Lord God, you showed your glory and led many to faith by the works of your Son. As he brought gladness and healing to his people, grant us these same gifts and lead us also to perfect faith in him, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Isaiah 49:1-7
{1} Listen to me, O coastlands, pay attention, you peoples from far away! The LORD called me before I was born, while I was in my mother's womb he named me. {2} He made my mouth like a sharp sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me away. {3} And he said to me, "You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified." {4} But I said, "I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely my cause is with the LORD, and my reward with my God." {5} And now the LORD says, who formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him, and that Israel might be gathered to him, for I am honored in the sight of the LORD, and my God has become my strength-- {6} he says, "It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors of Israel; I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth." {7} Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One, to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations, the slave of rulers, "Kings shall see and stand up, princes, and they shall prostrate themselves, because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.

1. Listen to me: The servant calls the earth and its people to listen to him.
before I was born…in my mother’s womb: See Jeremiah 1:5. The servant is called and named before birth. See Galatians 1:14 for Paul’s perception that he was set apart before his birth, and Luke 1:13-17 for Gabriel’s description of John’s mission.
2: In secret ("in the shadow of his hand", "in his quiver") Yahweh has equipped the servant with the gifts he needs to fulfill his calling.
a sharp sword…polished arrow…quiver: The servant is a weapon, fashioned by Yahweh, sharp and polished, carried in a quiver ready for use. The arrow may be "sharp" rather than polished (see Jeremiah 51:11 which uses the same Hebrew words).
3. You are my servant, Israel: "In place of the corporate nation Israel, which up to this point has always borne the title, ‘my servant’…a single figure now carries the title and even office…. Not to replace corporate Israel…but as a faithful embodiment of the nation Israel who has not performed its chosen role (48:1-2)." [1]
4. I have labored in vain: The servant reports that he has failed in his mission.
my reward is with my God: The servant’s reward is not the experience of success, but rather in the call Yahweh extended.
5: The servant’s call is repeated, and made specific. The servant is to bring Jacob back to Yahweh, to gather Israel to him.
6: The servant recalls the terms of Yahweh’s call, that in addition to Israel, (s)he was sent as "a light to the nations."
7: This verse connects verses 1-6 with 8-12. "The verse appears to be a careful paraphrase of 52:13ff., the so-called ‘fourth’ servant song…. The introduction of the servant in v. 7 as a redactional retrojection assures that the servant is understood as the addressee of vv. 8-12." [2]

Psalm 40:1-11
{1} I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry. {2} He drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. {3} He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD. {4} Happy are those who make the LORD their trust, who do not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after false gods. {5} You have multiplied, O LORD my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you. Were I to proclaim and tell of them, they would be more than can be counted. {6} Sacrifice and offering you do not desire, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required. {7} Then I said, "Here I am; in the scroll of the book it is written of me. {8} I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart." {9} I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; see, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O LORD. {10} I have not hidden your saving help within my heart, I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation. {11} Do not, O LORD, withhold your mercy from me; let your steadfast love and your faithfulness keep me safe forever.

     "Psalm 40 separates into two different songs that in form and theme clearly diverge. Psalm 40A (vv. 1-11) belongs to the form group of those prayer songs which stand out as ‘songs of thanksgiving of an individual."…. On the other hand the prayer song Psalm 40B (vv. 12-17)…is clearly molded on the basic form of imploring and pleading." [3]
1-2: The singer tells of his/her trouble and how (s)he waited patiently for Yahweh to rescue him/her.
3. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise: "thanksgiving is not a return gift of a human being to God, but a gift of God to human beings." [4]
4: This is a "beatitude" describing the faithfulness of those who look to Yahweh for help rather than to the proud or idolaters.
6. Sacrifice and offering…. Burnt offering and sin offering: The sacrificial cult is not required or desired by Yahweh. See also Amos 5:22; Isaiah 1:11; Jeremiah 6:20; Psalm 51:16.
you have given me an open ear: To hear and obey Yahweh’s will? Whatever this phrase means it is clearly preferred over sacrifices.
7-10. Here I am: The response of one who hears God (Genesis 46:2; Exodus 3:4; 1 Samuel 3:4-6; Isaiah 58:9), as well as a general response by one who is addressed by another.
in the scroll of the book it is written of me: The singer sees himself in "the scroll of the book." This discovery is defined in terms of actions taken by the singer: I delight to do your will, your law is within my heart." I have told the glad news of deliverance, I have not restrained my lips, I have not hidden your saving help within my heart, I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness.
11: The song closes with a renewed prayer for Yahweh’s mercy and protection.
     The Psalm places this declaration on the lips of the congregation in its use in the liturgy. They are the ones who see themselves in the scroll of the book.

