2026-05-24 - CourtneyR.dev's 2nd Brain

# St. John's United Church of Christ — May 24, 2026 **Theme:** Pentecost is about peace and proclamation **Day of Pentecost | Easter 8 | Year A** 📹 **Service recording:** [YouTube — May 24, 2026](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y) --- ## Liturgical Context ### Christian Liturgical Calendar - **Day:** Pentecost Sunday (the 50th day after Easter) - **Season:** Final Sunday of the Easter season — Easter ends today; Ordinary Time / Season after Pentecost begins next week - **Color:** Red (symbolizing the fire of the Holy Spirit and the witness of the martyrs) - **Lectionary Year:** A (Matthew-focused) - **Significance:** Pentecost commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the disciples (Acts 2) and is traditionally called the "birthday of the Church." It closes the 50-day Easter celebration and inaugurates the long green season of the church year. - **Next Sunday:** Trinity Sunday (May 31, 2026) — the first Sunday after Pentecost ### Jewish Calendar - **Hebrew Date:** 8 Sivan 5786 - **Relationship to Shavuot:** Shavuot 2026 was observed May 22–23 (sundown to nightfall). Pentecost and Shavuot are the same festival in origin — both mark the 50th day after Passover/Easter and both celebrate revelation: Torah at Sinai (Shavuot) and the Spirit on the disciples (Pentecost). Caroline explicitly named this in the sermon: most Jews in Jerusalem at Pentecost were there as pilgrims for **Shavuot**, which "commemorates bringing the Israelites back to the land flowing with milk and honey." - **Counting of the Omer:** Just completed (Shavuot is day 50) ### Ecumenical & Global Observances - Pentecost is celebrated by nearly every Christian tradition worldwide (Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran, Reformed, Methodist, Pentecostal, and free-church traditions) - Many congregations encourage participants to wear red on this day - UCC tradition: Strengthen the Church Offering is received on Pentecost and the following Sunday ### Lectionary Readings (Revised Common Lectionary, Year A — Day of Pentecost) **First Reading (Acts):** Acts 2:1-21 ![[Acts 2#1]] ![[Acts 2#2]] ![[Acts 2#3]] ![[Acts 2#4]] ![[Acts 2#5]] ![[Acts 2#6]] ![[Acts 2#7]] ![[Acts 2#8]] ![[Acts 2#9]] ![[Acts 2#10]] ![[Acts 2#11]] ![[Acts 2#12]] ![[Acts 2#13]] ![[Acts 2#14]] ![[Acts 2#15]] ![[Acts 2#16]] ![[Acts 2#17]] ![[Acts 2#18]] ![[Acts 2#19]] ![[Acts 2#20]] ![[Acts 2#21]] **Alternate First Reading:** Numbers 11:24-30 **Psalm:** Psalm 104:24-34, 35b ![[Psalm 104#24]] ![[Psalm 104#25]] ![[Psalm 104#26]] ![[Psalm 104#27]] ![[Psalm 104#28]] ![[Psalm 104#29]] ![[Psalm 104#30]] ![[Psalm 104#31]] ![[Psalm 104#32]] ![[Psalm 104#33]] ![[Psalm 104#34]] ![[Psalm 104#35]] **Epistle:** 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13 ![[1 Corinthians 12#3]] ![[1 Corinthians 12#4]] ![[1 Corinthians 12#5]] ![[1 Corinthians 12#6]] ![[1 Corinthians 12#7]] ![[1 Corinthians 12#8]] ![[1 Corinthians 12#9]] ![[1 Corinthians 12#10]] ![[1 Corinthians 12#11]] ![[1 Corinthians 12#12]] ![[1 Corinthians 12#13]] **Gospel:** John 20:19-23 (or John 7:37-39) ![[John 20#19]] ![[John 20#20]] ![[John 20#21]] ![[John 20#22]] ![[John 20#23]] ### Connection to Today's Message St. John's used **both** John 20:19-23 (Gospel) and Acts 2:1-21 (First Reading), pairing the **Johannine Pentecost** (Jesus breathing the Spirit on the disciples on Easter evening) with the **Lukan Pentecost** (the rushing wind and tongues of fire fifty days later). Caroline preached both texts in creative tension, returning to the refrain that **Pentecost is about peace AND proclamation** — the peace from John's locked room and the bold proclamation from Acts 2's open-air crowd. --- ## Order of Worship ### Gathering #### Gathering Song: "This is the Day" [▶ 32:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=1920s) #### Unison Welcome [▶ 32:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=1920s) "No matter who you are or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here." #### Announcements [▶ 32:59](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=1979s) - Pentecost Picnic moved INSIDE to Fellowship Hall due to weather. All food provided. - Next Sunday (May 31) special congregational meeting after worship — Habitat for Humanity reps will be there to continue the partnership conversation and answer questions. - June Spirit newsletter available. #### Chiming of the Trinity & Prelude [▶ 34:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=2044s) A reflective instrumental space to quiet minds and prepare for worship. #### \*Call to Worship [▶ 36:23](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=2183s) (from Illustrated Ministry — see full text in Liturgical Texts section) #### \*Hymn #225: "On Pentecost They Gathered" [▶ 37:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=2260s) #### \*Opening Prayer [▶ 40:43](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=2443s) #### \*Passing of the Peace [▶ 41:53](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=2513s) ### Word #### Prayer for