READINGS FOR 13 JUNE

1 Samuel 15.34-16.13
 Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul. Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, but Samuel grieved over Saul. And the Lord was sorry that he had made Saul king over Israel.

The Lord said to Samuel, ‘How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.’ Samuel said, ‘How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me.’ And the Lord said, ‘Take a heifer with you, and say, “I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.” Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you.’ Samuel did what the Lord commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, ‘Do you come peaceably?’ He said, ‘Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.’ And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

 When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed is now before the Lord.’ But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.’ Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, ‘Neither has the Lord chosen this one.’ Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, ‘Neither has the Lord chosen this one.’ Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, ‘The Lord has not chosen any of these.’ Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Are all your sons here?’ And he said, ‘There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.’ And Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.’ He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The Lord said, ‘Rise and anoint him; for this is the one.’ Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah.

This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm 20
1  May the Lord hear you in the day of trouble, •
  the name of the God of Jacob defend you;
2  Send you help from his sanctuary •
  and strengthen you out of Zion;
3  Remember all your offerings •
  and accept your burnt sacrifice;
4  Grant you your heart’s desire •
  and fulfil all your mind.
5  May we rejoice in your salvation
      and triumph in the name of our God; •
  may the Lord perform all your petitions.
6  Now I know that the Lord will save his anointed; •
  he will answer him from his holy heaven,
      with the mighty strength of his right hand.
7  Some put their trust in chariots and some in horses, •
  but we will call only on the name of the Lord our God.
8  They are brought down and fallen, •
  but we are risen and stand upright.
9  O Lord, save the king •
  and answer us when we call upon you.

2 Corinthians 5.6-10 [11-13] 14-17
 So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord— for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For all of us must appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil.

For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them.

 From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!

This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Gospel Reading
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark.
Glory to you, O Lord.
Mark 4.26-34
 He also said, ‘The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.’

 He also said, ‘With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.’

 With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.

This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.

READINGS FOR 20 June Trinity 3

FIRST READING 20 JUNE         

Job 38:1-11 

A reading from the book of Job.

The LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind: “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?

Gird up your loins like a man, I will question you, and you shall declare to me.

Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?

Tell me, if you have understanding.

Who determined its measurements – surely you know!

Or who stretched the line upon it?

 On what were its bases sunk,

or who laid its cornerstone when the morning stars sang together and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy?

Or who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb? –

when I made the clouds its garment,

and thick darkness its swaddlingband,

and prescribed bounds for it,

and set bars and doors, and said,

‘Thus far shall you come, and no

farther, and here shall your proud

waves be stopped’?”

This is the word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

SECOND READING   20 June  

2 Corinthians 6:1-13

A reading from the second letter of

Paul to the Corinthians.

As we work together with Christ, we urge you also not to accept

the grace of God in vain. For he says, “At an acceptable time I have

listened to you, and on a day of salvation I have helped you.”

See, now is the acceptable time;

 see, now is the day of salvation!

We are putting no obstacle in anyone’s way,

so that no fault may be found with our ministry,

 but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in

every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots,

labours, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience,

kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the

power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; in honour and dishonour,

in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet are well

known; as dying, and see – we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything. We have spoken frankly to you Corinthians; our heart is wide

open to you. There is no restriction in our affections, but only in yours. In return – I speak as to children – open

wide your hearts also.

This is the word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

Gospel Reading
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark.
Glory to you, O Lord.
Mark 4.35-41
 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, ‘Let us go across to the other side.’ And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great gale arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?’ And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?’