Family Dinner & Devos, May 12-19

The Day of Pentecost…

The 50-day journey of Easter comes to an end this Sunday with Pentecost.  Pentecost is the “birthday” of the church.  Pentecost ushers us into a new season… sometimes called “The Season after Pentecost” or “Ordinary Time” or “The Season of the Church.”  On the Christian calendar, we spend approximately 6-months living and learning the story of Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection.  Then we spend the next 6-months as the living-breathing people (the church) who are following in the footsteps of Jesus, trying to model our life after the God-Made-Flesh.

Learn-By-Heart Verse for the Week (NIV Translation):

God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact.  Acts 2:32

This Week’s Scripture Passage:  Acts 2:1-32

Read the scripture passage and then ponder these questions as a family (simplify for younger children – or rephrase as you need to – as you reflect on "Pentecost" and the Holy Spirit)…

1.      On the Day of Pentecost, the sound of “rushing wind” was heard and the image of “tongues of fire” was seen.  “Wind” and “fire” are words used to describe the Holy Spirit.  Why do you think these words are used for the Holy Spirit?  What exactly is the “Holy Spirit”?

2.      Bishop Will Willimon said the following, “In the Acts of the Apostles (which some say should be called ‘The Acts of the Holy Spirit’) the church is always on the move, always pushing out, always outward rather than inward, always being drawn, pulled and pushed by the Holy Spirit into ‘Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth.’”  How is the Holy Spirit prodding you?  Are you following the Spirit’s leading in your life?  Are you “on the move” for God?  Are you thinking of others and not just yourself?  Are you telling the story of God both near and far?

Prayer

Dear Jesus,

We give thanks for the Holy Spirit that moves amongst us.

May we have the passion of the early church in Acts

            And may we, too, be witnesses to God’s grace.

Give us dreams and visions of a God-breathed world

            And help us bring those dreams and visions into reality.

In Your name we pray,

Amen.