2004 scriptures for camp

Daily Scriptures
for 2004 Camp Curriculum

in four translations/paraphrases
(NRSV, NIV, CEV, and The Message)

"Join the Party" curriculum: Day One scripture focus
Luke 14:15-24

NRSV

¹⁵One of the dinner guests, on hearing this, said to him, "Blessed is anyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!" ¹⁶ Then Jesus said to him, "Someone gave a great dinner and invited many. ¹⁷ At the time for the dinner he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come; for everything is ready now.’ ¹⁸ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of land, and I must go out and see it; please accept my regrets.’ ¹⁹ Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please accept my regrets.’ ²⁰ Another said, ‘I have just been married, and therefore I cannot come.’ ²¹ So the slave returned and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his slave, ‘Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ ²² And the slave said, ‘Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room." ²³ Then the master said to the slave, ‘Go out into the roads and lanes, and compel people to come in, so that my house may be filled. ²⁴ For I tell you, none of those who were invited will taste my dinner.’"

New Revised Standard Version
© Copyright 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of
the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. (more details)

NIV

The Parable of the Great Banquet

¹⁵ When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, "Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God."
¹⁶ Jesus replied: "A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. ¹⁷ At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ ¹⁸"But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’ ¹⁹"Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’ ²⁰"Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’ ²¹"The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’ ²²" ‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’ ²³"Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. ²⁴ I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’ "

New International Version
© Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

CEV

The Great Banquet

¹⁵ After Jesus had finished speaking, one of the guests said, "The greatest blessing of all is to be at the banquet in God’s kingdom!" ¹⁶ Jesus told him:

A man once gave a great banquet and invited a lot of guests. ¹⁷ When the banquet was ready, he sent a servant to tell the guests, "Everything is ready! Please come." ¹⁸ One guest after another started making excuses. The first one said, "I bought some land, and I’ve got to look it over. Please excuse me." ¹⁹ Another guest said, "I bought five teams of oxen, and I need to try them out. Please excuse me." ²⁰ Still another guest said, "I have just gotten married, and I can’t be there." ²¹The servant told his master what happened, and the master became so angry that he said, "Go as fast as you can to every street and alley in town! Bring in everyone who is poor or crippled or blind or lame." ²² When the servant returned, he said, "Master, I’ve done what you told me, and there is still plenty of room for more people." ²³ His master then told him, "Go out along the back roads and fence rows and make people come in, so that my house will be full. ²⁴ Not one of the guests I first invited will get even a bite of my food!"

The Message

The Story of the Dinner Party
^{15 That triggered a response
from one of the guests: "How fortunate the one who gets to eat dinner in
God’s kingdom!"     ¹⁶ Jesus followed up.
"Yes. For there was once a man who threw a great dinner party and invited
many. ¹⁷ When it was time for dinner, he sent out his servant to the
invited guests, saying, "Come on in; the food’s on the table.’     ¹⁸"Then they all
began to beg off, one after another making excuses. The first said, "I
bought a piece of property and need to look it over. Send my regrets.’     ¹⁹"Another said,
"I just bought five teams of oxen, and I really need to check them out.
Send my regrets.’     ²⁰"And yet another
said, "I just got married and need to get home to my wife.’     ²¹"The servant went
back and told the master what had happened. He was outraged and told the
servant, "Quickly, get out into the city streets and alleys. Collect all
who look like they need a square meal, all the misfits and homeless and wretched
you can lay your hands on, and bring them here.’     ²²"The servant
reported back, "Master, I did what you commanded--and there’s still room.’     ²³"The master said,
"Then go to the country roads. Whoever you find, drag them in. I want my
house full! ²⁴Let me tell you, not one of those originally invited
is going to get so much as a bite at my dinner party.’"
The Message

