Lessons for June 25, 2006 – Third Sunday after Pentecost

The first lesson

Job 38:1-11
 
Then the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind:  2"Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words? 3Brace yourself, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them. 4"Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much. 5Do you know how its dimensions were determined and who did the surveying? 6What supports its foundations, and who laid its cornerstone 7as the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?  8"Who defined the boundaries of the sea as it burst from the womb, 9and as I clothed it with clouds and thick darkness? 10For I locked it behind barred gates, limiting its shores. 11I said, 'Thus far and no farther will you come. Here your proud waves must stop!'   (NLT)

Psalm 107:1-3, 23-32
 
L.  Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. 
C.  Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out!
L.  Tell others he has saved you from your enemies. 
C.  For he has gathered the exiles from many lands, from east and west, from north and south.
L.  Some went off in ships, plying the trade routes of the world. 
C.  They, too, observed the Lord's power in action, his impressive works on the deepest seas. 
L.  He spoke, and the winds rose, stirring up the waves. 
C.  Their ships were tossed to the heavens and sank again to the depths; the sailors cringed in terror. 
L.  They reeled and staggered like drunkards and were at their wits' end. 
C.  "Lord, help!" they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. 
L.  He calmed the storm to a whisper and stilled the waves. 
C.  What a blessing was that stillness as he brought them safely into harbor! 
L.  Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for all his wonderful deeds to them. 
C.  Let them exalt him publicly before the congregation and before the leaders of the nation.  (NLT)
 
The second lesson	

2 Corinthians 6:1-13
 
As God's partners, we beg you not to reject this marvelous message of God's great kindness. 2For God says,
"At just the right time, I heard you.
On the day of salvation, I helped you."
Indeed, God is ready to help you right now. Today is the day of salvation. 3We try to live in such a way that no one will be hindered from finding the Lord by the way we act, and so no one can find fault with our ministry. 4In everything we do we try to show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. 5We have been beaten, been put in jail, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food. 6We have proved ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, our sincere love, and the power of the Holy Spirit. 7We have faithfully preached the truth. God's power has been working in us. We have righteousness as our weapon, both to attack and to defend ourselves. 8We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors. 9We are well known, but we are treated as unknown. We live close to death, but here we are, still alive. We have been beaten within an inch of our lives. 10Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything.  11Oh, dear Corinthian friends! We have spoken honestly with you. Our hearts are open to you. 12If there is a problem between us, it is not because of a lack of love on our part, but because you have withheld your love from us. 13I am talking now as I would to my own children. Open your hearts to us!  (NLT)
 
The Gospel Lesson

Mark 4:35-41
 
As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's cross to the other side of the lake." 36He was already in the boat, so they started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). 37But soon a fierce storm arose. High waves began to break into the boat until it was nearly full of water.  38Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. Frantically they woke him up, shouting, "Teacher, don't you even care that we are going to drown?"  39When he woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the water, "Quiet down!" Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. 40And he asked them, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still not have faith in me?"  41And they were filled with awe and said among themselves, "Who is this man, that even the wind and waves obey him?"  (NLT)