Illumination [▶ 43:39](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=2619s) Led by Lector Barb Wissinger. #### Scripture Reading: John 20:19-23 [▶ 44:22](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=2662s) #### Anthem: "Precious Lord, Take My Hand" [▶ 46:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=2760s) Setting by Jack Schrader. #### Children's Message [▶ 50:53](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=3053s) Diana Kongkeattikul invited the children forward for a noisy story — they raised hands every time they heard a sound word (whoosh, roar, crackling, popping, shouting). She counted 19 sound words in the story; the kids caught all 19 plus one she missed. The story walked through Acts 2 in age-appropriate language and emphasized: "God promised everyone would be able to hear and talk about all the good things that God does... in every language. Every person who speaks and lives God's love is a part of God's family." Children's Corner followed. #### Scripture Reading: Acts 2:1-21 [▶ 57:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=3421s) Read by Pastor Caroline (using an inclusive translation — "Even upon my servants, men and women, I will pour out my Spirit"). #### Sermon — Rev. Caroline E. Saxton [▶ 1:00:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=3630s) Title (working): **"Pentecost is about peace and proclamation"** — see full sermon notes below. ### Response #### Sharing of Joys and Concerns [▶ 1:15:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=4516s) See full list below in the Prayer List section. #### Prayers of the People and the Lord's Prayer (debts) [▶ 1:22:42](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=4962s) #### Invitation to Giving & Offertory [▶ 1:24:46](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=5086s) #### \*Offertory Response [▶ 1:27:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=5250s) #### \*Prayer of Dedication [▶ 1:27:44](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=5264s) #### Holy Communion — Liturgy [▶ 1:28:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=5310s) Caroline used a Pentecost-themed Great Thanksgiving — emphasizing biodiversity, harmony in difference, and the Spirit making "one church" out of all our differences. Communion was received by intinction (come forward to the center aisle, take bread, dip in the cup). All welcome at the table — those preferring a blessing crossed hands over heart. #### Prayer of Thanksgiving (post-communion) [▶ 1:38:39](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=5919s) #### \*Hymn #229: "Let Every Christian Pray" [▶ 1:39:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=5956s) #### \*Affirmation of Faith [▶ 1:41:28](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=6088s) ### Sending #### \*Charge & Benediction [▶ 1:43:06](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=6186s) #### Postlude / Closing Blessing Song [▶ 1:43:43](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=6223s) "The Lord send a blessing on all here today. May your love surround us forever we pray. May your arms enfold us whenever we fall, and lighten, inspire us. O God, bless us all." \**Please stand in body or in spirit* --- ## Liturgical Texts (from Illustrated Ministry) ### Call to Worship [▶ 36:38](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=2198s) > Let us rejoice and call upon God's name. > **Holy God, your people have gathered in this space.** > > God, pour out your Spirit: > **Upon all people, young and old, near and far, friend and stranger — all neighbors.** > > God, pour out your Spirit: > **Empower us to speak for justice.** > > God, pour out your Spirit: > **Grant us visions of peace.** > > God, pour out your Spirit: > **Inspire us with dreams for the future.** > > God, pour out your Spirit: > **Renew the face of the earth.** > > God, pour out your Spirit: > **Let us worship and praise!** ### Opening Prayer [▶ 40:43](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=2443s) > Come, Holy Spirit, open our hearts to the beauty and brokenness of this world. As on the day of Pentecost, come to us now in whirlwind, in flame, and in holy cacophony to disrupt life-as-usual. Reveal God's grace to us in unexpected places, in unexpected people, and even in unexpected moments of chaos. For you, O God, hovered as spirit over the restless waters, bringing forth the orders of creation. You, O God, breathed your Spirit into the world, creating goodness and life. By this Spirit, stir up in us new life, holy restlessness, and relentless inspiration to sing your praises into this world as release and as resistance. We offer ourselves to your presence, God of grace, through the love of Christ and the calling of the Spirit. Amen. ### Passing of the Peace [▶ 41:53](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=2513s) > When Jesus first appeared to the disciples after his resurrection, he breathed his Spirit into them and gave them his peace. May the Spirit and the peace of the risen Christ be with you. **And also with you.