The Coming of the Holy Spirit The Day of Pentecost May 23, 2021

Today’s Theme for Worship: Pentecost marks the end of the Easter season. This festival celebrates the presence of the Holy Spirit. Pentecost is considered the “birthday” of the Christian Church.

Opening Hymn: 229 This Day at Your Creating Word

1 This day at your creating word First o’er the earth the light was poured:

O Lord, this day upon us shine, And fill our souls with light divine.

2 This day the Lord for sinners slain In might victorious rose again:

O Jesus, raise your people, too, From death of sin to life in you.

3 This day the Holy Spirit came With fiery tongues of cloven flame:

O Spirit, fill our hearts this day With grace to hear and grace to pray.

4 This day of light and life and grace We gather in our worship-place:

This holy hour, blest gift of love, Give we again to God above.

5 All praise to God the Father be, To Christ, who set his people free,

Whom with the Spirit we adore Forever and forevermore.

Text: William W. How, 1823-97, alt.

P: The grace of our Lord + Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you.

C: And also with you.

Confession of Sins

P: We have come into the presence of God, who created us to love and serve him as his dear children. But we have disobeyed him and deserve only his wrath and punishment. Therefore, let us confess our sins to him and plead for his mercy.

C: Merciful Father in heaven, I am altogether sinful from birth. In countless ways I have sinned against you and do not deserve to be called your child. But trusting in Jesus, my Savior, I pray: have mercy on me according to your unfailing love. Cleanse me from my sin, and take away my guilt.

P: God, our heavenly Father, has forgiven all your sins. By the perfect life and innocent death of our Lord Jesus Christ, he has removed your guilt forever. You are his own dear child. May God give you strength to live according to his will.

C: Amen.

P: In the peace of forgiveness, let us praise the Lord.

♬ Oh Taste And See

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good.

Bless-ed are they who take re-fuge in him.

Your Word, O Lord, is e-ter-nal;

it stands firm in the heav-ens.

Your faith-ful-ness con-tin-ues for-ev-er.

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good.

Bless-ed are they who take re-fuge in him.

Prayer of the Day

P: Let us Pray.

Holy Spirit, God and Lord, come to us this joyful day with your sevenfold gift of grace. Rekindle in our hearts the holy fire of your love that in a true and living faith we may tell abroad the glory of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Father, one God, now and forever. C: ♬ Amen.

First Lesson: Ezekiel 37:1-14
The LORD shows Ezekiel the valley of dry bones.

The hand of the Lord was upon me. He brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley, which was full of bones. ²He had me pass through them and go all over among them. There were very many on the valley floor, and they were very dry.

³He said to me, “Son of man, can these dry bones live?” I answered, “Lord God, you know.” ⁴Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.’”

⁵This is what the Lord God says to these bones.

I am about to make breath enter you so that you will live. ⁶I will attach tendons to you. I will put flesh back on you. I will cover you with skin and put breath in you, and you will live. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

⁷So I prophesied as I had been commanded, and as I was prophesying there was a noise, a rattling, as the bones came together, one bone connecting to another. ⁸As I watched, tendons were attached to them, then flesh grew over them, and skin covered them. But there was no breath in them.

⁹Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the wind. Prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind that this is what the Lord God says. From the four winds, come, O wind, and breathe into these slain so that they may live.”

¹⁰So I prophesied as he commanded me. Breath entered them, and they came back to life. They stood on their feet, a very, very large army.

¹¹Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They are saying, ‘Our bones are dried up. Our hope is lost. We have been completely cut off.’ ¹²Therefore, prophesy and say to them that this is what the Lord God says. My people, I am going to open your graves and raise you up from your graves and bring you back to the soil of Israel. ¹³Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and raise you up from your graves, O my people. ¹⁴I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live. I will settle you on your own land, and you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.”

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 51b

Refrain

Come, Holy Spirit, renew our hearts and kindle in us the fire of your love.

O Lord, open my lips,*

and my mouth will declare your praise.

You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;*

you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;*

a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Refrain

Come, Holy Spirit, renew our hearts and kindle in us the fire of your love.

Create in me a pure heart, O God,*

and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me from your presence*

or take your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation,*

and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Then I will teach transgressors your ways,*

and sinners will turn back to you.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son*

and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning,*

is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Refrain

Come, Holy Spirit, renew our hearts and kindle in us the fire of your love.

Refrain Tune: Kermit G. Moldenhauer. © 1993 Kermit G. Moldenhauer (admin. Northwestern Publishing House). All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Second Lesson: Acts 2:1-21
The Holy Spirit comes on Pentecost.

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. ²Suddenly a sound like the rushing of a violent wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³They saw divided tongues that were like fire resting on each one of them. ⁴They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, since the Spirit was giving them the ability to speak fluently.

