Sundays at All Hallows (Sunday, May 28, 2023)
Welcome to Sundays at All Hallows. This Sunday, the Feast of Pentecost, also known as Holy Spirit Sunday, Pentecost Sunday, Whit Sunday, Whitsunday and Whitsun, commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles and other believers while they were gathered in a house in Jerusalem during the Festival of Weeks. This event is in some Christian traditions considered the birth of the Church. The descent of the Holy Spirit on the gathering was the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise that his followers would receive power from on high, enabling them to be his witnesses in Jerusalem, Samaria, and beyond. It would launch what is called the Great Commission, which is the principal mission of the Church—to tell people about Jesus and make them disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Triune God and instructing them in Jesus’ commandments, his teaching.Choral Prelude:
Open this link in a new tab to hear Shirley Erena Murray’s As the Wind Song through the Trees.”
As the wind song through the trees,
as the stirring of the breeze,
so it is with the Spirit of God,
as the heart made strangely warm,
as the voice within the storm,
so it is with the Spirit of God.
Never seen, ever known
where this wind has blown
bringing life, bringing power to the world,
as the dancing tongues of fire,
as the soul’s most deep desire,
so it is with the Spirit of God.
As the rainbow after rain,
as the hope that’s born again,
so it is with the Spirit of God,
as the green in the spring,
as a kite on a string,
so it is with the Spirit of God,
making worlds that are new,
making peace come true,
bringing gifts, bringing love to the world,
as the rising of the yeast,
as the wine at the feast,
so it is with the Spirit of God.
Opening Hymn:
Open this link to hear Tom Colvin’s “God Sends Us the Spirit.”
God sends us the Spirit to befriend and help us,
Recreate and guide us,
Spirit-Friend.
Spirit who enlivens, sanctifies, enlightens,
Sets us free, is now our
Spirit-Friend.
Spirit of our Father*, Spirit-Friend.
Spirit of our Jesu**, Spirit-Friend.
Spirit of God's people, Spirit-Friend.
Darkened roads are clearer, heavy burdens lighter,
When we're walking with our
Spirit-Friend.
Now we need not fear the powers of the darkness,
None can overcome our
Spirit-Friend.
Spirit of our Father*, Spirit-Friend.
Spirit of our Jesu**, Spirit-Friend.
Spirit of God's people, Spirit-Friend
Now we are God's people, bonded by His presence,
Agents of His purpose,
Spirit-Friend.
Lead us forward ever, slipping backward never,
To your remade world, our
Spirit-Friend.
Spirit of our Father*, Spirit-Friend.
Spirit of our Jesu**, Spirit-Friend.
Spirit of God's people, Spirit-Friend
* In some versions, “Maker.”
** In some versions, “Savior.”
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
And also with you.
The Lord is here.
His Spirit is with us.
Let us pray.
We thank you, O God, that you have again brought
us together on the Lord’s Day to praise you for your
goodness and to ask your blessing. Give us grace to
see your hand in the week that is past, and your
purpose in the week to come; through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Dear friends in Christ,
as we turn our hearts and minds
to worship almighty God,
let us confess our sins.
Most merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us,
that we may delight in your will,
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your name. Amen.
Merciful God,
grant to your faithful people pardon and peace,
that we may be cleansed from all our sins
and serve you with a quiet mind;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Hymn of Praise:
Open this link in a new tab to hear the traditional Peruvian “Glory to God (Gloria a Dios).”
1 Glory to God, glory to God,
glory in the highest!
Glory to God, glory to God,
glory in the highest!
To God be glory forever!
To God be glory forever!
Alleluia, Amen! Alleluia, Amen!
Alleluia, Amen! Alleluia, Amen!
Alleluia, Amen! Alleluia, Amen!
Alleluia, Amen! Alleluia, Amen!
2 Glory to God, glory to God,
glory to Christ Jesus!
Glory to God, glory to God,
glory to Christ Jesus!
To God be glory forever!
To God be glory forever!
Alleluia, Amen! Alleluia, Amen!
Alleluia, Amen! Alleluia, Amen!
