Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
The Lord Protects the Weak
25 O Lord, you are my God.
I will highly honor you; I will praise your name.
You have done miraculous things.
You have been completely reliable
in carrying out your plans from long ago.
2 You have turned cities into ruins,
fortified cities into piles of rubble,
and foreigners’ palaces into cities that will never be rebuilt.
3 That is why strong people will honor you,
and cities ruled by the world’s tyrants will fear you.
4 You have been a refuge for the poor,
a refuge for the needy in their distress,
a shelter from the rain, and shade from the heat.
(A tyrant’s breath is like a rainstorm against a wall,
5 like heat in a dry land.)
You calm the uproar of foreigners.
The song of tyrants is silenced
like heat that is ⌞reduced⌟ by the shadow of a cloud.
Death Will Be Swallowed Up
6 On this mountain the Lord of Armies will prepare for all people
a feast with the best foods,
a banquet with aged wines,
with the best foods and the finest wines.
7 On this mountain he will remove
the veil of grief covering all people
and the mask covering all nations.
8 He will swallow up death forever.
The Almighty Lord will wipe away tears from every face,
and he will remove the disgrace of his people from the whole earth.
The Lord has spoken.
9 On that day ⌞his people⌟ will say,
“This is our God; we have waited for him, and now he will save us.
This is the Lord; we have waited for him.
Let us rejoice and be glad because he will save us.”
A psalm by David.
23 The Lord is my shepherd.
I am never in need.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside peaceful waters.
3 He renews my soul.
He guides me along the paths of righteousness
for the sake of his name.
4 Even though I walk through the dark valley of death,
because you are with me, I fear no harm.
Your rod and your staff give me courage.
5 You prepare a banquet for me while my enemies watch.
You anoint my head with oil.
My cup overflows.
6 Certainly, goodness and mercy will stay close to me all the days of my life,
and I will remain in the Lord’s house for days without end.
Paul’s Advice
4 So, brothers and sisters, I love you and miss you. You are my joy and my crown. Therefore, dear friends, keep your relationship with the Lord firm!
2 I encourage both Euodia and Syntyche to have the attitude the Lord wants them to have. 3 Yes, I also ask you, Syzugus, my true partner, to help these women. They fought beside me to spread the Good News along with Clement and the rest of my coworkers, whose names are in the Book of Life.
Always Be Joyful
4 Always be joyful in the Lord! I’ll say it again: Be joyful! 5 Let everyone know how considerate you are. The Lord is near. 6 Never worry about anything. But in every situation let God know what you need in prayers and requests while giving thanks. 7 Then God’s peace, which goes beyond anything we can imagine, will guard your thoughts and emotions through Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, keep your thoughts on whatever is right or deserves praise: things that are true, honorable, fair, pure, acceptable, or commendable. 9 Practice what you’ve learned and received from me, what you heard and saw me do. Then the God who gives this peace will be with you.
A Story about a Wedding Reception
22 Again Jesus used stories as illustrations when he spoke to them. He said, 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who planned a wedding for his son. 3 He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the wedding, but they refused to come. 4 He sent other servants to tell the people who had been invited, ‘I’ve prepared dinner. My bulls and fattened calves have been butchered. Everything is ready. Come to the wedding!’
5 “But they paid no attention and went away. Some went to work in their own fields, and others went to their businesses. 6 The rest grabbed the king’s servants, mistreated them, and then killed them.
7 “The king became angry. He sent his soldiers, killed those murderers, and burned their city.
8 “Then the king said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited don’t deserve the honor. 9 Go where the roads leave the city. Invite everyone you find to the wedding.’ 10 The servants went into the streets and brought in all the good people and all the evil people they found. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11 “When the king came to see the guests, he saw a person who was not dressed in the wedding clothes ⌞provided for the guests⌟. 12 He said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without proper wedding clothes?’
“The man had nothing to say. 13 Then the king told his servants, ‘Tie his hands and feet, and throw him outside into the darkness. People will cry and be in extreme pain there.’
14 “Therefore, many are invited, but few of those are chosen to stay.”
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