MUSIC & WORSHIP RESOURCES

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Brenda G. Hankins, Guest Lectionary Liturgist
Minister of Music, First Institutional Baptist Church, Phoenix, AZ

Worship Planning Notes

The day of Pentecost is considered to be the “birth day” of the church. It is the day that the Church received the gift of the Holy Spirit. Through the Holy Spirit, God’s very life, breath, and energy lives in, with, and among us. Share the meaning of Pentecost with your congregation through the songs provided below for this service. Select the offerings that will work best for your church.

1. Prepare the congregation 1 to 2 weeks prior to Pentecost Sunday by suggesting that congregants wear all red—the liturgical color for Pentecost. The color red signifies fire (“tongues of fire”) which identifies one of the manifestations of the Holy Spirit. Congregants can also wear white—the color used to represent the Holy Spirit.
   
   
2. Have praise teams, liturgical dancers, and choir members process in carrying flags and streamers signifying and celebrating the ascension of the Holy Spirit.
   
   
3. If you have members who can speak in other languages, have them read aloud Acts 2:1-21, or some selected portions, in different languages at the same time. This can be done in the place of the litany below or at other periods during the worship service.

1. Litany, Responsive Reading, or Invocation
Processional Music
(a) Procession of the Levites. Orchestral Prelude. By Richard Smallwood

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. Suddenly, from heaven, there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.

Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them ability.

And they heard one another in their own languages. Egyptians understood Judeans, and Judeans understood Asians, and Asians understood Arabs. They heard each other declare, in their native tongues, the wonderful works of God.

Thus the Church was born on Pentecost Day. We pray for the continued outpouring of your Spirit upon the church so that the fires of Pentecost may anoint us to take the gospel of Jesus Christ to all the world.

Thank you for African American churches which have kept the spirit of Pentecost in the forefront of their teaching and religious expression. We remember the Azusa Street revival of Los Angeles, conducted by William J. Seymour. This great revival gave birth to modern-day Pentecostalism.

Bishop Mason, founder of the Church of God in Christ, said, “I prayed earnestly that God would give me above all things a religion like the one I had heard about from the old slaves, and seen demonstrated in their lives.”

Jesus said, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses.”

Lord, as witnesses, we thank you for all the gifts of the Holy Spirit. We thank you for fire shut up in our bones.

You have done marvelous things. May your Spirit continually fall fresh on us.

Holy Spirit, we welcome you in this place, in our hearts, in our homes, in our lives, and in our world.

Help us to release the anointing of the Holy Spirit which dwells within us. Let us pour your blessing into the lives of others.

Let us lift up the name of Jesus with power from on high. Amen.

2. Hymns and Congregational Songs
(a)  Spirit of the Living God. Text and Tune, (Iverson) by Daniel Iverson

(b)  Let It Breathe on Me. By Magnolia Lewis-Butts

(c) Blessed Quietness. By W. S. Marshall

(d) Sweet, Sweet Spirit. By Doris Akers

(e) Come Thou Almighty King. By Felice De Giardini

3. Spirituals or Traditional Songs
(a)  Kum Ba Ya. Spiritual

(b)  Real, Real, Jesus Is Real to Me. By Beatrice Brown

(c)  Shine on Me. Negro Spiritual. Arr. by Jimmie Abbington

(d)  It’s Real. By H. L. Cox

4. Gospel Songs
(a)  He Touched Me. By William Gaither

(b)  Fire. By Billy Lester

(c)  Holy Spirit Rain on Us. By David Mobley

5. Liturgical Dance or Mime Music
(a)  The Presence of the Lord Is Here. By Kurt Carr

(b)  The Spirit of David. By Fred Hammond

6. Anthems
(a)  Send Forth Your Spirit. By Andrew Wright

(b)  Anthem of Praise. By Richard Smallwood

(c)  I Will Sing with the Spirit. By John Rutter

7. Modern Songs
(a)  Pentecost. By Jeff Roberson

(b)  Holy Ghost Fire. By DeAndre

(c)  Send the Holy Ghost. By Kurt Carr           

(d)  Wind of Pentecost. By Don Corey Washington

(e)  Holy Visitation. By Charles Hall

8. Song or Instrumental for the Offertory Period
(a)  Running Over. By Joe Pace

(b)  We Bring the Sacrifice of Praise. By Kirk Dearman

(c)  I Will Bless Thee, O Lord. By Esther Watanabe

9. Song or Instrumental for the Period of Prayer
(a)  Speak to My Heart. By Donnie McClurkin

(b)  When the Fire Fell. By G.E. Patterson

(c)  Holy Ghost Power. By Percy Gray, Jr.

10. Sermonic Selections
(a)  Holy Spirit. By Richard Smallwood

(b)  He Touched Me. By William J. Gaither

(c)  Jesus Is Real. By John P. Kee

(d)  Sweet Holy Spirit. By Larry Trotter

11. Invitational Song or Instrumental
(a)  We Offer Christ. By Joel Britton

(b)  Come Home. By Kurt Carr

(c)  Down at the Altar. By Joe Pace

12. Benediction Sung, Spoken, or Instrumental
(a)  God Be with You. Instrumental Organ Interlude. By William G. Tomer

(b)  The Benediction. By Orim Meikle

(c)  Total Praise. By Richard Smallwood

(d)  Benediction Spoken
Lord, we thank you for the awesome presence of your Holy Spirit; we recognize that you are real and moving in our lives. It is our prayer that we will walk in those gifts that you have empowered us with and that we will stand up and be the church whom you will use to make a difference in this world.

We give you all the honor and glory which you so richly deserve, and we will be ever mindful to give you all the praise.

In the matchless name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the only Son of the Living God, we ask this prayer.

Amen

Cites and Additional Information for Music and Material Listed