Alleluia, Amen! Alleluia, Amen!
Alleluia, Amen! Alleluia, Amen!
3 Glory to God, glory to God,
glory to the Spirit!
Glory to God, glory to God,
glory to the Spirit!
To God be glory forever!
To God be glory forever!
Alleluia, Amen! Alleluia, Amen!
Alleluia, Amen! Alleluia, Amen!
Alleluia, Amen! Alleluia, Amen!
Alleluia, Amen! Alleluia, Amen!
God of wind and flame,
send your life-giving Spirit upon your people:
give fire to our words, strength to our witness and boldness to our proclamation of your wondrous work in Christ; who,
with you and the Spirit, lives and reigns
now and for ever. Amen.
The Proclamation of the Word
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 2: 1-21)
On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.
At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers.
They were completely amazed. “How can this be?” they exclaimed. “These people are all from Galilee, and yet we hear them speaking in our own native languages! Here we are—Parthians, Medes, Elamites, people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, the province of Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the areas of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism), Cretans, and Arabs. And we all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done!” They stood there amazed and perplexed. “What can this mean?” they asked each other.
But others in the crowd ridiculed them, saying, “They’re just drunk, that’s all!”
Then Peter stepped forward with the eleven other apostles and shouted to the crowd, “Listen carefully, all of you, fellow Jews and residents of Jerusalem! Make no mistake about this. These people are not drunk, as some of you are assuming. Nine o’clock in the morning is much too early for that. No, what you see was predicted long ago by the prophet Joel:
‘In the last days,’ God says,
‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy.
Your young men will see visions,
and your old men will dream dreams.
In those days I will pour out my Spirit
even on my servants—men and women alike—
and they will prophesy.
And I will cause wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below—
blood and fire and clouds of smoke.
The sun will become dark,
and the moon will turn blood red
before that great and glorious day of the Lord arrives.
But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord
will be saved.’*
Silence
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Karen Young Wimberly’s paraphrase of Psalm 104, “Praise the Lord, All the Earth.”
You, O Lord, are clothed in glory
Praise the Lord, all the earth
You have spread the heavens above me
Praise the Lord, all the earth
Wings of wind and cloud of chariot
Praise the Lord, all the earth
Flashes of lightning, servants of majesty
Praise the Lord, all the earth
You have set the earth’s foundations
Praise the Lord, all the earth
Rushing waters hear your commanding
Praise the Lord, all the earth
You make springs flow into valleys
Praise the Lord, all the earth
Birds in their nests, singing your glory
Praise the Lord, all the earth
[Instrumental interlude]
Rain on the hills, earth filled with blessing
Praise the Lord, all the earth
Food for our strength, health and happiness
Praise the Lord, all the earth
All of these good things you have created
Praise the Lord, all the earth
You give us breath, new life to all
Praise the Lord, all the earth
Glory to God forever and ever
Praise the Lord, all the earth
I’ll sing to God, all of my living
Praise the Lord, all the earth
A reading from Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 12: 3-13)
So I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus, and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.
There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.
A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.
The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.
Silence
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Margaret Old’s “Spirit of God, Unseen as the Wind.”
Spirit of God, unseen as the wind,
gentle as is the dove;
teach us the truth and help us believe,
show us the Savior’s love.
1 You spoke to us long, long ago,
gave us the written Word;
we read it still, needing its truth,
through it God’s voice is heard.
Spirit of God, unseen as the wind,
gentle as is the dove;
teach us the truth and help us believe,
show us the Savior’s love.
2 Without Your help we fail our Lord,
we cannot live His way;
we need Your power, we need Your strength,
following Christ each day.
Spirit of God, unseen as the wind,
gentle as is the dove;
teach us the truth and help us believe,
show us the Savior’s love.
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John (John 7: 37-39)
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)
Silence
The Gospel of Christ.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ
What Is Revival? Why Is Revival Desirable?
Earlier this year we saw what appeared to be the stirring of revival among the younger generations on several college campuses, beginning with Asbury University, a private Christian university in Wilmore, Kentucky.
