SUNDAY BETWEEN 21 AND 27 AUGUST YEAR B
PROPER 16
TRACK 1
FIRST READING (Short or long reading)
1 Kings 8.(1, 6, 10-11), 22-30, 41-43
A reading from the first book of Kings.
[ 1 Then Solomon
assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes,
the leaders of the ancestral houses of the Israelites, before
King Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant
of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion.
6 Then the priests
brought the ark of the covenant of the LORD to its place, in the
inner sanctuary of the house, in the most holy place, underneath
the wings of the cherubim.
10 And when the
priests came out of the holy place, a cloud filled the house of
the LORD,
11 so that the priests
could not stand to minister because of the cloud; for the glory
of the LORD filled the house of the LORD. ]
22 Then Solomon
stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the
assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands to heaven.
23 He said, 'O LORD,
God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on
earth beneath, keeping covenant and steadfast love for your servants
who walk before you with all their heart,
24 the covenant
that you kept for your servant my father David as you declared
to him; you promised with your mouth and have this day fulfilled
with your hand.
25 Therefore, O
LORD, God of Israel, keep for your servant my father David that
which you promised him, saying, "There shall never fail you
a successor before me to sit on the throne of Israel, if only
your children look to their way, to walk before me as you have
walked before me."
26 Therefore, O
God of Israel, let your word be confirmed, which you promised
to your servant my father David.
27 But will God
indeed dwell on the earth? Even heaven and the highest heaven
cannot contain you, much less this house that I have built!
28 Have regard to
your servant's prayer and his plea, O LORD my God, heeding the
cry and the prayer that your servant prays to you today;
29 that your eyes
may be open night and day towards this house, the place of which
you said, "My name shall be there," that you may heed
the prayer that your servant prays toward this place.
30 Hear the plea
of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray towards
this place; O hear in heaven your dwelling-place; heed and forgive.
41 Likewise when
a foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, comes from a distant
land because of your name -
42 for they shall
hear of your great name, your mighty hand, and your outstretched
arm - when a foreigner comes and prays toward this house,
43 then hear in
heaven your dwelling place, and do according to all that the foreigner
calls to you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your
name and fear you, as do your people Israel, and so that they
may know that your name has been invoked on this house that I
have built.'
PSALM Psalm 84
RR Happy are they who dwell in your house!
or
RR Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer [hearken, O God of Jacob].
1 How dear to me is your dwelling, O Lord
of hosts! My soul has a desire and longing for the courts of the
Lord; my heart and my flesh rejoice in the living God. RR
2 The sparrow has
found her a house and the swallow a nest where she may lay her
young; by the side of your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and
my God. RR
3 Happy are they
who dwell in your house! they will always be praising you.
4 Happy are the
people whose strength is in you! whose hearts are set on the pilgrims'
way. RR
5 Those who go through
the desolate valley will find it a place of springs, for the early
rains have covered it with pools of water.
6 They will climb
from height to height, and the God of gods will reveal himself
in Zion.
7 Lord God of hosts,
hear my prayer; hearken, O God of Jacob. RR
8 Behold our defender,
O God; and look upon the face of your anointed.
9 For one day in
your courts is better than a thousand in my own room, and to stand
at the threshold of the house of my God than to dwell in the tents
of the wicked. RR
10 For the Lord
God is both sun and shield; he will give grace and glory;
11 No good thing
will the Lord withhold from those who walk with integrity.
12 O Lord of hosts,
happy are they who put their trust in you! RR
Or TRACK 2
FIRST READING Joshua 24.1-2a, 14-18
A reading from the book of Joshua.
1 Joshua gathered
all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and summoned the elders,
the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel; and they presented
themselves before God.
2 And Joshua said
to all the people,
14 'Now therefore
revere the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness;
put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River
and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.
15 Now if you are
unwilling to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve,
whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the
River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living;
but as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.'
16 Then the people
answered, 'Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to
serve other gods;
17 for it is the
LORD our God who brought us and our ancestors up from the land
of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great
signs in our sight. He protected us along all the way that we
went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed;
18 and the LORD
drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in
the land. Therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our
God.'
PSALM Psalm 34.15-22
RR I sought the Lord, and he answered me [and delivered me
out of all my terror].
15 The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous,
and his ears are open to their cry.
16 The face of the
Lord is against those who do evil, to root out the remembrance
of them from the earth. RR
17 The righteous
cry and the Lord hears them and delivers them from all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near
to the brokenhearted and will save those whose spirits are crushed.
RR
19 Many are the
troubles of the righteous, but the Lord will deliver him out of
them all.
20 He will keep
safe all his bones; not one of them shall be broken. RR
21 Evil shall slay
the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be punished.
22 The Lord ransoms
the life of his servants, and none will be punished who trust
in him. RR
SECOND READING Ephesians 6.10-20
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Ephesians.
10 Be strong in
the Lord and in the strength of his power.
11 Put on the whole
armour of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles
of the devil.
12 For our struggle
is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers,
against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present
darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly
places.
13 Therefore take
up the whole armour of God, so that you may be able to withstand
on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
14 Stand therefore,
and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the
breastplate of righteousness.
15 As shoes for
your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the
gospel of peace.
16 With all of these,
take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench
all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17 Take the helmet
of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of
God.
18 Pray in the Spirit
at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep
alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints.
19 Pray also for
me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make
known with boldness the mystery of the gospel,
20 for which I am
an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as
I must speak.
GOSPEL John 6.56-69
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
Jesus said to the crowd:
56 'Those who eat
my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them.
57 Just as the living
Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats
me will live because of me.
58 This is the bread
that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors
ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live
for ever.'
59 He said these
things while he was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum.
60 When many of
his disciples heard it, they said, 'This teaching is difficult;
who can accept it?'
61 But Jesus, being
aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them,
'Does this offend you?
62 Then what if
you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?
63 It is the spirit
that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken
to you are spirit and life.
64 But among you
there are some who do not believe.' For Jesus knew from the first
who were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that
would betray him.
65 And he said,
'For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless
it is granted by the Father.'
66 Because of this
many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with
him.
67 So Jesus asked
the twelve, 'Do you also wish to go away?'
68 Simon Peter answered
him, 'Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life.
69 We have come
to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.'
