FIRST
READING: Ephesians
2: 1 - 10
1
And you he made alive, when you were dead through the trespasses and
sins
2
in which you once walked, following the course of this world,
following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now
at work in the sons of disobedience.
3
Among these we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, following
the desires of body and mind, and so we were by nature children of
wrath, like the rest of mankind.
4
But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he
loved us,
5
even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together
with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
6
and raised us up with him, and made us sit with him in the heavenly
places in Christ Jesus,
7
that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his
grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
8
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your
own doing, it is the gift of God --
9
not because of works, lest any man should boast.
10
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
PSALM:
Psalms 100:
2 - 5
2
Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!
3
Know that the LORD is God! It is he that made us, and we are his; we
are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4
Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give
thanks to him, bless his name!
5
For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures for ever, and his
faithfulness to all generations.
GOSPEL:
Luke 12:
13 - 21
13
One of the multitude said to him, "Teacher, bid my brother
divide the inheritance with me."
14
But he said to him, "Man, who made me a judge or divider over
you?"
15
And he said to them, "Take heed, and beware of all covetousness;
for a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his
possessions."
16
And he told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man
brought forth plentifully;
17
and he thought to himself, `What shall I do, for I have nowhere to
store my crops?'
18
And he said, `I will do this: I will pull down my barns, and build
larger ones; and there I will store all my grain and my goods.
19
And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for
many years; take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.'
20
But God said to him, `Fool! This night your soul is required of you;
and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?'
21
So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward
God."
