Changing followers into Apostles

This Sunday we remember the day of Pentecost as told in Acts 2:1-21,

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 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. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.’ All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’ But others sneered and said, ‘They are filled with new wine.’

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. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

 “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.

 Even upon my slaves, both men and women,

   in those days I will pour out my Spirit;

     and they shall prophesy.

 And I will show portents in the heaven above

   and signs on the earth below,

     blood, and fire, and smoky mist.

 The sun shall be turned to darkness

   and the moon to blood,

     before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day.

 Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

The note that the crowd thought the disciples were drunk and Peter's response that it was only 9 o'clock in the morning lend additional credence to the story. The change in these men from followers to apostles and martyrs is more evidence.  

 

Quotations for use during Humility Month

 Each week during Humility Month I'll try to post a quotation  for your contemplation.

“The more humble and obedient to God a man is, the more wise and at peace he will be in all that he does.” - Thomas à Kempis

United we stand, or so Jesus prayed

In this Sunday's reading from John 17:20-26 Jesus makes the following prayer, 

‘I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

 ‘Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have sent me. I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.’

Will we ever live up to that prayer?