This text might be used at the conclusion of Sunday morning worship or a Sunday evening service as we acknowledge with thanksgiving how God continues to gift us in Christ and through the Spirit. This is for worship without communion. A downloadable PDF version of this text is available below.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give our thanks and praise.

It is a good and joyful thing to give thanks to you,
Almighty God, creator of heaven and earth.
In the beginning your Spirit moved over the face of the waters.
You formed us in your image and breathed into us the breath of life.
When our love failed, your love remained steadfast.
Your Spirit came upon prophets and teachers,
anointing them to speak your Word.

At his baptism in the Jordan your Spirit descended upon Jesus
and declared him your beloved Son.
With your Spirit upon him
he turned away the temptations of sin,
preached good news to the poor,
proclaimed release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind,
set at liberty those who are oppressed,
and announced that the time had come
when you would save your people.
At his ascension, Jesus promised to be with us always,
baptizing us with the Holy Spirit and with fire, as on the Day of Pentecost.

Pour out your Spirit upon us this day,
make us one with Christ, one with each other,
and one in ministry to all the world,
showing forth the fruit of your Spirit:
love, joy, and peace,
forbearance, kindness, and goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control,
until at last we come to your heavenly banquet.

Through your Son Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in your holy Church,
all honor and glory is yours, almighty Father (God), now and forever.

Amen.

Adapted from “The Great Thanksgiving for the Day of Pentecost,” The United Methodist Book of Worship (Nashville: UMPH, 1989).