Jeremiah 50: 17-20

17Israel is a scattered flock that lions have chased away. The first to devour him was the king of Assyria; the last to crush his bones was Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.

18Therefore this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says:

I will punish the king of Babylon and his land as I punished the king of Assyria.

19 But I will bring Israel back to his own pasture and he will graze on Carmel and Bashan; his appetite will be satisfied on the hills of Ephraim and Gilead.

20 In those days, at that time, declares the LORD, search will be made for Israel's guilt, but there will be none, and for the sins of Judah, but none will be found, for I will forgive the remnant I spare.

(New International Version)

John 10: 22-30

It was the feast of the Dedication at Jerusalem; it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. So the Jews gathered round him and said to him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness to me;
but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one."

(Revised Standard Version)

Psalm 143

A Prayer for Deliverance

1
A psalm of David.

LORD, hear my prayer; in your faithfulness listen to my pleading; answer me in your justice.

2
Do not enter into judgment with your servant; before you no living being can be just.

3
The enemy has pursued me; they have crushed my life to the ground. They have left me in darkness like those long dead.

4
My spirit is faint within me; my heart is dismayed.

5
I remember the days of old; I ponder all your deeds; the works of your hands I recall.

6
I stretch out my hands to you; I thirst for you like a parched land.

7
Hasten to answer me, LORD; for my spirit fails me. Do not hide your face from me, lest I become like those descending to the pit.

8
At dawn let me hear of your kindness, for in you I trust. Show me the path I should walk, for to you I entrust my life.

9
Rescue me, LORD, from my foes, for in you I hope.

10
Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your kind spirit guide me on ground that is level.

11
For your name's sake, LORD, give me life; in your justice lead me out of distress.

12
In your kindness put an end to my foes; destroy all who attack me, for I am your servant.


(New American Bible)

Revelation 5:1-10

1Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. 2And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?" 3But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. 4I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. 5Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals."

6Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. 8And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9And they sang a new song:

"You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased men for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation.
10You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign on the earth."

(New International Version)

Acts 11: 19-30

Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that took place over Stephen travelled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, and they spoke the word to no one except Jews. But among them were some men of Cyprus and Cyrene who, on coming to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists Greeks also, proclaiming the Lord Jesus. The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number became believers and turned to the Lord. News of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast devotion; or he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were brought to the Lord. Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for an entire year they associated with were guests of the church and taught a great many people, and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called ‘Christians’.

At that time prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them named Agabus stood up and predicted by the Spirit that there would be a severe famine over all the world; and this took place during the reign of Claudius. The disciples determined that according to their ability, each would send relief to the believers brothers living in Judea; this they did, sending it to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.

Luke 5: 1-11

Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.’

Simon answered, ‘Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.’ When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signalled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink.

But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!’ For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; 1and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.’ When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.

(New Revised Standard Version)

The following is one poet's comment on this passage:

THE DEEP

BIRTH AND CONCEPTION ARE MESSY THINGS
THEY PUT YOU IN AN AWKWARD POSITION

SUITABLE BEGINNINGS FOR A PEOPLE
WHOSE LIVES ARE OFTEN MARKED
BY THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT

SO MUCH OF LIFE IS MESSY
WE GET DIRTY FROM WORK OR PLAY

WE LOSE CONTROL OF OUR BODIES
AS WE GET OLD

WE HAD NO CONTROL
WHEN WE WERE YOUNG

WE WEEP AT HIGH EMOTION
OR IN SADNESS

EVEN EATING LEAVES A NAPKIN DIRTY

IT'S WHERE WE ARE
AND WHO WE ARE

SO JESUS
THE SYNAGOGUE
CLOSED TO HIM
SAT IN A BOAT
AND TOLD HOMEY STORIES
THE TEACHER
SAT IN A BOAT
REDOLENT
OF CATCHES PAST

OF SWEAT FROM WORKMAN NOW

THEY'D LABORED ALL NIGHTAND CAUGHT NOTHING

THEN HE SAID
PUSH OUT INTO THE DEEP

PUSH OUT
AND GO WHERE YOU ARE UNCOMFORTABLE

MASTER
WE HAVE LABORED ALL NIGHT
AND CAUGHT NOTHING
BUT AT YOUR WORD
WE WILL DO IT

SO THEY WENT TO THE DEEP
WHERE DEMONS DWELL
LETTING GO
LETTING GOD

AND CAUGHT FISH
THAT MADE THEM FORGET THEY WERE TIRED

AND CAUGHT FISH
BEYOND THEIR EXPERIENCE

AND CAUGHT MEN UP IN A DREAM
THAT FISH WOULD ALWAYS BE PLENTIFUL
AND THE DEEP WOULD HAVE NO DEMONS
THEY COULDN'T FACE

FRANK A VOLLMER

Acts 26: 1, 12-29

Agrippa said to Paul, ‘You have permission to speak for yourself.’ Then Paul stretched out his hand and began to defend himself:

‘With this in mind, I was travelling to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, when at midday along the road, your Excellency, O king I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and my companions. When we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the HebrewAramaic language, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It hurts you to kick against the goads.” I asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The Lord answered, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But get up and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you to serve and testify to the things in which you have seen methe things that you have seen and to those in which I will appear to you. I will rescue you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.”

‘After that, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout the countryside of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God and do deeds consistent with repentance. For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. To this day I have had help from God, and so I stand here, testifying to both small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would take place: that the Messiah the Christ must suffer, and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.’

While he was making this defence, Festus exclaimed, ‘You are out of your mind, Paul! Too much learning is driving you insane!’ But Paul said, ‘I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking the sober truth. Indeed the king knows about these things, and to him I speak freely; for I am certain that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.’ Agrippa said to Paul, ‘Are you so quickly persuading me to become a Christian?’ Paul replied, ‘Whether quickly or not, I pray to God that not only you but also all who are listening to me today might become such as I am—except for these chains.’

(New Revised Standard Version)