Author: THERESA JACOBSON

Eighth Sunday after Pentecost	July 14, 2024
Prayer of the Day
Richly inspire us, O Lord, to consider and accomplish what you see is good. For we know that we cannot live without you, but that with you, we shall prevail. And so, we pray through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
First Reading: Amos 7:7-15
^7This is what {the Lord God } showed me: behold, the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. ^8And the Lord said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said, “Behold, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel; I will never again pass by them; ^9the high places of Isaac shall be made desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste, and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.” ^10Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words. ^11For thus Amos has said, ‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel must go into exile away from his land.’” ^12And Amaziah said to Amos, “O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, and eat bread there, and prophesy there, ^13but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom.” ^14Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah, “I was no prophet, nor a prophet’s son, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs. ^15But the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’”
Psalm 85:[1-7] 8-13 (LBW)
[^1You have been gracious to your | land, O Lord,*
	you have restored the good for- | tune of Jacob.
^2You have forgiven the iniquity | of your people*
	and blotted out | all their sins.
^3You have withdrawn | all your fury*
	and turned yourself from your wrathful | indignation.
^4Restore us then, O | God our Savior;*
	let your anger de- | part from us.
^5Will you be displeased with | us forever?*
	will you prolong your anger from | age to age?
^6Will you not give us | life again,*
	that your people may re- | joice in you?
^7Show us your mer- | cy, O Lord,*
	and grant us | your salvation.]
^8I will listen to what the Lord | God is saying,*
	for he is speaking peace to his faithful people and to those who turn their | hearts to him.
^9Truly, his salvation is very near to | those who fear him,*
	that his glory may dwell | in our land.
^10Mercy and truth have | met together;*
	righteousness and peace have | kissed each other.
^11Truth shall spring up | from the earth,*
	and righteousness shall look | down from heaven.
^12The Lord will indeed | grant prosperity,*
	and our land will | yield its increase.
^13Righteousness shall | go before him,*
	and peace shall be a pathway | for his feet.
Psalm 85:1-7[8-13] (ESV)
^1Lord, you were favorable to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
^2You forgave the iniquity of your people; you covered all their sin. 
^3You withdrew all your wrath; you turned from your hot anger.
^4Restore us again, O God of our salvation, and put away your indignation toward us!
^5Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger to all generations?
^6Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?
^7Show us your steadfast love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation.
[^8Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his 
	saints; but let them not turn back to folly.
^9Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land.
^10Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other.
^11Faithfulness springs up from the ground, and righteousness looks down from the sky.
^12Yes, the Lord will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase.
^13Righteousness will go before him and make his footsteps a way.]
Second Reading: Ephesians 1:3-14
^3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, ^4even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love ^5he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, ^6to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. ^7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, ^8which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight ^9making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ ^10as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. ^11In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, ^12so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. ^13In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, ^14who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
Gospel: Mark 6:14-29
^14King Herod heard of {Jesus’ works}, for Jesus’ name had become known. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” ^15But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” ^16But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” ^17For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because he had married her. ^18For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” ^19And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not, ^20for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly. ^21But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. ^22For when Herodias’s daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. And the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” ^23And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” ^24And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” ^25And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” ^26And the king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her. ^27And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison ^28and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. ^29When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
Next Week’s Readings:
Jeremiah 23:1-6; Psalm 23; Ephesians 2:11-22; Mark 6:30-44