Sunday Lectionary Readings

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The Collect

The Lord and Giver of Life
Oh Great King of Kings, let your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven for the sanctity of all human life. You have said that your Kingdom is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. Where there is unrighteousness let righteousness come to bear; where there is hostility, cause your peace to reign supreme and where there is sorrow, bring joy in the hearts of people. Lead us into your unshakable and everlasting kingdom in which you reign forever and ever, that truly the kingdoms of this world will become the Kingdoms of our God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Preface of Epiphany, or of the Lord's Day

Old Testament Reading

Genesis 1:26-28
²⁶Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." ²⁷So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. ²⁸Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." -- NKJV

- OR -

Jeremiah 31:10-17
¹⁰" Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, And declare it in the isles afar off, and say, ' He who scattered Israel will gather him, And keep him as a shepherd does his flock.' ¹¹For the LORD has redeemed Jacob, And ransomed him from the hand of one stronger than he. ¹²Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, Streaming to the goodness of the LORD- For wheat and new wine and oil, For the young of the flock and the herd; Their souls shall be like a well-watered garden, And they shall sorrow no more at all. ¹³" Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, And the young men and the old, together; For I will turn their mourning to joy, Will comfort them, And make them rejoice rather than sorrow. ¹⁴I will satiate the soul of the priests with abundance, And My people shall be satisfied with My goodness, says the LORD." ¹⁵Thus says the LORD: " A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted for her children, Because they are no more." ¹⁶Thus says the LORD: " Refrain your voice from weeping, And your eyes from tears; For your work shall be rewarded, says the LORD, And they shall come back from the land of the enemy. ¹⁷There is hope in your future, says the LORD, That your children shall come back to their own border. -- NKJV

Psalm

Psalm 2
¹Why do the nations rage,
And the people plot a vain thing?

²The kings of the earth set themselves,
And the rulers take counsel together,
Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying,

³"Let us break Their bonds in pieces
And cast away Their cords from us."

⁴He who sits in the heavens shall laugh;
The Lord shall hold them in derision.

⁵Then He shall speak to them in His wrath,
And distress them in His deep displeasure:

⁶"Yet I have set My King
On My holy hill of Zion."

⁷"I will declare the decree:
The LORD has said to Me,
'You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.

⁸Ask of Me, and I will give You
The nations for Your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth for Your possession.

⁹You shall break them with a rod of iron;
You shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel.'"

¹⁰Now therefore, be wise, O kings;
Be instructed, you judges of the earth.

¹¹Serve the LORD with fear,
And rejoice with trembling.

¹²Kiss the Son, lest He be angry,
And you perish in the way,
When His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.
-- NKJV

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Psalm 10
¹Why do You stand afar off, O LORD?
Why do You hide in times of trouble?

²The wicked in his pride persecutes the poor;
Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised.

³For the wicked boasts of his heart's desire;
He blesses the greedy and renounces the LORD.

⁴The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God;
God is in none of his thoughts.

⁵His ways are always prospering;
Your judgments are far above, out of his sight;
As for all his enemies, he sneers at them.

⁶He has said in his heart, "I shall not be moved;
I shall never be in adversity."

⁷His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression;
Under his tongue is trouble and iniquity.

⁸He sits in the lurking places of the villages;
In the secret places he murders the innocent;
His eyes are secretly fixed on the helpless.

⁹He lies in wait secretly, as a lion in his den;
He lies in wait to catch the poor;
He catches the poor when he draws him into his net.

¹⁰So he crouches, he lies low,
That the helpless may fall by his strength.

¹¹He has said in his heart,
"God has forgotten;
He hides His face;
He will never see."

¹²Arise, O LORD!
O God, lift up Your hand!
Do not forget the humble.

¹³Why do the wicked renounce God?
He has said in his heart,
"You will not require an account."

¹⁴But You have seen, for You observe trouble and grief,
To repay it by Your hand.
The helpless commits himself to You;
You are the helper of the fatherless.

¹⁵Break the arm of the wicked and the evil man;
Seek out his wickedness until You find none.

¹⁶The LORD is King forever and ever;
The nations have perished out of His land.

¹⁷LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble;
You will prepare their heart;
You will cause Your ear to hear,

¹⁸To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,
That the man of the earth may oppress no more.
-- NKJV

New Testament Reading

Romans 8:35-39
³⁵Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ³⁶As it is written: " For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." ³⁷Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. ³⁸For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, ³⁹nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. -- NKJV

- OR -

1 Corinthians 15:19-26
¹⁹If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. ²⁰But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. ²¹For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. ²²For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. ²³But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming. ²⁴Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. ²⁵For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. ²⁶The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. -- NKJV

Gospel Reading

John 14:1-6
¹"Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. ²In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. ³And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. ⁴And where I go you know, and the way you know." ⁵Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?" ⁶Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. -- NKJV

- OR -

Matthew 18:1-5
¹At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" ²Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, ³and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ⁵Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. -- NKJV

The Preface

Preface of Epiphany
To be used on Sundays and weekdays alike, except as otherwise appointed for Holy Days and Various Occasions
Because in the mystery of the Word made flesh, you have caused a new light to shine in our hearts, to give the knowledge of your glory in the face of your son Jesus Christ our Lord.

- or this -

Preface of the Lord's Day
To be used on Sundays as appointed, but not on the succeeding weekdays
1. Of God the Father
For you are the source of light and life, you made us in your image, and called us to new life in Jesus Christ our Lord.
- or this -
2. Of God the Son
Through Jesus Christ our Lord; who on the first day of the week overcame death and the grave, and by his glorious resurrection opened to us the way of everlasting life.
- or this -
3. For by water and the Holy Spirit you have made us a new people in Jesus Christ our Lord, to show forth your glory in all the world.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version.
(Unless otherwise noted.)
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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