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Intercessions for 2nd Sunday before Advent -Year B – 2nd series – 15 November 2015

Johann Heinrich Füssli 054

The Collect

Heavenly Father, whose blessed Son was revealed to destroy the works of the devil and to make us the children of God and heirs of eternal life: grant that we, having this hope, may purify ourselves even as he is pure; that when he shall appear in power and great glory we may be made like him in his eternal and glorious kingdom; where he 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: Daniel 12.1-3

In the third year of King Cyrus a word was revealed to Daniel. ‘At that time Michael, the great prince, the protector of your people, shall arise. There shall be a time of anguish, such as has never occurred since nations first came into existence. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book. Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.’

Psalm 16

Refrain: The Lord is at my right hand; I shall not fall.

Preserve me, O God, for in you have I taken refuge; *I have said to the Lord, ‘You are my lord, all my good depends on you.’
All my delight is upon the godly that are in the land, * upon those who are noble in heart.
Though the idols are legion that many run after, * their drink offerings of blood I will not offer, neither make mention of their names upon my lips.
The Lord himself is my portion and my cup; * in your hands alone is my fortune.
My share has fallen in a fair land; * indeed, I have a goodly heritage. R
I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel, * and in the night watches he instructs my heart.
I have set the Lord always before me; * he is at my right hand; I shall not fall.
Wherefore my heart is glad and my spirit rejoices; * my flesh also shall rest secure.
For you will not abandon my soul to Death, * nor suffer your faithful one to see the Pit.
You will show me the path of life; in your presence is the fullness of joy * and in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.

Refrain: The Lord is at my right hand; I shall not fall.

Give to us, Lord Christ,
the fullness of grace,
your presence and your very self,
for you are our portion and our delight,
now and for ever.

Second Reading: Hebrews 10.11-14(15-18)19-25

Every priest stands day after day at his service, offering again and again the same sacrifices that can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, ‘he sat down at the right hand of God’, and since then has been waiting ‘until his enemies would be made a footstool for his feet.’ For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying, ‘This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds’, he also adds, ‘I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.’ Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin. Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Mark 13.1-8

As Jesus came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!’ Then Jesus asked him, ‘Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.’ When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, ‘Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?’ Then Jesus began to say to them, ‘Beware that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name and say, “I am he!” and they will lead many astray. When you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.’


‘And I Saw A New Heaven’ Bainton; St Martin-in-the-Fields, London. 15th August 2015 (VJ Day)

Jim Cotter prefaces his thoughts on the psalm: ‘Prayer in solidarity with those who have died before us; and that we may deepen our trust in a faithful creator.’

The RSCM comments “Jesus was unequivocal: the ever-simmering power struggle would erupt with dire consequences, the time for admiring historic buildings long gone. The coming crisis would be totally disruptive. Religious identity, personal relationships, physical well-being, all would be called into question, all pushed to their limits. And yet – this is not an end but a beginning…it is only through the painful process of birth itself that the emerging new life can be seen and embraced.”

I chose the illustration of Odysseus steering between Scylla and Charybdis because the readings today seem rather like an epic saga, whether of classical times, or a modern version like ‘The Lord of the Rings’. Christian pilgrims are on a journey which, for those who succeed, leads to an ‘eternal and glorious kingdom’. But there are dragons on the path….

 

Prayers of Intercession

Let us pray for the peace of God in the Church and among the nations.

¶The Church of Christ

Lord, you feed us with the bread of life, and nourish us with the cup of salvation. We give you thanks for the wisdom of your counsel: in the silence of the darkest hours of the night, we open our ears to the whisper of your voice. When we are lost in the thicket, you will show us the royal path that avoids both cliff and chasm as it leads us safely to your side.

Through endeavour, failure, danger: Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer

 

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

Lord, creator of the universe, infinite and glorious, you give us laws to save us from our folly; give us eyes to see your plan unfolding, your purpose emerging as the world is made; give us courage to follow the truth, courage to go wherever you lead; then we shall know blessings beyond our dreams; then will your will be done.*

Through endeavour, failure, danger: Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer

 

¶The local community

Lord, we pray for our neighbours and those we live amongst. Teach us to give each other the benefit of the doubt, when rumours and gossip circulate. Teach us to put our trust in each other and our common humanity, rather than the buildings and structures in which we meet. Rather may we seek to forge our relationships, link by link.

