From Mourning into Joy--Dec. 23, 2019

Faithful God, you are gracious

from one generation to the next,

more generations than we know.

You have given us Jesus Christ,

that we might have faith in him.

We rejoice and dance; mourning turns

into joy, and our sorrow into gladness.

Lectionary Readings

Ps. 122; 145; 40; 67

Jer. 31:10-14

Gal. 3:15-22

Matt. 1:1-17

Selected Verses

Ps. 145:4

One generation shall laud your works to another,
          and shall declare your mighty acts.

145:13a

 The Lord is faithful in all his words,
          and gracious in all his deeds.

Jer. 31:13

Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance,

          and the young men and the old shall be merry.

I will turn their mourning into joy,

          I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.

Gal. 3:22

But the scripture has imprisoned all things under the power of sin, so that what was promised through faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

Matt. 1:17

So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations.