Sunday, 21 April 2024
The Fourth Sunday of Easter
+++
Preparation
O Lord, open our lips
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
In your resurrection, O Christ,
let heaven and earth rejoice. Alleluia.
The night has passed, and the day lies open before us; let us pray with one heart and mind.
Silence is kept.
As we rejoice in the gift of this new day, so may the light of your presence, O God, set our hearts on fire with love for you; now and for ever.
Amen.
+++
Morning 22 mins reading
2 Samuel 14 nrsv (33) 2 readers
Absalom Returns to Jerusalem
14 Now Joab son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s mind was on Absalom. 2 Joab sent to Tekoa and brought from there a wise woman. He said to her, “Pretend to be a mourner; put on mourning garments, and do not anoint yourself with oil, but behave like a woman who has been mourning many days for the dead. 3 Go to the king and speak to him as follows.” And Joab put the words into her mouth.
4 When the woman of Tekoa came[a] to the king, she fell on her face to the ground and did obeisance and said, “Help, O king!” 5 The king asked her, “What is your trouble?” She answered, “Alas, I am a widow; my husband is dead. 6 Your servant had two sons, and they fought with one another in the field; there was no one to part them, and one struck the other and killed him. 7 Now the whole family has risen against your servant. They say, ‘Give up the man who struck his brother, so that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he murdered, even if we destroy the heir as well.’ Thus they would quench my one remaining ember and leave to my husband neither name nor remnant on the face of the earth.”
8 Then the king said to the woman, “Go to your house, and I will give orders concerning you.” 9 The woman of Tekoa said to the king, “On me be the guilt, my lord the king, and on my father’s house; let the king and his throne be guiltless.” 10 The king said, “If anyone says anything to you, bring him to me, and he shall never touch you again.” 11 Then she said, “Please, may the king keep the Lord your God in mind, so that the avenger of blood may kill no more and my son not be destroyed.” He said, “As the Lord lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground.”
12 Then the woman said, “Please let your servant speak a word to my lord the king.” He said, “Speak.” 13 The woman said, “Why then have you planned such a thing against the people of God? For in giving this decision the king convicts himself, inasmuch as the king does not bring his banished one home again.14 We must all die; we are like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up. But God will not take away a life; he will devise plans so as not to keep an outcast banished forever from his presence.[b] 15 Now I have come to say this to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid; your servant thought, ‘I will speak to the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his servant. 16 For the king will hear and deliver his servant from the hand of the man who would cut both me and my son off from the heritage of God.’
Second reader
17 Your servant thought, ‘The word of my lord the king will set me at rest,’ for my lord the king is like the angel of God, discerning good and evil. The Lord your God be with you!”
18 Then the king answered the woman, “Do not withhold from me anything I ask you.” The woman said, “Let my lord the king speak.” 19 The king said, “Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?” The woman answered and said, “As surely as you live, my lord the king, one cannot turn right or left from anything that my lord the king has said. For it was your servant Joab who commanded me; it was he who put all these words into the mouth of your servant. 20 In order to change the course of affairs your servant Joab did this. But my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of the angel of God to know all things that are on the earth.”
21 Then the king said to Joab, “Very well, I grant this; go, bring back the young man Absalom.” 22 Joab prostrated himself with his face to the ground and did obeisance and blessed the king, and Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord the king, in that the king has granted the request of his servant.” 23 So Joab set off, went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. 24 The king said, “Let him go to his own house; he is not to come into my presence.” So Absalom went to his own house and did not come into the king’s presence.
David Forgives Absalom
25 Now in all Israel there was no one to be praised so much for his beauty as Absalom; from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him. 26 When he cut the hair of his head (for at the end of every year he used to cut it; when it was heavy on him, he cut it), he weighed the hair of his head, two hundred shekels by the king’s weight. 27 There were born to Absalom three sons and one daughter whose name was Tamar; she was a beautiful woman.
28 So Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem without coming into the king’s presence. 29 Then Absalom sent for Joab to send him to the king, but Joab would not come to him. He sent a second time, but Joab would not come. 30 Then he said to his servants, “Look, Joab’s field is next to mine, and he has barley there; go and set it on fire.” So Absalom’s servants set the field on fire. 31 Then Joab rose and went to Absalom at his house and said to him, “Why have your servants set my field on fire?” 32 Absalom answered Joab, “Look, I sent word to you. Come here that I may send you to the king with the question, ‘Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me to be there still.’ Now let me go into the king’s presence; if there is guilt in me, let him kill me!” 33 Then Joab went to the king and told him, and he summoned Absalom. So he came to the king and prostrated himself with his face to the ground before the king, and the king kissed Absalom.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen.
+++
Acts 18 nrsv (28) 2 readers
Paul in Corinth
18 After this Paul[a] left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 There he found a Jew named Aquila from Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul[b]went to see them, 3 and, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them, and they worked together—by trade they were tentmakers. 4 Every Sabbath he would argue in the synagogue and would try to convince Jews and Greeks.
5 When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with proclaiming the word,[c] testifying to the Jews that the Messiah[d] was Jesus. 6 When they opposed and reviled him, in protest he shook the dust from his clothes[e] and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the gentiles.” 7 Then he left the synagogue[f] and went to the house of a man named Titius[g]Justus, a worshiper of God; his house was next door to the synagogue. 8 Crispus, the official of the synagogue, became a believer in the Lord, together with all his household, and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul became believers and were baptized. 9 One night the Lord said to Paul in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent,10 for I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to harm you, for there are many in this city who are my people.” 11 He stayed there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
12 But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal. 13 They said, “This man is persuading people to worship God in ways that are contrary to the law.” 14 Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of crime or serious villainy, I would be justified in accepting the complaint of you Jews, 15 but since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves; I do not wish to be a judge of these matters.” 16 And he dismissed them from the tribunal. 17 Then all of them[h] seized Sosthenes, the official of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio paid no attention to any of these things.
Paul’s Return to Antioch
18 After staying there for a considerable time, Paul said farewell to the brothers and sisters and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had his hair cut, for he was under a vow. 19 When they reached Ephesus, he left them there, but first he himself went into the synagogue and had a discussion with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to stay longer, he declined, 21 but on taking leave of them he said, “I[i] will return to you, if God wills.” Then he set sail from Ephesus.
22 When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem[j] and greeted the church and then went down to Antioch. 23 After spending some time there he departed and went from place to place through the region of Galatia[k]and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.
Ministry of Apollos
24 Now there came to Ephesus a Jew named Apollos from Alexandria. He was an eloquent man, well-versed in the scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in the Way of the Lord, and he spoke with burning enthusiasm and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John.26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him they took him aside and explained the Way of God to him more accurately. 27 And when he wished to cross over to Achaia, the brothers and sisters encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. On his arrival he greatly helped those who through grace had become believers,28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the scriptures that the Messiah[l] is Jesus.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen.
+++
Psalm 105 nrsv (45) 3 readers
God’s Faithfulness to Israel
1
O give thanks to the Lord; call on his name;
make known his deeds among the peoples.
2
Sing to him, sing praises to him;
tell of all his wonderful works.
3
Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
4
Seek the Lord and his strength;
seek his presence continually.
5
Remember the wonderful works he has done,
his miracles and the judgments he has uttered,
6
O offspring of his servant Abraham,[a]
children of Jacob, his chosen ones.
7
He is the Lord our God;
his judgments are in all the earth.
8
He is mindful of his covenant forever,
of the word that he commanded for a thousand generations,
9
the covenant that he made with Abraham,
his sworn promise to Isaac,
10
which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute,
to Israel as an everlasting covenant,
11
saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
as your portion for an inheritance.”
12
When they were few in number,
of little account and strangers in it,
13
wandering from nation to nation,
from one kingdom to another people,
14
he allowed no one to oppress them;
he rebuked kings on their account,
15
saying, “Do not touch my anointed ones;
do my prophets no harm.”
Second reader
16
When he summoned famine against the land
and cut off every supply of bread,[b]
17
he had sent a man ahead of them,
Joseph, who had been sold as a slave.
18
His feet were hurt with fetters;
his neck was put in a collar of iron;
19
until what he had said came to pass,
the word of the Lord kept testing him.
20
The king sent and released him;
the ruler of the peoples set him free.
21
He made him lord of his house
and ruler of all his possessions,
22
to instruct[c] his officials at his pleasure
and to teach his elders wisdom.
23
Then Israel came to Egypt;
Jacob lived as an alien in the land of Ham.
24
And the Lord made his people very fruitful
and made them stronger than their foes,
25
whose hearts he then turned to hate his people,
to deal craftily with his servants.
26
He sent his servant Moses
and Aaron, whom he had chosen.
27
They performed his signs among them
and miracles in the land of Ham.
28
He sent darkness and made the land dark;
they rebelled[d] against his words.
29
He turned their waters into blood
and caused their fish to die.
30
Their land swarmed with frogs,
even in the chambers of their kings.
Third reader
31
He spoke, and there came swarms of flies
and gnats throughout their country.
32
He gave them hail for rain
and lightning that flashed through their land.
33
He struck their vines and fig trees
and shattered the trees of their country.
34
He spoke, and the locusts came,
and young locusts without number;
35
they devoured all the vegetation in their land
and ate up the fruit of their ground.
36
He struck down all the firstborn in their land,
the first issue of all their strength.
37
Then he brought Israel[e] out with silver and gold,
and there was no one among their tribes who stumbled.
38
Egypt was glad when they departed,
for dread of them had fallen upon it.
39
He spread a cloud for a covering
and fire to give light by night.
