Pentecost

Spirit, breathe your story of truth into ours

/ Eric Mathews / Leave a comment
image by Geralt via Pixabay
 
Truth-telling, wind-blowing, life-giving spirit –
    we present ourselves now
        for our instruction and guidance;
    breathe your truth among us,
        breathe your truth of deep Friday loss,
            your truth of awesome Sunday joy.
 
Breath your story of death and life
    that our story may be submitted to your will for life.
We pray in the name of Jesus risen to new life –
        and him crucified.
 
Walter Brueggemann, 1933 -2025,  American Protestant Old Testament theologian
Prayers for a Privileged People
 
________________________________
 
 
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. 
He will glorify me because it is from me
    that he will receive what he will make known to you. 
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.
 

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Pour Your Spirit on your servants

/ Eric Mathews / Leave a comment
image, Cyprus, via Pxhere, CC0 Public Domain
 
Lord God Almighty, no one rules over you.
You always were, and are, and will be. 
You stand in need of nothing.
 
You alone are true, and wise, and most high.
You alone are good, and beyond compare.
Your knowledge is without beginning.
 
You are God and Father of your only begotten Son,
    of our God and Savior, the creator of the whole world by him.
Your providence provides for and takes care of all.
 
Father of mercies, God of all consolation,
    you dwell in the highest heaven, 
        but see us here below.
 
From the beginning, you ordained leaders for your people:
Abel, Seth and Amos. Enoch and Noah. Melchizedek and Job.
Abraham and the rest of the patriarchs, with your faithful servants 
    Moses and Aaron, Eleazer and Phineas …
    who chose rulers and priests in the tabernacle.
 
Pour down the influence of your Spirit.
Grant by your name that your servants whom you have chosen
    may feed your flock, serving you night and day, 
    gathering those who will be saved.
 
May they please you in meekness and pure hearts,
    with steadfast spirits and blameless minds, being above reproach, 
    offering to you a pure sacrifice though Jesus Christ, our God and Savior.
 
All glory, honor, and worship be to you in the Holy Spirit,
    now and always, and for all ages, Amen.
 
Apostolic Constitutions, 375-380, Syrian Christian church orders
 
________________________
 
 
Now he is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. 
And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit 
    to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today.

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O comforting fire of Spirit

/ Eric Mathews / Leave a comment
Pentecost: Descent of the Holy Spirit,  French Mid-12th Century, CC BY-SA 2.0
 
 
O comforting fire of Spirit,
Life, within the very Life of all Creation.
Holy you are in giving life to All.

Holy you are in anointing
those who are not whole;
Holy you are in cleansing
a festering wound.

O sacred breath,
O fire of love,
O sweetest taste in my breast
which fills my heart
with a fine aroma of virtues.

O most pure fountain
through whom it is known
that God has united strangers
and inquired after the lost.

O breastplate of life
and hope of uniting
all members as One,
O sword-belt of honor,
enfold those who offer blessing.

Care for those
who are imprisoned by the enemy
and dissolve the bonds of those
whom Divinity wishes to save.

O mightiest path which penetrates All,
from the height to every Earthly abyss,
you compose All, you unite All.

Through you clouds stream, ether flies,
stones gain moisture,
waters become streams,
and the earth exudes Life.

You always draw out knowledge,
bringing joy through Wisdom’s inspiration.

Therefore, praise be to you
who are the sound of praise
and the greatest prize of Life,
who are hope and richest honor
bequeathing the reward of Light.
 
St. Hildegard of Bingen, 1098 – 1179, German, composer, Benedictine abbess
 
_______________________
 
 
But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, 
    not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. 
He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 
    he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 
    so that, having been justified by his grace, 
    we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
 

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building a people of power

/ Eric Mathews / Leave a comment
mosaic / music4life / pixabay
 
God the Holy Spirit
Like a Mother, you have brought forth
And in your infinite power
You are building a people of power.
You have continued to sustain us in our daily struggles.
In the midst of much exploitation and injustice,
    cause us not to be silent.
Like you did to the timid and fearful disciples
    give us the boldness to proclaim your righteousness and justice.
 
May you cause us to unite in making your truth known and experienced.
May your fire from heaven
    consume our greed and self-centeredness
    so that all we have may be held in common.
Spirit of truth and power, we are not afraid
    of being misunderstood
    as being out of our mind
As this was done by your early disciples.
 
complied by Claudio Carvalhaes, professor of worship in New York City
 
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On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place.  
Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, 
    and it filled the house where they were sitting.  
Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared 
    and settled on each of them.
 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit 
    and began speaking in other languages, 
    as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.

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Pentecost prayer

/ Eric Mathews / Leave a comment
Pentecost mosaic / Pete Unseth, CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
 
Holy Spirit, almighty God,
  proceeding from the Father and the Son;
Jesus the eternal Son, our Redeemer,
  has promised that you will kindle in us the true knowledge and love of God.
Stir up in our hearts, we pray true fear, true faith,
  that we may acknowledge the mercy
  which the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ hast promised
  unto us for his sake.
Be our comforter in all difficulties and dangers,
  and kindle divine love in our hearts,
  so that by true obedience,
  we may offer perpetual praise to you
  and to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
  and to his blessed Son, our Saviour and Redeemer.
Amen.

Philipp Melanchthon, 1497 – 1560, German reformer with Martin Luther
 
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But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, 
    will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
 

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