[Propertalk] READINGS for the DAY of PENTECOST

[Charles Wohlers]

The following are the readings for the Day of Pentecost, June 9, 
according to the Revised Common (RCL), Episcopal (ECUSA), Roman 
Catholic, Canadian BAS, and the Church of England (Common Worship) 
lectionaries. All readings are taken from the New Revised Standard 
Version (NRSV) of the Bible. Unless noted otherwise, the ECUSA, Canadian 
and C of E lectionaries are identical to the RCL for this day.

For all but the Roman Catholics, the passage from Acts may be used for 
the second reading, if the alternative from the Old Testament was used 
as first reading.


FIRST READING: Acts 2: 1 - 21 (RCL)
                Acts 2: 1 - 11 (Roman Catholic)

Acts 2:1 (NRSV) When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all 
together in one place. 2 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. 3 Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, 
and a tongue rested on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the 
Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave 
them ability. 5 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under 
heaven living in Jerusalem. 6 And at this sound the crowd gathered and 
was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native 
language of each. 7 Amazed and astonished, they asked, "Are not all 
these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of 
us, in our own native language? 9 Par'thians, Medes, E'lamites, and 
residents of Mesopota'mia, Judea and Cappado'cia, Pon'tus and Asia, 10 
Phryg'ia and Pamphyl'ia, Egypt and the parts of Lib'ya belonging to 
Cyre'ne, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cre'tans 
and A'rabs--in our own languages we hear them speaking about God's deeds 
of power." 12 All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, 
"What does this mean?" 13 But others sneered and said, "They are filled 
with new wine."
14 But 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. 15 Indeed, these are not drunk, as you 
suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning. 16 No, this is what 
was spoken through the prophet Jo'el:
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.
18 Even upon my slaves, both men and women,
in those days I will pour out my Spirit;
and they shall prophesy.
19 And I will show portents in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and smoky mist.
20 The sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the coming of the Lord's great and glorious day.
21 Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.'


Genesis 11: 1 - 9 (alt. for RCL)

Gene 11:1 (NRSV) Now the whole earth had one language and the same 
words. 2 And as they migrated from the east, they came upon a plain in 
the land of Shi'nar and settled there. 3 And they said to one another, 
"Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly." And they had brick 
for stone, and bitumen for mortar. 4 Then they said, "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." 5 The LORD came down to see the city and 
the tower, which mortals had built. 6 And the LORD said, "Look, they are 
one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the 
beginning of what they will do; nothing that they propose to do will now 
be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down, and confuse their 
language there, so that they will not understand one another's speech." 
8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the 
earth, and they left off building the city. 9 Therefore it was called 
Ba'bel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth; 
and from there the LORD scattered them abroad  over the face of all the 
earth.


PSALM 104: 24 - 34, 35b   (RCL)
Psalm 104: 1a, 24, 29 - 31, 34 (Roman Catholic)

Psal 104:1 (NRSV) Bless the LORD, O my soul.
O LORD my God, you are very great.

24 O LORD, how manifold are your works!
In wisdom you have made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.
25 Yonder is the sea, great and wide,
creeping things innumerable are there,
living things both small and great.
26 There go the ships,
and Levi'athan that you formed to sport in it.
27 These all look to you
to give them their food in due season;
28 when you give to them, they gather it up;
when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.
29 When you hide your face, they are dismayed;
when you take away their breath, they die
and return to their dust.
30 When you send forth your spirit, they are created;
and you renew the face of the ground.
31 May the glory of the LORD endure forever;
may the LORD rejoice in his works--
32 who looks on the earth and it trembles,
who touches the mountains and they smoke.
33 I will sing to the LORD as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have being.
34 May my meditation be pleasing to him,
for I rejoice in the LORD.
35
Bless the LORD, O my soul.
Praise the LORD!

Note: Verse numbering in your Psalter may differ from the above.


SECOND READING: Romans 8: 14 - 17 (RCL)

Roma 8:14 (NRSV) For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children 
of God. 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into 
fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, "Abba! 
Father!" 16 it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that 
we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and 
joint heirs with Christ--if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may 
also be glorified with him.


1 Corinthians 12: 3b - 7, 12 - 13 (Roman Catholic)

1Cor 12:3 (NRSV) [N]o one can say "Jesus is Lord" except by the Holy 
Spirit. 4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and 
there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; 6 and there are 
varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of 
them in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for 
the common good.

12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members 
of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in 
the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--Jews or Greeks, 
slaves or free--and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.


GOSPEL: John 14: 8 - 17 (25 - 27)   (RCL)
         John 14: 14 - 16, 23b - 26   (Roman Catholic)

John 14:8 (NRSV) Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and we 
will be satisfied." 9 Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you all this 
time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen 
the Father. How can you say, "Show us the Father'? 10 Do you not believe 
that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to 
you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his 
works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; 
but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. 12 
Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the 
works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because 
I am going to the Father. 13 I will do whatever you ask in my name, so 
that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If in my name you ask me 
for anything, I will do it. 15 "If you love me, you will keep my 
commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another 
Advocate, to be with you forever. 17 This is the Spirit of truth, whom 
the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You 
know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.

23 Jesus answered him, "Those who love me will keep my word, and my 
Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with 
them. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word 
that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.
25 "I have said these things to you while I am still with you. 26 But 
the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, 
will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to 
you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to 
you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not 
let them be afraid.


-- 
Chad Wohlers
chadwohl at satucket.com
Woodbury, VT   USA