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24th July 20175th July 2017

24-28 July, 2017 – John 3.1-15

This is Friday’s Additional Weekday Lectionary Bible reading, which we will include in the Cam Villages pop-up prayer.

John 3.1-15

¹ Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. ² The same came to him by night, and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him.”
³ Jesus answered him, “Most certainly, I tell you, unless one is born anew, ^* he can’t see God’s Kingdom.”
⁴ Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?”
⁵ Jesus answered, “Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born of water and spirit, he can’t enter into God’s Kingdom. ⁶ That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷ Don’t marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born anew.’ ⁸ The wind^† blows where it wants to, and you hear its sound, but don’t know where it comes from and where it is going. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
⁹ Nicodemus answered him, “How can these things be?”
¹⁰ Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and don’t understand these things? ¹¹ Most certainly I tell you, we speak that which we know, and testify of that which we have seen, and you don’t receive our witness. ¹² If I told you earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? ¹³ No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended out of heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven. ¹⁴ As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵ that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

Notes to the text

^*3:3: The word translated ‘anew’ here and in John 3:7 (ἄνωθεν) also means ‘again’ and ‘from above’.
^†3:8: The same Greek word (πνεῦμα) means wind, breath, and spirit.

World English Bible, British Edition

The Psalm for Friday is Psalm 144, which may be found (complete with the Common Worship refrain and a concluding prayer) through this link.

10th July 20175th July 2017

10-14 July, 2017 – Matthew 27.27-44

This is Friday’s Additional Weekday Lectionary Bible reading, which we will include in the Cam Villages pop-up prayer.

Matthew 27.27-44

²⁷ Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium, and gathered the whole garrison together against him. 28 They stripped him, and put a scarlet robe on him. ²⁹ They braided a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and a reed in his right hand; and they knelt down before him, and mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” ³⁰ They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head. ³¹ When they had mocked him, they took the robe off him, and put his clothes on him, and led him away to crucify him.

³² As they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name, and they compelled him to go with them, that he might carry his cross. ³³ When they came to a place called “Golgotha”, that is to say, “The place of a skull,” ³⁴ they gave him sour wine^† to drink mixed with gall.^‡ When he had tasted it, he would not drink. ³⁵ When they had crucified him, they divided his clothing amongst them, casting lots,^§ ³⁶ and they sat and watched him there. ³⁷ They set up over his head the accusation against him written, “THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

³⁸ Then there were two robbers crucified with him, one on his right hand and one on the left. ³⁹ Those who passed by blasphemed him, wagging their heads, ⁴⁰ and saying, “You who destroy the temple, and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross!”

⁴¹ Likewise the chief priests also mocking, with the scribes, the Pharisees,^☩ and the elders, said, ⁴² “He saved others, but he can’t save himself. If he is the King of Israel, let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him. ⁴³ He trusts in God. Let God deliver him now, if he wants him; for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ” ⁴⁴ The robbers also who were crucified with him cast on him the same reproach.

Notes to the text

^† 27:34: or, vinegar
^‡ 27:34: Gall is a bitter-tasting, dark green oil from a wormwood plant that is alcoholic in its effect.
^§ 27:35: TR adds “that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet: ‘They divided my garments amongst them, and for my clothing they cast lots;’ ” [see Psalm 22:18 and John 19:24]
^☩ 27:41: TR omits “the Pharisees”

World English Bible, British Edition

The Psalm for Friday is Psalm 88, which may be found (complete with the Common Worship refrain and a concluding prayer) through this link.

John Keble, Anglican poet and priest (1792-1866)

Today we remember John Keble, an influential Anglican writer. You can find more about him at Wikipedia, or read some of his poetry and hymnody here.

He is probably best remembered for two hymns, Blest are the pure in heart and New every morning is the love. Here is verse from a lesser-known hymn, Lord of life, prophetic Spirit, in which the poet asks God to revive the whole Church through a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Thou didst come that fire to kindle;
Fain would we Thy torches prove,
Far and wide Thy beacons lighting
With th’undying spark of love:
Only feed our flame, we pray Thee,
With Thy breathings from above.

26th June 20175th July 2017

26-30 June, 2017 – John 14.15-31

This is Friday’s Additional Weekday Lectionary Bible reading, which we will include in the Cam Villages pop-up prayer.

John 14.15-31

[Jesus said,] ¹⁵ “If you love me, keep my commandments. ¹⁶ I will pray to the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor,^* that he may be with you forever: ¹⁷ the Spirit of truth, whom the world can’t receive; for it doesn’t see him and doesn’t know him. You know him, for he lives with you, and will be in you. ¹⁸ I will not leave you orphans. I will come to you. ¹⁹ Yet a little while, and the world will see me no more; but you will see me. Because I live, you will live also. ²⁰ In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. ²¹ One who has my commandments and keeps them, that person is one who loves me. One who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him, and will reveal myself to him.”

²² Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, what has happened that you are about to reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?”

²³ Jesus answered him, “If a man loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our home with him. ²⁴ He who doesn’t love me doesn’t keep my words. The word which you hear isn’t mine, but the Father’s who sent me. ²⁵ I have said these things to you while still living with you. ²⁶ But the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things, and will remind you of all that I said to you. ²⁷ Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, I give to you. Don’t let your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful. ²⁸ You heard how I told you, ‘I go away, and I come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I said ‘I am going to my Father;’ for the Father is greater than I. ²⁹ Now I have told you before it happens so that when it happens, you may believe. ³⁰ I will no more speak much with you, for the prince of the world comes, and he has nothing in me. ³¹ But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father commanded me, even so I do. Arise, let’s go from here.

14:16 ^* Greek παρακλητον: Counsellor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, and Comforter.

World English Bible, British Edition

The Psalm for Friday is Psalm 51, which may be found (complete with the Common Worship refrain and a concluding prayer) through this link.

6th April 20176th April 2017

John 12.20-26; Psalm 22

This is the Additional Weekday Lectionary Bible reading we will include in the Cam Villages pop-up prayer on Friday at 9.30am, this week at St Peter’s, Littlebury Green at 9.30am.

John 12.20-26

²⁰ Now there were certain Greeks amongst those that went up to worship at the feast. ²¹ These, therefore, came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.” ²² Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn, Andrew came with Philip, and they told Jesus. ²³ Jesus answered them, “The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. ²⁴ Most certainly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. ²⁵ He who loves his life will lose it. He who hates his life in this world will keep it to eternal life. ²⁶ If anyone serves me, let him follow me. Where I am, there my servant will also be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honour him.”

World English Bible, British Edition

The Psalm for today is Psalm 22, which may be found (complete with the Common Worship refrain and a concluding prayer) through this link.