23rd. May 2021.Service.

Service of Worship 16^th May 2021

Seventh  Sunday after Easter

 Prelude – Hail thee Festival Day, Easter Version

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pR52uok9Jms

Introit Spirit of the living God
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5JYgmsy7X4

Collect for today

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 our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

 Hymn: All creatures of our God and King
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtT3SRnnG0I

Call to Prayer

Breathe upon us, Holy Spirit,
and inspire our worship with your truth.
 
Stir in our hearts, Holy Spirit,
and fill us with your love.

 Strengthen us, Holy Spirit,
and move us to act with your power.
 
Breathe in us, Holy Spirit,
and receive our prayers and praise.

 Prayer of Adoration and Confession

 God of power and possibility,
By the flame of your Spirit, you give us energy
To go into the world in Jesus’ name.
With the breath of your Spirit, you refresh us in body and mind helping us
to engage with life in its complexity.
Your Spirit embraces us in all our diversity and invites us to create unity with each other in your love.
We honour you for the gift of creation in all its beauty and bounty as we praise you for your presence with us wherever we are in this world, in the dark of night as in the light of day
During our time of worship, send us the Holy Spirit once again,  to guide and inspire us  as we rededicate  ourselves to  your service in the  world that aches for the healing and wholeness you offer  through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

God of mystery and mercy,
We confess that we have not always paid attention to the urging of your Spirit,
calling us to wait for your inspiration, your will, and your way.
Too often we claim to belong to Jesus but forget or choose, instead, to ignore his teaching.
In love you created us to love you and one another, but we fail to extend love to those who are different from us. In our minds we tend to criticize rather than to encourage other people and think the worst of those who oppose us.
Sharpen our conscience and make us aware of our hypocrisies that we may repent of them thereby directing who we shall become  by the power of Jesus’ redeeming love.

Assurance of Pardon

 This faithful saying is worthy of our trust and acceptance: “In Jesus Christ our sins are forgiven. Be at peace with God, with yourself and with one another. Thanks be to God for God’s steadfast love and mercy!”

 Prayer for Understanding

 Holy Spirit, open our ears, our minds, and hearts that in the scriptures we may encounter God’s Living Word. May that Word change our hearts and inform all that we are doing following the example of Christ, our Lord. Amen.

 The Lord’s Prayer (in the words most familiar to you)

Our Offering
At Pentecost, God poured out gifts of the Spirit upon the church, to equip Christ’s followers to bear witness to him throughout the world. We offer our gifts and our lives to God, that the witness of the Church will continue with the blessing of the Holy Spirit in this generation and beyond.

Prayer of Dedication
Spirit of grace and power, bless the gifts we offer so that they accomplish surprising things in Jesus’ name. Bless our lives, too, so that our words and actions may bear witness to Jesus’ love and mercy every day. Amen.

Hymn: Come down, O Love Divine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edK3Vv7Qwo4

The Readings

 Ezekiel 37:1-14

37 The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. ² He led me to and fro among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. ³ He asked me, ‘Son of man, can these bones live?’

I said, ‘Sovereign Lord, you alone know.’

⁴ Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to these bones and say to them, “Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! ⁵ This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. ⁶ I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”’

⁷ So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. ⁸ I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.

⁹ Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.”’ ¹⁰ So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet – a vast army.

¹¹ Then he said to me: ‘Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, “Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.” ¹² Therefore prophesy and say to them: “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. ¹³ Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. ¹⁴ I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.”’ Amen

Hymn: Spirit of God, unseen as the wind
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy8AZ46GKqc

John 15:26-27: 16:4-15

²⁶ ‘When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father – the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father – he will testify about me. ²⁷ And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.

⁴ I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you, ⁵ but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, “Where are you going?” ⁶ Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things. ⁷ But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. ⁸ When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: ⁹ about sin, because people do not believe in me; ¹⁰ about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; ¹¹ and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

¹² ‘I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. ¹³ But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. ¹⁴ He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. ¹⁵ All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.’ Amen

 Hymn: The Church is wherever God’s people are praising
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgbvASPRtlE

Sermon  
What does the holy Spirit really mean to us? In our experience? In what we see in others and what happens in our own lives?