© 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene
H. Peterson

"Join the Party" curriculum:
Day Two scripture focus

Exodus 13:3-10
NRSV
³ Moses said to the
people, "Remember this day on which you came out of Egypt, out of the house
of slavery, because the LORD brought you out from there by strength of hand; no
leavened bread shall be eaten. ⁴ Today, in the month of Abib, you are
going out. ⁵ When the LORD brings you into the land of the
Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he
swore to your ancestors to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, you
shall keep this observance in this month. ⁶ Seven days you shall eat
unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a festival to the LORD. ⁷
Unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days; no leavened bread shall be seen
in your possession, and no leaven shall be seen among you in all your territory.
⁸ You shall tell your child on that day, ‘It is because of what the
LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ ⁹ It shall serve for you
as a sign on your hand and as a reminder on your forehead, so that the teaching
of the LORD may be on your lips; for with a strong hand the LORD brought you out
of Egypt. ¹⁰ You shall keep this ordinance at its proper time from
year to year.
New Revised Standard Version

© Copyright 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of

the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. (more details)
NIV
³ Then Moses said to
the people, "Commemorate this day, the day you came out of Egypt, out of
the land of slavery, because the LORD brought you out of it with a mighty hand.
Eat nothing containing yeast. ⁴ Today, in the month of Abib, you are
leaving. ⁵ When the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites,
Hittites, Amorites, Hivites and Jebusites-the land he swore to your forefathers
to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey-you are to observe this ceremony
in this month: ⁶ For seven days eat bread made without yeast and on
the seventh day hold a festival to the LORD . ⁷ Eat unleavened bread
during those seven days; nothing with yeast in it is to be seen among you, nor
shall any yeast be seen anywhere within your borders. ⁸ On that day
tell your son, ‘I do this because of what the LORD did for me when I came out
of Egypt.’ ⁹ This observance will be for you like a sign on your
hand and a reminder on your forehead that the law of the LORD is to be on your
lips. For the LORD brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand. ¹⁰
You must keep this ordinance at the appointed time year after year.
New International Version

© Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International
Bible Society
CEV

The Festival of Thin Bread

^{3-4 Moses said to the people:}

        Remember this day in the month of
Abib. It is the day when the LORD’s mighty power rescued you from Egypt, where
you were slaves. Do not eat anything made with yeast. ⁵ The LORD
promised your ancestors that he would bring you into the land of the Canaanites,
Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, and Jebusites. It is a land rich with milk and
honey.

        Each year during the month of Abib,
celebrate these events in the following way: ⁶ For seven days you are
to eat bread made without yeast, and on the seventh day you are to celebrate a
festival in honor of the LORD. ⁷ During those seven days, you must
not eat anything made with yeast or even have yeast anywhere near your homes. ⁸
Then on the seventh day you must explain to your children that you do this
because the LORD brought you out of Egypt.⁹ This celebration will be like
wearing a sign on your hand or on your forehead, because then you will pass on
to others the teaching of the LORD, whose mighty power brought you out of Egypt.
¹⁰ Celebrate this festival each year at the same time.
Contemporary English Version

© Copyright 1995 by American Bible
Society
The Message
^{3 Moses said to the people,
"Always remember this day. This is the day when you came out of Egypt from
a house of slavery. GOD brought you out of here with a powerful hand. Don’t
eat any raised bread.⁴"You are leaving in the
spring month of Abib. ⁵ When GOD brings you into the land of the
Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, which he
promised to your fathers to give you, a land lavish with milk and honey, you are
to observe this service during this month:     ⁶"You are to eat
unraised bread for seven days; on the seventh day there is a festival
celebration to GOD.     ⁷"Only unraised
bread is to be eaten for seven days. There is not to be a trace of anything
fermented--no yeast anywhere.     ⁸"Tell your child on
that day: "This is because of what GOD did for me when I came out of Egypt.’     ⁹"The day of
observance will be like a sign on your hand, a memorial between your eyes, and
the teaching of GOD in your mouth. It was with a powerful hand that GOD brought
you out of Egypt. ¹⁰ Follow these instructions at the set time, year
after year after year.
The Message

© 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene
H. Peterson

"Join the Party" curriculum:
Day Three scripture focus

Luke 2:8-20
NRSV
⁸ In that region there
were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹
Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone
around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them,
"Do not be afraid; for see--I am bringing you good news of great joy for
all the people: ¹¹ to you is born this day in the city of David a
Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign for you:
you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger." ¹³
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising
God and saying,
^{14 "Glory to God in the highest heaven,

and on earth peace among those whom he favors!"
¹⁵ When the angels had
left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us
go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has
made known to us." ¹⁶ So they went with haste and found Mary and
Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they saw this,
they made known what had been told them about this child; ¹⁸ and all
who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. ¹⁹ But Mary
treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The
shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen,
as it had been told them.
New Revised Standard Version

