Getting in touch with the Spirit

June 8, 2025 Pentecost Sunday Acts 2: 1-21 Getting in Touch with the Spirit Year C Prelude Greetings Call to Worship (Inspired by Acts 2:1 and Psalm 104) One:.When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. Many: We join for worship online and onsight, in real time and sometimes days later, and yet, One: The Holy One sends forth the Spirit. Many: Who unites us, connects us, and forms us as a community. One: We were created in spirit and in truth, wonderfully and fearfully, in the image of Holy Love. Many: God renews the face of the earth and the cosmos, this faith community and the church. One: May the glory of God the Fire endure forever! Many: Bless the Holy One, oh my soul. Praise God! (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Cheryl Lindsay) Invocation Spirit of Unity, you knit us together with all of our connections and distinctions. You make us one and yet unique. We gather to hear your voice and to attune ourselves to the language of the other, to celebrate the diversity of your creation and to immerse ourselves in compassionate care, to give you glory and to recognize the gift of community. May our hearts be opened and our lips declare your praise. Inhabit our worship with your abiding presence and inflame us with your love. Amen. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Cheryl Lindsay) Song I’m Going to Sing when the Spirit says Sing UMH 333 Pentecost Litany (do not print the litany) Reader 1: From the very instant of creation, your Holy Spirit moved on the waters of creation, bringing to life the creative love that is God. Reader 2: Even when the people were forgetful and stubborn, your Holy Spirit called to them to be unafraid, to follow. It led them through the desert to a land of sweet dwelling. Reader 1: During all the times of fear and tumult, you sang the song of hope through the prophets, who called people back to you with tender forgiveness. Reader 2: On a dark winter night you sang your sweetest song and birthed a Savior who came to being us life and witness to your love and power. Reader 1: At the lakeshore you called to the simple people, the fishermen, to come and follow you. They witnessed your miracles of healing and forgiving love. Reader 2: When the night seemed to be the darkest, even though it was mid-day - you gave your Son to be a witness to your love. From his cross He forgave those who crucified Him and reminded a thief that paradise would be his home. Reader 1: On the early morning, the women were startled with the news of His resurrection. Could it be that all he had said was true? Reader 2: The disciples hid in fear of what others might say, think or do. They were astonished at his presence to them. Reader 1: Spirit, Spirit of Gentleness, help us to dream dreams and see visions of all that is possible for the healing and hope for this world. Reader 2: Help us cross lines which divide and unite to proclaim boldly that you are the Spirit of Absolute Love and Peace. Emblazon our spirits. Make bold our voices. Give joy to our hearts, for we have been called to be witnesses, even to the ends of the world. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) A Sermon for all Ages The bible says that God is a spirit, and that we can’t never see the face of God. But we can look all around and see evidence that the spirit of God is among us. Our story says that we can hear the spirit in the wind, we can see the spirit in the fire, we can tell that the spirit is alive and well all around us. But the best place to look for the spirit is inside of each of us. If God is around in our lives, you can look at our lives and tell that the spirit is alive and well – through how we live and the things that we do. Today is a special day – Pentecost – the day we acknowledge the presence of the spirit amongst us. One of the ways that we can see God’s spirit is in the baptism of our young people. Today we have a baptism….. Baptism Scripture Acts 2:1-21 Sermon Getting in touch with the Spirit A church going family took a little girl who was visiting with them to church one Sunday. This girl had never been to church in her life but seemed to enjoy the experience. When they returned home and were eating lunch, they asked the girl what she thought about the experience. She said she liked it, but she was confused about one thing. She asked why the Whole West Coast wasn't included. Nobody in the family knew what she was talking about. So, she explained, "The man in the front kept talking about the Father, Son and Whole-East-Coast." (1) Pentecost is the celebration of the Holy Ghost, or the Holy Spirit. Jesus has been promising that the spirit would come to support us. He said that he needed to step out of the way, so that the spirit could step in. Pentecost is the last day of the Easter season, and it is also celebrated as the beginning of the church. Carla Gorrell, Looks Like a Conspiracy ___________________________ Pentecost literally means 50 days after Easter or Passover. It is the end of spring and the beginning of summer. Originally it marked the end of the wheat harvest. This is a good time