Pentecost Call to Worship
May 16, 2024
And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind,and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Acts
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And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind,and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Acts
Our call to worship this morning is from Job 37:6,7,10.
For to the snow God says, “Fall on the earth”;
and to the rain shower, “Turn into a heavy downpour.”
All human activity comes to a standstill
so that everyone may acknowledge God’s power.
By the breath of God ice is given,
and the broad waters are frozen fast. [NCB & NRSV]
God of this snowy season
your power is evident in all the world.
We come together in person and virtually;
with thankfulness, we sing praises,
with thoughtfulness, we listen to scripture,
with trust, we put ourselves in your hands.
In this service draw us close to one another
and form us as your people,
faithful in every season. Amen.
God of grace,
we come together on this somber day with heavy hearts.
We are reluctant to hear this story of Jesus’ suffering,
we would rather skip this and go straight to Easter,
to hear the happy songs and rejoice about your victory over death.
But that is not for today.
Help us, now, to stay with Jesus;
to feel with him as he is betrayed, rejected,
to watch as he is condemned, tortured and killed
because of his love for all humankind.
Thank you for the gift of your son,
which you freely gave,
even though you knew how he would be received.
Be with us now, in this hour of worship. Amen
God of hope,
in this snowy season
we turn our minds to worship;
with thankfulness, we sing praises,
with thoughtfulness, we listen to scripture,
with trust, we put ourselves in your hands.
In this service, through your creative power,
draw us close to one another
and form us as your people,
faithful in every season. Amen.
Our call to worship is from Psalm 27:1
“The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?”
God, we come to worship
from a world where there is much fear.
We each have our own worries,
and the weight of the world can be heavy.
Your strength is what we need.
Help us to be of one mind this morning,
your light filling us with the joy of your salvation. Amen.
Our call to worship is from Luke 1:78-79
“By the tender mercy of our God,
the dawn from on high will break upon us,
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
Merciful God:
we come together to worship longing for tenderness
because this world can be hard.
We come longing for light
because our lives are crowded with shadows
We come desperately needing direction,
because we don’t always know which way to go.
Fill us this morning with your peace:
your spirit is our peace and our path.
And Jesus said, “Come!”
To the light-hearted and the heavy-hearted: he said, “Come!”
To the well-off and the cast-off: he said, “Come!”
To the youngsters and the oldsters: he said, “Come!”
To the faithful and the faithless: he said, “Come!”
“Come unto me all ye who labour and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart
and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-29)
Jesus, we long to meet you in this hour of worship,
we hear your call.
And Jesus said, “Come!”
To all mothers and all children: he said, “Come!”
to the motherless and the childless: he said, “Come!”
to all who long to be mothered: he said, “Come!
Come unto me all you who labour and are heavy-laden,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am gentle and humble of heart
and you will find rest for your souls.”
Proverbs 16:7 and
God of grace:
We have come to worship for a glimpse
of your kingdom of kindness,
a world where love rules over all,
a world where enemies embrace,
a world where the distinctions between friend and foe
evaporate in the light of your love.
Knowing you have the power to transform us,
we give our lives over to you,
body, soul, mind, spirit.
In Jesus’ name, Amen
I am a Mennonite pastor currently teaching theology at Conrad Grebel University College in Waterloo, Ontario. I’ve served congregations in Ontario and most recently, Alberta.
I love to write and to lead worship! If you are finding my writing helpful, I would love to hear from you! Feel free to use or adapt the material here, it is all written by me. If printing material, please credit “Copyright Carol Penner www.leadinginworship.com” (and say whether you modified it). If publishing, please contact me for permission. Contact me at carol@leadinginworship.com
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