Kuhn Memorial Presbyterian Church Barboursville, West Virginia May 31, 2020 The Day of Pentecost

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Greeting                                             Caroline True, Elder
Call to Worship                                
The Lord said:
You shall receive power
when the Holy Spirit has come upon you;
and you shall be my witnesses
to the ends of the earth.
Come, Holy Spirit.
Fill the hearts of your faithful
and kindle in them the fire of your love.  Alleluia!
 
Prayer for Pentecost
True and only Light,
from whom comes every good gift,
send your Spirit into our lives
with the power of your wind.
Open the horizons of our minds
by the flame of your wisdom.
Loosen our tongues to show your praise,
for only in your Spirit
can we voice your words of peace
and acclaim Jesus as Lord. Amen.
 
Duet             It is Well With My Soul          Horatio Spafford, Text
                                                                        Philip Bliss, Music
                     Nancy and Katie Jackson
                     Japanese translation by Lucah Jackson
   This beautiful hymn was written following a series of traumatic events in the life of Horatio Spafford and his family. In the face of grief and loss, the hymn is a stirring testimony to the healing power and presence of God.
 
When peace like a river attendeth my way,
when sorrows like sea billows roll,
whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
 
It is well, it is well,
with my soul, with my soul.
It is well, it is well with my soul
 
Lord, hasten the day when our faith shall be sight,
the clouds be rolled back as a scroll.
The trumpet shall sound and the Lord shall descend.
Even so it is well with my soul.
 
It is well, it is well, with my soul, with my soul.
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
                     
 Acts 2 :1-4
    I hope you enjoy this interpretation of Acts 2, verses 1-4, as imagined by a
  special six-year-old.         
 
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all gathered together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
 
 
Scripture Reading                     Acts 2:42-47          
   I commend to you the reading of the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 2, in its entirety. I selected this passage for today as it reflects something of the life and history of this church.      
 
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and  prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the flavor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
 
The Word Proclaimed   
                                          There Was a Knock at the Door           
   We hope you enjoy this account of the Spirit’s gracious intervention in the early days of
   Kuhn Memorial Presbyterian Church, as witnessed by our first faithful members.
 
   On April 18, 1918, the five remaining members of the James I. Kuhn Memorial Presbyterian Church of Barboursville, met in the home of Mrs. P. A. Vallandingham, wife of the local banker, to draw up a declaration of dissolution. The church had been organized in 1914 with 11 members. One by one they had died or moved away, and the Rev. J. D. Coleman’s time of a night service a month in someone’s home could be better spent elsewhere.
   Mr. F. I. Updyke, a deacon, led in prayer. Mrs. Vallandingham sat at the table to record a motion of disbandment. But before she could write, there was a knock at the door…Mrs. Vallandingham answered to find a man and his wife and three children standing without, lately arrived in town, and hearing the Presbyterians were having a meeting at her house, had come asking to become members.
   They were welcomed in. Mrs. Vallandingham turned the paper of resolution over and wrote their names on the back of it- to be written into the church roll as new members. So within a matter of two or three minutes, the membership of James I. Kuhn Memorial Presbyterian Church was doubled.
   The meeting was dismissed and the church struggled on its way. And the new family, whose name is lost from the fields of memory, were never told of the original purpose of the meeting.
                                       Frank Ball, The Barboursville Bulletin, 1977
 
Pastoral Prayer Including the Lord’s Prayer
Eternal God, by your Holy Spirit you have given life to this earth, and brought new life to Christ’s Church. You have blessed your people with remarkable gifts and call them to share  generously with others.
On this day, we thank you for
those who proclaim your gospel message;
those who govern and guide your Church;
those who wait on others in need;
those who teach in the spirit of wisdom and truth;
those who provide music, art, and drama;
those who work for unity in the Church;
those who bravely reach across barriers to encourage peace and understanding;
those who do menial tasks;
those who care for children, visit the lonely, and the home-bound.
Merciful God, you have called us by your grace and empower us to show your love.
Help us to show that love to the poor, hungry, and homeless;
to those suffering from illness, including the Coronavirus;
those who live in places of strife and warfare;
refugees and victims of oppression;
those who are newly bereaved and sorrowing;
the imprisoned or confined;
the uneducated and underserved;
those who are abandoned and outcast;
those who are persecuted for their loyalty to Christ;
and all those we name before you now…
We pray as Jesus taught us, saying, Our Father…Amen.
 
Blessing        Spirit of the Living God        Daniel Iverson
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.
Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me.
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.
 
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on us.
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on us.
Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me.
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on us.
 
 
The gifts of the Spirit are many and we extend our thanks to all those who contributed their gifts to the preparation of this service of worship.