[Propertalk] READINGS for the EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY after PENTECOST

[Charles Wohlers]

The following are the readings for the Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost, 
September 26, (Proper 21) according to the Revised Common (RCL), Episcopal 
(ECUSA), Roman Catholic, Canadian BAS, and the Church of England (Common 
Worship) lectionaries. All readings are taken from the New Revised Standard 
Version (NRSV) of the Bible. Unless noted otherwise, the ECUSA, Canadian and 
C of E lectionaries are identical to the RCL for this day.



OLD TESTAMENT: Jeremiah 32: 1 - 3a, 6 - 15   (RCL)

Jere 32:1 (NRSV) The word that came to Jeremi'ah from the LORD in the tenth 
year of King Zedeki'ah of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of 
Nebuchadrez'zar. 2 At that time the army of the king of Babylon was 
besieging Jerusalem, and the prophet Jeremi'ah was confined in the court of 
the guard that was in the palace of the king of Judah, 3 where King 
Zedeki'ah of Judah had confined him.

6 Jeremi'ah said, The word of the LORD came to me: 7 Han'amel son of your 
uncle Shal'lum is going to come to you and say, "Buy my field that is at 
An'athoth, for the right of redemption by purchase is yours." 8 Then my 
cousin Han'amel came to me in the court of the guard, in accordance with the 
word of the LORD, and said to me, "Buy my field that is at An'athoth in the 
land of Benjamin, for the right of possession and redemption is yours; buy 
it for yourself." Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD.
9 And I bought the field at An'athoth from my cousin Han'amel, and weighed 
out the money to him, seventeen shekels of silver. 10 I signed the deed, 
sealed it, got witnesses, and weighed the money on scales. 11 Then I took 
the sealed deed of purchase, containing the terms and conditions, and the 
open copy; 12 and I gave the deed of purchase to Bar'uch son of Neri'ah son 
of Mah'seiah, in the presence of my cousin Han'amel, in the presence of the 
witnesses who signed the deed of purchase, and in the presence of all the 
Judeans who were sitting in the court of the guard. 13 In their presence I 
charged Bar'uch, saying, 14 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: 
Take these deeds, both this sealed deed of purchase and this open deed, and 
put them in an earthenware jar, in order that they may last for a long time. 
15 For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Houses and fields and 
vineyards shall again be bought in this land.


Amos 6: 1a, 4 - 7   (Roman Catholic, alt. for RCL)

Amos 6:1 (NRSV) Alas for those who are at ease in Zion,
and for those who feel secure on Mount Samaria,

4 Alas for those who lie on beds of ivory,
and lounge on their couches,
and eat lambs from the flock,
and calves from the stall;
5 who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp,
and like David improvise on instruments of music;
6 who drink wine from bowls,
and anoint themselves with the finest oils,
but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph!
7 Therefore they shall now be the first to go into exile,
and the revelry of the loungers shall pass away.


Joel 2: 23 - 30   (Can. BAS)

Joel 2:23 (NRSV) O children of Zion, be glad
and rejoice in the LORD your God;
for he has given the early rain for your vindication,
he has poured down for you abundant rain,
the early and the later rain, as before.
24 The threshing floors shall be full of grain,
the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.
25 I will repay you for the years
that the swarming locust has eaten,
the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter,
my great army, which I sent against you.
26 You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,
and praise the name of the LORD your God,
who has dealt wondrously with you.
And my people shall never again be put to shame.
27 You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel,
and that I, the LORD, am your God and there is no other.
And my people shall never again be put to shame.
28 Then afterward
I will pour out my spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall dream dreams,
and your young men shall see visions.
29 Even on the male and female slaves,
in those days, I will pour out my spirit.
30 I will show portents in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and 
columns of smoke.


