Lessons for July 22, 2007 – Eighth Sunday after Pentecost

The first lesson 

Genesis 18:1-10a
 
    The Lord appeared again to Abraham while he was camped near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. One day about noon, as Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent, [2] he suddenly noticed three men standing nearby. He got up and ran to meet them, welcoming them by bowing low to the ground. [3] "My lord," he said, "if it pleases you, stop here for a while. [4] Rest in the shade of this tree while my servants get some water to wash your feet. [5] Let me prepare some food to refresh you. Please stay awhile before continuing on your journey." "All right," they said. "Do as you have said."  [6] So Abraham ran back to the tent and said to Sarah, "Quick! Get three measures of your best flour, and bake some bread." [7] Then Abraham ran out to the herd and chose a fat calf and told a servant to hurry and butcher it. [8] When the food was ready, he took some cheese curds and milk and the roasted meat, and he served it to the men. As they ate, Abraham waited on them there beneath the trees.  [9] "Where is Sarah, your wife?" they asked him. "In the tent," Abraham replied.  [10] Then one of them said, "About this time next year I will return, and your wife Sarah will have a son."  (NLT)

Psalm 15 

L.  Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord?
C.  Who may enter your presence on your holy hill?
L.  Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts. 
C.  Those who refuse to slander others or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends. 
L.  Those who despise persistent sinners,
C.  and honor the faithful followers of the Lord
L.  and keep their promises even when it hurts. 
C.  Those who do not charge interest on the money they lend,
L.  and who refuse to accept bribes to testify against the innocent.
C.  Such people will stand firm forever.  (NLT)

The second lesson	

Colossians 1:15-28
 
    Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before God made anything at all and is supreme over all creation. [16] Christ is the one through whom God created everything in heaven and earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can't see—kings, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities. Everything has been created through him and for him. [17] He existed before everything else began, and he holds all creation together.  [18] Christ is the head of the church, which is his body. He is the first of all who will rise from the dead, so he is first in everything. [19] For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, [20] and by him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of his blood on the cross. [21] This includes you who were once so far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions, [22] yet now he has brought you back as his friends. He has done this through his death on the cross in his own human body. As a result, he has brought you into the very presence of God, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. [23] But you must continue to believe this truth and stand in it firmly. Don't drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed by God to proclaim it. [24] I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am completing what remains of Christ's sufferings for his body, the church. [25] God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his message in all its fullness to you Gentiles. [26] This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to his own holy people. [27] For it has pleased God to tell his people that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. For this is the secret: Christ lives in you, and this is your assurance that you will share in his glory.  [28] So everywhere we go, we tell everyone about Christ. We warn them and teach them with all the wisdom God has given us, for we want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ. (NLT)

The Gospel Lesson

Luke 10:38-42
 
    As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a village where a woman named Martha welcomed them into her home. [39] Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord's feet, listening to what he taught. [40] But Martha was worrying over the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, "Lord, doesn't it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me."  [41] But the Lord said to her, "My dear Martha, you are so upset over all these details! [42] There is really only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it—and I won't take it away from her."  (NLT)