June 10th: Second Sunday after Pentecost

Genesis 3:8–15
2 Corinthians 4:13—5:1

THE FIRST READING IS FROM THE THIRD CHAPTER OF GENESIS

Immediately after Adam and Eve eat the forbidden fruit, they hide from God. Neither takes responsibility for their sin, instead blaming each other, the snake, and even God. The curse on the snake was understood as a messianic prophecy by the early church, who associated Eve’s “offspring” with Christ.

8They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9But the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?" 10He said, "I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself." 11He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" 12The man said, "The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate." 13Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this that you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent tricked me, and I ate." 14The LORD God said to the serpent,
"Because you have done this,
cursed are you among all animals
and among all wild creatures;
upon your belly you shall go,
and dust you shall eat
all the days of your life.
15I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will strike your head,
and you will strike his heel."

HERE ENDS THE READING

Psalm 130 Read in Unison

1 Out of the depths, I cry to you, O LORD;
2 O LORD | hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my | supplication.
3 If you were to keep watch | over sins, O LORD, who could stand?
4 Yet with you is forgiveness, in order that you may be feared.
5 I wait for you, O LORD; my soul waits;
in your word is my hope.
6 My soul waits for the Lord more than those who keep watch for the morning,
7 O Israel, wait for the LORD, for with the LORD there is steadfast love;
with the LORD there is plenteous redemption.
8 For the LORD shall redeem Israel from all their sins.

THE SECOND READING IS FROM THE FOURTH AND FIFTH CHAPTERS OF SECOND CORINTHIANS

Life in the present is transitory and cannot compare with the eternal home God has prepared for us. So we do not despair no matter what life might bring because we know that as God raised Jesus from the dead, God promises to bring us into eternal life.

13But just as we have the same spirit of faith that is in accordance with scripture — "I believed, and so I spoke" — we also believe, and so we speak, 14because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will bring us with you into his presence. 15Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
16So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. 17For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, 18because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.

For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

HERE ENDS THE READING