August 2, 2007

Romans 11:33-36 (NRSV)
God's riches, wisdom, and knowledge

O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! "For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?" "Or who has given a gift to him, to receive a gift in return?" For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen.

August 1, 2007

Matthew 5:43-48 (NRSV)
Pray for those who persecute you

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'

But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.

For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. "

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.