Readings July 28, 2024
First Reading:
Noah and his family are delivered from the great flood. After the flood God
promises Noah and his descendants that he will never again destroy the world
by water. As a sign of his covenant, he gives a rainbow. The First reading is from
Genesis chapter nine verses eight through seventeen.
“8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 9 “Behold, I establish my
covenant with you and your offspring after you, 10 and with every living creature
that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as
many as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth. 11 I establish my
covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the
flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12 And God
said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every
living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13 I have set my bow in
the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14
When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, 15 I will
remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of
all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16
When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting
covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.”
17 God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established
between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”
Here ends the first reading.
Second Reading:
Paul prays for the Ephesians that Christ will dwell in their heats by faith. God is
able to give far more abundantly than we ask. The Second reading is from
Ephesians chapter three verses fourteen through twenty-one.
14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family
in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he
may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner
being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being
rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the
saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the
love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the
fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all
that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory
in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever.
Amen.
Here ends the second reading.