The Daily Lectionary for FRIDAY, April 5, 2019

Timothy and Epaphroditus

The Daily Lectionary

FRIDAY, April 5, 2019

(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)

Psalm 126

A Harvest of Joy
A Song of Ascents.
1  When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
     we were like those who dream.
2  Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
     and our tongue with shouts of joy;
   then it was said among the nations,
     “The Lord has done great things for them.”
3  The Lord has done great things for us,
     and we rejoiced.

4  Restore our fortunes, O Lord,
     like the watercourses in the Negeb.
5  May those who sow in tears
     reap with shouts of joy.
6  Those who go out weeping,
     bearing the seed for sowing,
   shall come home with shouts of joy,
     carrying their sheaves.

Isaiah 43:8-15

Restoration and Protection Promised (Cont.)
43:8 Bring forth the people who are blind, yet have eyes,
     who are deaf, yet have ears!
9  Let all the nations gather together,
     and let the peoples assemble.
   Who among them declared this,
     and foretold to us the former things?
   Let them bring their witnesses to justify them,
     and let them hear and say, “It is true.”
10 You are my witnesses, says the Lord,
     and my servant whom I have chosen,
   so that you may know and believe me
     and understand that I am he.
   Before me no god was formed,
     nor shall there be any after me.
11 I, I am the Lord,
     and besides me there is no savior.
12 I declared and saved and proclaimed,
     when there was no strange god among you;
     and you are my witnesses, says the Lord.
13 I am God, and also henceforth I am He;
     there is no one who can deliver from my hand;
     I work and who can hinder it?

14 Thus says the Lord,
     your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
   For your sake I will send to Babylon
     and break down all the bars,
     and the shouting of the Chaldeans will be turned to lamentation.
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One,
     the Creator of Israel, your King.

Philippians 2:25—3:1

Timothy and Epaphroditus (Cont.)
2:25 Still, I think it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus—my brother and co-worker and fellow soldier, your messenger and minister to my need; 26 for he has been longing for all of you, and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. 27 He was indeed so ill that he nearly died. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, so that I would not have one sorrow after another. 28 I am the more eager to send him, therefore, in order that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. 29 Welcome him then in the Lord with all joy, and honor such people, 30 because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for those services that you could not give me.

3:1 Finally, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord.

Breaking with the Past
To write the same things to you is not troublesome to me, and for you it is a safeguard.

Optional parts of the readings are set off in [square brackets.]

The Bible texts of the Old Testament, Epistle and Gospel lessons are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the USA, and used by permission.

The Daily Lectionary is a three year cyclical lectionary. We are currently in Year C. Beginning with the first Sunday of Advent in 2019, we will be in Year A. The year which ended at Advent 2018 was Year B. These readings complement the Sunday and festival readings: Thursday through Saturday readings help prepare the reader for the Sunday ahead; Monday through Wednesday readings help the reader reflect and digest on what they heard in worship. Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org
Still, I think it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus—my brother and co-worker and fellow soldier ...