PROVIDENCE CHURCH

May 23, 2021

Welcome

 

Passing of the Peace: Though we are separated by distance our hearts are one in Christ. The peace of Christ be with you!  And also with you!

 

Call to worship:   Joel 2:21-32 (The Message)

 

 Leader: Fear not, Earth! Be glad and celebrate!  God has done great things.

 

People: Fear not, wild animals!  The fields and meadows are greening up.  The trees are bearing fruit again: a bumper crop of fig trees and vines!

 

Leader: Children of Zion, celebrate!  Be glad in your God.

 

People:  He’s giving you a teacher to train you how to live right— Teaching, like rain out of heaven, showers of words to refresh and nourish your soul, just as he used to do.

 

Leader:  And plenty of food for your body—silos full of grain, casks of wine and barrels of olive oil.

 

People:  “I’ll make up for the years of the locust, the great locust devastation—

 

Leader:  Locusts savage, locusts deadly, fierce locusts, locusts of doom, That great locust invasion I sent your way.

 

People:  You’ll eat your fill of good food.  You’ll be full of praises to your God,

 

Leader:  You’ll know without question that I’m in the thick of life with Israel, That I’m your God, yes, your God, the one and only real God.

 

People:  Never again will my people be despised.

 

Leader:  And that’s just the beginning: After that— “I will pour out my Spirit on every kind of people:

 

People:  Your sons will prophesy, also your daughters. Your old men will dream, your young men will see visions.

 

Leader:  I’ll even pour out my Spirit on the servants, men and women both.

 

People:  I’ll set wonders in the sky above and signs on the earth below:

 

Leader:  Blood and fire and billowing smoke, the sun turning black and the moon blood-red, Before the Judgment Day of God, the Day, tremendous and awesome.

 

People:  Whoever calls, ‘Help, God!’ gets help.

 

Leader:  On Mount Zion and in  Jerusalem there will be a great rescue—just as God said.

 

ALL:  Included in the survivors  are those that God calls.”

 

 

 

Songs of Praise:

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty (Joachim Neander, 1680; transl. Catherine Winkworth, 1863)

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!

O my soul, praise him, for he is thy health and salvation!

All ye who hear, now to his temple draw near;

Join me in glad adoration!

 

Praise to the Lord, who o’er all things so wondrously reigneth,

Shelters thee under his wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!

Hast thou not seen how thy desires e’er have been

Granted in what he ordaineth?

 

Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee!

Surely his goodness and mercy here daily attend thee;

Ponder anew what the Almighty will do,

If with his love he befriend thee.

 

Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore him!

All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before him!

Let the amen sound from his people again;

Gladly, fore’er we adore him.

 

Shine, Jesus, Shine (Graham Kendrick, 1987 CCLI # 30426)

Lord, the light of your love is shining, in the midst of the darkness shining.

Jesus, Light of the world, shine upon us, set us free by the truth you now bring us:

Shine on me, shine on me!

 

 

Chorus:

Shine, Jesus, shine, fill this land with the Father’s glory.

Blaze, Spirit, blaze, set our hearts on fire.

Flow, river, flow, flood the nations with grace and mercy—

Send forth your Word, Lord, and let there be light.

 

Lord, I come to your awesome presence, from the shadows into your radiance.

By the blood I may enter your brightness; search me, try me, consume all my darkness:

Shine on me, shine on me! (Chorus)

 

As we gaze on your kingly brightness, so our faces display your likeness.

Ever changing from glory to glory, mirrored here may our lives tell your story:

Shine on me, shine on me! (Chorus X2)

 

Revelation Song (Jennie Lee Riddle, 2010 CCLI #4447960)

Worthy is the Lamb who was slain; holy, holy is He.

Sing a new song to Him who sits on heaven’s mercy seat. (2X)

 

Chorus:

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,

Who was and is and is to come.

 

With all Creation I sing praise to the King of kings;

You are my everything, and I will adore You.

 

Clothed in rainbows of living color, flashes of lightning, rolls of thunder.

Blessing and honor, strength and glory and power be

to You the only wise King. (Chorus)

 

Filled with wonder, awestruck wonder, at the mention of your Name,

Jesus your name is power, breath, and living water—

such a marvelous mystery! (Chorus X2)

 

Confession/Assurance    

 

Lord we long for fresh wind and fresh fire to rekindle our first love for you. Forgive us Lord where we have put other things in first place in our lives. Forgive us when we love ourselves more than You or Your people. Forgive us when we demand our own way, without reference to Your way. Forgive us our flashes of anger, for we confess that our anger does not accomplish the righteousness of Your kingdom. Forgive us when we seek to quench our thirst with things other than you, things that can’t ultimately satisfy. Hear now our private confession.

 

Respond in Praise:

 

Spirit of God, Descend Upon My Heart (George Croly, 1823; tune Frederick Atkinson, 1870)

1.Spirit of God, descend upon my heart;

Wean it from earth, through all its pulses move;

Stoop to my weakness, mighty as thou art,

And make me love thee as I ought to love.

2.I Ask no dream, no prophet ecstasies,

No sudden rending of the veil of clay,

No angel visitant, no op’ning skies;

But take the dimness of my soul away.

