The Texts for Sunday, July 5th, 2015

First Reading: Ezekiel 2:1–5

He said to me: O mortal, stand up on your feet, and I will speak with you.  ²And when he spoke to me, a spirit entered into me and set me on my feet; and I heard him speaking to me.  ³He said to me, Mortal, I am sending you to the people of Israel, to a nation of rebels who have rebelled against me; they and their ancestors have transgressed against me to this very day.  ⁴The descendants are impudent and stubborn. I am sending you to them, and you shall say to them, "Thus says the Lord GOD."  ⁵Whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house), they shall know that there has been a prophet among them.

Psalm 123

¹To you I lift up my eyes,

to you enthroned in the heavens.

²As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,

and the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,

³so our eyes look to the LORD our God,

until he show us his mercy.

⁴Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy,

for we have had more than enough of contempt,

⁵too much of the scorn of the indolent rich,

and of the derision of the proud.

Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 12:2–10

²I know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven — whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows.  ³And I know that such a person — whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows —  ⁴was caught up into Paradise and heard things that are not to be told, that no mortal is permitted to repeat.  ⁵On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses.  ⁶But if I wish to boast, I will not be a fool, for I will be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think better of me than what is seen in me or heard from me,  ⁷even considering the exceptional character of the revelations. Therefore, to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated.  ⁸Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me,  ⁹but he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.  ¹⁰Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.

Gospel: Mark 6:1–13

He left that place and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him.  ²On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, "Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands!  ³Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him.  ⁴Then Jesus said to them, "Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house."  ⁵And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them.  ⁶And he was amazed at their unbelief.

Then he went about among the villages teaching.  ⁷He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.  ⁸He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts;  ⁹but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics.  ¹⁰He said to them, "Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place.  ¹¹If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them."  ¹²So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent.  ¹³They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.