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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>The following are the readings for the Second
Sunday of Advent, Dec. 5, according to the Revised Common (RCL), 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.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>OLD TESTAMENT: Isaiah 11: 1 - 10 (all)
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Isai 11:1 (NRSV) A shoot shall come out from the
stump of Jesse, <BR>and a branch shall grow out of his roots. <BR>2 The spirit
of the LORD shall rest on him, <BR>the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
<BR>the spirit of counsel and might, <BR>the spirit of knowledge and the fear of
the LORD. <BR>3 His delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. <BR>He shall not
judge by what his eyes see, <BR>or decide by what his ears hear; <BR>4 but with
righteousness he shall judge the poor, <BR>and decide with equity for the meek
of the earth; <BR>he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, <BR>and
with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. <BR>5 Righteousness shall
be the belt around his waist, <BR>and faithfulness the belt around his loins.
<BR>6 The wolf shall live with the lamb, <BR>the leopard shall lie down with the
kid, <BR>the calf and the lion and the fatling together, <BR>and a little child
shall lead them. <BR>7 The cow and the bear shall graze, <BR>their young shall
lie down together; <BR>and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. <BR>8 The
nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, <BR>and the weaned child
shall put its hand on the adder's den. <BR>9 They will not hurt or destroy
<BR>on all my holy mountain; <BR>for the earth will be full of the knowledge of
the LORD <BR>as the waters cover the sea. <BR>10 On that day the root of Jesse
shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and
his dwelling shall be glorious. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>
<DIV><BR>PSALM 72: 1 - 7, 18 - 19 (RCL) <BR>Psalm 72: 1 -
8 (Can. BAS)<BR>Psalm 72: 1 - 2, 7 - 8, 12 - 13, 17
(Roman Catholic) </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Psal 72:1 (NRSV) Give the king your justice, O God, <BR>and your
righteousness to a king's son. <BR>2 May he judge your people with
righteousness, <BR>and your poor with justice. <BR>3 May the mountains yield
prosperity for the people, <BR>and the hills, in righteousness. <BR>4 May he
defend the cause of the poor of the people, <BR>give deliverance to the needy,
<BR>and crush the oppressor. <BR>5 May he live while the sun endures, <BR>and as
long as the moon, throughout all generations. <BR>6 May he be like rain that
falls on the mown grass, <BR>like showers that water the earth. <BR>7 In his
days may righteousness flourish <BR>and peace abound, until the moon is no more.
<BR>8 May he have dominion from sea to sea, <BR>and from the River to the ends
of the earth. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>12 For he delivers the needy when they call, <BR>the poor and those who
have no helper. <BR>13 He has pity on the weak and the needy, <BR>and saves the
lives of the needy. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>17 May his name endure forever, <BR>his fame continue as long as the sun.
<BR>May all nations be blessed in him; <BR>may they pronounce him happy. <BR>18
Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, <BR>who alone does wondrous things.
<BR>19 Blessed be his glorious name forever; <BR>may his glory fill the whole
earth. <BR>Amen and Amen. </DIV>
<DIV><BR><BR>NEW TESTAMENT: Romans 15: 4 - 13 (RCL)
<BR>
Romans 15: 4 - 9 (Roman Catholic) </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Roma 15:4 (NRSV) For whatever was written in former days was written for
our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the
scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of steadfastness and encouragement
grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus,
6 so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ. <BR>7 Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed
you, for the glory of God. 8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of
the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God in order that he might confirm the
promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify
God for his mercy. As it is written, <BR>"Therefore I will confess you among the
Gentiles, <BR>and sing praises to your name"; <BR>10 and again he says,
<BR>"Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people"; <BR>11 and again, <BR>"Praise the
Lord, all you Gentiles, <BR>and let all the peoples praise him"; <BR>12 and
again Isai'ah says, <BR>"The root of Jesse shall come, <BR>the one who rises to
rule the Gentiles; <BR>in him the Gentiles shall hope." <BR>13 May the God of
hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in
hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR>GOSPEL: Matthew 3: 1 - 12 (all) </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Matt 3:1 (NRSV) In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness
of Judea, proclaiming, 2 "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." 3
This is the one of whom the prophet Isai'ah spoke when he said, <BR>"The voice
of one crying out in the wilderness: <BR>"Prepare the way of the Lord, <BR>make
his paths straight.'" <BR>4 Now John wore clothing of camel's hair with a
leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then
the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region
along the Jordan, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan,
confessing their sins. <BR>7 But when he saw many Phar'isees and Sad'ducees
coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to
flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit worthy of repentance. 9 Do not presume
to say to yourselves, "We have Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is
able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 10 Even now the ax is
lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good
fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. <BR>11 "I baptize you with water for
repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not
worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and
will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with
unquenchable fire." <BR></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Chad Wohlers<BR>Woodbury, Vermont USA<BR><A
href="mailto:chadwohl@satucket.com">chadwohl@satucket.com</A><BR><A
href="mailto:cwohlers@bridgew.edu">cwohlers@bridgew.edu</A><BR></DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>