Jesus tells his people that he will send the Spirit to them—and he sends it on his first day, risen from the dead. It is a quiet moment, only his disciples around. But he gives the church its mission, and it is still our mission today.
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The Quiet Pentecost
Psalm 104:24-34, 35b; John 14:8-17; John 20:19-23
Union Presbyterian Church
June 8, 2025
Sharing the Light of Christ, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
Liturgist: Becky Conklin Preacher: Rev. Pat Raube
Prayer Joys and Concerns Rev. Pat Raube
Welcome
Announcements
Prelude Tower Ringers
“Amazing Grace,” John Wilson
©1980, Hope Publishing Company, All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.
License #A-728112. All rights reserved.
* Call to Worship Becky Conklin
Gather us in, the lost and the lonely, the broken and breaking,
the tired and the aching who long for the nourishment found at your feast.
Gather us in,
the done and the doubting, the wishing and wondering,
the puzzled and pondering, who long for the company found at your feast.
Gather us in,
the bright and the bustling, the movers, the shakers,
the kind laughter-makers, who long for the deeper joys found at your feast.
Gather us in,
from corner or limelight, from mansion or campsite,
from fears and obsession, from tears and depression,
from untold excesses, from treasured successes,
to meet, to eat, be given a seat,
be joined to the vine, be offered new wine,
become like the least, be found at the feast:
Gather us in!
* Hymn # 332 W & R
“Let Every Christian Pray,” Fred Pratt Green
©1971, Hope Publishing Company, All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.
License #A-728112. All rights reserved.
Let every Christian pray,
This day and every day,
Come, Holy Spirit, come!
Was not the church we love
Commissioned from above?
Come, Holy Spirit, come!
The Spirit brought to birth
The church of Christ on earth
To seek and save the lost:
God never has withdrawn,
Since that tremendous dawn,
The gifts at Pentecost.
Only the Spirit's power
Can fit us for this hour:
Come, Holy Spirit, come!
Instruct, inspire, unite,
And help us see your light:
Come, Holy Spirit, come!
* Call to New Life
We come to God needing different things. Some may need to say, “Help me,” and some may need to say, “Save me,” and some may need to say, “Forgive me,” and some may need to say, “Hold me.” Now is the time to come to God with our deepest needs, and our open hearts.
* Prayer for Wholeness and Peace
In you, gracious God, the widowed find a carer, the orphaned find a parent, the fearful find a friend. In you, the wounded find a healer, the penitent find a pardoner, the burdened find a counsellor. In you, the miserly find a beggar, the despondent find a laughter-maker, the legalists find a rule-breaker. In you, Jesus Christ, we meet our Maker and our match. And if some need to say, “Help me,” and if some need to say, “Save me,” and if some need to say, “Hold me,” and if some need to say, “Forgive me,” then let these be said now, in confidence, by us.
~Silent Prayer~
And we pray,
O Christ, whose heart is both welcome and warning, say to us, do to us, reveal within us the things that will make us whole. And we will wait. And we will praise you. Amen.
* Assurance of God’s Love
Heaven is here, and earth,
and the God who made them is present.
The Lamb, glorious on the throne, sits beside us.
The Spirit of God, the Dove, makes her resting place among us.
Let the heavens be glad.
Let the whole earth cry, Glory! And thanks be to God.
* Sharing of the Peace
Heaven is here, and earth.
And the Church above and below is one.
May the peace of God be with you.
And also with you.
Let us offer one another a sign of God’s peace.
Scripture Psalm 104:24-34, 35b (NRSVUE)
Psalm 104 is dedicated to praising God as creator and sustainer. As one scholar writes, the psalm reminds us of how we, as humans, fit into the bigger picture. It also puts us squarely in our place as part of a larger project called “creation.”
A responsive reading from the Psalter, selected verses from Psalm 104.
O Lord, how manifold are your works!
In wisdom you have made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.
There 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.
Time for Young Disciples
Music: “All Things Bright and Beautiful,” Wendy Stevens
©2009, Hal Leonard Corporation, All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.
License #A-728112. All rights reserved.
Anthem Tower Ringers
“Rejoice With Gladness,” Susan Geschke
©1998, Lorenz Publishing Company, All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.
License #A-728112. All rights reserved.
Scripture John 14:8-17 (NRSVUE)
Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, but if you do not, then believe because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him because he abides with you, and he will be in you.”
Response Holy Wisdom, Holy Word:
Thanks be to God!
Sermon “The Quiet Pentecost”
* Hymn # 326 W & R
“Spirit, Spirit of Gentleness,” James K. Manley
©1978, J. Manley Publishing, All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.
