Open Word

FIRST READING

Song of Solomon 4:1-8

Verse 1. How beautiful you are, my darling— how very beautiful! Your eyes are like doves behind your veil. Your hair is like a flock of goats streaming down Mount Gilead. Verse 2. Your teeth are like a flock of newly shorn sheep coming up from the washing; each has its twin, and not one of them is lost. Verse 3. Your lips are like a scarlet ribbon, and your mouth is lovely. Your brow behind your veil is like a slice of pomegranate. Verse 4. Your neck is like the tower of David, built with rows of stones; on it hang a thousand shields, all of them shields of warriors. Verse 5. Your breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle grazing among the lilies. Verse 6. Before the day breaks and the shadows flee, I will make my way to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of frankincense. Verse 7. You are altogether beautiful, my darling; in you there is no flaw. Verse 8. Come with me from Lebanon, my bride, come with me from Lebanon! Descend from the peak of Amana, from the summits of Senir and Hermon, from the dens of the lions, from the mountains of the leopards.

PSALM

Psalm 145

A Psalm of praise. Of David. I will exalt You, my God and King; I will bless Your name forever and ever.

Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever.

Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; His greatness is unsearchable.

One generation will commend Your works to the next, and will proclaim Your mighty acts—

the glorious splendor of Your majesty. And I will meditate on Your wondrous works.

They will proclaim the power of Your awesome deeds, and I will declare Your greatness.

They will extol the fame of Your abundant goodness and sing joyfully of Your righteousness.

The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in loving devotion.

The LORD is good to all; His compassion rests on all He has made.

All You have made will give You thanks, O LORD, and Your saints will bless You.

They will tell of the glory of Your kingdom and speak of Your might,

to make known to men Your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of Your kingdom.

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful in all His words and kind in all His actions.

The LORD upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.

The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in season.

You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.

The LORD is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His deeds.

The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call out to Him in truth.

He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them.

The LORD preserves all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy.

My mouth will declare the praise of the LORD; let every creature bless His holy name forever and ever.

SECOND READING

1 Corinthians 1:3-17

Verse 3. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 4. I always thank my God for you because of the grace He has given you in Christ Jesus. Verse 5. For in Him you have been enriched in every way, in all speech and all knowledge, Verse 6. because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. Verse 7. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly await the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 8. He will sustain you to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 9. God, who has called you into fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful. Verse 10. I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree together, so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be united in mind and conviction. Verse 11. My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. Verse 12. What I mean is this: Individuals among you are saying, “I follow Paul,” “I follow Apollos,” “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” Verse 13. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul? Verse 14. I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, Verse 15. so no one can say that you were baptized into my name. Verse 16. Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that I do not remember if I baptized anyone else. Verse 17. For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with words of wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.