​Celebrant I will make you as a light for the nations,
People That my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.
Isaiah 49:6

O God, you know that we are set in the midst of many grave dangers,
and because of the frailty of our nature we cannot always stand
upright: Grant that your strength and protection may support us in
all dangers and carry us through every temptation; through Jesus
Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

“The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen—16 just as you desired of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.’ 17 And the LORD said to me, ‘They are right in what they have spoken.  18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. 19 And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him. 20 But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’ 21 And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the LORD has not spoken?’— 22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.

Reader: The word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.

1 Praise the LORD. I will give thanks unto the LORD with my whole heart, *
   in the company of the upright, and among the congregation.
2 The works of the LORD are great, *
   sought out by all who have pleasure in them.
3 His work is worthy to be praised and held in honor, *
   and his righteousness endures for ever.
4 He has made his marvelous works to be had in remembrance; *
   The LORD is gracious and merciful.
5 He has given food to those who fear him; *
   he shall ever be mindful of his covenant.
6 He has shown his people the power of his works, *
   that he may give them the heritage of the nations.
7 The works of his hands are faithfulness and justice; *
   all his commandments are true.
8 They stand fast for ever and ever, *
   and are done in truth and equity.
9 He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant for ever; *
   holy and awesome is his Name.
10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; *
   a good understanding have all those who live accordingly; his praise endures for ever.

Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. 2 If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. 3 But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.  4 Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.”  5 For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many  "lords”— 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.
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7 However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8 Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. 9 But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? 11 And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. 12 Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.

Reader: The word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.

And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. 22 And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. 23 And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, 24 “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” 25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” 26 And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. 27 And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” 28 And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.

Deacon: The Gospel of the Lord.
People: Praise to you, Lord Christ.

“‘I said, How I would set you among my sons, and give you a pleasant land, a heritage most beautiful of all nations. And I thought you would call me, My Father, and would not turn from following me. 20 Surely, as a treacherous wife leaves her husband, so have you been treacherous to me, O house of Israel, declares the LORD.’”

21 A voice on the bare heights is heard, the weeping and pleading of Israel’s sons because they have perverted their way; they have forgotten the LORD their God.  22 “Return, O faithless sons; I will heal your faithlessness.” “Behold, we come to you, for you are the LORD our God. 23 Truly the hills are a delusion, the orgies on the mountains. Truly in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel.

24 “But from our youth the shameful thing has devoured all for which our fathers labored, their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters. 25 Let us lie down in our shame, and let our dishonor cover us. For we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even to this day, and we have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.”

4 “If you return, O Israel, declares the LORD, to me you should return. If you remove your detestable things from my presence, and do not waver, 2 and if you swear, ‘As the LORD lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.”

​3 For thus says the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem: “Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns. 4Circumcise yourselves to the LORD; remove the foreskin of your hearts, O men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; lest my wrath go forth like fire, and burn with none to quench it, because of the evil of your deeds.”

Reader: The word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.

1 Out of the deep have I called unto you, O LORD; *
   Lord, hear my voice.
2 O let your ears consider well *
   the voice of my supplications.
3 If you, LORD, were to mark what is done amiss, *
   O Lord, who could abide it?
4 For there is mercy with you; *
​   therefore you shall be feared.
5 I wait for the LORD; my soul waits for him; *
   in his word is my trust.
6 My soul waits for the Lord, *
   more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.
7 O Israel, trust in the LORD, for with the LORD there is mercy, *
   and with him is plenteous redemption;
8 And he shall redeem Israel *
   from all their sins.

Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches. 18 Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? Let him not seek circumcision. 19 For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God. 20Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. 21Were you a bondservant when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.) 22 For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ. 23 You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men. 24 So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.

Reader: The word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
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16 Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.  17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you
become fishers of men.” 18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19 And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20 And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.

Deacon: The Gospel of the Lord.
People: Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD in the presence of Eli.
And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no frequent
vision.

2 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could
not see, was lying down in his own place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone
out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of
God was.

4 Then the LORD called Samuel, and he said, “Here I am!” 5 and ran to Eli
and said, “Here I am, for you called me.”  But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down.

6 And the LORD called again, “Samuel!” and Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, and the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.
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8 And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the LORD was calling the boy. 9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant hears.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.  10 And the LORD came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.” 11 Then the LORD said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which the two ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. 

1 O God, you are my God; *
     early will I seek you.
2 My soul thirsts for you, my flesh also longs after you, *
      in a barren and dry land where there is no water.
3 Thus I have looked upon you in your holy place, *
     that I might behold your power and glory.
4 For your loving-kindness is better than life itself; *
     my lips shall praise you.
5 As long as I live I will magnify you, *
     and lift up my hands in your Name.
6 My soul shall be satisfied, as with marrow and fatness, *
     when my mouth praises   you with joyful lips.
7 When I remember you on my bed, *
     I meditate on you in the watches of the night.
8 Because you have been my helper, *
     therefore under the shadow of your wings I will rejoice.

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
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12 “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. 13 “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” 17But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. 18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify
God in your body.

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.  45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”
Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 

50 Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. 2 He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; 3 a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. 4 He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law. ​

So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), 37 you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. ​

Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. 2 He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; 3 a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. 4 He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law. 

Reader: The word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.

1 Your love, O Lord, for ever will I sing; *
   from age to age my mouth will proclaim your faithfulness.
2 For I am persuaded that your love is established for ever; *
   you have set your faithfulness firmly in the heavens.
3 “I have made a covenant with my chosen one; *
   I have sworn an oath to David my servant:
4 ‘I will establish your line for ever, *
   and preserve your throne for all generations.’”
5 The heavens bear witness to your wonders, O Lord, *
   and to your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones;
6 For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord? *
   who is like the Lord among the gods?
7 God is much to be feared in the council of the holy ones, *
   great and terrible to all those round about him.
8 Who is like you Lord, God of hosts? *
   O mighty Lord, your faithfulness is all around you.
9 You rule the raging of the sea *
   and still the surging of its waves.
10 You have crushed Rahab of the deep with a deadly wound; *
   you have scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.
11 Yours are the heavens; the earth also is yours; *
   you laid the foundations of the world and all that is in it.
12 You have made the north and the south; *
   Tabor and Hermon rejoice in your Name.
13 You have a mighty arm; *
​   strong is your hand and high is your right hand.
14 Righteousness and justice are the foundations of your throne; *
   love and truth go before your face.
15 Happy are the people who know the festal shout! *
   they walk, O Lord, in the light of your presence.
16 They rejoice daily in your Name; *
   they are jubilant in your righteousness.
17 For you are the glory of their strength, *
   and by your favor our might is exalted.
18 Truly, the Lord is our ruler; *
   The Holy One of Israel is our King.
19 You spoke once in vision and said to your faithful people: *
   “I have set the crown upon a warrior and have exalted one chosen out of the people.

So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), 37 you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 

Reader: The word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.

And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Deacon: The Gospel of the Lord.
People: Praise to you, Lord Christ.