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June 27, 2020 - The Fifth Sunday After Pentecost

6/25/2021

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O bless the Lord, my soul!  His grace to thee proclaim!
And all that is within me join to bless his holy Name!

O bless the Lord, my soul!  His mercies bear in mind!
Forget not all his benefits!  The Lord to thee is kind.

He will not always chide; he will with patience wait;
his wrath is ever slow to rise and ready to abate.

He pardons all thy sins, prolongs thy feeble breath;
he healeth thine infirmities and ransoms thee from death.

He clothes thee with his love, upholds thee with his truth;
and like the eagle he renews the vigor of thy youth.

Then bless his holy Name, whose grace hath made thee whole,
whose loving-kindness crowns thy days: O bless the Lord, my soul!


  • James Montgomery (1771-1854); paraphrase of Psalm 103:1-5

This hymn always lifts my heart. The sprightly tune dates to the 18th century; it was rightly
very popular. The text was part of the development from psalm-singing to hymns in the 18th
century: the words are a loose paraphrase of Psalm 103, so loose that they look towards the
free creation of hymn texts. James Montgomery wrote this paraphrase and many others, and
then more than 400 hymn texts.
--Donna Wessel Walker

The Collect

Almighty God, you have built your Church upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone: Grant us so to be joined together in unity of spirit by their teaching, that we may be made a holy temple acceptable to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Old Testament

2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27

After the death of Saul, when David had returned from defeating the Amalekites, David remained two days in Ziklag.
David intoned this lamentation over Saul and his son Jonathan. (He ordered that The Song of the Bow be taught to the people of Judah; it is written in the Book of Jashar.) He said:
Your glory, O Israel, lies slain upon your high places!
How the mighty have fallen!
Tell it not in Gath,
proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon;
or the daughters of the Philistines will rejoice,
the daughters of the uncircumcised will exult.
 
You mountains of Gilboa,
let there be no dew or rain upon you,
nor bounteous fields!
For there the shield of the mighty was defiled,
the shield of Saul, anointed with oil no more.
 
From the blood of the slain,
from the fat of the mighty,
the bow of Jonathan did not turn back,
nor the sword of Saul return empty.
 
Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely!
In life and in death they were not divided;
they were swifter than eagles,
they were stronger than lions.
 
O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul,
who clothed you with crimson, in luxury,
who put ornaments of gold on your apparel.
 
How the mighty have fallen
in the midst of the battle!
 
Jonathan lies slain upon your high places.
I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan;
greatly beloved were you to me;
your love to me was wonderful,
passing the love of women.
 
How the mighty have fallen,
and the weapons of war perished!

The Psalm

Psalm 130
De profundis

1 Out of the depths have I called to you, O Lord;
Lord, hear my voice; *
let your ears consider well the voice of my supplication.
2 If you, Lord, were to note what is done amiss, *
O Lord, who could stand?
3 For there is forgiveness with you; *
therefore you shall be feared.
4 I wait for the Lord; my soul waits for him; *
in his word is my hope.
5 My soul waits for the Lord,
more than watchmen for the morning, *
more than watchmen for the morning.
6 O Israel, wait for the Lord, *
for with the Lord there is mercy;
7 With him there is plenteous redemption, *
and he shall redeem Israel from all their sins.

The Epistle

2 Corinthians 8:7-15

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.

I do not say this as a command, but I am testing the genuineness of your love against the earnestness of others. For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich. And in this matter I am giving my advice: it is appropriate for you who began last year not only to do something but even to desire to do something-- now finish doing it, so that your eagerness may be matched by completing it according to your means. For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has-- not according to what one does not have. I do not mean that there should be relief for others and pressure on you, but it is a question of a fair balance between your present abundance and their need, so that their abundance may be for your need, in order that there may be a fair balance. As it is written,

“The one who had much did not have too much,
and the one who had little did not have too little.”

The Gospel

Mark 5:21-43

When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered around him; and he was by the sea. Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet and begged him repeatedly, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.” So he went with him.

And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, for she said, “If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.” Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?” And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, ‘Who touched me?’” He looked all around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”


While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader’s house to say, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?” But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. When he had entered, he said to them, “Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. Then he put them all outside, and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha cum,” which means, “Little girl, get up!” And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.
 