When I was a student in Glasgow, I was invited by some friends to a meeting of the Fountain Trust, an ecumenical agency formed in 1964 to promote the charismatic renewal. The trust operated on the principle that it was the purpose of the Holy Spirit to “renew the historic churches”. The meeting was very enthusiastic (literally) and its message was that everyone needed to experience the “fountain,” a special in-filling of the Holy Spirit to enable them to receive the gifts of the day of Pentecost such as speaking in tongues.

For some reason, I found it a difficult experience and I developed a severe headache and had to go home after the morning session. My friends, who were disappointed, tried to get me to return for the afternoon “healing” session.

Curiously, a couple of years later I did have a “fountain experience,” but in a quiet, more private situation, although I do not speak in tongues.

The Holy Spirit is often called the Counsellor or the Helper. I like that. It rings true to what happens in my experience and of other Christians around me. There is present, right now, an unseen Helper who is from God and is God.

Too often our talk about the Spirit latches on to the unusual; the exceptional, the wildly flamboyant. People tend to limit the visitation of the Spirit to special, effervescent spiritual experiences. Like the talking in tongues. Or a rapturous moment of spiritual insight. By doing this, we can miss the prime importance of the normal, loving activity of the Spirit in our lives, and through our lives to others.

This is probably because the book of Acts records the dramatic events in Jerusalem on that first Whitsunday. And if we take the Bible reading from Ezekiel today, which is a metaphoric vision rather than a literal event, and other Old Testament examples we might think that to receive the Holy Spirit needs to be powerful and dramatic, e.g., Elijah running from Mount Carmel to Jezreel (25 miles) faster than king Ahab’s chariot 1 Kings 18: ⁶ The power of the Lord came on Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.

On the other hand, John tells us that Jesus gave the Holy Spirit to his disciples thus: ²¹ Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.’ ²² And with that he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.” 20: 21-22.   We also have the statement in Zechariah 4:6: Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,” says the Lord Almighty.  This suggests that the Spirit works quietly and without drama. To take one expression of the activity of the Holy Spirit and make it the sine qua non of Christian experience is wrong, because it limits how God works in different situations with different people.

As a result of an over-emphasis on the flamboyant, there are some wonderful “salt of the earth” Christians who may be needlessly led to worry that they may have missed out on something.

A number may actually feel guilty because they cannot recount any extravagant spiritual experience.  I recall a woman who was describing a charismatic experience that was very real, but very undramatic beside those of others at the same meeting. Yet those who know and treasure them, observe lives that steadily bear the beautiful fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, fidelity, gentleness and self-control. Such folk touch lives around them with the greatest fruit of all: love.

In contrast, among those who claim remarkable Spiritual experiences are found some (note: “some” not “all”) who appear to bear little of the fruit. Their lives are not a witness to a love that can be identified as the kind of love Jesus exhibited. Indeed, among the self-proclaimed “spirit filled” people, I have met some of the most arrogant and insensitive, egotistical yet insecure, dogmatic yet frightened, characters.

Those who only connect the Holy Spirit with the spectacular, are missing the point. The majority of the Spirit’s works are done quietly. The Spirit is our Counsellor, our Helper, our Enabler. The Spirit is that holy Friend who unobtrusively works in us and through us day by day, among the many basic activities of life.

Much of this basic activity of the Spirit is taken for granted after a while the novelty wears off. However, a new convert is keenly aware of this quiet work of the Spirit. He sees it and wants to get a part of that action. One such newcomer, a woman who had attended an informal worship service for a few weeks, described it thus: “It’s like looking at a most beautiful painting but being left on the outside. Please tell me, how do I get in there?”

We do take much for granted.  If you have ever lived in a place with a spectacular outlook, say, in the mountains or by the sea or near woods and forest, at first you cannot get too much of the view.  When you arrive in this setting, at first, it can be ecstatic, and you want simply to stand by a window and drink in the scene. But after a while, as life rolls on, and the busy affairs of home and work occupy our time, you start to take it for granted. Some days you may barely glance at the view. Only when visitors join us and exclaim their delight, are you reminded once again of the beauty to which you have become so accustomed.

It is like that with the Helper, the Spirit of God. We tend to get used to the ongoing, quiet beauty of the Holy Spirit at work in ordinary lives around us, especially within the church. We start to take it all for granted.

The ecstasy of the Whitsun experience died down as the serious work of the church began and the hard task of witness began. The Holy Spirit is graciously and unobtrusively busy all over the place. The quiet Helper. The unpretentious Friend. But for the difficult days, the times of persecution, of challenges to faith, the memory of the moment of awareness, whether gentle or overwhelming should keep us steady.

