Rector's Message: Saturday, 30 May 2020 - Preparing for Sunday Worship

In today's update: A Message from Father Keith and the Liturgy for Tomorrow's Worship.

FROM THE RECTOR

Eve of the Great Feast of Pentecost

Saturday, 30 May 2020

Dear Friends,

Tomorrow, Sunday, 31 May, we celebrate the fulfillment of Jesus' promise to release God's Most Holy Spirit into the world with the Great Feast of Pentecost. This day marks the sending and sharing of the Holy Spirit, allowing it to be claimed by Christ's followers in baptism down to this very day. This powerful gift is the power and the inspiration that enables us to fulfil and uphold our side of the covenant we have with God in Christ, the mission we are given to carry the Good News of Our Risen Lord to the very ends of the earth.

In the name of our Savior Jesus Christ,

and our God who wants only health and wholeness for his children,

I send you blessings, peace and grace in these uncertain, confusing and anxious times.

- Keith

LITURGY FOR TOMORROW'S WORSHIP

THE GREAT FEAST OF PENTECOST

PROCLAMATION

Come to Jesus, you who are thirsty.

Alleluia!

Drink deeply of God’s Most Holy Spirit.

Alleluia!

Let your heart overflow with the living water

that renews the face of the earth.

Alleluia! Thanks be to God.

SONG OF PRAISE

Alleluia!

Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth.

Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father,

we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory.

Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God,

you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us;

you are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer.

For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord,

you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ,

with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father.

Alleluia! Amen.

COLLECT FOR THE DAY

Almighty God, on this day you opened the way of eternal life to every race and nation by the promised gift of your Holy Spirit: Shed abroad this gift throughout the world by the preaching of the Gospel, that it may reach to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

LESSONS: Acts 2:1-21

1 Corinthians 12:3b-13

John 20:19-23

PSALM 104

O Lord, how manifold are your works! *

in wisdom you have made them all;

the earth is full of your creatures.

Yonder is the great and wide sea,

with its living things too many to number, *

creatures both small and great.

There move the ships,

and there is that Leviathan, *

which you have made for the sport of it.

All of them look to you *

to give them their food in due season.

You give it to them; they gather it up; *

you open your hand, and they are filled with good things.

You hide your face, and they are terrified; *

you take away their breath,

and they die and return to their dust.

You send forth your spirit, and they are created; *

and so you renew the face of the earth.

May the glory of the Lord endure forever; *

may the Lord rejoice in all his works.

He looks at the earth and it trembles; *

he touches the mountains and they smoke.

I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; *

I will praise my God while I have my being.

May these words of mine please him; *

I will rejoice in the Lord.

Let sinners be consumed out of the earth, *

and the wicked be no more.

Bless the Lord, O my soul. *

Hallelujah!

NICENE CREED

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth, of all this is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,

the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father,

God from God, Light from Light,

true God from true God, begotten, not made,

of one Being with the Father.

Through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven:

by the power of the Holy Spirit

he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;

he suffered death and was buried.

On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures;

he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,

and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,

who proceeds from the Father and the Son.

With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.

He has spoken through the Prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

We look of the resurrection of the dead,

and the life of the world to come. Amen.

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

Each petition ends as follows:

Intercessor: Holy Spirit, translate our prayers into holy language.

Response: Come, Holy Spirit, come!

SUNDAY WORSHIP MUSIC

Be sure to check out the weekly music and carillon recordings. Go to the Gallery tab on the parish website; select videos; there you will find hymns selected for the day, along with Messiah's church bells ringing out the Good News. This music is presented each week by Hannah Albrecht and Sam Frenkel. Thank you, Hannah and Sam!

SUNDAY SERMON AVAILABLE EACH WEEK

Each week, the text of the Sunday sermon is posted to the website. Feel free to print it out if you find that helpful. And perhaps you might also print a copy and send to someone who doesn't have computer access. This would be greatly appreciated and provide a way for these parishioners to also stay connected.

PLEASE KEEP YOUR PLEDGE UP TO DATE

Thank you to all of you who have dropped off or sent in your pledge over the past several weeks! Your faithfulness has allowed us to stay current with payroll and bill payment. Now that we are in a new month - can it really be mid-May already? - please remember to submit this month's pledge. Thank you!