Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 105[a]
105 Give thanks to the Lord.
Call on his name.
Make known his accomplishments among the nations.
2 Sing to him.
Make music to him.
Tell about all his miraculous deeds.
3 Boast about his holy name.
Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
4 Seek the Lord and the strength he gives.
Seek his presence continually.
5 Recall the miraculous deeds he performed,
his mighty acts and the judgments he decreed,[b]
6 O children[c] of Abraham,[d] God’s[e] servant,
you descendants[f] of Jacob, God’s[g] chosen ones.
7 He is the Lord our God;
he carries out judgment throughout the earth.[h]
8 He always remembers his covenantal decree,
the promise he made[i] to a thousand generations—
9 the promise[j] he made to Abraham,
the promise he made by oath to Isaac.
10 He gave it to Jacob as a decree,
to Israel as a lasting promise,[k]
11 saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
as the portion of your inheritance.”
37 He brought his people[a] out enriched[b] with silver and gold;
none of his tribes stumbled.
38 Egypt was happy when they left,
for they were afraid of them.[c]
39 He spread out a cloud for a cover,[d]
and provided a fire to light up the night.
40 They asked for food,[e] and he sent quail;
he satisfied them with food from the sky.[f]
41 He opened up a rock and water flowed out;
a river ran through dry regions.
42 Yes,[g] he remembered the sacred promise[h]
he made to Abraham his servant.
43 When he led his people out, they rejoiced;
his chosen ones shouted with joy.[i]
44 He handed the territory of nations over to them,
and they took possession of what other peoples had produced,[j]
45 so that they might keep his commands
and obey[k] his laws.
Praise the Lord.
The Call of Samuel
3 Now the boy Samuel continued serving the Lord under Eli’s supervision.[a] Receiving a message from the Lord was rare in those days; revelatory visions were infrequent.
2 Eli’s eyes had begun to fail, so that he was unable to see well. At that time he was lying down in his place, 3 and the lamp of God had not yet been extinguished. Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord as well; the ark of God was also there. 4 The Lord called to Samuel, and he replied, “Here I am!” 5 Then he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But Eli[b] said, “I didn’t call you. Go back and lie down.” So he went back and lay down. 6 The Lord again called, “Samuel!” So Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But Eli[c] said, “I didn’t call you, my son. Go back and lie down.”
7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord; the Lord’s messages had not yet been revealed to him. 8 Then the Lord called Samuel a third time. So he got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me!” Eli then realized that it was the Lord who was calling the boy. 9 So Eli said to Samuel, “Go back and lie down. When he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’ So Samuel went back and lay down in his place.
Call to Stand Firm
13 But we ought to thank God always for you, brothers and sisters[a] loved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning[b] for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. 14 He called you to this salvation[c] through our gospel, so that you may possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.[d] 15 Therefore, brothers and sisters,[e] stand firm and hold on to the traditions that we taught you, whether by speech or by letter.[f] 16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, 17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you[g] in every good thing you do or say.[h]
Request for Prayer
3 Finally, pray for us, brothers and sisters,[i] that the Lord’s message[j] may spread quickly and be honored[k] as in fact it was among you, 2 and that we may be delivered from perverse and evil people. For not all have faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful, and he[l] will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. 4 And we are confident about you in the Lord that you are both doing—and will do—what we are commanding. 5 Now may the Lord direct your hearts toward the love of God[m] and the endurance of Christ.[n]
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