** ### Prayer for Illumination [▶ 43:39](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=2619s) > God of wind and fire, you send forth your Spirit and gather all people into your wide embrace. By your Word, inspire us to dismantle barriers that divide us, especially barriers of fear and ignorance. Teach us to listen to one another, to be humble in our learning and growth, and to pursue love and inclusion, following the way of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. ### Offertory Response > Praise God, who fills each cup and plate, > Whose table's wide and love is great. > From broken bread, may all be fed, > And justice rise where fear has spread. Amen. ### Prayer of Dedication [▶ 1:27:44](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=5264s) > God of the Pentecost Spirit, we pray that the gifts and offerings we collect today will honor the movement of your Spirit in our community. May we use these gifts to partner with you in blessing, healing, and restoring your creation. Make the most of our small sacrifices, we pray, and do something good. Amen. ### Affirmation of Faith [▶ 1:41:28](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=6088s) > We believe in God the Creator: hovering as the creative Spirit before the worlds were made, speaking the cosmos into being, flinging stars across the sky, singing the seas to their limits, drawing up the dry land, greening the earth, animating creatures great and small, and breathing into us the very spirit of life. > > We believe in Jesus Christ, the living Word: the teacher, healer, the boundary-crosser, the model of forgiveness and mercy, the caller of disciples, the bringer of peace, the embodiment of humility and service, and the bestower of the Spirit of comfort, advocacy, and truth. > > We believe in the Holy Spirit: who disrupts the tired patterns of the world, who crashes through barriers, who seeks out disciples from every corner of the earth, who inspires hearts to do justice and to love kindness, who gathers the Church, and who unites us across all time and space into one body, with the communion of saints, for the eternal glory of God. Amen. ### Charge & Benediction [▶ 1:43:06](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=6186s) > Go therefore into all the world, proclaiming peace to those who are far off and peace to those who are near, trusting God beyond the limits of language, place, nationality, gender, politics, age, or any other division, for nothing is impossible with the Spirit of God. And now may the triune God bless you with courage, wisdom, and hope, that you may live and move and have your being in the Spirit of Christ, who abides in you now and always. Amen. --- ## Scripture and Sermon ### Primary Scripture Reading [▶ 44:22](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=2662s) **John 20:19-23** — The Johannine Pentecost (Easter evening) ![[John 20#19]] ![[John 20#20]] ![[John 20#21]] ![[John 20#22]] ![[John 20#23]] ### Sermon Text [▶ 57:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=3421s) **Acts 2:1-21** — The Lukan Pentecost (the day of Pentecost) ![[Acts 2#1]] ![[Acts 2#2]] ![[Acts 2#3]] ![[Acts 2#4]] ![[Acts 2#5]] ![[Acts 2#6]] ![[Acts 2#7]] ![[Acts 2#8]] ![[Acts 2#9]] ![[Acts 2#10]] ![[Acts 2#11]] ![[Acts 2#12]] ![[Acts 2#13]] ![[Acts 2#14]] ![[Acts 2#15]] ![[Acts 2#16]] ![[Acts 2#17]] ![[Acts 2#18]] ![[Acts 2#19]] ![[Acts 2#20]] ![[Acts 2#21]] ### Sermon — Rev. Caroline E. Saxton #### Working Title **"Pentecost is about peace and proclamation"** — stated three times throughout the sermon as the central thesis. #### Sermon Notes ##### Introduction — The NGLI Beavers [▶ 1:00:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=3630s) Caroline opened by sharing her participation since 2019 in the **Next Generation Leadership Initiative (NGLI)** — a UCC Pension Boards program designed to equip young pastors with skills and tools to sustain a career in local-church pastoral ministry. - Her cohort first gathered in Arizona in **January 2020**, right before the world changed (COVID). - They became the first cohort to give themselves a nickname and mascot: **The Beavers**. - Why beavers? "Beavers are incredible animals, able to reshape the natural landscape, quite literally reforming the world around them." - The cohort had their **final benediction in February 2026** at Spirit in the Desert Retreat Center in Carefree, Arizona — worship, reflection, affirmation. - The Pension Boards gifted each member a stole — **green on one side** (multiple green fabrics, including special beaver-printed fabric, for Ordinary Time and Epiphany), **red on the other** (Pentecost). - Caroline is wearing this stole today. **Why this matters:** the stole literally embodies both seasons it took her cohort to complete the program — five years from COVID to graduation. The Beavers framing returns at the end of the sermon as the closing metaphor for the church's vocation. ##### Main Points ###### Point 1: Two Pentecost stories held in creative tension [▶ 1:02:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=3755s) Scripture contains **two** accounts of the Spirit's coming: - **John 20:19-23** — Jesus appears in the locked room after the resurrection, breathes peace and the Spirit on the disciples, and sends them out. - **Acts 2:1-21** — Fifty days later, wind, fire, and many languages descend on the gathered apostles in Jerusalem. Caroline emphasized: **we don't have to choose one or the other.