7/25/2007

7/25/2007
John 6:41-51 (NRSV)
Whoever eats this bread will live forever

Then the Jews began to complain about him because he said, "I am the bread
that came down from heaven." They were saying, "Is not this Jesus, the son of
Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, 'I have come
down from heaven'?" Jesus answered them, "Do not complain among
yourselves. No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me;
and I will raise that person up on the last day. It is written in the prophets, 'And
they shall all be taught by God.' Everyone who has heard and learned from the
Father comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is
from God; he has seen the Father. Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has
eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the
wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so
that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from
heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will
give for the life of the world is my flesh."

Proverbs 9:1-18 (NRSV)
The wise and foolish women

Wisdom has built her house,
she has hewn her seven pillars
She has slaughtered her animals, she has mixed her wine,
she has also set her table.
She has sent out her servant-girls, she calls
from the highest places in the town,
"You that are simple, turn in here!"
To those without sense she says,
"Come, eat of my bread
and drink of the wine I have mixed.
Lay aside immaturity, and live,
and walk in the way of insight."

Whoever corrects a scoffer wins abuse;
whoever rebukes the wicked gets hurt.
A scoffer who is rebuked will only hate you;
the wise, when rebuked, will love you.
Give instruction to the wise, and they will become wiser still;
teach the righteous and they will gain in learning.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
For by me your days will be multiplied,
and years will be added to your life.
If you are wise, you are wise for yourself;
if you scoff, you alone will bear it.

The foolish woman is loud;
she is ignorant and knows nothing.
She sits at the door of her house,
on a seat at the high places of the town,
calling to those who pass by,
who are going straight on their way,
"You who are simple, turn in here!"
And to those without sense she says,
"Stolen water is sweet,
and bread eaten in secret is pleasant."
But they do not know that the dead are there,
that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.

7/23/2007

Exodus 18:1-12

Jethro's family eats before God

Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done

for Moses and for his people Israel, how the Lord had brought Israel out

of Egypt. After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro

took her back, along with her two sons. The name of the one was Gershom (for

he said, "I have been an alien in a foreign land"), and the name of the other,

Eliezer (for he said, "The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from

the sword of Pharaoh"). Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came into the wilderness

where Moses was encamped at the mountain of God, bringing Moses' sons and

wife to him. He sent word to Moses, "I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to

you, with your wife and her two sons." Moses went out to meet his father-in-law;

he bowed down and kissed him; each asked after the other's welfare, and they

went into the tent. Then Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to

Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, all the hardship that had beset

them on the way, and how the Lord had delivered them. Jethro rejoiced for all

the good that the Lord had done to Israel, in delivering them from the Egyptians.

Jethro said, "Blessed be the Lord, who has delivered you from the Egyptians and

from Pharaoh. Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods, because he

delivered the people from the Egyptians, when they dealt arrogantly with them."

And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God;

and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses' father-in-

law in the presence of God.

7/22/2007

Time after Pentecost - Lectionary 16
Luke 10:38-42 (NRSV)
Choosing the better part

Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman
named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who
sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was
distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, "Lord, do you not
care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help
me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted
by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part,
which will not be taken away from her."

07/21/2007

Psalm 15 (NRSV)
Leading a blameless life


O Lord, who may abide in your tent?
Who may dwell on your holy hill?

Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right,
and speak the truth from their heart;
who do not slander with their tongue,
and do no evil to their friends,
nor take up a reproach against their neighbors;
in whose eyes the wicked are despised,
but who honor those who fear the Lord;
who stand by their oath even to their hurt;
who do not lend money at interest,
and do not take a bribe against the innocent.

Those who do these things shall never be moved.

7/20/2007

Ephesians 3:14-21
(NRSV)
The love of Christ surpasses knowledge For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

7/27/2007 NRSV

Acts 2:22-36

The Messiah is handed over to death

"You that are Israelites, listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth, a
man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that
God did through him among you, as you yourselves know - this man,
handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of
God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law. But
God raised him up, having freed him from death, because it was
impossible for him to be held in its power. For David says concerning him,
'I saw the Lord always before me,
for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken;
therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
moreover my flesh will live in hope.
For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
or let your Holy One experience corruption.
You have made known to me the ways of life;
you will make me full of gladness with your presence.'

