Empowered

Loving Worship Series: EMPOWERED
Pentecost - June 9, 2019

Planning for this Series

In this series, we are moving into a season of suddenlies: Jesus announces his imminent departure back to heaven; the Holy Spirit makes her dramatic, fiery arrival on earth. Earth, Wind, and Fire! As Jesus prepares to take his leave, his benedictory address focuses on themes of glorification, departure, and most of all, love—the primary symbol of discipleship. Jesus emphasizes the importance of lineal relationships: disciples to Jesus, to the world, the Creator, and the vital mediating power and presence of the Holy Spirit. In the spirit and ethos of the Passover Meal, Jesus and the disciples are huddled together at table in family style. We hear Jesus address his followers as little children, and he proceeds to teach them as such.

As you plan this series, give attention to the lessons and learnings, teaching and tools from the Upper Room. Look for ways to emulate this powerful Pentecostal experience both within and beyond your faith community. Begin to intentionally identify ways to strengthen and celebrate the spirit of koinonia, Ubuntu, the Beloved Community, outside the comfort of your church building. While our denomination continues to wrestle with the question “Who’s In and Who’s Out?”, how will your local church community respond?

Each week, you will find suggestions for music, prayers, calls to worship, litanies from United Methodist resources that might help bring these biblical passages to life within your particular community. You are encouraged to sing, pray, embody, teach, love, and glorify God through the various texts and tunes provided. Our hope is that you will reenact the Acts 2 passage each week by introducing liturgical symbols and sounds unfamiliar to your congregations. If you choose to introduce a hymn or worship song from another cultural tradition, consider inviting someone from that tradition to participate, making the experience even more authentic for the worshipers. But please do not stop there! Perhaps there could be a reciprocal exchange where your congregation visits with another worshiping community.

We here at Discipleship Ministries Worship Resources would love to hear stories from your seasons of suddenlies. Contact us at [email protected].

WEEK 4 – Acts 2:1-21 The Coming of the Holy Spirit

2 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. ² And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. ³ Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. ⁴ All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

⁵ Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. ⁶ And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. ⁷ Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? ⁸ And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? ⁹ Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰ Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, ¹¹ Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” ¹² All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” ¹³ But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.” ¹⁴ But 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. ¹⁵ Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. ¹⁶ No, 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.
¹⁸ Even upon my slaves, both men and women,
in those days I will pour out my Spirit;
and they shall prophesy.
¹⁹ And I will show portents in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and smoky mist.
²⁰ The sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day.
²¹ Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Abbreviations

UMH = The United Methodist Hymnal
UR = Upper Room WorshipBook
TWFS = The Faith We Sing
ZSS = Zion Still Sings
BOW = The United Methodist Book of Worship

Music Resources
UMH 356, 497, 537, 539, 543, 547, 548
UR 96, 167, 444, 447, 449
TFWS 2036, 2047, 2166, 2222, 2232, 2274
ZSS 127, 148, 169, 174, 175, 208, 214, 217, 218, 219

Prayer Resources
BOW 487- 493, 495, 514, 520, 529, 501-506
UMH 556