The lessons for each Sunday in the church year proclaim God’s grace in Jesus Christ. Also derived from a Sunday’s texts are lessons for the Christ-inspired and Christ-like life of God’s people. The comments here will help you find hunger-related threads – sermon starters – among the themes of this day’s texts. (We're presuming you have already done your exegetical work on the texts.) God bless your proclamation (and teaching) of what is most certainly true!

On the Day of Pentecost we commemorate the sending of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit breaks down divisions and empowers us to live out our gospel calling. Where do we want to see the Spirit’s power in our present day? What task do we feel called to but perhaps not equipped for? How might God’s Spirit empower us to work with and on behalf of those who are poorest and most vulnerable?

As is often noted, the first manifestation of the Spirit in the book of Acts broke through barriers of language and culture. (You may choose to read Gen 11 as the first lesson and Acts 2 as the second lesson to make this point quite clear.) Today, many “isms” keep us divided—racism, sexism, classism, and so on. These divisions exacerbate hunger and poverty around the world. In Acts 2, the Holy Spirit breaks through the language barrier allowing everyone to hear the gospel in the own language. What would it look like today for the Spirit to break through divisions we encounter? How might the Spirit work in and through us to address the various “isms” that plague us today?

A second hunger related theme from this passage is the absurdity of living a Spirit-filled life. In Acts, some onlookers wonder if the Apostles are drunk (I imagine this was not the most orderly scene). Addressing hunger and poverty in our world (by the power of the Holy Spirit, of course!) may look odd to onlookers. It may mean seeking out another’s benefit before your own or making a lifestyle change that could be difficult. The book, The Power of Half, tells the story of a family that gave up half of all they had to work to end poverty. They reflect on how odd they seemed to their neighbors and the discomfort their act caused in some of their relationships. Do we want the Holy Spirit to empower us in that way?

As we have seen so often in the Easter readings in the Gospel of John, the charge is for us to love one another. This love will be shown in concrete acts. We are promised that if we believe we will do even greater works than Jesus did. What might that look like in the context of hunger and poverty? Again, we are promised the power of the Holy Spirit. Will we let God work through us?

This week’s passage from Romans reminds us of the grace of God that is the basis for our hope. Engaging in anti-hunger work can be taxing. It may cost us time or money, perhaps even emotional energy. As we strive to work with and on behalf of those who are poor and vulnerable, Paul reminds us that the struggle and endurance it requires will pay off. Our hope will not disappoint.

This passage gives us a glimpse of the divine economy, how the members of the Trinity interact with each other and the world. The Spirit listens and communicates what he hears. Throughout John 13-16, the Spirit has been called the Advocate (paraclete). In the divine economy, the Advocate first hears then acts. In our own advocacy hearing is essential. We may have many great ideas about how to address hunger and poverty, but we need to hear first from those who are most deeply affected before we act. When is the last time you listened to the story of someone living in poverty? When is the last time you heard their perspective, their needs? Can you find some time this week to listen?