Printable services for those unable to attend St C

St Clement Church Community Pentecost Service

Good morning to you all and Happy Birthday!

She’s finally cracked I hear you say, but no, this great festival, the Day of Pentecost, is considered the birthday of the Church, the giving of the Holy Spirit, the event for which the earthly life of Jesus was the preparation. So make sure you celebrate today, and treat yourself to something special, even cake Dave!

Father David is taking the Eucharist this Sunday at St Clement as I am called to be elsewhere, and this service is for you to read at home if you’re unable to worship with us in person.

Much love and prayers and may Christ’s love sustain you always.

Rev Di and family xx

Let us pray;

What God has prepared for those who Faithful God, who fulfilled the promises of Easter by sending us your Holy Spirit and opening to every race and nation the way of life eternal: open our lips by your Spirit, that every tongue may tell of your glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Hymn; ‘Come Down O Love Divine’

Our prayers of Penitence

Saint Paul teaches us not to grieve the Holy Spirit of God. Let us therefore confess those sins that hinder his work among us…..

The Spirit brings us life in Christ:

Lord forgive us when we have closed our hearts to his renewing power.

Lord, have mercy.

The Spirit leads us into the truth of Christ:

Lord, forgive us when we have closed our minds to learning something new.

Christ, have mercy.

The Spirit makes Christ known in the world: Lord forgive us when we have failed to bear witness to the gospel of Christ.

Lord, have mercy.

May Almighty God have mercy upon us, forgive us our failings, and bring us to everlasting life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Let us pray our Collect for the Day of Pentecost

Holy Spirit, sent by the Father, ignite in us your holy fire: strengthen your children with the gift of faith, revive your Church with the breath of love, and renew the face of the earth, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Readings

Acts 2.1-21

1 Corinthians 12. 3b-13

Hymn; ‘Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken’

Gospel John 20. 19-23

(Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John)

Response: ‘Glory to you O Lord.’)

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’

When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’

(This is the Gospel of the Lord. Response: ‘Praise to you, O, Christ’)

Reflection

About 20 years ago, Ken ran the security team at the Haven Holiday site in Perranporth, and I too, would work there a few evenings a week to provide cover as a First Responder from the ambulance service.

One summer season, an elderly couple came on holiday with their son, who was probably in his early forties. During their first evening in the clubhouse he saw me standing by the door looking at my mobile phone, and came over to show me that he had exactly the same model, and we spent quite a while discussing the various attributes and drawbacks of the phones.

Every evening after that, he would make a point of coming over to see me, whether to say where they had visited that day, or to ask about the entertainment in the venue, that sort of thing you know, general chit-chat.

On the night before they left to go home, his parents said goodbye to me and thanked me for taking the time to talk to their son as most people avoided him due to his severe speech impediment.

‘What speech impediment?’ I said, ‘Oh’ his mother replied; ‘he has a deformed tongue, and finds it difficult to make himself understood.’

I was quite puzzled as I could hear him quite clearly, and I later told Ken about it. ‘That’s right’ he said, ‘the boys and I would watch you both engrossed in conversation, and all the while we didn’t have a clue what you were talking about.’

I still puzzle about it to this day, how I had the ability to understand, I wonder now if perhaps it was a gift given to fulfil a need?

I have no doubts about another encounter, when, as part of my funeral ministry, I met an elderly widowed Austrian woman. She had lived in this country for quite a while, but didn’t speak English, and I, to my shame, even though I had worked in her wonderful country many times, couldn’t speak her mother tongue.

I met with her often and although our different languages were a barrier, I could see by the warmth of her smile and the way she firmly held my hand that she appreciated the time we spent together.

But there was one time when we really did communicate. Not with a common language, but when we shared the communion liturgy together.

We prayed the Lord’s Prayer, she in Austrian and I in English. Then as I took the bread and began the Words of Institution she recited those words with me, again she in Austrian and me in English.

After we shared communion, as I raised my hand to make the sign of the cross saying, "And the blessing of God almighty…" she said those words in her own language.

It seemed that the Holy Spirit was blending our voices into a common language, which enabled us to be one in spite of our differences.

When the day eventually arrived that I was called to take her funeral, I made a point to read part of the prayers in her local dialect.

In Jerusalem that first Pentecost, there were people from all over the world. They had little or nothing in common. The barriers of different languages and culture stood between them. Yet when the wind of God's Spirit swept over them, this separation seemed to suddenly blow away.

The diversity and differences were still present – they didn’t disappear, but they just didn’t matter anymore, the Spirit had brought them together as one in the body of Christ, just as the Spirit has brought all of us together as members of God's family, regardless of our backgrounds and the things that divide us.

We’re brothers and sisters in Christ, without discrimination. It doesn’t matter if someone comes from a different social background, or has a different way of expressing their Christian faith, none of these things matter. Issues exist, but they don’t divide, because faith in Jesus Christ makes us equal with each other.

With our individual gifts and backgrounds, together we are the body of Christ, his church, called to speak a common language, and as you can appreciate this has a powerful message about the way we should regard one another. I like to think that we are a very close knit church at St Clement, we recognise our differences, but speak a common language about our mission and ministry.

And that common language includes ongoing plans to keep St Clement on the map for providing an oasis in a busy world, truly bringing the peace of Christ to our visitors. Of course, those ongoing plans involves helping make, or even accepting, new decisions, or decisions previously made, and people sometimes don’t understand, or even like what they hear.

But aided by our common language we need to keep moving forward instead of looking back. Because looking back not only wastes precious time and energy, but also muddies the waters and we lose our way.

I know that even with our common language, sometimes words don’t come out right and offence is given and sometimes even when the words do come out right, we don’t hear them as they are intended, and so take offence. Misunderstanding happens, we’re only human.

But every time we get upset about what someone has said and done, or feel we could do better and try and move the goal posts, and fail to seek reconciliation and understanding, we deny the unity that we have in Christ.

The people on the first Pentecost listened to what Peter had to say, and they acted. We should do likewise, so that the power of God's Holy Spirit can continue to uphold the common language that we speak here, furthering the work of Christ in this place.

This Pentecost we pray that the Spirit will open our ears to his prompting and help us to realise what it means to be "one in Christ" as we look forward to a new era for our church and community.

Not only are we becoming part of the Trinity Benefice, but will also be enjoying the finalisation of our plans for toilets in the Lych gate room, new kitchen cupboards and Church door. Wow!

May joining the Benefice and fruition of the plans for our building be truly a reflection of the work of Christ in this place, bringing the common language of the Holy Spirit and God’s love to all. Amen.

Hymn; ‘Breathe on me breath of God’

Affirmation of our faith

Let us declare our faith in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ:

Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures; he was buried; he was raised to life on the third day and afterwards he appeared to his followers and to all the apostles: this we have received, and this we believe. This is the faith of the Church. This is our faith.

We believe and trust in one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Our Intercessions this week are written by Helen Dunbar

With great power the Spirit of God is poured out on the expectant disciples. As the body of Christ, in the power of the Spirit, let us pray.

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your people and kindle us in the fire of your love; fill the hearts of your Church that it may be strong in faith and courage to proclaim the word of God and His love in all places and situations. Flood the nations with peace, joy and hope in the face of war, violence, tragedy and desperation, may your spirit work in all of us to be peacemakers.