WORSHIP@HOME

Preparation

• We recommend glancing through the whole service before you start. Adapt the service for your family, especially so it will be age-appropriate.
• Prepare a bowl of water and a sprig of a plant for the sprinkling rite.
• You could make the setting special by using a white table cloth and setting some candles out. Get the whole family involved in the preparations.
• Place your family Bible on the table, if you have one, opened up to the Gospel reading of the day (John 14:15-21).
• The script has leader and various reader parts. Anyone old enough to read well can perform these roles.
• An iPad/tablet computer or large phone could work well for reading the script. It would would be helpful to have two devices for multiple people to read.
• Don't worry, you don't have to do this perfectly. Have some fun with it. Let's pray!

Just Before You Begin

• Silence and set aside all phones or other devices that may interrupt you.

INTRODUCTORY RITES

Opening Song

Refrain
O God, send out your Spirit;
renew the face of the earth.
O God, send out your Spirit;
renew the face of the earth.

Verse 1
We bless you, O God, for you are so great.
Your Spirit uncovers hidden beauty and grace.
Though times we deny all the pain and the tears,
your Spirit empowers us and soon we face our fear.

Verse 2
Ev’ry prayer we pray, sacred word, sacred rite,
is for the ones who are left waiting outside.
Ev’ry sermon we preach, ev’ry Spirit-filled tune;
Love says, "Remember why we do the things we do."

Verse 3
Ev’ry time a person reaching out is turned away
by the racist prejudicial attitudes of hate,
we are called to break the silence, sanctioning the shame,
stepping cross the lines of this sometimes unholy game.

Verse 4
Sources of oppression that we haven’t really faced;
human inhumanity upon the human race.
Spirit ever faithful, Spirit ever true,
rain down all around, and ev’ry heart renew.

Greeting

Leader: ┼ In the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.

All: Amen.

Leader: Grace and peace to you from God our Father
and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessed be God forever.
(The response is: Blessed be God forever.)

All: Blessed be God forever.

Leader: We gather together as a family
to welcome the Holy Spirit into our lives more fully.
One with all of our sisters and brothers throughout the world,
let us now listen to God's Word and join in prayer.

All: Amen.

Sprinkling Rite

Leader: God has given us new birth by water and the Holy Spirit.
May we stay faithful to Jesus for ever and ever.

All: Amen.

Opening Prayer

Leader: Let us pray

Leader: Gracious God,
Look upon us with love and fill our hearts with joy
as we seek you and follow the way of your Son. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

All: Amen.

LITURGY OF THE WORD

Alleluia

Gospel

Reader 1: In today's Gospel reading, Jesus promises that God will send the Holy Spirit to help them after Jesus is gone. We now do this action prayer together: May the Lord be on my mind, ┼
on my lips, ┼
and in my heart ┼
as we hear the Gospel today. A reading from the holy Gospel of John.

• Single Reader
• NAB

Reader 1: The Gospel of the Lord.

All: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Gospel Video Reflection

Reflection on the Readings

1. The Hebrew words used by the authors of the Old Testament to refer to God's Spirit also meant "wind" or "breath." Close your eyes, take a really deep breath, and pay attention to what it feels like in your body. What changed in your body? Try it again, but this time pay attention to God's Spirit entering your body through your breath. How does it feel to be aware of God's breath keeping you alive? How does it feel to have God's Spirit inside you?
2. Jesus tells us that he will send us the “Advocate,” the “Spirit of truth” to be with us always. We usually call this the Holy Spirit. We believe this Spirit is inside of us, reminding us of Jesus’ teachings and helping us to know we are loved by God. Whenever you get a feeling of what the right thing is to do or say, that’s the Holy Spirit working in you! Share an example of sometime when this happened to you. Or share about a time when you felt really good and loved inside. That’s the Holy Spirit too!
3. Jesus tells his friends “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” Jesus gave lots of different teachings in the Gospels, but he didn’t ever give a list like the Ten Commandments. What are some of the teachings/commandments that you remember him talking about? (Some examples: love your enemies and pray for them, do not judge so that you won’t be judged, ask and you shall receive, do unto others as you would have them do to you, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick, etc.) What are some ways you can live like this during this upcoming week?

General Intercessions

Leader: Now let’s pray together to God for what we need.

Reader 2: For everyone in our family, or communities, and the whole world
who is sick with the coronavirus or anything else,
that they may feel the Holy Spirit inside of them and know that Jesus hasn’t left them alone,
let us pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, hear our prayer.

Reader 2: For all the people working to help those with the coronavirus,
from doctors and scientists to government leaders,
that they may be inspired by the Holy Spirit to do what is best for everyone,
let us pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, hear our prayer.

Reader 2: For all those whose lives are harder now because of the virus,
especially for those who have lost their jobs,
that we and they may remember that God hasn’t left us like orphans.
let us pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, hear our prayer.

Reader 2: For what else and for who else shall we pray?

Lord's Prayer

Leader: Jesus taught us to call God our Father, and so we have the courage to say:

All: Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy 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.

Sign of Peace

Leader: Let us now offer each other a sign of peace.

A Litany for Spiritual Communion

Leader: The response is: Lord, bring us closer to you!

All: Lord, bring us closer to you!

Leader: Lord our God,
we wish we could gather today with our parish community,
but we gather here out of love and concern for others.
You teach us that when two or three are gathered in your name,
you are there.
Together, we pray:

All: Lord, bring us closer to you!

Leader: Christ Jesus, you are present in a special way
when bread and wine are turned into your Body and Blood.
Since we cannot receive you in this way today,
We ask that you enter our hearts
so that we may receive you spiritually.
Together, we pray:

All: Lord, bring us closer to you!

Leader: Lord our God,
watch over your family
and keep us safe in your care,
for all our hope is in you.

All: Lord, bring us closer to you!

Concluding Rite

Blessing & Dismissal

Leader: Christ is risen, alleluia, alleluia!

All: Thanks be to God, alleluia, alleluia!

Closing Song

After the Service

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The Pastoral Center is a small, family-based ministry and business (pictured: Paul, Madeleine, Ann, and Rachel). This is our full-time job and ministry, and it's the way we pay our bills. We do not receive funding from any parish or diocese, except through resource sales (which are now largely suspended indefinitely). You are under no obligation, but we are very grateful for any contributions!

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