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Pentecost Prayer: freed for

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On this day of Pentecost, the church is born and re-born.

The Holy Spirit is poured out

and sends us out together, aflame with new life.

God, we pray that your Spirit would set us free

from the prisons of pettiness, jealousy, and greed.

Set us free to be Your church.

We are freed to free others.

We are forgiven to forgive others.

We are loved to love others.

You call us to be the church,

and you send us to feed the hungry,

clothe the naked, heal the sick,

and to be alleluias even when there is no music.

Fill us with your Spirit,

make us again into your body for the world.  Amen.

 

Submitted by Rev. Teri Peterson, the Presbyterian Church of Palatine, IL. Originally used in place of a confession sequence.

confession: we explain away

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Call to Confession

When we come together to confess our sin, we find that the closed room of our minds and the locked door of our spirits burst open, making room for the Spirit of God to run wild. When we think we can contain God, we deceive only ourselves—the Spirit is here, and calls us to join the dance. Before God, with the people of God, let us lay down our burdens of brokenness and join what God is doing. Let us pray.

Confession

The wind blows and we hear the sound of it, but we do not know where it comes from.
We try to explain it away, but even our own breath speaks of new things we cannot understand.
We may be together in one place, but we do not speak with one voice, we do not listen with one heart.
We hear, and dismiss, your deeds of power, your call to love those who are different, your insistence that the whole world be included.
You pour out your Spirit, and we squash the vision—it is too big, too unrealistic, too uncertain, too unruly.
You send visions of a future with hope, and we look back instead.
You light the way, and we look for a fire extinguisher, trying to keep ourselves (and you!) safe.
Forgive us, O God. We long for your new life, but we do not know how to live it.

~silence~

Rush into this place again, and fill every nook and cranny with dreams and visions of possibility.
Turn our hushed whispers into proclamations of your grace, in every language of the world.
Lead us out into your future.
Amen. 


Assurance

This is the promise: “I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh—young and old, men and women, rich and poor—and all people will see.” This promise is for you, and for us. No matter who we are or where we have been, the Spirit of the Living God falls fresh, with mercies new every morning. Know that you are forgiven, and let the Spirit speak through you!
Thanks be to God. Amen.

 

Submitted by Rev. Teri Peterson, the Presbyterian Church of Palatine, IL

confession: we separate ourselves

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Eternal God, your compassion waits for us around every corner, pursuing us to the depths of our existence. We separate ourselves from you by making destructive choices and living in ways that lead to death, rather than graciously receiving the gift of abundant life. Have mercy on us!  Weep for us and with us, that by your power we may inhale the breath of your Spirit and know the freedom of forgiveness, restoration to wholeness, and life everlasting. Amen.

 

Submitted by Rev. Elaine Murray Dreeben, Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church, Dallas Texas

illumination: stale minds and slowly-beating hearts

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Spirit…

Wind…

Breath…

fill our lungs and lives with your energizing presence;

refresh our stale minds;

and stir our slowly-beating hearts;

so that we may humbly and courageously

be your breathing, gusting, good presence in the world.

Amen

Submitted by Scott Cervas, pastor at Meadowthorpe Presbyterian Church (Lexington, KY)

CTW: imagine, dream, create, worship

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As a new light dawns…the sounds of sunrise stir us from our slumber!
As we gather together…songs of shared celebration ascend from our souls!
As we reside within our reality…God’s Spirit invites us to imagine…
dares us to dream…and compels us to create life as it is intended to be!
So let’s not simply sit and stand! Let’s not simply sing songs and say words!
Let’s imagine…let’s dream…let’s create…and let’s worship God!

Submitted by Scott Cervas, pastor at Meadowthorpe Presbyterian Church (Lexington, KY)