for Pentecost Sunday or
Pentecost season
[ three voices ]

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The text of this reading comes entirely from Scripture, weaving Old and New Testament together in an attempt to enliven the historical context for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit ten days after the ascension of Christ. Scripture is taken from Genesis, Exodus, the Psalms, Jeremiah, Joel, Zechariah, Luke, and of course, the Acts of the Apostles.

The day of Pentecost, following Jesus’ ascension, is one of the most dramatic events recounted in the New Testament. It is like an explosion that initiates the life of Christ’s Church. The apostles were waiting in Jerusalem “for the promise of the Father.” They were assembled together for the festival of Shavuot, the yearly celebration of the first fruits of the wheat harvest. This festival also celebrated the giving of the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai, in many respects the most decisive event for the people of Israel.

Luke describes the Coming of the Holy Spirit using imagery borrowed from the Giving of the Law at Sinai: fire and a violent wind that overwhelms the people. The events at Pentecost also have a basic affinity to the events at Sinai: God descends in his power and might to make his ways known to his people. But there are also differences: at Pentecost God gives out his Word and his Power for living — not just for the people of Israel, but for all peoples. The mission of God and the newly formed Church is for all the peoples of the earth.

This reading recognizes the universal comprehension of words spoken in many divers languages as reversal of the story of Babel in Genesis 11. The separation and dispersal of the peoples of the world is reversed. The Spirit of God at Pentecost brings about a common communication and understanding among those gathered from many widespread locations.

The wind, the flames of fire, the overflow of languages, Peter understands to be the fulfillment of prophecy in Scripture. It is the signs spoken of by the prophet Joel of fire and misty smoke in the last days, of the outpouring of God’s Spirit and salvation to all who confess the name of Jesus. This is “the clothing of power from on high” that Jesus said would come upon them.

Not as evident as the wind and fire, but equally present, is a third primary element: water. As well as one of the basic necessities of life, water is also a powerful agent and image of cleansing. It is water that vanquished the armies of Egypt in the Exodus. It is water that marked the entry into the Promised Land at the Jordan. And it is water that washes over with its saving power in baptism.

Water is also figured in “the spirit of compassion and supplication” and “the gift of the Holy Spirit” which God “pours out.” The water of baptism ties all these events together.

The reading may replace the usual New Testament Scripture reading for Pentecost. A shortened sermon or meditation should follow. The three readers should be dressed all in black and address the congregation from the script held in thin black binders. Because memorization is not required and movement is minimal, only three one-hour rehearsals should be required. Strong dramatic expression is not necessary; however, it is important to make sure each of the three “voices” is distinct.

Presentation time: 12 minutes

Click here to download a pdf file of this reading.

 

The Reading

 
A The fire
B the wind
C the water
A The liberation of God’s people began with
C the burning of a flame
B The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of firePsalm 29.7
A Moses led his flock beyond the wilderness
and came to Horeb
the mountain of God
There the angel of the LORD appeared to him
in a flame of fire out of a bush
Exodus 3.1,2
B Is not my word like fire
and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?
Jeremiah 23.29
A He looked, and the bush was blazing
yet it was not consumed
Exodus 3.2
C The voice of the Lord shakes the wildernessPsalm 28.9
 
 [
 
A The liberation of God’s people began with fire
C and with wind
A On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning
as well as a thick cloud on the mountain
B and a blast of a trumpet so loud
that all the people who were in the camp trembled
A Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God
They took their stand at the foot of the mountain
Exodus 19.16,17
C The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of firePsalm 29.7
A Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke
because the LORD had descended upon it in fire
B the smoke went up like the smoke of a kiln
while the whole mountain shook violently
C As the blast of the trumpet grew louder and louder
Moses would speak
and God would answer him in thunder
Exodus 19.18,19
 
 [
 
A God’s people remembered their liberation out of Egypt
in the celebration of three festivals
B Passover, or the Feast of Unleavened Bread
A Shavuot, or Pentecost
C and the Feast of Tabernacles
A For God had said
C “Three times in the year you shall hold a festival for me
B You shall observe the feast of Passover
which marks the first spring harvest
C You shall observe Pentecost
when you give thanks for the harvest of wheat
B and remember the giving of the Law
C You shall observe the feast of Tabernacles
at the end of the harvest
B when you gather in from the field the fruit of your labour
and remember the years of wandering in the wilderness
A These are the three times in the year
when all your males
shall appear before the Lord God”
Exodus 23.14-17
 
