Sunday readings and prayers

THE TWELFTH SUNDAY  AFTER TRINITY

The collect for the Twelfth  Sunday after Trinity 

Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray and to give more than either we desire or deserve: pour down upon us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid and giving us those good things which we are not worthy to ask but through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

This week’s readings take the theme of commitment, commitment to loving God and loving our neighbour as ourselves. However used we are to hearing Jesus’s familiar  exhortation to love, it does not always come naturally and that is why we need to call upon the strength of the Holy Spirit.

First Reading: Deuteronomy 30:15-20

See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity. If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I am commanding you today, by loving the LORD your God, walking in his ways, and observing his commandments, decrees, and ordinances, then you shall live and become numerous, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you do not hear, but are led astray to bow down to other gods and serve them, I declare to you today that you shall perish; you shall not live long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, loving the LORD your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him; for that means life to you and length of days, so that you may live in the land that the LORD swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.

Moses speaks to the Israelites as they were camped on the plain of Moab, about to enter into the Promised Land, after 40 years in the wilderness. They had a choice to make. Moses’ life is drawing to a close and his parting words invite the commitment to make the right choice and to follow God.  A few verses earlier he reminds them that God is ready to forgive and restore, even those who have forsaken Him.  God will lead them on, not out of a sense of justice, but out of His love for them. 
 

Moses’s view of the Promised Land.

Psalm 1

Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked, nor lingered in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seats of the scornful! Their delight is in the law of the Lord, and they meditate on his law day and night. They are like trees planted by streams of water, bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither; everything they do shall prosper. It is not so with the wicked; they are like chaff which the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked shall not stand upright when judgment comes, nor the sinner in the council of the righteous. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked is doomed.

Second Reading:  Philemon 1:21

Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon our dear friend and co-worker, to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow-soldier, and to the church in your house: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.When I remember you in my prayers, I always thank my God because I hear of your love for all the saints and your faith towards the Lord Jesus. I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective when you perceive all the good that we may do for Christ. I have indeed received much joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, my brother.

For this reason, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do your duty, yet I would rather appeal to you on the basis of love – and I, Paul, do this as an old man, and now also as a prisoner of Christ Jesus. I am appealing to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I have become during my imprisonment. Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful both to you and to me. I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you. I wanted to keep him with me, so that he might be of service to me in your place during my imprisonment for the gospel; but I preferred to do nothing without your consent, in order that your good deed might be voluntary and not something forced. Perhaps this is the reason he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back for ever, no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a beloved brother – especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. If he has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand: I will repay it. I say nothing about your owing me even your own self. Yes, brother, let me have this benefit from you in the Lord! Refresh my heart in Christ. Confident of your obedience, I am writing to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.

Philemon has a choice to make too.  Will he accept Onesimus back in the way Paul has asked?

It would appear that, when in Philemon’s household, Onesimus had shown himself to be dishonest and untrustworthy. Thanks to St. Paul’s guidance, he is now a reformed character, a follower of Christ, and wishes to start again.

Onesimus returns to Philemon with Paul's letter in his hands

Gospel: St. Luke 14:25-33

Large crowds were travelling with Jesus; and he turned and said to them, ‘Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, saying, “This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.” Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.’

Discipleship is not about finding peace, it is not about being spiritually fulfilled. Rather it entails challenging wrongs and putting the needs of others before self. Our call to reflect God’s love in the world is not an easy one but we can be confident that we will never be left without the strength to do it.

Heavenly Father, you call us to be your voice in this world, you call us to be your hands in this world, you call us to be your feet in this world……….Help us to respond to your call with love and commitment.

We pray for all who take on the challenge to speak up for the deprived and seek justice for those in need.

We continue to pray for those living in war torn countries and for refugees seeking to find peace and a new beginning in another country.

At this time of political instability across the world, we pray for our leaders that they may work for the good of all.