(Leader and reader instructions at bottom.)
When the day of Pentecost had come, [1]
they were all together in one place. [1, 2, 3]
And suddenly, [4]
Suddenly , [4, 5, 6]
Suddenly, [ALL]
from heaven, [1]
there came a sound, [1, 2]
like the rush of a violent wind, [3, 4, 5]
and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. [ALL]
Divided tongues, [6]
as of fire, [6, 7, 8]
appeared among them, [8, 9]
and a tongue rested on each of them. [1]
All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit [1, 2, 3]
and began to speak in other languages, [4, 5, 6]
as the Spirit gave them ability. [8]
Now there were devout Jews [9]
from every nation under heaven [1, 2, 3]
living in Jerusalem. [4, 5, 6]
And at this sound the crowd gathered, [7, 8]
and was bewildered. [9]
Bewildered. [1, 2, 3]
Bewildered. [ALL]
because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. [4]
Amazed. [1, 2, 3]
Amazed. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
Amazed, [ALL]
and astonished, [1, 2, 3]
Astonished. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
Astonished, [ALL]
they asked, [1]
"Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? [2, 3, 4]
And how is it that we hear, [5, 6, 7]
each of us, [8]
in our own native language? [9]
Parthians, [1]
Medes, [2]
Elamites, [3]
and residents of Mesopotamia, [4, 5, 6]
Judea, [7]
and Cappadocia, [8]
Pontus, [9]
and Asia, [1]
Phrygia [2]
and Pamphylia, [3]
Egypt, [4]
and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, [5, 6]
and visitors from Rome, [7, 8, 9]
both Jews and proselytes, [ALL]
Cretans. [1]
and Arabs, [2]
in our own languages we hear them speaking about God's deeds of power." [3]
All were amazed. [4]
All were amazed, [ALL]
and all were perplexed, [4]
saying to one another, [5, 6, 7]
"What does this mean?" [ALL – using different vocal tones and inflections, some saying the sentence slowly, others quickly]
But others sneered and said, [8]
"They are filled with new wine." [1, 2, 3]
Drunk. [4]
Inebriated. [5, 6]
Intoxicated. [7, 8, 9]
Plastered. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Loaded. [5, 6, 7, 8, 9]
Definitely under the influence. [ALL]
# # #
Instructions for preparation
For the leader
•Print a copy for each reader, and number them. Then use a highlighter for each script, according to that readers’ lines (per the numbers following each line).
•Put a check mark at the bottom of the page if that reader has a line coming first on the subsequent page, to alert them.
•You can reduce or increase the number of voices—adjust the numbering of each line as appropriate.
•To begin the first practice, read the first dozen or so lines for the group, to give them a sense of the pace.
•It’s important that the readers practice this together several times to synchronize the rhythm.
•Make sure readers know how to pronounce some of the unusual names.
For the readers
•Speak up and out!—a bit more loudly, and a bit more slowly, than your normal conversational volume and pace.
•Enunciate each word.
•Aim your voice so that the person sitting farthest from you can hear and understand.
•Pause a half-beat at the commas, a full beat at the periods.
•Practice saying any words that are unusual.
end, climate campaigners are celebrating a major victory stateside: U.S. Bank has announced that it will no longer finance fossil fuel pipeline construction.” —
spirits here that are tied by fire / I got a valley of bones that came alive / I got a cross, a hill, and an empty grave / I got a trumpet sound and one sweet name / Shake the gate of hell, the sinners and dogs / I got my Jesus and the devil gotta run.” —Crowder, “
and denominational bodies.
the King Center in Havana (which is next door to the Ebenezer Baptist Church). The group included Charles Steele, president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, among others.
“What that sound, Ja-Ja?”
is full of meaning!” —Thomas Merton
loving. Grant a sturdier heart, one strong enough to stand up to the journey’s brambles and cold nights. Grant sharp eyes to spot those lost sheep, and an equal share of courage to face wild beasts.” —continue reading “
Featured this week on prayer&politiks
©Ken Sehested @ prayerandpolitiks.org. Language not otherwise indicated above is that of the editor, as are those portions cited as “kls.” Don’t let the “copyright” notice keep you from circulating material you find here (and elsewhere in this site). Reprint permission is hereby granted in advance for noncommercial purposes.
principal’s credentials. Days later, she resigned.” —
On the afternoon of 30 April 1977, 14 courageous women set aside fear—and their families’ warnings—and left their homes to confront the dictatorship that had stolen their children. That day marked the first weekly march by the mothers of Argentina’s “disappeared” against the military commanders who had planned the systematic murder of [some 30,000 people].” —Uki Goñi, “
¶ Professing our faith. Eastertide reflection from Pope Francis: “
Scaramella
to create places for new dreams to be born—the dream of protecting people who may be in danger, the dream of introducing our privilege to the integrity of sharing power with others, the dream of listening to the still small voices otherwise ignored.” —Gareth Higgins, “
ponder your absence / with dreaded joy: / joy that your wings have spread / so far so fast, / dread at the silence filling the air / which your voices once stirred.” —continue reading “
book, “Money and Possessions”
• “
forgiveness
companies have already adopted such restrictions, citing either moral or business reasons. Nonetheless, the decision from one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical manufacturers is seen as a milestone.” —
David von Drehle, Time.
n evil deed is not redeemed by an evil deed of retaliation.” —Coretta Scott King
premeditated, carefully thought out ceremonial killing.” —Ron McAndrew, former prison warden in Florida
when backed by legal process. And I believe that future generations, throughout the world, will come to agree.” —Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations
become an Angel of Death.” —Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize winner
one of the country’s greatest light shows. Lampyridae, a family of insects in the beetle order Coleoptera. They are winged beetles, commonly called fireflies or lightning bugs. 
Featured this week on prayer&politiks
¶ Call to worship. “
about 15,000.” —
future generations to come. We were forced into a media blackout, hiring freeze, policy changes, and possible reduction in funding. We are here to stand up and speak out against the current administration. We all refuse to be silenced while we watch everything we love crumble. Join the movement.” —
River where Paradise lay / Well, I'm sorry my son, but you're too late in asking / Mister Peabody's coal train has hauled it away.” —John Prine, “
development.” —
doctrines of creation and judgment: God made the world and made it good, and one day he will come and sort it all out. Take away the goodness of creation, and you have a judgment where the world is thrown away as so much garbage, leaving us sitting on a disembodied cloud playing disembodied harps. Take away judgment, and you have this world rumbling on with no hope except the pantheist one of endless cycles of being and history. Put creation and judgment together, and you get new heavens and new earth, created not ex nihilo but ex vetere, not out of nothing but out of the old one, the existing one." —N. T. Wright
¶ “When one tugs at a single thing in nature, one finds it attached to the rest of the world.” —John Muir
company has been delightful, / You, who doth leave my mind distressed. / I go away, behind to leave you, / Perhaps never to meet again, / But if we never have the pleasure, / I hope we'll meet on Canaan's land.” —Second Ireland Sacred Harp Convention (2012), “
• “