Sunday service for 24 May 2026, Pentecost
Sunday 24 May 2026, Pentecost
Gourock St. John’s Church of Scotland
Service prepared by Rev. Teri Peterson
Manse phone: 632143
Email: TPeterson (at) churchofscotland.org.uk
If the video doesn’t play, please click here to view it on our YouTube channel.
Sanctuary Prelude Music (praise band)
Welcome
We Gather As God’s Family (As the Bible is brought in, we stand and sing)
A family gathered in love,
striving for justice and joy,
blessing the broken-hearted,
and sharing the hope of God’s kingdom.
Opening Responses
One: Come, Spirit of joy!
All: Fill us and send us out with good news.
One: Come, Spirit of peace!
All: Fill us and make us a blessing across barriers.
One: Come, Spirit of gentleness!
All: Fill us and empower us to live your kingdom way.
Sanctuary Hymn GWA129: Build Your Kingdom Here (praise band)
Prayer
You speak to us in our mother tongue, O God,
and we come running,
wondering and amazed,
as your Spirit pours out
gathering us all
around your good news.
Now let the wind of your Spirit blow through again,
and set us ablaze with your vision
that we may enter the mystery of your grace
and share it with the world.
For you are a God on the move,
your holy wind pushes us out
your holy fire lights the way
your holy breath gives us the words…
and we confess that we are not a people on the move.
We like our cozy house, our gathering of friends, our comfortable rituals.
You are out there,
reaching across barriers,
speaking their language,
making connections.
We admit we want to grow your kingdom
but on our own terms.
Forgive us for standing firm against the wind of your Spirit.
Forgive us for keeping your word to ourselves.
Forgive us for staying well within the box we have built
and lamenting that others won’t come in it with us.
Rush in here again today
and re-create us,
re-form us as your Body,
to live your life anew.
We ask in the name of Christ who breathes the Spirit upon us.
Sanctuary Sung Prayer 619-20 (organ)
Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me;
Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me:
melt me, mould me, fill me, use me.
Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me.
Spirit of the living God, move among us all;
make us one in heart and mind, make us one in love:
Humble, caring, selfless, sharing.
Spirit of the Living God, fill our lives with love.
Amen.
In Paul’s letter to the Philippians, he encourages them:
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
May we live today knowing that peace. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Online Hymn: God of Grace and God of Glory
Sanctuary Children’s Time
Sanctuary Hymn 608: Spirit of Truth and Grace (organ)
Scripture Reading: Acts 2.1-21
Our reading today takes us back to Jerusalem and that first Easter. Jesus appeared to the disciples many times over the course of forty days, and then they saw him ascend into heaven…and then they waited, as he had told them to do. They waited ten days, and then during the festival of the 50th day, when the city was full of pilgrims coming to the Temple, something happened. I am reading from the book of Acts, chapter 2, beginning at verse 1, in the New Revised Standard Version.
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And 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. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
Now there were devout Jews from every people under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”
But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Fellow Jews and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
‘In the last days it will be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams.
Even upon my slaves, both men and women,
in those days I will pour out my Spirit,
and they shall prophesy.
And I will show portents in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and smoky mist.
The sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day.
Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
For the word of God in Scripture
For the word of God among us
For the word of God within us
Thanks be to God.
Sermon: the first gift of the Spirit
When I was at a study group talking about this story a few weeks ago, I told them that in Scotland honestly saying “it’s only 9-o’clock in the morning” wouldn’t be an argument against people being drunk, because of course it was the first day of a holiday, and, well…that’s basically the great Scottish holiday marker, having a pint in the airport!
The Jewish tradition for this holiday instead involves staying up all night to study the Bible, which is quite different than how we start a holiday but could lead to similar results, by way of sleep deprivation and, depending on what part you were studying, the way it can make your head spin!
In any case, when the Holy Spirit arrived — a bit early, if you ask me, before 9am — it was noticeable. This was not a quiet inner peace. This was not a still small voice. This was not a sound of sheer silence. This was disruptive. This was public. The Holy Spirit made a scene. The entire neighbourhood gathered round to see what was going on.