40
They asked, and he brought quails
and gave them food from heaven in abundance.
41
He opened the rock, and water gushed out;
it flowed through the desert like a river.
42
For he remembered his holy promise
and Abraham, his servant.
43
So he brought his people out with joy,
his chosen ones with singing.
44
He gave them the lands of the nations,
and they took possession of the wealth of the peoples,
45
that they might keep his statutes
and observe his laws.
Praise the Lord!
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen.
+++
Let us pray.
God the Father,
have mercy upon us.
God the Son,
have mercy upon us.
God the Holy Spirit,
have mercy upon us.
Holy, blessed and glorious Trinity,
have mercy upon us.
Please pray a short individual prayer as you wish
+++
The Collect of the day is said
Almighty God,
whose Son Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the life: raise us, who trust in him, from the death of sin to the life of righteousness, that we may seek those things which are above, where he reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
+++
The Lord’s Prayer is said
Rejoicing in the presence of God here among us, as our Saviour taught us, so we pray
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.
+++
The Conclusion
May the risen Christ grant us the joys of eternal life.
Amen.
Let us bless the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia.
Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia.
+++
Evening 10 mins reading
2 Samuel 15 nrsv (37)
Absalom Usurps the Throne
15 After this Absalom provided for himself a chariot and horses and fifty men to run ahead of him. 2 Absalom used to rise early and stand beside the road into the gate, and when anyone brought a suit before the king for judgment, Absalom would call out and say, “From what city are you?” When the person said, “Your servant is of such and such a tribe in Israel,” 3 Absalom would say, “See, your claims are good and right, but there is no one deputed by the king to hear you.” 4 Absalom would also say, “If only I were judge in the land! Then all who had a suit or cause might come to me, and I would give them justice.”5 Whenever people came near to do obeisance to him, he would put out his hand and take hold of them and kiss them. 6 Thus Absalom did to every Israelite who came to the king for judgment, so Absalom stole the hearts of the people of Israel.
7 At the end of four[a] years Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go to Hebron and pay the vow that I have made to the Lord. 8 For your servant made a vow while I lived at Geshur in Aram: If the Lord will indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve the Lord in Hebron.”[b] 9 The king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he got up and went to Hebron. 10 But Absalom sent secret messengers throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then shout: Absalom has become king at Hebron!” 11 Two hundred men from Jerusalem went with Absalom; they were invited guests, and they went in innocence, knowing nothing of the matter. 12 While Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for[c] Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city Giloh. The conspiracy grew in strength, and the people with Absalom kept increasing.
David Flees from Jerusalem
13 A messenger came to David, saying, “The hearts of the Israelites have gone after Absalom.” 14 Then David said to all his officials who were with him at Jerusalem, “Get up! Let us flee, or there will be no escape for us from Absalom. Hurry, or he will soon overtake us, and bring disaster down upon us, and attack the city with the edge of the sword.” 15 The king’s officials said to the king, “Your servants are ready to do whatever our lord the king decides.” 16 So the king left, followed by all his household, except ten concubines whom he left behind to look after the house. 17 The king left, followed by all the people, and they stopped at the last house. 18 All his officials passed by him, and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the six hundred Gittites who had followed him from Gath passed on before the king.
19 Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why are you also coming with us? Go back, and stay with the king, for you are a foreigner and also an exile from your home. 20 You came only yesterday, and shall I today make you wander about with us while I go wherever I can? Go back, and take your kinsfolk with you, and may the Lord show[d] steadfast love and faithfulness to you.” 21 But Ittai answered the king, “As the Lord lives and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether for death or for life, there also your servant will be.” 22 David said to Ittai, “Go then, march on.” So Ittai the Gittite marched on, with all his men and all the little ones who were with him. 23 The whole country wept aloud as all the people passed by; the king crossed the Wadi Kidron, and all the people moved on toward the wilderness.
24 Abiathar came up, and Zadok also, with all the Levites, carrying the ark of the covenant of God. They set down the ark of God until the people had all passed out of the city.25 Then the king said to Zadok, “Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me back and let me see both it and the place where it stays. 26 But if he says, ‘I take no pleasure in you,’ here I am, let him do to me what seems good to him.” 27 The king also said to the priest Zadok, “Look,[e] go back to the city in peace, you and Abiathar,[f] with your two sons, Ahimaaz your son and Jonathan son of Abiathar. 28 See, I will wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.” 29 So Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem, and they remained there.
30 But David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, with his head covered and walking barefoot, and all the people who were with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went.31 David was told that Ahithophel was among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, “O Lord, I pray you, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.”
