The Daily Lectionary for Monday, September 11, 2023

 

The Daily Lectionary
Monday, September 11, 2023
Psalm 121; Exodus 12:14-28; 1 Peter 2:11-17
(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)
(Semi-continuous Reading Plan)

A Psalm and A Prayer
Responsive Readings from the Psalms and Prayers
for Public Worship and Private Devotions
Psalm 121
My help is from the Lord
Levavi oculos

I lift up my eyes to the hills; *
  from where is my help to come?

My help comes from the LORD, *
  the maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot be moved *
  and he who watches over you will not fall asleep.

Behold, he who keeps watch over Israel *
  shall neither slumber nor sleep;

The LORD himself watches over you; *
  the LORD is your shade at your right hand,

So that the sun shall not strike you by day, *
  nor the moon by night.

The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; *
  it is he who shall keep you safe.

The LORD shall watch over your going out and
    your coming in, *
  from this time forth for evermore.

Lord our God, our Father in heaven, we thank you for letting our failures and sins come before you and for giving us One who steps in to help us just as we are, with the right help for the good and the evil things in our lives. We thank you that our whole age can be comforted, and even the terrors of our days can be turned to the good because everything has already come before your holy eyes. Salvation will come out of disaster, life out of death. Praise to your glorious and almighty name! Protect our faith in your Servant. May we always find strength and courage, even when we are in pain. The time is coming when your loving-kindness will be revealed among all nations on earth. Be with us today and every day in Jesus Christ, Who taught us to pray:

“Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.”

Exodus 12:14-28
Instructions for the passover

“This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord—a lasting ordinance. For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast. On the first day remove the yeast from your houses, for whoever eats anything with yeast in it from the first day through the seventh must be cut off from Israel. On the first day hold a sacred assembly, and another one on the seventh day. Do no work at all on these days, except to prepare food for everyone to eat; that is all you may do.

“Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread, because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt. Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. In the first month you are to eat bread made without yeast, from the evening of the fourteenth day until the evening of the twenty-first day. For seven days no yeast is to be found in your houses. And anyone, whether foreigner or native-born, who eats anything with yeast in it must be cut off from the community of Israel. Eat nothing made with yeast. Wherever you live, you must eat unleavened bread.”

Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go at once and select the animals for your families and slaughter the Passover lamb. Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood on the top and on both sides of the doorframe. None of you shall go out of the door of your house until morning. When the Lord goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down.

“Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinance for you and your descendants. When you enter the land that the Lord will give you as he promised, observe this ceremony. And when your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ then tell them, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.’” Then the people bowed down and worshiped. The Israelites did just what the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron.

1 Peter 2:11-17
Live as servants of God

Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.

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 Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Responsive Readings from the Common Book of Prayer (1789).

The Daily Lectionary is a three year cyclical lectionary. We are currently in Year A. Beginning with the first Sunday of Advent in 2023, we will be in Year B. The year which ended at Advent 2022 was Year A. 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
The Daily Lectionary for Monday, September 11, 2023
Psalm 121; Exodus 12:14-28; 1 Peter 2:11-17

The Morning Prayer for Monday, September 11, 2023

 

The Morning Prayer
Monday, September 11, 2023

After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.
Isaiah 53:11 (NIV)

Lord our God, our Father in heaven, we thank you for letting our failures and sins come before you and for giving us One who steps in to help us just as we are, with the right help for the good and the evil things in our lives. We thank you that our whole age can be comforted, and even the terrors of our days can be turned to the good because everything has already come before your holy eyes. Salvation will come out of disaster, life out of death. Praise to your glorious and almighty name! Protect our faith in your Servant. May we always find strength and courage, even when we are in pain. The time is coming when your loving-kindness will be revealed among all nations on earth. Amen.

Verse of the Day for Monday, September 11, 2023

 

 

Verse of the Day
Monday, September 11, 2023

Psalm 121:1-2

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

The mountains, in and of themselves, are not the source of salvation; salvation comes from the Lord, who dwells on the most important mountain: Zion (48:2; 68:16).

