We have made it through the season of Eastertide in social isolation and now Pentecost is here. I love the holy day of Pentecost, and I think we have put together a really wonderful online celebration for this year’s rather nontraditional celebration of the Christian Church’s birthday.
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View May 31st Celebration online
- Kim and Marcia (facilitated by Acapella), will lead things off with this prelude: “Sonata in F for 4 Hands” by Mozart,
- Leslie Louie, Carlee Bowen and Kel Bowen will call us to celebration using an adaptation of a Russian Orthodox Pentecost prayer,
- Our opening hymn is “Come Down, O Love Divine,
- As a way of celebrating the fact that online worship has widened our community, former MPC members Brad Hester and Jean Norris will lead us in a prayer for peace from their beautiful home in Montreat, North Carolina; the prayer comes from the Church of Scotland,
- Dolores will lead us in a Godly play story. Be sure to watch this video. This is Dolores’ last story as MPC’s master storyteller. We are grateful for Dolores’ ministry with the children of our congregation and we pay God’s blessing on her and her family as they look forward to what is next.
- The scripture lesson is an inspiring video featuring a wide variety of folks from the MPC family,
- I am preaching the Pentecost sermon from my kitchen table,
- Kim Rankin and William Keys will perform a special music offering, “Every Time I Feel the Spirit”,
- Talitha will lead us in a pastoral prayer,
- The closing hymn is “Spirit of Gentleness”, and
- After that we have announcements, the charge and a benediction.
We are aware that on this Pentecost, there are some churches around the state who are worshiping in person, and that can make me feel impatient for the days when we will be together again, but Alameda County and the leadership of the Presbytery of San Francisco, are both calling on churches to continue the practice of worshiping online. I’m glad the county and the Presbytery are moving forward cautiously. It feels important and good to pay close attention to what will keep us all healthy. We will continue online services for the time being, and we do so celebrating the ways online worship has brought us new joys and longing for the end of this season of separation and the beginning of a new time of life together once more. May that day come quickly.
Come down, O Love divine
1 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.
2 O let it freely burn,
till 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.
3 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 Love create a place
wherein the Holy Spirit makes a dwelling.
Spirit, Spirit of Gentleness
(refrain)
Spirit, Spirit of gentleness, blow through the wilderness,
calling and free.
Spirit, Spirit of restlessness,
stir me from placidness,
Wind, Wind on the sea.
You moved on the waters, you called to the deep,
then you coaxed up the mountains from the valleys of sleep,
and over the eons you called to each thing:
Awake from your slumbers and rise on your wings.
(refrain):
2.You swept through the desert,
you stung with the sand,
and you gifted your people with a law and a land,
and when they were blinded with their idols and lies,
then you spoke through your prophets to open their eyes.
(refrain):
3.You sang in a stable, you cried from a hill,
then you whispered in silence when the whole world was still,
and down in the city you called once again,
when you blew through your people on the rush of the wind.
(refrain):
4.You call from tomorrow, you break ancient schemes,
from the bondage of sorrow the captives dream dreams,
our women see visions, our men clear their eyes,
with bold new decisions your people arise.
(refrain)
The Charge (say together) Go out into the world in peace. Have courage; hold on to what is good. Return no one evil for evil. Strengthen the faint-hearted, support the weak, and help the suffering. Honor all people. Love and serve God, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit.
At 11 AM on Sunday please join us for family hour on Zoom (please email Rev. Ben or email Rev. Talitha for the password) and on Wednesday at noon, please feel free to join the pastor’s Bible study on Zoom.