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Week 6
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Week 6: Pentecost
- Welcome
For the small groups meeting over the internet, it’s good to start off with a few minutes checking in and greeting each other.- Begin with a prayer
In your own words, you can thank God for this opportunity to read his Word, and ask him to guide our reflection on Holy Scripture and our discussion together.- Scripture to read and discuss: Acts 2:1-12
When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.
Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem. At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, “Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans? Then how does each of us hear them in his own native language? We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers from Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God.” They were all astounded and bewildered, and said to one another, "What does this mean?"- Discussion / Reflection:
(Please note, these are meant as a tool to start fruitful discussion. In a small group with great participation you may not get to all the questions. Discussion time should be about 30 minutes in length.)- A wide range of native backgrounds, languages, and nationalities are gathered. What do you see as the significance of this?
- Very vivid words are used to describe the events of this gathering. Describe what it might have been like in the crowd.
- In verse 4, “And they were all filled with the holy Spirit”, can you relate to this and recall a time in your life that you recognize the Holy Spirit working in your life?
- In the closing verse of this passage, they “said to one another, ‘What does this mean?’”. Reflect on how the Pentecost event is asking us to respond. What does it mean to each of us?
- Some attributes of the Holy Spirit are: comforter, teacher, guide, counselor, and advocate. We also have gifts of the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 11:1-2). What types of strength can we gain from the Holy Spirit? How are any of these qualities working in your life?
- For the week:
Prayerfully read the chapter 15 of Acts. This features what is now referred to as the Council of Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit worked through the Church to guide her through its first theological crossroads: are Christians bound to follow all of the Jewish religious customs? Consider:- How is this an example of the Lord continuing to teach and guide his people through his Church?
- How does this incident show the unity of the Church? (For example, in leadership, worship, or doctrinal teachings?)
And now that you are halfway through Acts, why not continue to prayerfully read at your own pace? You can join Paul in his adventures and be inspired by his courage as he does everything in his power to share Christ with the world.- Close with a prayer
In small group, were there any intentions? This would be a good time to lift up those intentions and ask for the strength of the Holy Spirit as we respond to how the Holy Spirit is working in our own lives.
Extra Note from Father Andrew:
Thank you for joining in this Bible study! I hope that it has been spiritually helpful for you, encouraging you to bring Scripture into your daily life. And I hope that you have met some new brothers and sisters in Christ. We are not alone; we are on this journey towards heaven together!