The Day of Pentecost
Commonly called Whitsunday
1st Reading: Genesis
11:1-9
The story of the Tower of Babel accounts for the multiplicity
of languages and peoples in God’s creation.
“Let us make a name for ourselves,” is the corrupting desire of the
people. God confuses (in Hebrew balal) their language,
and “Babel” becomes the city’s name (and a word meaning nonsense speech ever
since). This is a Pentecost story
because the story of the Spirit from Acts is a kind of reversal of Babel. What seems like nonsense becomes known.
11:1 Now the whole earth had one language
and the same words. 2 And as they
migrated from the east, they came upon a plain in the land of Shinar and
settled there. 3 And they said to
one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had
brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. 4 Then
they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in
the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise we shall be
scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.” 5 The Lord
came down to see the city and the tower, which mortals had built. 6 And the Lord
said, “Look, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is
only the beginning of what they will do; nothing that they propose to do will
now be impossible for them. 7 Come,
let us go down, and confuse their language there, so that they will not
understand one another's speech.” 8 So
the Lord scattered them abroad
from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city.
9 Therefore it was called Babel,
because there the Lord confused
the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.
Or
this
1st Reading: Acts 2:1-21
Our second reading is the story of the Spirit’s manifestation
on the Day of Pentecost. Pentecost was a
major Jewish festival which occurred 50 days after Passover. It is also known as the Feast of Weeks or
Shavuot. The Holy Spirit’s falling on everyone is a different phenomenon than
the Spirit’s falling on individuals in the Hebrew Scriptures (and usually for a
set period of time). Peter’s speech includes an extended quote from the prophet
Joel (2:28-32).
2:1 When the day of Pentecost had come,
they were all together in one place. 2 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. 3
Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue
rested on each of them. 4 All of
them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as
the Spirit gave them ability. 5 Now
there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6 And at this sound the crowd gathered and was
bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of
each. 7Amazed and astonished, they
asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us, in
our own native language? 9 Parthians,
Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and
Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia,
Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both
Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and
Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” 12 All were amazed and perplexed, saying to
one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But
others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.” 14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised
his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let
this be known to you, and listen to what I say. 15
Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine
o’clock in the morning. 16 No, this
is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
17 ‘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. 18 Even
upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit;
and they shall prophesy. 19 And I
will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and
fire, and smoky mist. 20 The sun
shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the
Lord’s great and glorious day. 21 Then
everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’”
Psalm 104:25-35, 37b
Psalm 104 as a whole is a hymn to God as creator and
sustainer of all life. Our portion today concludes the psalm with a reference
to God’s taming of the sea (seen by ancient peoples as the source of chaos
represented here by the sea monster “Leviathan,” which is God’s plaything). It
also includes a reference to the Spirit of God.
“Breath” in verse 30 and “Spirit” in verse 31 are the same Hebrew word ruaḥ.
25 O Lord, how manifold are your works! *
in wisdom you have made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.
26
Yonder is the great and wide sea
with its living things too many to number,
*
creatures both small and great.
27
There move the ships, and there is that Leviathan, *
which you have made for the sport of it.
28
All of them look to you *
to give them their food in due season.
29
You give it to them; they gather it; *
you open your hand, and they are filled with good
things.
30
You hide your face, and they are terrified; *
you take away their breath,
and they die and return to their dust.
31
You send forth your Spirit, and they are created; *
and so you renew the face of the earth.
32
May the glory of the Lord endure
for ever; *
may the Lord
rejoice in all his works.
33 He
looks at the earth and it trembles; *
he touches the mountains and they smoke.
34 I
will sing to the Lord as long as I
live; *
I will praise my God while I have my being.
35
May these words of mine please him; *
2nd Reading: Acts 2:1-21 (see above)
Or this
2nd Reading: Romans 8:14-17
Romans 8 is Paul’s great discourse about life lived in the
Spirit. We are adopted into that life by God, who is familiar to us as “Abba,”
which in Aramaic is a familiar term rather than a title We are children of God
as Christ is. As with Christ, this life is a tension between suffering and hope
until we are glorified together.
8:14
For all who are
led by the Spirit of God are children of God. 15
For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into
fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 it is that very Spirit bearing witness with
our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and
if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact,
we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
Gospel Reading: John
14:7-17, (25-27)
Jesus wrestles with his
disciples over his relationship to him both now and when he has gone from them.
It is clear he understands himself to be the human face of God. He will remain
with them through his Spirit, “the Advocate” (a significant name, since the
word satan means “the accuser”).
14:7 Jesus said, “If you know me, you
will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” 8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the
Father, and we will be satisfied.” 9 Jesus
said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not
know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the
Father’? 10 Do you not believe that
I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do
not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the
Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works
themselves. 12 Very truly, I tell
you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact,
will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 I will do whatever you ask in my name, so
that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If
in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it. 15
If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give
you another Advocate, to be with you forever. 17
This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive,
because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with
you, and he will be in you. [25 I have said
these things to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send
in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said
to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give
to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let
them be afraid.]
The Scripture quotations (except for
the psalm) are from the New Revised
Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian
Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are
used by permission. The Psalm translation is from The Book of Common Prayer. Commentaries
are copyright © 2019 Epiphany ESources, 67 E. Main St., Hornell, NY 14843. www.EpiphanyEsources.com. All rights
reserved. Bulletin inserts are available. For more information go to our
website.
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