Hushai Becomes David’s Spy
32 When David came to the summit, where God was worshiped, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat torn and earth on his head. 33 David said to him, “If you go on with me, you will be a burden to me. 34 But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father’s servant in time past, so now I will be your servant,’ then you will defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel. 35 The priests Zadok and Abiathar will be with you there. So whatever you hear from the king’s house, tell it to the priests Zadok and Abiathar. 36 Their two sons are with them there, Zadok’s son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan, and by them you shall report to me everything you hear.” 37 So Hushai, David’s friend, came into the city just as Absalom was entering Jerusalem.
+++
1 Peter 5 nrsv (14)
Tending the Flock of God
5 Now as an elder myself and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as one who shares in the glory to be revealed, I exhort the elders among you 2 to tend the flock of God that is in your charge, exercising the oversight,[a] not under compulsion but willingly, as God would have you do it,[b] not for sordid gain but eagerly. 3 Do not lord it over those in your charge, but be examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief shepherd appears, you will win the crown of glory that never fades away. 5 In the same way, you who are younger must be subject to the elders.[c]And all of you must clothe yourselves with humility in your dealings with one another, for
“God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.”
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. 8 Discipline yourselves; keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. 10 And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ,[d] will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the power[e] forever and ever. Amen.
Final Greetings and Benediction
12 Through Silvanus, whom I consider a faithful brother, I have written this short letter to encourage you and to testify that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it. 13 Your sister church[f] in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you greetings, and so does my son Mark. 14 Greet one another with a kiss of love.
Peace to all of you who are in Christ.[g]
+++
Psalm 106 nrsv (48)
A Confession of Israel’s Sins
1
Praise the Lord!
O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
2
Who can utter the mighty doings of the Lord
or declare all his praise?
3
Happy are those who observe justice,
who do righteousness at all times.
4
Remember us,[a] O Lord, when you show favor to your people;
help us[b] when you deliver them,
5
that we may see the prosperity of your chosen ones,
that we may rejoice in the gladness of your nation,
that we may glory in your heritage.
6
Both we and our ancestors have sinned;
we have committed iniquity, have done wickedly.
7
Our ancestors, when they were in Egypt,
did not consider your wonderful works;
they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love
but rebelled against the Most High[c] at the Red Sea.[d]
8
Yet he saved them for his name’s sake,
so that he might make known his mighty power.
9
He rebuked the Red Sea,[e] and it became dry;
he led them through the deep as through a desert.
10
So he saved them from the hand of the foe
and delivered them from the hand of the enemy.
11
The waters covered their adversaries;
not one of them was left.
12
Then they believed his words;
they sang his praise.
13
But they soon forgot his works;
they did not wait for his counsel.
14
But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness
and put God to the test in the desert;
15
he gave them what they asked
but sent a wasting disease among them.
16
They were jealous of Moses in the camp
and of Aaron, the holy one of the Lord.
17
The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan
and covered the faction of Abiram.
18
Fire also broke out in their company;
the flame burned up the wicked.
19
They made a calf at Horeb
and worshiped a cast image.
20
They exchanged the glory of God[f]
for the image of an ox that eats grass.
21
They forgot God, their Savior,
who had done great things in Egypt,
22
wondrous works in the land of Ham,
and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.[g]
23
Therefore he said he would destroy them--
had not Moses, his chosen one,
stood in the breach before him,
to turn away his wrath from destroying them.
24
Then they despised the pleasant land,
having no faith in his promise.
25
They grumbled in their tents
and did not obey the voice of the Lord.
26
Therefore he raised his hand and swore to them
that he would make them fall in the wilderness
27
and would disperse[h] their descendants among the nations,
scattering them over the lands.
28
Then they attached themselves to the Baal of Peor
and ate sacrifices offered to the dead;
29
they provoked the Lord to anger with their deeds,
and a plague broke out among them.
30
Then Phinehas stood up and interceded,
and the plague was stopped.
31
And that has been reckoned to him as righteousness
from generation to generation forever.
32
They angered the Lord[i] at the waters of Meribah,
and it went ill with Moses on their account,
33
for they made his spirit bitter,
and he spoke words that were rash.
34
They did not destroy the peoples,
as the Lord had commanded them,
35
but they mingled with the nations
and learned to do as they did.
36
They served their idols,
which became a snare to them.
37
They sacrificed their sons
and their daughters to the demons;
38
they poured out innocent blood,
the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,
and the land was polluted with blood.
39
Thus they became unclean by their acts
and prostituted themselves in their doings.
40
Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against his people,
and he abhorred his heritage;
41
he gave them into the hand of the nations,
so that those who hated them ruled over them.
42
Their enemies oppressed them,
and they were brought into subjection under their power.
43
Many times he delivered them,
but they were rebellious in their purposes
and were brought low through their iniquity.
44
Nevertheless, he regarded their distress
when he heard their cry.
45
For their sake he remembered his covenant
and showed compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
46
He caused them to be pitied
by all who held them captive.
47
Save us, O Lord our God,
and gather us from among the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
and glory in your praise.
48
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
And let all the people say, “Amen.”
