FIRST READING          Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18 1In the first year of King Belshazzar of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head as he lay in bed. Then he wrote down the dream: 2I, Daniel, saw in my vision by night the four winds of heaven stirring up the great sea, 3and four great beasts came up out of the…

FIRST READING                                  Jeremiah 14:7-10, 19-22 In a time of drought, the people pray for mercy, repenting of their sins and the sins of their ancestors. They appeal to God to remember the covenant, to show forth God’s power, and to heal their land by sending life-giving rain. 7Although our iniquities…

FIRST READING      Genesis 32:22-31 Returning to the home he had fled many years before after stealing his brother’s birthright and his father’s blessing, Jacob wrestles all night long with a divine adversary who ultimately blesses him and changes his name to “Israel,” a name that means “he wrestles with God.” 22The same night he got up and took his two wives, his…

FIRST READING                  Amos 6:1a, 4-7 The prophet Amos announces that Israel’s great wealth is a cause not for rejoicing but rather sorrow, because God’s people have forgotten how to share their wealth with the poor. The wealthy will be the first to go into exile when judgment comes. 1aAlas for those who are at ease in Zion, and…

FIRST READING                Deuteronomy 30:15-20 Moses speaks to the Israelites, who are about to enter the land promised to their ancestors. In this passage, he lays out the stark choice before them: choose life by loving and obeying the Lord; or choose death by following other gods. 15See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death…

FIRST READING                    Isaiah 58:9b-14 God promises those who have returned from exile that where justice and mercy prevail, the ruins will be rebuilt and light will rise in the darkness. It is a day for new beginnings. 9Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am. If…

FIRST READING           Jeremiah 23:23-29 Because Jeremiah preaches the unpopular message of God’s judgment, he suffers rejection. Today’s reading 23Am I a God near by, says the Lord, and not a God far off? 24Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them? says the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? says the Lord. 25I have heard what the prophets have said…

FIRST READING                  Deuteronomy 30:9-14 Moses calls the people who are about to enter the promised land to renew the covenant God made with their ancestors. Through this covenant God gives life and asks for obedience. God’s commandment is neither burdensome nor too far off, but dwells in the people’s hearts. 9and the Lord your God will make you abundantly prosperous…

FIRST READING                   Isaiah 65:1-9 The prophet announces God’s impatience. The people’s self-absorption is idolatry, and images of practices that displease God fill this reading. Like a vintner who crushes the grape to release the wine, God will use Israel’s exile to establish a new community of the faithful. I was ready to be sought out by those who…