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A reading from the acts of the Apostles

When Pentecost day came round, the apostles had all met in one room, when suddenly they heard what sounded like a powerful wind from heaven, the noise of which filled the entire house in which they were sitting; and something appeared to them that seemed like tongues of fire; these separated and came to rest on the head of each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak foreign languages as the Spirit gave them the gift of speech.

Now there were devout men living in Jerusalem from every nation under heaven, and at this sound they all assembled, each one bewildered to hear these men speaking his own language. They were amazed and astonished. ‘Surely’ they said ‘all these men speaking are Galileans? How does it happen that each of us hears them in his own native language? We hear them preaching in our own language about the marvels of God.’

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 The New Testament was written in Greek and the word Pentecost, is Greek it means 50^th day, it refers to a Jewish festival, that of Shavuot, Shavuot commemorates when God gave the law to Moses.

The apostles had all met to celebrate the feast day when we hear of this noise filled the house, and they saw something they thought was fire above their heads. Note the reading says ‘seemed like tongues of fire’, not ‘it was fire’.

They then went out into the streets. People had gathered in the streets anyway as they too had heard the noise. As the apostles spoke, probably in Aramaic as that was their language, and with a Galilean accent, the other people around could all understand them.

Jerusalem was then, as it is now, a Holy City and because of this, people all over the Middle East came to live there. It’s a bit like London where the last census told us, over 300 are spoken. That’s 300 languages that local councils have to facilitate. But although the apostles spoke only in Aramaic, the non Aramaic speakers understood them.

The noise and the fire like symbols were the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit imparted gifts to all the Apostles, and they were sent out to share these gifts.

When you are Confirmed in church you receive gifts from the Holy Spirit, you receive talents. Each of us has been given talents by God, and they are given got the good of others as much as they are for ourselves.

Here’s a small example, who has the gift of liking chocolate? Imagine how sad your life would be if you did not use that gift. Who has the gift of being able to love? Again…………

All of us will find we are good at things, it might be languages, it might be Maths, Chemistry, English, a language, understanding God, a sport, anything. We all have a talent even if we have not found it yet. But imagine this, imagine you wake up one morning and an angel appears giving you a medal, or a prayer book from God himself. Would you use it, yes you would, 24/7 you would use it.

It’s the same with our talents.

Closing prayer

Let us pray that the Holy Spirit may bring peace and unity to all mankind

Almighty and ever-living God, you fulfilled the Easter promise by sending us your Holy Spirit. May that Spirit unite the races and nations on earth to proclaim your glory. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen