Lectionary Readings Book of Common Prayer - 1979 Sunday, September-30-2012 Proper 21

The Collect

Proper 21
O God, who declarest thy almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity: Mercifully grant unto us such a measure of thy grace, that we, running to obtain thy promises, may be made partakers of thy heavenly treasure; 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

Numbers 11:4-6,10-16,24-29
⁴Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said: "Who will give us meat to eat? ⁵We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; ⁶but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!" ¹⁰Then Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, everyone at the door of his tent; and the anger of the LORD was greatly aroused; Moses also was displeased. ¹¹So Moses said to the LORD, "Why have You afflicted Your servant? And why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You have laid the burden of all these people on me? ¹²Did I conceive all these people? Did I beget them, that You should say to me, 'Carry them in your bosom, as a guardian carries a nursing child,' to the land which You swore to their fathers? ¹³Where am I to get meat to give to all these people? For they weep all over me, saying, 'Give us meat, that we may eat.' ¹⁴I am not able to bear all these people alone, because the burden is too heavy for me. ¹⁵If You treat me like this, please kill me here and now-if I have found favor in Your sight-and do not let me see my wretchedness!" ¹⁶So the LORD said to Moses: "Gather to Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; bring them to the tabernacle of meeting, that they may stand there with you. ²⁴So Moses went out and told the people the words of the LORD, and he gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tabernacle. ²⁵Then the LORD came down in the cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the Spirit that was upon him, and placed the same upon the seventy elders; and it happened, when the Spirit rested upon them, that they prophesied, although they never did so again. ²⁶But two men had remained in the camp: the name of one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad. And the Spirit rested upon them. Now they were among those listed, but who had not gone out to the tabernacle; yet they prophesied in the camp. ²⁷And a young man ran and told Moses, and said, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp." ²⁸So Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, one of his choice men, answered and said, "Moses my lord, forbid them!" ²⁹Then Moses said to him, "Are you zealous for my sake? Oh, that all the LORD's people were prophets and that the LORD would put His Spirit upon them!" -- NKJV

Psalm

Psalm 19

Caeli enarrant
1The heavens declare the glory of God, *
     and the firmament shows his handiwork.
2One day tells its tale to another, *
     and one night imparts knowledge to another.
3Although they have no words or language, *
     and their voices are not heard,
4Their sound has gone out into all lands, *
     and their message to the ends of the world.
5In the deep has he set a pavilion for the sun; *
     it comes forth like a bridegroom out of his chamber;
     it rejoices like a champion to run its course.
6It goes forth from the uttermost edge of the heavens
     and runs about to the end of it again; *
     nothing is hidden from its burning heat.
7The law of the LORD is perfect
     and revives the soul; *
     the testimony of the LORD is sure
     and gives wisdom to the innocent.
8The statutes of the LORD are just
     and rejoice the heart; *
     the commandment of the LORD is clear
     and gives light to the eyes.
9The fear of the LORD is clean
     and endures for ever; *
     the judgments of the LORD are true
     and righteous altogether.
10More to be desired are they than gold,
     more than much fine gold, *
     sweeter far than honey,
     than honey in the comb.
11By them also is your servant enlightened, *
     and in keeping them there is great reward.
12Who can tell how often he offends? *
     cleanse me from my secret faults.
13Above all, keep your servant from presumptuous sins;
     let them not get dominion over me; *
     then shall I be whole and sound,
     and innocent of a great offense.
14Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my
     heart be acceptable in your sight, *
     O LORD, my strength and my redeemer.

- OR -

Psalm 19:7-14

7The law of the LORD is perfect
     and revives the soul; *
     the testimony of the LORD is sure
     and gives wisdom to the innocent.
8The statutes of the LORD are just
     and rejoice the heart; *
     the commandment of the LORD is clear
     and gives light to the eyes.
9The fear of the LORD is clean
     and endures for ever; *
     the judgments of the LORD are true
     and righteous altogether.
10More to be desired are they than gold,
     more than much fine gold, *
     sweeter far than honey,
     than honey in the comb.
11By them also is your servant enlightened, *
     and in keeping them there is great reward.
12Who can tell how often he offends? *
     cleanse me from my secret faults.
13Above all, keep your servant from presumptuous sins;
     let them not get dominion over me; *
     then shall I be whole and sound,
     and innocent of a great offense.
14Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my
     heart be acceptable in your sight, *
     O LORD, my strength and my redeemer.

 New Testament Reading

James 4:7-12
⁷Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. ⁸Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ⁹Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. ¹⁰Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. ¹¹Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. ¹²There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another? -- NKJV - AND -

[James 4:13-5:6]
4:¹³ Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit"; ¹⁴ whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. ¹⁵ Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that." ¹⁶ But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. ¹⁷ Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin. 5:¹ Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! ² Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. ³ Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days. ⁴ Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. ⁵ You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter. ⁶ You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you. -- NKJV

Gospel Reading

Mark 9:38-43,45,47-48
³⁸Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us." ³⁹But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. ⁴⁰For he who is not against us is on our side. ⁴¹For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward. ⁴²"But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea. ⁴³If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched- ⁴⁵And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched- ⁴⁷And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire- ⁴⁸where ' Their worm does not die And the fire is not quenched.' -- NKJV