A Call to Worship and a Prayer for Pentecost

A call to worship and a prayer for Pentecost from Revd Murray George, Ministering to the churches of Mersey Synod South Cheshire Pastorate of the URC.

Call to Worship

Spirit of God, come as a flame,
and fill our hearts with the fire of your love.
All: Come, Holy Spirit, come.
Spirit of God, come as a wind,
and refresh our senses
with the breath of new life.
All: Come, Holy Spirit, come.
Spirit of God, come in words of power,
and enlighten our minds
with the knowledge of your truth.
All: Come, Holy Spirit, come.

Prayer for Pentecost

When the day of Pentecost came there was a noise … like a strong wind blowing.

Wind to blow away the cobwebs of our tradition.

Wind to freshen our faces and awaken us to the challenges of today.

Wind to fill our sails and send us on a voyage of spiritual discovery.

Wind of the Spirit, blow strongly through the Church and enliven us with  the breath of God.

They saw … tongues of fire …

Fire to burn away the rubbish in our lives.

Fire for spiritual heat to ‘strangely warm’ our hearts.

Fire to light a beacon of hope for the people in our communities.

Fire of the Spirit, blaze away in the Church and set us on fire for the Gospel.

They heard the believers speaking in their own languages.

Speaking in a way that people can understand.

Speaking to real needs, having something to say on real issues.

Speaking so that our neighbours want to listen.

Words of the Spirit, speak to us and through us, that we may preach the living Word.

But others said: ‘These people are drunk!’

Perhaps they were:

Drunk on the new wine of the Kingdom of God.

High on the power of the Holy Spirit – celebrating the birth of the Church of Jesus Christ.

Holy Spirit of God,

inspire and excite us as we celebrate in worship, and empower the work  and witness of your Church today.

Amen