"Fellow Israelites, I may say to you confidently of our ancestor David that he
both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Since he was
a prophet, he knew that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would
put one of his descendants on his throne. Foreseeing this, David spoke of
the resurrection of the Messiah, saying,
'He was not abandoned to Hades,
nor did his flesh experience corruption.'

This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses. Being
therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the
Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you both
see and hear. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself
says,
'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool."

' Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has
made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified'.

James 2:14-26 (NRSV)

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill," and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.

But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe - and shudder. Do you want to be shown, you senseless person, that faith apart from works is barren? Was not our ancestor Abraham justified by works when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was brought to completion by the works. Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness," and he was called the friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. Likewise, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another road? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead

Jeremiah 8:4-13 (NRSV)

You shall say to them,

Thus says the Lord: When people fall, do they not get up again? If they go astray, do they not turn back? Why then has this people turned away in perpetual backsliding? They have held fast to deceit, they have refused to return. I have given heed and listened, but they do not speak honestly; no one repents of wickedness, saying, "What have I done!" All of them turn to their own course, like a horse plunging headlong into battle. Even the stork in the heavens knows its times; and the turtledove, swallow, and crane observe the time of their coming; but my people do not know the ordinance of the Lord.

How can you say, "We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us," when, in fact, the false pen of the scribes has made it into a lie? The wise shall be put to shame, they shall be dismayed and taken; since they have rejected the word of the Lord, what wisdom is in them? Therefore I will give their wives to others and their fields to conquerors, because from the least to the greatest everyone is greedy for unjust gain; from prophet to priest everyone deals falsely. They have treated the wound of my people carelessly, saying, "Peace, peace," when there is no peace. They acted shamefully, they committed abomination; yet they were not at all ashamed, they did not know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; at the time when I punish them, they shall be overthrown, says the Lord.

When I wanted to gather them, says the Lord, there are no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree; even the leaves are withered, and what I gave them has passed away from them.

Jeremiah 6:10-19 (NRSV)

To whom shall I speak and give warning, that they may hear? See, their ears are closed, they cannot listen. The word of the Lord is to them an object of scorn; they take no pleasure in it. But I am full of the wrath of the Lord; I am weary of holding it in.

Pour it out on the children in the street, and on the gatherings of young men as well; both husband and wife shall be taken, the old folk and the very aged. Their houses shall be turned over to others, their fields and wives together; for I will stretch out my hand against the inhabitants of the land, says the Lord.

For from the least to the greatest of them, everyone is greedy for unjust gain; and from prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely. They have treated the wound of my people carelessly, saying, "Peace, peace," when there is no peace. They acted shamefully, they committed abomination; yet they were not ashamed, they did not know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; at the time that I punish them, they shall be overthrown, says the Lord.

Thus says the Lord: Stand at the crossroads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way lies; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, "We will not walk in it." Also I raised up sentinels for you: "Give heed to the sound of the trumpet!" But they said, "We will not give heed." Therefore hear, O nations, and know, O congregation, what will happen to them. Hear, O earth; I am going to bring disaster on this people, the fruit of their schemes, because they have not given heed to my words; and as for my teaching, they have rejected it.

Luke 10: 1-11, 16-20 (NRSV)

After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house!' And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.' But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 'Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.'
. . . .
"Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me."

The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!" He said to them, "I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."

July 6, 2007

2 Corinthians 8:1-7 (NRSV)

We want you to know, brothers and sisters, about the grace of God that has been granted to the churches of Macedonia; for during a severe ordeal of affliction, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For, as I can testify, they voluntarily gave according to their means, and even beyond their means, begging us earnestly for the privilege of sharing in this ministry to the saints - and this, not merely as we expected; they gave themselves first to the Lord and, by the will of God, to us, so that we might urge Titus that, as he had already made a beginning, so he should also complete this generous undertaking among you. Now as you excel in everything - in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you - so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking.