Good Shepherd Trinity Church (ELCA & PCUSA)

The doors are open; the world is waiting.Go forth ,then, with joy to live as one with God who sends you out.Let the hope that is in you, free you daily that through you, the Holy Spirit may call and send others.

Now may all the power that is in Christ Jesus,the strength of the Holy Spirit to baptize ans save, and the fierce love of God, the Creator, keep you in grace and truth.

With joy for the gift of the Holy Spirit, we pray for the well-being of the church, the world, and all in need.We thank you for the wonder that erupted on the day of Pentecost, for the birth of the church, for the gifts of amazement and challenge, and for all the witnesses whose lives have been altered by your power alive in our world.For the many peoples of this earth whose divisions differ, whose languages offer special insights, whose ways of compassion and worship feed our own, we thank you.For the earth itself, through whose creatures we see your love and in whose winds we remember the coming of your Spirit, we thank you.Make us grateful for the confounding experiences the Holy Spirit’s presence creates in our lives, for the marvel of new visions, for the wisdom in prophetic words, and for the prayers of your great high priest.Make us hungry to protect the health and nurturance of all people; let your fire burn in the leaders of the nations, in governors and mayors, on city councils and school boards; guard the lives of peacemakers, soldiers, philosophers, teachers and artists. Pool the skills and passions of all your people for the sake of our delight and the nourishment of others.Give comfort to all people who are refugees from war and famine, those who are lonely and frightened, ill, imprisoned, homeless or without work, and those who face death today. We pray especially for those we name before you…Knowing it is your Holy SPirit who has flowed through your witnesses of ages past, we give you thanks for all the saints who have gone before us, especially…With them, and with the confidence that you hear our prayers, we recommend all for whom we lift our voices, trusting that you give more than we need. Through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Prayer for IlluminationHoly Wisdom, you are the pillar of fire that leads us into each new moment of our lives. By the power of your Spirit ,settle now into our hearts and illumine your will, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Scripture Acts 2:1-21: – When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. and suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them.    All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem.    And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each.    Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?  And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language?  Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes,    Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.”    All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say.   Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:‘In the last days it will be, God declares,that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,     and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,and your young men shall see visions,     and your old men shall dream dreams.Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.And I will show portents in the heaven above     and signs on the earth below,  blood, and fire, and smoky mist.The sun shall be turned to darkness  and the moon to blood,  before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

Everyone who calls on the name of Lord shall be saved.By the power in whom we live and move and have our being, may we know the complete forgiveness of all our sins, through the holy and one God, whose mercy is everlasting.

Trusting in the grace of God and the renewing power of God’s Spirit within us, let us tell the whole truth about ourselves and seek God’s ceaseless mercy and steadfast love.

Prayer of Confession Without your power, O God, we are lost. We have done things we would avoid, and what you desire we have not done. By your purifying fire transform our lives; guide us into honesty and compassion so that filled with your peace our dreams and visions may be one with yours; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.