Worshipping at Home 5th June 2022
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Pentecost - 5th June 2022 

The First Hymn
Welcome!

What if someone were to say to you: Come to church with me today. We have been promised spiritual dynamite! Spiritual dynamite is how the Bible describes the Holy Spirit, and we begin many of our Services with the words: The Lord is here. His Spirit is with us. Maybe we should end the statement not with a full-stop but with an exclamation mark! What an amazing claim!



Psalm 104:24-34, 35b

O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. Yonder is the sea, great and wide, creeping things innumerable are there, living things both small and great.
There go the ships, and Leviathan that you formed to sport in it. These all look to you to give them their food in due season; when you give to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things. When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust. When you send forth your spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the ground. May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke. I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being. May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord. Bless the Lord, O my soul. Praise the Lord!

Acclamation

The love of God 
has been poured into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit 
who has been given to us.
Give thanks to the Lord 
and call upon his name.
Make known his deeds 
amongst the peoples.
Sing to him, 
sing praises to him,
and speak 
of all his marvellous works.

The Collect Prayer

Holy Spirit, sent by the Father,
ignite in us your holy fire;
strengthen your children with the gift of faith,
revive your Church with the breath of love,
and renew the face of the earth,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Sharing the Peace

We are the Family of God;
In the one Spirit we were all baptised
into one body.
Let us then pursue all that makes for peace
and builds up our common life.

(At this point please think of others
and in your heart send them
the message: Peace be with you.)

Bible Reading

John 14: 8-17 (The promise of the Holy Spirit and spiritual power.)

 

Philip said, ‘Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.’ Jesus answered: ‘Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father”? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority.


Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.


‘If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you for ever – the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

Thought for the Day

In the lead up to the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, broadcasters have been working hard to provide us with a wealth of programmes about her reign, the monarchy, and anything remotely associated with the event. There can hardly be a subject or a question that has not been tackled. There is one question, however, that has not been put to the Queen. Maybe interviewers think that the question is trite. The question is this, ‘Your Majesty, in all your long and illustrious life, what has been the most significant moment?’. We can imagine the Queen groaning inwardly as the question is put! But maybe there is an answer. The most significant event would have to be a one-off, a moment quite different from all others. 

My hunch is that the answer would be ‘The Coronation’ – the moment when the responsibility, power and authority of the monarchy were literally laid upon the Queen in the form of a crown, orb and sceptre. It was a moment of great but unknown consequences, of optimism, opportunity, hope and vision. 

Today we also celebrate the great Christian festival of Pentecost when we recall how, 50 days after the resurrection (and 10 days after the Ascension) the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples. The promised Advocate and Teacher arrived, bringing with him spiritual power to every recipient. This, too, was a moment of great but unknown consequences, of optimism, opportunity, hope and vision. And from that day onwards, every Christian has been called upon to receive the very same – the anointing of the Holy Spirit to equip us for a lifetime of service.

In these Jubilee celebrations we salute the Queen – remembering her famous words that committed her to a life of service. We talk about it, and we pretty much all agree that she has kept to her word. The strange thing about it, however, is that we talk about this lifetime of service as though it were extraordinary and unique. I am sure that in her humility, our Queen would remind us that such a way of life should be commonplace. So let each one of us be open to the anointing of the Holy Spirit, to recognise the significance of his presence with us, and to commit ourselves to the adventure of a life in which we are anointed for service and blessed by God. 

Let us Pray

Empowering God, you gave the church the abiding presence of your Holy Spirit. Look upon your church today and hear our petitions. Grant that, gathered and directed by your Spirit, we may confess Christ as Lord and combine our diverse gifts with a singular passion to continue his mission in this world until we join in your eternal praise. Amen.

O Lord, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, we give you thanks for your servant Elizabeth our Queen. May she ever be provided with all she may need for her ministry among us, strengthened to meet every demand which her office may make, and in all things nourished by your word and example, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit live and reign, world without end. Amen.

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and for ever. Amen.

(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, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.)
The Blessing

The Spirit of truth lead you into all truth, give you grace to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, and to proclaim the word and works of God; and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you, and remain with you always.


Amen

 The Second Hymn

If you have any thoughts, questions or concerns, please contact us

Henley in Arden The incumbent/priest in charge John Ganjavi
telephone 01564 792570 or email Incumbent / Priest in charge

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I believe if you keep your faith, you keep your trust, you keep the right attitude, if you're grateful, you'll see God open up new doors.
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