Speaking in tongues? Well, kind of...

This coming Sunday is the Feast of Pentecost. In the book of Acts, its recorded that when the Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles, they spoke in many different languages. Episcopal churches re-enact that in varied ways. A few years ago, I attended my old college chapel (Canterbury Chapel) at the University of Alabama, where they read the lessons sequentially in different languages. Here at St. Christopher's, we read the Gospel for the day simultaneously in multiple languages with our priest taking English (or as he puts it, "Southern") and various members of the parish taking others as they can. It actually works quite well.

Here's next week's Gospel lesson from John in English:

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

French (mine as I minored in French back in the 17th century, it seems like):

Ce même dimanche, dans la soirée, les disciples étaient dans une maison dont ils avaient verrouillé les portes, parce qu’ils avaient peur des chefs des Juifs. Jésus vint: il se trouva là, au milieu d’eux, et il leur dit: "Que la paix soit avec vous!" Tout en disant cela, il leur montra ses mains et son côté. Les disciples furent remplis de joie parce qu’ils voyaient le Seigneur. "Que la paix soit avec vous," leur dit-il de nouveau. "Comme mon Père m’a envoyé, moi aussi je vous envoie." Après avoir dit cela, il souffla sur eux et continua: "Recevez l'Esprit Saint. Ceux à qui vous remettrez leurs péchés en seront effectivement tenus quittes; et ceux à qui vous les retiendrez en resteront chargés."

German:

Am Abend aber desselben ersten Tages der Woche, da die Jünger versammelt und die Türen verschlossen waren aus Furcht vor den Juden, kam Jesus und trat mitten ein und spricht zu ihnen: "Friede sei mit euch!" Und als er das gesagt hatte, zeigte er ihnen die Hände und seine Seite. Da wurden die Jünger froh, daß sie den HERRN sahen. Da sprach Jesus abermals zu ihnen: "Friede sei mit euch! Gleichwie mich der Vater gesandt hat, so sende ich euch." Und da er das gesagt hatte, blies er sie an und spricht zu ihnen: "Nehmet hin den Heiligen Geist! Welchen ihr die Sünden erlasset, denen sind sie erlassen; und welchen ihr sie behaltet, denen sind sie behalten."

Spanish:

Al atardecer de aquel primer día de la semana, estando reunidos los discípulos a puerta cerrada por temor a los judíos, entró Jesús y, poniéndose en medio de ellos, los saludó. "¡La paz sea con ustedes!" Dicho esto, les mostró las manos y el costado. Al ver al Señor, los discípulos se alegraron. "¡La paz sea con ustedes!" repitió Jesús. "Como el Padre me envió a mí, así yo los envío a ustedes." Acto seguido, sopló sobre ellos y les dijo: "Reciban el Espíritu Santo. A quienes les perdonen sus pecados, les serán perdonados; a quienes no se los perdonen, no les serán perdonados."

Russian (I actually got asked for this and he says he can read the Cyrillic letters):

В тот же первый день недели вечером, когда двери [дома], где собирались ученики Его, были заперты из опасения от Иудеев, пришел Иисус, и стал посреди, и говорит им: мир вам!
Сказав это, Он показал им руки и ноги и ребра Свои. Ученики обрадовались, увидев Господа. Иисус же сказал им вторично: мир вам! как послал Меня Отец, [так] и Я посылаю вас. Сказав это, дунул, и говорит им: примите Духа Святаго. Кому простите грехи, тому простятся; на ком оставите, на том останутся.

I hope it makes sense to him!

A mother said her daughter could do any language I could find. She suggested Arabic, certain that I couldn't find it. Well,...

وَلَمَّا حَلَّ مَسَاءُ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ، وَهُوَ الْيَوْمُ الأَوَّلُ مِنَ الأُسْبُوعِ، كَانَ التَّلاَمِيذُ مُجْتَمِعِينَ فِي بَيْتٍ أَغْلَقُوا أَبْوَابَهُ خَوْفاً مِنَ الْيَهُودِ، وَإِذَا يَسُوعُ يَحْضُرُ وَسْطَهُمْ قَائِلاً: «سَلاَمٌ لَكُمْ!»
وَإِذْ قَالَ هَذَا، أَرَاهُمْ يَدَيْهِ وَجَنْبَهُ، فَفَرِحَ التَّلاَمِيذُ إِذْ أَبْصَرُوا الرَّبَّ.
فَقَالَ لَهُمْ يَسُوعُ: «سَلاَمٌ لَكُمْ. كَمَا أَنَّ الآبَ أَرْسَلَنِي، أُرْسِلُكُمْ أَنَا».
قَالَ هَذَا وَنَفَخَ فِيهِمْ وَقَالَ لَهُمْ: «اقْبَلُوا الرُّوحَ الْقُدُسَ.
مَنْ غَفَرْتُمْ خَطَايَاهُمْ غُفِرَتْ لَهُمْ، وَمَنْ أَمْسَكْتُمْ خَطَايَاهُمْ، أُمْسِكَتْ!»

I'll give her a chance to pick again...

By the way, these translations are courtesy of BibleGateway.com.