** Both stories remind us that "the empire attempted to do its worst when it executed Christ, and yet Christ and the church survived." **Key insight on John:** "In John, trauma is not erased, it is transformed. There's power in pain and presence." Jesus shows the disciples his wounds — proof of who he is — and offers them both peace and power. **Key insight on Acts:** The Holy Spirit "appears among them in dramatic fashion, with a fierce wind and tongues of fire and the speaking of many languages." Caroline carefully distinguished this from Pauline glossolalia in 1 Corinthians 14 — these were **actual languages spoken by the pilgrims gathered in Jerusalem for Shavuot**, not ecstatic prayer-tongues. The geographic list in Acts 2 names exactly where the crowd came from. ###### Point 2: Peter reclaims his voice [▶ 1:08:37](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=4117s) A close reading move worth noting: > "The last time we saw Peter in Luke's gospel was when he denied Jesus three times, pretending as though he didn't know the man that he had claimed was his Savior, his Messiah, his friend. Here, Peter reclaims his voice. He accepts the new life breathed into him by the Spirit. No longer is he timid or voiceless. He has the gift now of bold speech." The arc from Luke's Peter (denial) to Acts's Peter (proclamation) is the arc the Spirit makes possible. **The point of the story is not just the arrival of the Spirit, but what the Spirit makes possible.** ###### Point 3: Two reactions to the Spirit — receivers vs. dismissers [▶ 1:07:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=4050s) In Acts 2, the crowd splits: - **The receivers:** "There are some who are engaged and excited. After all, they are not asked to learn a new language in order to hear the good news of the crucified and resurrected Messiah. They can receive the Holy Spirit just as they are. There are no barriers, no gatekeepers, just the outpouring of the Spirit with joy and plenty." - **The dismissers:** "There are others though who are not ready to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and the life-changing power. They are comfortable with how things are. They don't want to be transformed." The dismissers are the ones who accuse the disciples of public drunkenness ("new wine"). That accusation is what finally motivates Peter to speak. ###### Point 4: The Prophetic Indictment [▶ 1:11:42](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=4302s) Caroline turned to direct prophetic critique, grounded in **Ecclesiastes 3:3** ("a season to hurt and a season to heal, a season to tear down and a season to build up"): > "I think we need a change of season because too often we have chosen to hurt rather than to heal. We perpetuate harm and blame victims rather than seeking accountability. We tear down those who are already vulnerable, building up that which we should be instead tearing down. For Jesus was very clear, we cannot love both God and wealth." She named — explicitly — what Christians should NOT be okay with: - The killing and starving of children - Economic exploitation (which Jesus and the prophets repeatedly addressed) - Imprisoning neighbors in detention centers; denying due process and basic human rights - Failing to honor the lives and dignity of others - Claiming to love God while not loving fellow human beings made in God's image because they are people of color, LGBTQ, poor, speak another language, were born in another country, or practice a different religion Her line — worth carrying with you: > "To claim that these actions are done in Jesus' name is, I believe, both blasphemy and heresy, a violation of the commandments to love God and love our neighbors as ourselves." ###### Point 5: Real release vs. cheap peace [▶ 1:13:56](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=4436s) > "Our God is a God of liberation, and God invites us to practice real release, the kind that doesn't leave people trapped in the same systems that harmed them." Caroline's definition of the peace Jesus offers: > "The kind of peace that Jesus offers us is the presence of life with justice rather than silence and the absence of conflict. As peacemakers, we are to stand up for and protect the vulnerable and the powerless." This is critical: peace ≠ absence of conflict. Peace = presence of justice. ###### Point 6: Closing — say something worth hearing [▶ 1:14:25](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=4465s) > "Like Peter, we are to say something worth hearing. We are to speak the truth in love and to speak truth to power. God invites us to participate in the new thing that is happening, the new creation. May we embrace the peace