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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>The following are the readings for the First Sunday
of Epiphany, Jan. 8, 2012, 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 otherwise noted, the ECUSA, Canadian and
Common Worship readings are identical to the RCL this Sunday.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>OLD TESTAMENT: Genesis 1: 1 - 5
(RCL)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Gene 1:1 (NRSV) In the beginning when God created
the heavens and the earth, 2 the earth was a formless void and darkness covered
the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. 3
Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. 4 And God saw that the
light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the
light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was
morning, the first day. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>
<DIV><BR>Isaiah 42: v1 - 4, 6 - 7 (Roman Catholic)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Isai 42:1 (NRSV) Here is my servant, whom I uphold, <BR>my chosen, in whom
my soul delights; <BR>I have put my spirit upon him; <BR>he will bring forth
justice to the nations. <BR>2 He will not cry or lift up his voice, <BR>or make
it heard in the street; <BR>3 a bruised reed he will not break, <BR>and a dimly
burning wick he will not quench; <BR>he will faithfully bring forth justice.
<BR>4 He will not grow faint or be crushed <BR>until he has established justice
in the earth; <BR>and the coastlands wait for his teaching. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>6 I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness, <BR>I have taken you
by the hand and kept you; <BR>I have given you as a covenant to the people,
<BR>a light to the nations, <BR>7 to open the eyes that are blind, <BR>to bring
out the prisoners from the dungeon, <BR>from the prison those who sit in
darkness. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR>Isaiah 55: 1 - 11 (alt. for Roman Catholic)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Isai 55:1 (NRSV) Ho, everyone who thirsts, <BR>come to the waters; <BR>and
you that have no money, <BR>come, buy and eat! <BR>Come, buy wine and milk
<BR>without money and without price. <BR>2 Why do you spend your money for that
which is not bread, <BR>and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
<BR>Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, <BR>and delight yourselves in
rich food. <BR>3 Incline your ear, and come to me; <BR>listen, so that you may
live. <BR>I will make with you an everlasting covenant, <BR>my steadfast, sure
love for David. <BR>4 See, I made him a witness to the peoples, <BR>a leader and
commander for the peoples. <BR>5 See, you shall call nations that you do not
know, <BR>and nations that do not know you shall run to you, <BR>because of the
LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, <BR>for he has glorified you. <BR>6 Seek
the LORD while he may be found, <BR>call upon him while he is near; <BR>7 let
the wicked forsake their way, <BR>and the unrighteous their thoughts; <BR>let
them return to the LORD, that he may have mercy on them, <BR>and to our God, for
he will abundantly pardon. <BR>8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, <BR>nor
are your ways my ways, says the LORD. <BR>9 For as the heavens are higher than
the earth, <BR>so are my ways higher than your ways <BR>and my thoughts than
your thoughts. <BR>10 For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
<BR>and do not return there until they have watered the earth, <BR>making it
bring forth and sprout, <BR>giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
<BR>11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; <BR>it shall not return
to me empty, <BR>but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, <BR>and succeed
in the thing for which I sent it. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR>PSALM 29 (RCL)<BR>Psalm 29: 1 - 4, 3b, 9b - 10 (Roman
Catholic)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Psal 29:1 (NRSV) Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, <BR>ascribe to the
LORD glory and strength. <BR>2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory of his name;
<BR>worship the LORD in holy splendor. <BR>3 The voice of the LORD is over the
waters; <BR>the God of glory thunders, <BR>the LORD, over mighty waters. <BR>4
The voice of the LORD is powerful; <BR>the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.
<BR>5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; <BR>the LORD breaks the cedars of
Lebanon. <BR>6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, <BR>and Sir'ion like a young
wild ox. <BR>7 The voice of the LORD flashes forth flames of fire. <BR>8 The
voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; <BR>the LORD shakes the wilderness of
Ka'desh. <BR>9 The voice of the LORD causes the oaks to whirl, <BR>and strips
the forest bare; <BR>and in his temple all say, "Glory!" <BR>10 The LORD sits
enthroned over the flood; <BR>the LORD sits enthroned as king forever. <BR>11
May the LORD give strength to his people! <BR>May the LORD bless his people with
peace! </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR>Isaiah 12: 2 - 3, 4bcd - 6 (alt. for Roman Catholic)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Isai 12:2 (NRSV) Surely God is my salvation; <BR>I will trust, and will not
be afraid, <BR>for the LORD GOD is my strength and my might; <BR>he has become
my salvation. <BR>3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
<BR>4<BR>Give thanks to the LORD, <BR>call on his name; <BR>make known his deeds
among the nations; <BR>proclaim that his name is exalted. <BR>5 Sing praises to
the LORD, for he has done gloriously; <BR>let this be known in all the earth.
<BR>6 Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion, <BR>for great in your midst is
the Holy One of Israel. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR>NEW TESTAMENT: Acts 19: 1 - 7 (RCL)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Acts 19:1 (NRSV) While Apol'los was in Corinth, Paul passed through the
interior regions and came to Eph'esus, where he found some disciples. 2 He said
to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?" They
replied, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." 3 Then he
said, "Into what then were you baptized?" They answered, "Into John's baptism."
4 Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people
to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus." 5 On
hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul had
laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in
tongues and prophesied-- 7 altogether there were about twelve of them. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR>Acts 10: 34 - 38 (Roman Catholic)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Acts 10:34 (NRSV) Then Peter began to speak to them: "I truly understand
that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and
does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 You know the message he sent to the
people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ--he is Lord of all. 37 That
message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that
John announced: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and
with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by
the devil, for God was with him. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR>1 John 5: 1 - 9 (alt. for Roman Catholic)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>1Joh 5:1 (NRSV) Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been
born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child. <BR>2 By this we
know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his
commandments. <BR>3 For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments.
And his commandments are not burdensome, <BR>4 for whatever is born of God
conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith.
<BR>5 Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is
the Son of God? <BR>6 This is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ,
not with the water only but with the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the
one that testifies, for the Spirit is the truth. <BR>7 There are three that
testify: <BR>8 the Spirit and the water and the blood, and these three
agree. <BR>9 If we receive human testimony, the testimony of God is greater; for
this is the testimony of God that he has testified to his Son. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR>GOSPEL: Mark 1: 4 - 11
(RCL)<BR>
Mark 1: 7 - 11 (alt. for Roman Catholic)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Mark 1:4 (NRSV) John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a
baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And people from the whole
Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and
were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was
clothed with camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate
locusts and wild honey. 7 He proclaimed, "The one who is more powerful than I is
coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his
sandals. 8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy
Spirit." <BR>9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was
baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And just as he was coming up out of the
water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on
him. 11 And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I
am well pleased." </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR>Matthew 3: 13 - 17 (Roman Catholic)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Matt 3:13 (NRSV) Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be
baptized by him. <BR>14 John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be
baptized by you, and do you come to me?" <BR>15 But Jesus answered him, "Let it
be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness."
Then he consented. <BR>16 And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up
from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of
God descending like a dove and alighting on him. <BR>17 And a voice from heaven
said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased." </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></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>