Through endeavour, failure, danger: Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer

 

¶Those who suffer

Lord of all power and might, give us grace to trust you both in darkness and in light. In the face of danger and adversity, be our strength and hope, that we may be sustained on this earthly pilgrimage. Give courage to all those who are ill, and all who are afraid for their future. Look with mercy, we pray, on those who are in pain, that their sufferings may be lessened, or they may be strengthened to endure to the end.

Through endeavour, failure, danger:Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer

¶The communion of saints

Lord, we give thanks for those who now rejoice in the fellowship of your saints; and we commend our loved ones whom we now mourn to your almighty love, that they too may rest in peace and rise in glory.

 

Merciful Father, accept these prayers….

 


* from – A New Zealand Prayer Book | He Karakia Mihinare o Aotearoa

Prayer after Communion

Gracious Lord,
in this holy sacrament
you give substance to our hope:
bring us at the last
to that fullness of life for which we long;
through Jesus Christ our Saviour.

Copyright acknowledgement (where not already indicated above): Post Communion (2nd before Advent) © 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 Some material included in this service is copyright: © The Archbishops’ Council 2002 Collect (2nd before Advent) © The Crown/Cambridge University Press: The Book of Common Prayer (1662)

Intercessions for Remembrance Sunday: 8 November 2015

leanne bell war memorial pto in booklet - Copy

THE SERVICE*

 

GATHERING

All gather in silence, and the presiding minister reads:

This I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning. Lamentations 3.21-23

God is our refuge and strength; a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46.1

REMEMBERING

An older person says:

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

A younger person may reply:

At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.

All affirm:

We will remember them.

The beginning of the two-minute silence may be signalled

The completion of the silence may be signalled

O God, our help in ages past,
our hope for years to come,
our shelter from the stormy blast,
and our eternal home;

Beneath the shadow of thy throne
thy saints have dwelt secure;
sufficient is thine arm alone,
and our defence is sure.

Before the hills in order stood,
or earth received her frame,
from everlasting thou art God,
to endless years the same.

A thousand ages in thy sight
are like an evening gone;
short as the watch that ends the night
before the rising sun.

Time, like an ever-rolling stream,
bears all our years away;
they fly forgotten, as a dream
dies at the opening day.

O God, our help in ages past,
our hope for years to come,
be thou our guard while troubles last,
and our eternal home.

READING

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he sat down his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the  peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Matthew 5:1-12

Intercessions

¶The Church of Christ

Lord, giver of life, may your love break through where this earth has grown dark. Where justice is destroyed, let righteousness rule. Let the warmth and light of your love shine on the waste of our wrath and sorrow.  Teach us, through you, to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which over the centuries has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and  give peace to your Church, peace among nations, peace in our homes and peace in our hearts.

Lest we forget, lest we forget: Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer

 

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

Lord, we pray for all who bear the burden and privilege of leadership. Pour upon them your gifts of wisdom and resolve in all situations of conflict so that those who would wage war shall instead beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks, as they search without ceasing for reconciliation and peace.

Lest we forget, lest we forget: Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer

 

¶The local community

Lord, as we pray for those who seek reconciliation on the world stage, so do we pray for those in every community. Teach us when to climb down from our embattled certainties in search of even a hard and bitter peace. Teach us how to soften the bitterness through continual attempts at reconciliation. And teach us when to defend our truth unto the very end.

Lest we forget, lest we forget: Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer

 

¶Those who suffer

Lord, comfort all who, in bereavement, disability or pain, continue to suffer the consequences of war. Grant that we who dwell secure in this insecure world may be generous in caring for those who return to us injured in body or mind. Still we cry to you out of the darkness of our divided world: let not new clouds rain death upon the earth!

Lest we forget, lest we forget: Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer

 

¶The communion of saints

Ever-living God, we remember all those whom you have gathered from the storm of war into the peace of your presence; may they rise in glory,  and let light perpetual shine upon them in their eternal rest.

Lest we forget, lest we forget: Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer


 

RESPONDING IN HOPE AND COMMITMENT

Representative and other members of the public come forward to lay wreaths, light candles or offer other symbols of remembrance and hope, such as single flowers or crosses.