that Jesus offers and the proclamation that the Spirit inspires as we celebrate the birthday of the church and what it means to follow Christ, for Pentecost is about both peace and proclamation." The Beavers metaphor returns: "The Gospel story transforms the landscape of our hearts, our lives, and our world. The Gospel invites us to remake the world to be more loving and just, to break the bonds of oppression and seek liberation for all people, and to embody the peace that Jesus breathed on his disciples." ##### Illustrations / Stories - **The NGLI Beavers** — landscape-shaping ecological metaphor for what the Gospel does in the world - **Peter's denial → Peter's proclamation** — the Spirit gives the gift of "bold speech" to the voiceless - **The Pentecost crowd's two reactions** — receivers (no barriers, joy, plenty) vs. dismissers (comfortable, won't be transformed, accuse the disciples of drunkenness) - **The two-volume Luke-Acts framing** — the ascension appears at the end of Luke 24 AND the beginning of Acts 1 because the sequel needs the recap (a memorable structural observation) ##### Scripture Connections - **John 20:19-23** — Johannine Pentecost (Easter evening) - **Acts 2:1-21** — Lukan Pentecost (50 days later) - **Luke 24 + Acts 1** — Luke separates resurrection, ascension, and Spirit into three parts - **1 Corinthians 14** — Pauline tongues (distinct from Acts 2 languages) - **Joel 2:28-32** — the prophecy Peter quotes ("your sons and daughters will prophesy") - **Ecclesiastes 3:3** — "a season to hurt and a season to heal, a season to tear down and a season to build up" — the pivot text for the prophetic critique - **Genesis 1** — Spirit hovering over the waters (referenced in opening prayer and affirmation) ##### Key Quotes - **Recurring thesis (3x):** "Pentecost is about peace and proclamation." - **On trauma in John:** "Trauma is not erased, it is transformed. There's power in pain and presence." - **On Peter:** "He has the gift now of bold speech." - **On no barriers:** "There are no barriers, no gatekeepers, just the outpouring of the Spirit with joy and plenty." - **On peace:** "The kind of peace that Jesus offers us is the presence of life with justice rather than silence and the absence of conflict." - **On liberation:** "Our God is a God of liberation, and God invites us to practice real release, the kind that doesn't leave people trapped in the same systems that harmed them." - **On blasphemy:** "To claim that these actions are done in Jesus' name is, I believe, both blasphemy and heresy." - **The closing charge:** "Like Peter, we are to say something worth hearing. We are to speak the truth in love and to speak truth to power." #### Personal Reflections ##### What spoke to me: ##### Questions raised: ##### Challenges / Convictions: ##### Liturgical Context Reflections: *Consider: How does Pentecost (the Spirit on all flesh) speak to the worship team standards work? Caroline's framing — "no barriers, no gatekeepers" — is theologically rich and lands very differently than the charismatic/NAR appropriations of Acts 2 you grew up with. The Spirit here is communal, justice-oriented, language-honoring; not individual ecstatic performance. Worth holding next to your developing standards.* *Joel's prophecy quoted in Acts 2 — "your sons and your daughters shall prophesy" — what does that mean for whose voices we platform in worship music selection?* #### Applications ##### This week I will: ##### People to pray for: (See full prayer list below) ##### Follow-up study: - **Compare Johannine and Lukan Pentecost accounts** — Caroline's "creative tension" framing is the methodological key - **Joel 2:28-32** in original context — what is Joel doing in the larger book? Why does Peter pick this text? - **1 Corinthians 12** (the assigned RCL epistle, not preached today) — spiritual gifts as the body of Christ - **1 Corinthians 14** — Pauline tongues, to clarify what Acts 2 is and is NOT - **Numbers 11:24-30** — the alternate RCL reading; Spirit on the 70 elders (Eldad and Medad story) - **Ecclesiastes 3:1-8** — the full "season for everything" passage; Caroline drew from v.3 - **NGLI program** — look up the UCC Pension Boards' Next Generation Leadership Initiative. Worth knowing more about the program shaping Caroline and other young UCC pastors. - **Spirit in the Desert Retreat Center** (Carefree, AZ) — UCC retreat center; might be worth a visit someday #### Connections - **To worship team work:** Caroline's framing of Pentecost as "no barriers, no gatekeepers" is a powerful theological grounding for inclusive music selection. The Spirit doesn't require people to learn a new language to receive the good news. What does that mean for the songs we choose? - **To the worship lyrics standards conversation:** "Peace as the presence of life with justice" is a substantive theological criterion. Songs that traffic in cheap peace (just "no conflict") fail this test. Songs that hold both presence and justice pass it. - **To progressive UCC theology vs. NAR appropriations of Acts 2:** Caroline explicitly distinguished