Monday 14 April 2008 DAILY LECTIONARY

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Monday 14 April 2008
DAILY LECTIONARY

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Exodus 32:1-20

When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain,
the people gathered around Aaron and said to him, 'Come, make gods for
us, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up
out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.' 2Aaron
said to them, 'Take off the gold rings that are on the ears of your
wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.' 3So all the
people took off the gold rings from their ears, and brought them to
Aaron. 4He took the gold from them, formed it in a mould,* and cast an
image of a calf; and they said, 'These are your gods, O Israel, who
brought you up out of the land of Egypt!' 5When Aaron saw this, he built
an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation and said, 'Tomorrow
shall be a festival to the Lord.' 6They rose early the next day, and
offered burnt-offerings and brought sacrifices of well-being; and the
people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to revel. 
7 The Lord said to Moses, 'Go down at once! Your people, whom you
brought up out of the land of Egypt, have acted perversely; 8they have
been quick to turn aside from the way that I commanded them; they have
cast for themselves an image of a calf, and have worshipped it and
sacrificed to it, and said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought
you up out of the land of Egypt!" ' 9The Lord said to Moses, 'I have
seen this people, how stiff-necked they are. 10Now let me alone, so that
my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them; and of you I
will make a great nation.' 
11 But Moses implored the Lord his God, and said, 'O Lord, why does your
wrath burn hot against your people, whom you brought out of the land of
Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12Why should the
Egyptians say, "It was with evil intent that he brought them out to kill
them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth"?
Turn from your fierce wrath; change your mind and do not bring disaster
on your people. 13Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants,
how you swore to them by your own self, saying to them, "I will multiply
your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have
promised I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it for
ever." ' 14And the Lord changed his mind about the disaster that he
planned to bring on his people. 
15 Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain, carrying the two
tablets of the covenant* in his hands, tablets that were written on both
sides, written on the front and on the back. 16The tablets were the work
of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved upon the
tablets. 17When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he
said to Moses, 'There is a noise of war in the camp.' 18But he said,
'It is not the sound made by victors,
or the sound made by losers;
it is the sound of revellers that I hear.' 
19As soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing,
Moses' anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets from his hands and
broke them at the foot of the mountain. 20He took the calf that they had
made, burned it with fire, ground it to powder, scattered it on the
water, and made the Israelites drink it.
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Colossians 3:18-4:18

Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
19Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly. 
20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is your
acceptable duty in the Lord. 21Fathers, do not provoke your children, or
they may lose heart. 22Slaves, obey your earthly masters* in everything,
not only while being watched and in order to please them, but
wholeheartedly, fearing the Lord.* 23Whatever your task, put yourselves
into it, as done for the Lord and not for your masters,* 24since you
know that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward;
you serve* the Lord Christ. 25For the wrongdoer will be paid back for
whatever wrong has been done, and there is no partiality. 41Masters,
treat your slaves justly and fairly, for you know that you also have a
Master in heaven. 


Further Instructions2 Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it
with thanksgiving. 3At the same time pray for us as well that God will
open to us a door for the word, that we may declare the mystery of
Christ, for which I am in prison, 4so that I may reveal it clearly, as I
should. 
5 Conduct yourselves wisely towards outsiders, making the most of the
time.* 6Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that
you may know how you ought to answer everyone. 


Final Greetings and Benediction7 Tychicus will tell you all the news
about me; he is a beloved brother, a faithful minister, and a
fellow-servant* in the Lord. 8I have sent him to you for this very
purpose, so that you may know how we are* and that he may encourage your
hearts; 9he is coming with Onesimus, the faithful and beloved brother,
who is one of you. They will tell you about everything here. 
10 Aristarchus my fellow-prisoner greets you, as does Mark the cousin of
Barnabas, concerning whom you have received instructions-if he comes to
you, welcome him. 11And Jesus who is called Justus greets you. These are
the only ones of the circumcision among my co-workers for the kingdom of
God, and they have been a comfort to me. 12Epaphras, who is one of you,
a servant* of Christ Jesus, greets you. He is always wrestling in his
prayers on your behalf, so that you may stand mature and fully assured
in everything that God wills. 13For I testify for him that he has worked
hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. 14Luke, the
beloved physician, and Demas greet you. 15Give my greetings to the
brothers and sisters* in Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her
house. 16And when this letter has been read among you, have it read also
in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you read also the letter
from Laodicea. 17And say to Archippus, 'See that you complete the task
that you have received in the Lord.' 


