Pentecost and Trinity Sunday Liturgy
The Spirit poured out, the triune God praised
Fifty days after Easter, the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples like wind and fire, and the church was sent into the world. One week later, Trinity Sunday gathers up the whole story of salvation in praise of one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Below you will find complete liturgies for Ascension, the Day of Pentecost, and Trinity Sunday in each year of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Use the complete liturgies below, or go straight to what you need:
Pentecost falls fifty days after Easter, so it moves every year with the date of Easter.
Pentecost and Trinity Sunday Liturgies
Each liturgy includes a call to worship, prayers of confession and illumination, an assurance of pardon, and a benediction. Each cell shows that day's Gospel reading; Acts 2:1-21 is read on Pentecost every year.
Ascension, Pentecost, and Trinity Sunday
Ascension Day uses the same readings every year. Pentecost and Trinity Sunday change with the lectionary year.
Prayers, Sermons, and Study for Pentecost and Trinity
Prayers for worship and home, sermons, and background on the Spirit and the Trinity.
Common Questions About Pentecost and Trinity Sunday
What is Pentecost?
Pentecost celebrates the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the followers of Jesus in Acts 2, with the sound of a rushing wind and tongues of fire. The name comes from the Greek for "fiftieth," because it falls fifty days after Easter. It began as the Jewish harvest festival of Weeks, which is why Jerusalem was crowded with pilgrims from many nations that day.
Why is Pentecost called the birthday of the church?
At Pentecost the disciples were filled with the Spirit and sent out to proclaim the gospel in every language. Peter preached, about three thousand people were baptized, and the community of believers began to gather, pray, and break bread together. That moment of sending is why many call Pentecost the church's birthday.
What is Trinity Sunday?
Trinity Sunday, the Sunday after Pentecost, is the only Sunday of the year devoted to a doctrine rather than an event. Having told the story of the Father's love, the Son's life, death, and resurrection, and the Spirit's coming, the church pauses to praise the one God revealed in all three.
When is Pentecost?
Pentecost is the seventh Sunday after Easter, the fiftieth day of the Easter season, so it falls between May 10 and June 13. Trinity Sunday follows one week later. The note at the top of this page shows this year's dates.
What colors are used for Pentecost and Trinity Sunday?
Red for Pentecost, the color of fire and the Spirit. White for Trinity Sunday. The following Sunday the church turns to green for the long season of Ordinary Time.