Monday 21 January 2008 DAILY LECTIONARY

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Monday 21 January 2008 
DAILY LECTIONARY

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Genesis 8:6-22

At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had
made and sent out the raven; and it went to and fro until the waters
were dried up from the earth. Then he sent out the dove from him, to see
if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground; but the dove
found no place to set its foot, and it returned to him to the ark, for
the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his
hand and took it and brought it into the ark with him. He waited another
seven days, and again he sent out the dove from the ark; and the dove
came back to him in the evening, and there in its beak was a freshly
plucked olive leaf; so Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the
earth. Then he waited another seven days, and sent out the dove; and it
did not return to him any more.

 In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, on the first day
of the month, the waters were dried up from the earth; and Noah removed
the covering of the ark, and looked, and saw that the face of the ground
was drying. In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month,
the earth was dry. Then God said to Noah, 'Go out of the ark, you and
your wife, and your sons and your sons' wives with you. Bring out with
you every living thing that is with you of all flesh-birds and animals
and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth-so that they may
abound on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.' So Noah
went out with his sons and his wife and his sons' wives. And every
animal, every creeping thing, and every bird, everything that moves on
the earth, went out of the ark by families.
 Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal
and of every clean bird, and offered burnt-offerings on the altar. And
when the Lord smelt the pleasing odour, the Lord said in his heart, 'I
will never again curse the ground because of humankind, for the
inclination of the human heart is evil from youth; nor will I ever again
destroy every living creature as I have done. 
As long as the earth endures,
   seedtime and harvest, cold and heat,
summer and winter, day and night,
   shall not cease.'
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Hebrews 4:14-5:6

Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the
heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For
we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our
weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested* as we
are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with
boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of
need.

Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things
pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts and sacrifices for
sins. He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he
himself is subject to weakness; and because of this he must offer
sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people. And one
does not presume to take this honour, but takes it only when called by
God, just as Aaron was.

 So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but
was appointed by the one who said to him,
'You are my Son,
   today I have begotten you'; 
as he says also in another place,
'You are a priest for ever,
   according to the order of Melchizedek.'
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John 2:23-3:15

When he was in Jerusalem during the Passover festival, many believed in
his name because they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his
part would not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and
needed no one to testify about anyone; for he himself knew what was in
everyone.
Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came
to Jesus* by night and said to him, 'Rabbi, we know that you are a
teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do
apart from the presence of God.' Jesus answered him, 'Very truly, I tell
you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.'*
Nicodemus said to him, 'How can anyone be born after having grown old?
Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?' Jesus
answered, 'Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God
without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is
flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.* Do not be astonished
that I said to you, "You* must be born from above."* The wind* blows
where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know
where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born
of the Spirit.' Nicodemus said to him, 'How can these things be?' Jesus
answered him, 'Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not
understand these things?

 'Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what
we have seen; yet you* do not receive our testimony. If I have told you
about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I
tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except
the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.* And just as Moses
lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be
lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.*
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Morning Psalms:  Psalm 25

Psalm 25

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. 
O my God, in you I trust;
   do not let me be put to shame;
   do not let my enemies exult over me. 
Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame;
   let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous. 


Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
   teach me your paths. 
Lead me in your truth, and teach me,
   for you are the God of my salvation;
   for you I wait all day long. 


Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love,
   for they have been from of old. 
Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
   according to your steadfast love remember me,
   for your goodness' sake, O Lord! 


Good and upright is the Lord;
   therefore he instructs sinners in the way. 
He leads the humble in what is right,
   and teaches the humble his way. 
All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness,
   for those who keep his covenant and his decrees. 


For your name's sake, O Lord,
   pardon my guilt, for it is great. 
Who are they that fear the Lord?
   He will teach them the way that they should choose. 


They will abide in prosperity,
   and their children shall possess the land. 
The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him,
   and he makes his covenant known to them. 
My eyes are ever towards the Lord,
   for he will pluck my feet out of the net. 


Turn to me and be gracious to me,
   for I am lonely and afflicted. 
Relieve the troubles of my heart,
   and bring me* out of my distress. 
Consider my affliction and my trouble,
   and forgive all my sins. 


Consider how many are my foes,
   and with what violent hatred they hate me. 
O guard my life, and deliver me;
   do not let me be put to shame, for I take refuge in you. 
May integrity and uprightness preserve me,
   for I wait for you. 


Redeem Israel, O God,
   out of all its troubles.
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Evening Psalms:  Psalm 9, 15

Psalm 9

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;
   I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. 
I will be glad and exult in you;
   I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. 


When my enemies turned back,
   they stumbled and perished before you. 
For you have maintained my just cause;
   you have sat on the throne giving righteous judgement. 


You have rebuked the nations, you have destroyed the wicked;
   you have blotted out their name for ever and ever. 
The enemies have vanished in everlasting ruins;
   their cities you have rooted out;
   the very memory of them has perished. 


But the Lord sits enthroned for ever,
   he has established his throne for judgement. 
He judges the world with righteousness;
   he judges the peoples with equity. 


The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed,
   a stronghold in times of trouble. 
And those who know your name put their trust in you,
   for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you. 


Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion.
   Declare his deeds among the peoples. 
For he who avenges blood is mindful of them;
   he does not forget the cry of the afflicted. 


Be gracious to me, O Lord.
   See what I suffer from those who hate me;
   you are the one who lifts me up from the gates of death, 
so that I may recount all your praises,
   and, in the gates of daughter Zion,
   rejoice in your deliverance. 


The nations have sunk in the pit that they made;
   in the net that they hid has their own foot been caught. 
The Lord has made himself known, he has executed judgement;
   the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands.
          Higgaion. Selah


The wicked shall depart to Sheol,
   all the nations that forget God. 


For the needy shall not always be forgotten,
   nor the hope of the poor perish for ever. 


Rise up, O Lord! Do not let mortals prevail;
   let the nations be judged before you. 
Put them in fear, O Lord;
   let the nations know that they are only human.
          Selah


Psalm 15

O Lord, who may abide in your tent?
   Who may dwell on your holy hill? 


Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right,
   and speak the truth from their heart; 
who do not slander with their tongue,
   and do no evil to their friends,
   nor take up a reproach against their neighbours; 
in whose eyes the wicked are despised,
   but who honour those who fear the Lord;
who stand by their oath even to their hurt; 
who do not lend money at interest,
   and do not take a bribe against the innocent. 


Those who do these things shall never be moved.
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