Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
For the director of music. According to gittith. A psalm of Asaph.
81 Sing joyfully to God! He gives us strength.
Give a loud shout to the God of Jacob!
2 Let the music begin. Play the tambourines.
Play sweet music on harps and lyres.
3 Blow the ram’s horn on the day of the New Moon feast.
Blow it again when the moon is full and the Feast of Booths begins.
4 This is an order given to Israel.
It is a law of the God of Jacob.
5 He gave it as a covenant law for the people of Joseph.
It was given when God went out to punish Egypt.
There I heard a voice I didn’t recognize.
6 The voice said, “I removed the load from your shoulders.
I set your hands free from carrying heavy baskets.
7 You called out when you were in trouble, and I saved you.
I answered you out of a thundercloud.
I tested you at the waters of Meribah.
8 “My people, listen and I will warn you.
Israel, I wish you would listen to me!
9 Don’t have anything to do with the gods of other nations.
Don’t bow down and worship any god other than me.
10 I am the Lord your God.
I brought you up out of Egypt.
Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things.
The Appointed Feast Days
23 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the Israelites. Tell them, ‘Here are my appointed feast days. They are the appointed feast days of the Lord. Tell the people that they must come together for these sacred assemblies.
The Sabbath Day
3 “ ‘There are six days when you can work. But the seventh day is a day of sabbath rest. You must rest on it. Come together on that sacred day. You must not do any work on it. No matter where you live, it is a Sabbath day to honor the Lord.
Passover and Unleavened Bread
4 “ ‘Here are the Lord’s appointed feasts. Tell the people that they must come together for these sacred gatherings at their appointed times. 5 The Lord’s Passover begins when the sun goes down on the 14th day of the first month. 6 The Lord’s Feast of Unleavened Bread begins on the 15th day of that month. For seven days you must eat bread made without yeast. 7 On the first day you must come together for a special service. Do not do any regular work on that day. 8 On each of the seven days bring a food offering to the Lord. On the seventh day come together for a special service. Do not do any regular work on that day.’ ”
We Are More Than Winners
31 What should we say then? Since God is on our side, who can be against us? 32 God did not spare his own Son. He gave him up for us all. Then won’t he also freely give us everything else? 33 Who can bring any charge against God’s chosen ones? God makes us right with himself. 34 Then who can sentence us to death? No one. Christ Jesus is at the right hand of God and is also praying for us. He died. More than that, he was raised to life. 35 Who can separate us from Christ’s love? Can trouble or hard times or harm or hunger? Can nakedness or danger or war? 36 It is written,
“Because of you, we face death all day long.
We are considered as sheep to be killed.” (Psalm 44:22)
37 No! In all these things we are more than winners! We owe it all to Christ, who has loved us. 38 I am absolutely sure that not even death or life can separate us from God’s love. Not even angels or demons, the present or the future, or any powers can separate us. 39 Not even the highest places or the lowest, or anything else in all creation can separate us. Nothing at all can ever separate us from God’s love. That’s because of what Christ Jesus our Lord has done.
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