the Pentecost languages from Pauline ecstatic tongues. The text is being read as a story about communal Spirit, language honoring, and justice — NOT individual spiritual performance. This is a useful distinction to file. - **To your discipleship research:** the Peter arc (denial → bold proclamation) is a discipleship arc worth pairing with Bonhoeffer, the NAR critique materials, and your broader 80+ voices research project. - **To the Habitat for Humanity decision next Sunday:** Caroline's "real release that doesn't leave people trapped in the same systems that harmed them" applies directly to how a church engages housing justice. Worth holding for the congregational meeting. --- ## Prayer List (Joys & Concerns from May 24) [▶ 1:15:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=4516s) ### Joys - **Nancy** — new great-granddaughter **Cameron Martin** born yesterday morning. 8 lbs 8 oz, 21¾ inches. Mother and baby both doing wonderful. [▶ 1:19:06](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=4746s) ### Concerns - **Kitty** — joy and concern: her big brother **Steven** is coming for a long-awaited visit, driving from Wyoming (prayers for safe travel). Kitty and her kids fly the first weekend of June to Portland, Oregon to see her sister; **Owen** "saved time" by starting to panic now. Prayers for safe travel and changing planes at O'Hare. [▶ 1:15:46](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=4546s) - **Virginia** — still awaiting news on her husband's job (in limbo). Her middle child was denied Social Security disability for brain cancer **again** — may need a new lawyer for the two-year fight. Prayers for anyone navigating financial concerns, especially around life-sustaining medications. [▶ 1:17:22](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=4642s) - **Anne Osterman's grandchildren** — grandson **Matt** has deviated septum surgery Tuesday; granddaughter **Kelly** (age 22) has back surgery in Virginia on **June 4** (she waited to finish her first year teaching). Prayers also for parents Eric and Holly, and for Anne. [▶ 1:19:53](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=4793s) - **Dwight's granddaughter Gabby** — going to **Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)** Tuesday. Medical team still hasn't identified the cause of her dangerously low blood sugar. Prayers for answers and a treatment plan. [▶ 1:20:34](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=4834s) ### Memorial - **Harold St. Claire** — made his transition Thursday morning peacefully with family present. Memorial service **Wednesday, May 27** at St. John's: 10 AM visitation in the parlor, 11 AM service, reception following. Holding **Dory, Greg, and Cindy** and the many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and loved ones in prayer. [▶ 1:21:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=4895s) --- ## Hymns ### Hymn #225: "On Pentecost They Gathered" [▶ 37:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=2260s) - **Words:** Jane Parker Huber, 1981 (based on Acts 2:1-12, 22-24) - **Music:** Melchior Teschner, 1615 - **Tune:** ST. THEODULPH - **Meter:** 7.6.7.6 D - **Copyright:** Words © 1981 Westminster John Knox Press (used by permission); tune is in the public domain - **Lower key version:** No. 175 **Lyrics:** *Lyrics under active copyright (Westminster John Knox Press, 1981). Look up via Hymnary.org or paste from the bulletin/hymnal here:* #### Verse 1 #### Verse 2 #### Verse 3 #### Verse 4 **Themes:** The hymn moves through four verses tracing Pentecost's narrative arc — the disciples gathered in prayer, the surrounding crowd's astonishment at hearing in their own languages, the Spirit poured out on women, men, and children, and a closing prayer for the Spirit to rekindle faith today. Notable theological notes: the Spirit's universality ("Spirit knows no limit"), the gendered inclusivity of the recipients, and the resurrection framing of the witness ("Christ, once dead, is risen"). **Worship team note:** This is a strong example of an inclusive Pentecost hymn — explicitly names "women, men, and children" as recipients of the Spirit. Worth noting in the developing theological standards conversation. ### Hymn #229: "Let Every Christian Pray" [▶ 1:39:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=5956s) - **Words:** Fred Pratt Green, 1970 - **Music:** Joseph Barnby, 1868 - **Tune:** LAUDES DOMINI - **Meter:** 6.6.6.6.6.6 - **Copyright:** Words © 1971 Hope Publishing Company; tune is in the public domain - **Higher key version:** No. 345 **Lyrics:** *Lyrics under active copyright (Hope Publishing Company, 1971). Look up via Hymnary.org or paste from the bulletin/hymnal here:* #### Verse 1 #### Verse 2 #### Verse 3 **Themes:** Three verses petitioning the Holy Spirit. Verse 1 calls every Christian to pray "Come, Holy Spirit, come!" Verse 2 grounds the Spirit's work in church history — the Spirit birthed the Church at Pentecost and has stayed with her since. Verse 3 asks the Spirit to instruct, inspire, and unite the Church for the present