Sunday readings and prayers

 
The collect for the SECOND SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Lord, you have taught us that all our doings without love are nothing worth: send your Holy Spirit and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of love, the true bond of peace and of all virtues, without which whoever lives is counted dead before you. Grant this for your only Son Jesus Christ’s sake, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

With the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost fresh in our minds, we can reflect this week on what that gift means for each of us. Through the Holy Spirit we are given protection and guidance like sheep in the pasture of a loving shepherd but in the Gospel reading we are challenged to go out to the harvest field, away from our normal comfort zone, to spread the Gospel, not by words alone but through our everyday actions and encounters.

A reading from Exodus 19.2–8a                                                                                                         

They had journeyed from Rephidim, entered the wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness; Israel camped there in front of the mountain. Then Moses went up to God; the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, ‘Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the Israelites: You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. Indeed, the whole earth is mine, but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the Israelites.’ 

So Moses came, summoned the elders of the people, and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. The people all answered as one: ‘Everything that the Lord has spoken we will do.’ Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord.

Psalm 100

Be joyful in the Lord, all you lands; serve the Lord with gladness and come before his presence with a song 

Know this: The Lord himself is God; he himself has made us, and we are his; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.   

Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise; give thanks to him and call upon his Name.   

For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his faithfulness endures from age to age. 

Second Reading: Romans 5.1–8

Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.

Gospel Reading:  Matthew 9.35 – 10.8

Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few;  therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.’

Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax-collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.

These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: ‘Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, proclaim the good news, “The kingdom of heaven has come near.” Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. 

The Harvesters: Bruegel

Jesus and Paul both knew that the Good News would only spread if believers put their faith into action and demonstrated God’s love for the world through their care and concern for those around them. We are all invited to join in the mission of making the Kingdom a reality here on earth. Sometimes the task seems daunting but every small act of kindness or encouraging smile of friendship will go some way in changing the world for the better.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for the sending the Holy Spirit upon us to guide and protect us in uncertain times. It is such a precious gift, bringing joy, encouragement and hope.  Empower us as we seek to show our love for you in our everyday actions and encounters that we may truly be harvesters in the field of the Kingdom of God.

Christ has no body but yours, No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours, No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.  Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)

We pray for all affected by the cost of living crisis that help and support will be forthcoming.

We pray for those in positions of leadership in this country that in all things they may be guided by principles of integrity and compassion.

We pray for .................................................... and for those whose state of health is preventing them from enjoying life to the full. We pray too for our doctors, nurses and carers as they struggle to respond to the incessant demand for their services, skills and time.

May the peace of God calm your fears through storms of night.
May the love of God warm your heart and bring you light.
May the word of God give you strength when the body’s weak.
May the grace of God flow from you to the world you meet.