The Helper is quietly at work:

in the sincere concern of a friend for our health,
in those who take a stand against injustice,
in the grace of folk who go the second mile,
in the inner resources we discover in times of crisis,
in those who dare to go against the tide of popular opinion,
in the sanity that enables us to admit when we are wrong,
in the resilience of people who fight for the rights of others,
in those who surrender some of their rights for the larger good,
in times when we share the Gospel in spite of our inadequacy,
in finding joy in unexpected places,
in taking on responsibilities that we once thought beyond us,
in refusing to let the greed of society take over our soul,
in giving thanks always, even during the hard times of life,
in rising above past failures and putting past hurts behind us.
in finding a central core of peace in the middle of turmoil,
in daring to laugh in situations where some would curse,
in knowing ourselves to be children of God,
in knowing ourselves loved, even when we have been very unlovable.

And that is just the edge of the Spirit story. We could go on and on, reflecting on the quiet, pervasive ministry of the Holy Spirit in our midst; that inspiring Lover whose fruits we tend to take for granted. It is only by the Holy Spirit that Christian congregations are able to stay alive and to give themselves in love to the world for which Christ died.

 There are of course times when we need a jolt of encouragement, One fine, faithful minister wrote this:
I admit that I sometimes find myself hankering for a bit more spectacular action. A slice of excitement would be nice every now and then. I have good memories of those occasions when a double dose of the wind and fire have shaken me up.

 But as I reflect on those events in my pilgrimage, I now recognise that they happen at times when I was so thick-headed, too insensitive, to grasp what was happening. The Spirit had to give me a big shove in new directions. Therefore, I must acknowledge that maybe these more dramatic experiences are a testimony to my own poor faith. I say that again: not a testimony to my strong faith, but a sign of my dull faith. God takes drastic measures when I get in a rut and can’t see the obvious way out.

 If those who insist on the necessity of a dramatic charismatic experience were to consider this, then they might have less to say about their special experience. The danger in this is of spiritual pride.

The spiritually strong do not need signs and wonders to keep them going; they draw their strength from the quiet daily communion which comes from realising that it is the Holy Spirit within them who gives faith, inspires action and change and remains with them moment by moment.

What is more, all such “wind and fire” occasions need to be tested, to see if they are authentic. As far as I know, there is only one test for the gift of the Spirit: Love. And it has to be the Jesus kind of love. Never forget, not for one second, that the most Spirit filled person of all time was Jesus. Love was his supreme gift. Love is the only infallible sign of the Spirit. For me, for you, for believers around the world, it is either love or be damned. For without love, we are lost.

Love then, is the accurate test, and (thank God!) you will find that test reading positive all over the place. If someone is given a special gift such as speaking in tongues, or healing, then that is a good thing for their particular spiritual journey or ministry, but it may not be necessary for everyone else.

As Scripture claims, the greatest gift of the Spirit is love. Where love is, quiet Pentecostal miracles happen, and occasionally spectacular miracles occur. But the spectacular is not more important than the subtle work of the Spirit. Precious is the quiet influence (inflowing-ness) that transforms our dailyness.

On this Whitsunday let us give thanks for both quiet and spectacular, but most of all for the fruits, especially for love. Amen.

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession

Wind of the Spirit, flow through us and your church worldwide
on this day of Pentecost:
Flow through us and confirm and support our faith
Re-awaken our love for God.
Let your flames warm our hearts with trust in Jesus Christ
and dare us to do great things in his name.
Wind of the Spirit, blow through us and renew our faith.

We pray for your power and presence to be with the commissioners meeting in General Assembly this week discussing important business and changes within our church. Give them grace, wisdom, compassion, and faith as they serve the church in this way. Add your special blessing to the Moderator, Lord Wallace of Tankerness during the coming year.

Wind of the Spirit, blow through us
and give us energy to serve you as the body of Christ working in the world.
Make us aware of opportunities for ministry and mission around us.
Open our hearts to welcome newcomers and meet those we do not yet know.
Open our hands to share in tasks that need to be done and open our lips in prayer and praise.
Wind of the Spirit, blow through us and refresh our souls with grace, peace and power.

Wind of the Spirit, blow through us and give us understanding of people whose lives, cultures and beliefs are different from ours that we may love them better.
(Hold a brief silence)

We pray for people who face life situations we have never experienced that we encourage them with love and understanding.
(Hold a brief silence)

For those with whom we have disagreed.
(Hold a brief silence)

For the problems and challenges we face at home, at work,
and in the wider world as humanity continues to struggle with the effects of the pandemic.
(Hold a longer silence)

Wind of the Spirit, blow through us and give us new understanding.

Wind of the Spirit, blow through us and bring healing to all who face pain or illness, discouragement or disappointment. Make us willing to help however we may be able to do so.
(Hold a brief silence)

For all who know sorrow, sadness, or grief that your Spirit, the true and eternal comforter may hold them in tender embrace.
(Hold a brief silence)

For those who face stress and pressure,
especially as they recover from the impact of the pandemic
(Hold a longer silence)

Wind of the Spirit, blow through us and bring healing and peace.

Wind of the Spirit, blow through us
and bring us the compassion we see in Christ Jesus.
Blow through us and equip us to serve the world you love in his name.
Blow through us and confirm us as your faithful followers rejoicing in the power of the gospel of Christ Jesus our Lord in whom we offer all our prayers. Amen

Hymn: Hail thee, Festival Day (Pentecost Version)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6CbaolSlg4

Sending out and Benediction

As you enter a new week,
may you experience God’s presence.
May you feel God pouring out the Holy Spirit
over your heads and your thoughts and the words of your lips,
over your hearts and your feelings and emotions
and your compassion for all others,
and over your hands and your feet
as you put into action all that God commands you.

During this week,
may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
be with each of you; Amen.

May God’s blessing surround you each day
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_3O_N49GiU

 

Postlude:  Come Holy Ghost our souls inspire
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjKcc8IcxIo

 The Hymns  

In the text are suggestions to check on YouTube if you wish to sing along. Some may not be as familiar as their titles suggest.

For Children

You probably know this is a windsock or a type of kite. It was invented many years ago in Japan and was flown on “Boys Day.” Families would hang one windsock for each son in their family. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEqsHt1lIZ0

You might’ve seen one at an airport, too. They show pilots which way the wind is blowing so they can take off and land safely. They’re even used to help guide the Space Shuttle pilots.

No one can see the wind, but we know the wind is there because it moves the windsock. But just because we can’t see the wind, that doesn’t mean it’s not important. The wind helps us cool off when we get hot; it cleans the air from smog; and it can even be used to power our homes. What other things can you think of that the wind does?

God’s Spirit is kind of like the wind. We can’t see the Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit is especially important and always with us. What is something else you can think of that you can’t see but is still particularly important?

When God sent His Holy Spirit to be with His people for the first time, it was like a mighty, rushing wind. Many churches still celebrate that special day. It’s called the day of Pentecost. A bunch of believers were all gathered together. When the loud wind came, they saw what looked like tongues of fire that came to rest on each of them, and all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit. How would you feel if you saw fire coming down on your head? Would you be scared?

The Holy Spirit helped them share God’s message of love with everyone around by speaking other languages! When we believe, God puts His Holy Spirit in us, too. “God’s Holy Spirit lives in you!”

There are so many ways the Holy Spirit helps us every day. You might say, “He is the wind in your socks!”

Dear God, we thank You for sending Your Holy Spirit to comfort us, guide us, and live within us. In Jesus’ name, Amen

Here is chorus for today: I am the Church you are the Church

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfGiOHmcJvU

Intimations

The Church of Scotland General Assembly for 2021 is being held online for a second year. It opened on Saturday 22 May and once again is being facilitated via Zoom and the “Assembly Hub”.

This year, 756 participants are expected to join together remotely from across Scotland and around the world for the GA. This includes 671 Commissioners, along with Overseas and Ecumenical Delegates, Corresponding Members, and Youth Reps.

The opening session on Saturday 22 May, which began at 10am, includes the installation of the Moderator. An afternoon session begins at 1pm. To limit screen time, business sessions Monday to Thursday will be across two afternoon sessions 1pm and 4pm, with anticipated latest end times of 3.30pm and 6pm respectively. The Assembly will close on the Thursday afternoon.

The proceedings will be live streamed and available for everyone to watch on the Church of Scotland website.  https://churchofscotland.org.uk/