Sunday, May 7, 2023

The Daily Lectionary for Monday, May 8, 2023

 

The Daily Lectionary
Monday, May 8, 2023
Psalm 102:1-17; Exodus 13:17-22; Acts 7:17-40

(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

A Psalm and A Prayer
Responsive Readings from the Psalms and Prayers
for Public Worship and Private Devotions
Psalm 102:1-17
Prayer for deliverance
Domine, exaudi

1 LORD, hear my prayer, and let my cry come before you; *
    hide not your face from me in the day of my trouble.


2 Incline your ear to me; *
    when I call, make haste to answer me,


3 For my days drift away like smoke, *
    and my bones are hot as burning coals.


4 My heart is smitten like grass and withered, *
    so that I forget to eat my bread.


5 Because of the voice of my groaning *
    I am but skin and bones.


6 I have become like a vulture in the wilderness, *
    like an owl among the ruins.


7 I lie awake and groan; *
    I am like a sparrow, lonely on a house-top.


8 My enemies revile me all day long, *
    and those who scoff at me have taken an oath against me.


9 For I have eaten ashes for bread *
    and mingled my drink with weeping.


10 Because of your indignation and wrath *
     you have lifted me up and thrown me away.


11 My days pass away like a shadow, *
     and I wither like the grass.


12 But you, O LORD, endure for ever, *
     and your Name from age to age.

13 You will arise and have compassion on Zion,
       for it is time to have mercy upon her; *
     indeed, the appointed time has come.


14 For your servants love her very rubble, *
     and are moved to pity even for her dust.


15 The nations shall fear your Name, O LORD, *
     and all the kings of the earth your glory.

16 For the LORD will build up Zion, *
     and his glory will appear.


17 He will look with favor on the prayer of the homeless; *
     he will not despise their plea.


Lord Jesus, in these days of uncertainty and trouble, we ask You for guidance, strength, and wisdom. We look forward to Your coming again to make all things right, according to Your precious promises. Come now, Lord Jesus. Fill us with Your Spirit. Give us insight to prepare for the future, even as we pray:
“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.”
Exodus 13:17-22
God leads the way

13:17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” 18 So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle.

19 Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the Israelites swear an oath. He had said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place.”

20 After leaving Sukkoth they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert. 21 By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. 22 Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.

Acts 7:17-40
Stephen addresses the council

7:17 “As the time drew near for God to fulfill his promise to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt had greatly increased. 18 Then ‘a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt.’ 19 He dealt treacherously with our people and oppressed our ancestors by forcing them to throw out their newborn babies so that they would die.

20 “At that time Moses was born, and he was no ordinary child. For three months he was cared for by his family. 21 When he was placed outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him and brought him up as her own son. 22 Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action.

23 “When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his own people, the Israelites. 24 He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defense and avenged him by killing the Egyptian. 25 Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not. 26 The next day Moses came upon two Israelites who were fighting. He tried to reconcile them by saying, ‘Men, you are brothers; why do you want to hurt each other?’

27 “But the man who was mistreating the other pushed Moses aside and said, ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us? 28 Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ 29 When Moses heard this, he fled to Midian, where he settled as a foreigner and had two sons.

30 “After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. 31 When he saw this, he was amazed at the sight. As he went over to get a closer look, he heard the Lord say: 32 ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.’ Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look.

33 “Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. 34 I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.’

35 “This is the same Moses they had rejected with the words, ‘Who made you ruler and judge?’ He was sent to be their ruler and deliverer by God himself, through the angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36 He led them out of Egypt and performed wonders and signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea and for forty years in the wilderness.

37 “This is the Moses who told the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your own people.’ 38 He was in the assembly in the wilderness, with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors; and he received living words to pass on to us.

39 “But our ancestors refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt. 40 They told Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who led us out of Egypt—we don’t know what has happened to him!’

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 Monday, May 8, 2023
Psalm 102:1-17; Exodus 13:17-22; Acts 7:17-40

The Morning Prayer for Monday, May 8, 2023

 

The Morning Prayer
Monday, May 8, 2023


God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble...The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.
Psalm 46:1, 7, RSV


Lord, Almighty God of heaven and earth, grant that we may come to you as your children. For you have chosen us through the gospel, and Jesus Christ has obtained mercy for us so that in you we have a refuge in disturbed and evil times. We turn to your Word, Lord God, rejoicing that again and again the whole of Christendom is led back to your Word. Strengthen all those who serve your Word, who look to you and to the grace of Jesus Christ. Grant that everywhere we may have hope and joy in the redemption you will bring in every situation, also in our ordinary practical life. Grant that through this redemption the earth may proclaim your praise and honor your name, your kingdom may come, and your will be done on earth as in heaven. Amen.

Verse of the Day for Monday, May 8, 2023

 

Verse of the Day
Monday, May 8, 2023


Colossians 4:5-6
Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
Unbelievers are always watching us, whether we realize it or not, and we do not know when the Lord will present an opportunity for us to influence them. They may ask us about heaven, eternal life, or God, and we must always be ready to tell them the reason for our hope.

Read all of Colossians Chapter 4

Listen to Colossians Chapter 4

Scripture from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.