Praise the Lord!
The Fourth Sunday of Easter
+++
Preparation
O Lord, open our lips
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
In your resurrection, O Christ,
let heaven and earth rejoice. Alleluia.
The night has passed, and the day lies open before us; let us pray with one heart and mind.
Silence is kept.
As we rejoice in the gift of this new day, so may the light of your presence, O God, set our hearts on fire with love for you; now and for ever.
Amen.
+++
Morning 22 mins reading
2 Samuel 14 nrsv (33) 2 readers
Absalom Returns to Jerusalem
14 Now Joab son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s mind was on Absalom. 2 Joab sent to Tekoa and brought from there a wise woman. He said to her, “Pretend to be a mourner; put on mourning garments, and do not anoint yourself with oil, but behave like a woman who has been mourning many days for the dead. 3 Go to the king and speak to him as follows.” And Joab put the words into her mouth.
4 When the woman of Tekoa came[a] to the king, she fell on her face to the ground and did obeisance and said, “Help, O king!” 5 The king asked her, “What is your trouble?” She answered, “Alas, I am a widow; my husband is dead. 6 Your servant had two sons, and they fought with one another in the field; there was no one to part them, and one struck the other and killed him. 7 Now the whole family has risen against your servant. They say, ‘Give up the man who struck his brother, so that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he murdered, even if we destroy the heir as well.’ Thus they would quench my one remaining ember and leave to my husband neither name nor remnant on the face of the earth.”
8 Then the king said to the woman, “Go to your house, and I will give orders concerning you.” 9 The woman of Tekoa said to the king, “On me be the guilt, my lord the king, and on my father’s house; let the king and his throne be guiltless.” 10 The king said, “If anyone says anything to you, bring him to me, and he shall never touch you again.” 11 Then she said, “Please, may the king keep the Lord your God in mind, so that the avenger of blood may kill no more and my son not be destroyed.” He said, “As the Lord lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground.”
12 Then the woman said, “Please let your servant speak a word to my lord the king.” He said, “Speak.” 13 The woman said, “Why then have you planned such a thing against the people of God? For in giving this decision the king convicts himself, inasmuch as the king does not bring his banished one home again.14 We must all die; we are like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up. But God will not take away a life; he will devise plans so as not to keep an outcast banished forever from his presence.[b] 15 Now I have come to say this to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid; your servant thought, ‘I will speak to the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his servant. 16 For the king will hear and deliver his servant from the hand of the man who would cut both me and my son off from the heritage of God.’
Second reader
17 Your servant thought, ‘The word of my lord the king will set me at rest,’ for my lord the king is like the angel of God, discerning good and evil. The Lord your God be with you!”
18 Then the king answered the woman, “Do not withhold from me anything I ask you.” The woman said, “Let my lord the king speak.” 19 The king said, “Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?” The woman answered and said, “As surely as you live, my lord the king, one cannot turn right or left from anything that my lord the king has said. For it was your servant Joab who commanded me; it was he who put all these words into the mouth of your servant. 20 In order to change the course of affairs your servant Joab did this. But my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of the angel of God to know all things that are on the earth.”
21 Then the king said to Joab, “Very well, I grant this; go, bring back the young man Absalom.” 22 Joab prostrated himself with his face to the ground and did obeisance and blessed the king, and Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord the king, in that the king has granted the request of his servant.” 23 So Joab set off, went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. 24 The king said, “Let him go to his own house; he is not to come into my presence.” So Absalom went to his own house and did not come into the king’s presence.
David Forgives Absalom
25 Now in all Israel there was no one to be praised so much for his beauty as Absalom; from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him. 26 When he cut the hair of his head (for at the end of every year he used to cut it; when it was heavy on him, he cut it), he weighed the hair of his head, two hundred shekels by the king’s weight. 27 There were born to Absalom three sons and one daughter whose name was Tamar; she was a beautiful woman.
28 So Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem without coming into the king’s presence. 29 Then Absalom sent for Joab to send him to the king, but Joab would not come to him. He sent a second time, but Joab would not come. 30 Then he said to his servants, “Look, Joab’s field is next to mine, and he has barley there; go and set it on fire.” So Absalom’s servants set the field on fire. 31 Then Joab rose and went to Absalom at his house and said to him, “Why have your servants set my field on fire?” 32 Absalom answered Joab, “Look, I sent word to you. Come here that I may send you to the king with the question, ‘Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me to be there still.’ Now let me go into the king’s presence; if there is guilt in me, let him kill me!” 33 Then Joab went to the king and told him, and he summoned Absalom. So he came to the king and prostrated himself with his face to the ground before the king, and the king kissed Absalom.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen.
+++
Acts 18 nrsv (28) 2 readers
Paul in Corinth
18 After this Paul[a] left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 There he found a Jew named Aquila from Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul[b]went to see them, 3 and, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them, and they worked together—by trade they were tentmakers. 4 Every Sabbath he would argue in the synagogue and would try to convince Jews and Greeks.
