Saturday 15 March 2008 DAILY LECTIONARY

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Saturday 15 March 2008 
DAILY LECTIONARY

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Exodus 10:21-11:8

Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Stretch out your hand towards heaven so
that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness that can
be felt.' 22So Moses stretched out his hand towards heaven, and there
was dense darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days. 23People
could not see one another, and for three days they could not move from
where they were; but all the Israelites had light where they lived.
24Then Pharaoh summoned Moses, and said, 'Go, worship the Lord. Only
your flocks and your herds shall remain behind. Even your children may
go with you.' 25But Moses said, 'You must also let us have sacrifices
and burnt-offerings to sacrifice to the Lord our God. 26Our livestock
also must go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind, for we must
choose some of them for the worship of the Lord our God, and we will not
know what to use to worship the Lord until we arrive there.' 27But the
Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he was unwilling to let them go.
28Then Pharaoh said to him, 'Get away from me! Take care that you do not
see my face again, for on the day you see my face you shall die.'
29Moses said, 'Just as you say! I will never see your face again.' 
Warning of the Final Plague11The Lord said to Moses, 'I will bring one
more plague upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt; afterwards he will let you go
from here; indeed, when he lets you go, he will drive you away. 2Tell
the people that every man is to ask his neighbour and every woman is to
ask her neighbour for objects of silver and gold.' 3The Lord gave the
people favour in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover, Moses himself was
a man of great importance in the land of Egypt, in the sight of
Pharaoh's officials, and in the sight of the people. 
4 Moses said, 'Thus says the Lord: About midnight I will go out through
Egypt. 5Every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the
firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne to the firstborn of the
female slave who is behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the
livestock. 6Then there will be a loud cry throughout the whole land of
Egypt, such as has never been nor will ever be again. 7But not a dog
shall growl at any of the Israelites-not at people, not at animals-so
that you may know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and
Israel. 8Then all these officials of yours shall come down to me, and
bow low to me, saying, "Leave us, you and all the people who follow
you." After that I will leave.' And in hot anger he left Pharaoh.
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2 Corinthians 4:13-18

But just as we have the same spirit of faith that is in accordance with
scripture-'I believed, and so I spoke'-we also believe, and so we speak,
14because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us
also with Jesus, and will bring us with you into his presence. 15Yes,
everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and
more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. 
Living by Faith16 So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature
is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. 17For
this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight
of glory beyond all measure, 18because we look not at what can be seen
but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what
cannot be seen is eternal.
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Mark 10:46-52

They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were
leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting
by the roadside. 47When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began
to shout out and say, 'Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!' 48Many
sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, 'Son
of David, have mercy on me!' 49Jesus stood still and said, 'Call him
here.' And they called the blind man, saying to him, 'Take heart; get
up, he is calling you.' 50So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and
came to Jesus. 51Then Jesus said to him, 'What do you want me to do for
you?' The blind man said to him, 'My teacher,* let me see again.'
52Jesus said to him, 'Go; your faith has made you well.' Immediately he
regained his sight and followed him on the way.
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Morning Psalms:  Psalm 137:1-9, 144

Psalm 137:1-9

By the rivers of Babylon-
   there we sat down and there we wept
   when we remembered Zion. 
2On the willows* there
   we hung up our harps. 
3For there our captors
   asked us for songs,
and our tormentors asked for mirth, saying,
   'Sing us one of the songs of Zion!' 


4How could we sing the Lord's song
   in a foreign land? 
5If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
   let my right hand wither! 
6Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth,
   if I do not remember you,
if I do not set Jerusalem
   above my highest joy. 


7Remember, O Lord, against the Edomites
   the day of Jerusalem's fall,
how they said, 'Tear it down! Tear it down!
   Down to its foundations!' 
8O daughter Babylon, you devastator!*
   Happy shall they be who pay you back
   what you have done to us! 
9Happy shall they be who take your little ones
   and dash them against the rock!


Psalm 144

Blessed be the Lord, my rock,
   who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle; 
2my rock* and my fortress,
   my stronghold and my deliverer,
my shield, in whom I take refuge,
   who subdues the peoples* under me. 


3O Lord, what are human beings that you regard them,
   or mortals that you think of them? 
4They are like a breath;
   their days are like a passing shadow. 


5Bow your heavens, O Lord, and come down;
   touch the mountains so that they smoke. 
6Make the lightning flash and scatter them;
   send out your arrows and rout them. 
7Stretch out your hand from on high;
   set me free and rescue me from the mighty waters,
   from the hand of aliens, 
8whose mouths speak lies,
   and whose right hands are false. 


9I will sing a new song to you, O God;
   upon a ten-stringed harp I will play to you, 
10the one who gives victory to kings,
   who rescues his servant David. 
11Rescue me from the cruel sword,
   and deliver me from the hand of aliens,
whose mouths speak lies,
   and whose right hands are false. 


12May our sons in their youth
   be like plants full grown,
our daughters like corner pillars,
   cut for the building of a palace. 
13May our barns be filled
   with produce of every kind;
may our sheep increase by thousands,
   by tens of thousands in our fields, 
14   and may our cattle be heavy with young.
May there be no breach in the walls,* no exile,
   and no cry of distress in our streets. 


15Happy are the people to whom such blessings fall;
   happy are the people whose God is the Lord.
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Evening Psalms:  Psalm 42, 43

Psalm 42

As a deer longs for flowing streams,
   so my soul longs for you, O God. 
2My soul thirsts for God,
   for the living God.
When shall I come and behold
   the face of God? 
3My tears have been my food
   day and night,
while people say to me continually,
   'Where is your God?' 


4These things I remember,
   as I pour out my soul:
how I went with the throng,*
   and led them in procession to the house of God,
with glad shouts and songs of thanksgiving,
   a multitude keeping festival. 
5Why are you cast down, O my soul,
   and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
   my help 6and my God. 


My soul is cast down within me;
   therefore I remember you
from the land of Jordan and of Hermon,
   from Mount Mizar. 
7Deep calls to deep
   at the thunder of your cataracts;
all your waves and your billows
   have gone over me. 
8By day the Lord commands his steadfast love,
   and at night his song is with me,
   a prayer to the God of my life. 


9I say to God, my rock,
   'Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I walk about mournfully
   because the enemy oppresses me?' 
10As with a deadly wound in my body,
   my adversaries taunt me,
while they say to me continually,
   'Where is your God?' 


11Why are you cast down, O my soul,
   and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
   my help and my God.


Psalm 43

Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause
   against an ungodly people;
from those who are deceitful and unjust
   deliver me! 
2For you are the God in whom I take refuge;
   why have you cast me off?
Why must I walk about mournfully
   because of the oppression of the enemy? 


3O send out your light and your truth;
   let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill
   and to your dwelling. 
4Then I will go to the altar of God,
   to God my exceeding joy;
and I will praise you with the harp,
   O God, my God. 


5Why are you cast down, O my soul,
   and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
   my help and my God.
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