Sunday 23 May 2021 is Pentecost.
On this day, Christians celebrate the birth of the Church – when Jesus’ disciples (all together in a house in Jerusalem) were filled with the Holy Spirit (a violent wind blowing from heaven, with ‘tongues of fire’) and visitors to the city from many nations were amazed to hear these Galileans speaking to them in the visitors’ own languages.
We hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!
Acts 2:11
Below, you will find the main scripture for today from the Book of Acts, a Musical Selection by Kath Robertson, our musical director, and Rev. Geoff McKee’s video service with readings, prayers and sermon.
The main Bible reading for today
Acts 2:1-21 (New International Version)
The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost
2 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”
Peter Addresses the Crowd
14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 “‘In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
18 Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
19 I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
20 The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
21 And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
Video service from St James’ Church
Here we witness a living tradition; grounded with a deep respect for the past and yet revelling in a new experience for the day at hand. The foundations of the past and the longing for fresh experience are both essential for a living tradition. The insatiable desire to keep experiencing new things without any foundation to rest upon will lead to a frantic burning up of energy and eventual disillusionment. A resting on the assurances of the past with no desire to experience new blessing will produce a dry faith that withers and dies.
rev. geoff mckee
Musical Selection
Breathe on me, breath of God.
On this Pentecost Sunday, we ask you, God, to breathe on us once again. Just as the outpouring of Your Holy Spirit drastically changed the lives of the disciples, we pray that your Holy Spirit will renew us, and lead us into new ways of serving you.