Read all of Psalm 121

Listen to Psalm 121

Scripture from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

Ice Core Data from Mt. Kilimanjaro and the Bible Story of Joseph

 

Ice Core Data from Mt. Kilimanjaro and the Bible Story of Joseph

For the general populace, ice might merely serve as a cooling agent for beverages. However, in the scientific community, ice offers a window into Earth’s distant past. Through the study of ice samples collected from Mt. Kilimanjaro, researchers have gained new insights into historical climatic shifts. Intriguingly, the data has also lent credence to an age-old biblical tale. In this article, we explore how scientific findings can enrich our understanding of stories from antiquity.

Unlocking Secrets from Frozen Archives
Ice layers accumulating over centuries serve as natural archives, chronicling shifts in Earth’s climate. These glaciers capture air bubbles, for example, which can be analyzed to determine past atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. This trove of data not only aids our understanding of climate change but also sheds light on historical events and narratives.

The Journey to Kilimanjaro’s Core
In the year 2000, geologist Lonnie Thompson of Ohio State University led an expedition to Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. The team faced numerous challenges, including obtaining multiple permits and enlisting the aid of 92 porters to transport equipment for the high-altitude venture. Their main objective was to retrieve ice cores to better understand the ongoing loss of frozen water on the mountain.

Decoding Thompson’s Findings
After a meticulous two-year analysis, the team published their findings under the title "Kilimanjaro Ice Core Records: Evidence of Holocene Climate Change in Tropical Africa." While the primary goal was to comprehend climate transformations, their work unexpectedly offered insights into a specific episode from the Book of Genesis.

Corroborating a Biblical Drought
Dating methods developed in the 1950s related to nuclear bomb research enabled the researchers to precisely age the ice cores. Among their findings was evidence of a prolonged 500-year drought that began approximately 8,300 years ago. A more recent drought recorded in the ice cores occurred around 3,600 to 3,700 years ago, remarkably coinciding with the biblical account of Joseph.

Biblical Droughts: An Intersection of Science and Ancient Narrative
The third of a series of three droughts captured the scientists' attention. This drought occurred approximately 4,000 to 3,700 years ago, astonishingly aligning with the biblical tale of Joseph, as chronicled in Genesis chapters 37 through 50.

Joseph's Intriguing Story
Joseph, the eleventh son of Jacob and Rachel, was the favored child among his siblings. To display this favoritism, Jacob gifted Joseph a multi-colored coat, igniting a fire of jealousy among his brothers. This envy was further exacerbated when they learned about Joseph's unique ability to interpret dreams.

Familial Betrayal
Unable to contain their resentment, Joseph's brothers ambushed him one day. Although some initially wanted to kill him, they opted instead to sell him to traders en route to Egypt. They then used goat blood to stain Joseph's coat and falsely told their father that he was dead.

The Egyptian Chapter in Joseph's Life
Joseph was enslaved by Potiphar, a wealthy Egyptian. His wife, Zuleika, became infatuated with Joseph, and when he rejected her advances, he was falsely accused of rape and imprisoned.

The Gift of Dream Interpretation
While incarcerated, Joseph honed his skill for interpreting dreams. He was asked by fellow prisoners to explain the meaning of their dreams—predictions that would eventually come true for each of them.

The Pharaoh's Mystifying Dream
Years later, the Pharaoh experienced a perplexing dream that none could decipher. Recalling Joseph's talents, the newly-reinstated cup-bearer recommended him to the Pharaoh. Joseph interpreted the Pharaoh’s dream as a prophecy of seven prosperous years followed by seven years of famine. Impressed by his wisdom, the Pharaoh appointed Joseph to a high-ranking advisory role.

Preparing for Drought
Armed with this prophetic knowledge, Joseph orchestrated the storage of large quantities of grain during the years of abundance. This foresight was instrumental when the seven-year famine unfolded, enabling people to survive on the stockpiled grain.

Scientific Corroboration
Scholars suggest that this period of extreme drought transpired around 3,600 to 3,700 years ago—a timeframe remarkably consistent with the data retrieved from the Kilimanjaro ice cores by Thompson’s team.

Bridging the Gap between Science and Faith
The synchronicity of modern scientific findings, ancient Egyptian records, and biblical narratives points towards a severe drought severe enough to challenge even the Pharaoh’s authority. This intriguing convergence of ancient storytelling and contemporary scientific data lends unexpected yet compelling support to the Joseph narrative. While the Old Testament is often seen as a collection of symbolic stories, the Kilimanjaro evidence suggests that it also contains historical truths.