to switch gears. The disciples were in Jerusalem for Pentecost when the spirit arrived and they were able to see how people from all over the world were affected by the coming of the spirit. People were able to understand God speaking to them in many languages. They received confidence to go out and preach the gospel. The spirit has been working in the world every since, and none of us have ever been the same. Deuteronomy 28 makes promises that those who obey God will receive 7 blessings in life. The 7 blessings of Pentecost, a term often used in Christian theology, generally refer to a set of seven supernatural blessings that are released during the Feast of Pentecost, a season of celebration and renewal. These blessings are typically understood as God's favor and provision upon His people, addressing various aspects of human need. While specific lists and interpretations vary, common themes include: power, peace, protection, presence of the Spirit, prosperity, provision, and perfection. Here's a more detailed breakdown of the concept: • Power: This refers to the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit, enabling believers to overcome obstacles and accomplish God's will. • Peace: This signifies inner tranquility and assurance, even amidst life's challenges. • Protection: This blessing relates to God's protective care for believers and their families, shielding them from harm and evil. • Presence: This speaks to the closeness and intimate connection believers have with God, receiving wisdom and strength from His presence. • Provision: This blessing refers to God's provision for all needs, including financial, material, and spiritual resources. • Perfection: This refers to the transformative work of the Holy Spirit, molding believers into the image of Christ. • Prosperity: This signifies God's favor and abundance in various areas of life. The disciples saw all of those blessings at work in the people who were willing to follow God in the spirit of Christ. During Jesus ministry he spent six months teaching, talking about the spirit and God’s intention for the world. The disciples spent the next six months learning to live in those lessons. Today, we relive that rhythm. Six months hearing God’s word and God’s intention, and six months putting those lessons into action. Pentecost is the halfway point telling us to switch directions. The good news is that the blessings of the spirit are available to all of us – young or old, long time member or first time visitor. God’s power is there for all of us, we just have to be ready to use it. This is a good day to ask ourselves if we are ready to live in God’s power. The power of God is all around us, are we ready to live in it, and to make the world that we dreamed about a reality? Do we really want to pray always, do we really like disruptions, can we endure being scorned by society, do we want to leave our comfort zones, do we want to be with everyone? Do we want God to change us, what is our response to Pentecost? The Keys to the Car There are transitional moments in life that confirm something tremendous has taken place. One of those moments occurs in a teenager's life and in lives of the parents of that particular teenager, when a mom or a dad gives to him or her the keys to the car for the first time for a solo run. What a transitional moment this is! Many of us have already experienced this. Some of you still have to experience it in life, but, I guarantee you, it's going to happen. It's going to be a step of growth for you. It's a time when you release to your child into an adult world. It's a change in your son or daughter's life from which they are never going to turn back. It's a moment in which you are giving your child an adult responsibility. It is a transitional moment for the child also because the teenager recognizes that he has been given a great responsibility. It's an adult responsibility. He also realizes that this is something that he needs to take care with because great trust has been put in him. Teenagers need to prove to their parents that the validity of their faith in them is correct. In the Scripture for today, Jesus does something very similar for His followers. Jesus said, "As the Father has sent Me, so send I you." Jesus is tossing the keys to the kingdom to His disciples. He is demonstrating that He is accepting them as His followers but He is also demonstrating to them that He is entrusting to them the message of the gospel. He gives to them a great privilege. He is showing them that He believes in them. Don Walker, Commissioned to a New Ministry In Luke’s story the spirit came into the world like a powerful wind. In the book of John, the spirit came like a quiet spirit. Whether loud or quiet, there are many ways to tell that the Pentecost spirit is alive and well today. Some Pentecost Thoughts As I see it, the Holy Spirit is graciously and unobtrusively busy all over the place. The quiet Helper. The unpretentious Friend. The Helper is quietly at work: in the sincere concern of a friend for our health, in those who take a stand against injustice, in the grace of folk who go the second