 [
 
C The fire, the wind
B The water
C The book of the Acts of the Apostles
opens with these words
A After his suffering
Jesus presented himself alive to the apostles
by many convincing proofs
appearing to them during forty days
and speaking about the kingdom of God
While staying with them
he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem
but to wait there for the promise of the Father
Acts 1.2,3
A to stay in the city
until they have been clothed with power from on high
Luke 24.49
B “This is what you have heard from me
for John baptized with water
but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit
not many days from now”
Acts 1.4,5
A When the day of Pentecost had come
they were all together in one place
Acts 2.1
C You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain
while it blazed with fire to the heavens
with black clouds and deep darkness
Deuteronomy 4.11
B The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of firePsalm 29.7
A And suddenly from heaven there came a sound
like the rush of a violent wind
Acts 2.2
C He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servantsPsalm 104.4
A and it filled the entire house where they were sittingActs 2.2
B And anything else that can withstand fire
must be put through the fire,
and then it will be clean
C But it must also be purified with the water of cleansingNumbers 31.23
A Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them
and a tongue rested on each of them
Acts 2.3
B Has any other people
heard the voice of God speaking out of fire as you have
and lived?
Deuteronomy 4.23
A All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak in other languages
as the Spirit gave them ability
Acts 2.4
 
 [
 
C The fire
B the wind
A the water
 
 [ C takes first step forward ]
 
AAnd the events of Pentecost were like a reversal
of the events of the Tower of Babel
C Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven
living in Jerusalem.
Acts 2.5
B Now the whole earth had one language and the same words
And as they migrated from the east,
they came upon a plain in the land of Shinar
and settled there
genesis 11.1,2
C And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered
because each one heard them speaking
in the native language of each
Acts 2.6
B And they said to one another,
“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”
genesis 11.3,4
C 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?
Germans, Swedes, Palestinians, and residents of Moscow
Geneva and Beijing, Pretoria and Cairo, France and Indonesia
Egypt and Libya, visitors from ...
Acts 2.7-10
 
 [ B interrupts ]
 
B The LORD came down to see the city and the tower
which mortals had built
And the LORD said
“Let us go down, and confuse their language there
so that they will not understand
one another’s speech”
genesis 11.5,7
C “In our own languages
we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power”
genesis 2.11
B So the LORD scattered them abroad
from there over the face of all the earth
and they left off building the city
genesis 11.8
 
 [ B and C return to original positions ]
 
A All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another
C “What does this mean?”
A But others sneered and said
C “They are filled with new wine”
A But Peter, standing with the eleven
raised his voice and addressed them
 
 [ A and B exchange positions ]
 
B “Men of Judea 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
Acts 2.12-15
C The fire
A the wind, the water
B 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’
Joel 2.28
C With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvationisaiah 12.3
A Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living waterjohn 7.38
B ‘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’
Joel 2.28,29
C Those who drink of the water that I will give them
will never be thirsty
A The water that I give will become a spring of water
gushing up to eternal life
john 4.14
B ‘And they shall prophesy
And I will show signs in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below
blood, and fire
and smoky mist
C 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.’
Joel 2.30-32
B “You that are Israelites, listen to what I have to say
Jesus of Nazareth
a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders,
and signs that God did through him among you
— this man
handed over to you
according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God
you crucified and killed
by the hands of those outside the law”
Acts 2.22,23
C And I will pour out a spirit of compassion and supplication
on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem
A so that, when they look on the one whom they have pierced
they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child
and weep bitterly over him
as one weeps over a firstborn
zecharaiah 12.10
C On that day a fountain shall be opened
for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem
to cleanse them from sin and impurity
B “This Jesus God raised up
and of that all of us are witnesses
Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God
and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit
he has poured out this that you both see and hear”
Acts 2.32,33
C And I will pour out a spirit of compassion and supplication
on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem
zecharaiah 12.10
B “Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty
that God has made him both Lord and Messiah
this Jesus whom you crucified”
Acts 2.36
A Now when they heard this
they were cut to the heart
and said to Peter and to the other apostles
C “Brothers, what should we do?”
A Peter said to them
B “Repent
and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ
so that your sins may be forgiven
and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit
For the promise is for you
for your children
and for all who are far away
everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him”
acts 2.37-39
C I will give them one heart
and put a new spirit within them
I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh
and give them a heart of flesh
ezekiel 11.19
A And he testified with many other arguments
and exhorted them, saying
B “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation” Acts 2.37-40
C Even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees
and every tree that does not bear good fruit
is cut down and thrown into the fire
luke 3.9
A The fire, the wind, the water
 
 [ A and B return to original positions ]
 
A So those who welcomed his message were baptized
and that day about three thousand persons were added
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship
to the breaking of bread
and the prayers
B Awe came upon everyone
because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles
A All who believed were together and had all things in common
they would sell their possessions and goods
and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need
acts 2.41-45
C Each man will be like a shelter from the wind
and a refuge from the storm
B like streams of water in the desert
and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land
isaiah 32.2
A Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple
C they broke bread at home
and ate their food with glad and generous hearts
B praising God and having the goodwill of all the peopleacts 2.46,47a
C With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvationisaiah 12.3
B And day by day the Lord added to their number those
who were being saved
acts 2.47b