2020-02 Lectionary Slides

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2020

Micah 6:1–8 TEV

1 Listen to the Lord’s case against Israel. Arise, O Lord, and present your case; let the mountains and the hills hear what you say. 2 You mountains, you everlasting foundations of the earth, listen to the Lord’s case! The Lord has a case against his people. He is going to bring an accusation against Israel. 3 The Lord says, “My people, what have I done to you? How have I been a burden to you? Answer me. 4 I brought you out of Egypt; I rescued you from slavery; I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to lead you. 5 My people, remember what King Balak of Moab planned to do to you and how Balaam son of Beor answered him. Remember the things that happened on the way from the camp at Acacia to Gilgal. Remember these things and you will realize what I did in order to save you.” 6 What shall I bring to the Lord, the God of heaven, when I come to worship him? Shall I bring the best calves to burn as offerings to him? 7 Will the Lord be pleased if I bring him thousands of sheep or endless streams of olive oil? Shall I offer him my firstborn child to pay for my sins? 8 No, the Lord has told us what is good. What he requires of us is this: to do what is just, to show constant love, and to live in humble fellowship with our God.

Psalm 15 TEV

1 Lord, who may enter your Temple? Who may worship on Zion, your sacred hill? 2 Those who obey God in everything and always do what is right, whose words are true and sincere, 3 and who do not slander others. They do no wrong to their friends nor spread rumours about their neighbours. 4 They despise those whom God rejects, but honour those who obey the Lord. They always do what they promise, no matter how much it may cost. 5 They make loans without charging interest and cannot be bribed to testify against the innocent. Whoever does these things will always be secure.

1 Corinthians 1:18–31 TEV

18 For the message about Christ’s death on the cross is nonsense to those who are being lost; but for us who are being saved it is God’s power. 19 The scripture says: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and set aside the understanding of the scholars.” 20 So then, where does that leave the wise? or the scholars? or the skilful debaters of this world? God has shown that this world’s wisdom is foolishness! 21 For God in his wisdom made it impossible for people to know him by means of their own wisdom. Instead, by means of the so-called “foolish” message we preach, God decided to save those who believe. 22 Jews want miracles for proof, and Greeks look for wisdom. 23 As for us, we proclaim the crucified Christ, a message that is offensive to the Jews and nonsense to the Gentiles; 24 but for those whom God has called, both Jews and Gentiles, this message is Christ, who is the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For what seems to be God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and what seems to be God’s weakness is stronger than human strength. 26 Now remember what you were, my brothers and sisters, when God called you. From the human point of view few of you were wise or powerful or of high social standing. 27 God purposely chose what the world considers nonsense in order to shame the wise, and he chose what the world considers weak in order to shame the powerful. 28 He chose what the world looks down on and despises, and thinks is nothing, in order to destroy what the world thinks is important. 29 This means that no one can boast in God’s presence. 30 But God has brought you into union with Christ Jesus, and God has made Christ to be our wisdom. By him we are put right with God; we become God’s holy people and are set free. 31 So then, as the scripture says, “Whoever wants to boast must boast of what the Lord has done.”

Matthew 5:1–12 TEV

1 Jesus saw the crowds and went up a hill, where he sat down. His disciples gathered round him, 2 and he began to teach them: 3 “Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor; the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them! 4 Happy are those who mourn; God will comfort them! 5 Happy are those who are humble; they will receive what God has promised! 6 Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires; God will satisfy them fully! 7 Happy are those who are merciful to others; God will be merciful to them! 8 Happy are the pure in heart; they will see God! 9 Happy are those who work for peace; God will call them his children! 10 Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires; the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them! 11 “Happy are you when people insult you and persecute you and tell all kinds of evil lies against you because you are my followers. 12 Be happy and glad, for a great reward is kept for you in heaven. This is how the prophets who lived before you were persecuted.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2020

