Pentecost 1992: The Breath and the Body of God

SEEKERS CHURCH

Pentecost, 1992

The Breath and the Body of God

REFLECTION

"God's desire is revealed in our body

the mouth is prisoner of the eyes

the glory of God is happy people

happy people are God naked…

"In the body God, and humankind meet."

Rubem Alves, Resurrection of the Body

PRELUDE

CALL TO WORSHIP

Leader: People of Seekers,

and all who dwell in Washington, DC,

Let this be known to you.

God speaks to us through the prophets, saying:

People: In those days I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh.

Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

The young shall see visions,

the old shall dream dreams;

And I will show wonders in the heavens above,

and signs on the earth beneath…

Leader: Come. Worship in the Spirit of Pentecost.

From Acts 2:14-19

INVOCATION

HYMN

SILENCE

PENTECOST LITANY

Leader: Transforming womb of God, conceive in us.

Transforming Breath of God, bring us to life.

Voice 1: Break forth your living water, O birthing-Spirit;

Streaming grace upon us, cleansing us,

causing us to be whole;

Giving us living water…

Voice 2: Expecting the yet unseen,

Anticipating the given moment,

Moving with your birthing rhythms;

Breathing with the pain.

Leader: Signs of new beginnings casting forth into light.

Meeting of the Creator and the newly born;

A joyful morning! A jubilee!

Unison: O Christ, your name upon us;

our name engraved upon your palm.

Transforming womb of God, conceive in us.

Transforming Breath of God, bring us to life.

After More Than Words, Janet Schaffran, Pat Kozak

SILENCE

PRAYERS

CONFESSION

Unison: Holy Spirit, who rides the wings of the wind,

We long to be enlivened by your Spirit-breath.

When it blows a gale, we hide,

Protect ourselves from change,

Defend ourselves against the ambush of your love.

O Holy One, forgive our fear,

our frightened searching for the gentle way,

our frantic longing for imagined comforts of the past.

INDIVIDUAL CONFESSIONS

ASSURANCE

Leader: The pressure is intense

to make us more and more like our surroundings;

The worldly gates of culture, tighter than the birth canal,

can squeeze the life from us.

But Christ has promised us the wind of life,

And we are free to fly, as God calls each of us, unique.

The Holy Spirit does not fill us to conform us to the world.

Let go of fear, and claim the power of your faith.

AMEN.

CONTINUING PRAYERS

HYMN

THE WORD

Scripture

Sermon

Silent Reflection

OFFERING

Offertory Music

Prayer of Dedication

SHARED REFLECTIONS

ANNOUNCEMENTS

HYMN

BENEDICTION

Leader: The Holy Spirit, thunderstorm of creativity,

Brings unexpected life!

The Body of Christ is alive,

And each of us is some unique part…

An eye, an ear, a helping hand,

A broken heart.

Go forth to live the call of God!

AMEN.