© Copyright 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of

the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. (more details)
NIV

The Shepherds and the Angels
⁸ And there were
shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at
night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the
Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel
said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that
will be for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior
has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign
to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."     ¹³ Suddenly a great
company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
¹⁴"Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
¹⁵When the angels had
left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let’s
go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us
about."     ¹⁶ So they hurried off
and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷
When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them
about this child, ¹⁸and all who heard it were amazed at what the
shepherds said to them. ¹⁹But Mary treasured up all these things and
pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and
praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they
had been told.
New International Version

© Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International
Bible Society
CEV

The Shepherds

⁸That night in the
fields near Bethlehem some shepherds were guarding their sheep. ⁹ All
at once an angel came down to them from the Lord, and the brightness of the Lord’s
glory flashed around them. The shepherds were frightened. ¹⁰ But the
angel said, "Don’t be afraid! I have good news for you, which will make
everyone happy. ¹¹ This very day in King David’s hometown a Savior
was born for you. He is Christ the Lord. ¹² You will know who he is,
because you will find him dressed in baby clothes and lying on a bed of
hay."     ¹³ Suddenly many other
angels came down from heaven and joined in praising God. They said:
¹⁴"Praise God in heaven!

Peace on earth to everyone

who pleases God."
¹⁵ After the angels had
left and gone back to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, "Let’s go
to Bethlehem and see what the Lord has told us about." ¹⁶ They
hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and they saw the baby lying on a bed of
hay.     ¹⁷ When the shepherds saw
Jesus, they told his parents what the angel had said about him. ¹⁸
Everyone listened and was surprised. ¹⁹ But Mary kept thinking about
all this and wondering what it meant.     ²⁰ As the shepherds
returned to their sheep, they were praising God and saying wonderful things
about him. Everything they had seen and heard was just as the angel had said.
Contemporary English Version

© Copyright 1995 by American Bible
Society
The Message

An Event for Everyone
⁸ There were
sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their
sheep. ⁹ Suddenly, God’s angel stood among them and God’s glory
blazed around them. They were terrified. ¹⁰ The angel said, "Don’t
be afraid. I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for
everybody, worldwide: ¹¹ A Savior has just been born in David’s
town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. ¹² This is what you’re to
look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger."     ¹³ At once the angel was
joined by a huge angelic choir singing God’s praises:
¹⁴ Glory to God in the heavenly heights,

Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.
¹⁵As the angel choir
withdrew into heaven, the sheepherders talked it over. "Let’s get over to
Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to
us." ¹⁶ They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the
baby lying in the manger. ¹⁷Seeing was believing. They told everyone
they met what the angels had said about this child. ¹⁸ All who heard
the sheepherders were impressed.     ¹⁹ Mary kept all these
things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself. ²⁰ The
sheepherders returned and let loose, glorifying and praising God for everything
they had heard and seen. It turned out exactly the way they’d been told!
The Message

© 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene
H. Peterson

"Join the Party" curriculum:
Day Four scripture focus

Luke 15:11-32
NRSV
¹¹ Then Jesus said,
"There was a man who had two sons. ¹² The younger of them said
to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to
me.’ So he divided his property between them. ¹³ A few days later
the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there
he squandered his property in dissolute living. ¹⁴ When he had spent
everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to
be in need. ¹⁵ So he went and hired himself out to one of the
citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. ¹⁶
He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and
no one gave him anything. ¹⁷ But when he came to himself he said, ‘How
many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am
dying of hunger! ¹⁸ I will get up and go to my father, and I will say
to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; ¹⁹
I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired
hands."’ ²⁰ So he set off and went to his father. But while he
was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and
put his arms around him and kissed him. ²¹ Then the son said to him,
‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to
be called your son.’ ²² But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly,
bring out a robe--the best one--and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and
sandals on his feet. ²³ And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let
us eat and celebrate; ²⁴ for this son of mine was dead and is alive
again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate.     ²⁵ "Now his elder
son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music
and dancing. ²⁶ He called one of the slaves and asked what was going
on. ²⁷ He replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has
killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.’ ²⁸
Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to
plead with him. ²⁹ But he answered his father, ‘Listen! For all
these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed
your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might
celebrate with my friends. ³⁰ But when this son of yours came back,
who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for
him!’ ³¹ Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with
me, and all that is mine is yours. ³² But we had to celebrate and
rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was
lost and has been found.’"
New Revised Standard Version