License #A-728112. All rights reserved.
Spirit, Spirit of gentleness,
Blow through the wilderness calling and free;
Spirit, Spirit of restlessness,
Stir me from placidness, wind, wind on the sea.
You moved on the waters, you called to the deep,
Then you coaxed up the mountains from the valleys of sleep;
And over the eons you called to each thing:
“Awake from your slumbers and rise on your wings.”
Spirit, Spirit of gentleness,
Blow through the wilderness calling and free;
Spirit, Spirit of restlessness,
Stir me from placidness, wind, wind on the sea.
You swept through the desert, you stung with the sand
And you goaded your people with a law and a land;
And when they were blinded with idols and lies,
Then you spoke through your prophets to open their eyes.
Spirit, Spirit of gentleness,
Blow through the wilderness calling and free;
Spirit, Spirit of restlessness,
Stir me from placidness, wind, wind on the sea.
You sang in a stable, you cried from a hill,
Then you whispered in silence when the whole world was still;
And down in the city you called once again,
When you blew through your people on the rush of the wind.
Spirit, Spirit of gentleness,
Blow through the wilderness calling and free;
Spirit, Spirit of restlessness,
Stir me from placidness, wind, wind on the sea.
You call from tomorrow, you break ancient schemes.
From the bondage of sorrow all the captives dream dreams;
Our women see visions, our men clear their eyes.
With bold new decisions your people arise.
Spirit, Spirit of gentleness,
Blow through the wilderness calling and free;
Spirit, Spirit of restlessness,
Stir me from placidness, wind, wind on the sea.
Prayers of the People
Let us pray for the breaking in of God’s kingdom in our world today, remembering that God hears our prayers as the requests of beloved children.
Please respond:
Your kingdom come, your will be done.
Lord God, because Jesus has taught us to trust you in all things, we hold to his word and share his plea:
Your kingdom come, your will be done.
Where nations budget for war, while Christ says, “Put away your sword”:
Your kingdom come, your will be done.
Where countries waste food and cut budgets for the poorest and most vulnerable:
Your kingdom come, your will be done.
Where powerful governments claim their policies are heaven-blessed, while scripture states that God helps the powerless:
Your kingdom come, your will be done.
Where Christians seek the kingdom in the shape of their own church, though Christ came, not to build, but to break barriers:
Your kingdom come, your will be done.
Where women who speak up for their own dignity are treated with scorn and contempt:
Your kingdom come, your will be done.
Where men try hard to be tough, because they're afraid to be tender:
Your kingdom come, your will be done.
Where we, obsessed with being adults, forget to become like children:
Your kingdom come, your will be done.
Where our prayers falter, our faith weakens, our light grows dim:
Your kingdom come, your will be done.
Where Jesus Christ calls us:
Your kingdom come, your will be done.
Lord God,
You have declared that your kingdom is among us. Open our ears to hear it, our hands to serve it, our hearts to hold it. This we pray in Jesus name, the one who taught us to pray together:
The 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. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
Prayer Response # 299 W & R “That Easter Day with Joy Was Bright” (verse 3)
(Public Domain)
O Jesus, strong in gentleness,
Come now yourself, our hearts possess,
That we may give thee all our days
The tribute of our grateful praise.
Call for Offering
* Doxology # 23 W & R “All Creatures of Our God and King” (verse 5)
(Public Domain)
Let all things their Creator bless,
And worship him in humbleness,
O praise him, Alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,
And praise the Spirit, Three in One,
O praise him, O praise him,
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
* Dedication of Pentecost Offering
God, you have given us absolutely everything we have.
You gave us sunsets and speckled eggs,
tiny newborn hands and silver moons,
so that we could know what beauty looks like.
You gave us melody and harmony,
forgiveness and poetry,
so that we could know what love sounds like.
You gave us hands to build, fire to warm,
water to clean and food to fill,
so that we could know what peace feels like.
And you gave us hearts to give, minds to hope,
hands to serve and mouths to pray,
so that we know what your Kingdom loves like.
So today we pray that you might be able to use these humble gifts
to bring your kingdom here,
so that more may know what beauty looks like,
what love sounds like and what peace feels like,
saying all the while, “thank you, thank you, thank you.”
For you have given us everything we have.
Gratefully we pray. Amen.
Anthem Tower Ringers
“Passacaglia,” Hal Hopson
©1991, Agape, All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.
License #A-728112. All rights reserved.
The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper
The Invitation
He was always the guest.
In the homes of Peter and Jairus, Martha and Mary, Joanna and Susanna,
he was always the guest.
At the meal tables of the wealthy where he pled the case of the poor,
he was always the guest.