The Kohima Epitaph is said:

When you go home, tell them of us and say, for your tomorrow we gave our today.

A hymn may be sung

 

The act of commitment is made:

Let us commit ourselves to responsible living and faithful service.

Will you strive for all that makes for peace?

We will

 

Will you seek to heal the wounds of war?

We will

 

Will you work for a just future for all humanity?

We will

The National Anthem(s) are sung

 

The following blessing is used:

 

God grant to the living grace, to the departed rest, to the Church, the Queen, the Commonwealth [or to the Church, the State] and all people, unity, peace and concord, and to us and all God’s servants, life everlasting. And the blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit be with you all and remain with you always.

Amen


*The service is based on the one by Churches Together:

Churches Together in Britain and Ireland
39 Eccleston Square,
London SW1V 1BX
info@ctbi.org.uk

www.ctbi.org.uk/remembrance

First published 2005 by CTBI; Revised version (updated contact details) 2010
It is expected that this service will be widely used across the UK in a variety of formats. For this reason, this publication is not subject to copyright.


 

Remembrance Day itself is of course Wednesday 11 November, with a two-minute silence beginning at 11.00 am.

Intercessions for 3rd Sunday before Advent – Year B – series 2 – 8 November 2015

shutterstock_80712136

The Collect

Almighty Father, whose will is to restore all things in your beloved Son, the King of all: govern the hearts and minds of those in authority, and bring the families of the nations, divided and torn apart by the ravages of sin, to be subject to his just and gentle rule; 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: Jonah 3.1-5,10

The word of the Lord came to Jonah, saying, ‘Get up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you.’ So Jonah set out and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly large city, a three days’ walk across. Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s walk. And he cried out, ‘Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!’ And the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth. When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it.

 

Psalm 62.5-12

Wait on God alone in stillness, O my soul; *for in him is my hope.
He alone is my rock and my salvation, * my stronghold, so that I shall not be shaken.
In God is my strength and my glory; * God is my strong rock; in him is my refuge.
Put your trust in him always, my people; * pour out your hearts before him, for God is our refuge.
The peoples are but a breath, the whole human race a deceit; * on the scales they are altogether lighter than air.
Put no trust in oppression; in robbery take no empty pride; * though wealth increase, set not your heart upon it.
God spoke once, and twice have I heard the same, * that power belongs to God.
Steadfast love belongs to you, O Lord, * for you repay everyone according to their deeds.

 

Second Reading: Hebrews 9.24-28

Christ did not enter a sanctuary made by human hands, a mere copy of the true one, but he entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Nor was it to offer himself again and again, as the high priest enters the Holy Place year after year with blood that is not his own; for then he would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the age to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself. And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgement, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

 

Gospel Reading: Mark 1.14-20

Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord.
Peace in heaven and glory in the highest heaven.
Alleluia.

After John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.’ As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake – for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you fish for people.’ And immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.

 

Prayers of Intercession

[These intercessions are suggested by the compilers of Visual Liturgy:]
We pray for the coming of God’s kingdom.

You sent your Son to bring good news to the poor, sight to the blind, freedom to captives and salvation to your people: anoint us with your Spirit; rouse us to work in his name.
Father, by your Spirit: bring in your kingdom.

Send us to bring help to the poor and freedom to the oppressed.
Father, by your Spirit: bring in your kingdom.

Send us to tell the world the good news of your healing love.
Father, by your Spirit: bring in your kingdom.

Send us to those who mourn, to bring joy and gladness instead of grief.
Father, by your Spirit: bring in your kingdom.

Send us to proclaim that the time is here for you to save your people.
Father, by your Spirit: bring in your kingdom.

Lord of the Church, hear our prayer, and make us one in mind and heart to serve you in Christ our Lord. Amen.


Let us pray to God, that his Kingdom may come and his gospel be proclaimed through all the world.

 

¶The Church of Christ

Lord, we are gathered today to worship you, to sing our praise and tell out our love. But you remind us that this is only part of our relationship: we also need to wait on you alone, in our stillness. And then you in your turn will speak to us. Help us to fulfill our calling, both as part of the Body of Christ as a whole, rejoicing in moving together as one to serve you, and also as individual atoms of that Body.

