St Stephen Lutheran Church Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: The Holy Communion on the Day of Pentecost, Sunday, June 5, 9:30 a.m.

THE DAY OF PENTECOST

The color red represents the power of the Holy Spirit, symbolized in the first lesson as the tongues of fire descending upon the gathered Christian community.

FIRST READING: The twin symbols of the Spirit are the dove descending upon Jesus at his baptism and the tongues of flame sent upon the apostles on Pentecost. The languages given to the apostles are not incomprehensible babbling (see 1 Corinthians 14), but the languages of the world; the division of human languages at Babel (Gen. 11) is overcome, and the good news of Jesus Christ will be proclaimed to all nations, beginning with the Jews from all parts of the Roman Empire who have come to Jerusalem to live and worship.

SECOND READING: The Spirit adopts us as sons and daughters of God, and so, with Jesus, we dare call his Father ‘our Father.’ Because we have received the Spirit of the Father and the Son, we suffer what the Son suffered: alienation from the ways of the world, bearing the burdens of the sins of others, living for the Kingdom of God in a world that wants only its own gods.

GOSPEL: As the body of Christ, animated by the Holy Spirit, the Church does the works of Jesus: proclaiming the Gospel, forgiving sins, performing works of healing in God’s name as a sign of the kingdom, teaching God’s ways among human beings.

THE HOLY COMMUNION

OPENING MUSIC O Day Full of Grace

I. Richard Hillert

II. Hugo Gehrke

Holy Spirit, Ever Dwelling – Flor Peeters

Stand

Please face the processional cross. A solemn bow or the sign of the cross may be made as the procession passes.

WHymn Holy Spirit, Ever Dwelling Green LBW 523

1 Holy Spirit, ever dwelling

in the holiest realms of light;

Holy Spirit, ever brooding

o'er a world of gloom and night;

Holy Spirit, ever raising

those of earth to thrones on high;

living, life-imparting Spirit,

you we praise and magnify.

2 Holy Spirit, ever living

as the church's very life;

Holy Spirit, ever striving

through us in a ceaseless strife;

Holy Spirit, ever forming

in the church the mind of Christ:

you we praise with endless worship

for your gifts and fruits unpriced.

3 Holy Spirit, ever working

through the church's ministry;

quick'ning, strength'ning, and absolving,

setting captive sinners free;

Holy Spirit, ever binding

age to age and soul to soul

in communion never ending,

you we worship and extol.

Text: Timothy Rees, 1874-1939, alt.

APOSTOLIC GREETING

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

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God,

and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

And also with you.

KYRIE

A In peace, let us pray to the Lord.

C Lord, have mercy.

A For the peace from above, and for our salvation,

let us pray to the Lord.

C Lord, have mercy.

A For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God,

and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord.

C Lord, have mercy.

A For this holy house, and for all who offer here their worship and praise,

let us pray to the Lord.

C Lord, have mercy.

A Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.

C Amen

HYMN OF PRAISE

PRAYER OF THE DAY

God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, as you sent upon the disciples the promised gift of the Holy Spirit, look upon your Church and open our hearts to the power of the Spirit. Kindle in us the fire of your love, and strengthen our lives for service in your kingdom; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen

CALL TO THE WORD

Jesus said: The Advocate…will teach you everything,

and remind you of all that I have said to you. John 14:26

Let us hear the Word of the Lord.

Sit

First READING Acts 2:1-21

¹When the day of Pentecost had come, [the apostles] 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.

⁵Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. ⁶And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. ⁷Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? ⁸And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? ⁹Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, ¹¹Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” ¹²All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” ¹³But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”

¹⁴But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. ¹⁵Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. ¹⁶No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

¹⁷‘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.

¹⁸Even upon my slaves, both men and women,

in those days I will pour out my Spirit;

and they shall prophesy.

¹⁹And I will show portents in the heaven above

and signs on the earth below,

blood, and fire, and smoky mist.

²⁰The sun shall be turned to darkness

and the moon to blood,

before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day.

²¹Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ ”

The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

PSALM 104:25-26, 28-32, 35 Setting by Peter Hallock

Sung by the Choir, refrain sung by all where indicated.

²⁵ O Lord, how manifold are your works!

In Wisdom you have made them all;

the earth is full of your creatures.

²⁶ Yonder is the great and wide sea with its living things

too many to number,

creatures both small and great. Refrain

²⁸ All of them look to you

to give them their food in due season.

²⁹ You give it to them; they gather it;

you open your hand,

and they are filled with good things. Refrain

³⁰ You hide your face, and they are terrified;

you take away their breath,

and they die and return to their dust.

³¹ You send forth your Spirit, and they are created;

and so you renew the face of the earth. Refrain

³² May the glory of the Lord endure forever;

may the Lord rejoice in all his works.

³⁵ May these words of mine please him;

I will rejoice in the Lord. Refrain

SECOND READING Romans 8:14-17

¹⁴For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. ¹⁵For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” ¹⁶it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Stand

VERSE

Traditional antiphon for Pentecost Setting by Walter L. Pelz

Alleluia. Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful people;

set them on fire with your love. Alleluia.

Gospel John 14:8-17

The Holy Gospel according to St. John.

⁸Philip said to [Jesus,] “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” ⁹Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ¹⁰Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. ¹¹Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. ¹²Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. ¹³I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.

¹⁵“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. ¹⁶And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. ¹⁷This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Sit

SERMON Pastor Frontz

Stand

WHYMN OF THE DAY O Day Full of Grace

Tune: DEN SIGNEDE DAG, Christopher E.F. Weyse, 1774-1842

Stanzas 3, 5: Settings for choir by J.M. Strobel

Text: Nikolai F.S. Grundtvig, 1783-1872, tr. Carl Døving

All:

O day full of grace, which we behold

Now gently to view ascending;

Thou over the earth thy reign unfold

Good cheer to all mortals lending

That children of light in every clime

May prove that the night is ending.

How blest was that gracious midnight hour

When God in our flesh was given;

Then flushéd the dawn with light and power,

That spread o’er the darkened heaven;

Then rose o’er the world that Sun divine

Which gloom from our hearts had driven.

Choir:

1. Yea, were every tree endowed with speech,

And every leaflet singing,

They never with praise His worth could reach,

Though earth with their praise were ringing.

Who fully could praise the Light of life,

Who light to our souls is bringing?

All:

2. As birds in the morning sing God's praise,

His fatherly love we cherish,

For giving to us this day of grace,

For life that shall never perish.

His Church He hath kept two thousand years

And hungering souls did nourish.

Choir:

3. Now softly the light of Pentecost

Is shining its beams around us,

God’s blessings for us cannot be lost,

As brooks in the fields surround us.

And leave in their wake the woods and fields,

The bright summer green astounds us.

All:

4. With joy we depart for our fatherland,

Where God our Father is dwelling,

Where ready for us His mansions stand,

Where heaven with praise is swelling;

And there we shall walk in endless light,

With blest ones His praise forth telling.

CONFESSION OF FAITH Nicene Creed

X At the words ‘For us and for our salvation,’ and continuing through ‘and was made man,’ a solemn bow is appropriate to praise the incarnation of our Lord.

We believe in one God,

the Father, the Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth,

of all that 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.

X 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. X

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 for the resurrection of the dead,

and the life of the world to come. Amen

PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH

Father, you sent the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, to dwell in our hearts and to keep us in the love of the Lord Jesus. Hear our prayers for the Church, the world, and all in need.

Silence is kept.

By the power of the Spirit, enliven the Church’s witness to Jesus Christ. Lord, in your mercy,

hear our prayer.

By the power of the Spirit, unite our congregation in love, and strengthen us for mission. Lord, in your mercy,

hear our prayer.

By the power of the Spirit, enlighten the leaders of the nations to work for the good of all and to serve with integrity. We name before you the peoples and nations in need.

Lord, in your mercy,

hear our prayer.

By the power of the Spirit, instill in us the desire to serve others and pray for them. Hear our prayers for those who need a special measure of your grace this day.

The pastor reads the names and situations submitted for prayer.

The people may offer spoken or silent petitions.

Lord, in your mercy,

hear our prayer.

By the power of the Spirit, make us thankful for the holy ones who have walked in faith, and keep us in communion with them until your Son’s reappearing. Lord, in your mercy,

hear our prayer.

We make our prayers to you, Father, through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit; and we ever praise and adore you; one God, now and forever.

Amen

Peace

God has made us one in Christ.

He has set his seal upon us and, as a pledge of what is to come,

has given the Spirit to dwell in our hearts. Alleluia.

cf. 2 Corinthians 1:22

The peace of the Lord be with you always.

And also with you.

The people exchange a sign of peace with the simple words, Peace be with you.

Sit

The Lord’s Table is prepared.

Stand

OFFERTORY

Ephesians 5:15, 18-20 Setting by Walter L. Pelz

Look carefully how you walk, not as unwise but as wise; be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart, always and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.

PRAYER OF PREPARATION

Blessed be God, by whose grace creation is renewed,

by whose love heaven is opened,

by whose mercy we offer our sacrifice of praise.

Amen

GREAT THANKSGIVING

It is indeed right and salutary that we should at all times and in all places offer thanks and praise to you, O Lord, holy Father, through Christ our Lord; who rose beyond the bounds of death and, on this day, as he had promised, poured out your Spirit of life and power upon the chosen disciples. At this the whole earth exults in boundless joy. And so with the Church on earth and the hosts of heaven, we praise your Name and join their unending hymn:

The pastor leads the people in praying the Eucharistic canon.

You are indeed holy, O God, the fountain of all holiness;

you bring light from darkness, life from death,

speech from silence.

We worship you for our lives and for the world you give us.

We thank you for the new world to come

and for the love that will rule all in all.

