Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

A Call to Worship the Lord

96 Sing to the Lord a new song. Let all the earth sing to the Lord. ² Sing to the Lord. Honor His name. Make His saving power known from day to day. ³ Tell of His shining-greatness among the nations. Tell of His wonderful works among all the people. ⁴ For the Lord is great and should be given much praise. He is to be honored with fear above all gods. ⁵ For all the gods of the nations are false gods. But the Lord made the heavens. ⁶ Honor and great power are with Him. Strength and beauty are in His holy place.

⁷ Give to the Lord, O families of the nations, give to the Lord the honor and strength that He should have. ⁸ Give to the Lord the honor of His name. Bring a gift and come into His holy place. ⁹ Worship the Lord in holy clothing. May all the earth shake in fear before Him. ¹⁰ Say among the nations that the Lord rules. The world is built to last. It will not be moved. He will be right when He says who is guilty or not.

¹¹ Let the heavens be glad. And let the earth be full of joy. Let the sea and all that is in it make a loud noise. ¹² Let the fields and all that is in them be full of joy. Then all the trees of the land will sing for joy ¹³ before the Lord. For He is coming. He is coming to say who is guilty or not on the earth. He will be right in what He decides about the world. And He will be faithful to the people.

A Time for Everything

3 There is a special time for everything. There is a time for everything that happens under heaven. ² There is a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pick what is planted. ³ There is a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up. ⁴ There is a time to cry, and a time to laugh; a time to have sorrow, and a time to dance. ⁵ There is a time to throw stones, and a time to gather stones; a time to kiss, and a time to turn from kissing. ⁶ There is a time to try to find, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away. ⁷ There is a time to tear apart, and a time to sew together; a time to be quiet, and a time to speak. ⁸ There is a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.

¹⁷ Whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God. He is the One Who made all light. He does not change. No shadow is made by His turning. ¹⁸ He gave us our new lives through the truth of His Word only because He wanted to. We are the first children in His family.