© Copyright 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of

the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. (more details)
NIV

The Parable of the Lost Son
   ¹¹ Jesus continued:
"There was a man who had two sons. ¹² The younger one said to
his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his
property between them.¹³"Not long after that,
the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there
squandered his wealth in wild living. ¹⁴ After he had spent
everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be
in need. ¹⁵ So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that
country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶ He longed to
fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him
anything.¹⁷"When he came to his
senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and
here I am starving to death! ¹⁸I will set out and go back to my
father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. ¹⁹
I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’
²⁰ So he got up and went to his father.

        "But while he was still a long
way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to
his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.²¹"The son said to him,
‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy
to be called your son.’     ²²"But the father
said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a
ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³ Bring the fattened
calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. ²⁴ For this son
of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began
to celebrate.     ²⁵"Meanwhile, the
older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and
dancing. ²⁶ So he called one of the servants and asked him what was
going on. ²⁷' Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your
father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’     ²⁸"The older brother
became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. ²⁹
But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you
and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I
could celebrate with my friends. ³⁰But when this son of yours who
has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened
calf for him!’     ³¹" ‘My son,’
the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. ³²But
we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is
alive again; he was lost and is found.’"
New International Version

© Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International
Bible Society
CEV

Two Sons
^{11Jesus also told them another story:

        Once a man had two sons. ¹²
The younger son said to his father, "Give me my share of the
property." So the father divided his property between his two sons.     ¹³Not long after
that, the younger son packed up everything he owned and left for a foreign
country, where he wasted all his money in wild living. ¹⁴ He had
spent everything, when a bad famine spread through that whole land. Soon he
had nothing to eat.     ¹⁵ He went to work
for a man in that country, and the man sent him out to take care of his
pigs. ¹⁶He would have been glad to eat what the pigs were
eating, but no one gave him a thing.     ¹⁷ Finally, he came
to his senses and said, "My father’s workers have plenty to eat, and
here I am, starving to death! ¹⁸ I will go to my father and say
to him, `Father, I have sinned against God in heaven and against you. ¹⁹
I am no longer good enough to be called your son. Treat me like one of your
workers.’ "     ²⁰The younger son
got up and started back to his father. But when he was still a long way off,
his father saw him and felt sorry for him. He ran to his son and hugged and
kissed him.     ²¹The son said,
"Father, I have sinned against God in heaven and against you. I am no
longer good enough to be called your son."     ²²But his father
said to the servants, "Hurry and bring the best clothes and put them on
him. Give him a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. ²³
Get the best calf and prepare it, so we can eat and celebrate. ²⁴
This son of mine was dead, but has now come back to life. He was lost and
has now been found." And they began to celebrate.     ²⁵ The older son had
been out in the field. But when he came near the house, he heard the music
and dancing. ²⁶So he called one of the servants over and asked,
"What’s going on here?"     ²⁷ The servant
answered, "Your brother has come home safe and sound, and your father
ordered us to kill the best calf." ²⁸ The older brother got
so angry that he would not even go into the house.

        His father came out and begged
him to go in. ²⁹ But he said to his father, "For years I
have worked for you like a slave and have always obeyed you. But you have
never even given me a little goat, so that I could give a dinner for my
friends. ³⁰ This other son of yours wasted your money on
prostitutes. And now that he has come home, you ordered the best calf to be
killed for a feast."     ³¹His father
replied, "My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is
yours. ³² But we should be glad and celebrate! Your brother was
dead, but he is now alive. He was lost and has now been found."

