Sunday 2 August 2009<!--StartFragment-->
<p class="MsoNormal">DAILY LECTIONARY</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Email Evangelism, forward to a friend: http://www.dailylectionary.org</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">2 Samuel 6:12-23<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">It was told King David, ‘The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.’ So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing; and when those who bore the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling. David danced before the Lord with all his might; David was girded with a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>As the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal daughter of Saul looked out of the window, and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>They brought in the ark of the Lord, and set it in its place, inside the tent that David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt-offerings and offerings of well-being before the Lord. When David had finished offering the burnt-offerings and the offerings of well-being, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts, and distributed food among all the people, the whole multitude of Israel, both men and women, to each a cake of bread, a portion of meat,* and a cake of raisins. Then all the people went back to their homes.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>David returned to bless his household. But Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, ‘How the king of Israel honoured himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants’ maids, as any vulgar fellow might shamelessly uncover himself!’ David said to Michal, ‘It was before the Lord, who chose me in place of your father and all his household, to appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the Lord, that I have danced before the Lord. I will make myself yet more contemptible than this, and I will be abased in my own eyes; but by the maids of whom you have spoken, by them I shall be held in honour.’ And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Romans 4:7-12</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">‘Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>and whose sins are covered;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">blessed is the one against whom the Lord will not reckon sin.’</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Is this blessedness, then, pronounced only on the circumcised, or also on the uncircumcised? We say, ‘Faith was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness.’ How then was it reckoned to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the ancestor of all who believe without being circumcised and who thus have righteousness reckoned to them, and likewise the ancestor of the circumcised who are not only circumcised but who also follow the example of the faith that our ancestor Abraham had before he was circumcised.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">John 1:43-51</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, ‘Follow me.’ Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.’ Nathanael said to him, ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’ Philip said to him, ‘Come and see.’ When Jesus saw Nathanael coming towards him, he said of him, ‘Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!’ Nathanael asked him, ‘Where did you come to know me?’ Jesus answered, ‘I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.’ Nathanael replied, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!’ Jesus answered, ‘Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.’ And he said to him, ‘Very truly, I tell you,* you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.’<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Morning Psalms: Psalm 93, 96</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Psalm 93</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">The Lord is king, he is robed in majesty;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>the Lord is robed, he is girded with strength.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">He has established the world; it shall never be moved;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>your throne is established from of old;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>you are from everlasting.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">The floods have lifted up, O Lord,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>the floods have lifted up their voice;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>the floods lift up their roaring.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">More majestic than the thunders of mighty waters,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>more majestic than the waves* of the sea,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>majestic on high is the Lord!</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Your decrees are very sure;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>holiness befits your house,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>O Lord, for evermore.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Psalm 96</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">O sing to the Lord a new song;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>sing to the Lord, all the earth.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sing to the Lord, bless his name;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>tell of his salvation from day to day.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Declare his glory among the nations,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>his marvellous works among all the peoples.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>he is to be revered above all gods.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For all the gods of the peoples are idols,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>but the Lord made the heavens.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Honour and majesty are before him;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>bring an offering, and come into his courts.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Worship the Lord in holy splendour;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>tremble before him, all the earth.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Say among the nations, ‘The Lord is king!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The world is firmly established; it shall never be moved.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>He will judge the peoples with equity.’</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>let the sea roar, and all that fills it;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>let the field exult, and everything in it.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>before the Lord; for he is coming,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>for he is coming to judge the earth.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">He will judge the world with righteousness,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>and the peoples with his truth.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Evening Psalms: Psalm 34</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Psalm 34</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">I will bless the Lord at all times;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>his praise shall continually be in my mouth.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">My soul makes its boast in the Lord;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>let the humble hear and be glad.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">O magnify the Lord with me,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>and let us exalt his name together.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">I sought the Lord, and he answered me,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>and delivered me from all my fears.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Look to him, and be radiant;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>so your* faces shall never be ashamed.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This poor soul cried, and was heard by the Lord,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>and was saved from every trouble.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The angel of the Lord encamps</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>around those who fear him, and delivers them.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">O taste and see that the Lord is good;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>happy are those who take refuge in him.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">O fear the Lord, you his holy ones,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>for those who fear him have no want.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The young lions suffer want and hunger,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Come, O children, listen to me;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I will teach you the fear of the Lord.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Which of you desires life,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>and covets many days to enjoy good?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Keep your tongue from evil,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>and your lips from speaking deceit.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Depart from evil, and do good;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>seek peace, and pursue it.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>and his ears are open to their cry.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The face of the Lord is against evildoers,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>and rescues them from all their troubles.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Lord is near to the broken-hearted,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>and saves the crushed in spirit.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Many are the afflictions of the righteous,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>but the Lord rescues them from them all.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">He keeps all their bones;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>not one of them will be broken.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Evil brings death to the wicked,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Lord redeems the life of his servants;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.</p>
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