Readers' Theatre for Pentecost

Here’s a dramatic approach to the reading of Acts 2, from the Leader Online, a magazine for pastors and lay leaders in the Anabaptist tradition.

Pentecost

A dramatic reading of Acts 2:1-21

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.

All:       All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit

            and began to speak in other languages,

            as the Spirit gave them ability.

1:         Now there were devout Jews

            from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem.

2:         And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered,

            because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each.

3:         Amazed and astonished, they asked,

All:       “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?

            And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language?

1:         Parthians, Medes, Elamites,

            and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia,

2:         Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia,

            Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene,

3:         and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes,

            residents of Crete, and Arabs—

All:       in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.”

1:         All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another,

All:       “What does this mean?”

1:         But others sneered and said,

2&3:     “They are filled with new wine.”

1:         But Peter, standing with the eleven,

            raised his voice and addressed them:

2:         “People of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem,

            let this be known to you, and listen to what I say.

3:         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:

1:         “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.

2:         Even upon my slaves, both men and women,
            in those days I will pour out my Spirit;
            and they shall prophesy.

3:         And I will show portents in the heaven above
            and signs on the earth below,
            blood, and fire, and smoky mist.

1:         The sun shall be turned to darkness
            and the moon to blood,
            before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day.

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

See also Pentecost Drama, Dramatic Readings for Pentecost, Pentecost Monologue I and Pentecost Monologue II.

For more creative worship resources for Pentecost Sunday, click on Pentecost in the list of Labels at the lower right side of the page.