Book of Common Prayer

A psalm of David when he was with Abimelek and pretended to be out of his mind. Abimelek drove him away, and David left.

Worship in a Way That Helps People Understand

14 Follow the way of love. You should also want the gifts the Holy Spirit gives. Most of all, you should want the gift of prophecy. ² Anyone who speaks in a language they had not known before doesn’t speak to people. They speak only to God. In fact, no one understands them. What they say by the Spirit remains a mystery. ³ But the person who prophesies speaks to people. That person prophesies to make people stronger, to give them hope, and to comfort them. ⁴ Anyone who speaks in other languages builds up only themselves. But the person who prophesies builds up the church. ⁵ I would like all of you to speak in other languages. But I would rather have you prophesy. The person who prophesies is more helpful than those who speak in other languages. But that is not the case if someone explains what was said in the other languages. Then the whole church can be built up.

⁶ Brothers and sisters, suppose I were to come to you and speak in other languages. What good would I be to you? None! I would need to come with new truth or knowledge. Or I would need to come with a prophecy or a teaching. ⁷ Here are some examples. Certain objects make sounds. Take a flute or a harp. No one will know what the tune is unless different notes are played. ⁸ Also, if the trumpet call isn’t clear, who will get ready for battle? ⁹ It’s the same with you. You must speak words that people understand. If you don’t, no one will know what you are saying. You will just be speaking into the air. ¹⁰ It is true that there are all kinds of languages in the world. And they all have meaning. ¹¹ But if I don’t understand what someone is saying, I am a stranger to the person speaking. And that person is a stranger to me. ¹² It’s the same with you. You want the gifts of the Spirit. So try to do your best in using gifts that build up the church.

The Story of the Workers in the Vineyard

20 “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who owned land. He went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. ² He agreed to give them the usual pay for a day’s work. Then he sent them into his vineyard.

³ “About nine o’clock in the morning he went out again. He saw others standing in the market doing nothing. ⁴ He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard. I’ll pay you what is right.’ ⁵ So they went.

“He went out again about noon and at three o’clock and did the same thing. ⁶ About five o’clock he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’

⁷ “ ‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.

“He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’

⁸ “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard spoke to the person who was in charge of the workers. He said, ‘Call the workers and give them their pay. Begin with the last ones I hired. Then go on to the first ones.’

⁹ “The workers who were hired about five o’clock came. Each received the usual day’s pay. ¹⁰ So when those who were hired first came, they expected to receive more. But each of them also received the usual day’s pay. ¹¹ When they received it, they began to complain about the owner. ¹² ‘These people who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said. ‘You have paid them the same as us. We have done most of the work and have been in the hot sun all day.’

¹³ “The owner answered one of them. ‘Friend,’ he said, ‘I’m being fair to you. Didn’t you agree to work for the usual day’s pay? ¹⁴ Take your money and go. I want to give the one I hired last the same pay I gave you. ¹⁵ Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Do you feel cheated because I gave so freely to the others?’

¹⁶ “So those who are last will be first. And those who are first will be last.”