And King Melchizedek of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was priest of God Most High. He blessed him and said,‘Blessed be Abram by God Most High, maker of heaven and earth;and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!’And Abram gave him one-tenth of everything. From Genesis 14:18-20, NRSV …
Read more
Then the spirit of God took possession of Zechariah son of the priest Jehoiada; he stood above the people and said to them, ‘Thus says God: Why do you transgress the commandments of the Lord, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the Lord, he has also forsaken you.’ But they conspired against him, and by command…
Read more
Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord and the king and people, that they should be the Lord’s people; also between the king and the people. Then all the people of the land went to the house of Baal, and tore it down; his altars and his images they broke in pieces, and they killed Mattan, the priest of…
Read more
Then Elijah arose, a prophet like fire, and his word burned like a torch… When Elijah was enveloped in the whirlwind, Elisha was filled with his spirit. From Ecclesiasticus 48:1-15, NRSV In yesterday’s first reading we heard about how Elisha succeeded Elijah. Today we hear a eulogy to these two notable prophets who helped to…
Read more
When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you.’ Elisha said, ‘Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.’ From 2 Kings 2:1,6-14, NRSV In today’s reading we hear about Elisha succeeding Elijah as prophet to the people of Israel.…
Read more
Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying: Go down to meet King Ahab of Israel, who rules in Samaria; he is now in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone to take possession. You shall say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: Have you killed, and also taken possession?’ You shall say to him, ‘Thus…
Read more
Later the following events took place: Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel, beside the palace of King Ahab of Samaria. And Ahab said to Naboth, ‘Give me your vineyard, so that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near my house; I will give you a better vineyard for it;…
Read more
The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number became believers and turned to the Lord. News of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced, and he exhorted them all to remain…
Read more
He said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’ Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and…
Read more
For it is clear that he (Jesus) did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham. Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the…
Read more