Can you imagine?
Sure, you can hear our organ and praise band from outside, but can you imagine if the Holy Spirit caused us to spill out of the building and draw a crowd?
When we Presbyterians think of the Holy Spirit at all, I think we tend toward Paul’s description, more like the peace that passes all understanding, or a sense of God’s nearness. And that is absolutely true: the Lord is near. Closer than our own hands and feet.
We often miss out the part about rejoicing in the Lord always, though…at least outwardly! Perhaps we are rejoicing on the inside but Scottish Presbyterians in particular seem a wee bit reluctant to let our joy be seen.
And yet when the Church was born on that first Pentecost, that’s exactly what people saw. The holy breath of God literally blew the disciples out of the house — out into the public eye, where they were loud and proud, and you couldn’t miss them.
I wonder what it would look like for us today to be un-missable. To share our joy in the Lord. To speak up about the prayers that have been answered. To live out the peace that passes understanding so that it spreads beyond our own hearts and minds into the world around us. To talk about God’s deeds of power. To point out where we see Christ alive in our midst. To make a scene that set the neighbours talking and wondering what on earth is going on.
For too long our understanding of sharing the good news has been to be welcoming inside our church. And don’t get me wrong, that is absolutely important — we must be welcoming and hospitable, and I think here at St John’s we do that pretty well. We have a place for everyone in this family. But that isn’t all there is to it.
We have inherited a church and a society that just assumed people would perpetuate the church, without much attention to how we grow in faith or how we share with others beyond simply having open doors and open hearts, because there was no need, everything around us just supported Christendom. The thing is, that’s no longer the case…but we have continued to live as if it is, and therefore we have missed out on the very first move the Spirit makes. By sitting back and assuming people would come to us, we have neglected the very way that God intends to grow the Body of Christ, in favour of a passive faith built on birth rates and beautiful buildings.
The first gift of the Spirit is the gift of speaking their language…of being able to reach out and connect with someone on their own terms, not demanding they come to us on our terms.
The Holy Spirit’s first move on creating the church was to push the disciples out of the building to talk to strangers. In their own language. About what they had seen God do in Christ. To rejoice…publicly! I know it isn’t very Scottish but I’m not sure the Holy Spirit cares about that…the Spirit is invested in us going out of these four walls and making a scene that draws people to Christ!
Some in the crowd that gathered responded with curiosity, and some responded with mocking…some were open to the story and some were closed…but the disciples didn’t decide in advance how they thought people would respond, they just did what the Spirit gifted them to do: they went out and told the story, in public, out loud, in a way that drew attention and opened possibilities and started conversations.
And isn’t that how every relationship begins? With a conversation…not one where we decide beforehand how the other person will respond, but where we reach out and make a connection, and see where that takes us.
That’s the gift of the Spirit — to go out and make a connection. That’s the calling to the church today — to go out and make a connection in the name of Christ. That’s our task, if we want this family to grow — to go out and make a connection. To live our faith so publicly that people can’t miss it and it makes them ask questions. To speak their language first, and let the Spirit do the rest. This is not optional, it is what followers of Jesus do when the Holy Spirit is here, so let’s go.
May it be so. Amen.
Silence for Reflection
During this season we will be inviting you to consider a question during our silent reflection, and to put a few words in answer to that question onto the post-it note you’ll find on the back of your seat. There are pencils in the book rack at the back of your seat as well. Today as we reflect on what the Spirit is saying to the church, we’re wondering what you would say if someone asked you what difference being a Christian makes to your everyday life. How does a relationship with God change you? Why do you choose to follow Jesus and what is different about your life than it would be if you didn’t? Literally answers on a post-it!
Sanctuary Hymn 584: Like Fireworks In the Night (organ)
Sanctuary Offering and Response: GWA148 chorus
I will sing a song of love
to the one who first loved me,
and I’ll sing it as a child of God,
who is named and known and free.
