In these worship resources for Pentecost,
we conclude our journey through Eastertide.

Getting started

Read a reflection on Eastertide and ideas for celebrating this season from home

Opening to the Word

You send forth your Spirit, and they are created;
and so you renew the face of the earth.

Emittes spiritum tuum, et creabuntur,
et renovabis faciem terrae.

Psalm 103 (104):31

The Liturgy of the Word

Click on one of these references to read today’s Bible readings:

• Acts 2:1-21
  or Numbers 11:24-30
• Psalm 103 (104):25-35, 37
• 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13
  or Acts 2:1-21
• John 20:19-23
  or John 7:37-39

Short Reflection

Send forth your Spirit, O Lord,
and renew the face of the earth.

This is a heartfelt prayer by the Church, but not just by believers; the second line especially might well be the heartfelt desire of many people of good-will – indeed those we sing of in the Gloria:

bonae voluntatis.

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has been awful in so many ways (and it’s by no means over yet).

And yet, the opportunity for us to change the way we live our lives has become very apparent.

With far less traffic on our roads and with clearer skies, the air we breathe is so much better for the lack of pollution.

There have been tangible benefits amid the terrible effects of the pandemic.

For people of good-will, this is an unmissable opportunity to put pressure on corporations and governments
to care for our world,
to put the fragile earth in a better relationship
than big business’s relentless search for profit
at all cost (human and otherwise);

and to thirst for justice for all people, especially those who are marginalised on account of their
skin colour
ethnicity
religion
sexual orientation
gender.

As people of faith, we cannot stand by while other people,
who are also made in God’s image and likeness,
are maltreated.

We must stand up for the truth, and for justice.
Anything less is unworthy of our calling. 

Today’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles records Peter recalling the words of 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.

Do we dare to dream?
Do we dare to have a better vision for our world?
A world in which the least in society will be valued
and in which we care for the vulnerable,
and those who have no voice,
the “little” people?

Jesus reiterates this radical vision:

As the scripture has said,
‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’

Let us pray earnestly to be refreshed by this living water
and truly challenged by the Spirit of God.

Perhaps the Iona Community’s image of the Holy Spirit as a wild goose might be helpful.

Like the wind, we cannot tell where she comes from, nor where she goes.

But as the “enemy of apathy”
she will provoke us,
and nudge us,
and badger us

and wake us from our slumbers
so that we seek to do justice.
and so bring about a renewal of our earth
for the benefit of all humankind.

Prayer

Continue to pray for our politicians and leaders,
that they may learn humility, wisdom and integrity.

Pray for those who nurse and care for patients with COVID-19

for everyone working to protect the most vulnerable in society from this disease

for those who are most at risk from the pandemic, especially those in enclosed environments.

Pray for essential workers.

Pray for us all.

Music for reflection *

Hymn: Veni Creator Spiritus

1 Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire
and lighten with celestial fire;
thou the anointing Spirit art,
who dost thy sevenfold gifts impart.

2 Thy blessed unction from above
is comfort, life, and fire of love;
enable with perpetual light
the dullness of our mortal sight.

3 Anoint and cheer our soilèd face
with the abundance of thy grace:
keep far our foes, give peace at home;
where thou art guide no ill can come.

4 Teach us to know the Father, Son,
and thee, of both, to be but one;
that through the ages all along
this may be our endless song:

 Praise to thine eternal merit,
 Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
 Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

As the disciples were heard speaking in various languages on the Day of Pentecost,
so we can say this in any language we choose.
Here it is, in English, Latin and French.

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your Kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those
who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom,
the power and the glory are yours.
Now and for ever. Amen.

Pater noster, qui es in cælis;
sanctificatur nomen tuum:
adveniat regnum tuum;
fiat voluntas tua,
sicut in cælo, et in terra.
Panem nostrum cotidianum da nobis hodie:
et dimitte nobis debita nostra,
sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris:
et ne nos inducas in tentationem:
sed libera nos a malo.

Quia tuum est regnum,
et potestas, et gloria, in saecula.
Amen.

Notre Père qui es aux cieux,
que ton nom soit sanctifié.
Que ton règne vienne.
Que ta volonté soit faite sur la terre comme au ciel.
Donne-nous aujourd’hui notre pain de ce jour.
Pardonne-nous nos offences
comme nous pardonnons aussi
à ceux qui nous ont offensés.
Et ne nous soumets pas à la tentation,
mais délivre-nous du mal.

Car c’est à toi qu’appartiennent le règne,
la puissance et la gloire
pour les siècles des siècles. Amen.

Concluding prayer

O God,
who on this day taught the hearts of your faithful people
by sending to them the light of your Holy Spirit:
grant us by the same Spirit
to have a right judgment in all things,
and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Alleluia! Christ is risen.
He is risen indeed. Alleluia!

* You can find more organ music from Holy Trinity Church, Stirling
on Alistair Warwick‘s website and on SoundCloud

In these strange times, we are called to trust

Acknowledgements

The Bible texts of the Old Testament, Epistle and Gospel lessons are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993, 1995 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The Collects are from the Scottish Episcopal Church, 1982.

The hymn ‘Stay with us Lord’ by Alan Griffiths, is taken from ‘Hymns for Prayer & Praise‘.

Images, unless otherwise stated, are from lockdown, by Alistair Warwick.

Music engraved by The Art of Music.

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