Monday 10 March 2008 DAILY LECTIONARY

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Monday 10 March 2008 
DAILY LECTIONARY

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Exodus 4:10-31

But Moses said to the Lord, 'O my Lord, I have never been eloquent,
neither in the past nor even now that you have spoken to your servant;
but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.' 11Then the Lord said to
him, 'Who gives speech to mortals? Who makes them mute or deaf, seeing
or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12Now go, and I will be with your mouth
and teach you what you are to speak.' 13But he said, 'O my Lord, please
send someone else.' 14Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against
Moses and he said, 'What of your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that
he can speak fluently; even now he is coming out to meet you, and when
he sees you his heart will be glad. 15You shall speak to him and put the
words in his mouth; and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth,
and will teach you what you shall do. 16He indeed shall speak for you to
the people; he shall serve as a mouth for you, and you shall serve as
God for him. 17Take in your hand this staff, with which you shall
perform the signs.' 
Moses Returns to Egypt18 Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro and
said to him, 'Please let me go back to my kindred in Egypt and see
whether they are still living.' And Jethro said to Moses, 'Go in peace.'
19The Lord said to Moses in Midian, 'Go back to Egypt; for all those who
were seeking your life are dead.' 20So Moses took his wife and his sons,
put them on a donkey, and went back to the land of Egypt; and Moses
carried the staff of God in his hand. 
21 And the Lord said to Moses, 'When you go back to Egypt, see that you
perform before Pharaoh all the wonders that I have put in your power;
but I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.
22Then you shall say to Pharaoh, "Thus says the Lord: Israel is my
firstborn son. 23I said to you, 'Let my son go that he may worship me.'
But you refused to let him go; now I will kill your firstborn son." ' 
24 On the way, at a place where they spent the night, the Lord met him
and tried to kill him. 25But Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son's
foreskin, and touched Moses'* feet with it, and said, 'Truly you are a
bridegroom of blood to me!' 26So he let him alone. It was then she said,
'A bridegroom of blood by circumcision.' 
27 The Lord said to Aaron, 'Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.' So he
went; and he met him at the mountain of God and kissed him. 28Moses told
Aaron all the words of the Lord with which he had sent him, and all the
signs with which he had charged him. 29Then Moses and Aaron went and
assembled all the elders of the Israelites. 30Aaron spoke all the words
that the Lord had spoken to Moses, and performed the signs in the sight
of the people. 31The people believed; and when they heard that the Lord
had given heed to the Israelites and that he had seen their misery, they
bowed down and worshipped.
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1 Corinthians 14:1-19

Pursue love and strive for the spiritual gifts, and especially that you
may prophesy. 2For those who speak in a tongue do not speak to other
people but to God; for nobody understands them, since they are speaking
mysteries in the Spirit. 3On the other hand, those who prophesy speak to
other people for their building up and encouragement and consolation.
4Those who speak in a tongue build up themselves, but those who prophesy
build up the church. 5Now I would like all of you to speak in tongues,
but even more to prophesy. One who prophesies is greater than one who
speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be
built up. 
6 Now, brothers and sisters,* if I come to you speaking in tongues, how
will I benefit you unless I speak to you in some revelation or knowledge
or prophecy or teaching? 7It is the same way with lifeless instruments
that produce sound, such as the flute or the harp. If they do not give
distinct notes, how will anyone know what is being played? 8And if the
bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle? 9So with
yourselves; if in a tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible,
how will anyone know what is being said? For you will be speaking into
the air. 10There are doubtless many different kinds of sounds in the
world, and nothing is without sound. 11If then I do not know the meaning
of a sound, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a
foreigner to me. 12So with yourselves; since you are eager for spiritual
gifts, strive to excel in them for building up the church. 
13 Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray for the power to
interpret. 14For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is
unproductive. 15What should I do then? I will pray with the spirit, but
I will pray with the mind also; I will sing praise with the spirit, but
I will sing praise with the mind also. 16Otherwise, if you say a
blessing with the spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider
say the 'Amen' to your thanksgiving, since the outsider does not know
what you are saying? 17For you may give thanks well enough, but the
other person is not built up. 18I thank God that I speak in tongues more
than all of you; 19nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five
words with my mind, in order to instruct others also, than ten thousand
words in a tongue.
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Mark 9:30-41

They went on from there and passed through Galilee. He did not want
anyone to know it; 31for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them,
'The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill
him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.' 32But they
did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him. 
Who Is the Greatest?33 Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in
the house he asked them, 'What were you arguing about on the way?' 34But
they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about
who was the greatest. 35He sat down, called the twelve, and said to
them, 'Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of
all.' 36Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it
in his arms, he said to them, 37'Whoever welcomes one such child in my
name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one
who sent me.' 
Another Exorcist38 John said to him, 'Teacher, we saw someone* casting
out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not
following us.' 39But Jesus said, 'Do not stop him; for no one who does a
deed of power in my name will be able soon afterwards to speak evil of
me. 40Whoever is not against us is for us. 41For truly I tell you,
whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of
Christ will by no means lose the reward.
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Morning Psalms:  Psalm 31

Psalm 31

In you, O Lord, I seek refuge;
   do not let me ever be put to shame;
   in your righteousness deliver me. 
2Incline your ear to me;
   rescue me speedily.
Be a rock of refuge for me,
   a strong fortress to save me. 


