Sample Liturgy for Pentecost Sunday

• Before using this liturgy, please read the information and instructions throughout “The Service of the Word and Lord’s Supper.”
• Pentecost Sunday is the 50th and final day of Easter. “Pentecost” means “fiftieth day.” Pentecost is a favorite day for baptisms and is also called “Whitsunday” (“white Sunday”) because of the white garments worn by baptismal candidates in church history. For more on Pentecost and the 50-day season of Easter, see “A Guide to Easter.”
• This liturgy is built around the texts in the Revised Common Lectionary. See “Collects and Readings for Easter.”
• Hymn numbers correspond to Our Great Redeemer’s Praise (Seedbed, 2022). Chorus numbers correspond to The Chorus Book: Contemporary and Traditional Favorites (Lillenas, 2003). See also “Easter Hymns, Songs, and Metrical Psalms.”

Artwork for Bulletins/Slideshows

• Titian, Pentecost (1546), oil on canvas
• Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Dove of the Holy Spirit (1660), stained glass window

The Liturgy

THE PROCESSIONAL

• Hail Thee, Festival Day (Pentecost)

THE ACCLAMATION

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!

CALL TO WORSHIP

Grace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, and happy Pentecost! On this fiftieth and final day of the Easter season, we celebrate that Jesus Christ, having ascended to the right hand of God, poured out the Holy Spirit as he promised.

The Feast of Pentecost has been celebrated by Christians for almost 2,000 years, having its roots in the Jewish Feast of Weeks, which was celebrated fifty days after the Passover. In the fourth century, Gregory of Nazianzus preached to his congregation that

We celebrate Pentecost and the dwelling with us of the Spirit and the appointed time of promise and the fulfillment of hope. The mystery is as great as it is venerable. … Honor the day of the Spirit. … Today let us keep feast. … The Holy Spirit always was and is and will be, without beginning, without end, … invisible, eternal, uncontainable, unchanging, without quality, without quantity, without form, intangible, self-moving, ever-moving, self-determining, self-powered, all-powerful. … He is life and creates life, he is light and distributes light, he is the goodness itself and source of goodness. He is the upright Spirit, sovereign, Lord; he sends, sets apart, builds a temple for himself, guides, acts as he wills, distributes gifts. He is the Spirit of adoption, of truth, of wisdom, of understanding, of knowledge, of piety, of counsel, of strength, of fear, … through whom the Father is known and the Son is glorified, and by whom alone he is known.

OPENING PRAYER

Let us pray.

O Heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth: You are everywhere and fill all things. Treasury of blessings, Giver of life: come and abide in us, and cleanse us from every impurity, and save our souls, O Good One. Amen.

THE SUMMARY OF THE LAW

God instructed Israel to celebrate the Feast of Weeks around the same time that he had given them the law at Mount Sinai. In later celebrations of Pentecost, Jews would stay up all night rehearsing the giving of the law and the Ten Commandments. It was with the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost that the prophecies of Jeremiah and Ezekiel were fulfilled: “I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts” (Jer. 31:33); “I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes” (Ezek. 36:26–27).

Brothers and sisters, hear what our Lord Jesus Christ says:
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.

THE KYRIE AND/OR TRISAGION

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Holy God, holy and mighty,
Holy Immortal One,
Have mercy upon us.

THE GLORIA PATRI

Then is sung,

Glory be to the Father
and to the Son
and to the Holy Ghost,
as it was in the beginning,
is now and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

HYMN OF PRAISE

PRAYER BEFORE THE LESSONS

The Lord be with you.
And with your spirit.
Let us pray.

One of the following Collects may be used.

Almighty God, on this day you opened the way of eternal life to every race and nation by the promised gift of your Holy Spirit: Shed abroad this gift throughout the world by the preaching of the gospel, that it may reach to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

O God, on this day you taught the hearts of your faithful people by sending to them the light of your Holy Spirit: Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

THE FIRST LESSON: ACTS 2:1–21

Or, Numbers 11:24–30 may be read, and Acts 2:1–21 may be read for the second lesson.

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 2, at the first verse:

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11 both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” 12 And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.” Peter’s Sermon at Pentecost 14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: 17 “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; 18 even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. 19 And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; 20 the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. 21 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

HYMN

THE PSALM: PSALM 104:24–34, 35b

Psalm 104:24–34, 35b may be said or sung.

O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. 25 Here is the sea, great and wide, which teems with creatures innumerable, living things both small and great. 26 There go the ships, and Leviathan, which you formed to play in it. 27 These all look to you, to give them their food in due season. 28 When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things. 29 When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust. 30 When you send forth your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground. 31 May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works, 32 who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke! 33 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being. 34 May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord. 35 … Bless the Lord, O my soul! Praise the Lord!

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.

THE SECOND LESSON: 1 CORINTHIANS 12:3B–13

A reading from the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians, Chapter 12, at the third verse:

No one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit. 4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. 12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

HYMN

• Holy Spirit, Living Breath of God

THE GOSPEL READING: JOHN 20:19–23

Or, John 7:37–39 may be read.

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Saint John, Chapter 20, at the 19th verse:

On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Christ.

CATECHISM QUESTION

Q. 37. Why was the Holy Spirit poured out at Pentecost?

God poured out the Holy Spirit at Pentecost to apply the benefits of Christ’s redemption by uniting us to Christ by faith and to one another in love as a people out of every nation, tribe, and tongue. Through his Spirit, Christ calls, convicts, comforts, guides, sanctifies, defends, and gives gifts to the Church.

THE SERMON

THE CREED

Let us confess our faith in the words of the Nicene Creed.

