Pent 9 | OT 16c | Proper 11c – July 21, 2013

Overview

Scripture for the Day:

 Amos 8:1-12 (semi-continuous) or Genesis 18:1-10a (complementary)
 Psalm 52 (semi-continuous) or Psalm 15 (complementary)
 Colossians 1:15-28
 Luke 10:38-42

Liturgical Color:

1st Reading

 Amos 8:1-12 (NIV)

This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me: a basket of ripe fruit. “What do you see, Amos?” he asked.

“A basket of ripe fruit,” I answered.

Then the Lord said to me, “The time is ripe for my people Israel; I will spare them no longer.

“In that day,” declares the Sovereign Lord, “the songs in the temple will turn to wailing. Many, many bodies—flung everywhere! Silence!”

Hear this, you who trample the needy
and do away with the poor of the land,

saying,

“When will the New Moon be over
that we may sell grain,
and the Sabbath be ended
that we may market wheat?”—
skimping on the measure,
boosting the price
and cheating with dishonest scales,
buying the poor with silver
and the needy for a pair of sandals,
selling even the sweepings with the wheat.

The Lord has sworn by himself, the Pride of Jacob: “I will never forget anything they have done.

“Will not the land tremble for this,
and all who live in it mourn?
The whole land will rise like the Nile;
it will be stirred up and then sink
like the river of Egypt.

“In that day,” declares the Sovereign Lord,

“I will make the sun go down at noon
and darken the earth in broad daylight.
10 I will turn your religious festivals into mourning
and all your singing into weeping.
I will make all of you wear sackcloth
and shave your heads.
I will make that time like mourning for an only son
and the end of it like a bitter day.

11 “The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign Lord,
“when I will send a famine through the land—
not a famine of food or a thirst for water,
but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord.
12 People will stagger from sea to sea
and wander from north to east,
searching for the word of the Lord,
but they will not find it.

or

Genesis 18-1-10a (NIV)

The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.

He said, “If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by. Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way—now that you have come to your servant.”

“Very well,” they answered, “do as you say.”

So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. “Quick,” he said, “get three seahs of the finest flour and knead it and bake some bread.”

Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree.

“Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked him.

“There, in the tent,” he said.

10 Then one of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.”

Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. NIV®. COPYRIGHT © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Psalm

 Psalm 52 (NIV)

Why do you boast of evil, you mighty hero?
Why do you boast all day long,
you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?
You who practice deceit,
your tongue plots destruction;
it is like a sharpened razor.
You love evil rather than good,
falsehood rather than speaking the truth.
You love every harmful word,
you deceitful tongue!

Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin:
He will snatch you up and pluck you from your tent;
he will uproot you from the land of the living.
The righteous will see and fear;
they will laugh at you, saying,
“Here now is the man
who did not make God his stronghold
but trusted in his great wealth
and grew strong by destroying others!”

But I am like an olive tree
flourishing in the house of God;
I trust in God’s unfailing love
for ever and ever.
For what you have done I will always praise you
in the presence of your faithful people.
And I will hope in your name,
for your name is good.

or

Psalm 15 (NIV)

Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent?
Who may live on your holy mountain?

The one whose walk is blameless,
who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from their heart;
whose tongue utters no slander,
who does no wrong to a neighbor,
and casts no slur on others;
who despises a vile person
but honors those who fear the Lord;
who keeps an oath even when it hurts,
and does not change their mind;
who lends money to the poor without interest;
who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.

Whoever does these things
will never be shaken.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. NIV®. COPYRIGHT © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

2nd Reading

 Colossians 1:15-28 (NIV)

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peacethrough his blood, shed on the cross.

21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present youholy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— 23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

24 Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. 25 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— 26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

28 He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. NIV®. COPYRIGHT © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Gospel

 Luke 10:38-42 (NIV)

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feetlistening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. NIV®. COPYRIGHT © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Song Suggestions for the Day: 

AT YOUR FEET  Dave George \ David Kennedy | 2008 | CCLI Song #5152209

 BROKENNESS ASIDE David Leonard \ Leslie Jordan | 2011 | CCLI Song #5881109

 LOVE CAME DOWN  Brian Johnson \ Ian McIntosh \ Jenn Johnson \ Jeremy Edwardson \ Jeremy Riddle | 2009 | CCLI Song #5148938

 JUST SAY  Anthony Hoisington \ Chris Hoisington \ Paul Baloche | 2011 | CCLI Song #6016746