mile, in the inner resources we discover in times of crisis, in those who dare to go against the tide of popular opinion, in the grace that enables us to admit when we are wrong, in the resilience of people who fight for the rights of others, in those who surrender some of their rights for the larger good, in times when we share the Gospel in spite of our inadequacy, in finding joy in unexpected places, in taking on responsibilities that we once thought beyond us, in refusing to let the greed of society take over our soul, in giving thanks always, even through the hard times of life, in rising above past failures and putting past hurts behind us. in finding a central core of peace in the midst of turmoil, in daring to laugh in situations where some would curse, in knowing ourselves to be children of God, in knowing ourselves loved, even when we have been very unlovable. Bruce D. Prewer, Some Pentecost Thoughts The best place to look for the spirit is always inside of our own hearts. God Works from the Inside Out - Acts 2:1-13 A little girl was visiting her grandmother one beautiful spring morning. They walked out into grandmother’s flower garden. As grandmother was inspecting the progress of her flowers the little girl decided to try to open a rosebud with her own two hands. But no luck! As she would pull the petals open, they would tear or bruise or wilt or break off completely. Finally, in frustration, she said, “Gramma, I just don’t understand it at all. When God opens a flower, it looks so beautiful but when I try, it just comes apart.” “Well, honey,” Grandmother answered, “There’s a good reason for that. God is able to do it because He works from the inside out!” God Works From the Inside Out. That is the great message of Pentecost Sunday, isn’t it? This is what the disciples finally came to understand at Pentecost. Jesus had ascended into heaven. And He had told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit. Here is where the story of Pentecost picks up. The disciples are back in the Upper Room waiting and wondering and some of them were probably grumbling impatiently and nervously. What in the world are we doing here? All this waiting around is driving me up the wall! There’s no use. He’s gone and without Him, we are nothing. It’s over! We’d just as well face it. What is this Holy Spirit business anyway? Maybe we misunderstood Him. Just then they heard a sound. The breath of God began to blow on that place like the rush of a mighty wind. Images of fire danced around them. Suddenly, their fear was gone, replaced by peace and confidence, courage and strength and unity and they began to speak and communicate the word of God boldly and amazingly people from all different backgrounds heard and responded and 3,000 people were converted that day. It’s interesting to note that the three classic symbols for the Holy Spirit in the Bible remind us of how God works through us and how God works from the inside out. Do you remember what they are? The three traditional symbols of the Holy Spirit in the Bible: Breath: the symbol of Life. Fire: the symbol of Power. The descending dove: the symbol of Peace. Let’s take a look at these one at a time.... • Without Pentecost, we’d just be people who tell Jesus’ story. With Pentecost, we’re people who live into Jesus’ story” (Danielle Shroyer, The Hardest Question blog) • Consecrate that Trumpet to God • While preaching a revival in Florida, a man told me that, as a young man, he had played with Artie Shaw's band. His father had been a concert pianist, but neither of them knew the first thing about Christian music. One day the young man was invited by a friend to play his trumpet at a huge Billy Sunday evangelistic crusade. He did it, and then, at the close of the service, as he stood there watching Billy Sunday pray with those who had responded to the call, the great evangelist looked up, saw him, came over to him, and said, "Young man, have you consecrated that trumpet to God?" "I had no idea what he was talking about -- consecrate. So when I shook my head, Billy Sunday took me to an old wooden folding chair, laid my trumpet on it, put his hands -- one on the horn and the other on my shoulder -- and prayed and gave us both to God." Then the man continued, "And you know, Barbara, it made a difference. It made a difference the way I played that trumpet and it made a difference in me!" The Holy Spirit does make a difference. He makes a big difference! Let him fill you today. Drink deeply of this Divine New Wine. There is no telling what he will do for you, with you, and through you!" • Grapes of Wrath Or Grace, Barbara Brokhoff, CSS Publishing Company Whatever you do, do it to the glory of God! Let’s pray…… Song Spirit of the Living God UMH 393 Pastoral Prayer We would like to settle into a nice, comfortable routine, Lord, in which we don’t have to do much of anything, just sit back and relax. We are tired and wonder if we have anything left to give of our talents, our spirits, our lives. So the story of the disciples hiding in the upper room is not uncomfortable for us. We want to hide, too. But you have come to us in your resurrection love - we have seen the prints of the nails in your hands and feet, we have felt the wound in your side. We have been with you on the seashore, but we still quiver with fear and uncertainty. Send your Holy Spirit upon us today! Let the rushing wind of your spirit, stir us up to action for good and healing. Let the flame of your power ignite our hearts with passion for justice and peace. As we have brought names of people to prayer this day asking for healing mercies, may we also add our names, asking for empowerment and renewal of our spirits. Take us and use our gifts and our talents for healing in your world. Help us to be bold in our proclamation of your great Good News of love and hope. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment It’s all about layers. God breathing life into dust. Moses leading people out of slavery into freedom. Hagar calling on God to remember God’s covenant. Layer after layer. Mary saying yes. Jesus breaking bread. Young people seeing visions. Elders dreaming dreams. Our ancestors building a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world. Going above and beyond church as it’s always been. Beyond borders and barriers. Beyond us and them. Building layers of community and color, spirituality and vision, justice and joy. Proclaiming the good news that Spirit is still breathing new life and breaking new bread. God’s people are still seeing visions and dreaming dreams. You’re invited to add your layer today as we receive our offering, for this congregation, and our special Pentecost offering to aid in building new congregations. With joy-filled hearts, let us bring our gifts, our tithes and our offerings. Prayer of Thanksgiving Giver of Life, receive all we offer you today. May the Spirit you poured out at Pentecost continue to work in the world through these gifts, transforming them from check and coin into acts of life-enhancing service. Breathe once more into each of us, inspiring us to offer not only our finances, but also our lives, in gratitude for the ways you fill us. AMEN (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook May God, who gives us a spirit of adoption, bless you today, carrying you on the winds of the Spirit into the world to share the love, grace, and family that have been so lavishly given to each and every one of us. Amen. Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, October 2024. Community Time - Joys and Concerns Benediction Awesome Spirit! You have inspired us this day to be witnesses to God’s love and power. Help us to be joyful in our service and strong in our faith for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now we go in peace, with God’s peace in our hearts. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Additional Illustrations You Are in the Spirit It’s like the story of the shark and the whale. Both were swimming in the sea when the shark swam up to the whale to engage in conversation. As they swam along, the shark said to the whale, “You are so much older than I, and wiser too. Could you tell me where the ocean is?” The whale responded, “The ocean is what you are in now.” The shark would not believe it. “Come on, tell me where the ocean is so I may find it!” The whale repeated, “The ocean is here, now; you are in it.” Unbelieving, the shark swam away searching for the ocean. The moral of the story, I believe, is this: don’t spend too much time looking for God because the Spirit of God is here in the now of your life, dwelling within you, within me, within this community. And that truth is nurtured in prayer. Susan M. Fleenor, The Indwelling Spirit of Pentecost What Churches Need “What the Church needs today is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use—men of prayer, men mighty in prayer.”—E.M. Bounds √ The End Is the Beginning The end of the gospel of John always sends us back to the beginning. Every ending always implies the beginning of something new. On December 31st, the last day of the year, we celebrate the beginning of the New Year. Pregnancy ends with the delivery of a baby, and a new life begins—for both the parents and the baby. When you finish High School, you enter a new world of college or work. Jesus’ death on the cross was an ending, but it was also a beginning. _________________________ The Ability to Hear Communication, an ability to hear, to know what other people "are getting at" and "where they're coming from," has got to be one of the chief characteristics of the effective pastor. I want to be a good communicator, a skillful preacher. Yet before that, I know that I must be a good listener. As someone has said, "A preacher must listen for six days a week -- listening to God and to the hopes, fears, and aspirations of the congregation -- for the right to speak one day a week." I agree. Yet our modern world has also shown us how difficult, how very, very difficult, it is to hear. A number of years ago, Deborah Tannen, wrote, Why I Can't Hear You. It was a book about the difficulty of communication between women and men. Men and women speak different languages, says Tannen. When men are trying to say, "I need you to