Pentecost
Called Whitsunday
for Legionary Nathan and his
Friends
O GOD, who taught the hearts of the people of faith, by sending to them the fire of your Holy Spirit; Give to us the Spirit's fire in our hearts so that we may have good thoughts in all things, and be happy forever in his comfort; we ask this by the goodness of Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and rules with you, together with the same Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.
Read the Bible Story
Read the Lesson
Do the Lesson Exercises
Book of Acts, Chapter 2, Beginning at verse 1
When the Feast of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Without warning there was a sound like a strong wind, gale force-no one could tell where it came from. It filled the whole building. Then, like a wildfire, the Holy Spirit spread through their ranks, and they started speaking in a number of different languages as the Spirit prompted them.
There were many Jews staying in Jerusalem just then, devout pilgrims from all over the world. When they heard the sound, they came on the run. Then when they heard, one after another, their own mother tongues being spoken, they were thunderstruck. They couldn't for the life of them figure out what was going on, and kept saying, "Aren't these all Galileans? How come we're hearing them talk in our various mother tongues?
Their heads were spinning; they couldn't make head or tail of any of it. They talked back and forth, confused: "What's going on here?"
Others joked, "They're drunk on cheap wine."
That's when Peter stood up and, backed by the other eleven, spoke out with bold urgency: "Fellow Jews, all of you who are visiting Jerusalem, listen carefully and get this story straight. These people aren't drunk as some of you suspect. They haven't had time to get drunk-it's only nine o'clock in the morning. This is what the prophet Joel announced would happen:
" In the Last Days," God says,"I will pour out my Spirit
on every kind of people:
Your sons will prophesy,
also your daughters;
Your young men will see visions,
your old men dream dreams.
When the time comes,
I'll pour out my Spirit
On those who serve me, men and women both,
and they'll prophesy.
I'll set wonders in the sky above
and signs on the earth below,
Blood and fire and billowing smoke,
the sun turning black and the moon blood-red,
Before the Day of the Lord arrives,
the Day tremendous and marvelous;
And whoever calls out for help
to me, God, will be saved."
Ease 80%, Level 6
LESSON
Grace and Peace be with you Christ's Soldier!
Some people like to call this the Birthday of the
Church. In old England, all the girls would dress in white on this
day. It was called White Sunday or "Whitsunday". During the week,
the children would go on Whitsuntide walks and have church, school,
and county fairs on Monday and Tuesday. In 1864, a minister who was
a school teacher wrote a song for the children to march by on their
walk, and sing. We will sing it at the end. It is called "Onward
Christian Soldiers."
This Sunday has another special name from Greek - "Pentecost".
That means 50. The Jews had the Feast of Weeks seven weeks, or 50
days, after Passover. They also called it the Feast of the Harvest.
They gave thanks for the food. They heard the 10 Commandments.
Now, let us see why this is the birthday of the Church. Fifty days
before he rose from the tomb. Ten days before Jesus had risen to
heaven. He told his disciples to wait for the Spirit to come to
them. They were in an room together at about 8:00 AM in the
morning. All of a sudden, the wind started blowing really hard in
the room. The there came fire above the head of each of them. This
was a sign of the Holy Spirit coming into their hearts.
They went outside and were all speaking with "strange tongues". Some people could understand them, but some thought they were talking gibberish. Peter stood up and told them in a loud voice that God had sent his Holy Spirit on the disciples, and that they could have it too. That day about 3,000 believed got he Holy Spirit and were baptized into the Church.
Do you have the Holy Spirit? Are you a friend of Jesus? Do if you believe in your heart that
- Jesus Christ rose from the dead
- He went to heaven
- He is going to come back one day
- He will take all his friends to heaven
- Believe, and God will send his fire into your heart.
- Believe, and he will pour out his Spirit on you.
- Believe, and he will help you to be good.
- Believe and he will comfort you.
- Believe, and you will be one of God's children.
Thanks be to God!
Ease 88%, Level 3.5
- Can you name the people in this story, and tell about them? What is the name of this Sunday
- In you own words, what do you think this story is about?
- Draw a picture that tells the story. (You may copy or trace the one on the lesson if you wish.)
- If you have friends with you, do a play that is like our lesson today. Cut out paper like fingers of fire and color it red and yellow
- Sing this
song for Whitsun Season and march around while you sing it Onward Christian Soldiers....
- You and your friends have a little Whitsuntide Fair. Play games. Drink juice, Eat cookies. Have fun! It is the Church's Birthday