Watch and Wonder

Elizabeth Adkisson tells the Pentecost story (Acts 2:1-21)

You can also listen to the Pentecost narrative on Story Divine (though nobody tells it like Elizabeth). What follows are story learning and telling prompts meant for all ages.

Wonder Word

Pentecost: The word “pentecost” comes from a Greek word which means “fifty.” Pentecost is the fiftieth day–its tradition began in Judaism as a celebration of the fiftieth day after Passover. For Christians, it is the fiftieth day after Easter and celebrates the beginning of the church.

Map It!

People were gathered from far and wide on the day of Pentecost. Check out this map–it shows you how far people traveled to worship in Jerusalem on that day! I wonder what it must have been like to be gathered in a room with people from so many different places, speaking so many different languages…

 

 

 

 

 

Can you PICTURE that?

Take a plain piece of paper and fold it into quarters. Unfold. Using the sections draw each of the following to tell the first part of the story:

1. 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.

Using only your picture, tell the first part of the story to someone else!

Going Deeper

Imagine what it would have been like to be gathered with people who spoke so many different languages–to be in a room with a bunch of people you couldn’t understand for worship.

1. What might it have felt like to suddenly understand one another?
2. Sometimes it is hard to understand even when we speak the same language! Is there anything you have a hard time understanding during worship?
3. Tell a story about a time you finally understood something.