoice and be glad. (Alleluia sung) Minister: Knowing that we are healed, that we are truly forgiven and gathered into the very peace of Christ, we offer this space to each other. Hymn: "Glory to God" [Taizé] (all seated) Minister: By sending down a confusion of languages, the Most High scattered the nations. By distributing the tongues of fire, God calls all peoples into unity. People: In harmony we glorify the all-holy Spirit. Minister: In a might wind rushing down from the heavens, the Most High trumpets good news over the earth. And those who cast nets to fish in the sea now cast your words to fish among people. People: We worship and glorify the all-holy Spirit. All: May the Savior who opens the gates of Paradise open our hearts to wisdom and truth. Reader: (First Reading, ending with "This is the Word of the Lord") People: Thanks be to you, O Lord. Responsorial Psalm: [psalm and antiphon] Reader: (Second Reading, ending with "This is the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ") People: Thanks be to you, O Christ. Children's Procession Hymn (standing) Sermon Holy Silence Response (sung—seated) Prayers of Intercession Apostles' Creed (all standing) Minister: And now with the church at all times and in all places let us together say the Apostles' Creed. All: (repeat the Apostles' Creed) The Lord's Supper Offertory (all standing) Minister: Come Jesus, come, stand in our midst as you stood in the midst of your disciples. As you received the tears of Mary Magdalene, the hospitality of Zachaeus, and small coins from the widow. Accept our earthly gifts and make them holy. Give us your heavenly food and make us worthy to be your servants. (At this point, a representative of each family comes forward and places alms in the collection basket. After the collection has been taken, a family brings forward the bread and wine for Communion. When all have returned to their seats, the people sing.) Response of the People The Thanksgiving Minister: The Lord be with you. People: And with you also. Minister: Lift up your hearts. People: We lift them up to the Lord. Minister: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. People: It is fitting for us to give thanks. It is right and fitting, our joy and our salvation, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to you, O Lord, Holy Father, almighty, everlasting God, through Christ our Lord. Minister: We thank you for the Spirit, the Lord among us. Always with your people, Inviting us to hover over your creation with you, a mother above the crib. Where could we go to say, "And, the Lord is missing?" How could we ever accuse you of infidelity? Unconjurable but always nearby, your visits are gifts. You come to those who cry to you. You come to those who need but do not expect. You surprise us with children in age and in virginity. You help the poor, and show up at the door of the shut-in, bearing food. You promise the earth to the meek. You invite forgotten prisoners to sit at the head table of heaven. So with all the poor, the lame, the foolish, the orphaned and the forgotten, we sing of your friendliness, with laughter and joy. All: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might; heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. The institution (all seated) Minister: We give thanks to God that our Savior Jesus Christ, before he suffered, gave us this memorial of this sacrifice, until his coming again. For on the night of his arrest he took bread, and after giving thanks to God, broke it saying, "This is my body, given for you; do this to commemorate me." Then he took the cup, gave thanks, offered it to them, saying, "This is the blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many. Whenever you drink it, do this to commemorate me." All: We remember Christ's death, we proclaim his resurrection, we await his coming in glory. Minister: Send your Spirit, Lord, to make a place for you, among and within us. May our receiving of the bread and wine, be our receiving of you. People: Send us, O God, your Spirit. Minister: The bread which we break, is it not a sharing in the body of our Lord Jesus Christ? People: We who are many become one with our suffering Lord for we all partake of one loaf. Minister: The wine for which we give thanks, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? People: The wine which we all drink is our unity with Christ who bled and died and arose. Minister: Lord God, rend the heavens and come down. Send the Spirit of Jesus upon us, that we may be moved to oneness with each other and with all those who suffer. As Moses raised the serpent, raise us up, that seeing our love, all may find peace and joy. People: Send us, O God, your Spirit. Minister: For the peace of the earth: for the reconciling of nation with nation, race with race, male with female; we pray to you, Lord. May this bread and wine be the sign of life which flows from you through us to all creation. People: Send us, O God, your Spirit. The Invitation (all standing) Minister: Congregation of Jesus Christ, our Lord has prepared this table for all how love and trust in him for their salvation. All who are truly sorry for their sins, who sincerely believe in Jesus as their Savior, and who desire to live in obedience, are now invited to come with gladness to this holy meal. The Dedication People: We long for your salvation. We trust in you. We offer ourselves, alive to your will, dead to our own. We shall eat the bread of affliction, We shall drink the cup of sorrow, O Risen Lord. Minister: Come then, the table is ready. The gifts of God for the people of God. Communion (The people come forward and are served in groups. As they pass the bread and wine, they say to each other, "The body of Christ for you" and "The blood of Christ for you" or other appropriate words.) Thanksgiving after Communion Minister: Bless the Lord, O my soul. People: And all that is within me, bless God's holy name. Minister: Bless the Lord, O my soul. People: May the glory of the Lord endure forever. May the Lord rejoice over all creation. Minister: Bless the Lord, O my soul. People: I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. All: Bless the Lord, O my soul. Praise the Lord! Minister: Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy spirit, you overflow with love and hope. People: Thanks be to God. Minister: And remember, the harvest of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The Spirit is our source of life. Let us therefore walk by the Spirit. People: Amen. [Alleluia, possibly repeated]