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<DIV>The following are the readings for the Fourth Sunday of Easter, April 22,
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.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Throughout the Easter Season, if the OT alternative is used for the C of E,
the Acts reading should be used for the second reading.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>FIRST READING: Acts 4: 5 - 12 (RCL)</DIV>
<DIV>
Acts 4: 8 - 12 (Roman Catholic)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Acts 4:5 (NRSV) The next day their rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in
Jerusalem, 6 with An'nas the high priest, Ca'iaphas, John, and Alexander, and
all who were of the high-priestly family. 7 When they had made the prisoners
stand in their midst, they inquired, "By what power or by what name did you do
this?" 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the
people and elders, 9 if we are questioned today because of a good deed done to
someone who was sick and are asked how this man has been healed, 10 let it be
known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing
before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you
crucified, whom God raised from the dead. 11 This Jesus is </DIV>
<DIV>"the stone that was rejected by you, the builders; </DIV>
<DIV>it has become the cornerstone.' </DIV>
<DIV>12 There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under
heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved." </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Genesis 7: 1 - 5, 11 - 18, 8: 6 - 18, 9: 8 - 13 (alt. for C of
E)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Gene 7:1 (NRSV) {The Great Flood} Then the LORD said to Noah, "Go into the
ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you alone are righteous
before me in this generation. 2 Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals,
the male and its mate; and a pair of the animals that are not clean, the male
and its mate; 3 and seven pairs of the birds of the air also, male and female,
to keep their kind alive on the face of all the earth. 4 For in seven days I
will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights; and every living
thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground." 5 And Noah
did all that the LORD had commanded him. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the
seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep
burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. 12 The rain fell on the
earth forty days and forty nights. 13 On the very same day Noah with his sons,
Shem and Ham and Japheth, and Noah's wife and the three wives of his sons
entered the ark, 14 they and every wild animal of every kind, and all domestic
animals of every kind, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, and
every bird of every kind-every bird, every winged creature. 15 They went into
the ark with Noah, two and two of all flesh in which there was the breath of
life. 16 And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God
had commanded him; and the LORD shut him in. </DIV>
<DIV>17 The flood continued forty days on the earth; and the waters increased,
and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. 18 The waters swelled and
increased greatly on the earth; and the ark floated on the face of the waters.
</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>8:6 At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had
made 7 and sent out the raven; and it went to and fro until the waters were
dried up from the earth. 8 Then he sent out the dove from him, to see if the
waters had subsided from the face of the ground; 9 but the dove found no place
to set its foot, and it returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on
the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took it and brought it
into the ark with him. 10 He waited another seven days, and again he sent out
the dove from the ark; 11 and the dove came back to him in the evening, and
there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf; so Noah knew that the waters
had subsided from the earth. 12 Then he waited another seven days, and sent out
the dove; and it did not return to him any more. </DIV>
<DIV>13 In the six hundred first year, in the first month, on the first day of
the month, the waters were dried up from the earth; and Noah removed the
covering of the ark, and looked, and saw that the face of the ground was drying.
14 In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was
dry. 15 Then God said to Noah, 16 "Go out of the ark, you and your wife, and
your sons and your sons' wives with you. 17 Bring out with you every living
thing that is with you of all flesh-birds and animals and every creeping thing
that creeps on the earth-so that they may abound on the earth, and be fruitful
and multiply on the earth." 18 So Noah went out with his sons and his wife and
his sons' wives. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>9:8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 9 "As for me, I am
establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you, 10 and with
every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and
every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. {Gk: Heb
adds [every animal of the earth] } 11 I establish my covenant with you, that
never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again
shall there be a flood to destroy the earth." 12 God said, "This is the sign of
the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is
with you, for all future generations: 13 I have set my bow in the clouds, and it
shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>PSALM 23 (all but Roman Catholic)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Psal 23:1 (NRSV) The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. </DIV>
<DIV>2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; </DIV>
<DIV>he leads me beside still waters; </DIV>
<DIV>3 he restores my soul. </DIV>
<DIV>He leads me in right paths </DIV>
<DIV>for his name's sake. </DIV>
<DIV>4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, </DIV>
<DIV>I fear no evil; </DIV>
<DIV>for you are with me; </DIV>
<DIV>your rod and your staff-- </DIV>
<DIV>they comfort me. </DIV>
<DIV>5 You prepare a table before me </DIV>
<DIV>in the presence of my enemies; </DIV>
<DIV>you anoint my head with oil; </DIV>
<DIV>my cup overflows. </DIV>
<DIV>6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me </DIV>
<DIV>all the days of my life, </DIV>
<DIV>and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD </DIV>
<DIV>my whole life long. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Psalm 118: 1, 8 - 9, 21 - 23, 26, 21, 29 (Roman Catholic)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Psal 118:1 (NRSV) O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; </DIV>
<DIV>his steadfast love endures forever! </DIV>
<DIV>8 It is better to take refuge in the LORD </DIV>
<DIV>than to put confidence in mortals. </DIV>
<DIV>9 It is better to take refuge in the LORD </DIV>
<DIV>than to put confidence in princes. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>21 I thank you that you have answered me </DIV>
<DIV>and have become my salvation. </DIV>
<DIV>22 The stone that the builders rejected </DIV>
<DIV>has become the chief cornerstone. </DIV>
<DIV>23 This is the LORD's doing; </DIV>
<DIV>it is marvelous in our eyes. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>26 Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD. </DIV>
<DIV>We bless you from the house of the LORD. </DIV>
<DIV>21 I thank you that you have answered me </DIV>
<DIV>and have become my salvation. </DIV>
<DIV>29 O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, </DIV>
<DIV>for his steadfast love endures forever. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>SECOND READING: 1 John 3: 16 - 24 (RCL)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>1Joh 3:16 (NRSV) We know love by this, that he laid down his life for
us--and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. 17 How does God's love
abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or sister in need
and yet refuses help? </DIV>
<DIV>18 Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and
action. 19 And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure
our hearts before him 20 whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than
our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn
us, we have boldness before God; 22 and we receive from him whatever we ask,
because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him. </DIV>
<DIV>23 And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his
Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24 All who
obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know
that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>1 John 3: 1 - 2 (Roman Catholic)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>1Joh 3:1 (NRSV) See what love the Father has given us, that we should be
called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not
know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God's children now; what
we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is
revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>GOSPEL: John 10: 11 - 18 (all)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>John 10:11 (NRSV) "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his
life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own
the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away--and the wolf
snatches them and scatters them. 13 The hired hand runs away because a hired
hand does not care for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and
my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay
down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that do not belong to this
fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be
one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay
down my life in order to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay
it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take
it up again. I have received this command from my Father." </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000">Chad
Wohlers<BR>Woodbury, VT
USA<BR>chadwohl@satucket.com<BR></DIV></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>