Saturday 19 May 2007 DAILY LECTIONARY

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Saturday 19 May 2007 
DAILY LECTIONARY

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Ezekiel 3:4-17

He said to me: Mortal, go to the house of Israel and speak my very words
to them. For you are not sent to a people of obscure speech and
difficult language, but to the house of Israel— not to many peoples of
obscure speech and difficult language, whose words you cannot
understand. Surely, if I sent you to them, they would listen to you.
But the house of Israel will not listen to you, for they are not
willing to listen to me; because all the house of Israel have a hard
forehead and a stubborn heart. See, I have made your face hard against
their faces, and your forehead hard against their foreheads. Like the
hardest stone, harder than flint, I have made your forehead; do not
fear them or be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious
house. He said to me: Mortal, all my words that I shall speak to you
receive in your heart and hear with your ears; then go to the exiles,
to your people, and speak to them. Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord
God’; whether they hear or refuse to hear. 
Then the spirit lifted me up, and as the glory of the Lord rose from its
place, I heard behind me the sound of loud rumbling; it was the sound of
the wings of the living creatures brushing against one another, and the
sound of the wheels beside them, that sounded like a loud rumbling. The
spirit lifted me up and bore me away; I went in bitterness in the heat
of my spirit, the hand of the Lord being strong upon me. I came to the
exiles at Tel-abib, who lived by the river Chebar. And I sat there
among them, stunned, for seven days. 
At the end of seven days, the word of the Lord came to me: Mortal, I
have made you a sentinel for the house of Israel; whenever you hear a
word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me.
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Hebrews 5:7-14

In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications,
with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from
death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he
was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and having
been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all
who obey him, having been designated by God a high priest according to
the order of Melchizedek. 
About this we have much to say that is hard to explain, since you have
become dull in understanding. For though by this time you ought to be
teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic elements of the
oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food; for everyone who lives on
milk, being still an infant, is unskilled in the word of righteousness.
But solid food is for the mature, for those whose faculties have been
trained by practice to distinguish good from evil.
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Luke 9:37-50

On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great
crowd met him. Just then a man from the crowd shouted, ‘Teacher, I beg
you to look at my son; he is my only child. Suddenly a spirit seizes
him, and all at once he shrieks. It throws him into convulsions until
he foams at the mouth; it mauls him and will scarcely leave him. I
begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.’ Jesus
answered, ‘You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must
I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.’ While he was
coming, the demon dashed him to the ground in convulsions. But Jesus
rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his
father. And all were astounded at the greatness of God.
While everyone was amazed at all that he was doing, he said to his
disciples, ‘Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is
going to be betrayed into human hands.’ But they did not understand
this saying; its meaning was concealed from them, so that they could
not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask him about this saying. 
An argument arose among them as to which one of them was the greatest.
But Jesus, aware of their inner thoughts, took a little child and put
it by his side, and said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes this child in my
name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me;
for the least among all of you is the greatest.’ 
John answered, ‘Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name,
and we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us.’ But
Jesus said to him, ‘Do not stop him; for whoever is not against you is
for you.’ 
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Morning Psalms:  Psalm 87, 90

Psalm 87

On the holy mount stands the city he founded; 
   the Lord loves the gates of Zion
   more than all the dwellings of Jacob. 
Glorious things are spoken of you,
   O city of God.
          Selah 


Among those who know me I mention Rahab and Babylon;
   Philistia too, and Tyre, with Ethiopia—
   ‘This one was born there,’ they say. 


And of Zion it shall be said,
   ‘This one and that one were born in it’;
   for the Most High himself will establish it. 
The Lord records, as he registers the peoples,
   ‘This one was born there.’
          Selah 


Singers and dancers alike say,
   ‘All my springs are in you.’



Psalm 90

Lord, you have been our dwelling-place
   in all generations. 
Before the mountains were brought forth,
   or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
   from everlasting to everlasting you are God. 


You turn us back to dust,
   and say, ‘Turn back, you mortals.’ 
For a thousand years in your sight
   are like yesterday when it is past,
   or like a watch in the night. 


You sweep them away; they are like a dream,
   like grass that is renewed in the morning; 
in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;
   in the evening it fades and withers. 


For we are consumed by your anger;
   by your wrath we are overwhelmed. 
You have set our iniquities before you,
   our secret sins in the light of your countenance. 


For all our days pass away under your wrath;
   our years come to an end like a sigh. 
The days of our life are seventy years,
   or perhaps eighty, if we are strong;
even then their span is only toil and trouble;
   they are soon gone, and we fly away. 


Who considers the power of your anger?
   Your wrath is as great as the fear that is due to you. 
So teach us to count our days
   that we may gain a wise heart. 


Turn, O Lord! How long?
   Have compassion on your servants! 
Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
   so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. 
Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
   and for as many years as we have seen evil. 
Let your work be manifest to your servants,
   and your glorious power to their children. 
Let the favour of the Lord our God be upon us,
   and prosper for us the work of our hands—
   O prosper the work of our hands!
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Evening Psalms: Psalm 136

Psalm 136

O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever. 
O give thanks to the God of gods,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever. 
O give thanks to the Lord of lords,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever; 


who alone does great wonders,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever; 
who by understanding made the heavens,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever; 
who spread out the earth on the waters,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever; 
who made the great lights,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever; 
the sun to rule over the day,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever; 
the moon and stars to rule over the night,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever; 


who struck Egypt through their firstborn,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever; 
and brought Israel out from among them,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever; 
with a strong hand and an outstretched arm,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever; 
who divided the Red Sea in two,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever; 
and made Israel pass through the midst of it,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever; 
but overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever; 
who led his people through the wilderness,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever; 
who struck down great kings,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever; 
and killed famous kings,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever; 
Sihon, king of the Amorites,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever; 
and Og, king of Bashan,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever; 
and gave their land as a heritage,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever; 
a heritage to his servant Israel,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever. 


It is he who remembered us in our low estate,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever; 
and rescued us from our foes,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever; 
who gives food to all flesh,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever. 


O give thanks to the God of heaven,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever.
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