Wednesday 18 January 2023 DAILY LECTIONARY

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Wednesday 18 January 2023 
DAILY LECTIONARY

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Isaiah 44:24-45:7

Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer,
   who formed you in the womb:
I am the Lord, who made all things,
   who alone stretched out the heavens,
   who by myself spread out the earth; 
who frustrates the omens of liars,
   and makes fools of diviners;
who turns back the wise,
   and makes their knowledge foolish; 
who confirms the word of his servant,
   and fulfils the prediction of his messengers;
who says of Jerusalem, ‘It shall be inhabited’,
   and of the cities of Judah, ‘They shall be rebuilt,
   and I will raise up their ruins’; 
who says to the deep, ‘Be dry—
   I will dry up your rivers’; 
who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd,
   and he shall carry out all my purpose’;
and who says of Jerusalem, ‘It shall be rebuilt’,
   and of the temple, ‘Your foundation shall be laid.’ 

Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus,
   whose right hand I have grasped
to subdue nations before him
   and strip kings of their robes,
to open doors before him—
   and the gates shall not be closed: 
I will go before you
   and level the mountains,*
I will break in pieces the doors of bronze
   and cut through the bars of iron, 
I will give you the treasures of darkness
   and riches hidden in secret places,
so that you may know that it is I, the Lord,
   the God of Israel, who call you by your name. 
For the sake of my servant Jacob,
   and Israel my chosen,
I call you by your name,
   I surname you, though you do not know me. 
I am the Lord, and there is no other;
   besides me there is no god.
   I arm you, though you do not know me, 
so that they may know, from the rising of the sun
   and from the west, that there is no one besides me;
   I am the Lord, and there is no other. 
I form light and create darkness,
   I make weal and create woe;
   I the Lord do all these things.
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Ephesians 5:1-14

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love,
as Christ loved us* and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering
and sacrifice to God.
 But fornication and impurity of any kind, or greed, must not even be
mentioned among you, as is proper among saints. Entirely out of place
is obscene, silly, and vulgar talk; but instead, let there be
thanksgiving. Be sure of this, that no fornicator or impure person, or
one who is greedy (that is, an idolater), has any inheritance in the
kingdom of Christ and of God.

 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things
the wrath of God comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not
be associated with them. For once you were darkness, but now in the
Lord you are light. Live as children of light— for the fruit of the
light is found in all that is good and right and true. Try to find out
what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of
darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to mention
what such people do secretly; but everything exposed by the light
becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is light.
Therefore it says,
‘Sleeper, awake!
   Rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.’
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Mark 4:1-20

Again he began to teach beside the lake. Such a very large crowd
gathered around him that he got into a boat on the lake and sat there,
while the whole crowd was beside the lake on the land. He began to
teach them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to
them: ‘Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed
fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on
rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up
quickly, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was
scorched; and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell
among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no
grain. Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing
up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.’
And he said, ‘Let anyone with ears to hear listen!’
 When he was alone, those who were around him along with the twelve
asked him about the parables. And he said to them, ‘To you has been
given the secret* of the kingdom of God, but for those outside,
everything comes in parables; in order that
“they may indeed look, but not perceive,
   and may indeed listen, but not understand;
so that they may not turn again and be forgiven.” ’

 And he said to them, ‘Do you not understand this parable? Then how
will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word. These
are the ones on the path where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan
immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. And
these are the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, they
immediately receive it with joy. But they have no root, and endure
only for a while; then, when trouble or persecution arises on account
of the word, immediately they fall away.* And others are those sown
among the thorns: these are the ones who hear the word, but the cares
of the world, and the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things
come in and choke the word, and it yields nothing. And these are the
ones sown on the good soil: they hear the word and accept it and bear
fruit, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.’
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Morning Psalms: Psalm 38

Psalm 38

O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger,
   or discipline me in your wrath. 
For your arrows have sunk into me,
   and your hand has come down on me. 

There is no soundness in my flesh
   because of your indignation;
there is no health in my bones
   because of my sin. 
For my iniquities have gone over my head;
   they weigh like a burden too heavy for me. 

My wounds grow foul and fester
   because of my foolishness; 
I am utterly bowed down and prostrate;
   all day long I go around mourning. 
For my loins are filled with burning,
   and there is no soundness in my flesh. 
I am utterly spent and crushed;
   I groan because of the tumult of my heart. 

O Lord, all my longing is known to you;
   my sighing is not hidden from you. 
My heart throbs, my strength fails me;
   as for the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me. 
My friends and companions stand aloof from my affliction,
   and my neighbours stand far off. 

Those who seek my life lay their snares;
   those who seek to hurt me speak of ruin,
   and meditate treachery all day long. 

But I am like the deaf, I do not hear;
   like the mute, who cannot speak. 
Truly, I am like one who does not hear,
   and in whose mouth is no retort. 

But it is for you, O Lord, that I wait;
   it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer. 
For I pray, ‘Only do not let them rejoice over me,
   those who boast against me when my foot slips.’ 

For I am ready to fall,
   and my pain is ever with me. 
I confess my iniquity;
   I am sorry for my sin. 
Those who are my foes without cause* are mighty,
   and many are those who hate me wrongfully. 
Those who render me evil for good
   are my adversaries because I follow after good. 

Do not forsake me, O Lord;
   O my God, do not be far from me; 
make haste to help me,
   O Lord, my salvation.
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Evening Psalms: Psalm 119:25-48

Psalm 119:25-48

My soul clings to the dust;
   revive me according to your word. 
When I told of my ways, you answered me;
   teach me your statutes. 
Make me understand the way of your precepts,
   and I will meditate on your wondrous works. 
My soul melts away for sorrow;
   strengthen me according to your word. 
Put false ways far from me;
   and graciously teach me your law. 
I have chosen the way of faithfulness;
   I set your ordinances before me. 
I cling to your decrees, O Lord;
   let me not be put to shame. 
I run the way of your commandments,
   for you enlarge my understanding. 

Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes,
   and I will observe it to the end. 
Give me understanding, that I may keep your law
   and observe it with my whole heart. 
Lead me in the path of your commandments,
   for I delight in it. 
Turn my heart to your decrees,
   and not to selfish gain. 
Turn my eyes from looking at vanities;
   give me life in your ways. 
Confirm to your servant your promise,
   which is for those who fear you. 
Turn away the disgrace that I dread,
   for your ordinances are good. 
See, I have longed for your precepts;
   in your righteousness give me life. 

Let your steadfast love come to me, O Lord,
   your salvation according to your promise. 
Then I shall have an answer for those who taunt me,
   for I trust in your word. 
Do not take the word of truth utterly out of my mouth,
   for my hope is in your ordinances. 
I will keep your law continually,
   for ever and ever. 
I shall walk at liberty,
   for I have sought your precepts. 
I will also speak of your decrees before kings,
   and shall not be put to shame; 
I find my delight in your commandments,
   because I love them. 
I revere your commandments, which I love,
   and I will meditate on your statutes.
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