PSALM 91: 1 - 6, 14 - 16 (RCL)

Psal 91:1 (NRSV) You who live in the shelter of the Most High,
who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
2 will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress;
my God, in whom I trust."
3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence;
4 he will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
5 You will not fear the terror of the night,
or the arrow that flies by day,
6 or the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
or the destruction that wastes at noonday.

14 Those who love me, I will deliver;
I will protect those who know my name.
15 When they call to me, I will answer them;
I will be with them in trouble,
I will rescue them and honor them.
16 With long life I will satisfy them,
and show them my salvation.


Psalm 146   (alt. for RCL)
Psalm 146: 7 - 10   (Roman Catholic)

Psal 146:1 (NRSV) Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD, O my soul!
2 I will praise the LORD as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God all my life long.
3 Do not put your trust in princes,
in mortals, in whom there is no help.
4 When their breath departs, they return to the earth;
on that very day their plans perish.
5 Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the LORD their God,
6 who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them;
who keeps faith forever;
7 who executes justice for the oppressed;
who gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets the prisoners free;
8 the LORD opens the eyes of the blind.
The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down;
the LORD loves the righteous.
9 The LORD watches over the strangers;
he upholds the orphan and the widow,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
10 The LORD will reign forever,
your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Praise the LORD!


Psalm 107: 1, 33 - 43   (Can. BAS)

Psal 107:1 (NRSV) O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever.

33 He turns rivers into a desert,
springs of water into thirsty ground,
34 a fruitful land into a salty waste,
because of the wickedness of its inhabitants.
35 He turns a desert into pools of water,
a parched land into springs of water.
36 And there he lets the hungry live,
and they establish a town to live in;
37 they sow fields, and plant vineyards,
and get a fruitful yield.
38 By his blessing they multiply greatly,
and he does not let their cattle decrease.
39 When they are diminished and brought low
through oppression, trouble, and sorrow,
40 he pours contempt on princes
and makes them wander in trackless wastes;
41 but he raises up the needy out of distress,
and makes their families like flocks.
42 The upright see it and are glad;
and all wickedness stops its mouth.
43 Let those who are wise give heed to these things,
and consider the steadfast love of the LORD.


NEW TESTAMENT: 1 Timothy 6: 6 - 19   (RCL)
                                    1 Timothy 6: 11 - 16   (Roman Catholic)

1Tim 6:6 (NRSV) Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with 
contentment; 7 for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take 
nothing out of it; 8 but if we have food and clothing, we will be content 
with these. 9 But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are 
trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin 
and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, 
and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and 
pierced themselves with many pains.
11 But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, 
godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of 
the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for 
which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 In 
the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who 
in his testimony before Pon'tius Pilate made the good confession, I charge 
you 14 to keep the commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation 
of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which he will bring about at the right time--he 
who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords. 
16 It is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, 
whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honor and eternal dominion. 
Amen.
17 As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be 
haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on 
God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 They are to 
do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, 19 thus 
storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, 
so that they may take hold of the life that really is life.


GOSPEL: Luke 16: 19 - 31  (all)

Luke 16:19 (NRSV) "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine 
linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate lay a poor 
man named Laz'arus, covered with sores, 21 who longed to satisfy his hunger 
with what fell from the rich man's table; even the dogs would come and lick 
his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be 
with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he 
was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Laz'arus by 
his side. 24 He called out, "Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send 
Laz'arus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am 
in agony in these flames.' 25 But Abraham said, "Child, remember that during 
your lifetime you received your good things, and Laz'arus in like manner 
evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. 26 Besides 
all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who 
might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from 
there to us.' 27 He said, "Then, father, I beg you to send him to my 
father's house-- 28 for I have five brothers--that he may warn them, so that 
they will not also come into this place of torment.' 29 Abraham replied, 
"They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.' 30 He said, 
"No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will 
repent.' 31 He said to him, "If they do not listen to Moses and the 
prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the 
dead.'"


Chad Wohlers
East Bridgewater, Mass.   USA
chadwohl at satucket.com
cwohlers at bridgew.edu