Ten days after Christ’s ascension, God sent his Holy Spirit for his Church at Pentecost. The Holy Spirit brings to every believer a new birth into eternal life. We are reborn into the family of God as members of his household. The Spirit unites us with the people of God, the Church. The regeneration of the Spirit means that we are a new creation in Christ. We have a foretaste of the age to come. Our new birth gives citizenship in a kingdom that will never end.

Invocation: Our Prayer of Acclamation
Eternal God our Father, thank you for the incredible riches of your love and kindness given to us in Christ. How can we express our thanks for the amazing work you have done for us in your Son? What is a proper response? We give you ourselves, and all our futures. That alone suffices the wonders of your love to us. We bless you, in Jesus’s name, amen.

Call to Worship
Blessed are you, O God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And blessed is your Kingdom, both now and forever, amen.

Te Deum Laudamus 
You are God: we praise you; you are the Lord; we acclaim you; you are the eternal Father: All creation worships you. To you all angels, all the powers of heaven, Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory.

The glorious company of apostles praise you. The noble fellowship of prophets praise you. The white-robed army of martyrs praise you. Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you; Father, of majesty unbounded, your true and only Son, worthy of all worship, and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.

You, Christ, are the king of glory, the eternal Son of the Father. When you became man to set us free you did not shun the Virgin’s womb. You overcame the sting of death and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. You are seated at God’s right hand in glory. We believe that you will come and be our judge. Come then, Lord, and help your people, bought with the price of your own blood, and bring us with your saints to glory everlasting.

Praise and Thanksgiving (songs and prayers)

Gloria Patri
Glory be to the Father,
And to the Son and to the Holy Spirit:
As it was in the beginning,
Is now, and ever shall be,
World without end. Amen, amen.

The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he arose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven and sits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic* church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

*In the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds, the term catholic refers to the Church’s universality, through all ages and times, of all languages and peoples. It refers to no particular tradition or denominational expression (e.g., as in Roman Catholic).

Prayers of Confession
Let us now confess our sins to God and receive mercy and grace to help in our time of need.

Assurance of Pardon
Having faithfully confessed and renounced your sin, Christ also has been faithful to forgive your sins and to purify you from all unrighteousness. It is certain, that there is One who has spoken to the Father in your defense, Jesus Christ, the Righteous One who is the atoning sacrifice for our sins and for the sins of the whole world. His grace and peace are with you now. Amen.

Petitions and Supplications, Ending with The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in 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, for ever. Amen.

~ Matthew 6.9-13 (KJV)

Doxology (and/or closing song)
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him all creatures here below;
Praise Him above ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Benediction 
Lord Jesus, you have through your death and resurrection opened a way for us, who previously were addicted to sin and slaves to darkness, to become heirs of God and joint heirs with you. Thank you for saving us, regenerating us, washing us, and renewing us in your Spirit, and justifying us by grace. We are heirs of God, because of you. Thanks be to God, amen.

Pray without Ceasing – Flash Prayer for the Day
Having been justified by grace, we now have become heirs of God according to the hope of eternal life.

Weekly Reflection on the Sovereign Love of God
The witness of Scripture is that because of sin our relationships with God, ourselves, others, and creation are broken. Through the atoning work of Christ on the cross, healing is possible for these broken relationships. Wherever the church has been faithful to its calling, it has proclaimed personal salvation; it has been a channel of God’s healing to those in physical and emotional need; it has sought justice for the oppressed and disinherited; and it has been a good steward of the natural world.

~ Robert E. Webber and David Neff
Common Roots: The Original Call to an Ancient-Future Faith
Elec. Edition, location 4769.

Let God Arise! Seasonal Focus
Come, Holy Spirit: Life Giver: Adoption, Romans 8.15-17

Book Reading
Heine, Classical Christian Doctrine

Our Corporate Disciplines
Book Discussion: Wednesday, August 25, 2021