Contemporary English Version

© Copyright 1995 by American Bible
Society
The Message

The Story of the Lost Son
^{11 Then he said, "There
was once a man who had two sons. ¹² The younger said to his father,
"Father, I want right now what’s coming to me.’

        "So the father divided the property
between them. ¹³ It wasn’t long before the younger son packed his
bags and left for a distant country. There, undisciplined and dissipated, he
wasted everything he had. ¹⁴ After he had gone through all his money,
there was a bad famine all through that country and he began to hurt. ¹⁵He
signed on with a citizen there who assigned him to his fields to slop the pigs. ¹⁶
He was so hungry he would have eaten the corncobs in the pig slop, but no one
would give him any.     ¹⁷"That brought him
to his senses. He said, "All those farmhands working for my father sit down
to three meals a day, and here I am starving to death. ¹⁸I’m going
back to my father. I’ll say to him, Father, I’ve sinned against God, I’ve
sinned before you; ¹⁹I don’t deserve to be called your son. Take
me on as a hired hand.’ ²⁰ He got right up and went home to his
father.

        "When he was still a long way
off, his father saw him. His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and
kissed him. ²¹ The son started his speech: "Father, I’ve
sinned against God, I’ve sinned before you; I don’t deserve to be called
your son ever again.’     ²² "But the father
wasn’t listening. He was calling to the servants, "Quick. Bring a clean
set of clothes and dress him. Put the family ring on his finger and sandals on
his feet. ²³Then get a grain-fed heifer and roast it. We’re going
to feast! We’re going to have a wonderful time! ²⁴My son is
here--given up for dead and now alive! Given up for lost and now found!’ And
they began to have a wonderful time.     ²⁵ "All this time
his older son was out in the field. When the day’s work was done he came in.
As he approached the house, he heard the music and dancing. ²⁶
Calling over one of the houseboys, he asked what was going on. ²⁷ He
told him, "Your brother came home. Your father has ordered a
feast--barbecued beef!-because he has him home safe and sound.’     ²⁸"The older
brother stalked off in an angry sulk and refused to join in. His father came out
and tried to talk to him, but he wouldn’t listen. ²⁹ The son said,
"Look how many years I’ve stayed here serving you, never giving you one
moment of grief, but have you ever thrown a party for me and my friends? ³⁰
Then this son of yours who has thrown away your money on whores shows up and you
go all out with a feast!’     ³¹ "His father said,
"Son, you don’t understand. You’re with me all the time, and everything
that is mine is yours--³² but this is a wonderful time, and we had
to celebrate. This brother of yours was dead, and he’s alive! He was lost, and
he’s found!’"
The Message

© 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene
H. Peterson

"Join the Party" curriculum:
Day Five scripture focus

Luke 22:14-30
NRSV
¹⁴ When the hour came,
he took his place at the table, and the apostles with him. ¹⁵ He said
to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I
suffer; ¹⁶ for I tell you, I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in
the kingdom of God." ¹⁷ Then he took a cup, and after giving
thanks he said, "Take this and divide it among yourselves; ¹⁸
for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until
the kingdom of God comes." ¹⁹ Then he took a loaf of bread, and
when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is
my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." ²⁰
And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, "This cup that is
poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. ²¹ But see, the
one who betrays me is with me, and his hand is on the table. ²² For
the Son of Man is going as it has been determined, but woe to that one by whom
he is betrayed!" ²³ Then they began to ask one another, which
one of them it could be who would do this.     ²⁴ A dispute also arose
among them as to which one of them was to be regarded as the greatest. ²⁵
But he said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and
those in authority over them are called benefactors. ²⁶ But not so
with you; rather the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the
leader like one who serves. ²⁷ For who is greater, the one who is at
the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one at the table? But I am among
you as one who serves.     ²⁸ "You are those
who have stood by me in my trials; ²⁹ and I confer on you, just as my
Father has conferred on me, a kingdom, ³⁰ so that you may eat and
drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve
tribes of Israel.
New Revised Standard Version

