The Wartburg Project

Daily Lectionary

September 20, 2023

These daily readings from the EHV follow the one-year daily lectionary provided in Christian Worship: Hymnal, the Lutheran Service Book, and the Treasury of Daily Prayer. In this lectionary, two readings of 15-25 verses each are provided for each day. Under this plan, nearly all of the New Testament and approximately one-third of the Old Testament are read each year. These readings fit well within the daily offices of Matins, Vespers, or Compline as daily family devotions.

Nehemiah 4:7-23

7Now when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the people of Ashdod heard that the repair of Jerusalem's walls had progressed and the breaches had begun to be filled, they were infuriated. 8So all of them conspired to come to attack Jerusalem and to throw it into confusion. 9However, we prayed to our God, and because of the enemies, we posted a guard over the builders day and night.
10Then the people of Judah said, “The strength of those bearing the burden is failing. There is so much rubble. We will not be able to build the wall!”
11Then our adversaries said, “They will not know about it or realize what we are doing, until we come among them and kill them and bring the work to a halt.”
12When the Jews who lived near them came, they repeatedly told us, “No matter which way you turn, they will be upon us.”[] 13So I stationed people behind the wall at the lowest places, at its open spots. I stationed the people by clans with their swords, spears, and bows. 14Then I looked and got up and said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and fearsome. So fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives, and your homes.”
15When our enemies heard that their plan was known to us and that God had frustrated their strategy, all of us returned to the wall, each man to his own work. 16From that day on, half of the young men who were serving under me were doing the work, and half of them were holding shields, spears, and bows and wearing armor. The officers were stationed behind the whole house of Judah. 17The people who were building the wall and those who were carrying the materials for building were doing their work with one hand, while the other hand held a weapon. 18As they built, the builders were armed, each man with his sword on his hip. The man who sounded the ram's horn was next to me.
19Then I said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, “There is a lot of work, and it is spread out, and we are separated along the wall—all the people are far away from each other. 20Wherever you hear the sound of the ram's horn, gather with us at that spot. Our God will fight for us.”
21So we continued to work with half of the people holding spears, from the crack of dawn until the stars came out. 22Also at that time I said to the people, “Let every man and his servant spend the night in Jerusalem. They will serve as a guard for us at night, and in the daytime they will work.”
23Neither I nor my brothers nor my servants nor the men of the guard who were behind me—none of us took off our clothes. Each man had his weapon in his hand, even when getting a drink of water.[]

1 Timothy 3:1-16

Qualifications of Overseers
31This saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to become an overseer, he desires a noble task. 2It is necessary, then, for the overseer to be above reproach, the husband of only one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3not a drunkard, not a violent man but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4It is necessary that he manage his own household well, with all dignity making sure that his children obey him. 5(If a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of God's church?) 6He must not be a recent convert, or he might become conceited and fall into the same condemnation as the Devil. 7In addition, he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he may not fall into disgrace and the Devil's trap.
Qualifications of Deacons
8In the same way, it is necessary that deacons be dignified, not deceitful,[] not devoted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain— 9men who hold on to the mystery of the faith with a clean conscience. 10Let them also be tested first. Then let them serve as deacons, if they are found to be blameless. 11In the same way women[] must be worthy of respect, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in everything. 12Let each deacon be the husband of only one wife, managing his children and his own household well. 13Certainly, those who serve well as deacons gain for themselves good standing and great boldness in the faith they have in Christ Jesus.
Summary and Doxology
14I am writing these things to you even though I hope to come to you shortly. 15But if I am delayed, I wanted you to know how it is necessary to behave in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. 16Undeniably, great is the mystery of godliness:
He[] was revealed in flesh,
was justified in spirit,[]
was seen by messengers,[]
was preached among the nations,
was believed on in the world,
was taken up in glory.