3You are indeed my rock and my fortress;
   for your name's sake lead me and guide me, 
4take me out of the net that is hidden for me,
   for you are my refuge. 
5Into your hand I commit my spirit;
   you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God. 


6You hate* those who pay regard to worthless idols,
   but I trust in the Lord. 
7I will exult and rejoice in your steadfast love,
   because you have seen my affliction;
   you have taken heed of my adversities, 
8and have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy;
   you have set my feet in a broad place. 


9Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress;
   my eye wastes away from grief,
   my soul and body also. 
10For my life is spent with sorrow,
   and my years with sighing;
my strength fails because of my misery,*
   and my bones waste away. 


11I am the scorn of all my adversaries,
   a horror* to my neighbours,
an object of dread to my acquaintances;
   those who see me in the street flee from me. 
12I have passed out of mind like one who is dead;
   I have become like a broken vessel. 
13For I hear the whispering of many-
   terror all around!-
as they scheme together against me,
   as they plot to take my life. 


14But I trust in you, O Lord;
   I say, 'You are my God.' 
15My times are in your hand;
   deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors. 
16Let your face shine upon your servant;
   save me in your steadfast love. 
17Do not let me be put to shame, O Lord,
   for I call on you;
let the wicked be put to shame;
   let them go dumbfounded to Sheol. 
18Let the lying lips be stilled
   that speak insolently against the righteous
   with pride and contempt. 


19O how abundant is your goodness
   that you have laid up for those who fear you,
and accomplished for those who take refuge in you,
   in the sight of everyone! 
20In the shelter of your presence you hide them
   from human plots;
you hold them safe under your shelter
   from contentious tongues. 


21Blessed be the Lord,
   for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me
   when I was beset as a city under siege. 
22I had said in my alarm,
   'I am driven far* from your sight.'
But you heard my supplications
   when I cried out to you for help. 


23Love the Lord, all you his saints.
   The Lord preserves the faithful,
   but abundantly repays the one who acts haughtily. 
24Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
   all you who wait for the Lord.
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Evening Psalms:  Psalm 35

Psalm 35

Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me;
   fight against those who fight against me! 
2Take hold of shield and buckler,
   and rise up to help me! 
3Draw the spear and javelin
   against my pursuers;
say to my soul,
   'I am your salvation.' 


4Let them be put to shame and dishonour
   who seek after my life.
Let them be turned back and confounded
   who devise evil against me. 
5Let them be like chaff before the wind,
   with the angel of the Lord driving them on. 
6Let their way be dark and slippery,
   with the angel of the Lord pursuing them. 


7For without cause they hid their net* for me;
   without cause they dug a pit* for my life. 
8Let ruin come on them unawares.
And let the net that they hid ensnare them;
   let them fall in it-to their ruin. 


9Then my soul shall rejoice in the Lord,
   exulting in his deliverance. 
10All my bones shall say,
   'O Lord, who is like you?
You deliver the weak
   from those too strong for them,
   the weak and needy from those who despoil them.' 


11Malicious witnesses rise up;
   they ask me about things I do not know. 
12They repay me evil for good;
   my soul is forlorn. 
13But as for me, when they were sick,
   I wore sackcloth;
   I afflicted myself with fasting.
I prayed with head bowed* on my bosom, 
14   as though I grieved for a friend or a brother;
I went about as one who laments for a mother,
   bowed down and in mourning. 


15But at my stumbling they gathered in glee,
   they gathered together against me;
ruffians whom I did not know
   tore at me without ceasing; 
16they impiously mocked more and more,*
   gnashing at me with their teeth. 


17How long, O Lord, will you look on?
   Rescue me from their ravages,
   my life from the lions! 
18Then I will thank you in the great congregation;
   in the mighty throng I will praise you. 


19Do not let my treacherous enemies rejoice over me,
   or those who hate me without cause wink the eye. 
20For they do not speak peace,
   but they conceive deceitful words
   against those who are quiet in the land. 
21They open wide their mouths against me;
   they say, 'Aha, Aha,
   our eyes have seen it.' 


22You have seen, O Lord; do not be silent!
   O Lord, do not be far from me! 
23Wake up! Bestir yourself for my defence,
   for my cause, my God and my Lord! 
24Vindicate me, O Lord, my God,
   according to your righteousness,
   and do not let them rejoice over me. 
25Do not let them say to themselves,
   'Aha, we have our heart's desire.'
Do not let them say, 'We have swallowed you* up.' 


26Let all those who rejoice at my calamity
   be put to shame and confusion;
let those who exalt themselves against me
   be clothed with shame and dishonour. 


27Let those who desire my vindication
   shout for joy and be glad,
   and say evermore,
'Great is the Lord,
   who delights in the welfare of his servant.' 
28Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness
   and of your praise all day long.
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