help me," they say it in ways which women can't hear. Likewise, when women say, "Give me some space; I need to be more independent for awhile," men get the message all messed up and hear something else. Add to this gender-gap, the gaps in our communication due to differences in economics, education, race and class, what hope is there for us ever to understand one another? The story we have read today, the story of Pentecost, is a story about hearing. Remember the Genesis story of the Tower of Babel, that time when the original "one language and few words" of humanity was disrupted forever by the profusion of languages and speech? Some believe that this Pentecost story is meant to signify a gracious reversal of Babel. William Willimon, How Can I Hear You? Sermon Opener or Ender for Pentecost Welcome to Pentecost in the Year 2008! It is a time to open up to the mind-blowing, heart-warming, life-changing power of God. The power of God can invade the body, inflate the mind, swell the soul, lift the Spirit and make us more than we ever imagined. It'll make you young when you're old, and it'll make you live even when you die. The power and presence of the Spirit will disturb, delight, deliver and lift. When God sends forth the Spirit, "the whole face of the earth is renewed." When God sends forth the Spirit chaos is changed into creation the Red Sea opens up to a highway of freedom. When God sends forth the Spirit: A young woman says "Yes". Jesus is born and life is never the same. When God sends forth the Spirit amazing things happen: [Ask the congregation to join you by repeating the following] barriers are broken, communities are formed, opposites are reconciled, unity is established, disease is cured, addiction is broken, cities are renewed, races are reconciled, hope is established, people are blessed, and church happens. Today the Spirit of God is present and we're gonna’ have church. So be ready, get ready...God is up to something... [Read these yourself with no response] discouraged folks cheer up, dishonest folks 'fees up, sour folks sweeten up, closed folk, open up, gossipers shut up, conflicted folks make up, sleeping folks wake up, lukewarm folk, fire up, dry bones shake up, and pew potatoes stand up! But most of all, Christ the Savior of all the world is lifted up... Rick Kirchoff, Germantown United Methodist Church, Opening remarks to the 2000 Memphis Annual Conference. _____________________ A New Way of Seeing We are too often stuck in seeing the world in only one way and forget that we can be led to different viewings. A wealthy oil baron once commissioned Picasso to paint a portrait of his wife. When the work was completed, the baron was shocked to see the image that had been created. "Why that looks nothing like my wife! You should have painted her the way she really is!" Picasso took a deep breath and said, "I'm not sure what that would be." Without hesitation, the oil baron pulled out his wallet and removed a photograph of his wife saying, "There, you see, this is a picture of how she really is! Picasso, bending over, looked at it and replied, "She is rather small and flat, isn't she?" The point is clear: The man was so wrapped up in HIS view of his wife he could not understand anyone else's view of her. On the day of Pentecost there were many Jews who understood, who saw Gods new view of the world through the eye of the Spirit but there were also many there who did not, who could not see the world around them in any other way than the way it had always been. Brett Blair, www.eSermons.com. Adapted from: Bradford Keeney, Everyday Soul, New York: Riverhead Books, 1996. Be Patient. The Spring Will Come. Robert Schuller tells of a winter at home, when his dad needed firewood. He found a dead tree and sawed it down. In the spring, to his dismay, he found new shoots had sprouted from the trunk. He said to his son, "I thought sure it was dead; the leaves had dropped, the twigs snapped, it seemed as if there was no life there. But now I see there is still life at the taproot of the old tree." He looked at his boy and said, "Bob, don't forget this important lesson. Never cut down a tree in the wintertime. Never make a negative decision in a low time. Never make your most important decisions when you are in your worst mood. Wait. Be patient. The spring will come." And so, the disciples waited 24 hours, then another day, then a week, and now it has been 10 days, but still they waited - waited and prayed! R. Robert Cueni, Tenders of the Sacred Fire, CSS Publishing Company. __________________ • From the Lit Liturgy Podcast: “Christmas is stupid without Easter. Easter is pointless without Pentecost.” • If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. 2 All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God: 3 You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. Deuteronomy 28:1-3 The kingdom that we talked about for six months comes to fruition – six months of talking, six months of doing It has been 7 weeks since Jesus died 4 reasons for Pentecost – think what God thinks, feel what God feels, want what God wants, do what God does End of wheat festival