Reflecting on the Seventh
Sunday after Pentecost
Year B

Daily Readings for Wednesday
July 14, 2021

Prayer

God of hosts, before whom David danced and sang, 

Mother of mercy and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

in whom all things cohere: 

whenever we are confronted by 

lust, hate, or fear, 

give us the faith of John the baptizer, 

that we may trust in the redemption of your Messiah. Amen.

 

Psalm 68:24-35

Awesome is God in the sanctuary

 

Your solemn processions are seen, O God,

the processions of my God, my King, into the sanctuary—

the singers in front, the musicians last,

between them girls playing tambourines:

“Bless God in the great congregation,

the Lord, O you who are of Israel’s fountain!”

There is Benjamin, the least of them, in the lead,

the princes of Judah in a body,

the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali.

Summon your might, O God;

show your strength, O God, as you have done for us before.

Because of your temple at Jerusalem

kings bear gifts to you.

Rebuke the wild animals that live among the reeds,

the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples.

Trample under foot those who lust after tribute;

scatter the peoples who delight in war.

Let bronze be brought from Egypt;

let Ethiopia hasten to stretch out its hands to God.

Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth;

sing praises to the Lord,  Selah

O rider in the heavens, the ancient heavens;

listen, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice.

Ascribe power to God,

whose majesty is over Israel;

and whose power is in the skies.

Awesome is God in his sanctuary,

the God of Israel;

he gives power and strength to his people.

Blessed be God!

 

2 Samuel 6:16-23

Michal confronts David

 

As the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal daughter of Saul looked out of the window, and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart.

 

They brought in the ark of the Lord, and set it in its place, inside the tent that David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt offerings and offerings of well-being before the Lord. When David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the offerings of well-being, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts, and distributed food among all the people, the whole multitude of Israel, both men and women, to each a cake of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins. Then all the people went back to their homes.

 

David returned to bless his household. But Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, “How the king of Israel honored himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants’ maids, as any vulgar fellow might shamelessly uncover himself!” David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me in place of your father and all his household, to appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the Lord, that I have danced before the Lord. I will make myself yet more contemptible than this, and I will be abased in my own eyes; but by the maids of whom you have spoken, by them I shall be held in honor.” And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.

 

Luke 7:31-35

Refusing the witness of John the Baptist and Jesus

 

“To what then will I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another,

 

‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;

we wailed, and you did not weep.’

 

For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon’; the Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Nevertheless, wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”

 

 

Prayer

Steadfast God, 

your prophets set the plumb line 

of your righteousness and truth 

in the midst of your people. 

Grant us the courage 

to judge ourselves against it. 

Straighten all that is crooked or warped within us 

until our hearts and souls stretch upright, 

blameless and holy, 

to meet the glory of Christ. Amen.

 

Psalm 142

Prayer for deliverance

 

With my voice I cry to the Lord;

with my voice I make supplication to the Lord.

I pour out my complaint before him;

I tell my trouble before him.

When my spirit is faint,

you know my way.

In the path where I walk

they have hidden a trap for me.

Look on my right hand and see—

there is no one who takes notice of me;

no refuge remains to me;

no one cares for me.

I cry to you, O Lord;

I say, “You are my refuge,

my portion in the land of the living.”

Give heed to my cry,

for I am brought very low.

Save me from my persecutors,

for they are too strong for me.

Bring me out of prison,

so that I may give thanks to your name.

The righteous will surround me,

for you will deal bountifully with me.

 

Amos 9:11-15

God will restore the fortunes of Israel

 

On that day I will raise up

the booth of David that is fallen,

and repair its breaches,

and raise up its ruins,

and rebuild it as in the days of old;

in order that they may possess the remnant of Edom

and all the nations who are called by my name,

says the Lord who does this.

The time is surely coming, says the Lord,

when the one who plows shall overtake the one who reaps,

and the treader of grapes the one who sows the seed;

the mountains shall drip sweet wine,

and all the hills shall flow with it.

I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel,

and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them;

they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine,

and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit.

I will plant them upon their land,

and they shall never again be plucked up

out of the land that I have given them,

says the Lord your God.

 

Luke 7:31-35

Refusing the witness of John the Baptist and Jesus

 

“To what then will I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another,

 

‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;

we wailed, and you did not weep.’

 

For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon’; the Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Nevertheless, wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”

 

 

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Prayer reprinted from Revised Common Lectionary Prayers, © 2002 Consultation on Common Texts. Reproduced by permission.

Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts admin. Augsburg Fortress. Reproduced by permission. No further reproduction allowed without the written permission of Augsburg Fortress.

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.


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