Readings for Sunday – 6/9/24

Third Sunday after Pentecost

COLLECT
O God, from whom all good proceeds: Grant that by your inspiration we may think
those things that are right, and by your merciful guiding may do them; through
Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God,
for ever and ever.  Amen.

OLD TESTAMENT: 1 Samuel 8:4-11, (12-15), 16-20, (11:14-15)
All the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and
said to him, “You are old and your sons do not follow in your ways; appoint for
us, then, a king to govern us, like other nations.” But the thing displeased
Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to govern us.” Samuel prayed to
the LORD, and the LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all
that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me
from being king over them. Just as they have done to me, from the day I
brought them up out of Egypt to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods,
so also, they are doing to you. Now then, listen to their voice; only—you shall
solemnly warn them, and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over
them.” So, Samuel reported all the words of the LORD to the people who were
asking him for a king. He said, “These will be the ways of the king who will
reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to
be his horsemen, and to run before his chariots; [and he will appoint for himself
commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his
ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the
equipment of his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and
cooks and bakers.
He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give
them to his courtiers. He will take one-tenth of your grain and of your
vineyards and give it to his officers and his courtiers.] He will take your male
and female slaves, and the best of your cattle and donkeys, and put them to his
work. He will take one-tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. And
in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for
yourselves; but the LORD will not answer you in that day.” But the people
refused to listen to the voice of Samuel; they said, “No! but we are determined
to have a king over us, so that we also may be like other nations, and that our
king may govern us and go out before us and fight our battles.” [Samuel said
to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and there renew the kingship.” So, all
the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the LORD in
Gilgal. There they sacrificed offerings of well-being before the LORD, and
there Saul and all the Israelites rejoiced greatly.]
Reader: The Word of the Lord People: Thanks be to God

PSALM: Psalm 138
Confitebor tibi
1 I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with my whole heart; *
before the gods I will sing your praise.
2 I will bow down toward your holy temple and praise your Name, *
because of your love and faithfulness;
3 For you have glorified your Name *
and your word above all things.
4 When I called, you answered me; *
you increased my strength within me.
5 All the kings of the earth will praise you, O LORD, *
when they have heard the words of your mouth.
6 They will sing of the ways of the LORD, *
that great is the glory of the LORD.
7 Though the LORD be high, he cares for the lowly; *
he perceives the haughty from afar.
8 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you keep me safe; *
you stretch forth your hand against the fury of my enemies;
your right hand shall save me.
9 The LORD will make good his purpose for me; *
O LORD, your love endures for ever; do not abandon the works of your
hands.

THE EPISTLE A Reading from: 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1
Just as we have the same spirit of faith that is in accordance with scripture “I
believed, and so I spoke” —we also believe, and so we speak, because we
know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and
will bring us with you into his presence. Yes, everything is for your sake, so
that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving,
to the glory of God. So, we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is
wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight
momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all
measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen;
for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal. For we
know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from
God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
Reader: The Word of the Lord People: Thanks be to God

GOSPEL HYMN: Come Holy Spirit, Heavenly Dove

Come, Holy Spirit, heavenly dove with all thy quickening powers;
kindle a flame of sacred love in these cold hearts of ours.

See how we trifle here below, fond of the earthly toys:
our souls how heavenly they go, to reach eternal joys.

In vain we tune our formal songs, in vain we strive to rise:
hosannas languish on our tongues, and our devotion dies.

Come, Holy Spirit, heavenly Dove, with all thy quickening powers;
come shed abroad a Savior’s love, and that shall kindle ours.

The Holy GOSPEL of our Lord Jesus Christ according to:
Mark 3:20-35
The crowd came together again, so that Jesus and his disciples could not even
eat. When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were
saying, “He has gone out of his mind.” And the scribes who came down from
Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out
demons.” And he called them to him, and spoke to them in parables, “How can
Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom
cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be
able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he
cannot stand, but his end has come. But no one can enter a strong man’s house
and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the
house can be plundered. “Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins
and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy
Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— for they had
said, “He has an unclean spirit.” Then his mother and his brothers came; and
standing outside, they sent to him and called him. A crowd was sitting around
him; and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers and sisters are
outside, asking for you.” And he replied, “Who are my mother and my
brothers?” And looking at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my
mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister
and mother.”
Reader: The Gospel of the Lord People: Praise to you, Lord Christ