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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>The following are the readings for the Third Sunday
after Pentecost, June 17, (Proper 11, RCL, and Proper 6, ECUSA), 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. Note that the Canadian BAS does not allow the RCL alternative
readings.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>OLD TESTAMENT: 1 Samuel 15: 34 - 16:
13 (RCL)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>1Sam 15:34 (NRSV) Then Samuel went to Ra'mah; and
Saul went up to his house in Gib'eah of Saul. 35 Samuel did not see Saul again
until the day of his death, but Samuel grieved over Saul. And the LORD was sorry
that he had made Saul king over Israel. 16:1 The LORD said to Samuel, "How long
will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill
your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Beth'lehemite, for
I have provided for myself a king among his sons." 2 Samuel said, "How can I go?
If Saul hears of it, he will kill me." And the LORD said, "Take a heifer with
you, and say, "I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.' 3 Invite Jesse to the
sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me
the one whom I name to you." 4 Samuel did what the LORD commanded, and came to
Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, "Do you
come peaceably?" 5 He said, "Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD;
sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice." And he sanctified Jesse
and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. <BR>6 When they came, he looked
on Eli'ab and thought, "Surely the LORD's anointed is now before the LORD." 7
But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of
his stature, because I have rejected him; for the LORD does not see as mortals
see; they look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart." 8
Then Jesse called Abin'adab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, "Neither
has the LORD chosen this one." 9 Then Jesse made Sham'mah pass by. And he said,
"Neither has the LORD chosen this one." 10 Jesse made seven of his sons pass
before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, "The LORD has not chosen any of these."
11 Samuel said to Jesse, "Are all your sons here?" And he said, "There remains
yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep." And Samuel said to Jesse, "Send
and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here." 12 He sent and
brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The
LORD said, "Rise and anoint him; for this is the one." 13 Then Samuel took the
horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of
the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and
went to Ra'mah. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>
<DIV><BR>Ezekiel 17: 22 - 24 (Roman Catholic, Alt. for RCL)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Ezek 17:22 (NRSV) Thus says the Lord GOD: <BR>I myself will take a sprig
<BR>from the lofty top of a cedar; <BR>I will set it out. <BR>I will break off a
tender one <BR>from the topmost of its young twigs; <BR>I myself will plant it
<BR>on a high and lofty mountain. <BR>23 On the mountain height of Israel <BR>I
will plant it, <BR>in order that it may produce boughs and bear fruit, <BR>and
become a noble cedar. <BR>Under it every kind of bird will live; <BR>in the
shade of its branches will nest <BR>winged creatures of every kind. <BR>24 All
the trees of the field shall know <BR>that I am the LORD. <BR>I bring low the
high tree, <BR>I make high the low tree; <BR>I dry up the green tree <BR>and
make the dry tree flourish. <BR>I the LORD have spoken; <BR>I will accomplish
it. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR>PSALM 20 (RCL)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Psal 20:1 (NRSV) The LORD answer you in the day of trouble! <BR>The name of
the God of Jacob protect you! <BR>2 May he send you help from the sanctuary,
<BR>and give you support from Zion. <BR>3 May he remember all your offerings,
<BR>and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices. [Se'lah] <BR>4 May he grant you
your heart's desire, <BR>and fulfill all your plans. <BR>5 May we shout for joy
over your victory, <BR>and in the name of our God set up our banners. <BR>May
the LORD fulfill all your petitions. <BR>6 Now I know that the LORD will help
his anointed; <BR>he will answer him from his holy heaven <BR>with mighty
victories by his right hand. <BR>7 Some take pride in chariots, and some in
horses, <BR>but our pride is in the name of the LORD our God. <BR>8 They will
collapse and fall, <BR>but we shall rise and stand upright. <BR>9 Give victory
to the king, O LORD; <BR>answer us when we call. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR>20 Exaudiat te Dominus (ECUSA
BCP)<BR> <BR>1 May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble,
*<BR> the Name of the God of Jacob defend you;<BR> <BR>2
Send you help from his holy place *<BR> and strengthen you out
of Zion;<BR> <BR>3 Remember all your offerings
*<BR> and accept your burnt sacrifice;<BR> <BR>4
Grant you your heart's desire *<BR> and prosper all your
