Calendar

Gathering around the word

Prelude

Nun bitten wir den heiligen Geist (“We Now Implore the Holy Ghost”)
BuxWV 208, setting by Dietrich Buxtehude

Dietrich Buxtehude (1637-1707) was one of the most important organists and sought after teachers of the 16th century. The tune, which is elaborately ornamented here, emanates from a medieval 13th century church song used for Pentecost, “Come, Holy Spirit.”

† Call to Worship

The Spirit gathers us to worship God.

The Spirit builds us up in faith, hope, and love
so that we may go into the world to proclaim the gospel
and work for justice and peace.

Let us worship God together.

† Hymn #289: “On Pentecost They Gathered”

Prayer of Invocation

Holy Spirit, you are the Lord, the giver of life;
With the Father and the Son we worship and glorify you:
Come to us now, Spirit of God.

Holy Spirit, you were there at creation before time began;
Your presence fills the whole universe:
Come to us now, Spirit of Life.

Holy Spirit, you have spoken through the prophets of old;
By their witness the Word of God has never been silent:
Come to us now, Spirit of Wisdom.

Holy Spirit, you surround the waiting church with the wind of Pentecost;
You gave life and breath to announce Christ’s gospel:
Come to us now, Spirit of Power.

Holy Spirit, you came upon the first Christians as a holy fire;
You set their hearts ablaze with devotion to their risen Lord:
Come to us now, Spirit of Love.

Holy Spirit, you pour out your rich and varied gifts;
You call us to bring forth your fruits in our lives:
Come to us now, Spirit of Grace.

Holy Spirit, you are the Spirit of truth, the Counselor,
You lead us to the truth that sets us free:
Come to us now, Spirit of God, and renew Christ’s holy church.

Call to Confession

Prayer of Confession (Ezekiel 36:24-28)

Spirit of God, you are the breath of creation, the wind of change that blows through our lives, opening us up to new dreams and new hopes, new life in Jesus Christ.

Forgive us our closed minds, which barricade themselves against new ideas, preferring the past to what you might want to do through us tomorrow.

Forgive us our closed eyes, which fail to see the needs of your world, blind to opportunities of service and love.

Forgive us our closed hands, which clutch our gifts and our wealth for our own use alone. Forgive us our closed hearts, which limit our affections to ourselves and our own.

Spirit of new life, break down the prison walls of our selfishness, fear, and sadness, that we might be open to your love and open for service in your world, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Silent prayer of confession

Assurance of Pardon (Ezekiel 36:24-28)

“I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees. You will be my people, and I will be your God.”

By the power of the Spirit, we are united with Christ and given a new spirit. Let us live in the joy and peace of that assurance.                                                  

† Response: Hymn #288 (sing twice), “Spirit of the Living God”

† Passing of the pEace

Life in Community

Graduate Recognition

Envision Board Announcement

Proclaiming the Word

Children’s Message

Prayer of Illumination

God of power and grace,
fill us with the wisdom of your word
and the understanding of your Spirit
so that we may be your church:
a people with dreams and visions
at work in all the world;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Scripture: Acts 2:1-21

Message

Responding to the Word

† Affirmation of Faith (From A Brief Statement of Faith)

One: We trust in God the Holy Spirit,
everywhere the giver and renewer of life.

Confirmation youth: The Spirit justifies us by grace through faith,
sets us free to accept ourselves and to love God and neighbor,
and binds us together with all believers
in the one body of Christ, the church.

Congregation: The same Spirit
who inspired the prophets and apostles
rules our faith and life in Christ through Scripture,
engages us through the Word proclaimed,
claims us in the waters of baptism,
feeds us with the bread of life and the cup of salvation,
and calls women and men to all ministries of the church.

Confirmation youth and mentors: In a broken and fearful world
the Spirit gives us courage to pray without ceasing,
to witness among all peoples to Christ as Lord and Savior,
to unmask idolatries in church and culture,
to hear the voices of peoples long silenced,
and to work with others for justice, freedom, and peace.

Congregation: In gratitude to God, empowered by the Spirit,
We strive to serve Christ in our daily tasks
and to live holy and joyful lives,
Even as we watch for God’s new heaven and new earth,
praying, Come, Lord Jesus!

With believers in every time and place,
we rejoice that nothing in life or in death
can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Call to Offering

Offering of Tithes and Gifts

OffertorY

O Light of Life! O pure Light Divine! Thou art in us; Our ember is Thine
Kindle our faith, Give hope when we fear; Deepen our love – Thy Fire appear!
Light of our souls, Thou spark at our birth­ – Grow bright in us, Shine in all the earth!

O Light of Life! O true Light of Peace! Storms will arise, Let Thy light increase.
Pierce through dark clouds, Give pause to the proud; Let Thy shafts fall, Lift humble heads bowed.
Answer our pleas, Melt hearts in Thy flame. Make us as one – As one in Thy name.

