'Pentecost' at Scone 8.6.14

And from OldTractorTinShed

1. Notices

2. Start

Welcome one and all,

You’re invited to enter into worship by taking time to reflect on God’s Spirit

Described by German Theologian Johann Metz as

‘The dangerous and liberating memory and presence of Jesus.’      

How do you see God active in the world and how does God inspire your faith?

Worship today is about having the space to stop, to pray, to wonder…

And to celebrate the birthday of the church…

3. SONG TiS 474 v1,2,4 “Gather Us In”

4. Clip “Worlds Fastest Indian edit” 3min 20

5. Prayer

Let’s pray,

God’s Spirit

Whose song breathed creation out of chaos

Whose tears drew from the cross

Whose dance greeted the empty tomb

God’s Spirit,

Who could not be contained by wind or flame,

Blessing the church with courage, peace and love

On Pentecost Sunday,

Inspire us to be your people at this time in this place

Hear our prayers of thanks for all we have and are

Hear our prayers of honesty and owning up

Prompt us to do and be better in your name

Hear our prayers of knowing we need hope and faith and love

Amen

6. SONG “Together to Celebrate” via mp3 David McGregor

7. READINGS

John 7: 37-39

CLIP “Pentecost” Dan Stevers 2min 33 Acts 2: 1-21

The paid version of this demo

8. REFLECTION

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.

2And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind,

and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.

3Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them,

and a tongue rested on each of them.

4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages,

as the Spirit gave them ability.

Drawing down imagery from the Jewish Scripture,

God’s Spirit came to the group ‘like a wind’

[the word for Spirit in Hebrew + Gk = wind, breath & spirit] echoes of Sinai/Babel.....

And we’re told they could speak in different languages and were understood by those of different regions and cultures who heard them…

THIS was the beginning of the church, during the festival of Pentecost!!

And in verse 42 later on it tell us,

42They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship,

to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

43Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs

were being done by the apostles.

44All who believed were together and had all things in common;

45they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all,

as any had need.

They gathered for sharing, worship and study… they were present in their local community and were revered for their community, serving and values…

In a very different story but with common threads…

Burt Munro was an eccentric from Invercargill in New Zealand,

where he pottered around in his shed tinkering with an old motorcycle [an] Indian] trying to fashion the perfect metal piston.

  

People thought he was a crazy old man,

with a crazy dream of cracking the land speed record on the US salt flats,

but by the time of his birthday party there were a few supporters

who turned up at the beach to cheer him on in the local challenge…

Sometimes the action of God’s spirit in community can look as simple as a dream

that catches peoples imaginations and gets them involved…..

I’m particularly thinking of the ones who jumped in to help give Burt a push start…

[shared a short story about my 'homeless' visitor all those years ago "Peter this n that"]

See the startling thing about that Pentecost

is that it means God loaded all his hopes, exampled through Jesus life and teaching, into ‘the church’ so you and I are called to look for ways we can live out the Kingdom of God…  in the here and now. Our task is to look for the activity of God’s Spirit in our community and to ‘join in’…

9. SONG + Offering TiS 135 v1, 2, 5 “All Things Bright & Beautiful”

10. PRAYERS FOR THE WORLD

God, we pray for a world in trouble not easily solved…

We pray for the people of Thailand, Egypt, Syria and the Ukraine,

We pray for those here in Australia, struggling, facing unemployment

We pray for those seeking asylum desperate enough to take to leaky boats to get here

We pray that #love makes a way

If prayer were enough there would be no war, no hunger, no poverty

If prayer were enough all people would love their neighbour as themselves

So help us we pray, to think global and act local in living our faith inside out

God hear our prayers.

Amen

11. SONG TiS 179 “Praise with Joy” John Bell

12. SENDING OUT

God sends you

God’s Spirit guides you

Jesus is your example to follow

Amen

13. SENDING OUT SONG TiS  781 “Father Bless Us”