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made. For us and for our salvation, he came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the living and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father [and the Son]; who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets. I believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

It is especially fitting to anoint the sick with oil on this day (James 5:14).

THE INVITATION

In their Hymns on the Lord’s Supper, John and Charles Wesley mention the Holy Spirit nearly 30 times, emphasizing that as the Spirit came down at Pentecost, he comes down at the Lord’s Table to make Christ present to us, and to feed us with his body and blood. Echoing the language of Acts 2, the Wesleys write that “the Spirit and power of Jesus our God” is “found in this life-giving food” (Hymn 92). In Hymn 53, they pray,

Come in thy Spirit down,
Thine institution crown,
Lamb of God as slain appear,
Life of all believers thou,
Let us now perceive thee near,
Come thou hope of glory now.

Again, in Hymn 75, they pray,

Spirit of faith, come down,
Thy seal with power set to,
The banquet by thy presence crown,
And prove the record true.

And in Hymn 77:

Let us with solemn awe
Nigh to thine altar draw,
Taste thee in the broken bread,
Drink thee in the mystic wine;
Now the gracious Spirit shed,
Fill us now with love divine.

In Hymn 166, the Wesleys celebrate that the Church after Pentecost devoted itself to the breaking of the eucharistic bread as a means of continually participating in the Holy Spirit poured out by the risen Christ:

From house to house they broke the bread
Impregnated with life divine,
And drank the Spirit of their head
Transmitted in the sacred wine

Dear friends, Christ still delights to meet his people at his Table and to give us the grace of the Holy Spirit to nourish and strengthen our union with him. If you have answered the call of Christ to “repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins” (Acts 2:38), draw near with faith, and take this holy sacrament to your comfort; and make your humble confession to Almighty God.

THE CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION

Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all things, Judge of all men; we acknowledge and lament our many sins, which we have, from time to time, most grievously committed, by thought, word, and deed, against your divine majesty. We earnestly repent, and are sincerely sorry for our misdoings; the remembrance of them is grievous to us. Have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us, most merciful Father. For the sake of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, forgive us all that is past; and grant that we may ever hereafter serve and please you in newness of life, to the honor and glory of your name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Almighty and merciful Lord grant you absolution and remission of all your sins, true repentance, amendment of life, and the grace and consolation of his Holy Spirit. Amen.

THE COMFORTING WORDS AND THE PEACE

Our Savior speaks comforting words to all who truly turn to him: Come unto me, all you that are burdened and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest (Mt. 11:28).

Peace be with you.
And also with you.

THE OFFERTORY

THE SURSUM CORDA AND THE SANCTUS

Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to our God.
It is fitting and right to do so.

O Lord, Holy Father, Almighty, Everlasting God, it is very fitting, right, and our bounden duty, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks unto you. According to the most true promise of Jesus Christ our Lord, the Holy Spirit came down from heaven, lighting upon the Apostles, to teach them and to lead them into all truth; giving them boldness and fervent zeal to constantly preach the gospel to all nations, by which we have been brought out of darkness and error into the clear light and true knowledge of you, and of your Son Jesus Christ.​

Therefore with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify your glorious name, evermore praising you, and saying,
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Glory be to you, O Lord most high. Amen.

HYMN

• Come, Holy Ghost, Creator Blest

THE PRAYER OF CONSECRATION

Almighty God, our heavenly Father; of your tender mercy, you gave your only Son, Jesus Christ, to suffer death upon the cross for our redemption. By once offering himself there, he made a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, offering, and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world.

So now, most merciful Father, we humbly ask you to bless and sanctify, with your Word and Spirit, these gifts of bread and wine; and grant that we may receive them according to the holy institution of your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, in remembrance of his death and passion, and be partakers of his most blessed Body and Blood.

In the same night that he was betrayed, he took* bread; and when he had given thanks, he brake* it; and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take, eat; this* is my Body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

Likewise after Supper he took* the Cup; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink you all of this; for this* is my Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for you, and for many, for the remission of sins: Do this as often as you shall drink it, in remembrance of me.”

Therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith:

Christ has died;
Christ is risen;
Christ will come again.

THE LORD’S PRAYER

Let us pray.

Our Father, who is in heaven, hallowed be your name; your kingdom come; your will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

THE MINISTRATION

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world.
Have mercy on us, and grant us your peace.
Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;
Therefore, let us keep the feast.
The gifts of God for the people of God.
Thanks be to God.

The Ministers receive the Bread and Cup, and then invite the people to come forward to partake. When delivering the bread to each person, one of the following may be said:

• The body of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was given for you.
• The body of Christ, preserve your body and soul unto everlasting life.
• The body of Christ; take and eat this in remembrance that Christ died for you.
• The body of Christ; feed on him in your heart by faith, with thanksgiving.
• The body of Christ, the bread of heaven.

When delivering the cup to each person, one of the following may be said:

• The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was shed for you.
• The blood of Christ, preserve your body and soul unto everlasting life.
• The blood of Christ; drink this in remembrance that Christ’s blood was shed for you, and be thankful.
• The blood of Christ, the cup of salvation.

During the distribution, a fitting song may be played.

THE POST COMMUNION PRAYER

May these gifts we have consumed benefit us, O Lord, that we may always be aflame with the same Spirit whom you wondrously poured out upon your apostles. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

THE DOXOLOGY

Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise him all creatures here below
Praise him above, you heavenly host
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

THE BLESSING AND SENDING

Now may God, according to the riches of his glory, grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. Amen.

Let us go forth into the world, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Thanks be to God.