5 When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with proclaiming the word,[c] testifying to the Jews that the Messiah[d] was Jesus. 6 When they opposed and reviled him, in protest he shook the dust from his clothes[e] and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the gentiles.” 7 Then he left the synagogue[f] and went to the house of a man named Titius[g]Justus, a worshiper of God; his house was next door to the synagogue. 8 Crispus, the official of the synagogue, became a believer in the Lord, together with all his household, and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul became believers and were baptized. 9 One night the Lord said to Paul in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent,10 for I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to harm you, for there are many in this city who are my people.” 11 He stayed there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
12 But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal. 13 They said, “This man is persuading people to worship God in ways that are contrary to the law.” 14 Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of crime or serious villainy, I would be justified in accepting the complaint of you Jews, 15 but since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves; I do not wish to be a judge of these matters.” 16 And he dismissed them from the tribunal. 17 Then all of them[h] seized Sosthenes, the official of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio paid no attention to any of these things.
Paul’s Return to Antioch
18 After staying there for a considerable time, Paul said farewell to the brothers and sisters and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had his hair cut, for he was under a vow. 19 When they reached Ephesus, he left them there, but first he himself went into the synagogue and had a discussion with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to stay longer, he declined, 21 but on taking leave of them he said, “I[i] will return to you, if God wills.” Then he set sail from Ephesus.
22 When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem[j] and greeted the church and then went down to Antioch. 23 After spending some time there he departed and went from place to place through the region of Galatia[k]and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.
Ministry of Apollos
24 Now there came to Ephesus a Jew named Apollos from Alexandria. He was an eloquent man, well-versed in the scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in the Way of the Lord, and he spoke with burning enthusiasm and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John.26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him they took him aside and explained the Way of God to him more accurately. 27 And when he wished to cross over to Achaia, the brothers and sisters encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. On his arrival he greatly helped those who through grace had become believers,28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the scriptures that the Messiah[l] is Jesus.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen.
+++
Psalm 105 nrsv (45) 3 readers
God’s Faithfulness to Israel
1
O give thanks to the Lord; call on his name;
make known his deeds among the peoples.
2
Sing to him, sing praises to him;
tell of all his wonderful works.
3
Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
4
Seek the Lord and his strength;
seek his presence continually.
5
Remember the wonderful works he has done,
his miracles and the judgments he has uttered,
6
O offspring of his servant Abraham,[a]
children of Jacob, his chosen ones.
7
He is the Lord our God;
his judgments are in all the earth.
8
He is mindful of his covenant forever,
of the word that he commanded for a thousand generations,
9
the covenant that he made with Abraham,
his sworn promise to Isaac,
10
which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute,
to Israel as an everlasting covenant,
11
saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
as your portion for an inheritance.”
12
When they were few in number,
of little account and strangers in it,
13
wandering from nation to nation,
from one kingdom to another people,
14
he allowed no one to oppress them;
he rebuked kings on their account,
15
saying, “Do not touch my anointed ones;
do my prophets no harm.”
Second reader
16
When he summoned famine against the land
and cut off every supply of bread,[b]
17
he had sent a man ahead of them,
Joseph, who had been sold as a slave.
18
His feet were hurt with fetters;
his neck was put in a collar of iron;
19
until what he had said came to pass,
the word of the Lord kept testing him.
20
The king sent and released him;
the ruler of the peoples set him free.
21
He made him lord of his house
and ruler of all his possessions,
22
to instruct[c] his officials at his pleasure
and to teach his elders wisdom.
23
Then Israel came to Egypt;
Jacob lived as an alien in the land of Ham.
24
And the Lord made his people very fruitful
and made them stronger than their foes,
25
whose hearts he then turned to hate his people,
to deal craftily with his servants.
26
He sent his servant Moses
and Aaron, whom he had chosen.
27
They performed his signs among them
and miracles in the land of Ham.
28
He sent darkness and made the land dark;
they rebelled[d] against his words.
29
He turned their waters into blood
and caused their fish to die.
30
Their land swarmed with frogs,
even in the chambers of their kings.
Third reader
31
He spoke, and there came swarms of flies
and gnats throughout their country.
32
He gave them hail for rain
and lightning that flashed through their land.
33
He struck their vines and fig trees
and shattered the trees of their country.
34
He spoke, and the locusts came,
and young locusts without number;
35
they devoured all the vegetation in their land
and ate up the fruit of their ground.
36
He struck down all the firstborn in their land,
the first issue of all their strength.
37
Then he brought Israel[e] out with silver and gold,
and there was no one among their tribes who stumbled.
38
Egypt was glad when they departed,
for dread of them had fallen upon it.
39
He spread a cloud for a covering
and fire to give light by night.