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June 20, 2021 - The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

6/18/2021

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​The gospel today tells of Jesus calming the storm while he and his disciples were at sea. This
hymn, written for sailors, uses a sailing metaphor to illustrate Jesus’ guidance and protection:
the pilot is a knowledgeable harbor master who boards an incoming ship to guide it safely
past any hazards into port. Both remind us that Jesus is in the boat with us. The author of
this text, Edward Hopper (1816-1888) was the pastor of the Church of Sea and Land in NYC.
--Donna Wessel Walker
The Collect

O Lord, make us have perpetual love and reverence for your holy Name, for you never fail to help and govern those whom you have set upon the sure foundation of your loving­kindness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Old Testament

1 Samuel 17: (1a, 4-11, 19-23), 32-49

[The Philistines gathered their armies for battle. And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze. He had greaves of bronze on his legs and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders. The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron; and his shield-bearer went before him. He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.” And the Philistine said, “Today I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a man, that we may fight together.” When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.

Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines. David rose early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper, took the provisions, and went as Jesse had commanded him. He came to the encampment as the army was going forth to the battle line, shouting the war cry. Israel and the Philistines drew up for battle, army against army. David left the things in charge of the keeper of the baggage, ran to the ranks, and went and greeted his brothers. As he talked with them, the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, came up out of the ranks of the Philistines, and spoke the same words as before. And David heard him.]

David said to Saul, “Let no one’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are just a boy, and he has been a warrior from his youth.” But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father; and whenever a lion or a bear came, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after it and struck it down, rescuing the lamb from its mouth; and if it turned against me, I would catch it by the jaw, strike it down, and kill it. Your servant has killed both lions and bears; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God.” David said, “The Lord, who saved me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, will save me from the hand of this Philistine.” So Saul said to David, “Go, and may the Lordbe with you!” Saul clothed David with his armor; he put a bronze helmet on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail. David strapped Saul’s sword over the armor, and he tried in vain to walk, for he was not used to them. Then David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these; for I am not used to them.” So David removed them. Then he took his staff in his hand, and chose five smooth stones from the wadi, and put them in his shepherd’s bag, in the pouch; his sling was in his hand, and he drew near to the Philistine.
The Philistine came on and drew near to David, with his shield-bearer in front of him. When the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was only a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance. The Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the wild animals of the field.” But David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword and spear and javelin; but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This very day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head; and I will give the dead bodies of the Philistine army this very day to the birds of the air and to the wild animals of the earth, so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the Lord does not save by sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s and he will give you into our hand.”

When the Philistine drew nearer to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. David put his hand in his bag, took out a stone, slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead; the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell face down on the ground.

The Psalm

Psalm 9:9-20
Confitebor tibi

    9 The Lord will be a refuge for the oppressed, *
        a refuge in time of trouble.
    10 Those who know your Name will put their trust in you, *
          for you never forsake those who seek you, O Lord.
    11 Sing praise to the Lord who dwells in Zion; *
         proclaim to the peoples the things he has done.
    12 The Avenger of blood will remember them; *
          he will not forget the cry of the afflicted.
    13 Have pity on me, O Lord; *
         see the misery I suffer from those who hate me,
         O you who lift me up from the gate of death;
    14 So that I may tell of all your praises
         and rejoice in your salvation *
         in the gates of the city of Zion.
    15 The ungodly have fallen into the pit they dug, *
         and in the snare they set is their own foot caught.
    16 The Lord is known by his acts of justice; *
         the wicked are trapped in the works of their own hands.
    17 The wicked shall be given over to the grave, *
         and also all the peoples that forget God.
    18 For the needy shall not always be forgotten, *
          and the hope of the poor shall not perish for ever.
    19 Rise up, O Lord, let not the ungodly have the upper hand; *
          let them be judged before you.
    20 Put fear upon them, O Lord; *
          let the ungodly know they are but mortal.

The Epistle

2 Corinthians 6:1-13

As we work together with Christ, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain. For he says,
“At an acceptable time I have listened to you,
and on a day of salvation I have helped you.”