For the love of God is good,
it is broad and deep and long;
and above all else that matters,
God is worthy of my song.
Introduction to Pentecost 1 Season
Welcome to the celebration of God’s gifts prepared for you by the Pentecost 1 team. The members of our team are Teri, Graham Bolster, Jeanette Peel, Frances and Holly Anderson, Joe Heffernan, Rhona MacKenzie and Alison Ralston. This is the first of the church seasons that will be prepared by a team of elders, members of the congregation and Teri. Our team was given all the readings that will be used on the 8 Sundays starting 24 May and ending on 12 July. Based on our reading and discussion about these we named the theme for this season as RELATIONSHIPS UNMASKED.
Some key points that we discerned in the readings were the honest conversations that took place between God, Christ, his prophets and disciples. Many of the readings show difficult conversations between God and his people. In the reading from Genesis for 12 July, Abraham challenges and questions God, negotiating on behalf of righteous people who might become collateral damage. In the reading from Exodus on 31 May, Moses holds God accountable for being the God he promised to be. In the reading from Matthew on 7 June Jesus is rude towards a Canaanite woman but she stands her ground to demonstrate her faith. All the readings this season involve people who trust their relationship with God enough to be honest and forthright, even when they are frustrated or confused.
We have planned services and other events to help us form better relationships with God, our neighbours and the community. The service on 7 June will be a Cafe Church, during this service we will have a potluck brunch. If you can, please bring a pot of something to share with others.
Prayer is central to our relationship with Christ and on the 14th and 28th of June there will be a prayer meeting in the sanctuary. The focus will be on family, relationship, loss and grief. Please grab a cuppa and come back into the sanctuary after the service for the prayer meeting. Alison will lead this.
We share the love of Jesus with others via service and by showing solidarity with those in need. Members of the church will be manning a water station for walkers and their pets near Gourock Yacht Club. During one service this season, we will hear from a representative of iFit who work with people who are reentering the community after prison.
Helping to prepare this liturgical season has deepened our appreciation and understanding of RELATIONSHIPS UNMASKED. All are welcome to assist with future teams in preparing future seasons of prayer, liturgy, service and celebration. Members of the team welcome sharing our experiences and impressions. Speak to any of us to find out more.
Prayer and Lord’s Prayer
Your power amazes us, O God,
with its gentleness and peace
and yet strength enough to move mountains
and change lives.
We give you thanks for your Spirit poured out all around us,
for glimpses of your kingdom made real
in young and old,
in creation and church,
in word and deed.
And we pray for your transforming love to continue to work
creating new community where all we see now is division.
We lift up to you all who have been left out,
those who have never seen themselves represented,
those who have been told to change themselves to fit in,
and those who have been taught there’s no place for them.
And we lift up those whose walls isolate them rather than protecting them,
those who are missing out on the beauty of your diverse world,
those who cannot hear your voice because they refuse to listen to others.
Reach across the divide and bring us together, God,
empowered by your Spirit with love and gentleness and joy.
We see the barriers
and we ask you would teach us to reach across with hope,
to tear down dividing walls with grace,
to be living examples of your peace.
In this world where peace feels impossible,
send your Spirit to heal all that harms us
in places of war and manmade disaster.
…
In this world where graciousness feels like a lost art,
send your Spirit to heal all that harms us
in the halls of power and the pages of media,
in broken relationships and places where trust is in short supply.
…
In this world where hope is faint,
send your Spirit to heal all that harms us
in families and communities struggling,
in movements faltering and fractured,
in an economy that leaves most behind.
…
On the 24th day of the month we join our hearts as your St John’s family to pray
*For the nurseries and parent-toddler groups in our area — for the children, the staff, and the young families served. We ask for your blessing and guidance as children grow and learn and make friends, for your strength and protection from harm, and for your patience and grace for those who teach and nurture.
*For the music ministry of St John’s: for the choir, the praise band, the organist, and all who enable our worship and prayer through music.
*For the land, people, and governments of the nations of Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Aruba, and Curaçao.
