This Sunday's Scripture Readings
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5 Epiphany, Year B Sunday, February 5, 2012 Episcopal
Revised Common Lectionary How to use this page:
Print this and read
a different passage each day and think about it. Some questions are offered to help stimulate your reflection.
You'll find your experience of worship on Sunday will be intensified.
For a method to read and pray with the scriptures
you might try to use the ancient practice of Lectio Divina (Divine Reading). We've written some instructions on how
to use Lectio with the Sunday Scriptures at the following link: Using Lectio Divina to pray the lections –
http://www.stpaulsfay.org/id272.html The Episcopal Church Center also publishes a weekly Bible
Study based on the Sunday lectionary. A current seminarian prepares the study. Click this link for the Weekly Bible Study. _________________________________________________________________________ Collect Set
us free, O God, from the bondage of our sins, and give us the liberty of that
abundant life which you have made known to us in your Son our Savior Jesus Christ;
who lives and
reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and
for ever. Amen. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Isaiah 40:21-31
Psalm
147:1-12, 21c
1 Corinthians 9:16-23
Mark 1:29-39
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Isaiah 40:21-31
Have you not known? Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
It
is he who sits above the circle of the earth,
and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;
who stretches
out the heavens like a curtain,
and spreads them like a tent to live in;
who brings
princes to naught,
and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing.
Scarcely
are they planted, scarcely sown,
scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth,
when
he blows upon them, and they wither,
and the tempest carries them off like stubble.
To
whom then will you compare me,
or who is my equal? says the Holy One.
Lift up your
eyes on high and see:
Who created these?
He who brings out their host and
numbers them,
calling them all by name;
because he is great in strength,
mighty in power,
not one is missing.
Why do you say, O Jacob,
and speak, O Israel,
"My way is hidden from the LORD,
and my right is disregarded by my God"?
Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not
faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power
to the faint,
and strengthens the powerless.
Even youths will faint
and be weary,
and the young will fall exhausted;
but those who wait
for the LORD shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall
run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint.
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The prophet exalts God and warns those who might
imagine God is irrelevant to them.
How
do you "wait for the Lord" and renew your strength?
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Psalm 147:1-12,21c
Alleluia! How good it is to sing praises to you, O God; *
how pleasant it is to honor you with praise!
For you rebuild Jerusalem *
and gather the exiles of Israel.
You heal the
brokenhearted *
and bind
up their wounds.
You count the number of the
stars *
and call them all
by their names.
Great are you and mighty in
power; *
there is no limit
to your wisdom.
You lift up the lowly, *
but cast the wicked to the ground.
We sing to you, Most High, with thanksgiving; *
we make music to you upon the harp,
For you cover the heavens with clouds *
and prepare rain for the earth;
You make grass to grow upon the mountains *
and green plants to serve humankind.
You provide food for flocks and herds *
and for the young ravens when they cry.
You are not impressed by the might of a horse; *
you have no pleasure in human
strength;
But you have pleasure in those who
fear you, *
in those
who await your gracious favor. Alleluia!
St. Helena Psalter
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How might you sing this psalm to apply to our day,
our political and economic realities?
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1 Corinthians 9:16-23
If I proclaim the gospel, this gives me no ground for
boasting, for an obligation
is laid on me, and woe
to me if I do not proclaim the gospel! For if I do this of
my
own will, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with a commission.
What then is my reward? Just this: that in my proclamation I may make the gospel
free of charge, so as not to make full use of my rights
in the gospel.
For though I am free with respect
to all, I have made myself a slave to all, so
that
I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews.
To those under the law I became as one under the law (though I myself am not under
the law) so that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became
as one outside the law (though I am not free from God's law
but am under Christ's
law) so that I might win those
outside the law. To the weak I became weak, so that
I
might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that I might by all
means save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in
its blessings.
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Paul speaks of his adaptations for the sake of sharing
the Good News.
How do you adapt to the
needs of others in order to be caring or compassionate?
...to
share, to serve, or to lead?
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Mark 1:29-39
Jesus left the synagogue at Capernaum, and entered the house
of Simon and Andrew,
with James and John. Now Simon's
mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they
told
him about her at once. He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up.
Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.
That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with
demons. And the whole city was gathered around the door. And
he cured many who were
sick with various diseases,
and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the
demons
to speak, because they knew him.
In the morning,
while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted
place, and there he prayed. And Simon and his companions hunted for him. When they
found him, they said to him, "Everyone is searching for you." He answered, "Let
us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may
proclaim the message there also;
for that is what
I came out to do." And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming
the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.
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A busy day in Jesus' life. Note how he finds time to pray and refresh.
How does Jesus keep the main thing the main thing?
How do you find balance? ...time to reflect, rest, and
pray.
How do you set boundaries so you can make
the main thing the main thing?
The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church
is to explore
and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.
Our Rule of Life:
We
aspire to...
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.
www.stpaulsfay.org
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