EPIPHANY 4 YEAR A
The Revised Common Lectionary and the Church of England make different provision for today. For Church of England provision see below


REVISED COMMON LECTIONARY

FIRST READING Micah6.1-8

A reading from the book of the prophet Micah.

1 Hear what the LORD says: Rise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice.
2 Hear, you mountains, the controversy of the LORD, and you enduring foundations of the earth; for the LORD has a controversy with his people, and he will contend with Israel.
3 'O my people, what have I done to you? In what have I wearied you? Answer me!
4 For I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and redeemed you from the house of slavery; and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
5 O my people, remember now what King Balak of Moab devised, what Balaam son of Beor answered him, and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the saving acts of the LORD.'
6 'With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings, with calves a year old?
7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?'
8 He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?


PSALM Psalm 15


R The Lord is my light and my salvation; [whom then shall I fear?]

1 Lord, who may dwell in your tabernacle? who may abide upon your holy hill?
2 Whoever leads a blameless life and does what is right, who speaks the truth from his heart. R
3 There is no guile upon his tongue; he does no evil to his friend; he does not heap contempt upon his neighbour.
4 In his sight the wicked are rejected, but he honours those who fear the Lord. R
5 He has sworn to do no wrong and does not take back his word.
6 He does not give his money in hope of gain, nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.
7 Whoever does these things shall never be overthrown. R


SECOND READING 1 Corinthians 1.18-31

A reading from the first letter of Paul to the Corinthians.

18 The message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
19 For it is written, 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.'
20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe.
22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom,
23 but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,
24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
25 For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength.
26 Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.
27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;
28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are,
29 so that no one might boast in the presence of God.
30 He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption,
31 in order that, as it is written, 'Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.'


GOSPEL Matthew 5.1-12

Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.

1 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him.
2 Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
3 'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.'


Or


CHURCH OF ENGLAND


FIRST READING 1 Kings 17.8-16

A reading from the first book of Kings.

8 Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah, saying,
9 'Go now to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there; for I have commanded a widow there to feed you.'
10 So he set out and went to Zarephath. When he came to the gate of the town, a widow was there gathering sticks; he called to her and said, 'Bring me a little water in a vessel, so that I may drink.'
11 As she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, 'Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.'
12 But she said, 'As the LORD your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a jar, and a little oil in a jug; I am now gathering a couple of sticks, so that I may go home and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.'
13 Elijah said to her, 'Do not be afraid; go and do as you have said; but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterwards make something for yourself and your son.
14 For thus says the LORD the God of Israel: The jar of meal will not be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail until the day that the LORD sends rain on the earth.'
15 She went and did as Elijah said, so that she as well as he and her household ate for many days.
16 The jar of meal was not emptied, neither did the jug of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by Elijah.


PSALM Psalm 36.5-10

R With you is the well of life [and in your light we see light].

5 Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, and your faithfulness to the clouds.
6 Your righteousness is like the strong mountains, your justice like the great deep; you save both human and beast, O Lord. R
7 How priceless is your love, O God! your people take refuge under the shadow of your wings.
8 They feast upon the abundance of your house; you give them drink from the river of your delights. R
9 For with you is the well of life, and in your light we see light.
10 Continue your loving-kindness to those who know you, and your favour to those who are true of heart. R


SECOND READING 1 Corinthians 1.18-31

A reading from the first letter of Paul to the Corinthians.

18 The message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
19 For it is written, 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.'
20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe.
22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom,
23 but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,
24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
25 For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength.
26 Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.
27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;
28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are,
29 so that no one might boast in the presence of God.
30 He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption,
31 in order that, as it is written, 'Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.'


GOSPEL John 2.1-11

Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.

1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.
2 Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.
3 When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, 'They have no wine.'
4 And Jesus said to her, 'Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.'
5 His mother said to the servants, 'Do whatever he tells you.'
6 Now standing there were six stone water-jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons.
7 Jesus said to them, 'Fill the jars with water.' And they filled them up to the brim.
8 He said to them, 'Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.' So they took it.
9 When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him,
10 'Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.'
11 Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

Reuben Condie Reuben Condie