Sunday readings and prayers

Seek ye first the kingdom of God
And His righteousness
And all these things shall be added unto you
Allelu, alleluia.

Man does not live by bread alone
But by every word
That proceeds from the mouth of God
Allelu, alleluia.

Ask and it shall be given unto you
Seek and ye shall find
Knock and the door shall be opened unto you
Allelu, alleluia.

Praying hands: Durer

The collect for the Sixth Sunday after Trinity 

 Merciful God, you have prepared for those who love you such good things as pass our understanding: pour into our hearts such love toward you that we, loving you in all things and above all things, may obtain your promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord..

First Reading: Genesis 18:20-32

The LORD appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre and said, ‘How great is the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah and how very grave their sin! I must go down and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me; and if not, I will know.’

So the men turned from there, and went towards Sodom, while Abraham remained standing before the LORD. Then Abraham came near and said, ‘Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will you then sweep away the place and not forgive it for the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?’ And the LORD said, ‘If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will forgive the whole place for their sake.’ Abraham answered, ‘Let me take it upon myself to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?’ And he said, ‘I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.’ Again Abraham spoke to the Lord, ‘Suppose forty are found there.’ He answered, ‘For the sake of forty I will not do it.’ Then Abraham said, ‘Oh do not let the Lord be angry if I speak. Suppose thirty are found there.’ The Lord answered, ‘I will not do it, if I find thirty there.’ Abraham said, ‘Let me take it upon myself to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.’ The Lord answered, ‘For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.’ Then he said, ‘Oh do not let the Lord be angry if I speak just once more. Suppose ten are found there.’ The Lord answered, ‘For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.’.                

                                                                   Abraham speaks with God Schlapperitzi, Cunradus 1445

Psalm 138

I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with my whole heart; before the gods I will sing your praise.

I will bow down toward your holy temple and praise your Name, because of your love and faithfulness;

For you have glorified your Name and your word above all things.

When I called, you answered me; you increased my strength within me.

All the kings of the earth will praise you, O Lord, when they have heard the words of your mouth.

They will sing of the ways of the Lord, that great is the glory of the Lord.

Though the Lord be high, he cares for the lowly; he perceives the haughty from afar.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you keep me safe; you stretch forth your hand against the fury of my enemies; your right hand shall save me.

The Lord will make good his purpose for me; O Lord, your love endures for ever; do not abandon the works of your hands.

Second Reading:  Colossians  2:6-19

Brothers and sisters, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have come to fullness in him, who is the head of every ruler and authority. In him also you were circumcised with a spiritual circumcision, by putting off the body of the flesh in the circumcision of Christ; when you were buried with him in baptism, you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. And when you were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive together with him, when he forgave us all our trespasses, erasing the record that stood against us with its legal demands. He set this aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in it.

Therefore do not let anyone condemn you in matters of food and drink or of observing festivals, new moons, or sabbaths. These are only a shadow of what is to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. Do not let anyone disqualify you, insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels, dwelling on visions, puffed up without cause by a human way of thinking, and not holding fast to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows with a growth that is from God.

Gospel Reading: St. Luke 11:1-13

He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.’ He said to them, ‘When you pray, say:

Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come.

Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins,

for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.

And do not bring us to the time of trial.’

And he said to them, ‘Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, “Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.” And he answers from within, “Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.” I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.

So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children , how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!’                                       The Lord’s Prayer: Albani Psalter

The disciples ask Jesus to teach them how to pray. We are so familiar with the words of the “Our Father” that it is easy to take them for granted but  the disciples would have been astonished to hear Jesus encouraging them to pray to ‘Abba’ or Father.  Up until then no one had called God ‘Father’. It implied an intimacy and relationship with God which had not been expressed before. The relationship that Jesus invites us all to have with His Father is one of confidence and reassurance as we come before Him in  prayer.

Gracious God, we pray for the Church across the world as Christians of different denominations and traditions gather together to pray for their local communities and for those in need.

Abba, Father, we  pray for families who are bringing up their children in the Christian way of life that they may be supported and encouraged by their local Church communities.

Father, we continue to pray for peace in the world, thinking especially of the people of the Middle East in their desperate plight  and also  the war weary people of Ukraine. We bring before you  the politicians, the diplomats and the officials of the United Nations that their efforts to bring about a meeting of minds  may be rewarded.

God of healing and renewal, we pray for all whose vocation it is to work in our medical services and in social care.    We pray for those on lengthy waiting lists and for those whose treatment is being affected by the current dispute. We pray that a just settlement may be reached.

Compassionate Father, we ask you to heal the sick, thinking especially of ...........................  May they know your never failing presence and find in it a source of encouragement. We ask you, Father, to strengthen and encourage those who care for them.

We pray for the repose of the soul of those who have recently departed this life, thinking in particular of....................   Lord, at this time of distress and questioning, we ask that the bereaved may be comforted and consoled.