Friday 23 June 2023 DAILY LECTIONARY

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Friday 23 June 2023 
DAILY LECTIONARY

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1 Samuel 3:1-21

Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. The word of
the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread. 
At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he
could not see, was lying down in his room; the lamp of God had not yet
gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where
the ark of God was. Then the Lord called, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ and he
said, ‘Here I am!’ and ran to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you
called me.’ But he said, ‘I did not call; lie down again.’ So he
went and lay down. The Lord called again, ‘Samuel!’ Samuel got up
and went to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ But he
said, ‘I did not call, my son; lie down again.’ Now Samuel did not
yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed
to him. The Lord called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and
went to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ Then Eli
perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to
Samuel, ‘Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, “Speak,
Lord, for your servant is listening.” ’ So Samuel went and lay
down in his place. 
Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, ‘Samuel!
Samuel!’ And Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is
listening.’ Then the Lord said to Samuel, ‘See, I am about to do
something in Israel that will make both ears of anyone who hears of it
tingle. On that day I will fulfil against Eli all that I have spoken
concerning his house, from beginning to end. For I have told him that
I am about to punish his house for ever, for the iniquity that he
knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain
them. Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of
Eli’s house shall not be expiated by sacrifice or offering for
ever.’ 
Samuel lay there until morning; then he opened the doors of the house
of the Lord. Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. But Eli
called Samuel and said, ‘Samuel, my son.’ He said, ‘Here I
am.’ Eli said, ‘What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from
me. May God do so to you and more also, if you hide anything from me
of all that he told you.’ So Samuel told him everything and hid
nothing from him. Then he said, ‘It is the Lord; let him do what
seems good to him.’ 
As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him and let none of his words
fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba knew that
Samuel was a trustworthy prophet of the Lord. The Lord continued to
appear at Shiloh, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by
the word of the Lord.
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Acts 2:37-47

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter
and to the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what should we do?’ Peter
said to them, ‘Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name
of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will
receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you, for
your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord
our God calls to him.’ And he testified with many other arguments
and exhorted them, saying, ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt
generation.’ So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and
that day about three thousand persons were added. They devoted
themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking
of bread and the prayers. 
Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done
by the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in
common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the
proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time
together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food
with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of
all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those
who were being saved. 
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Luke 21:5-19

When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with
beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, he said, ‘As for these
things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be
left upon another; all will be thrown down.’ 
They asked him, ‘Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the
sign that this is about to take place?’ And he said, ‘Beware that
you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and say, “I am
he!” and, “The time is near!” Do not go after them. 
‘When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for
these things must take place first, but the end will not follow
immediately.’ Then he said to them, ‘Nation will rise against
nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be great earthquakes,
and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful
portents and great signs from heaven. 
‘But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you;
they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be
brought before kings and governors because of my name. This will give
you an opportunity to testify. So make up your minds not to prepare
your defence in advance; for I will give you words and a wisdom that
none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. You
will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and
friends; and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by
all because of my name. But not a hair of your head will perish. By
your endurance you will gain your souls.
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Morning Psalms:  Psalm 88

Psalm 88

O Lord, God of my salvation,
   when, at night, I cry out in your presence, 
let my prayer come before you;
   incline your ear to my cry. 

For my soul is full of troubles,
   and my life draws near to Sheol. 
I am counted among those who go down to the Pit;
   I am like those who have no help, 
like those forsaken among the dead,
   like the slain that lie in the grave,
like those whom you remember no more,
   for they are cut off from your hand. 
You have put me in the depths of the Pit,
   in the regions dark and deep. 
Your wrath lies heavy upon me,
   and you overwhelm me with all your waves.
          Selah 

You have caused my companions to shun me;
   you have made me a thing of horror to them.
I am shut in so that I cannot escape; 
   my eye grows dim through sorrow.
Every day I call on you, O Lord;
   I spread out my hands to you. 
Do you work wonders for the dead?
   Do the shades rise up to praise you?
          Selah 
Is your steadfast love declared in the grave,
   or your faithfulness in Abaddon? 
Are your wonders known in the darkness,
   or your saving help in the land of forgetfulness? 

But I, O Lord, cry out to you;
   in the morning my prayer comes before you. 
O Lord, why do you cast me off?
   Why do you hide your face from me? 
Wretched and close to death from my youth up,
   I suffer your terrors; I am desperate. 
Your wrath has swept over me;
   your dread assaults destroy me. 
They surround me like a flood all day long;
   from all sides they close in on me. 
You have caused friend and neighbour to shun me;
   my companions are in darkness.
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Evening Psalms: Psalm 91, 92

Psalm 91

You who live in the shelter of the Most High,
   who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, 
will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress;
   my God, in whom I trust.’ 
For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
   and from the deadly pestilence; 
he will cover you with his pinions,
   and under his wings you will find refuge;
   his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. 
You will not fear the terror of the night,
   or the arrow that flies by day, 
or the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
   or the destruction that wastes at noonday. 

A thousand may fall at your side,
   ten thousand at your right hand,
   but it will not come near you. 
You will only look with your eyes
   and see the punishment of the wicked. 

Because you have made the Lord your refuge,
   the Most High your dwelling-place, 
no evil shall befall you,
   no scourge come near your tent. 

For he will command his angels concerning you
   to guard you in all your ways. 
On their hands they will bear you up,
   so that you will not dash your foot against a stone. 
You will tread on the lion and the adder,
   the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot. 

Those who love me, I will deliver;
   I will protect those who know my name. 
When they call to me, I will answer them;
   I will be with them in trouble,
   I will rescue them and honour them. 
With long life I will satisfy them,
   and show them my salvation.

Psalm 92

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
   to sing praises to your name, O Most High; 
to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
   and your faithfulness by night, 
to the music of the lute and the harp,
   to the melody of the lyre. 
For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work;
   at the works of your hands I sing for joy. 

How great are your works, O Lord!
   Your thoughts are very deep! 
The dullard cannot know,
   the stupid cannot understand this: 
though the wicked sprout like grass
   and all evildoers flourish,
they are doomed to destruction for ever, 
   but you, O Lord, are on high for ever. 
For your enemies, O Lord,
   for your enemies shall perish;
   all evildoers shall be scattered. 

But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox;
   you have poured over me fresh oil. 
My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies;
   my ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants. 

The righteous flourish like the palm tree,
   and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 
They are planted in the house of the Lord;
   they flourish in the courts of our God. 
In old age they still produce fruit;
   they are always green and full of sap, 
showing that the Lord is upright;
   he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.
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