We praise you for the grace shown to Israel, your chosen,

the people of your promise:

the rescue from Egypt, the gift of the promised land,

the memory of the fathers, the homecoming from exile,

and the prophets' words that will not be in vain.

In all this we bless you for your only-begotten Son,

who fulfilled and will fulfill all your promises.

In the night in which he was betrayed,

our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks;

broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying:

Take and eat; this is my body, given for you.

Do this for the remembrance of me.

Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks,

and gave it for all to drink, saying:

This cup is the new covenant in my blood,

shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin.

Do this for the remembrance of me.

For as often as we eat of this bread and drink from this cup,

we proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.

Therefore, O God, with this bread and cup

we remember the incarnation of your Son:

his human birth and the covenant he made with us.

We remember the sacrifice of his life:

his eating with outcasts and sinners,

and his acceptance of death.

But chiefly on this day we remember his rising from the tomb,

his ascension to the seat of power,

and his sending of the holy and life-giving Spirit.

We cry out for the resurrection of our lives,

when Christ will come again in beauty and power

to share with us the great and promised feast.

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Send now, we pray, your Holy Spirit,

that we and all who share in this bread and cup

may be united in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,

may enter the fullness of the kingdom of heaven,

and may receive our inheritance with all your saints in light.

Amen. Come, Holy Spirit.

Join our prayers with those of your servants

of every time and every place,

and unite them with the ceaseless petitions

of our great high priest until he comes as victorious Lord of all.

In the presence of Christ, we pray to his Father using the words he gave us.

Christ is in our midst.

By the power of the Spirit,

we pray to his Father, saying:

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 trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us;

and lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,

forever and ever. Amen Matthew 6:9-15

The eyes of all look to you, O God,

and you give us our food in due season.

You open your hand,

and we are filled with good things. Alleluia! Psalm 104:28-29

We adore Christ, present in bread and wine.

Sit

DISTRIBUTION

Admission to the Sacrament is by invitation of the Lord, presented through the Church to those who are baptized.

They may receive the Lord’s Body and Blood who are baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, who commune in their home churches, and who believe that Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, is truly present in, with, and under the forms of bread and wine for the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation.

Please come forward, take a communion cup from the tray, and kneel at the altar rail on your ‘side’ of the worship space. Please make an effort to leave some distance between your family unit and the next family unit. When your side has finished communing, please place your empty cup in the tray provided.

During the Easter season, the people stand to receive the Holy Communion as a sign of resurrection rejoicing.

WDISTRIBUTION HYMN

Choir Come, Gracious Spirit Text/ Simon Browne, 1720

Music/ tune DANBY, setting by Alfred V. Fedak

Come, gracious Spirit, heavenly Dove,

with light and comfort from above,

be thou our guardian, thou our guide;

o’er every thought and step preside.

The light of truth to us display,

and make us know and choose thy way;

plant holy fear in every heart,

that we from thee may ne’er depart.

Lead us to Christ, the living Way,

nor let us from his pastures stray,

lead us to holiness, the road

that we must take to dwell with God.

Lead us to heav’n, that we may share

fullness of joy for ever there;

lead us to God, our final rest,

to be with him for ever blessed.

When all have received, the congregation stands at the direction of the pastor.

The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ

strengthen you and keep you in his grace.

Amen

POST-COMMUNION HYMN

Spirit of God, Sent from Heaven Abroad Green LBW 285

The text of this hymn may not be reproduced here.

POST-COMMUNION PRAYER

Faithful God,

you fulfilled the promises of Easter

by sending us your Holy Spirit

and opening to every race and nation the way of life eternal:

open our lips by your Spirit,

that every tongue may tell of your glory:

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Sit

ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR THE FAITH FAMILY

Stand

Silence for meditation.

BENEDICTION

May the Spirit who hovered over the waters

when the world was created

breathe into you the life he gives.

Amen

May the Spirit by whose power our Lord was conceived

in the womb of the virgin Mary

make you joyful in his service.

Amen

May the Spirit who set the Church on fire upon the day of Pentecost

bring the world alive with the love of the risen Christ.

Amen

Almighty God, Father, X Son, and Holy Spirit,

bless you now and forever.

Amen

WCLOSING HYMN

Spirit of God, Unleashed on Earth Green LBW 387

The text of this hymn may not be reproduced here.

Please face the processional cross. A solemn bow or the sign of the cross may be made as the procession passes.

DISMISSAL

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

Go in peace. Serve the Lord. Thanks be to God!

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #20540.

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, 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.

Additional liturgical material from Common Worship: Times and Seasons,

Kossowski, Adam. Veni Sancti Spiritus, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=56946 [retrieved June 1, 2022]. Original source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/paullew/8750321716 - Fr Lawrence Lew, O.P.

Agnus Day appears with the permission of www.agnusday.org.

Sunday, June 5, 2022

The Holy Communion on the Day of Pentecost, Sunday, June 5, 9:30 a.m.