Sermon Questions May 19, 2024

1) Different Christian traditions and individual Christians describe and think about the Holy Spirit in a variety of ways. How would you describe the Holy Spirit? Are there conceptualizations of the Holy Spirit from other traditions that you agree with, disagree with, or feel curious about?

2) We talked about unity in this sermon as a gift of the Holy Spirit. First of all, what does unity mean to you?  Is it agreement? Is it a lack of fighting? A specific feeling? How would you define it, based on what we read in the text? How would you define it otherwise?

3) We described the day of Pentecost as described in Acts 2 as the launching of a radically new relationship between God and his people. But this was almost 2000 years ago. In what ways does this covenant feel old to you? In what ways does it still feel new?

4) What do you think it might have been like for Peter before, during and after he addressed the crowd?

5) As we review this story today, if you had to place yourself in at the day of Pentecost from Acts 2, where do you see yourself? Are you in the crowd just discovering Jesus? Are you Peter, having believed, forsaken, and returned? Are you the mother of Christ, standing quietly by and smiling at all that has happened? Are you an unnamed disciple?  Go ahead and imagine what it would be like to be there and imagine how you would interact with what is happening. What questions or observations might you have?