© Copyright 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of

the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. (more details)
NIV
¹⁴ When the hour came,
Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. ¹⁵ And he said to them,
"I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. ¹⁶
For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the
kingdom of God."     ¹⁷ After taking the cup,
he gave thanks and said, "Take this and divide it among you. ¹⁸For
I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of
God comes."     ¹⁹ And he took bread,
gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body
given for you; do this in remembrance of me."     ²⁰In the same way, after
the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my
blood, which is poured out for you. ²¹ But the hand of him who is
going to betray me is with mine on the table. ²² The Son of Man will
go as it has been decreed, but woe to that man who betrays him." ²³
They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do
this.     ²⁴ Also a dispute arose
among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. ²⁵
Jesus said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those
who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. ²⁶ But
you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the
youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. ²⁷For who
is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one
who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. ²⁸ You are
those who have stood by me in my trials. ²⁹ And I confer on you a
kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, ³⁰ so that you may
eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve
tribes of Israel.
New International Version

© Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International
Bible Society
CEV

The Lord’s Supper

¹⁴ When the time came
for Jesus and the apostles to eat, ¹⁵ he said to them, "I have
very much wanted to eat this Passover meal with you before I suffer. ¹⁶
I tell you that I will not eat another Passover meal until it is finally eaten
in God’s kingdom."     ¹⁷Jesus took a cup of
wine in his hands and gave thanks to God. Then he told the apostles, "Take
this wine and share it with each other. ¹⁸I tell you that I will not
drink any more wine until God’s kingdom comes."     ¹⁹Jesus took some bread
in his hands and gave thanks for it. He broke the bread and handed it to his
apostles. Then he said, "This is my body, which is given for you. Eat this
as a way of remembering me!"     ²⁰ After the meal he took
another cup of wine in his hands. Then he said, "This is my blood. It is
poured out for you, and with it God makes his new agreement. ²¹The
one who will betray me is here at the table with me! ²²The Son of
Man will die in the way that has been decided for him, but it will be terrible
for the one who betrays him!"     ²³Then the apostles
started arguing about who would ever do such a thing.

An Argument about Greatness
^{24 The apostles got into an
argument about which one of them was the greatest. ²⁵So Jesus told
them:

        Foreign kings order their
people around, and powerful rulers call themselves everyone’s friends. ²⁶But don’t be like them. The most important one of you should be like
the least important, and your leader should be like a servant. ²⁷
Who do people think is the greatest, a person who is served or one who
serves? Isn’t it the one who is served? But I have been with you as a
servant.     ²⁸ You have stayed
with me in all my troubles. ²⁹ So I will give you the right to
rule as kings, just as my Father has given me the right to rule as a king. ³⁰
You will eat and drink with me in my kingdom, and you will each sit on a
throne to judge the twelve tribes of Israel.

Contemporary English Version

© Copyright 1995 by American Bible
Society
The Message
^{14 When it was time, he sat
down, all the apostles with him, ¹⁵ and said, "You’ve no idea
how much I have looked forward to eating this Passover meal with you before I
enter my time of suffering. ¹⁶ It’s the last one I’ll eat until
we all eat it together in the kingdom of God."     ¹⁷ Taking the cup, he
blessed it, then said, "Take this and pass it among you. ¹⁸As
for me, I’ll not drink wine again until the kingdom of God arrives."     ¹⁹ Taking bread, he
blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, given
for you. Eat it in my memory."     ²⁰ He did the same with
the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant written in my
blood, blood poured out for you.     ²¹ "Do you realize
that the hand of the one who is betraying me is at this moment on this table? ²²It’s true that the Son of Man is going down a path already marked
out--no surprises there. But for the one who turns him in, turns traitor to the
Son of Man, this is doomsday."     ²³ They immediately
became suspicious of each other and began quizzing one another, wondering who
might be about to do this.

