Preparing for Worship January 31, 2010
Posted by ulu on January 26th, 2010
The Scripture readings for the 4th Sunday after Epiphany, January 31, 2010, are:
Old Testament: Jeremiah 1:4-10
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 12:31b-13:13
Gospel: Luke 4:31-44
In the Old Testament lesson, Jeremiah is called to be a prophet, and God puts Words into Jeremiah's mouth - Words that will tear down and build up.
The Epistle lesson continues readings from 1 Corinthians about spiritual gifts. People will have a variety of gifts, according to God's choosing. The greatest blessings, though, are faith and hope and love - and especially the sacrificial love that Jesus alone has shown perfectly, for the world.
In the Gospel lesson, we hear of Jesus' ministry in Capernaum. Jesus shows His authority as true God by driving out demons and healing people with a vareity of other illnesses. Although the people ask Jesus to stay, He responds that He must go and spread the Gospel message - the purpose for which He was sent.
This Epiphany season, many of our readings are from 1 Corinthians 12-14. In our sermons and service, we are thinking about the gifts God gives and what they mean for us. This week’s theme is: “Gifts of Love.” Next week’s theme will be: “Gifts that Build Up” (1 Corinthians 14:12b-20).
