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Intercessions for Trinity + 11 (Year B) (Proper 15 ) : 16 August 2015

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Copyright: Thomas M Perkins Shutterstock Image ID: 2300657

 

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: 1 Kings 2.10-12; 3.3-14

David slept with his ancestors, and was buried in the city of David. The time that David reigned over Israel was forty years; he reigned seven years in Hebron, and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. So Solomon sat on the throne of his father David; and his kingdom was firmly established.  Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of his father David; only, he sacrificed and offered incense at the high places. The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the principal high place; Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt-offerings on that altar. At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, ‘Ask what I should give you.’ And Solomon said, ‘You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant my father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart towards you; and you have kept for him this great and steadfast love, and have given him a son to sit on his throne today. And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David, although I am only a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a great people, so numerous they cannot be numbered or counted. Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?’  It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. God said to him, ‘Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches, or for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, I now do according to your word. Indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you and no one like you shall arise after you. I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honour all your life; no other king shall compare with you. If you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your life.’

 

Psalm 111

Refrain: The Lord is gracious and full of compassion.

Alleluia. I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, * in the company of the faithful and in the congregation.
The works of the Lord are great, * sought out by all who delight in them.
His work is full of majesty and honour *and his righteousness endures for ever.
He appointed a memorial for his marvellous deeds; *the Lord is gracious and full of compassion. R
He gave food to those who feared him; *he is ever mindful of his covenant.
He showed his people the power of his works *in giving them the heritage of the nations.
The works of his hands are truth and justice; *all his commandments are sure. R
They stand fast for ever and ever; *they are done in truth and equity.
He sent redemption to his people; he commanded his covenant for ever; *holy and awesome is his name.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have those who live by it; *his praise endures for ever.

Refrain: The Lord is gracious and full of compassion.

Gracious God, you are full of compassion;
may we who long for your kingdom to come
rejoice to do your will
and acknowledge your power alone to save;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Second Reading: Ephesians 5.15-20

Brothers and sisters, be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Gospel Reading: John 6.51-58

Jesus said to the Jews: ‘I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.’ The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ So Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live for ever.’


We have arrived at the climax of Jesus’ teaching about himself as the bread of life. These verses concentrate on the physicality of the eucharist (hence the illustration). When I was confirmed, I was told on no account to ‘chew the Host’, but after taking the smallest sip possible of the blood of Christ/wine, to allow this to enable one to swallow both. Very refined and genteel. However, it is clear from this passage that we are intended to relish the physical eating and drinking of the eucharist.

…when Christians say the Christ-life is in them, they do not mean simply something mental or moral. When they speak of being ‘in Christ’ or of Christ being ‘in them’, this is not simply a way of saying that they are thinking about Christ or copying Him. They mean that Christ is actually operating through them; that the whole mass of Christians are the physical organism through which Christ acts—that we are His fingers and muscles, the cells of His body. And perhaps that explains one or two things. It explains why this new life is spread not only by purely mental acts like belief, but by bodily acts like baptism and Holy Communion. It is not merely the spreading of an idea; it is more like evolution—a biological or superbiological fact. There is no good trying to be more spiritual than God. God never meant man to be a purely spiritual creature. That is why He uses material things like bread and wine to put the new life into us. We may think this rather crude and unspiritual. God does not: He invented eating. He likes matter. He invented it.   C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity pp 63-64.

Here is Jane Williams (which you can find here by searching for ‘additives’) (pp 98-99)

CaptureCapture

Prayers of Intercession

¶The Church of Christ

Lord, we join in the stream of praise with your people gathered for worship. We take our place in the Story, as we celebrate your deeds among us. Day by day you nourish us, feeding us with sacrament and word, quenching our thirst from the wellspring, the waters that never run dry. As we sense your heartbeat within us, we rejoice in whatever part we can play in the Body of Christ. *

Lord, your constant presence is the joy and lodestar of our lives: in your mercy, hear our prayer

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

Lord, give right judgement, we pray, to all those in authority. Forgive the folly of our rulers, which the world believes to be wisdom. Give them insight into the consequences of their decisions, including their errors that bring wrong decisions. And may their hearts not be hardened when their decisions bring suffering to those whom they govern.

Lord, your constant presence is the joy and lodestar of our lives: in your mercy, hear our prayer

¶The local community

Lord, help us to see you in the face of each member of our community, and give us greater power to understand those whom we find it hard sincerely to like. Help us to find something we can share. And then, in understanding the common humanity which binds us, help us to love each other as we would love you.

Lord, your constant presence is the joy and lodestar of our lives: in your mercy, hear our prayer

¶Those who suffer

Lord, as we sing our praises to you, and delight in the companionship of our fellow travellers on the journey, we remember those who find it difficult to rejoice. Look with mercy on all those in pain, whether it be physical, mental or spiritual. May they feel the reality of your presence with them in their suffering, and may they see light and hope over the horizon.

Lord, your constant presence is the joy and lodestar of our lives: in your mercy, hear our prayer

¶The communion of saints

Lord, we pray for those who have departed this life. As we feed on you, you have promised to raise us up on the last day: so may we come to share in your life for ever and ever.

 

Merciful Father, accept these prayers…

*Based on Jim Cotter’s meditation on the psalm, from ‘Out of the Silence’

Copyright acknowledgement (where not already indicated above): Post Communion (11th after Trinity) © 1985 Mowbray, a Cassell Imprint:After Communion  compiled by C L Macdonnell 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)

4 comments on this post:

annettedebary said...
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Hi, thank you so much for your prayers which I draw on every week as I produce the intercessions for our Sunday morning Parish Eucharist.

13 August 2015 10:28
Lay Anglicana said...
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Thank-you very much, Annette :>)

13 August 2015 20:36
Alison Hardy said...
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So refreshing

Lay Anglicana said...
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Thank-you 🙂

15 August 2015 19:23
15 August 2015 16:50

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