Since then, this occurrence has come to be known as the “Asbury Outpouring.” Some welcomed the “Asbury Outpouring” as a fresh movement of the Holy Spirit that had the potential for not only initiating revival in the nation’s churches but also a new nation-wide, even global, spiritual awakening. Others were dismissive like members of the crowd in today’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles, who ridiculed the believers’ speaking in the native languages of the pilgrims and other visitors to Jerusalem as drunkenness.
If you study the history of revivals and spiritual awakenings in the Christian Church, you will discover that both reactions have accompanied these fresh movements of the Holy Spirit. While some have embraced what the Holy Spirit was doing, others have been skeptical, doubting that what they are witnessing is a movement of the Holy Spirit.
I for one believe that it is best to keep an open mind. Our nation’s churches would greatly benefit from revival and our nation from a new spiritual awakening. A church does not have to be totally spiritually dead to benefit from a revival as is sometimes claimed. By a revival I am not referring to the meeting or series of meetings that are sometimes organized to stir up a stronger interest in religion in a local church or a community. Revival meetings were commonplace here in Kentucky and other parts of the Bible Belt in the summer in years past.
By revival I am talking about a time when interest in religion starts stronger than before, not encouraged by human effort but caused by the Holy Spirit working in people’s lives. Genuine revival can reinvigorate the life, ministry, and worship of a local church. It can lead to a spiritual awakening in the community and beyond. Believers are moved to a deeper repentance and faith and non-believers to turn away from their sinful ways and to turn to Jesus.
We are living in a time in which declining church attendance and a growing number of religiously non-affiliated individuals, the “Nones” as they are sometimes called, indicates that interest in organized religion in the United States is at a low ebb. The COVID-19 pandemic not only affected church attendance but also shook people’s faith. A recent study shows that those who believe in God without any doubt form a small minority of the population.
The COVID-19 pandemic also disrupted people’s routines, including church attendance. They adopted new routines and have not returned to their old ones. Research also shows that a number of believers took advantage of the pandemic to change churches, to move to a church that they found more congenial for one reason or another. A number of believers who had been ill-treated by the church that they had been attending did not return to that church when the pandemic abated but dropped out of church altogether due to their experience.
The Holy Spirit plays a vital role in not only our individual spiritual lives but also in the life, ministry, and worship of the local church. The Holy Spirit animates the individual believer and the local church, causing them to be active, full of life and energy. A fresh movement of the Holy Spirit can make a significant difference in our individual spiritual lives and in the life, ministry, and worship of the local church.
Our attention, individually and as a community of faith, becomes more focused on God and on his Son, Jesus Christ. We experience a burning interest in reading and studying the Bible and applying its truths and principles to our daily lives. We become more expectant in prayer and more enthusiastic in singing. Our inner selves are effervescent with praise and thanksgiving. We desire a more intimate relationship with God and Jesus. We celebrate the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper with greater regularity and frequency.
The Holy Spirit plays a vital role in not only our individual spiritual lives but also in the life, ministry, and worship of the local church. The Holy Spirit animates the individual believer and the local church, causing them to be active, full of life and energy. A fresh movement of the Holy Spirit can make a significant difference in our individual spiritual lives and in the life, ministry, and worship of the local church.
Our attention, individually and as a community of faith, becomes more focused on God and on his Son, Jesus Christ. We experience a burning interest in reading and studying the Bible and applying its truths and principles to our daily lives. We become more expectant in prayer and more enthusiastic in singing. Our inner selves are effervescent with praise and thanksgiving. We desire a more intimate relationship with God and Jesus. We celebrate the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper with greater regularity and frequency.
We not only have a bounce in our step but our lives evidence noticeable changes. Our love for God and for Jesus Christ deepens as does our love for others. We exhibit more and more those qualities of character that Paul calls the fruit of the Spirit—" love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” We throw ourselves with unprecedented vigor into the task of telling people about our Lord and pointing them to him, and discipling those who come to faith in him.
We cannot cause a revival in our spiritual lives or the life, ministry, and worship of our church. But we can prepare the way for such a revival. We can do three things to that end.