See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation! We are putting no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see-- we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

We have spoken frankly to you Corinthians; our heart is wide open to you. There is no restriction in our affections, but only in yours. In return-- I speak as to children-- open wide your hearts also.

The Gospel

Mark 4:35-41

When evening had come, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

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Morning Pray in Place - Sunday June 13, 2021

6/11/2021

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Dear People of St Paul’s the Apostle
You have heard it said that when two or three gather in prayer, Jesus is with them, the Spirit is with them. For more than a year we have been restricted from gathering in our churches because of the pandemic that has swept our communities. Early on, I began streaming Sunday Morning Prayer services and weekday Noonday Prayer services on the Holy Family Facebook page as an opportunity for the parish to pray together from their homes. For more than a year, this has been good work, and has filled a spiritual need we all have; to gather in prayer, to be reassured that God is with us, and to be renewed in faith and confidence to be the people we have been called to be and carry on the work we have been called to do.
Now, we are being allowed to return to our sanctuaries and I am coming to be your priest beginning July 4th. The necessity-- and perhaps the novelty-- of streaming services is different than it was when we first began streaming. But, over these last months, I have discovered an appreciation of this kind of prayer time. There is a monastic, rule-of-life quality to it: a rhythm, a grace. Because there are fewer distractions, and because it is streamed from our home to yours, the services are gentler, allowing us all a greater opportunity to touched by the Spirit. And because they are being streamed, they can be viewed live, or at another time when it might be more convenient.
There is more to be said about this. The value of reading and praying the Daily Office for our spiritual journeys, the use of supplemental material to augment and inform, the reflections on the saints of the church as offered by the Episcopal publication, A Great Cloud of Witnesses, the adapting of the services for streaming, the use of music and singing, how Facebook allows for comments and sharing the stream with friends and beyond.
As I said above, we are in a different time, we are returning to in-church services and Eucharist liturgies. But I am wondering if it would be good for us to also continue streaming Office services. To find out, I will stream Morning Prayer this Sunday at 9:30 and Noonday Prayer at 12 noon, Monday through Friday, on the St Paul’s Facebook page. Below is a copy of the text for this coming Sunday’s Morning Prayer. The text will be visible on the stream, but you may also like to have a copy. I am offering this not as a supplement to, but as an addition to the Eucharist services already being offered at the church. I encourage you to attend the Saturday evening service in church and/or view both streamed services. Pay attention to how the different offerings and venues touch different modalities of spiritual awareness and engagement. Consider how they make you feel and why, and what that might mean for further thought and planning of our common life of prayer. And consider how, as a tool for spreading the gospel and building community, streaming differs from brick and mortar.
This past week during Noonday Prayer, we have been reading a setting of Psalm 133. This psalm begins, “See how pleasant it is for God’s people to live together as one!” It is this unity of our spirits with the spirit of Jesus that is our delight when we pray together. For this purpose, I am inviting your family, via the St Paul’s Facebook page, into our home this Sunday, June 13, at 9:30 a.m., for a Service of Morning Prayer. The services will last about 30 minutes. Come as you are.
 
Blessings on your family and on your home,
The Rev David L Vickers
St. Paul's Facebook Page
Sunday Morning Prayer Text
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June 13, 2021 - The Third Sunday after Pentecost

6/11/2021

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This hymn is appropriate to today’s gospel lesson about the mustard seed. The words are
over 200 years old: they were first published in England in 1819. John Cawood, the author,
was born into poverty in 1775; a clergyman took him in, tutored him, and sent him to Oxford,
where he became a priest. The tune gives this hymn its contemporary feel: it’s by Jane
Manton Marshall (1924-2019), a composer and educator who had great influence through her
long career at Southern Methodist University.
--Donna Wessel Walker
The Collect

Keep, O Lord, your household the Church in your steadfast faith and love, that through your grace we may proclaim your truth with boldness, and minister your justice with compassion; for the sake of our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Old Testament

1 Samuel 15:34-16:13

Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul. Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, but Samuel grieved over Saul. And the Lord was sorry that he had made Saul king over Israel.