1 Corinthians 1:1-9
{1} Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, {2} To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: {3} Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. {4} I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, {5} for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind-- {6} just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you-- {7} so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. {8} He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. {9} God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

The opening of 1 Corinthians has a formal four-part letter structure: superscription, verse 1; ascription, 2; salutation, 3; thanksgiving, 4-7.
1. Sosthenes: This Sosthenes may be the same as in Acts 18:17, a synagogue official in Corinth. Paul associates Sosthenes with the letter not as co-author (cf. verse 4, "I"), but as co-minister, co-writer. We know nothing more about him.
2. to church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, to those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: These are three separate but similar ascriptions for the intended readers of the letter. The last is the most descriptive.
4-7: A thanksgiving cast in the form of a Jewish prayer. Christ has "enriched" the Corinthians in "speech and knowledge," and he will further strengthen them so they may be blameless on the day of the Lord.
9: God is faithful. Human faithfulness, our faithfulness is not important. What is of great importance is that God is faithful. 2 Timothy 2:10-11: The saying is sure: "If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself." 
     All that is true about "those…who call on the name of the Lord Jesus" is dependent on God’s faithfulness. Their relationship with God is one of obedience, but God’s faithfulness, not their obedience is the foundation of their relationship. Thankfulness to God for that faithfulness is the motivation for obedience, as well as the evidence of our thankfulness.

John 1:29-42
{29} The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, "Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! {30} This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.' {31} I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel." {32} And John testified, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. {33} I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' {34} And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God." {35} The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, {36} and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, "Look, here is the Lamb of God!" {37} The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. {38} When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi" (which translated means Teacher), "where are you staying?" {39} He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon. {40} One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. {41} He first found his brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated Anointed). {42} He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas" (which is translated Peter).

29. the next day: The day after John’s confrontation with emissaries of the Pharisees at Bethany across the Jordan.
the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world: John identifies Jesus as the Passover Lamb, but the Passover Lamb is not a sacrifice for sin. The connection may be with Isaiah 53:7.
33. the one who sent me: John 1:6: There was a man sent from God…. He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit Mark 1:8, he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit; Luke 3:16 and Matthew 3:11, with the Holy Spirit and fire.
35-39: Two of John’s disciples follow Jesus to where he is staying and remain with him until 4:00 p.m. There are similarities between this story and Jesus’ stay with two disciples in Emmaus (Luke 24:28ff.).
40-41. Andrew: Of the two only Andrew is named. He tells his brother, Simon Peter, that Jesus is the Messiah. Messiah is the Aramaic word for "Anointed," for which Christ is the Greek word. The reference is to the anointing of a Davidic descendent as Prince Regent in Judah. In the Synoptics Peter and Andrew are called by Jesus while they are fishing.
42. Simon…Cephas…Peter: The pronoun "him" refers back to Simon Peter in verse 41. Simon was his proper name. Jesus gave him the name "Rock." Cephas is the Aramaic word for ‘rock,’ as Peter is the Greek word for ‘rock.’ See Matthew 16:18: You are Peter…On this rock I will build my church. Paul usually uses Cephas (Galatians 1:18, 2:9, 11; 1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:22; 9:5, 15:5, but he also uses Peter (Galatians 2:7, 8). In fact, his use of both names in Galatians in the same context has led some to suggest that two people are involved, not one.[5] Simon son of John: Cf. Matthew 16:17: Simon son of Jonah. It is not clear which should be regarded as the original.

Reflection
     In both the first and second lessons God calls individuals to his service. In the Psalm, "Yahweh has snatched a human being out of the realm of death and has given life back to him. This is the origin of this thanksgiving. But this thanksgiving is not ‘a return,’ a human answer or ‘offering’…— Yahweh has put the song of thanksgiving into the mouth of the singer….He who receives Yahweh’s help is not placed in a relation to God that transcends the sacrifice; he stands in a relation of obedience indicated by the [torah], which indeed transcends all intermediates when the revelation of God’s will lives in the human heart. In other words, thankfulness begets new obedience." [6] The self-recognition or self-discovery in the Psalm is an experience every Christian faces.
     In the Gospel, those who are called gradually accept the identity of the one who calls them. With that goes whatever service the Lord calls us to. Charles Coursar identifies three themes in the passage: John’s witness to Jesus, Jesus’ epiphany and identification, the call to discipleship. [7] "The intriguing feature of the accounts is the way in which confessions of Jesus lead to and are intertwined with the movement of persons to become disciples….The implication is that such christological confessions inherently convey an imperative to change one’s direction, to get up and move, to get a new name, to share in the life and destiny of the one confessed." [8]

Hymns [9]
With One Voice (e.g. 762v), Hymnal Supplement 1991 (e.g. 725s) and LBW (e.g. 32).
E=Entrance; D=Hymn of the Day; I=First Lesson, P=Psalm; II=Second Lesson; G=Gospel