Get Ready for Trouble
^{24 Within minutes they were
bickering over who of them would end up the greatest. ²⁵But Jesus
intervened: "Kings like to throw their weight around and people in
authority like to give themselves fancy titles. ²⁶It’s not going
to be that way with you. Let the senior among you become like the junior; let
the leader act the part of the servant.     ²⁷"Who would you
rather be: the one who eats the dinner or the one who serves the dinner? You’d
rather eat and be served, right? But I’ve taken my place among you as the one
who serves. ²⁸And you’ve stuck with me through thick and thin. ²⁹
Now I confer on you the royal authority my Father conferred on me ³⁰so
you can eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and be strengthened as you take
up responsibilities among the congregations of God’s people.
The Message

© 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene
H. Peterson

"Join the Party" curriculum:
Day Six scripture focus

Matthew 28:1-10
NRSV
¹ After the sabbath, as
the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to
see the tomb. ² And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an
angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and
sat on it. ³ His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing
white as snow. ⁴ For fear of him the guards shook and became like
dead men. ⁵ But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid;
I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. ⁶ He is not
here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. ⁷
Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and
indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ This is
my message for you." ⁸ So they left the tomb quickly with fear
and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. ⁹ Suddenly Jesus met
them and said, "Greetings!" And they came to him, took hold of his
feet, and worshiped him. ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be
afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."
New Revised Standard Version

© Copyright 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of

the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. (more details)
NIV

The Resurrection

¹ After the
Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary
went to look at the tomb.     ² There was a violent
earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the
tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. ³His appearance was like
lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. ⁴The guards were so
afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.     ⁵ The angel said to the
women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who
was crucified. ⁶ He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come
and see the place where he lay. ⁷ Then go quickly and tell his
disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee.
There you will see him.’ Now I have told you."     ⁸ So the women hurried
away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. ⁹Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him,
clasped his feet and worshiped him. ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to them,
"Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they
will see me."
New International Version

© Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International
Bible Society
CEV

Jesus Is Alive

¹ The
Sabbath was over, and it was almost daybreak on Sunday when Mary Magdalene and
the other Mary went to see the tomb. ² Suddenly a strong earthquake
struck, and the Lord’s angel came down from heaven. He rolled away the stone
and sat on it. ³ The angel looked as bright as lightning, and his
clothes were white as snow. ⁴ The guards shook from fear and fell
down, as though they were dead.

     ⁵ The angel said to
the women, "Don’t be afraid! I know you are looking for Jesus, who was
nailed to a cross. ⁶ He isn’t here! God has raised him to life,
just as Jesus said he would. Come, see the place where his body was lying. ⁷Now hurry! Tell his disciples that he has been raised to life and is on
his way to Galilee. Go there, and you will see him. That is what I came to tell
you."     ⁸ The women were
frightened and yet very happy, as they hurried from the tomb and ran to tell his
disciples. ⁹ Suddenly Jesus met them and greeted them. They went near
him, held on to his feet, and worshiped him. ¹⁰ Then Jesus said,
"Don’t be afraid! Tell my followers to go to Galilee. They will see me
there."
Contemporary English Version

© Copyright 1995 by American Bible
Society
The Message

Risen from the Dead

¹ After the
Sabbath, as the first light of the new week dawned, Mary Magdalene and the other
Mary came to keep vigil at the tomb. ² Suddenly the earth reeled and
rocked under their feet as God’s angel came down from heaven, came right up to
where they were standing. He rolled back the stone and then sat on it. ³
Shafts of lightning blazed from him. His garments shimmered snow-white. ⁴
The guards at the tomb were scared to death. They were so frightened, they
couldn’t move.     ⁵ The angel spoke to the
women: "There is nothing to fear here. I know you’re looking for Jesus,
the One they nailed to the cross. ⁶ He is not here. He was raised,
just as he said. Come and look at the place where he was placed.     ⁷ "Now, get on your
way quickly and tell his disciples, "He is risen from the dead. He is going
on ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there.’ That’s the
message."     ⁸ The women, deep in
wonder and full of joy, lost no time in leaving the tomb. They ran to tell the
disciples. ⁹Then Jesus met them, stopping them in their tracks.
"Good morning!" he said. They fell to their knees, embraced his feet,
and worshiped him. ¹⁰ Jesus said, "You’re holding on to me for
dear life! Don’t be frightened like that. Go tell my brothers that they are to
go to Galilee, and that I’ll meet them there."
The Message

© 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene
H. Peterson

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