WEEKLY READINGS

The First Lesson

Deuteronomy 5:11-22

Reader: A reading from the book of Deuteronomy

You shall not lift up the name of the Most High your God s though it were nothing, for the Dread God will not acquit anyone who treats God's name as though it were nothing.

Observe the sabbath day and keep it holy, as the Holy One your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. Yet the seventh day is a sabbath to the Holy One your God; you shall not do any work--you, or your daughter or your son, or your female slave or your male slave, or your ox or your donkey, or any of your livestock, or the migrant in your towns, so that your female slave and your male slave may rest as you do. Remember that a slave you were in the land of Egypt, and the Faithful One you God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm; therefore, the Holy One your God commanded you to keep the sabbath day.

Honor your mother and your father, just as the Creator of All, your God, commanded you, so that your days may be long and that it may go well with you in the land that the Faithful One your God is giving you.

You shall not murder. And:

You shall not commit adultery. And:

You shall not steal. And:

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. And:

You shall not covet your neighbor's wife. And:

You shall not desire your neighbor's house, or field, or female slave or male slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

These words the Fire of Sinai spoke to your whole assembly at the mountains from the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness; a great voice and added no more. God wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me.

Reader: Word of God, word of life.

People: Thanks be to God.

The Psalm

Psalm 78:1-7

1. Give ear, my people, to my teaching;

Incline your ear to the utterances of my mouth.

2. I will open my mouth in a proverb;

I will utter riddles from of old.

3. Which we have heard and known,

And which our mothers and fathers have told us.

4. We will not hide them from their daughters and sons;

we will recount to generations to come

the praiseworthy deeds of She Who Speaks Life,

and her might and the wonderful works she has done.

5. She gave her decrees for Rebekah's descendants

and placed teaching among Sarah's offspring,

which she commanded their mothers and fathers

to make known to their daughters and sons.

6. In order that a coming generation, children yet to be, might know,

and will rise up and tell their daughters and sons.

7. Then they will put their confidence in God,

and not forget the works of God, but will keep her commandments.

The Gospel

Matthew 22:23-33

Celebrant: The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to Matthew.

People: Glory to you, Lord Christ.

The same day [that Jesus taught about taxes] some Sadducees came to him, saying there is no resurrection; and they questioned him, saying, "Teacher, Moses said, 'If a. man dies without having children, his brother shall marry the [widow] woman, and raise up offspring for his brother.' Now there were seven brothers among us; the first married, and died without having offspring, leaving the woman to his brother. The same for the second, and the third, to the seventh. After everything the woman died. In the resurrection, then, for which of the seven will she be wife? For they all had her."

Jesus answered them, "You are wrong, because you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, rather they are like angels in heaven. And about the resurrection of the dead, have you all not read what was said to you by God, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? God is God not of the dead, but of the living." And when the crowd heard it, they were astounded at his teaching.

Celebrant: The Gospel of the Lord.

People: Praise to you, Lord Christ.

From A Woman's Lectionary for the Whole Church Year W by Wilda C. Gafney