plans.<BR> <BR>5 We will shout for joy at your victory<BR>and
triumph in the Name of our God; *<BR> may the Lord grant all your
requests.<BR> <BR>6 Now I know that the Lord gives victory to
his anointed; *<BR> he will answer him out of his holy
heaven,<BR> with the victorious strength of his right
hand.<BR> <BR>7 Some put their trust in chariots and some in
horses, *<BR> but we will call upon the Name of the Lord our
God.<BR> <BR>8 They collapse and fall down,
*<BR> but we will arise and stand upright.<BR> <BR>9
O Lord, give victory to the king *<BR> and answer us when we
call.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR>Psalm 92: 1 - 2, 12 - 15 (Roman Catholic)<BR>Psalm 92: 1 -
4, 12 - 15 (alt. for RCL)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Psal 92:1 (NRSV) It is good to give thanks to the LORD, <BR>to sing praises
to your name, O Most High; <BR>2 to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
<BR>and your faithfulness by night, <BR>3 to the music of the lute and the harp,
<BR>to the melody of the lyre. <BR>4 For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your
work; <BR>at the works of your hands I sing for joy. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>12 The righteous flourish like the palm tree, <BR>and grow like a cedar in
Lebanon. <BR>13 They are planted in the house of the LORD; <BR>they flourish in
the courts of our God. <BR>14 In old age they still produce fruit; <BR>they are
always green and full of sap, <BR>15 showing that the LORD is upright; <BR>he is
my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR>92 Bonum est confiteri (ECUSA
BCP)<BR> <BR>1 It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord,
*<BR> and to sing praises to your Name, O Most High;<BR> <BR>2
To tell of your loving-kindness early in the morning *<BR> and of
your faithfulness in the night season;<BR> <BR>3 On the
psaltery, and on the lyre, *<BR> and to the melody of the
harp.<BR> <BR>4 For you have made me glad by your acts, O Lord;
*<BR> and I shout for joy because of the works of your
hands.<BR> <BR> <BR>11 The righteous shall flourish like a palm
tree, *<BR> and shall spread abroad like a cedar of
Lebanon.<BR> <BR>12 Those who are planted in the house of the Lord
*<BR> shall flourish in the courts of our God;<BR> <BR>13 They
shall still bear fruit in old age; *<BR> they shall be green and
succulent;<BR> <BR>14 That they may show how upright the Lord is,
*<BR> my Rock, in whom there is no fault.<BR> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR>NEW TESTAMENT: 2 Corinthians 5: 6 - 10 (11 - 13) 14 -
17
(RCL)<BR>
2 Corinthians 5: 6 - 10 (Roman Catholic)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>2Cor 5:6 (NRSV) So we are always confident; even though we know that
while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord-- 7 for we walk by
faith, not by sight. 8 Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away
from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So whether we are at home or away, we
make it our aim to please him. 10 For all of us must appear before the judgment
seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in
the body, whether good or evil. <BR>11 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord,
we try to persuade others; but we ourselves are well known to God, and I hope
that we are also well known to your consciences. 12 We are not commending
ourselves to you again, but giving you an opportunity to boast about us, so that
you may be able to answer those who boast in outward appearance and not in the
heart. 13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right
mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are
convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. 15 And he died for
all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who
died and was raised for them. <BR>16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one
from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point
of view, we know him no longer in that way. 17 So if anyone is in Christ, there
is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become
new! </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR>GOSPEL: Mark 4: 26 - 34 (all)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Mark 4:26 (NRSV) He [Jesus] also said, "The kingdom of God is as if someone
would scatter seed on the ground, 27 and would sleep and rise night and day, and
the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. 28 The earth produces of
itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. 29 But
when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest
has come." <BR>30 He also said, "With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or
what parable will we use for it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown
upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; 32 yet when it is
sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large
branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade." <BR>33 With
many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; 34
he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in
private to his disciples. </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>