Saturday 13 June 2009 DAILY LECTIONARY

Sat Jun 13 02:00:10 EDT 2009

 Saturday 13 June 2009
DAILY LECTIONARY

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Ecclesiasticus 46:1-10

Joshua son of Nun was mighty in war,
   and was the successor of Moses in the prophetic office.
He became, as his name implies,
   a great saviour of God’s* elect,
to take vengeance on the enemies that rose against them,
   so that he might give Israel its inheritance.
How glorious he was when he lifted his hands
   and brandished his sword against the cities!
Who before him ever stood so firm?
   For he waged the wars of the Lord.
Was it not through him that the sun stood still
   and one day became as long as two?
He called upon the Most High, the Mighty One,
   when enemies pressed him on every side,
and the great Lord answered him
   with hailstones of mighty power.
He overwhelmed that nation in battle,
   and on the slope he destroyed his opponents,
so that the nations might know his armament,
   that he was fighting in the sight of the Lord;
   for he was a devoted follower of the Mighty One.
And in the days of Moses he proved his loyalty,
   he and Caleb son of Jephunneh:
they opposed the congregation,*
   restrained the people from sin,
   and stilled their wicked grumbling.
And these two alone were spared
   out of six hundred thousand infantry,
to lead the people* into their inheritance,
   the land flowing with milk and honey.
The Lord gave Caleb strength,
   which remained with him in his old age,
so that he went up to the hill country,
   and his children obtained it for an inheritance,
so that all the Israelites might see
   how good it is to follow the Lord.
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2 Corinthians 13:1-14

This is the third time I am coming to you. ‘Any charge must be sustained by the evidence of two or three witnesses.’ I warned those who sinned previously and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when present on my second visit, that if I come again, I will not be lenient— since you desire proof that Christ is speaking in me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful in you. For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we are weak in him,* but in dealing with you we will live with him by the power of God.

 Examine yourselves to see whether you are living in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless, indeed, you fail to pass the test! I hope you will find out that we have not failed. But we pray to God that you may not do anything wrong—not that we may appear to have passed the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed. For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. For we rejoice when we are weak and you are strong. This is what we pray for, that you may become perfect. So I write these things while I am away from you, so that when I come, I may not have to be severe in using the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.
 Finally, brothers and sisters,* farewell.* Put things in order, listen to my appeal,* agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you.

 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of* the Holy Spirit be with all of you.
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Luke 20:1-8

One day, as he was teaching the people in the temple and telling the good news, the chief priests and the scribes came with the elders and said to him, ‘Tell us, by what authority are you doing these things? Who is it who gave you this authority?’ He answered them, ‘I will also ask you a question, and you tell me: Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?’ They discussed it with one another, saying, ‘If we say, “From heaven”, he will say, “Why did you not believe him?” But if we say, “Of human origin”, all the people will stone us; for they are convinced that John was a prophet.’ So they answered that they did not know where it came from. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.’
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Morning Psalms: Psalm 75, 76

Psalm 75

We give thanks to you, O God;
   we give thanks; your name is near.
People tell of your wondrous deeds.

At the set time that I appoint
   I will judge with equity.
When the earth totters, with all its inhabitants,
   it is I who keep its pillars steady.
          Selah
I say to the boastful, ‘Do not boast’,
   and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horn;
do not lift up your horn on high,
   or speak with insolent neck.’

For not from the east or from the west
   and not from the wilderness comes lifting up;
but it is God who executes judgement,
   putting down one and lifting up another.
For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup
   with foaming wine, well mixed;
he will pour a draught from it,
   and all the wicked of the earth
   shall drain it down to the dregs.
But I will rejoice* for ever;
   I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.

All the horns of the wicked I will cut off,
   but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.

Psalm 76

In Judah God is known,
   his name is great in Israel.
His abode has been established in Salem,
   his dwelling-place in Zion.
There he broke the flashing arrows,
   the shield, the sword, and the weapons of war.
          Selah

Glorious are you, more majestic
   than the everlasting mountains.*
The stout-hearted were stripped of their spoil;
   they sank into sleep;
none of the troops
   was able to lift a hand.
At your rebuke, O God of Jacob,
   both rider and horse lay stunned.

But you indeed are awesome!
   Who can stand before you
   when once your anger is roused?
From the heavens you uttered judgement;
   the earth feared and was still
when God rose up to establish judgement,
   to save all the oppressed of the earth.
          Selah

Human wrath serves only to praise you,
   when you bind the last bit of your* wrath around you.
Make vows to the Lord your God, and perform them;
   let all who are around him bring gifts
   to the one who is awesome,
who cuts off the spirit of princes,
   who inspires fear in the kings of the earth.
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Evening Psalms: Psalm 23, 27

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
   He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;*
   he restores my soul.*
He leads me in right paths*
   for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley,*
   I fear no evil;
for you are with me;
   your rod and your staff—
   they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
   in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
   my cup overflows.
Surely* goodness and mercy* shall follow me
   all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
   my whole life long.

Psalm 27

The Lord is my light and my salvation;
   whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold* of my life;
   of whom shall I be afraid?

When evildoers assail me
   to devour my flesh—
my adversaries and foes—
   they shall stumble and fall.

Though an army encamp against me,
   my heart shall not fear;
though war rise up against me,
   yet I will be confident.

One thing I asked of the Lord,
   that will I seek after:
to live in the house of the Lord
   all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of the Lord,
   and to inquire in his temple.

For he will hide me in his shelter
   in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
   he will set me high on a rock.

Now my head is lifted up
   above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
   sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud,
   be gracious to me and answer me!
‘Come,’ my heart says, ‘seek his face!’
   Your face, Lord, do I seek.
   Do not hide your face from me.

Do not turn your servant away in anger,
   you who have been my help.
Do not cast me off, do not forsake me,
   O God of my salvation!
If my father and mother forsake me,
   the Lord will take me up.

Teach me your way, O Lord,
   and lead me on a level path
   because of my enemies.
Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries,
   for false witnesses have risen against me,
   and they are breathing out violence.

I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord
   in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord;
   be strong, and let your heart take courage;
   wait for the Lord!
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