1. We can ask the Holy Spirit to search us and show to us any unrepented sins. We can confess to God the sins the Holy Spirit brings to our attention and earnestly seek to repent, to stop doing whatever we have been doing, and where possible, make amends for what we have done. This includes confessing to God as a faith community as well as individual believers how we have done harm to others or failed to do good to them and repenting of what we have done or neglected to do.
2. We can make a concerted effort to live our lives both as individual believers and as a faith community according to the teaching and example of Jesus, putting our trust and confidence in Jesus and asking God for grace to be true disciples.
3. We can pray for a fresh movement of the Holy Spirit in our individual spiritual lives and the spiritual lives of other believers and in the life, ministry, and worship of our own church and other churches in our community and elsewhere. We can pray individually, in small groups, in Sunday school classes, in Sunday Services of the Word and Table, and in daily gatherings for praise and prayer. We can organize prayer meetings and nights of prayer.
God alone can plant the seeds of revival and cause them to grow, blossom, and bear fruit. We, however, can cooperate with God in preparing the ground for the planting of the seeds. Genuine revival is not something that we should fear as believers but should gladly welcome. It is one of the many ways that God shows his love and care for his people. It is an expression of God’s grace, his goodwill and favor. So let us join our prayers to those of our fellow believers, beseeching God to send revival.
Almighty and merciful God, you have fulfilled your word of promise, and from your heavenly throne you have poured out upon your Church the gift of the Holy Spirit: Open our hearts, we pray, to receive the fullness of his grace and power; that our lives may be strengthened for the service of your kingdom, and our souls be conformed more and more to the image of your Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Silence
Song of Response:
Open this link to hear Keith Getty and Stuart Townend’ “Holy Spirit, Living Breath of God.”
Holy Spirit, living breath of God,
Breathe new life into my willing soul.
Let the presence of the risen Lord,
Come renew my heart and make me whole.
Cause Your Word to come alive in me;
Give me faith for what I cannot see,
Give me passion for Your purity;
Holy Spirit, breathe new life in me.
Holy Spirit, come abide within,
May Your joy be seen in all I do.
Love enough to cover every sin,
In each thought and deed and attitude.
Kindness to the greatest and the least,
Gentleness that sows the path of peace.
Turn my strivings into works of grace;
Breath of God show Christ in all I do.
Holy Spirit, from creation’s birth,
Giving life to all that God has made,
Show Your power once again on earth,
Cause Your church to hunger for your ways.
Let the fragrance of our prayers arise;
Lead us on the road of sacrifice,
That in unity the face of Christ
May be clear for all the world to see.
Holy Spirit, breathe new life in me.
The Apostles’ Creed
Let us confess the faith of our baptism, as we say,
I believe in God,
the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
We cannot cause a revival in our spiritual lives or the life, ministry, and worship of our church. But we can prepare the way for such a revival. We can do three things to that end.
1. We can ask the Holy Spirit to search us and show to us any unrepented sins. We can confess to God the sins the Holy Spirit brings to our attention and earnestly seek to repent, to stop doing whatever we have been doing, and where possible, make amends for what we have done. This includes confessing to God as a faith community as well as individual believers how we have done harm to others or failed to do good to them and repenting of what we have done or neglected to do.
2. We can make a concerted effort to live our lives both as individual believers and as a faith community according to the teaching and example of Jesus, putting our trust and confidence in Jesus and asking God for grace to be true disciples.
3. We can pray for a fresh movement of the Holy Spirit in our individual spiritual lives and the spiritual lives of other believers and in the life, ministry, and worship of our own church and other churches in our community and elsewhere. We can pray individually, in small groups, in Sunday school classes, in Sunday Services of the Word and Table, and in daily gatherings for praise and prayer. We can organize prayer meetings and nights of prayer.
God alone can plant the seeds of revival and cause them to grow, blossom, and bear fruit. We, however, can cooperate with God in preparing the ground for the planting of the seeds. Genuine revival is not something that we should fear as believers but should gladly welcome. It is one of the many ways that God shows his love and care for his people. It is an expression of God’s grace, his goodwill and favor. So let us join our prayers to those of our fellow believers, beseeching God to send revival.
