December 7, 2027

1Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God. 2Speak to the heart of Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her service has ended, that her guilt is expiated, That she has received from the hand of the LORD double for all her sins. 3A voice proclaims: In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God! 4Every valley shall be lifted up, every mountain and hill made low; The rugged land shall be a plain, the rough country, a broad valley. 5Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken. 6A voice says, “Proclaim!” I answer, “What shall I proclaim?” “All flesh is grass, and all their loyalty like the flower of the field. 7The grass withers, the flower wilts, when the breath of the LORD blows upon it.” “Yes, the people is grass! 8The grass withers, the flower wilts, but the word of our God stands forever.” 9Go up onto a high mountain, Zion, herald of good news! Cry out at the top of your voice, Jerusalem, herald of good news! Cry out, do not fear! Say to the cities of Judah: Here is your God! 10Here comes with power the Lord GOD, who rules by his strong arm; Here is his reward with him, his recompense before him. 11Like a shepherd he feeds his flock; in his arms he gathers the lambs, Carrying them in his bosom, leading the ewes with care.

1Psalm 96 God of the Universe I - Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. 2Sing to the LORD, bless his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. 3Tell his glory among the nations; among all peoples, his marvelous deeds. 10declare among the nations: The LORD is king. The world will surely stand fast, never to be shaken. He rules the peoples with fairness. 11IV - Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice; let the sea and what fills it resound; 12let the plains be joyful and all that is in them. Then let all the trees of the forest rejoice 13before the LORD who comes, who comes to govern the earth, To govern the world with justice and the peoples with faithfulness.

12What is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? 13And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. 14In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost. A Brother Who Sins.