Holy Communion Service in Malayalam
Worship Service
Lectionary Theme: Edification of the Church through Theological Education Eighth Sunday after the Feast of Pentecost
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Nehemiah 8:1-12 First Lesson
1. all the people gathered together into the square before the Water Gate. They told the scribe Ezra to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had given to Israel.
2. Accordingly, the priest Ezra brought the law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could hear with understanding. This was on the first day of the seventh month.
3. He read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law.
4. The scribe Ezra stood on a wooden platform that had been made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand; and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hash-baddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left hand.
5. And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up.
6. Then Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. Then they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.
7. Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, helped the people to understand the law, while the people remained in their places.
8. So they read from the book, from the law of God, with interpretation. They gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.
9. And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law.
10. Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions of them to those for whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy to our Lord; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
11. So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved.”
12. And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them. The Festival of Booths Celebrated
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Acts 28:23-30 Second Lesson
23. They decided to meet Paul on a certain day. At that time even more people came to the place where he was staying. From morning until evening, he told them about God’s kingdom. Using the Law of Moses and the Prophets, he tried to get them to believe in Jesus.
24. Some believed what he said, and others did not.
25. They didn’t agree with one another. They began to leave after Paul had made a final statement. He said, “The Holy Spirit was right when he spoke to your people long ago. Through Isaiah the prophet the Spirit said,
26. “ ‘Go to your people. Say to them, “You will hear but never understand. You will see but never know what you are seeing.”
27. These people’s hearts have become stubborn. They can barely hear with their ears. They have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes. They might hear with their ears. They might understand with their hearts. They might turn, and then I would heal them.’ (Isaiah
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29. “Here is what I want you to know. God has sent his salvation to the Gentiles. And they will listen!”
30. For two whole years Paul stayed there in a house he rented. He welcomed all who came to see him.
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1 Peter 2:1-10 Epistle
1. Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander.
2. Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation—
3. if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
4. Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and
5. like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6. For it stands in scripture: “See, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
7. To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner,”
8. and “A stone that makes them stumble, and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
9. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
10. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Live as Servants of God
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Matthew 13:16-23 Gospel
16. But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.
17. Truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it. The Parable of the Sower Explained
18. “Hear then the parable of the sower.
19. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path.
20. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;
21. yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away.
22. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing.
23. But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.” The Parable of Weeds among the Wheat