The Second Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 5, 6 June 2021
The Second Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 5, 6 June 2021 Track 1 or Track 2 1 Samuel 8:4-11, (12-15), 16-20, (11:14-15) Psalm 138 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1 Mark 3:20-35 Genesis 3:8-15 Psalm 130 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1 Mark 3:20-35 The Collect O God, from whom all good proceeds: Grant that by your inspiration we may think those things that are right, and by your merciful guiding may do them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen . Background: Serpents It is not surprising to find frequent mentions of serpents in the Hebrew Scriptures ( see the Track Two First Reading ). They were a common and ubiquitous part of the culture and mythology of the Ancient Near East. It was both a symbol of fertility ( see the image of the snake eating itself ) but of evil and chaos as well. The name in Hebrew is nachash a word that is associated with divination. Serpents are surreptitious as well, and not just in t