May 19th is Pentecost, the Church’s celebration of God’s gift of His Spirit.
The first lesson, Genesis 11:1-9, attributes the multitude of languages in the world to the work of God, who confused the languages of men to scatter them.
The second lesson, Acts 2:1-21, tells how the Spirit came upon the believers gathered in Jerusalem and spoke through them; so that, everyone in the crowd that gathered heard God being glorified in their own native language. Peter then told them that what they were hearing was the Spirit of God at work to open the doors to the kingdom of heaven to everyone who called on the name of the Lord.
John 14:23-31 is the Gospel lesson. Jesus tells the disciples that he, the Father, and the Holy Spirit, would be with them and that the Holy Spirit would help them to remember all that Jesus had said and teach them what it all meant.
Related Lessons
There are also lessons appointed for the Saturday evening before Pentecost, the Monday after Pentecost, and the Tuesday after Pentecost.
Pentecost Eve
Joel 3:1-5 Joel predicts a coming day when God will judge the nations for their mistreatment of his people.
Romans 8:12-17 Paul encourages his readers to be led by God's Spirit even if it brings suffering.
John 14:15-21 Jesus promises his disciples that they will soon receive the Holy Spirit.
Monday after Pentecost
Isaiah 57:15-21 God promises peace and comfort to those who are contrite and turn from wickedness.
Acts 10:34a, 42-48 God grants salvation and His Spirit to a Roman family and opens the Church to people of every ethnicity.
John 3:16-21 God offers salvation to all who acknowledge the evil they have done and turn to Jesus, but most prefer to hide their failings.
Tuesday after Pentecost
Isaiah 32:14-20 The Spirit will bring restoration, righteousness, and peace.
Acts 8:14-17 Samaritans come to faith through a deacon's preaching and are baptized. Then God bestows his Spirit on them through the hands of Peter and John, signifying that the two ethnic groups were to be "one holy Christian and apostolic Church" as we confess in the Nicene Creed.
John 10:1-10 The Samaritans heard Jesus call through Philip's preaching and came to him for they, too, were part of his flock. (See verse 16).