Wednesday, April 12, 2023

The Daily Lectionary for Thursday, April 13, 2023 — Easter Thursday

 

The Daily Lectionary
Thursday, April 13, 2023
Easter Thursday
Psalm 16; Song of Songs 2:8-15; Colossians 4:2-5
(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

A Psalm and A Prayer
Responsive Readings from the Psalms and Prayers
for Public Worship and Private Devotions
Psalm 16
Fullness of joy
Conserva me, Domine

1 Protect me, O God, for I take refuge in you; *
    I have said to the LORD, “You are my Lord,
      my good above all other.”

2 All my delight is upon the godly that are in the land, *
    upon those who are noble among the people.


3 But those who run after other gods *
    shall have their troubles multiplied.


4 Their libations of blood I will not offer, *
    nor take the names of their gods upon my lips.

5 O LORD, you are my portion and my cup; *
    it is you who uphold my lot.


6 My boundaries enclose a pleasant land; *
    indeed, I have a goodly heritage.


7 I will bless the LORD who gives me counsel; *
    my heart teaches me, night after night.


8 I have set the LORD always before me; *
    because he is at my right hand I shall not fall.


9 My heart, therefore, is glad, and my spirit rejoices; *
    my body also shall rest in hope.


10 For you will not abandon me to the grave, *
     nor let your holy one see the Pit.


11 You will show me the path of life; *
     in your presence there is fullness of joy,
       and in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.


Heavenly Father, because You have revealed Yourself truly to us in the Bible, we know that we can come to You for protection and refuge. We do look with favor, even as You do, upon those who strive to live holy in Your name. We pray that You would defend them and all who seek to live wholly for You, even at the risk of their lives or livelihood. Even as those who worship false gods come to sorrow, we pray that You would keep us from depending upon the things of this world instead of trusting completely in You. Bless this hour of worship as we begin by praying the prayer that Jesus taught us:
“Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.”

Song of Songs 2:8-15
Arise for the winter is past

 She
 
8 Listen! My beloved!
     Look! Here he comes,
  leaping across the mountains,
     bounding over the hills.

9 My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag.
     Look! There he stands behind our wall,
  gazing through the windows,
     peering through the lattice.

10 My beloved spoke and said to me,
      “Arise, my darling,
      my beautiful one, come with me.

11 See! The winter is past;
      the rains are over and gone.

12 Flowers appear on the earth;
      the season of singing has come,
   the cooing of doves
      is heard in our land.

13 The fig tree forms its early fruit;
      the blossoming vines spread their fragrance.
   Arise, come, my darling;
      my beautiful one, come with me.”

 
He

14 My dove in the clefts of the rock,
      in the hiding places on the mountainside,
   show me your face,
      let me hear your voice;
   for your voice is sweet,
      and your face is lovely.

15 Catch for us the foxes,
      the little foxes
   that ruin the vineyards,
      our vineyards that are in bloom.


Colossians 4:2-5
The new life in Christ

4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. 5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.

Optional parts of the readings are set off in [square brackets.]

The Bible texts of the Old Testament, Epistle, and Gospel lessons are from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Responsive Readings from the Common Book of Prayer (1789).

The Daily Lectionary is a three year cyclical lectionary. We are currently in Year A. Beginning with the first Sunday of Advent in 2023, we will be in Year B. The year which ended at Advent 2022 was Year A. These readings complement the Sunday and festival readings: Thursday through Saturday readings help prepare the reader for the Sunday ahead; Monday through Wednesday readings help the reader reflect and digest on what they heard in worship. Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org
The Daily Lectionary for Thursday, April 13, 2023
Easter Thursday
Psalm 16; Song of Songs 2:8-15; Colossians 4:2-5

The Morning Prayer for Thursday, April 13, 2023

 

The Morning Prayer
Thursday, April 13, 2023


Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
Psalm 143:10, NIV


Lord our God, O great and almighty One, whose Spirit fills heaven and earth! We thank you that you are our Father and that in you we have a refuge wherever we must go as we serve you on earth. We thank you that your life can be revealed in us and can flow through us so that the world may be blest by you, our loving and caring Father. Protect us and strengthen us in times of trouble and sorrow. When we travel on new paths, give us your Spirit to show us the way, that everything may lead to the good and to your honor. Father, through your Spirit unite us in the unshakable hope that your will shall at last be done on earth as in heaven. Grant that we may rejoice in the certainty that whatever happens, our paths are made level and firm by your love and your faithfulness. Amen.

Verse of the Day for Thursday, April 13, 2023

 

Verse of the Day
Thursday, April 13, 2023


Romans 3:23-24
…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,  and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
We sin when we fail to comply with God’s will or we violate His law—we don’t do the things He created us to do or fulfill the purposes that He planned for us (Eph. 2:10). So we are judged guilty of committing sin and must pay retribution (Rom. 6:23). That is why sin is a debt that we owe—because we have broken the law against God. Jesus alone lived a sinless life and could pay for our sin debt in full (2 Cor. 5:21; Col. 2:13, 14; Heb. 4:15; 7:26–28).