Set our hearts and lives alight
and send us out as bearers of your good news,
with joy and peace.
We ask in Jesus’ name, and we join in the prayer he taught us:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen.
Hymn: Send Us Out (praise band)
Sending
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
The first gift of the Spirit is the gift of speaking their language — go to share the good news in public! To rejoice in public. To let gentleness and peace be seen in public. To reveal the Lord’s presence with us in public. To speak of God’s power in public.
And as you go, may the Spirit of God go above you to watch over you. May the Spirit of God go beside you to be your companion. May the Spirit of God go before you to show you the way, and behind you to push you into places you might not go alone. And may the Spirit of God go within you, to remind you that you are loved more deeply than you can possibly imagine. May the fire of God’s love burn brightly in you, and through you into the world. Go in peace. Amen.
Sung Benediction Response (John L Bell, tune Gourock St John’s)
Now may the Lord of all be blessed,
Now may Christ’s gospel be confessed,
Now may the Spirit when we meet
Bless sanctuary and street.
Sanctuary Postlude Music (organ)
Announcements
* We worship in the sanctuary on Sundays at 11am, and Sunday worship is also online.
* The first Sunday of the month at 11am is an all-age service, with different ways of encountering God’s word without a traditional sermon. All people — young and old, different personalities and learning styles, are welcome! You’ll find a more informal service with a variety of music, a Bible story, prayer, and some more interactive elements. The online service for the first Sunday will therefore also be different — there will still be a reading, prayers, and music, but usually not a sermon.
* Bowl & Blether is on the first Mondays of the month, with doors open from 11:30-1:30, and lunch served from noon. All are welcome for a bowl of soup, a toastie, a friendly chat in our warm hall! See you next week on the 1st of June!
* The service on the 7th of June will be our all age cafe church service and for this we decided that for this we will be holding a Brunch Potluck!! We’d love you to bring a dish to share as we feast together. If you are wishing to bring a hot dish can we ask the you bring it hot as we won’t be able to heat it up. We also ask you please to avoid nuts and label things if they are vegetarian/vegan/gluten free or if they contain any typical allergens. Thanks! We cannot wait to come together as a family of God and share a delicious meal with you all!
* There will be a time of prayer and reflection following the service on Sunday June 14th and 28th. The focus will be on family, relationships, loss and grief. It will include short readings to focus our thoughts and some time for silent, personal prayer. Please pick up a coffee and come back into the sanctuary after the service.
* Starter Packs are in need of Shampoo, Deodorant, Shaving Foam, Bathroom/Kitchen Cleaner.
The FoodBank are short of tinned meat/soups/veg, diluting juice, cereal, noodles, microwave rice, jarred sauce, biscuits, and UHT milk.
You can bring donations to the church and place them into the boxes in the vestibule. Thank you!
* Registration is now open for the summer exploratorium: On Holy Ground, an Inverclyde Staycation, the week of 27 July! We are looking for some volunteers — especially in the kitchen, and in crafts, as well as in shepherding groups. If you would be interested in learning more about volunteering, please speak to Teri or Graham Bolster.
* Free period products are available in the church toilets for anyone who might need them, thanks to Hey Girls and Inverclyde Council.
* Did you know that the ministry we do at St John’s costs about £3000 per week and we are currently running about £500 short? Everything we do is funded by your generous giving — all our support for young people, older people, bereavement care, community outreach, worship, study, spiritual growth, and community work is because of your offering. If you would like to set up a standing order in order to facilitate your spiritual discipline of giving, or if you would like to make an extra gift to support the ministry St. John’s does in our parish, you can give online by clicking here. If you would like to set up a standing order, please contact Teri and she can give you the treasurer’s details. You can also send your envelopes to the church or the manse by post and we will ensure they are received.
* Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Youtube, and to sign up for our email newsletter! Midweek you can watch Wine and the Word and Theology Thursday on Youtube, get snippets of thought or inspiration following Teri on TikTok, and of course keep up with announcements and events on Facebook and our weekly email.