Upsetting polite company, befriending isolated people, welcoming the stranger,
he was always the guest.
But here, At this table, He is the host.
Those who wish to serve him Must first be served by him.
Those who want to follow him Must first be fed by him.
Those who would wash his feet must first let him make them clean.
For this is the table where God intends us to be nourished.
This is the time when Christ can make us new.
So come, you who hunger and thirst
for a deeper faith,
for a fuller life,
for better world.
Jesus Christ,
Who has sat at our tables,
Now invites us to be guests at his.
The Great Thanksgiving
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right, for you made us, and before us, the world we inhabit, and before the world, you made the eternal home in which, through Christ, we have a place.
All that is spectacular, all that is plain, has its origin in you; all that is lovely, all who are loving, point to you as their fulfillment.
And grateful as we are for the world we know and the universe beyond our knowing, we particularly praise you, whom eternity cannot contain, for coming to earth and entering time in Jesus.
For his life which informs our living,
for his compassion which changes our hearts,
for his clear speaking which contradicts our harmless generalities,
for his disturbing presence, his innocent suffering,
his fearless dying, his rising to life breathing forgiveness,
we praise you and worship him.
Here, too, our gratitude rises for the promise of the Holy Spirit, who even yet, even now, confronts us with your claims and attracts us with your goodness. Therefore, we gladly join our voices to the song of the church on earth and in heaven:
Sanctus
“Holy, Holy, Holy Lord,” Marty Haugen
©1984, GIA Publications, All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.
License #A-728112. All rights reserved.
Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power, God of might,
Heaven and earth are filled with Your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is He who comes
In the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest,
Hosanna in the highest.
And now, lest we believe that our praise alone fulfills your purpose, we fall silent and remember him who came because words weren’t enough.
Setting our wisdom, our will, and our words aside, emptying our hearts, and bringing nothing in our hands, we yearn for the healing, the holding, the accepting, the forgiving which Christ alone can offer. (Silence)
The Words of Jesus
Among friends, gathered around a table, Jesus took bread, broke it, and said, “This is my body, broken for you.”
Here is Jesus’ body, broken for the lost and the lonely, and for all those who long for the nourishment found at this table.
Later he took a cup of the fruit of the vine, and said, “This is the new relationship with God, made possible because of my death. Take it, all of you, to remember me.”
Here is Jesus’ blood, poured out for the broken and breaking, and for all those who thirst for the living water.
He who breathed on his first disciples is present for us in this bread.
He whose Spirit stirs the church at Pentecost now revives us in this cup.
The Communion
So take this bread and this fruit of the vine.
In them God comes to us, that we might come to God.
Music During Communion:
“My Jesus, I Love Thee,” Alison Prestwood
©1986, Broadman Press
Used by Permission. CCLI License #CSPL068847
Prayer of Thanksgiving After Communion:
In gratitude, deep gratitude, for this moment, this meal, these people, we give ourselves to you. Take us out to live as changed people, because we have shared the Living Bread and cannot remain the same. Ask much of us, expect much from us, enable much by us, encourage much through us. In this way, Creator, Christ, and Spirit of Life, may we live to your glory, both as inhabitants of earth and citizens of heaven. Amen.
* Hymn # 388 W & R (to the tune of #252 W & R)
(see bulletin insert)
“O God in Whom All Life Begins,” Carl P. Daw, Jr.
©1990, Hope Publishing Company, All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.
License #A-728112. All rights reserved.
O God in whom all life begins,
Who births the seed to fruit,
Bestow your blessing on our lives;
Here let your love find root.
Bring forth in us the Spirit's gifts
Of patience, joy, and peace;
Deliver us from numbing fear,
And grant our faith increase.
Unite in mutual ministry
Our minds and hands and hearts
That we may have the grace to seek
The power your peace imparts.
So let our varied gifts combine
To glorify your Name
That in all things by word and deed
We may your love proclaim.
Through tears and laughter, grief and joy,
Enlarge our trust and care;
So bind us in community
That we may risk and dare.
Be with us when we gather here
To worship, sing, and pray,
Then send us forth in power and faith
To live the words we say.
* Benediction
Postlude Lynn Garis
“When We All Get to Heaven,” Mary Ellen Kerrick
©1979, Broadman Press
Used by Permission. CCLI License #CSPL068847
Where an * is indicated, please rise in body and/or in spirit.
“W & R” ~ the red Worship and Rejoice hymnal.
“PH” ~ the blue Presbyterian Hymnal
Liturgy taken/ adapted from “A Wee Worship Book,” Wild Goose Worship Group, Iona Community, Scotland.