Almighty and merciful God, you have fulfilled your word of promise, and from your heavenly throne you have poured out upon your Church the gift of the Holy Spirit: Open our hearts, we pray, to receive the fullness of his grace and power; that our lives may be strengthened for the service of your kingdom, and our souls be conformed more and more to the image of your Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Silence
Song of Response:
Open this link to hear Keith Getty and Stuart Townend’ “Holy Spirit, Living Breath of God.”
Holy Spirit, living breath of God,
Breathe new life into my willing soul.
Let the presence of the risen Lord,
Come renew my heart and make me whole.
Cause Your Word to come alive in me;
Give me faith for what I cannot see,
Give me passion for Your purity;
Holy Spirit, breathe new life in me.
Holy Spirit, come abide within,
May Your joy be seen in all I do.
Love enough to cover every sin,
In each thought and deed and attitude.
Kindness to the greatest and the least,
Gentleness that sows the path of peace.
Turn my strivings into works of grace;
Breath of God show Christ in all I do.
Holy Spirit, from creation’s birth,
Giving life to all that God has made,
Show Your power once again on earth,
Cause Your church to hunger for your ways.
Let the fragrance of our prayers arise;
Lead us on the road of sacrifice,
That in unity the face of Christ
May be clear for all the world to see.
Holy Spirit, breathe new life in me.
The Apostles’ Creed
Let us confess the faith of our baptism, as we say,
I believe in God,
the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again
to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen
Intercessions and Thanksgivings
In peace we pray to you, Lord God.
Silence
For all people in their daily life and work;
For our families, friends, and neighbors,
and for all those who are alone.
For this community, our country, and the world;
For all who work for justice, freedom, and peace.
For the just and proper use of your creation;
For the victims of hunger, fear, injustice, and oppression.
For all who are in danger, sorrow, or any kind of trouble;
For those who minister to the sick, the friendless, and needy.
For the peace and unity of the Church of God;
For all who proclaim the gospel, and all who seek the truth.
For N. our pastor, and for all ordained elders and licensed local pastors and other ministers;
For all who serve God in the Church.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again
to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen
Intercessions and Thanksgivings
In peace we pray to you, Lord God.
Silence
For all people in their daily life and work;
For our families, friends, and neighbors,
and for all those who are alone.
For this community, our country, and the world;
For all who work for justice, freedom, and peace.
For the just and proper use of your creation;
For the victims of hunger, fear, injustice, and oppression.
For all who are in danger, sorrow, or any kind of trouble;
For those who minister to the sick, the friendless, and needy.
For the peace and unity of the Church of God;
For all who proclaim the gospel, and all who seek the truth.
For N. our pastor, and for all ordained elders and licensed local pastors and other ministers;
For all who serve God in the Church.
For our own needs and those of others.
Silence.
The people may add their own petitions.
Hear us, Lord.
For your mercy is great.
We thank you, Lord, for all the blessings of this life.
Silence.
The people may add their own thanksgivings.
We will exalt you, O God our king;
And praise your name for ever and ever.
We pray for those who have died in the peace of Christ,
and for those whose faith is known to you alone,
that they may have a place in your eternal kingdom.
Silence.
The people may add their own petitions.
Lord, let your loving kindness be upon them;
Who put their trust in you.
Gracious God,
you have heard the prayers of your faithful people;
you know our needs before we ask,
and our ignorance in asking.
Grant our requests as may be best for us.
This we ask in the name of your Son
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us,
we are bold to say
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,
for ever and ever. Amen.
Closing Hymn:
Open this link in a new tab to hear Trevor Hodge’s musical setting of Bessy Porter Ann Head’s “O Breath of Life, Come Sweeping through Us.”
1 O Breath of life, come sweeping through us,
revive your church with life and power.
O Breath of life, come, cleanse, renew us,
and fit your church to meet this hour.
O Breath of love, come breathe within,
renewing thought and will and heart.
