[Propertalk] READINGS for THANKSGIVING DAY

[Charles Wohlers]

The following are the readings for Thanksgiving Day (U. S.), Nov. 27, 
according to the Revised Common (RCL) and Episcopal (ECUSA), lectionaries. 
The ECUSA lectionary follows the RCL this day. All readings are taken from 
the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible.



FIRST READING:  Deuteronomy 26:1-11   (RCL)

26:1 When you have come into the land that the LORD your God is giving you 
as an inheritance to possess, and you possess it, and settle in it, 2 you 
shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you 
harvest from the land that the LORD your God is giving you, and you shall 
put it in a basket and go to the place that the LORD your God will choose as 
a dwelling for his name. 3 You shall go to the priest who is in office at 
that time, and say to him, "Today I declare to the LORD your God that I have 
come into the land that the LORD swore to our ancestors to give us."  4 When 
the priest takes the basket from your hand and sets it down before the altar 
of the LORD your God,  5 you shall make this response before the LORD your 
God: "A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived 
there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty 
and populous.  6 When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by 
imposing hard labor on us,  7 we cried to the LORD, the God of our 
ancestors; the LORD heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and 
our oppression.  8 The LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and 
an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and 
wonders;  9 and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land 
flowing with milk and honey.  10 So now I bring the first of the fruit of 
the ground that you, O LORD, have given me." You shall set it down before 
the LORD your God and bow down before the LORD your God.  11 Then you, 
together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall 
celebrate with all the bounty that the LORD your God has given to you and to 
your house.


Psalm 100

1 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Worship 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 forever, and his 
faithfulness to all generations.


100   Jubilate Deo     (ECUSA BCP)

1   Be joyful in the Lord, all you lands; *
  serve the Lord with gladness
  and come before his presence with a song.

2   Know this: The Lord himself is God; *
  he himself has made us, and we are his;
  we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.

3   Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise; *
  give thanks to him and call upon his Name.

4   For the Lord is good;
his mercy is everlasting; *
  and his faithfulness endures from age to age.


SECOND READING:  Philippians 4:4-9

4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.  5 Let your 
gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.  6 Do not worry about 
anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let 
your requests be made known to God.  7 And the peace of God, which surpasses 
all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is 
just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if 
there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think 
about these things.  9 Keep on doing the things that you have learned and 
received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.


GOSPEL:  John 6:25-35

6:25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, 
"Rabbi, when did you come here?"  26 Jesus answered them, "Very truly, I 
tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you 
ate your fill of the loaves.  27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but 
for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give 
you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal."  28 Then they 
said to him, "What must we do to perform the works of God?"  29 Jesus 
answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has 
sent."  30 So they said to him, "What sign are you going to give us then, so 
that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing?  31 Our 
ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'He gave them 
bread from heaven to eat.'"  32 Then Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell 
you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my 
Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.  33 For the bread of God is 
that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."  34 They 
said to him, "Sir, give us this bread always."  35 Jesus said to them, "I am 
the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever 
believes in me will never be thirsty.



Chad Wohlers
East Bridgewater, Mass.   USA
chadwohl at satucket.com
cwohlers at bridgew.edu