Fourth Sunday after Epiphany

Collect
Almighty and everlasting God, who dost govern all things in heaven and earth: Mercifully hear the supplications of thy people, and in our time grant us thy peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

First Lesson: Jeremiah 1:4-10
The word of the LORD came to me, saying, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

"Ah, Sovereign LORD," I said, "I do not know how to speak; I am only a child."

But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a child.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD.

Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, "Now, I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant."

Second Lesson: 1 Corinthians 14:12b-20
Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church.

For this reason anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. If you are praising God with your spirit, how can one who finds himself among those who do not understand say "Amen" to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying? You may be giving thanks well enough, but the other man is not edified.

I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.

Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults.

Psalm:71:1-17

1. In you, O LORD, have I taken refuge; *
   let me never be ashamed.
2. In your righteousness, deliver me and set me free; *
   incline your ear to me and save me.
3. Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe; *
   you are my crag and my stronghold.
4. Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked, *
   from the clutches of the evildoer and the oppressor.
5. For you are my hope, O Lord GOD, *
   my confidence since I was young.
6. I have been sustained by you ever since I was born;
   from my mother's womb you have been my strength; *
   my praise shall be always of you.
7. I have become a portent to many; *
   but you are my refuge and my strength.
8. Let my mouth be full of your praise *
   and your glory all the day long.
9. Do not cast me off in my old age; *
   forsake me not when my strength fails.
10. For my enemies are talking against me, *
    and those who lie in wait for my life take counsel together.
11. They say, "God has forsaken him;
    go after him and seize him; *
    because there is none who will save."
12. O God, be not far from me; *
    come quickly to help me, O my God.
13. Let those who set themselves against me be put to shame and
    be disgraced; *
    let those who seek to do me evil be covered with scorn
    and reproach.
14. But I shall always wait in patience, *
    and shall praise you more and more.
15. My mouth shall recount your mighty acts
    and saving deeds all day long; *
    though I cannot know the number of them.
16. I will begin with the mighty works of the Lord GOD; *
    I will recall your righteousness, yours alone.
17. O God, you have taught me since I was young, *
    and to this day I tell of your wonderful works.

Gospel: Luke 4:21-32
[A]nd he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. "Isn't this Joseph's son?" they asked.

Jesus said to them, "Surely you will quote this proverb to me: 'Physician, heal yourself! Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.' "

"I tell you the truth," he continued, "no prophet is accepted in his hometown. I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed--only Naaman the Syrian."

All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff. But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.

Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath began to teach the people. They were amazed at his teaching, because his message had authority.

Collect & Psalm from the Book of Common Prayer
Other excerpts from the New International Bible

Sts. Vidicon & Isidore