Wednesday 31 May 2023 DAILY LECTIONARY

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Wednesday 31 May 2023 
DAILY LECTIONARY

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Deuteronomy 4:25-31

When you have had children and children’s children, and become
complacent in the land, if you act corruptly by making an idol in the
form of anything, thus doing what is evil in the sight of the Lord
your God, and provoking him to anger, I call heaven and earth to
witness against you today that you will soon utterly perish from the
land that you are crossing the Jordan to occupy; you will not live
long on it, but will be utterly destroyed. The Lord will scatter you
among the peoples; only a few of you will be left among the nations
where the Lord will lead you. There you will serve other gods made by
human hands, objects of wood and stone that neither see, nor hear, nor
eat, nor smell. From there you will seek the Lord your God, and you
will find him if you search after him with all your heart and soul. In
your distress, when all these things have happened to you in time to
come, you will return to the Lord your God and heed him. Because the
Lord your God is a merciful God, he will neither abandon you nor
destroy you; he will not forget the covenant with your ancestors that
he swore to them.
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2 Corinthians 1:23-2:17

But I call on God as witness against me: it was to spare you that I
did not come again to Corinth. I do not mean to imply that we lord it
over your faith; rather, we are workers with you for your joy, because
you stand firm in the faith. 
So I made up my mind not to make you another painful visit. For if I
cause you pain, who is there to make me glad but the one whom I have
pained? And I wrote as I did, so that when I came, I might not suffer
pain from those who should have made me rejoice; for I am confident
about all of you, that my joy would be the joy of all of you. For I
wrote to you out of much distress and anguish of heart and with many
tears, not to cause you pain, but to let you know the abundant love
that I have for you. 
But if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but to some
extent—not to exaggerate it—to all of you. This punishment by the
majority is enough for such a person; so now instead you should
forgive and console him, so that he may not be overwhelmed by
excessive sorrow. So I urge you to reaffirm your love for him. I wrote
for this reason: to test you and to know whether you are obedient in
everything. Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. What I have
forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the
presence of Christ. And we do this so that we may not be outwitted by
Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs. 
When I came to Troas to proclaim the good news of Christ, a door was
opened for me in the Lord; but my mind could not rest because I did
not find my brother Titus there. So I said farewell to them and went
on to Macedonia. 
But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal
procession, and through us spreads in every place the fragrance that
comes from knowing him. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among
those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the
one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from
life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? For we are not
peddlers of God’s word like so many; but in Christ we speak as
persons of sincerity, as persons sent from God and standing in his
presence.
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Luke 15:1-2,11-32

Now all the tax-collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to
him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying,
‘This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.’ 
Then Jesus said, ‘There was a man who had two sons. The younger of
them said to his father, “Father, give me the share of the property
that will belong to me.” So he divided his property between them. A
few days later the younger son gathered all he had and travelled to a
distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute
living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place
throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and
hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him
to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself
with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything.
But when he came to himself he said, “How many of my father’s
hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of
hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him,
‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer
worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired
hands.’ ” So he set off and went to his father. But while he was
still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he
ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to
him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no
longer worthy to be called your son.” But the father said to his
slaves, “Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on
him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the
fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of
mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!” And
they began to celebrate. 
‘Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached
the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and
asked what was going on. He replied, “Your brother has come, and
your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back
safe and sound.” Then he became angry and refused to go in. His
father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his
father, “Listen! For all these years I have been working like a
slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have
never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my
friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your
property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!” Then
the father said to him, “Son, you are always with me, and all that
is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this
brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has
been found.” ’
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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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