Order of Service
Canvey Island - 23 May 2021
1.Notices and Welcome:
2.Call To Worship. Psalm 104:31-34. 31 May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works— 32 he who looks at the earth, and it trembles, who touches the mountains, and they smoke. 33 I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. 34 May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the Lord.
3.Let All the world in Every Corner Sing
Let all the world in every corner sing, my God and King!
The heavens are not too high, His praise may thither fly,
The earth is not too low, His praises there may grow.
Let all the world in every corner sing, my God and King!
Let all the world in every corner sing, my God and King!
The church with psalms must shout, no door can keep them out;w
But, above all, the heart must bear the longest part.
Let all the world in every corner sing, my God and King!
4.Prayer and Lord’s Prayer
Let us pray. Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful people, and kindle in us the fire of your love. We praise you, God of all time for speaking to us through the tongues of Pentecost, for stirring our longings with the excitement of Pentecost and for transforming our lives with the renewing energy of Pentecost. Living God as your Holy Spirit moves amongst us we thank you for the boldness given, for the promises fulfilled, for the lives changed, for the hearts touched, for the power unleashed and for the overflowing love given to share and to bless others as your kingdom comes in their lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
A prayer of Confession:
Forgive us, Creator God, when we have not heard your voice in the song of the birds and the rustle of leaves: Open, we pray, the ears of our hearts.
When we have not appreciated you in the grandeur of creation and in the fragrance of the garden. Open we pray, our senses to your glory. When we have not rejoiced at the vibrance of spring and in the sound of exaltant bird song. Unlock, we pray, the deep joy of living in our hearts.
Gracious God, whose Spirit helps us in our weakness, ignite our prayers with the life giving fire of Pentecost, that we may no longer fear our inadequacy, our hesitancy, or our doubt, but instead bring before you all that we are, all that we have been and all that we can be.
Help us, as we gather together today to be open to your Holy Spirits moving, trusting in your love, mercy and forgiveness. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
.
5.The King is Among Us
The King is among us
His Spirit is here
Let's draw near and worship
Let songs fill the air
He looks down upon us
Delight in His face
Enjoying His children's love
Enthralled by our praise
For each child is special
Accepted and loved
A love gift from Jesus
To His Father above
And now He is giving
His gifts to us all
For no one is worthless
And each one is called
The Spirit's anointing
On all flesh comes down
And we shall be channels
For works like His own
We come now believing
Your promise of power
For we are Your people
And this is Your hour
The King is among us
His Spirit is here
Let's draw near and worship
Let songs fill the air
Graham Kendrick
Copyright © 1981 Thankyou Music
6.Acts 2 1-21
The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost. 2 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them.
5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”
Peter Addresses the Crowd
14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 “‘In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
18 Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
19 I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
20 The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
21 And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
7.Romans 8:22-27
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
8.Sermon
It had been a tumultuous period of time for the friends of Jesus. They had witnessed his arrest, most had fled as he was crucified, together once again afterwards they had hidden themselves away for fear of a similar fate, then whilst still behind locked doors had been totally amazed, fearful and awestruck, as the risen Jesus stood amongst them. They saw him on other occasions and had even eaten a beach side fish barbecue with him. Then eventually he left them, ascending to heaven from the Mount of Olives. One can only imagine their feelings of loss and bewilderment as they walked the â… this mile or 1kilometer back into Jerusalem. What were they to do?
Well we do have a clue as to what they did.
Acts1 v12 tells us: Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk[c] from the city. 13 When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying”.
We also know who was there in this upstairs room!
“Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers”.
So this is where they were, still praying 50 days after Passover for the Pentecost Harvest Festival Feast to celebrate God's Covenant with Israel and the giving of the law.
Gathered together for Prayer and Worship……..
And then the Holy Spirit came. He was nothing like they had ever experienced before. This was no dry ritual, this was no theoretical exposition of theology. This was a raw living energy; wind and fire that enveloped them, stood over them, powered through them and radically shifted their speech and outlook from timidity to boldness, filling them with giftings of language that had never been learned at their mothers knee or at the village synagogue.
