Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
A Prayer for God to Intervene
64 [a]If only you would tear open the heavens and[b] come down,
so that the mountains would quake at your presence—
2 [c]just as fire sets twigs[d] ablaze
and the fire causes water to boil—
to make known your name to your enemies,
yes, to your enemies before you,[e]
so that the nations might quake at your presence!
3 When you did awesome deeds that we expected,[f]
you came down,
and the mountains shuddered before you.
4 Since[g] ancient times no one has heard,
and[h] no ear has perceived,
and[i] no eye has seen any God besides you,
who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.
5 You come to the aid of those who gladly do what’s right,
To those who remember you in your ways.
See, you were angry,
and we sinned against them for a long time,
but we will be saved.
6 All of us have become like one who is unclean,
and[j] all our righteous acts are like a filthy rag;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,
and like the wind, our iniquities[k] sweep us away.
7 There is no one who calls on your name
or rouses himself to take hold of you;
for you have hidden your face from us,
and have given us[l] into the control[m] of our iniquity.
God, our Father, will Act
For the Director of Music: According to “The Lilies”. A testimony of Asaph. A psalm.
A Prayer for Jerusalem
80 Shepherd of Israel, listen!
The one who leads Joseph like a flock,
the one enthroned on the cherubim,
display your glory.[a]
2 Reveal[b] your power before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh,
then come to our rescue.
3 God, restore us,
show your favor[c] and deliver us.
4 Lord God of the Heavenly Armies,
when will your smoldering anger[d]
toward your people’s prayers cease?[e]
5 You fed them tears as their food,
and caused them to drink a full measure of tears.
6 You have set us at strife against our neighbors
and our enemies deride us.
7 God of the Heavenly Armies, restore us
and show your favor,[f]
so we may be delivered.
17 May you support the man at your right hand;
the son of man whom you have raised for yourself.
18 Then we will not turn away from you.
Restore us, so we can call upon your name.
19 God of hosts, restore to us the light of your favor.[a]
Then we’ll be delivered.
3 May grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus, the Messiah,[a] be yours!
You are Rich
4 I always thank my[b] God for you because of the grace of God given you by the Messiah[c] Jesus. 5 For by him you have become rich in every way—in speech and knowledge of every kind— 6 while our testimony about the Messiah[d] has been confirmed among you. 7 Therefore, you don’t lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus the Messiah[e] to be revealed. 8 He will keep you strong until the end, so that you will be blameless on the Day of our Lord Jesus the Messiah.[f] 9 Faithful is the God by whom you were called into fellowship with his Son Jesus the Messiah,[g] our Lord.
The Coming of the Son of Man(A)
24 “But after the troubles[a] of those days,
‘The sun will be darkened,
the moon will not reflect its light,
25 the stars will be falling out of the sky,
and the powers that are in the heavens will be disrupted.’[b]
26 Then people[c] will see ‘the Son of Man coming in clouds’[d] with great power and glory. 27 He’ll send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the most remote part of earth to the most remote part of heaven.”
The Lesson from the Fig Tree(B)
28 “Now learn a lesson[e] from the fig tree. When its branches become tender and it produces leaves, you know that summer is approaching. 29 In the same way, when you see these things taking place, you will know that the Son of Man[f] is near, right at the door. 30 I tell all of you[g] with certainty, this generation won’t disappear until all these things take place. 31 Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.”
The Unknown Day and Hour of the Messiah’s Return(C)
32 “No one knows when that day or hour will come[h]—neither the angels in heaven nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be careful! Watch out! Because you don’t know when the time will come. 34 It’s like a man who went on a trip. As he left home, he put his servants in charge, each with his own work, and he ordered the doorkeeper to be alert. 35 So keep on watching, because you don’t know when the master of the house is coming—whether in the middle of the night, at the time the cock crows,[i] or at daybreak. 36 Otherwise, he may come suddenly and find you asleep. 37 I’m telling you what I’m telling everyone: Be alert!”
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