The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.” Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me.” And the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you.” Samuel did what the Lord commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, “Do you come peaceably?” He said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is now before the Lord.” But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.” He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; for this is the one.” Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah.

The Psalm

Psalm 20
Exaudiat te Dominus
​

    1 May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble, *
       the Name of the God of Jacob defend you;
    2 Send you help from his holy place *
       and strengthen you out of Zion;
    3 Remember all your offerings *
       and accept your burnt sacrifice;
    4 Grant you your heart's desire *
       and prosper all your plans.
    5 We will shout for joy at your victory
       and triumph in the Name of our God; *
       may the Lord grant all your requests.
    6 Now I know that the Lord gives victory to his anointed; *
       he will answer him out of his holy heaven,
       with the victorious strength of his right hand.
    7 Some put their trust in chariots and some in horses, *
       but we will call upon the Name of the Lord our God.
    8 They collapse and fall down, *
       but we will arise and stand upright.
    9 O Lord, give victory to the king *
       and answer us when we call.

The Epistle

2 Corinthians 5:6-10,[11-13],14-17

We are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord-- for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil.

[Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade others; but we ourselves are well known to God, and I hope that we are also well known to your consciences. We are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you an opportunity to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast in outward appearance and not in the heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.] For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them. From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!

The Gospel

Mark 4:26-34

Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.”

He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
​
With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.


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June 6, 2021 - The Second Sunday after Pentecost

6/4/2021

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For a long time I thought that this must be a Civil War hymn, with its emphasis on unity
across geographic boundaries, its Victorian optimism, and the sprightly African-American
tune. But in fact, the text was written in England in the early 20th century. The melody was
adapted from an African-American song, which may have derived from an Irish tune. Think
of all the rich traditions combining to give us this hymn: they are all “kin to me.”
--Donna Wessel Walker
The Collect

O God, from whom all good proceeds: Grant that by your inspiration we may think those things that are right, and by your merciful guiding may do them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Old Testament

1 Samuel 8:4-11, (12-15), 16-20, (11:14-15)

All the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him, “You are old and your sons do not follow in your ways; appoint for us, then, a king to govern us, like other nations.” But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to govern us.” Samuel prayed to the Lord, and the Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. Just as they have done to me, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so also they are doing to you. Now then, listen to their voice; only—you shall solemnly warn them, and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.”
​
So Samuel reported all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, “These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen, and to run before his chariots; [and he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his courtiers. He will take one-tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and his courtiers.] He will take your male and female slaves, and the best of your cattle and donkeys, and put them to his work. He will take one-tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves; but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”
But the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel; they said, “No! but we are determined to have a king over us, so that we also may be like other nations, and that our king may govern us and go out before us and fight our battles.”

[Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and there renew the kingship.” So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the Lord in Gilgal. There they sacrificed offerings of well-being before the Lord, and there Saul and all the Israelites rejoiced greatly.]

The Psalm

Psalm 138
Confitebor tibi

    1 I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with my whole heart; *
       before the gods I will sing your praise.
    2 I will bow down toward your holy temple
       and praise your Name, *
       because of your love and faithfulness;
    3 For you have glorified your Name *
       and your word above all things.
    4 When I called, you answered me; *
       you increased my strength within me.
    5 All the kings of the earth will praise you, O Lord, *
       when they have heard the words of your mouth.
    6 They will sing of the ways of the Lord, *
       that great is the glory of the Lord.
    7 Though the Lord be high, he cares for the lowly; *
       he perceives the haughty from afar.
    8 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you keep me safe; *
       you stretch forth your hand against the fury of my enemies;
       your right hand shall save me.
    9 The Lord will make good his purpose for me; *
       O Lord, your love endures for ever;
       do not abandon the works of your hands.

The Epistle

2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1

Just as we have the same spirit of faith that is in accordance with scripture—“I believed, and so I spoke” —we also believe, and so we speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will bring us with you into his presence. Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.
For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

The Gospel

Mark 3:20-35

The crowd came together again, so that Jesus and his disciples could not even eat. When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, “He has gone out of his mind.” And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons.” And he called them to him, and spoke to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come. But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered.

“Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— for they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.”
​
Then his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to him and called him. A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you.” And he replied, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”


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