Isaiah 58:1–12 TEV

1 The Lord says, “Shout as loud as you can! Tell my people Israel about their sins! 2 They worship me every day, claiming that they are eager to know my ways and obey my laws. They say they want me to give them just laws and that they take pleasure in worshipping me.” 3 The people ask, “Why should we fast if the Lord never notices? Why should we go without food if he pays no attention?” The Lord says to them, “The truth is that at the same time as you fast, you pursue your own interests and oppress your workers. 4 Your fasting makes you violent, and you quarrel and fight. Do you think this kind of fasting will make me listen to your prayers? 5 When you fast, you make yourselves suffer; you bow your heads low like a blade of grass, and spread out sackcloth and ashes to lie on. Is that what you call fasting? Do you think I will be pleased with that? 6 “The kind of fasting I want is this: remove the chains of oppression and the yoke of injustice, and let the oppressed go free. 7 Share your food with the hungry and open your homes to the homeless poor. Give clothes to those who have nothing to wear, and do not refuse to help your own relatives. 8 “Then my favour will shine on you like the morning sun, and your wounds will be quickly healed. I will always be with you to save you; my presence will protect you on every side. 9 When you pray, I will answer you. When you call to me, I will respond. “If you put an end to oppression, to every gesture of contempt, and to every evil word; 10 if you give food to the hungry and satisfy those who are in need, then the darkness around you will turn to the brightness of noon. 11 And I will always guide you and satisfy you with good things. I will keep you strong and well. You will be like a garden that has plenty of water, like a spring of water that never runs dry. 12 Your people will rebuild what has long been in ruins, building again on the old foundations. You will be known as the people who rebuilt the walls, who restored the ruined houses.”

Psalm 112:1–10 TEV

1 Praise the Lord! Happy is the person who honours the Lord, who takes pleasure in obeying his commands. 2 The good man’s children will be powerful in the land; his descendants will be blessed. 3 His family will be wealthy and rich, and he will be prosperous for ever. 4 Light shines in the darkness for good people, for those who are merciful, kind, and just. 5 Happy is the person who is generous with his loans, who runs his business honestly. 6 A good person will never fail; he will always be remembered. 7 He is not afraid of receiving bad news; his faith is strong, and he trusts in the Lord. 8 He is not worried or afraid; he is certain to see his enemies defeated. 9 He gives generously to the needy, and his kindness never fails; he will be powerful and respected. 10 The wicked see this and are angry; they glare in hate and disappear; their hopes are gone for ever.

1 Corinthians 2:1–16 TEV

1 When I came to you, my brothers and sisters, to preach God’s secret truth, I did not use big words and great learning. 2 For while I was with you, I made up my mind to forget everything except Jesus Christ and especially his death on the cross. 3 So when I came to you, I was weak and trembled all over with fear, 4 and my teaching and message were not delivered with skilful words of human wisdom, but with convincing proof of the power of God’s Spirit. 5 Your faith, then, does not rest on human wisdom but on God’s power. 6 Yet I do proclaim a message of wisdom to those who are spiritually mature. But it is not the wisdom that belongs to this world or to the powers that rule this world—powers that are losing their power. 7 The wisdom I proclaim is God’s hidden wisdom, which he had already chosen for our glory even before the world was made. 8 None of the rulers of this world knew this wisdom. If they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 However, as the scripture says: “What no one ever saw or heard, what no one ever thought could happen, is the very thing God prepared for those who love him.” 10 But it was to us that God made known his secret by means of his Spirit. The Spirit searches everything, even the hidden depths of God’s purposes. 11 It is only the spirit within people that knows all about them; in the same way, only God’s Spirit knows all about God. 12 We have not received this world’s spirit; instead, we have received the Spirit sent by God, so that we may know all that God has given us. 13 So then, we do not speak in words taught by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, as we explain spiritual truths to those who have the Spirit. 14 Whoever does not have the Spirit cannot receive the gifts that come from God’s Spirit. Such people really do not understand them; they are nonsense to them, because their value can be judged only on a spiritual basis. 15 Whoever has the Spirit, however, is able to judge the value of everything, but no one is able to judge him. 16 As the scripture says: “Who knows the mind of the Lord? Who is able to give him advice?” We, however, have the mind of Christ.

Matthew 5:13–20 TEV

13 “You are like salt for the whole human race. But if salt loses its saltiness, there is no way to make it salty again. It has become worthless, so it is thrown out and people trample on it. 14 “You are like light for the whole world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and puts it under a bowl; instead he puts it on the lamp-stand, where it gives light for everyone in the house. 16 In the same way your light must shine before people, so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven. 17 “Do not think that I have come to do away with the Law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets. I have not come to do away with them, but to make their teachings come true. 18 Remember that as long as heaven and earth last, not the least point nor the smallest detail of the Law will be done away with—not until the end of all things. 19 So then, whoever disobeys even the least important of the commandments and teaches others to do the same, will be least in the Kingdom of heaven. On the other hand, whoever obeys the Law and teaches others to do the same, will be great in the Kingdom of heaven. 20 I tell you, then, that you will be able to enter the Kingdom of heaven only if you are more faithful than the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees in doing what God requires.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2020

Deuteronomy 30:15–20 TEV

15 “Today I am giving you a choice between good and evil, between life and death. 16 If you obey the commands of the Lord your God, which I give you today, if you love him, obey him, and keep all his laws, then you will prosper and become a nation of many people. The Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are about to occupy. 17 But if you disobey and refuse to listen, and are led away to worship other gods, 18 you will be destroyed—I warn you here and now. You will not live long in that land across the Jordan that you are about to occupy. 19 I am now giving you the choice between life and death, between God’s blessing and God’s curse, and I call heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Choose life. 20 Love the Lord your God, obey him and be faithful to him, and then you and your descendants will live long in the land that he promised to give your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

Psalm 119:1–8 TEV

1 Happy are those whose lives are faultless, who live according to the law of the Lord. 2 Happy are those who follow his commands, who obey him with all their heart. 3 They never do wrong; they walk in the Lord’s ways. 4 Lord, you have given us your laws and told us to obey them faithfully. 5 How I hope that I shall be faithful in keeping your instructions! 6 If I pay attention to all your commands, then I will not be put to shame. 7 As I learn your righteous judgements, I will praise you with a pure heart. 8 I will obey your laws; never abandon me!

1 Corinthians 3:1–9 TEV

1 As a matter of fact, my brothers and sisters, I could not talk to you as I talk to people who have the Spirit; I had to talk to you as though you belonged to this world, as children in the Christian faith. 2 I had to feed you with milk, not solid food, because you were not ready for it. And even now you are not ready for it, 3 because you still live as the people of this world live. When there is jealousy among you and you quarrel with one another, doesn’t this prove that you belong to this world, living by its standards? 4 When one of you says, “I follow Paul”, and another, “I follow Apollos”—aren’t you acting like worldly people? 5 After all, who is Apollos? And who is Paul? We are simply God’s servants, by whom you were led to believe. Each one of us does the work which the Lord gave him to do: 6 I sowed the seed, Apollos watered the plant, but it was God who made the plant grow. 7 The one who sows and the one who waters really do not matter. It is God who matters, because he makes the plant grow. 8 There is no difference between the one who sows and the one who waters; God will reward each one according to the work each has done. 9 For we are partners working together for God, and you are God’s field. You are also God’s building.

Matthew 5:21–37 TEV

21 “You have heard that people were told in the past, ‘Do not commit murder; anyone who does will be brought to trial.’ 22 But now I tell you: whoever is angry with his brother will be brought to trial, whoever calls his brother ‘You good-for-nothing!’ will be brought before the Council, and whoever calls his brother a worthless fool will be in danger of going to the fire of hell. 23 So if you are about to offer your gift to God at the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar, go at once and make peace with your brother, and then come back and offer your gift to God. 25 “If someone brings a lawsuit against you and takes you to court, settle the dispute with him while there is time, before you get to court. Once you are there, he will hand you over to the judge, who will hand you over to the police, and you will be put in jail. 26 There you will stay, I tell you, until you pay the last penny of your fine. 27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ 28 But now I tell you: anyone who looks at a woman and wants to possess her is guilty of committing adultery with her in his heart. 29 So if your right eye causes you to sin, take it out and throw it away! It is much better for you to lose a part of your body than to have your whole body thrown into hell. 30 If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away! It is much better for you to lose one of your limbs than for your whole body to go to hell. 31 “It was also said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a written notice of divorce.’ 32 But now I tell you: if a man divorces his wife, for any cause other than her unfaithfulness, then he is guilty of making her commit adultery if she marries again; and the man who marries her commits adultery also. 33 “You have also heard that people were told in the past, ‘Do not break your promise, but do what you have vowed to the Lord to do.’ 34 But now I tell you: do not use any vow when you make a promise. Do not swear by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 nor by earth, for it is the resting place for his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 Do not even swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black. 37 Just say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’—anything else you say comes from the Evil One.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2020

