When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 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. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. 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? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes Cretans and Arabs — in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”
Giving Spirit,
Enabling Spirit,
Speaking Spirit,
Transforming Spirit,
descend among us in power
embolden us to speak
about Your deeds of power
in the language people need to hear --
the language of hope,
the language of forgiveness,
the language of challenge,
the language of peace,
the language of self-giving love,
the language of Christ.
Giving Spirit,
Enabling Spirit,
Listening Spirit,
Transforming Spirit,
descend among us in power
open our ears to hear
about Your presence already at work in the world
Your mission among
the least, the lost, the last, the lonely
enable us to hear
Your message of hope,
Your message of forgiveness,
Your message of challenge,
Your message of peace,
Your message of self-giving love,
Your message of Christ.
No matter what the circumstance is
You are among us
transforming
redeeming
forgiving
re-dreaming
inviting
calling
equipping.
Come, O Spirit,
speak again
through us
Your humble
simple servants.
Amen.
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