O Light of Life! O sweet Life of Grace! Thou bidst us come, We follow apace.
On through the night, Walk with us we pray. Lead us to dawn, Thy merciful way.
O Light of Life! O dear Light of Love! Come, wash us clean, Send forth Thy white Dove.

Fill us with Fire, Enlighten our eyes; Help us to love – ‘Tis price of the prize.
Then let us come, Enrobe us in white. Cleaving to Thee, Light unto Thy Light.
Light unto Light, O light of Life! Amen.

† Doxology #607: “Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow”

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Christ, all people here below;
Praise Holy Spirit evermore;
Praise Triune God, whom we adore. Amen.

† Prayer of Dedication

We are thankful every day, O God, for the gifts that come to us from your bounty. Guide us to use these offerings to your glory — for the wellbeing of your people and of the whole creation. Amen.

Prayers of the People

Response: Hymn #287

Refrain: Come, come, come, Holy Spirit, come.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors;
and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom and the power
and the glory, forever. Amen.

† Hymn #749, “Come! Live in the Light!”

† Benediction

PostludE: Every Time I Feel the Spirit, setting by Marianne Kim

Marianne Kim is a young composer, pianist, harpsichordist and organist with degrees from Pusan National University and Northern Illinois University with studies in piano, composition, jazz and organ. Her setting of Every Time I Feel the Spirit captures the energy and the feeling of this African American Spiritual dating from before the Civil War. “Every time I feel the Spirit, moving in my heart, I will pray.”

Sources

Glory to God: The Presbyterian Hymnal (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2013).

Permission to podcast/stream the music in this service obtained from One License with license #A-734388; CCLI Copyright License B 20481088 + Streaming License B 481071

Worship Participants

Dorothy Boulton
Associate Pastor

Leo Chame Maxwell
Acolyte

Marcellous Dixon-Grant
Worship Technical Director

Kathy Glennan
Video production

Wendy Johnston
Organist and Assistant Director of Music

Greg Knauf
Director of Music

Kenneth Kovacs
Pastor

Vickie Lord
Social media support

Learning and Growing

Thursday Morning Bible Study

Thursday, May 23 | 10:30 a.m. in the Library

Thursday Morning Bible Study concludes its exploration of the Bible’s understanding of death this week. This week, we’ll study Acts 3:11-26 and Romans 8:18-39 and learn about the theological idea of Apocatastasis. Sounds mysterious? Curious? Join us in person or online. View the full schedule and readings.

Youth Group: End of Year Cookout

June 2 | 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the pavilion

Middle and high school youth are invited to an outdoor cookout on June 2 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.! We’ll meet in the pavilion and enjoy burgers, hot dogs, vegetarian dishes, plenty of sides, and lots of yard games. Contact the office with questions. 

Announcements

Chancel flowers

Today’s flowers are given to the glory of God in honor of the 2024 confirmation class participants.

Fellowship Hour

Thank you to the Christian Education committee for hosting today’s Fellowship Hour!

Summer Worship

Beginning June 2, worship will be held in the Fellowship Hall at 9:30 a.m. There is no Second Sunday programming in June, July, or August, but a children’s area will be available in the Fellowship Hall during worship.

Upcoming Sabbatical

Ken Kovacs will start a three-month sabbatical on Monday, June 3. He will be in worship on June 2, return to the office on September 4, and worship on September 8. Dorothy Boulton will be acting Head of Staff while Ken is away, and we’ll have guest preachers for many Sundays throughout the summer. Look for the Pentecost Messenger with more details.

Realm Signups

Thank you to the volunteers who assisted with the past four Realm sign up days. An additional Realm sign up and picture day has been scheduled for June 2 following worship.

Christian Education Evaluation

Families with infants to high school age children: we’re evaluating this past year’s Christian Education ministries and making plans for fall. Parents/caregivers, please plan to attend one of the two gatherings with the CE team.

1. In person after worship on Sunday, June 9 at 10:45 a.m.
2. Via Zoom on Thursday, June 13th.

• 7:00 – 7:30 p.m. for those with middle/high school students
• 7:30 – 8:00 p.m. for those with K – 5th graders
• 8:00 – 8:30 p.m. for those with infants – 5 year olds

Simply log on when it’s your time slot. Thank you so much for helping us all to grow in faith together! We look forward to seeing you soon. Dorothy Boulton & the Christian Education Team

American Guild of Organists Recital

We’re delighted to welcome the Baltimore chapter of the American Guild of Organists (BAGO) for their members and students recital on Tuesday, May 21 at 7 p.m. In addition to performances by BAGO members and two scholarship students, Assistant Director of Music and Organist Wendy Johnston will premiere a new composition by Seo Yoon Kim, a fellow alumnus of the Peabody Institute. Make plans to attend this free, non-ticketed concert!

Friday Food Drives

The next Friday Food Drive will be held on Friday, May 24, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the small Frederick Road parking lot. This year, our congregation will partner with several organizations as recipients of the food collected. The items collected in May will be given to Westowne Elementary for distribution to students as part of an end of the school year package. Sign up to volunteer.