hour. **Worship team note:** Strong Trinitarian framing without overemphasizing masculine pronouns; treats the Spirit as the active force in church history. Useful as a Pentecost or general invocation hymn. ### Anthem: "Precious Lord, Take My Hand" [▶ 46:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzL3JL_A4Y&t=2760s) - **Title:** "Precious Lord, Take My Hand" - **Setting:** Jack Schrader - **Original words and music:** Thomas A. Dorsey, 1932 - **Historical note:** Dorsey wrote this gospel hymn after the death of his wife and infant son. It became a signature spiritual of the Civil Rights movement and was reportedly Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s favorite hymn — he requested it the night he was assassinated. --- ## Worship Leadership | Role | Person | |------|--------| | Pastor | Rev. Caroline E. Saxton | | Organist | Barbara Motichka | | Choir Director | Gary Crum | | Deacon in Charge | Kara Alt | | Lector | Barb Wissinger | | Children's Corner | Rebecca Pound | | Children's Message | Diana Kongkeattikul | | Media Coordinators | Calvin Frantz and Neath Ham | | Bulletin cover | Pentecost © Kelly Latimore, from Kelly Latimore icons | **Flowers at the Foot of the Cross:** Given in memory of Don Rockwell and other friends and family by Carol Rockwell. ### Staff Directory - **Rev. Caroline E. Saxton** — [email protected] — (641) 260-1868 (cell) - **Tonya Schwartz** — Office Administrator — [email protected] — (717) 263-8593 (office) - **Gary Crum** — Music Director - **Barbara Motichka** — Organist - **Roxanne Davenport** — Director of Children & Youth - **Rev. Stephen W. Hoffman** — Pastor Emeritus --- ## Church News & Announcements ### Today - **Pentecost Picnic** — held inside in Fellowship Hall (weather moved it indoors). All food provided. - **No Bible Study** on the Letter of James, chapter 5 (resumes 5/31) - **Strengthen the Church Offering** — received today and May 31; UCC special offering supporting expansion and growth of UCC local congregations, new church plants, and youth/young adult spiritual development ### Birthdays This Week | Date | Name(s) | |------|---------| | 05/25 | Rev. Stephen Hoffman, Brenna Rosenberry | | 05/26 | Luke Herbert | | 05/29 | Sutton Collier, Nathaniel Widmann | | 05/30 | Hayden Johnson, Dick Rebok | | 05/31 | Dale Myers, Melinda Orndorff, Amanda Stepler | ### Habitat for Humanity Partnership A special congregational meeting will be held **Sunday, May 31** after worship to endorse the Habitat for Humanity expanded partnership proposal. Representatives from Habitat will be present to continue the conversation from last Sunday's Q&A and answer additional questions. Updates via e-blast and hard copies available. ### Memorial: Harold St. Claire Memorial service **Wednesday, May 27** at St. John's. 10 AM visitation in the parlor, 11 AM service, reception following. Holding Dory, Greg, and Cindy in prayer. ### Ongoing Ministries - **Summer Snacks for NETwork Ministry** — collection boxes in the front lobby for non-perishable snacks. Suggested items list on bulletin boards and in the June Spirit. - **Vacation Bible School wish list (Snowball Mountain):** snow sports equipment; white poly-fill stuffing/batting; white Styrofoam balls 3" diameter and larger; white sheets; Styrofoam medication coolers; snowflake projector. Grocery cart in the lobby. Contact Roxanne with questions. - **Summer Special Music sign-up** — choir room door, for those wanting to sing or play an instrument in summer worship. Contact Gary Crum. - **Summer Prayer Gatherings** — bring your own chair: - Sunday, June 14 at 8:45 am — Labyrinth - Sunday, July 12 at 8:45 am — Peace Pole - Saturday, August 22 at 9:30 am — St. John's Camp - **Camp Cooks** needed June 22–26. Sign-up sheet at welcome center. Volunteers work under camp cook Kirk Johnson. - **Summer Quarter First Fruits (May, June, July)** supports Race Against Poverty (RAP), Maranatha Ministry, and United Way's Stuff the Bus. ### Faith Formation Opportunities - **Sunday Night Bible Study on the Letter of James** — 8 pm via Zoom (Pastor Caroline) - Zoom Meeting ID: 836 0593 5961 - Passcode: 277938 - May 31 session: Chapter 5 - **Monday Afternoon Book Study** — Adam Hamilton's *The Walk: Five Essential Practices of the Christian Life*, Chapter 2 — Monday, June 1, 1:30 pm in Conference Room 111 - **Bible and a Beer** — third Monday of the month at the Trojan Diner at 6:30 pm. Next gathering: **June 15**. An opportunity to talk about faith in public. - **May/June Upper Room devotionals** at the Welcome Center. Suggested donation: $1 small print / $2 large print. Office can mail copies. ### Fellowship - **An Evening of Food, Fun, and Fellowship** with all three congregations worshipping at St. John's — **Saturday, June 13, 4–8 pm** in Fellowship Hall. Bring a dish to share. Sign-up at the Welcome Center. --- ## Calendar & Upcoming Events ### This Week | Day | Event | |-----|-------| | **Sun May 24** | Worship 10 am; Pentecost Picnic after worship (indoors); NO 8 pm Bible Study | | **Mon May 25** | Church Office Closed (Memorial Day); NO Monday Afternoon Book Study | | **Tue May 26** | 10:00 am Summer Singers Practice (Fellowship Hall); 5:30 pm Yoga (Room 202); 6:00 pm Ladies' Bible Study (Zoom) | | **Wed May 27** | 10 AM visitation / 11 AM Harold St. Claire memorial service; 6:30 pm Council Meeting (Conference Room 111) | | **Thu May 28** | 6:00 pm Bell Choir Practice (Bell Room 117); 7:15 pm Choir Rehearsal (Choir Room 103) | | **Sat May 30** | 7:00 pm Harrisburg Gay Men's Chorus Spring Concert "For All Who Dared" (free) — Sanctuary | | **Sun May 31** | NO Children/Youth School Classes; 8:45 am Wired Word Church School (Rm 116); 8:45 am Upper Room Church School (Conf Rm 111); 10:00 am Worship; 11:15 am Special Congregational Meeting — endorse Habitat for Humanity proposal (Rm 116); 8:00 pm Bible Study on James, ch. 5 | ### Looking Ahead - **Saturday, June 13, 4–8 pm** — Evening of Food, Fun, and Fellowship (three congregations together) - **Sunday, June 14, 8:45 am** — Summer Prayer Gathering at the Labyrinth - **Monday, June 15, 6:30 pm** — Bible and a Beer at Trojan Diner - **June 22–26** — St. John's Camp (cooks needed) - **Sunday, July 12, 8:45 am** — Summer Prayer Gathering at the Peace Pole - **Saturday, August 22, 9:30 am** — Summer Prayer Gathering at St. John's Camp --- ## Personal Notes & Worship Team Reflection ### Music & Worship Reflections *Cover icon — Pentecost by Kelly Latimore. Worth examining the iconography: Mary at the center, diverse community surrounding the table, dove descending. The icon includes a person who appears to use a wheelchair, a child, and people of varied ages and ethnicities. Notable choice for a UCC congregation — Marian presence is uncommon in Reformed traditions and signals an ecumenical, embodied vision of Pentecost.* ### Theological Standards for Worship — Pentecost Notes *Today's liturgy AND sermon together generated rich vocabulary for the worship team standards conversation:* **From the liturgy:** - **"Holy cacophony"** (Opening Prayer) — affirms multiplicity and disruption as Spirit-led - **"Boundary-crosser"** (Affirmation of Faith) — Jesus as one who crosses boundaries - **"Spirit knows no limit"** (Hymn 225) — universal scope - **"Women, men, and children"** (Hymn 225) — explicit inclusion across age and gender - **"Justice and... kindness"** (Affirmation) — paired with Spirit's work, echoing Micah 6:8 - **"Release and... resistance"** (Opening Prayer) — singing as political AND pastoral act **From Caroline's sermon:** - **"No barriers, no gatekeepers"** — a theological criterion for inclusive music selection - **"Peace as the presence of life with justice"** — not absence of conflict - **"Real release that doesn't leave people trapped in the same systems that harmed them"** — applies to which songs we choose AND who we platform - **"Say something worth hearing"** — Caroline's charge; a high bar for what we put on people's lips during worship - **The Joel quote on prophesying** — "sons AND daughters... men AND women" — gender-inclusive prophetic ministry as part of the Spirit's work ### Connection to Worship Team Co-Leadership - Pentecost as a model for inclusive worship — Spirit poured out on all flesh, every language, every age - The Acts 2 vision (sons AND daughters prophesying, young AND old, slaves AND free) as biblical grounding for inclusive music selection - Caroline explicitly distinguished Acts 2 languages from Pauline ecstatic tongues — useful for distinguishing UCC pneumatology from NAR/charismatic appropriations - The Beavers metaphor — "reshape the landscape" — applies to what worship can do in a congregation's life ### NAR/Deconstruction Notes Caroline's sermon offers a sharp contrast to NAR readings of Acts 2: - **NAR reading typically:** Pentecost as individual spiritual experience, tongues as evidence of "real" baptism in the Spirit, the Spirit's coming as ecstatic personal manifestation - **Caroline's UCC reading:** Pentecost as communal gathering, languages as boundary-crossing inclusion (NOT glossolalia — actual languages of pilgrims gathered for Shavuot), the Spirit as engine for justice and proclamation, no barriers/no gatekeepers The distinction between Acts 2 languages and 1 Corinthians 14 tongues is theologically important and worth filing in your discipleship research. ### Beavers as Ecclesial Metaphor Worth sitting with: the Beavers as a metaphor for the church's vocation. Beavers reshape landscapes. They build infrastructure (dams, lodges). They create wetlands that sustain other species. They work collectively, generationally, persistently. They're not flashy; they're steady. Caroline's framing of "the Gospel transforms the landscape of our hearts, our lives, and our world" maps onto this beautifully. Possible future writing: ecclesiology of the beaver — a non-charismatic, non-imperial, steady, collaborative ecclesiology that contrasts with NAR's mountain-conquest metaphors. --- ## Vision & Mission *St. John's United Church of Christ, Chambersburg, PA* **Welcome statement:** "No matter who you are or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here."