Musings for Pentecost

Sunday, June 12, 2011
Day of Pentecost

Midweek Musings

Reflection by Judy Lazenby

INTRODUCTION
Today's festival derives its name from the Jewish festival of Pentecost, observed fifty days after Passover. On the fiftieth day of Easter we celebrate the Holy Spirit as the power of God among us that heals, forgives, inspires, and unites. In the reading from Acts, images of wind and fire describe the Spirit poured out on disciples of all nations. In John's gospel the risen Christ breathes the Spirit on his followers on Easter evening. In the one Spirit we are baptized into one body, and at the Lord's table the Spirit unites us for witness in the world.

PRAYER OF THE DAY (ELW)

O God, on this day you open the hearts of your faithful people by sending into us your Holy Spirit. Direct us by the light of that Spirit, that we may have a right judgment in all things
and rejoice at all times in your peace, through Jesus Christ, your Son and our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

READINGS

Numbers 11:24–30 (Alternate)
Psalm 104:24–34, 35b
Acts 2:1–21 (Alternate)
John 7:37–39 (Alternate)

FIRST READING (ALTERNATE)

Numbers 11:24–30

The Spirit of God rested upon seventy elders in Israel who had been chosen to share the burden of leadership with Moses. When some became jealous that two others also had the spirit and could prophesy, Moses said that he hoped that all of God's people would be prophets.

²⁴So Moses went out and told the people the words of the LORD; and he gathered seventy elders of the people, and placed them all around the tent. ²⁵Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders; and when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But they did not do so again.
²⁶Two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the spirit rested on them; they were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. ²⁷And a young man ran and told Moses, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp." ²⁸And Joshua son of Nun, the assistant of Moses, one of his chosen men, said, "My lord Moses, stop them!" ²⁹But Moses said to him, "Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the LORD's people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit on them!" ³⁰And Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.

PSALM (ELW)

Psalm 104:24–34, 35b

Send forth your Spirit and renew the face of the earth. (Ps. 104:30)

²⁴How manifold are your ^| works, O LORD!

In wisdom you have made them all;

the earth is full ^| of your creatures.

²⁵Yonder is the sea, great and wide,

with its swarms too man- ^| y to number,

living things both ^| small and great.

²⁶There go the ships ^| to and fro,

and Leviathan, which you made for the ^| sport of it.

²⁷All of them ^| look to you

to give them their food ^| in due season. R

²⁸You give it to them; they ^| gather it;

you open your hand, and they are filled ^| with good things.

²⁹When you hide your face, ^| they are terrified;

when you take away their breath, they die and return ^| to their dust.

³⁰You send forth your Spirit, and they ^| are created;

and so you renew the face ^| of the earth.

³¹May the glory of the LORD en- ^| dure forever;

O LORD, rejoice in ^| all your works. R

³²You look at the earth ^| and it trembles;

you touch the mountains ^| and they smoke.

³³I will sing to the LORD as long ^| as I live;

I will praise my God while I ^| have my being.

³⁴May these words of ^| mine please God.

I will rejoice ^| in the LORD.

^35bBless the LORD, ^| O my soul.

Hal- ^| lelujah! R

SECOND READING (ALTERNATE)

Acts 2:1–21

Pentecost was a Jewish harvest festival that marked the fiftieth day after Passover. Luke portrays the Holy Spirit being poured out upon the disciples before the gathered and astonished people assembled in Jerusalem for the festival. Filled with the Spirit, the disciples were able to witness to the power of Christ's resurrection.

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. ²And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.³Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. ⁴All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
⁵Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. ⁶And 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? ⁸And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? ⁹Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, ¹¹Cretans and Arabs — in our own languages we hear them speaking about God's deeds of power." ¹²All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" ¹³But others sneered and said, "They are filled with new wine."
¹⁴But 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. ¹⁵Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning. ¹⁶No, 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.
¹⁸Even upon my slaves, both men and women,
in those days I will pour out my Spirit;and they shall prophesy.
¹⁹And I will show portents in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist.
²⁰The sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord's great and glorious day.
²¹Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.'

GOSPEL (ALTERNATE)

John 7:37–39

Jesus describes the Holy Spirit as living water, quenching the thirst of all who come to him and filling the hearts of believers till they overflow.

³⁷On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, ³⁸and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, 'Out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water.'" ³⁹Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

REFLECTIONS

^“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.” How many people in Joplin relived this scripture when the great tornado winds came through their city? I’m sure many of them called on the Lord for help. We never know when the great winds of life will come upon us, but we always know the Sprit will be with us. Whatever befalls you; “Peace be With You.” We seek Gods Peace and the Holy Spirit will bring it to us.

QUOTATION

Peace be to you, fear not. ~Genesis 43:23

PRAYERS

Let us pray for

· Those who need peace in their lives.

· Those who live in fear of the powers of Mother Nature.

· Those who have lost everything but life itself.

· Those who need our support and love.