Come, love of Christ, afresh to win;
revive your church in every part.
2 O Wind of God, come bend us, break us,
till humbly we confess our need.
Then in your tenderness remake us;
revive, restore, for this we plead.
O Breath of love, come breathe within,
renewing thought and will and heart.
Come, love of Christ, afresh to win;
revive your church in every part.
Revive us, Lord! Is zeal abating
while harvest fields are vast and white?
Revive us, Lord, the world is waiting,
equip your church to spread the light.
O Breath of love, come breathe within,
renewing thought and will and heart.
Come, love of Christ, afresh to win;
revive your church in every part.
O Breath of love, come breathe within,
renewing thought and will and heart.
Come, love of Christ, afresh to win;
revive your church in every part.
Coda:
O Breath of life, come sweeping through us,
revive your church with life and power.
Doxology:
Glory to God
whose power, working in us,
can do infinitely more
than we can ask or imagine.
Glory to God from generation to generation,
in the Church and in Christ Jesus,
for ever and ever. Amen
May the God of hope
fill us with all joy and peace in believing
through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Choral Benediction:
Open this link to hear Roger Noble’s arrangement of “May the Lord, Mighty God.”
May the Lord, mighty God, bless and keep you forever,
grant you peace, perfect peace, courage in every endeavor.
Lift your eyes and see God's face, source of grace forever.
May the Lord, mighty God, bless and keep you forever.
May the Lord, mighty God, bless and keep you forever.
Silence.
The people may add their own petitions.
Hear us, Lord.
For your mercy is great.
We thank you, Lord, for all the blessings of this life.
Silence.
The people may add their own thanksgivings.
We will exalt you, O God our king;
And praise your name for ever and ever.
We pray for those who have died in the peace of Christ,
and for those whose faith is known to you alone,
that they may have a place in your eternal kingdom.
Silence.
The people may add their own petitions.
Lord, let your loving kindness be upon them;
Who put their trust in you.
Gracious God,
you have heard the prayers of your faithful people;
you know our needs before we ask,
and our ignorance in asking.
Grant our requests as may be best for us.
This we ask in the name of your Son
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us,
we are bold to say
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,
for ever and ever. Amen.
Closing Hymn:
Open this link in a new tab to hear Trevor Hodge’s musical setting of Bessy Porter Ann Head’s “O Breath of Life, Come Sweeping through Us.”
1 O Breath of life, come sweeping through us,
revive your church with life and power.
O Breath of life, come, cleanse, renew us,
and fit your church to meet this hour.
O Breath of love, come breathe within,
renewing thought and will and heart.
Come, love of Christ, afresh to win;
revive your church in every part.
2 O Wind of God, come bend us, break us,
till humbly we confess our need.
Then in your tenderness remake us;
revive, restore, for this we plead.
O Breath of love, come breathe within,
renewing thought and will and heart.
Come, love of Christ, afresh to win;
revive your church in every part.
Revive us, Lord! Is zeal abating
while harvest fields are vast and white?
Revive us, Lord, the world is waiting,
equip your church to spread the light.
O Breath of love, come breathe within,
renewing thought and will and heart.
Come, love of Christ, afresh to win;
revive your church in every part.
O Breath of love, come breathe within,
renewing thought and will and heart.
Come, love of Christ, afresh to win;
revive your church in every part.
Coda:
O Breath of life, come sweeping through us,
revive your church with life and power.
Doxology:
Glory to God
whose power, working in us,
can do infinitely more
than we can ask or imagine.
Glory to God from generation to generation,
in the Church and in Christ Jesus,
for ever and ever. Amen
May the God of hope
fill us with all joy and peace in believing
through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Choral Benediction:
Open this link to hear Roger Noble’s arrangement of “May the Lord, Mighty God.”
May the Lord, mighty God, bless and keep you forever,
grant you peace, perfect peace, courage in every endeavor.
Lift your eyes and see God's face, source of grace forever.
May the Lord, mighty God, bless and keep you forever.
May the Lord, mighty God, bless and keep you forever.
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