Lectionary Readings Book of Common Prayer - 1979 Sunday, September-23-2012 Proper 20

 The Collect
Proper 20
Grant us, O Lord, not to mind earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things that are passing away, to cleave to those that shall abide; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen
Preface of the Lord's Day

Old Testament Reading

Wisdom 1:16-2:1
1:¹⁶ But ungodly men by their words and deeds summoned death; considering him a friend, they pined away, and they made a covenant with him, because they are fit to belong to his party. 2:¹ For they reasoned unsoundly, saying to themselves, "Short and sorrowful is our life, and there is no remedy when a man comes to his end, and no one has been known to return from Hades. -- RSV - AND -
Wisdom 2:(6-11)12-22
(⁶ "Come, therefore, let us enjoy the good things that exist, and make use of the creation to the full as in youth. ⁷ Let us take our fill of costly wine and perfumes, and let no flower of spring pass by us. ⁸ Let us crown ourselves with rosebuds before they wither. ⁹ Let none of us fail to share in our revelry, everywhere let us leave signs of enjoyment, because this is our portion, and this our lot. ¹⁰ Let us oppress the righteous poor man; let us not spare the widow nor regard the gray hairs of the aged. ¹¹ But let our might be our law of right, for what is weak proves itself to be useless. )¹² "Let us lie in wait for the righteous man, because he is inconvenient to us and opposes our actions; he reproaches us for sins against the law, and accuses us of sins against our training. ¹³ He professes to have knowledge of God, and calls himself a child of the Lord. ¹⁴ He became to us a reproof of our thoughts; ¹⁵ the very sight of him is a burden to us, because his manner of life is unlike that of others, and his ways are strange. ¹⁶ We are considered by him as something base, and he avoids our ways as unclean; he calls the last end of the righteous happy, and boasts that God is his father. ¹⁷ Let us see if his words are true, and let us test what will happen at the end of his life; ¹⁸ for if the righteous man is God's son, he will help him, and will deliver him from the hand of his adversaries. ¹⁹ Let us test him with insult and torture, that we may find out how gentle he is, and make trial of his forbearance. ²⁰ Let us condemn him to a shameful death, for, according to what he says, he will be protected." ²¹ Thus they reasoned, but they were led astray, for their wickedness blinded them, ²² and they did not know the secret purposes of God, nor hope for the wages of holiness, nor discern the prize for blameless souls; -- RSV

Psalm

Psalm 54

Deus, in nomine
1Save me, O God, by your Name; *
     in your might, defend my cause.
2Hear my prayer, O God; *
     give ear to the words of my mouth.
3For the arrogant have risen up against me,
     and the ruthless have sought my life, *
     those who have no regard for God.
4Behold, God is my helper; *
     it is the Lord who sustains my life.
5Render evil to those who spy on me; *
     in your faithfulness, destroy them.
6I will offer you a freewill sacrifice *
     and praise your Name, O LORD, for it is good.
7For you have rescued me from every trouble, *
     and my eye has seen the ruin of my foes.

New Testament Reading

James 3:16-4:6
3:¹⁶ For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. ¹⁷ But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. ¹⁸ Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. 4:¹ Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? ² You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. ³ You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. ⁴ Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. ⁵ Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, "The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously"? ⁶ But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: " God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." -- NKJV

Gospel Reading

Mark 9:30-37
³⁰Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it. ³¹For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day." ³²But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him. ³³Then He came to Capernaum. And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?" ³⁴But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest. ³⁵And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all." ³⁶Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them. And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, ³⁷"Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me." -- NKJV