The Adoration of the Golden Calf, c. 1642, Nicolas Poussin,, oil on canvas at the National Gallery, London

Prime Timers

The Prime Timers were a Bible study group at St. Martin's for eight years. One of the goals of our founder, Jackie Rose, was a weekly web page for the group and all the pages are online here. The group disbanded but the readings below follow the Revised Common Lectionary as adapted for use in Episcopal worship.

Lectionary readings

The Readings for October 11 - Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost - Track 1: Exodus 32:1-14; Psalm 106:1-6, 19-23 Track 2: Isaiah 25:1-9; Psalm 23 for both: Philippians 4:1-9 and Matthew 22:1-14. The text is from Bible Study Tools -- New International Version. The Psalms are from the most recent print version of The Book of Common Prayer - 2016.

Track 1

Exodus 32:1-14

¹ When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.” ² Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” ³ So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. ⁴ He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” ⁵ When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a festival to the LORD.” ⁶ So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.

⁷ Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. ⁸ They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.’ ⁹ “I have seen these people,” the LORD said to Moses, “and they are a stiff-necked people. ¹⁰ Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”

¹¹ But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God. “LORD,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? ¹² Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. ¹³ Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.’ ” ¹⁴ Then the LORD relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.

Psalm 106:1-6, 19-23

¹ Hallelujah!
    Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, *
    for his mercy endures for ever.

² Who can declare the mighty acts of the LORD *
    or show forth all his praise?

³ Happy are those who act with justice *
    and always do what is right!

⁴ Remember me, O LORD, with the favor you have for your people, *
    and visit me with your saving help;

⁵ That I may see the prosperity of your elect
    and be glad with the gladness of your people, *
    that I may glory with your inheritance.

⁶ We have sinned as our forebears did; *
    we have done wrong and dealt wickedly.

¹⁹ Israel made a bull-calf at Horeb *
    and worshiped a molten image;

²⁰ And so they exchanged their Glory *
    for the image of an ox that feeds on grass.

²¹ They forgot God their Savior, *
    who had done great things in Egypt,

²² Wonderful deeds in the land of Ham, *
    and fearful things at the Red Sea.

²³ So he would have destroyed them,
    had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, *
    to turn away his wrath from consuming them.

Track 2

Isaiah 25:1-9

¹ LORD, you are my God;
     I will exalt you and praise your name,

for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things,
     things planned long ago.

² You have made the city a heap of rubble,
     the fortified town a ruin,

the foreigners’ stronghold a city no more;
     it will never be rebuilt.

³ Therefore strong peoples will honor you;
     cities of ruthless nations will revere you.

⁴ You have been a refuge for the poor,
     a refuge for the needy in their distress,
     a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat.

For the breath of the ruthless is like a storm driving against a wall
     ⁵ and like the heat of the desert.

You silence the uproar of foreigners;
     as heat is reduced by the shadow of a cloud,
     so the song of the ruthless is stilled.

⁶ On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast
    of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine—
    the best of meats and the finest of wines.

⁷ On this mountain he will destroy
     the shroud that enfolds all peoples,
     the sheet that covers all nations;
   ⁸ he will swallow up death forever.

The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces;
     he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth.
     The LORD has spoken.

⁹ In that day they will say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us.
     This is the LORD, we trusted in him;
     let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”

Psalm 23

¹ The LORD is my shepherd; *
    I shall not be in want.

² He makes me lie down in green pastures *
    and leads me beside still waters.

³ He revives my soul *
    and guides me along right pathways for his Name's sake.

⁴ Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
    I shall fear no evil; *
    for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

⁵ You spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me; *
    you have anointed my head with oil,
    and my cup is running over.

⁶ Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, *
    and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

for both

Philippians 4:1-9

¹ Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends!

² I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. ³ Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹ Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Matthew 22:1-14

¹ Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: ² “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. ³ He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come. ⁴ “Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’ ⁵ “But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. ⁶ The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. ⁷ The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. ⁸ “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. ⁹ So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ ¹⁰ So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

¹¹ “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. ¹² He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless. ¹³ “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ ¹⁴ “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”

Thanks to Bible Study Tools and the Online Book of Common Prayer for the text.