Lord, in you alone is our hope: in your mercy, hear our prayer.

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

Lord, we ask you to inspire the powerful to acknowledge, even if only to you, their own failings and fears, and recognize their need for forgiveness, so that they may empower the oppressed, temper the law with mercy and work for the common good, mindful always that with great power over the lives of others comes great responsibility. *

Lord, in you alone is our hope: in your mercy, hear our prayer.

¶The local community

Lord, inspire us every day with your love so that it may overflow into love for those we live amongst. Teach us to share in each other’s joys and bear one another’s burdens, for your sake. And together may we build something of use, foundations for the next generation to inherit and build on in their turn.

Lord, in you alone is our hope: in your mercy, hear our prayer.

¶Those who suffer

Lord, show your mercy to those who feel themselves unwanted and unloved, who can see no place for themselves in our common life together. Turn and soften those whose hearts are hardened against their neighbours. May they all be comforted by the reality of your presence, and know the blessing of your grace.

Lord, in you alone is our hope: in your mercy, hear our prayer.

¶The communion of saints

Lord, we pray for those whom we have loved here on earth and who have now entered into rest. May they know peace, and may they rise in glory to be with you and all your saints.

 

Merciful Father, accept these prayers…

*Inspired by Jim Cotter’s meditation on Psalm 62.

 

Copyright acknowledgement (where not already indicated above): Some material included in this service is copyright: © 1989 National  Council of the Churches of Christ, USA Post Communion (3rd before Advent) © CBFCE 1980; Archbishops’ Council 1999 / Church of the Province of Southern Africa Some material included in this service is copyright: © The Archbishops’ Council 2000 Some material included in this service is copyright: © The Archbishops’ Council 2002

Intercessions for All Saints Day – Year B – 1 November 2015 – series 2

The River of Life circa 1805 William Blake 1757-1827 Bequeathed by W. Graham Robertson 1949 http://www.tate.org.uk/art/work/N05887

The River of Life circa 1805 William Blake 1757-1827 Bequeathed by W. Graham Robertson 1949 http://www.tate.org.uk/art/work/N05887. The River of Life flows from the throne of God to the Tree of Life (Book of Revelation).

The Collect

Almighty God, you have knit together your elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of your Son Christ our Lord: grant us grace so to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living that we may come to those inexpressible joys that you have prepared for those who truly love you; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,  Amen.

¶ The Liturgy of the Word

First Reading: Wisdom of Solomon 3.1-9

The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them.In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died, and their departure was thought to be a disaster, and their going from us to be their destruction; but they are at peace. For though in the sight of others they were punished, their hope is full of immortality. Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good, because God tested them and found them worthy of himself; like gold in the furnace he tried them, and like a sacrificial burnt-offering he accepted them. In the time of their visitation they will shine forth, and will run like sparks through the stubble. They will govern nations and rule over peoples, and the Lord will reign over them for ever. Those who trust in him will understand truth, and the faithful will abide with him in love, because grace and mercy are upon his holy ones, and he watches over his elect.

Psalm 24.1-6

Refrain: The Lord of hosts: he is the King of glory.

The earth is the Lord’s and all that fills it, * the compass of the world and all who dwell therein.
For he has founded it upon the seas * and set it firm upon the rivers of the deep.
‘Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord, * or who can rise up in his holy place?’
‘Those who have clean hands and a pure heart, * who have not lifted up their soul to an idol, nor sworn an oath to a lie;
‘They shall receive a blessing from the Lord, * a just reward from the God of their salvation.’
Such is the company of those who seek him, * of those who seek your face, O God of Jacob.

Refrain: The Lord of hosts: he is the King of glory.

O Lord of hosts,
purify our hearts
that the King of glory may come in,
your Son, Jesus our redeemer.

 

Second Reading: Revelation 21.1-6

I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” He said to me: “It is done.  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.“

Alleluia, alleluia.
You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood,
a holy nation, God’s own people,
called out of darkness into his marvellous light.
Alleluia.

Gospel Reading: John 11.32-44

When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied. Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?” Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odour, for he has been there four days.” Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”


There is something very pleasing about the years in which All Saints Day falls on a Sunday: it is such a resounding reply to the secular misunderstanding of All Hallows Eve as Hallowe’en. I know today’s collect well, having said it many times over the years. But this morning my brain latched onto the word ‘knit’. I know the author did not mean it like this, but I now cannot get out of my head the image of God as a benevolent and beneficent Madame Defarge, knitting the names of every Christian into the longest scarf in the universe, the Body of Christ and the River of Life.