 MIRACLE OF GRACE  Curtis Stephan | 2008 | CCLI Song #5767814

 UNENDING LOVE  Jill McCloghry \ Sam Knock | 2010 | CCLI Song #5894196

 SPEAK TO ME  Todd Fields | 2012 | CCLI Song #6410957

 MADE TO WORSHIP  Chris Tomlin \ Ed Cash \ Stephan Conley Sharp | 2006 | CCLI Song #4794118

 LISTENING  Vicky Beeching | 2010 | CCLI Song #5670664

 FOREVER  Chris Tomlin | 2001 | CCLI Song #3148428

 UNFAILING GOD  Michael Rossback \ Mitchel Schiff | 2008 | CCLI Song #5198012

 BETTER IS ONE DAY  Matt Redman | 1995 | CCLI Song #1097451

 HERE  Jeremy Riddle | 2011 | CCLI Song #6032809

 OH GREAT LOVE OF GOD  David Crowder \ Mark Waldrop \ Matt Maher | 2012 | CCLI Song #6191245

 WE GIVE YOU GLORY  Jeremy Camp | 2006 | CCLI Song #4874337

 GLORY TO GOD FOREVER  Steve Fee \ Vicky Beeching | CCLI Song #5384338

 BE PRAISED  Michael Gungor | 2008 | CCLI Song #4954903

 HIGHER  Brenton Brown | 2010 | CCLI Song #5900200

 NO ONE HIGHER  Steve Fee | 2010 | CCLI Song #5718021

 ADORE HIM  Samuel Lane | 2010 | CCLI Song #6002891

 SAVIOUR KING  Marty Sampson \ Mia Fieldes | 2006 | CCLI Song #4785897

 GOD YOU ARE MY GOD  Jason Ingram \ Paul Mabury \ Rory Noland | 2010 | CCLI Song #5997354

 WE COULD CHANGE THE WORLD  Jason Ingram \ Jonas Myrin \ Matt Redman | 2011 | CCLI Song #6016485

 THE STAND  Joel Houston | 2005 | CCLI Song #4705248

 CHOOSE  Christy Nockels \ Nathan Nockels | 2007 | CCLI Song #5281871

 THE GREATNESS OF OUR GOD  Jason Ingram \ Reuben Morgan \ Stuart David Garrard | 2010 | CCLI Song #5660739

 I WILL STAY HERE WITH YOU  Brian Johnson \ Jeremy Riddle | 2009 | CCLI Song #5688948

 OH HOW I LOVE YOU  Chris Quilala \ Ian McIntosh | 2012 | CCLI Song #6514561

 I BREATHE YOU IN GOD  Bryan Torwalt \ Katie Torwalt | 2011 | CCLI Song #6087995

 ONE DESIRE  Joel Houston | 2002 | CCLI Song #3452743

 CLOSER  Braden Lang \ Jason Ingram \ Joel Davies \ Reuben Morgan | 2012 | CCLI Song #6514066

 JUST TO BE WITH YOU  Jason Ingram \ Paul Baloche | 2009 | CCLI Song #5585120

 UNASHAMED LOVE  Lamont Hiebert | 2000 | CCLI Song #3326697

 CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF YOU  Jennie Lee Riddle \ Sarah Reeves | 2011 | CCLI Song #6063847

 GOD ALONE IS ENOUGH  Tom Booth | 2007 | CCLI Song #5771604

 This week’s worshipcurrent pick for Holy Communion/Eucharist

Hymn Suggestions for the Day:

 GOD HIMSELF IS WITH US  Frederick William Foster \ Gerhardt Tersteegen \ Joachim Neander | Public Domain | CCLI Song #767108 | Hymnary

 JESUS THOU JOY OF LOVING HEARTS  Bernard of Clairvaux \ Henry Williams Baker \ Ray Palmer | CCLI Song #25345 | Hymnary

 DAY BY DAY  Andrew L. Skoog \ Karolina Wilhelmina Sandell-Berg \ Oskar Ahnfelt | Public Domain | CCLI Song #104479 | Hymnary

 LOVE DIVINE ALL LOVES EXCELLING  Charles Wesley \ Rowland H. Prichard | Public Domain | CCLI Song #40306 | Hymnary

About W. Zachary Taylor

W. Zachary Taylor is the founder and lead curator of worshipcurrent.com, worship leader, songwriter, producer, organist, and consultant in his twenty-fifth year of worship music ministry. He loves challenging worship music professionals to design deeply meaningful worship experiences, healing broken ministries, pushing boundaries, and helping others. He can typically be found somewhere in Minneapolis - usually in a studio, church, or office of some kind. Zachary currently serves as Worship & Music Director at Atonement Lutheran Church in Bloomington, MN and Alternative Worship Music Minister at St. Stephen's Lutheran Church in West St. Paul, MN.

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