Saturday 2 June 2007 DAILY LECTIONARY

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Saturday 2 June 2007 
DAILY LECTIONARY

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Deuteronomy 5:22-33

These words the Lord spoke with a loud voice to your whole assembly at
the mountain, out of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, and
he added no more. He wrote them on two stone tablets, and gave them to
me. When you heard the voice out of the darkness, while the mountain
was burning with fire, you approached me, all the heads of your tribes
and your elders; and you said, ‘Look, the Lord our God has shown us his
glory and greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the fire. Today
we have seen that God may speak to someone and the person may still
live. So now why should we die? For this great fire will consume us; if
we hear the voice of the Lord our God any longer, we shall die. For who
is there of all flesh that has heard the voice of the living God
speaking out of fire, as we have, and remained alive? Go near, you
yourself, and hear all that the Lord our God will say. Then tell us
everything that the Lord our God tells you, and we will listen and do
it.’ 
The Lord heard your words when you spoke to me, and the Lord said to me:
‘I have heard the words of this people, which they have spoken to you;
they are right in all that they have spoken. If only they had such a
mind as this, to fear me and to keep all my commandments always, so
that it might go well with them and with their children for ever! Go,
say to them, “Return to your tents.” But you, stand here by me, and I
will tell you all the commandments, the statutes and the ordinances,
that you shall teach them, so that they may do them in the land that I
am giving them to possess.’ You must therefore be careful to do as the
Lord your God has commanded you; you shall not turn to the right or to
the left. You must follow exactly the path that the Lord your God has
commanded you, so that you may live, and that it may go well with you,
and that you may live long in the land that you are to possess.
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2 Corinthians 4:13-5:10

But just as we have the same spirit of faith that is in accordance with
scripture—‘I believed, and so I spoke’—we also believe, and so we
speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will
raise us also with Jesus, and will bring us with you into his presence.
Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more
and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. 
So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away,
our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary
affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all
measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be
seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is
eternal. 
For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a
building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
For in this tent we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly
dwelling— if indeed, when we have taken it off we will not be found
naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan under our burden,
because we wish not to be unclothed but to be further clothed, so that
what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for
this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. 
So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at
home in the body we are away from the Lord— for we walk by faith, not
by sight. Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from
the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away,
we make it our aim to please him. For all of us must appear before the
judgement seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what
has been done in the body, whether good or evil.
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Luke 16:19-31

‘There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who
feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named
Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what
fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his
sores. The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with
Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was
being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by
his side. He called out, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send
Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I
am in agony in these flames.” But Abraham said, “Child, remember that
during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like
manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony.
Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so
that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no
one can cross from there to us.” He said, “Then, father, I beg you to
send him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—that he may
warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.”
Abraham replied, “They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen
to them.” He said, “No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them
from the dead, they will repent.” He said to him, “If they do not
listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even
if someone rises from the dead.” ’
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Morning Psalms:  Psalm 30, 32

Psalm 30

I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up,
   and did not let my foes rejoice over me. 
O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
   and you have healed me. 
O Lord, you brought up my soul from Sheol,
   restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit. 


Sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones,
   and give thanks to his holy name. 
For his anger is but for a moment;
   his favour is for a lifetime.
Weeping may linger for the night,
   but joy comes with the morning. 


As for me, I said in my prosperity,
   ‘I shall never be moved.’ 
By your favour, O Lord,
   you had established me as a strong mountain;
you hid your face;
   I was dismayed. 


To you, O Lord, I cried,
   and to the Lord I made supplication: 
‘What profit is there in my death,
   if I go down to the Pit?
Will the dust praise you?
   Will it tell of your faithfulness? 
Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me!
   O Lord, be my helper!’ 


You have turned my mourning into dancing;
   you have taken off my sackcloth
   and clothed me with joy, 
so that my soul may praise you and not be silent.
   O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you for ever.



Psalm 32

Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven,
   whose sin is covered. 
Happy are those to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity,
   and in whose spirit there is no deceit. 


While I kept silence, my body wasted away
   through my groaning all day long. 
For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
   my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.
          Selah 


Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
   and I did not hide my iniquity;
I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’,
   and you forgave the guilt of my sin.
          Selah 


Therefore let all who are faithful
   offer prayer to you;
at a time of distress, the rush of mighty waters
   shall not reach them. 
You are a hiding-place for me;
   you preserve me from trouble;
   you surround me with glad cries of deliverance.
          Selah 


I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go;
   I will counsel you with my eye upon you. 
Do not be like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
   whose temper must be curbed with bit and bridle,
   else it will not stay near you. 


Many are the torments of the wicked,
   but steadfast love surrounds those who trust in the Lord. 
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, O righteous,
   and shout for joy, all you upright in heart.
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Evening Psalms: Psalm 42, 43

Psalm 42

As a deer longs for flowing streams,
   so my soul longs for you, O God. 
My soul thirsts for God,
   for the living God.
When shall I come and behold
   the face of God? 
My tears have been my food
   day and night,
while people say to me continually,
   ‘Where is your God?’ 


These things I remember,
   as I pour out my soul:
how I went with the throng,
   and led them in procession to the house of God,
with glad shouts and songs of thanksgiving,
   a multitude keeping festival. 
Why are you cast down, O my soul,
   and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
   my help and my God. 


My soul is cast down within me;
   therefore I remember you
from the land of Jordan and of Hermon,
   from Mount Mizar. 
Deep calls to deep
   at the thunder of your cataracts;
all your waves and your billows
   have gone over me. 
By day the Lord commands his steadfast love,
   and at night his song is with me,
   a prayer to the God of my life. 


I say to God, my rock,
   ‘Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I walk about mournfully
   because the enemy oppresses me?’ 
As with a deadly wound in my body,
   my adversaries taunt me,
while they say to me continually,
   ‘Where is your God?’ 


Why are you cast down, O my soul,
   and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
   my help and my God.



Psalm 43

Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause
   against an ungodly people;
from those who are deceitful and unjust
   deliver me! 
For you are the God in whom I take refuge;
   why have you cast me off?
Why must I walk about mournfully
   because of the oppression of the enemy? 


O send out your light and your truth;
   let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill
   and to your dwelling. 
Then I will go to the altar of God,
   to God my exceeding joy;
and I will praise you with the harp,
   O God, my God. 


Why are you cast down, O my soul,
   and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
   my help and my God.
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