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Intercessions for Eleventh Sunday after Trinity Year A (Proper 17): 31 August 2014

Mercy_and_Truth_are_Met_Together,_Righteousness_and_Peace_Have_Kissed_Each_Other,_object_1_(Butlin_463)

‘Mercy and Truth are Met Together, Righteousness and Peace Have Kissed Each Other’ William Blake c. 1803

The Collect

O God, you declare your almighty power most chiefly in showing mercy and pity: mercifully grant to us such a measure of your grace, that we, running the way of your commandments, may receive your gracious promises, and be made partakers of your heavenly treasure; through 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. Amen.

¶ The Liturgy of the Word

First Reading: Exodus 3.1-15

Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. Then Moses said, ‘I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.’ When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ Then he said, ‘Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.’ He said further, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. Then the Lord said, ‘I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.’ But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?’ He said, ‘I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain.’ But Moses said to God, ‘If I come to the Israelites and say to them, “The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,” and they ask me, “What is his name?” what shall I say to them?’ God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ He said further, ‘Thus you shall say to the Israelites, “I AM has sent me to you.”’ God also said to Moses, ‘Thus you shall say to the Israelites, “The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you”: This is my name for ever, and this my title for all generations.’

Psalm 105.1-6,23-26,45b

O give thanks to the Lord and call upon his name; * make known his deeds among the peoples.
Sing to him, sing praises, *and tell of all his marvellous works.
Rejoice in the praise of his holy name; * let the hearts of them rejoice who seek the Lord.
Seek the Lord and his strength; * seek his face continually.
Remember the marvels he has done, * his wonders and the judgements of his mouth,
O seed of Abraham his servant, * O children of Jacob his chosen.
Then Israel came into Egypt; * Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.
And the Lord made his people exceedingly fruitful; * he made them too many for their adversaries,
Whose heart he turned, so that they hated his people * and dealt craftily with his servants.
Then sent he Moses his servant * and Aaron whom he had chosen.
That they might keep his statutes * and faithfully observe his laws. Alleluia.

Second Reading:  Romans 12.9-21

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honour. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ No, ‘if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Gospel Reading: Matthew 16.21-28

From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, ‘God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.’ But he turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.’ Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life? For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done. Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.’

Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est. (Where there is charity and love, there is also God).

Prayers of Intercession

Lord immortal, and infinite and beyond all our imagining, we pray to you now, knowing that you are also closer to us than our heads to our hearts.

¶The Church of Christ

Lord, you are ruler of the infinite spaces, and yet out of your limitless love you chose to be bound to the earth and all its people within the limits of body and time. But we make your love too narrow with false limits of our own. Help us to look above the pettiness of our vision and focus instead on the cosmic dance that you have promised for those who are members of the Body of Christ. Fill our hearts, we pray, with the desire to fix on whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure and whatsoever things are lovely, through your son, our Saviour.

Lord, help us to live in harmony with one another: in your mercy, hear our prayer

¶Creation, human society, the Sovereign and those in authority

Lord, may your Church help to bring peace and reconciliation in this world. At times such peace seems a distant dream, and we know we cannot be peace makers relying on human strength alone. So many problems in our world seem incapable of resolution, as warring factions circle around each other in a dance they seem condemned to repeat for all eternity. But yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory and, through your strength and mercy, we ask for a measure  of your grace.

Lord, help us to live in harmony with one another: in your mercy, hear our prayer

¶The local community

Lord, when we feel the desire to withdraw into our own little worlds, set our hearts on fire with love of you so that we may see your face in the eyes of those we live amongst. Help us to be open to sharing our lives, and all the blessings that you have given us, with each other. For such human contact can be a real blessing and may even lead to our being ‘surprised by joy’.

Lord, help us to live in harmony with one another: in your mercy, hear our prayer

¶Those who suffer

Lord, when we ask you to deliver us from evil, we pray not so much for mercy  in granting us success in our undertakings, as finding the grasp of your hand in our failures. Not so much to be sheltered from all dangers as to be fearless in facing them. Not so much for the removal of all pain as for the hearts to conquer it. And we pray for the peace that comes with acceptance, as we seek a haven under the shadow of your wings.

Lord, help us to live in harmony with one another: in your mercy, hear our prayer

¶The communion of saints

Lord, we pray for all those who are now at peace and free from pain and fear as they rest in your kingdom in the company of all your saints.

Lord, help us to live in harmony with one another: in your mercy, hear our prayer

 

Copyright acknowledgement: Some material included in this service is copyright: © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ, USA. Some material included in this service is copyright: © The Archbishops’ Council 2000 Collect (11th after Trinity) © The Crown/Cambridge University Press: The Book of Common Prayer (1662)

2 comments on this post:

minidvr said...
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Thanks Laura

28 August 2014 06:12
Guy said...
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Thanks for the starting point this offered. I am leading intercessions later today for the first time in six and a half years, and feeling both unworthy and rusty

30 August 2014 23:05

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