 

3.Hast thou not bid us love thee, God and King?

All, all thine own, soul, heart, and strength and mind.

I see thy cross—there teach my heart to cling:

O let me seek thee, and O let me find.

 

4.Teach me to feel that thou art always nigh;

Teach me the struggles of the soul to bear,

To check the rising doubt, the rebel sigh;

Teach me the patience of unanswered prayer.

 

5.Teach me to love thee as thine angels love,

One holy passion filling all my frame;

The baptism of the heavn’-descended Dove,

My heart the altar and thy love the flame.

 

Scripture Reading:    Matthew 7:21-27

 

Acts 2:1-39 (select verses)

Then the day of Pentecost came, The Feast of Firstfruits, and the 120 followers of Jesus were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”

13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.” And Peter, stood up and addressing the assembled crowd preached:

“Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23 This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. Peter preached from the Scriptures with boldness…. 37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” And 3000 people became Christians that day.

 

This is the Word of the Lord.   Thanks be to God!

Sermon:  “The Work and Person of the Holy Spirit”   

          

Hymn of Dedication

 

Holy Spirit, Living Breath of God (Keith Getty, Stuart Townend CCLI #4779872)

Holy Spirit, living breath of God, breathe new life into my willing soul.

Breathe the presence of the Risen Lord to renew my heart and make me whole.

Cause your word to come alive in me;

Give me faith for what I cannot see,

Give me passion for your purity,

Holy Spirit, breathe new life in me.

 

Holy Spirit, come abide within, may your joy be seen in all I do;

Love enough to cover every sin, in each thought and deed and attitude.

Kindness to the greatest and the least,

Gentleness that sows the path of peace,

 

Turn my striving into works of grace,

Breath of God, show Christ in all I do.

 

Holy Spirit, from Creation’s birth, giving life to all that God has made,

Show your power once again on earth, cause your Church to hunger for your ways.

Let the fragrance of our prayers arise,

Lead us on the road to sacrifice,

That in unity the face of Christ

will be clear for all the world to see.

 

Lord’s Prayer:

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 debts as we forgive our debtors.

Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil:

for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory.  Amen

 

Hymn of Thanksgiving:                                                                                                                       

Our God, Our Help in Ages Past (Isaac Watts, 1719; tune William Croft, 1720)

Our God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come,

Our shelter from the stormy blast, and our eternal home.

 

Under the shadow of your throne your saints have dwelt secure;

Sufficient is your arm alone, and our defense is sure.

 

Before the hills in order stood, or earth received her frame,

From everlasting you are God, to endless years the same.

 

Time, like an ever-rolling stream, bears all its sons away;

They fly forgotten as a dream dies at the opening day.

 

Our God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come:

O be our guide while life shall last, and our eternal home.

 

Benediction 

 

 

 

KNOW

Welcome to Providence Church! We are glad that you are here, joining us in person or via Zoom! We invite you to stop by our Welcome Center where you can receive more information about our church.

Pentecost Sunday:  Today is Pentecost Sunday.  Immediately after the service Sarah Altman will lead a seminar: spiritual and emotional health in Covid times.

Sunday School:   Adult Sunday School will begin next Sunday, May 30th.  Paula Rhodarmer will be teaching on the book of John.

Children of all ages are invited to participate in the entire service of worship.  We will have

childcare for children up to 6 years of age, upstairs in our new room.

Tithes and Gifts: An offering plate is not passed during the service.  Plates for your tithes and

offerings are located at the back of the sanctuary. If you are joining us via Zoom, your tithes and gifts can be mailed to P.O. Box 65, Clyde.  We thank you for your prayerful financial support for

our church.

YARD SALE:   Mark your calendars for the big Yard Sale event! June 17-19, 8am to 2pm.  Volunteers are needed, sign up sheet is in the Narthex.  Please note that no more donations are being accepted.  Feel free to shop after Sunday worship.

 

GROW

Would you like to grow in the joy and work of prayer? Join our women on Tuesday mornings at 10:15 or our men on Thursday mornings. These seasons of weekly prayer are rich in fellowship and in prayers. Want to know more about Women’s Prayer? Contact Linda Roberts. Would you like to join our ZOOM prayer times at 7:30 am Thursday’s?  Contact Sam Mitchell.

 

Are you longing to grow in your connection with God through Scripture reading? Pastor Edward recommends Bible In One Year (by Alpha International), a 20 minute reading of Scripture and commentary written by Nicky Gumble leader of Alpha (an international evangelism ministry).  Just look it up under your apps on your phone/computer.

 

GO

Open Door Soup Kitchen: This is an ongoing commitment of Providence Church to the least, the last, the lost and the lonely of our community.  While Open Door is no longer able to serve meals, we are still volunteering to cook the meals on the first Friday of each month.  If you can serve in this way, please let Phil and Pat know at 828- 476-5130. Thanks for your faithfulness.

 

Prayer Requests: Healing: Malcolm Spink; Judd Heriot;  Aiyla Altman, Chuck & Carole Torpy; Glenn & Laura Glad; Thom Morgan’s mother; Lisa Rhodarmer’s brother Michael – cancer