Sunday 26 March 2023 DAILY LECTIONARY

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Sunday 26 March 2023 
DAILY LECTIONARY

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Jeremiah 23:16-32

Thus says the Lord of hosts: Do not listen to the words of the
prophets who prophesy to you; they are deluding you. They speak
visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. They keep
saying to those who despise the word of the Lord, ‘It shall be well
with you’; and to all who stubbornly follow their own stubborn
hearts, they say, ‘No calamity shall come upon you.’ 

For who has stood in the council of the Lord
   so as to see and to hear his word?
   Who has given heed to his word so as to proclaim it? 
Look, the storm of the Lord!
   Wrath has gone forth,
a whirling tempest;
   it will burst upon the head of the wicked. 
The anger of the Lord will not turn back
   until he has executed and accomplished
   the intents of his mind.
In the latter days you will understand it clearly. 

I did not send the prophets,
   yet they ran;
I did not speak to them,
   yet they prophesied. 
But if they had stood in my council,
   then they would have proclaimed my words to my people,
and they would have turned them from their evil way,
   and from the evil of their doings. 

 Am I a God near by, says the Lord, and not a God far off? Who can
hide in secret places so that I cannot see them? says the Lord. Do I
not fill heaven and earth? says the Lord. I have heard what the
prophets have said who prophesy lies in my name, saying, ‘I have
dreamed, I have dreamed!’ How long? Will the hearts of the prophets
ever turn back—those who prophesy lies, and who prophesy the deceit
of their own heart? They plan to make my people forget my name by
their dreams that they tell one another, just as their ancestors
forgot my name for Baal. Let the prophet who has a dream tell the
dream, but let the one who has my word speak my word faithfully. What
has straw in common with wheat? says the Lord. Is not my word like
fire, says the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?
See, therefore, I am against the prophets, says the Lord, who steal my
words from one another. See, I am against the prophets, says the Lord,
who use their own tongues and say, ‘Says the Lord.’ See, I am
against those who prophesy lying dreams, says the Lord, and who tell
them, and who lead my people astray by their lies and their
recklessness, when I did not send them or appoint them; so they do not
profit this people at all, says the Lord.
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1 Corinthians 9:19-27

For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave
to all, so that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a
Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one
under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so that I might
win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one
outside the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under
Christ’s law) so that I might win those outside the law. To the weak
I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become all things
to all people, so that I might by any means save some. I do it all for
the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.

 Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one
receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it. Athletes
exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a
perishable garland, but we an imperishable one. So I do not run
aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air; but I punish my
body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others I myself
should not be disqualified.
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Mark 8:31-9:1

Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great
suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the
scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all
this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said,
‘Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine
things but on human things.’

 He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, ‘If any
want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up
their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will
lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake
of the gospel,* will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the
whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in
return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words* in
this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will
also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy
angels.’ And he said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, there are some
standing here who will not taste death until they see that the kingdom
of God has come with* power.’
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Morning Psalms: Psalm 118

Psalm 118

O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
   his steadfast love endures for ever! 

Let Israel say,
   ‘His steadfast love endures for ever.’ 
Let the house of Aaron say,
   ‘His steadfast love endures for ever.’ 
Let those who fear the Lord say,
   ‘His steadfast love endures for ever.’ 

Out of my distress I called on the Lord;
   the Lord answered me and set me in a broad place. 
With the Lord on my side I do not fear.
   What can mortals do to me? 
The Lord is on my side to help me;
   I shall look in triumph on those who hate me. 
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
   than to put confidence in mortals. 
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
   than to put confidence in princes. 

All nations surrounded me;
   in the name of the Lord I cut them off! 
They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side;
   in the name of the Lord I cut them off! 
They surrounded me like bees;
   they blazed* like a fire of thorns;
   in the name of the Lord I cut them off! 
I was pushed hard,* so that I was falling,
   but the Lord helped me. 
The Lord is my strength and my might;
   he has become my salvation. 

There are glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous:
‘The right hand of the Lord does valiantly; 
   the right hand of the Lord is exalted;
   the right hand of the Lord does valiantly.’ 
I shall not die, but I shall live,
   and recount the deeds of the Lord. 
The Lord has punished me severely,
   but he did not give me over to death. 

Open to me the gates of righteousness,
   that I may enter through them
   and give thanks to the Lord. 

This is the gate of the Lord;
   the righteous shall enter through it. 

I thank you that you have answered me
   and have become my salvation. 
The stone that the builders rejected
   has become the chief cornerstone. 
This is the Lord’s doing;
   it is marvellous in our eyes. 
This is the day that the Lord has made;
   let us rejoice and be glad in it.* 
Save us, we beseech you, O Lord!
   O Lord, we beseech you, give us success! 

Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.*
   We bless you from the house of the Lord. 
The Lord is God,
   and he has given us light.
Bind the festal procession with branches,
   up to the horns of the altar.* 

You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;
   you are my God, I will extol you. 

O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever.
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Evening Psalms: Psalm 145

Psalm 145

I will extol you, my God and King,
   and bless your name for ever and ever. 
Every day I will bless you,
   and praise your name for ever and ever. 
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
   his greatness is unsearchable. 

One generation shall laud your works to another,
   and shall declare your mighty acts. 
On the glorious splendour of your majesty,
   and on your wondrous works, I will meditate. 
The might of your awesome deeds shall be proclaimed,
   and I will declare your greatness. 
They shall celebrate the fame of your abundant goodness,
   and shall sing aloud of your righteousness. 

The Lord is gracious and merciful,
   slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 
The Lord is good to all,
   and his compassion is over all that he has made. 

All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
   and all your faithful shall bless you. 
They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom,
   and tell of your power, 
to make known to all people your* mighty deeds,
   and the glorious splendour of your* kingdom. 
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
   and your dominion endures throughout all generations. 

The Lord is faithful in all his words,
   and gracious in all his deeds.* 
The Lord upholds all who are falling,
   and raises up all who are bowed down. 
The eyes of all look to you,
   and you give them their food in due season. 
You open your hand,
   satisfying the desire of every living thing. 
The Lord is just in all his ways,
   and kind in all his doings. 
The Lord is near to all who call on him,
   to all who call on him in truth. 
He fulfils the desire of all who fear him;
   he also hears their cry, and saves them. 
The Lord watches over all who love him,
   but all the wicked he will destroy. 

My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
   and all flesh will bless his holy name for ever and ever.
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