The Daily Lectionary for THURSDAY, April 4, 2019

Timothy and Epaphroditus
Philippians 2:19-24

The Daily Lectionary

THURSDAY, April 4, 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 43:1-7

Restoration and Protection Promised
43:1 But now thus says the Lord,
     he who created you, O Jacob,
     he who formed you, O Israel:
   Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
     I have called you by name, you are mine.
2  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
     and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
   when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
     and the flame shall not consume you.
3  For I am the Lord your God,
     the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
   I give Egypt as your ransom,
     Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you.
4  Because you are precious in my sight,
     and honored, and I love you,
   I give people in return for you,
     nations in exchange for your life.
5  Do not fear, for I am with you;
     I will bring your offspring from the east,
     and from the west I will gather you;
6  I will say to the north, “Give them up,”
     and to the south, “Do not withhold;
   bring my sons from far away
     and my daughters from the end of the earth—
7  everyone who is called by my name,
     whom I created for my glory,
     whom I formed and made.”

Philippians 2:19-24

Timothy and Epaphroditus
2:19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I may be cheered by news of you. 20 I have no one like him who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. 21 All of them are seeking their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But Timothy’s worth you know, how like a son with a father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. 23 I hope therefore to send him as soon as I see how things go with me; 24 and I trust in the Lord that I will also come soon.

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
... like a son with a father he has served with me in the work of the gospel.