⁵Now there were godly Jewish men from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. ⁶When this sound was heard, a crowd came together and was confused, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. ⁷They were completely baffled and said to each other, “Look, are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? ⁸Then how is it that each of us hears them speaking in his own native language? ⁹Parthians, Medes, and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, and of Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt, and the parts of Libya around Cyrene; visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes; ¹¹Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring in our own languages the wonderful works of God.” ¹²They were all amazed and perplexed. They kept saying to one another, “What does this mean?” ¹³But others mocked them and said, “They are full of new wine.”

¹⁴Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and spoke loudly and clearly to them: “Men of Judea, and all you residents of Jerusalem, understand this, and listen closely to my words. ¹⁵These men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day. ¹⁶On the contrary, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

¹⁷This is what God says will happen in the last days:

I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh.

Your sons and your daughters will prophesy.

Your young men will see visions.

Your old men will dream dreams.

¹⁸Even on my servants, both men and women,

I will pour out my Spirit in those days,

and they will prophesy.

¹⁹I will show wonders in the sky above,

and signs on the earth below,

blood and fire and a rising cloud of smoke.

²⁰The sun will be turned to darkness

and the moon to blood

before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.

²¹And this will happen: Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Verse:
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

These words are written that we may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Gospel: John 14:25-27
Jesus tells the disciples he will send the Holy Spirit, the Counselor.

²⁵“I have told you these things while staying with you. ²⁶But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I told you.

²⁷“Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, and do not let it be afraid.”

P: This is the gospel of our Lord.

C: ♬ Praise be to you, O Christ!

Hymn of the Day: 176 Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord

1 Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord! May all your graces be outpoured

On each believer’s mind and heart; Your fervent love to them impart.

Lord, by the brightness of your light In holy faith your church unite

From ev’ry land and ev’ry tongue;

This to your praise, O Lord our God, be sung: Alleluia! Alleluia!

2 Come, holy Light, Guide divine, And cause the Word of life to shine.

Teach us to know our God aright And call him Father with delight.

From ev’ry error keep us free; Let none but Christ our Master be

That we in living faith abide,

In him, our Lord, with all our might confide. Alleluia! Alleluia!

3 Come, holy Fire, Comfort true; Grant us the will your work to do

And in your service to abide; Let trials turn us not aside.

Lord, by your pow’r prepare each heart, And to our weakness strength impart

That bravely here we may contend,

Through life and death to you, our Lord, ascend. Alleluia! Alleluia!

Text: German hymn, 15th century, st. 1; Martin Luther, 1483-1546, st. 2-3;

tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, St. Louis, 1941, alt.

Sermon

Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

Offering Prayer

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Prayer of the Church

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 trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Hymn: 189 Jehovah, Let Me Now Adore You

1 Jehovah, let me now adore you,

For where is there a God such, Lord, as you?

With joyful songs I come before you;

Oh, let your Spirit teach my heart anew

To praise you in his name through whom alone

Our songs can praise you, through your blessed Son.

2 O Father, draw me to my Savior

That your dear Son may draw me then to you.

Your Spirit guide my whole behavior

And rule both sense and reason in me, too,

That, Lord, your peace from me may ne’er depart

But wake sweet melodies within my heart.

3 Grant that your Spirit prompt my praises;

Then shall my singing surely please your ear.

Sweet are the sounds my heart then raises;

My prayer in truth and spirit you will hear.

Then shall your Spirit lift my heart in love

To sing these psalms to you, my God above.

4 For he can plead for me with sighings

That are not speakable by lips defiled.

He bids me pray with earnest cryings,

Bears witness that I am your precious child,

Joint heir with Christ, and thus may dare to say:

O heav’nly Father, hear me when I pray!

Text: Bartholomäus Crasselius, 1667-1724, abr.; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827-78, alt.

Prayer and Blessing

P: O Lord God, our heavenly Father, pour out the Holy Spirit on your faithful people. Keep us strong in your grace and truth, protect and comfort us in all temptation, and bestow on us your saving peace, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

or

P: Almighty God, we thank you for teaching us the things you want us to believe and do. Help us by your Holy Spirit to keep your Word in pure hearts that we may be strengthened in faith, guided in holiness, and comforted in life and in death, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C: ♬ A-men.

P: Brothers and sisters, go in peace. Live in harmony with one another. Serve the Lord with gladness.

The Lord bless you and keep you.

The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.

The Lord look on you with favor and + give you peace.

C: ♬ A-men, A-men, A-men

Closing Hymn: 185 O Holy Spirit, Grant Us Grace

1 O Holy Spirit, grant us grace

That we our Lord and Savior

In faith and fervent love embrace

And truly serve him ever,

So that when death is near at hand

We at his cross may firmly stand

And there find our salvation.

2 Help us that we your saving Word

In faithful hearts may treasure;

Let e’er that bread of life afford

New grace in richest measure.

Make us to die to ev’ry sin;

Each day create us new within

That fruits of faith may flourish.

3 Then when our earthly race is run,

Death’s bitter hour impending,

May your good work in us begun

Continue till life’s ending,

Until we gladly may commend

Our souls into our Savior’s hand

To rest in peace eternal.

Text: Bartholomäus Ringwaldt, 1532-99; tr. Oluf H. Smeby, 1851-1929, alt.