Lectionary Readings Book of Common Prayer - 1979 Sunday, August-26-2012 Proper 16

The Collect

Proper 16
Grant, we beseech thee, merciful God, that thy Church, being gathered together in unity by thy Holy Spirit, may manifest thy power among all peoples, to the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen
Preface of the Lord's Day

Old Testament Reading

Joshua 24:1-2,14-25
¹ Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel; and they presented themselves before God. ² And Joshua said to all the people, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, `Your fathers lived of old beyond the Euphra'tes, Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor; and they served other gods. ¹⁴ "Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River, and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. ¹⁵ And if you be unwilling to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." ¹⁶ Then the people answered, "Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods; ¹⁷ for it is the LORD our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, and who did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed; ¹⁸ and the LORD drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land; therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God." ¹⁹ But Joshua said to the people, "You cannot serve the LORD; for he is a holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. ²⁰ If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm, and consume you, after having done you good." ²¹ And the people said to Joshua, "Nay; but we will serve the LORD." ²² Then Joshua said to the people, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the LORD, to serve him." And they said, "We are witnesses." ²³ He said, "Then put away the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your heart to the LORD, the God of Israel." ²⁴ And the people said to Joshua, "The LORD our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey." ²⁵ So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made statutes and ordinances for them at Shechem.

Psalm

Psalm 16

Conserva me, Domine
1Protect me, O God, for I take refuge in you; *
     I have said to the LORD, "You are my Lord,
     my good above all other."
2All my delight is upon the godly that are in the land, *
     upon those who are noble among the people.
3But those who run after other gods *
     shall have their troubles multiplied.
4Their libations of blood I will not offer, *
     nor take the names of their gods upon my lips.
5O LORD, you are my portion and my cup; *
     it is you who uphold my lot.
6My boundaries enclose a pleasant land; *
     indeed, I have a goodly heritage.
7I will bless the LORD who gives me counsel; *
     my heart teaches me, night after night.
8I have set the LORD always before me; *
     because he is at my right hand I shall not fall.
9My heart, therefore, is glad, and my spirit rejoices; *
     my body also shall rest in hope.
10For you will not abandon me to the grave, *
     nor let your holy one see the Pit.
11You will show me the path of life; *
     in your presence there is fullness of joy,
     and in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.

- OR -

Psalm 34:15-22

15The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, *
     and his ears are open to their cry.
16The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, *
     to root out the remembrance of them from the earth.
17The righteous cry, and the LORD hears them *
     and delivers them from all their troubles.
18The LORD is near to the brokenhearted *
     and will save those whose spirits are crushed.
19Many are the troubles of the righteous, *
     but the LORD will deliver him out of them all.
20He will keep safe all his bones; *
     not one of them shall be broken.
21Evil shall slay the wicked, *
     and those who hate the righteous will be punished.
22The LORD ransoms the life of his servants, *
     and none will be punished who trust in him.

New Testament Reading

Ephesians 5:21-33
²¹ Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ. ²² Wives, be subject to your husbands, as to the Lord. ²³ For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. ²⁴ As the church is subject to Christ, so let wives also be subject in everything to their husbands. ²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, ²⁶ that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, ²⁷ that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. ²⁸ Even so husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ For no man ever hates his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, as Christ does the church, ³⁰ because we are members of his body. ³¹ "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." ³² This mystery is a profound one, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church; ³³ however, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Gospel Reading

John 6:60-69
⁶⁰ Many of his disciples, when they heard it, said, "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?" ⁶¹ But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at it, said to them, "Do you take offense at this? ⁶² Then what if you were to see the Son of man ascending where he was before? ⁶³ It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. ⁶⁴ But there are some of you that do not believe." For Jesus knew from the first who those were that did not believe, and who it was that would betray him. ⁶⁵ And he said, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father." ⁶⁶ After this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him. ⁶⁷ Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also wish to go away?" ⁶⁸ Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; ⁶⁹ and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God."