As these emboldened disciples of Jesus went out onto the street it was immediately apparent to the visiting multilingual Passover pilgrims that something dramatic had happened that demanded a response from them. Whilst some dismissed the ecstatic exuberance before them as mere early day drunkenness, others saw the miracle in plain sight. “We hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”
St Luke, in reporting these dramatic events, rather intriguingly began his account by saying, “When the day of Pentecost came (or in the original Greek), had been fulfilled”. What did he mean, “had been fulfilled”. Who would have known all this would happen? Well it turns out that not only Jesus, but John the Baptist had given the disciples advance warning of the Holy Spirit’s coming,
In Luke 3:16. John the Baptist said, “I baptize you in water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire.
In Acts 1:5,8. Jesus told them, “for John baptized with/in water, but in a few days you will be baptized with/in the Holy Spirit.” But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
And so the church was born. But what about us? Does Pentecost make a difference to us as individual people at Canvey Island Methodist Church. Yes it does. Because the Holy Spirit is promised to us as well. The advocate of every Christian believer. When you and I look to God; when we pray; when we step out in service to God, the Holy Spirit is with us, the source of our promptings and guidance, the wind in our sails. What struck me as I reread Joel’s prophetic words here in our reading from Acts 2 is that the spirit is for everybody.
We read of God (through the prophet promising), “I will pour out my Spirit on all people. A promise for all, sons, daughters, young, old, men and women. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.
Some Christians believe that the Holy Spirit was withdrawn after the age of the first apostles. We as Methodists do not. Both the sermons of John Wesley and the Hymns of Charles Wesley throb with Holy Spirit power and presence for the Christian. Here is just one, the hymn “Father of everlasting grace” and the verse.
“8Send us the spirit of your son,
To make the depths of Godhead known,
To make us share the the life divine,
Send him the sprinkled blood to apply,
Send him our souls to sanctify,
To bless and seal us with his sign.
On Pentecost Sunday 2021, like those first disciples were, we too are gathered for Praise and Worship. May he move amongst us also, in His way and at His time.
Let us pray. Holy Spirit, please move amongst us as we respond to your word. Fill us anew, breath your life giving Spirit in and through us and guide us into tomorrow we pray. In Christ’s precious name we pray. Amen.
9.Come Down O Love Divine
Come down, O love divine, seek thou this soul of mine,
and visit it with thine own ardor glowing;
O Comforter, draw near, within my heart appear,
and kindle it, Thy holy flame bestowing.
O let it freely burn, til earthly passions turn
to dust and ashes in its heat consuming;
And let thy glorious light shine ever on my sight,
and clothe me round, the while my path illuming.
Let holy charity mine outward vesture be,
and lowliness become mine inner clothing;
True lowliness of heart, which takes the humbler part,
and o’er its own shortcomings weeps with loathing.
And so the yearning strong, with which the soul will long,
shall far outpass the power of human telling;
For none can guess its grace, till they become the place
where-in the Holy Spirit finds a dwelling.
10.Introduction to Prayers
11.Spirit of the Living God
Spirit Of The Living God,
Fall Fresh On Me.
Spirit Of The Living God,
Fall Fresh On Me.
Melt Me, Mould Me,
Fill Me, Use Me.
Spirit Of The Living God,
Fall Fresh On Me.
Spirit Of The Living God,
Fall Fresh On Me.
Spirit Of The Living God,
Fall Fresh On Me.
Melt Me, Mould Me,
Fill Me, Use Me.
Spirit Of The Living God,
Fall Fresh On Me.
12.Prayers
13.O God of Burning Cleansing Flame
Oh God Of Burning Cleansing Flame
Send The Fire
Your Blood-Bought Gift Today We Claim
Send The Fire Today
Look Down And See This Waiting Host
And Send The Promised Holy Ghost
We Need Another Pentecost
Send The Fire Today
Send The Fire Today
God Of Elijah Hear Our Cry
Send The Fire
And Make Us Fit To Live Or Die
Send The Fire Today
To Burn Up Every Trace Of Sin
To Bring The Light And Glory In
The Revolution Now Begin
Send The Fire Today
Send The Fire Today
It’s Fire We Want For Fire We Plead
Send The Fire
The Fire Will Meet Our Every Need
Send The Fire Today
For Strength To Always Do What’s Right
For Grace To Conquer In The Fight
For Power To Walk The World In White
Send The Fire Today
Send The Fire Today
To Make Our Weak Hearts Strong And Brave
Send The Fire
To Live A Dying World To Save
Send The Fire Today
Oh See Us On Your Altar Lay
We Give Our Lives To You Today
So Crown The Offering Now We Pray
Send The Fire Today
Send The Fire Today [2]
14.Blessing