Exodus 24:12–18 TEV

12 The Lord said to Moses, “Come up the mountain to me, and while you are here, I will give you two stone tablets which contain all the laws that I have written for the instruction of the people.” 13 Moses and his helper Joshua got ready, and Moses began to go up the holy mountain. 14 Moses said to the leaders, “Wait here in the camp for us until we come back. Aaron and Hur are here with you; and so whoever has a dispute to settle can go to them.” 15 Moses went up Mount Sinai, and a cloud covered it. 16 The dazzling light of the Lord’s presence came down on the mountain. To the Israelites the light looked like a fire burning on top of the mountain. The cloud covered the mountain for six days, and on the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from the cloud. 18 Moses went on up the mountain into the cloud. There he stayed for 40 days and nights.

Psalm 2 TEV

1 Why do the nations plan rebellion? Why do people make their useless plots? 2 Their kings revolt, their rulers plot together against the Lord and against the king he chose. 3 “Let us free ourselves from their rule,” they say; “let us throw off their control.” 4 From his throne in heaven the Lord laughs and mocks their feeble plans. 5 Then he warns them in anger and terrifies them with his fury. 6 “On Zion, my sacred hill,” he says, “I have installed my king.” 7 “I will announce,” says the king, “what the Lord has declared. He said to me: ‘You are my son; today I have become your father. 8 Ask, and I will give you all the nations; the whole earth will be yours. 9 You will break them with an iron rod; you will shatter them in pieces like a clay pot.’ ” 10 Now listen to this warning, you kings; learn this lesson, you rulers of the world: 11 Serve the Lord with fear; 12 tremble and bow down to him; or else his anger will be quickly aroused, and you will suddenly die. Happy are all who go to him for protection.

2 Peter 1:16–21 TEV

16 We have not depended on made-up stories in making known to you the mighty coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. With our own eyes we saw his greatness. 17 We were there when he was given honour and glory by God the Father, when the voice came to him from the Supreme Glory, saying, “This is my own dear Son, with whom I am pleased!” 18 We ourselves heard this voice coming from heaven, when we were with him on the holy mountain. 19 So we are even more confident of the message proclaimed by the prophets. You will do well to pay attention to it, because it is like a lamp shining in a dark place until the Day dawns and the light of the morning star shines in your hearts. 20 Above all else, however, remember that no one can explain by himself or herself a prophecy in the Scriptures. 21 For no prophetic message ever came just from human will, but people were under the control of the Holy Spirit as they spoke the message that came from God.

Matthew 17:1–9 TEV

1 Six days later Jesus took with him Peter and the brothers James and John and led them up a high mountain where they were alone. 2 As they looked on, a change came over Jesus: his face was shining like the sun, and his clothes were dazzling white. 3 Then the three disciples saw Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus. 4 So Peter spoke up and said to Jesus, “Lord, how good it is that we are here! If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 5 While he was talking, a shining cloud came over them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my own dear Son, with whom I am pleased—listen to him!” 6 When the disciples heard the voice, they were so terrified that they threw themselves face downwards on the ground. 7 Jesus came to them and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid!” 8 So they looked up and saw no one there but Jesus. 9 As they came down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Don’t tell anyone about this vision you have seen until the Son of Man has been raised from death.”