40
They asked, and he brought quails
and gave them food from heaven in abundance.
41
He opened the rock, and water gushed out;
it flowed through the desert like a river.
42
For he remembered his holy promise
and Abraham, his servant.
43
So he brought his people out with joy,
his chosen ones with singing.
44
He gave them the lands of the nations,
and they took possession of the wealth of the peoples,
45
that they might keep his statutes
and observe his laws.
Praise the Lord!
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen.
+++
Let us pray.
God the Father,
have mercy upon us.
God the Son,
have mercy upon us.
God the Holy Spirit,
have mercy upon us.
Holy, blessed and glorious Trinity,
have mercy upon us.
Please pray a short individual prayer as you wish
+++
The Collect of the day is said
Almighty God,
whose Son Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the life: raise us, who trust in him, from the death of sin to the life of righteousness, that we may seek those things which are above, where he reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
+++
The Lord’s Prayer is said
Rejoicing in the presence of God here among us, as our Saviour taught us, so we pray
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.
+++
The Conclusion
May the risen Christ grant us the joys of eternal life.
Amen.
Let us bless the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia.
Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia.
+++
Evening 10 mins reading
2 Samuel 15 nrsv (37)
Absalom Usurps the Throne
15 After this Absalom provided for himself a chariot and horses and fifty men to run ahead of him. 2 Absalom used to rise early and stand beside the road into the gate, and when anyone brought a suit before the king for judgment, Absalom would call out and say, “From what city are you?” When the person said, “Your servant is of such and such a tribe in Israel,” 3 Absalom would say, “See, your claims are good and right, but there is no one deputed by the king to hear you.” 4 Absalom would also say, “If only I were judge in the land! Then all who had a suit or cause might come to me, and I would give them justice.”5 Whenever people came near to do obeisance to him, he would put out his hand and take hold of them and kiss them. 6 Thus Absalom did to every Israelite who came to the king for judgment, so Absalom stole the hearts of the people of Israel.
7 At the end of four[a] years Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go to Hebron and pay the vow that I have made to the Lord. 8 For your servant made a vow while I lived at Geshur in Aram: If the Lord will indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve the Lord in Hebron.”[b] 9 The king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he got up and went to Hebron. 10 But Absalom sent secret messengers throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then shout: Absalom has become king at Hebron!” 11 Two hundred men from Jerusalem went with Absalom; they were invited guests, and they went in innocence, knowing nothing of the matter. 12 While Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for[c] Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city Giloh. The conspiracy grew in strength, and the people with Absalom kept increasing.
David Flees from Jerusalem
13 A messenger came to David, saying, “The hearts of the Israelites have gone after Absalom.” 14 Then David said to all his officials who were with him at Jerusalem, “Get up! Let us flee, or there will be no escape for us from Absalom. Hurry, or he will soon overtake us, and bring disaster down upon us, and attack the city with the edge of the sword.” 15 The king’s officials said to the king, “Your servants are ready to do whatever our lord the king decides.” 16 So the king left, followed by all his household, except ten concubines whom he left behind to look after the house. 17 The king left, followed by all the people, and they stopped at the last house. 18 All his officials passed by him, and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the six hundred Gittites who had followed him from Gath passed on before the king.
19 Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why are you also coming with us? Go back, and stay with the king, for you are a foreigner and also an exile from your home. 20 You came only yesterday, and shall I today make you wander about with us while I go wherever I can? Go back, and take your kinsfolk with you, and may the Lord show[d] steadfast love and faithfulness to you.” 21 But Ittai answered the king, “As the Lord lives and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether for death or for life, there also your servant will be.” 22 David said to Ittai, “Go then, march on.” So Ittai the Gittite marched on, with all his men and all the little ones who were with him. 23 The whole country wept aloud as all the people passed by; the king crossed the Wadi Kidron, and all the people moved on toward the wilderness.
24 Abiathar came up, and Zadok also, with all the Levites, carrying the ark of the covenant of God. They set down the ark of God until the people had all passed out of the city.25 Then the king said to Zadok, “Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me back and let me see both it and the place where it stays. 26 But if he says, ‘I take no pleasure in you,’ here I am, let him do to me what seems good to him.” 27 The king also said to the priest Zadok, “Look,[e] go back to the city in peace, you and Abiathar,[f] with your two sons, Ahimaaz your son and Jonathan son of Abiathar. 28 See, I will wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.” 29 So Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem, and they remained there.
30 But David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, with his head covered and walking barefoot, and all the people who were with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went.31 David was told that Ahithophel was among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, “O Lord, I pray you, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.”
Hushai Becomes David’s Spy
32 When David came to the summit, where God was worshiped, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat torn and earth on his head. 33 David said to him, “If you go on with me, you will be a burden to me. 34 But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father’s servant in time past, so now I will be your servant,’ then you will defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel. 35 The priests Zadok and Abiathar will be with you there. So whatever you hear from the king’s house, tell it to the priests Zadok and Abiathar. 36 Their two sons are with them there, Zadok’s son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan, and by them you shall report to me everything you hear.” 37 So Hushai, David’s friend, came into the city just as Absalom was entering Jerusalem.
