Tuesday 8 January 2008 DAILY LECTIONARY

Tue Jan 8 02:00:00 EST 2008

Tuesday 8 January 2008 
DAILY LECTIONARY

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Exodus 17:1-7

>From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites
journeyed by stages, as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but
there was no water for the people to drink. 2The people quarrelled with
Moses, and said, 'Give us water to drink.' Moses said to them, 'Why do
you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?' 3But the people thirsted
there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, 'Why
did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock
with thirst?' 4So Moses cried out to the Lord, 'What shall I do with
this people? They are almost ready to stone me.' 5The Lord said to
Moses, 'Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel
with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile,
and go. 6I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb.
Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may
drink.' Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7He called
the place Massah* and Meribah,* because the Israelites quarrelled and
tested the Lord, saying, 'Is the Lord among us or not?'
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Colossians 1:15-23

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation;
16for in* him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things
visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or
powers-all things have been created through him and for him. 17He
himself is before all things, and in* him all things hold together. 18He
is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn
from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything.
19For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20and through
him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth
or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross. 
21 And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil
deeds, 22he has now reconciled* in his fleshly body* through death, so
as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him-
23provided that you continue securely established and steadfast in the
faith, without shifting from the hope promised by the gospel that you
heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven. I,
Paul, became a servant of this gospel.
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John 7:37-52

On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing
there, he cried out, 'Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, 38and let
the one who believes in me drink. As* the scripture has said, "Out of
the believer's heart* shall flow rivers of living water." ' 39Now he
said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for
as yet there was no Spirit,* because Jesus was not yet glorified. 
Division among the People40 When they heard these words, some in the
crowd said, 'This is really the prophet.' 41Others said, 'This is the
Messiah.'* But some asked, 'Surely the Messiah* does not come from
Galilee, does he? 42Has not the scripture said that the Messiah* is
descended from David and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David
lived?' 43So there was a division in the crowd because of him. 44Some of
them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. 
The Unbelief of Those in Authority45 Then the temple police went back to
the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, 'Why did you not arrest
him?' 46The police answered, 'Never has anyone spoken like this!' 47Then
the Pharisees replied, 'Surely you have not been deceived too, have you?
48Has any one of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in him?
49But this crowd, which does not know the law-they are accursed.'
50Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus* before, and who was one of them,
asked, 51'Our law does not judge people without first giving them a
hearing to find out what they are doing, does it?' 52They replied,
'Surely you are not also from Galilee, are you? Search and you will see
that no prophet is to arise from Galilee.' 
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Morning Psalms:  Psalm 117, 118

Psalm 117

Praise the Lord, all you nations!
   Extol him, all you peoples! 
2For great is his steadfast love towards us,
   and the faithfulness of the Lord endures for ever.
Praise the Lord!

Psalm 118

O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
   his steadfast love endures for ever! 

2Let Israel say,
   'His steadfast love endures for ever.' 
3Let the house of Aaron say,
   'His steadfast love endures for ever.' 
4Let those who fear the Lord say,
   'His steadfast love endures for ever.' 

5Out of my distress I called on the Lord;
   the Lord answered me and set me in a broad place. 
6With the Lord on my side I do not fear.
   What can mortals do to me? 
7The Lord is on my side to help me;
   I shall look in triumph on those who hate me. 
8It is better to take refuge in the Lord
   than to put confidence in mortals. 
9It is better to take refuge in the Lord
   than to put confidence in princes. 

10All nations surrounded me;
   in the name of the Lord I cut them off! 
11They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side;
   in the name of the Lord I cut them off! 
12They surrounded me like bees;
   they blazed* like a fire of thorns;
   in the name of the Lord I cut them off! 
13I was pushed hard,* so that I was falling,
   but the Lord helped me. 
14The Lord is my strength and my might;
   he has become my salvation. 

15There are glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous:
'The right hand of the Lord does valiantly; 
16   the right hand of the Lord is exalted;
   the right hand of the Lord does valiantly.' 
17I shall not die, but I shall live,
   and recount the deeds of the Lord. 
18The Lord has punished me severely,
   but he did not give me over to death. 

19Open to me the gates of righteousness,
   that I may enter through them
   and give thanks to the Lord. 

20This is the gate of the Lord;
   the righteous shall enter through it. 

21I thank you that you have answered me
   and have become my salvation. 
22The stone that the builders rejected
   has become the chief cornerstone. 
23This is the Lord's doing;
   it is marvellous in our eyes. 
24This is the day that the Lord has made;
   let us rejoice and be glad in it.* 
25Save us, we beseech you, O Lord!
   O Lord, we beseech you, give us success! 

26Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.*
   We bless you from the house of the Lord. 
27The Lord is God,
   and he has given us light.
Bind the festal procession with branches,
   up to the horns of the altar.* 

28You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;
   you are my God, I will extol you. 

29O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever.
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Evening Psalms:  Psalm 112, 113

Psalm 112

Praise the Lord!
   Happy are those who fear the Lord,
   who greatly delight in his commandments. 
2Their descendants will be mighty in the land;
   the generation of the upright will be blessed. 
3Wealth and riches are in their houses,
   and their righteousness endures for ever. 
4They rise in the darkness as a light for the upright;
   they are gracious, merciful, and righteous. 
5It is well with those who deal generously and lend,
   who conduct their affairs with justice. 
6For the righteous will never be moved;
   they will be remembered for ever. 
7They are not afraid of evil tidings;
   their hearts are firm, secure in the Lord. 
8Their hearts are steady, they will not be afraid;
   in the end they will look in triumph on their foes. 
9They have distributed freely, they have given to the poor;
   their righteousness endures for ever;
   their horn is exalted in honour. 
10The wicked see it and are angry;
   they gnash their teeth and melt away;
   the desire of the wicked comes to nothing.

Psalm 113

Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord;
   praise the name of the Lord. 

2Blessed be the name of the Lord
   from this time on and for evermore. 
3From the rising of the sun to its setting
   the name of the Lord is to be praised. 
4The Lord is high above all nations,
   and his glory above the heavens. 

5Who is like the Lord our God,
   who is seated on high, 
6who looks far down
   on the heavens and the earth? 
7He raises the poor from the dust,
   and lifts the needy from the ash heap, 
8to make them sit with princes,
   with the princes of his people. 
9He gives the barren woman a home,
   making her the joyous mother of children.
Praise the Lord!
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