Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
(A song for worship.)
Trusting the Lord in Times of Trouble
1 From a sea of troubles
I cry out to you, Lord.
2 Won't you please listen
as I beg for mercy?
3 If you kept record of our sins,
no one could last long.
4 But you forgive us,
and so we will worship you.
5 With all my heart,
I am waiting, Lord, for you!
I trust your promises.
6 I wait for you more eagerly
than a soldier on guard duty
waits for the dawn.
Yes, I wait more eagerly
than a soldier on guard duty
waits for the dawn.
7 Israel, trust the Lord!
God is always merciful
and has the power to save you.
8 (A) Israel, the Lord will save you
from all your sins.
8 Trees will grow on you mountains of Israel and produce fruit for my people, because they will soon come home. 9 I will take care of you by plowing your soil and planting crops on your fertile slopes. 10 The people of Israel will return and rebuild your ruined towns and live in them. 11 Children will be born, and animals will give birth to their young. You will no longer be deserted as you are now, but you will be covered with people and treated better than ever. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
12 I will bring my people Israel home, and they will live on you mountains, because you belong to them, and your fertile slopes will never again let them starve. 13 It's true that you have been accused of not producing enough food and of letting your people starve. 14-15 But I, the Lord, promise that you won't hear other nations laugh and sneer at you ever again. From now on, you will always produce plenty of food for your people. I, the Lord God, have spoken.
44 Jesus said to them, “While I was still with you, I told you that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the Books of the Prophets, and in the Psalms[a] had to happen.”
45 Then he helped them understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them:
The Scriptures say that the Messiah must suffer, then three days later he will rise from death. 47 They also say that all people of every nation must be told in my name to turn to God, in order to be forgiven. So beginning in Jerusalem, 48 you must tell everything that has happened. 49 (A) I will send you the one my Father has promised,[b] but you must stay in the city until you are given power from heaven.
Jesus Returns to Heaven
(Mark 16.19,20; Acts 1.9-11)
50 (B) Jesus led his disciples out to Bethany, where he raised his hands and blessed them. 51 As he was doing this, he left and was taken up to heaven.[c] 52 After his disciples had worshiped him,[d] they returned to Jerusalem and were very happy. 53 They spent their time in the temple, praising God.
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