+++
1 Peter 5 nrsv (14)
Tending the Flock of God
5 Now as an elder myself and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as one who shares in the glory to be revealed, I exhort the elders among you 2 to tend the flock of God that is in your charge, exercising the oversight,[a] not under compulsion but willingly, as God would have you do it,[b] not for sordid gain but eagerly. 3 Do not lord it over those in your charge, but be examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief shepherd appears, you will win the crown of glory that never fades away. 5 In the same way, you who are younger must be subject to the elders.[c]And all of you must clothe yourselves with humility in your dealings with one another, for
“God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.”
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. 8 Discipline yourselves; keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. 10 And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ,[d] will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the power[e] forever and ever. Amen.
Final Greetings and Benediction
12 Through Silvanus, whom I consider a faithful brother, I have written this short letter to encourage you and to testify that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it. 13 Your sister church[f] in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you greetings, and so does my son Mark. 14 Greet one another with a kiss of love.
Peace to all of you who are in Christ.[g]
+++
Psalm 106 nrsv (48)
A Confession of Israel’s Sins
1
Praise the Lord!
O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
2
Who can utter the mighty doings of the Lord
or declare all his praise?
3
Happy are those who observe justice,
who do righteousness at all times.
4
Remember us,[a] O Lord, when you show favor to your people;
help us[b] when you deliver them,
5
that we may see the prosperity of your chosen ones,
that we may rejoice in the gladness of your nation,
that we may glory in your heritage.
6
Both we and our ancestors have sinned;
we have committed iniquity, have done wickedly.
7
Our ancestors, when they were in Egypt,
did not consider your wonderful works;
they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love
but rebelled against the Most High[c] at the Red Sea.[d]
8
Yet he saved them for his name’s sake,
so that he might make known his mighty power.
9
He rebuked the Red Sea,[e] and it became dry;
he led them through the deep as through a desert.
10
So he saved them from the hand of the foe
and delivered them from the hand of the enemy.
11
The waters covered their adversaries;
not one of them was left.
12
Then they believed his words;
they sang his praise.
13
But they soon forgot his works;
they did not wait for his counsel.
14
But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness
and put God to the test in the desert;
15
he gave them what they asked
but sent a wasting disease among them.
16
They were jealous of Moses in the camp
and of Aaron, the holy one of the Lord.
17
The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan
and covered the faction of Abiram.
18
Fire also broke out in their company;
the flame burned up the wicked.
19
They made a calf at Horeb
and worshiped a cast image.
20
They exchanged the glory of God[f]
for the image of an ox that eats grass.
21
They forgot God, their Savior,
who had done great things in Egypt,
22
wondrous works in the land of Ham,
and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.[g]
23
Therefore he said he would destroy them--
had not Moses, his chosen one,
stood in the breach before him,
to turn away his wrath from destroying them.
24
Then they despised the pleasant land,
having no faith in his promise.
25
They grumbled in their tents
and did not obey the voice of the Lord.
26
Therefore he raised his hand and swore to them
that he would make them fall in the wilderness
27
and would disperse[h] their descendants among the nations,
scattering them over the lands.
28
Then they attached themselves to the Baal of Peor
and ate sacrifices offered to the dead;
29
they provoked the Lord to anger with their deeds,
and a plague broke out among them.
30
Then Phinehas stood up and interceded,
and the plague was stopped.
31
And that has been reckoned to him as righteousness
from generation to generation forever.
32
They angered the Lord[i] at the waters of Meribah,
and it went ill with Moses on their account,
33
for they made his spirit bitter,
and he spoke words that were rash.
34
They did not destroy the peoples,
as the Lord had commanded them,
35
but they mingled with the nations
and learned to do as they did.
36
They served their idols,
which became a snare to them.
37
They sacrificed their sons
and their daughters to the demons;
38
they poured out innocent blood,
the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,
and the land was polluted with blood.
39
Thus they became unclean by their acts
and prostituted themselves in their doings.
40
Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against his people,
and he abhorred his heritage;
41
he gave them into the hand of the nations,
so that those who hated them ruled over them.
42
Their enemies oppressed them,
and they were brought into subjection under their power.
43
Many times he delivered them,
but they were rebellious in their purposes
and were brought low through their iniquity.
44
Nevertheless, he regarded their distress
when he heard their cry.
45
For their sake he remembered his covenant
and showed compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
46
He caused them to be pitied
by all who held them captive.
47
Save us, O Lord our God,
and gather us from among the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
and glory in your praise.
48
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
And let all the people say, “Amen.”
Praise the Lord!