18 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains.
Grace be with you.* 
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Matthew 5:1-10

When Jesus* saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat
down, his disciples came to him. 2Then he began to speak, and taught
them, saying: 
3 'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 
4 'Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 
5 'Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 
6 'Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they
will be filled. 
7 'Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. 
8 'Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 
9 'Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

10 'Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
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Morning Psalms:  Psalm 41, 52

Psalm 41

Happy are those who consider the poor;*
   the Lord delivers them in the day of trouble. 
2The Lord protects them and keeps them alive;
   they are called happy in the land.
   You do not give them up to the will of their enemies. 
3The Lord sustains them on their sickbed;
   in their illness you heal all their infirmities.* 


4As for me, I said, 'O Lord, be gracious to me;
   heal me, for I have sinned against you.' 
5My enemies wonder in malice
   when I will die, and my name perish. 
6And when they come to see me, they utter empty words,
   while their hearts gather mischief;
   when they go out, they tell it abroad. 
7All who hate me whisper together about me;
   they imagine the worst for me. 


8They think that a deadly thing has fastened on me,
   that I will not rise again from where I lie. 
9Even my bosom friend in whom I trusted,
   who ate of my bread, has lifted the heel against me. 
10But you, O Lord, be gracious to me,
   and raise me up, that I may repay them. 


11By this I know that you are pleased with me;
   because my enemy has not triumphed over me. 
12But you have upheld me because of my integrity,
   and set me in your presence for ever. 


13Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
   from everlasting to everlasting.Amen and Amen.


Psalm 52

Why do you boast, O mighty one,
   of mischief done against the godly?*
   All day long 2you are plotting destruction.
Your tongue is like a sharp razor,
   you worker of treachery. 
3You love evil more than good,
   and lying more than speaking the truth.
          Selah 
4You love all words that devour,
   O deceitful tongue. 


5But God will break you down for ever;
   he will snatch and tear you from your tent;
   he will uproot you from the land of the living.
          Selah 
6The righteous will see, and fear,
   and will laugh at the evildoer,* saying, 
7'See the one who would not take
   refuge in God,
but trusted in abundant riches,
   and sought refuge in wealth!'* 


8But I am like a green olive tree
   in the house of God.
I trust in the steadfast love of God
   for ever and ever. 
9I will thank you for ever,
   because of what you have done.
In the presence of the faithful
   I will proclaim* your name, for it is good.
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Evening Psalms:  Psalm 44

Psalm 44

We have heard with our ears, O God,
   our ancestors have told us,
what deeds you performed in their days,
   in the days of old: 
2you with your own hand drove out the nations,
   but them you planted;
you afflicted the peoples,
   but them you set free; 
3for not by their own sword did they win the land,
   nor did their own arm give them victory;
but your right hand, and your arm,
   and the light of your countenance,
   for you delighted in them. 


4You are my King and my God;
   you command* victories for Jacob. 
5Through you we push down our foes;
   through your name we tread down our assailants. 
6For not in my bow do I trust,
   nor can my sword save me. 
7But you have saved us from our foes,
   and have put to confusion those who hate us. 
8In God we have boasted continually,
   and we will give thanks to your name for ever.
          Selah 


9Yet you have rejected us and abased us,
   and have not gone out with our armies. 
10You made us turn back from the foe,
   and our enemies have taken spoil for themselves. 
11You have made us like sheep for slaughter,
   and have scattered us among the nations. 
12You have sold your people for a trifle,
   demanding no high price for them. 


13You have made us the taunt of our neighbours,
   the derision and scorn of those around us. 
14You have made us a byword among the nations,
   a laughing-stock* among the peoples. 
15All day long my disgrace is before me,
   and shame has covered my face 
16at the words of the taunters and revilers,
   at the sight of the enemy and the avenger. 


17All this has come upon us,
   yet we have not forgotten you,
   or been false to your covenant. 
18Our heart has not turned back,
   nor have our steps departed from your way, 
19yet you have broken us in the haunt of jackals,
   and covered us with deep darkness. 


20If we had forgotten the name of our God,
   or spread out our hands to a strange god, 
21would not God discover this?
   For he knows the secrets of the heart. 
22Because of you we are being killed all day long,
   and accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 


23Rouse yourself! Why do you sleep, O Lord?
   Awake, do not cast us off for ever! 
24Why do you hide your face?
   Why do you forget our affliction and oppression? 
25For we sink down to the dust;
   our bodies cling to the ground. 
26Rise up, come to our help.
   Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love.
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