A God of Equity, Inclusion, Justice and Compassion has Created Rich Diversity and Invited All to Come to a Higher Place, Mount Zion, Where There is True Equality, Equity, mercy, compassion, welcome, and truth.

Governments can and will do what they will. Churches and religious institutions march to a beat of a different drum. For followers of Jesus, it is his drumbeat.

Today's Readings from the Common Lectionary and More

Isaiah 56:1-8

Thus says the Lord:

Maintain justice, and do what is right, for soon my salvation will come, and my deliverance be revealed.

Happy is the mortal who does this, the one who holds it fast, who keeps the sabbath, not profaning it, and refrains from doing any evil.

Do not let the foreigner joined to the Lord say, "The Lord will surely separate me from his people" and do not let the eunuch say, "I am just a dry tree."

For thus says the Lord: To the eunuchs who keep my sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant, I will give, in my house and within my walls, a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off.

And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, all who keep the sabbath, and do not profane it, and hold fast my covenant– these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.

Thus says the Lord God, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, I will gather others to them besides those already gathered.

Galatians 5:16-24

Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh.

For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want.

But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law.

Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God
.

By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

There is no law against such things. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Mark 9:2-13

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus.

Then Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

He did not know what to say, for they were terrified.

Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, "This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!"

Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus.

As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead could mean.

Then they asked him, "Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"

He said to them, "Elijah is indeed coming first to restore all things. How then is it written about the Son of Man, that he is to go through many sufferings and be treated with contempt? But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written about him."

Psalm 69

Save me, O God, *

for the waters have risen up to my neck.

I am sinking in deep mire, *

and there is no firm ground for my feet.

I have come into deep waters, *

and the torrent washes over me.

I have grown weary with my crying; my throat is inflamed; *

my eyes have failed from looking for my God.

Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head; my lying foes who would destroy me are mighty. *

Must I then give back what I never stole?

O God, you know my foolishness, *

and my faults are not hidden from you.

Let not those who hope in you be put to shame through me, Lord God of hosts; *

let not those who seek you be disgraced because of me, O God of Israel.

Surely, for your sake have I suffered reproach, *

and shame has covered my face.

I have become a stranger to my own kindred, *

an alien to my mother’s children.

Zeal for your house has eaten me up; *

the scorn of those who scorn you has fallen upon me.

I humbled myself with fasting, *

but that was turned to my reproach.

I put on sack-cloth also, *

and became a byword among them.

Those who sit at the gate murmur against me, *

and the drunkards make songs about me.

But as for me, this is my prayer to you, *

at the time you have set, O Lord:

“In your great mercy, O God, *

answer me with your unfailing help.

Save me from the mire; do not let me sink; *

let me be rescued from those who hate me and out of the deep waters.

Let not the torrent of waters wash over me, neither let the deep swallow me up; *

do not let the Pit shut its mouth upon me.

Answer me, O Lord, for your love is kind; *

in your great compassion, turn to me.”

“Hide not your face from your servant; *

be swift and answer me, for I am in distress.

Draw near to me and redeem me; *

because of my enemies deliver me.

You know my reproach, my shame, and my dishonor; *

my adversaries are all in your sight.”

Reproach has broken my heart, and it cannot be healed; *

I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I could find no one.

They gave me gall to eat, *

and when I was thirsty, they gave me vinegar to drink.

[Let the table before them be a trap *

and their sacred feasts a snare.

Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, *

and give them continual trembling in their loins.

Pour out your indignation upon them, *

and let the fierceness of your anger overtake them.

Let their camp be desolate, *

and let there be none to dwell in their tents.

For they persecute him whom you have stricken *

and add to the pain of those whom you have pierced.

Lay to their charge guilt upon guilt, *

and let them not receive your vindication.

Let them be wiped out of the book of the living *

and not be written among the righteous.]

As for me, I am afflicted and in pain; *

your help, O God, will lift me up on high.

I will praise the Name of God in song; *

I will proclaim his greatness with thanksgiving.

This will please the Lord more than an offering of oxen, *

more than bullocks with horns and hoofs.

The afflicted shall see and be glad; *

you who seek God, your heart shall live.

For the Lord listens to the needy, *

and his prisoners he does not despise.

Let the heavens and the earth praise him, *

the seas and all that moves in them;

For God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah; *

they shall live there and have it in possession.

The children of his servants will inherit it, *

and those who love his Name will dwell therein.

"I will bring them to my holy mountain of Jerusalem and will fill them with joy in my house of prayer. I will accept their burnt offerings and sacrifices, because my Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations." – Isaiah 56:7 "Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of robbers in your sight? Behold, I, even I, have seen it,” declares the Lord." – Jeremiah 7:11 "Then Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who were selling and buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. He said to them, 'It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it a den of robbers.'” – Matthew 21:12-13

"Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt." – Exodus 22:21

“Do not oppress a foreigner; you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners, because you were foreigners in Egypt." – Exodus 23:12

“When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them." – Leviticus 19:33

"The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God." – Leviticus 19:34

“When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and for the foreigner residing among you. I am the Lord your God.” – Leviticus 23:22

"You are to have the same law for the foreigner and the native-born. I am the Lord your God.” – Leviticus 24:22

“Hear my prayer, Lord, listen to my cry for help; do not be deaf to my weeping. I dwell with you as a foreigner, a stranger, as all my ancestors were." – Psalm 39:12

"The Lord will have compassion on Jacob; once again he will choose Israel and will settle them in their own land. Foreigners will join them and unite with the descendants of Jacob." – Isaiah 14:11

"Let no foreigner who is bound to the Lord say, 'The Lord will surely exclude me from his people.' And let no eunuch complain, “I am only a dry tree.'” – Isaiah 56:3

"Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?" – Luke 17:18

"In the Law it is written: 'With other tongues and through the lips of foreigners I will speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.'” – I Corinthians 14:21

"… remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world … Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household …" – Ephesians 2:12,19

"All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth." – Hebrews 11:13

"Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear." – I Peter 1:17

"There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." – Galatians 3:28

"Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it." – Hebreews 13:2

“Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.” – Mark 9:37

"By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient." – Hebrews 11:31

"… and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." – II Peter 1:11