Pentecost is a Breath of Fresh Air

This week, we are trying something a little different. The normal bulletin contents are below this week's video. We hope that this helps you to feel a little more like being together.

North Buffalo Church Sunday Service 5/31/2020 from FuneralBroadcasting on Vimeo.

Hymn: Breathe on Me, Breath of God

Call to Worship
We gather on this Pentecost Sunday to celebrate and commemorate the coming of the Holy Spirit and also to celebrate the birthday of the church. We come this morning with open hearts and open ears to hear the way the Lord makes himself known to use. We thank him for the times when we truly need his presence and guidance. But we should also remember the times of great joy and celebration, and take the time to thank him and praise him. Give us great joy on this Pentecost Sunday as we gather as God's children.

Prayer of Confession
Merciful God, the gift of Jesus in us is visible in the way we witness to the fruitfulness of that gift. We know that the fruit of the spirit consists of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Yet so often we put conditions on our love, and joy and peace are difficult to discern when our words and actions deny their presence. When we persistently make self-serving decisions rather than Christ-centered ones. Gracious and merciful God, grant us your forgiveness and your love so that we may truly care for one another. Refresh and renew us with the Holy Spirit this day.

Time of Personal Reflection

Assurance of Pardon
In Christ there is no east or west, in him no south or north, but one great fellowship of love throughout the whole wide earth. In Jesus Christ there is new life. In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

The Apostle's Creed

Children's Sermon

Hymn: Sweet, Sweet Spirit

Prayer of Illumination

Scripture Lesson: John 20:19-23 and Acts 2:1-13

John 20:19-23 
Jesus Appears to His Disciples
​19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

Acts 2:1-13 
The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost
​2 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”

Sermon: Pentecost is a Breath of Fresh Air

Hymn: Spirit of the Living God

Prayer of Thanksgiving
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give God thanks and praise.

Joys and Concerns

• June, who has been in the hospital
• Mike, who had open heart surgery at Allegheny General
• Donna is undergoing physical therapy after surgery
• Ed is at home
• Ron's surgery has been postponed
• Dave, who is back in the hospital
• The Schultz family

Pastoral Prayer and the Lord's Prayer

Benediction

Hymn: Holy, Holy

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June Birthdays

2  Adam Gill
4  Sarah Moore 
6  Madison Ward  
10 John O-Hara 
12 Gary Gibson
16 Karen Hunter
18  Jack Kime
19  Amy Molinaro
20 Bayli Miles
27 Lois Miller

June Anniversaries

4  Eileen & Felix Yerace
 6  Beverly & William Calhoun
10 Jean & Ron Westfall, 
     Lucy & Jack Kime 
19 Becky & Kenny Phillips
22 Carolyn & Dave Lozano

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During Lent, we shared both on our website and on our Facebook page devotionals written by church members in past years. This served as a nice way to connect, even after we stopped meeting in person. Because it will still be some time before we are physically together, we thought that continuing some devotions would be a great way to continue reaching out. 

Pick out a few verses or a passage of scripture that mean something to you. Write a paragraph or two (or more, if you need to!) about your reflections on that passage, and a small prayer. Email that to the church's email: [email protected]. We plan to share these on both the church website and Facebook page. ​

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As we continue to be physically apart, please let Pastor Gary or a session member know if you need anything. If you have prayer requests, please talk with Linda Miller. If you need food from our food pantry, please get in touch with Becky Phillips. 

This is also a continuing opportunity to reach out to friends, loved ones, and member of our church family. You could send a card, or make a phone call. Even a text message can be appreciated.