 

Prayers of Intercession

Let us pray to God, whose saints have witnessed to His glory.

¶The Church of Christ

Lord, we are impatient in everything to do with your Church to reach our goal without delay, with no intermediate stages. We are impatient of being on the way to something unknown, something new. We know that no progress can come without  passing through stages of instability, and that this may take a very long time. And we have faith that your hand is leading us. Teach us to accept the anxiety of feeling ourselves suspended over a chasm between the past and the future.*

Lord, may we too drink from the water of life: in your mercy, hear our prayer

 

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

Lord, throughout the ages you have raised up a great cloud of witnesses from all nations and from all tongues. May we in our generation be strengthened by their example, and may their inspiration reach beyond the shores of Christendom to illumine the hearts of all who dwell on this earth, particularly those in government and who have power over others.

Lord, may we too drink from the water of life: in your mercy, hear our prayer

 

¶The local community

Lord, teach us once again to recognise the divine spark in each other, for there are so many ways of serving you to bring about your kingdom on earth. We thank you for those without number who have followed you through the centuries of earthly change down to the present day. Help us, too, to leave behind our egos and to follow you all our days.

Lord, may we too drink from the water of life: in your mercy, hear our prayer

 

¶Those who suffer

Lord, we pray for all those whose lives show signs of real heroism amongst all the troubles that humankind is heir to. May the weak know your strength, and the troubled know your peace. May the fearful be filled with your love and find courage. May the lonely find solace in companionship with you.   May those who can feel only their pain be comforted by your presence. And may all those in need be enfolded in your love.

Lord, may we too drink from the water of life: in your mercy, hear our prayer

 

¶The communion of saints

Lord, grant to the faithful departed a share in the inheritance of the saints…..

As we offer our prayers for them, may we too be brought at the last to the same blessed communion of saints in heaven.

 

Merciful Father, accept these prayers….

* Based on a prayer by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, S.J.

Prayer after Communion

God, the source of all holiness and giver of all good things:
may we who have shared at this table
as strangers and pilgrims here on earth
be welcomed with all your saints
to the heavenly feast on the day of your kingdom;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Copyright acknowledgement (where not already indicated above): Some material included in this service is copyright: © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Pub. Hodder & Stoughton Invitation to Confession (All Saints’ Day) © 1988 Continuum (Mowbray) (Adapted) Wisdom of Solomon 3.1-9 © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ, USA Some material included in this service is copyright: © The Archbishops’ Council 2000 Intro to Peace (All Saints; Peter & Paul; Aposts & Evangelists) © The Archbishops’ Council Collect (All Saints’ Day) © The Crown/Cambridge University Press: The Book of Common Prayer (1662)

Intercessions for Trinity +21 – Proper 25 – Year B – 25 October 2015 Series 2

angel with trumpet

The Collect

Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: help us so to hear them, to read, mark, learn and inwardly digest them that, through patience, and the comfort of your holy word, we may embrace and for ever hold fast the hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ, 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: Job 42.1-6,10-17

Then Job answered the Lord: ‘I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. “Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?” Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. “Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you declare to me.” I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.’ And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he had prayed for his friends; and the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. Then there came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and they ate bread with him in his house; they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him; and each of them gave him a piece of money and a gold ring. The Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; and he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand donkeys. He also had seven sons and three daughters. He named the first Jemimah, the second Keziah, and the third Keren-happuch. In all the land there were no women so beautiful as Job’s daughters; and their father gave them an inheritance along with their brothers. After this Job lived for one hundred and forty years, and saw his children, and his children’s children, four generations. And Job died, old and full of days.

Psalm 34.1-8,19-22

I will bless the Lord at all times; * his praise shall ever be in my mouth.
My soul shall glory in the Lord; * let the humble hear and be glad.
O magnify the Lord with me; * let us exalt his name together.
I sought the Lord and he answered me * and delivered me from all my fears.
Look upon him and be radiant * and your faces shall not be ashamed.
This poor soul cried, and the Lord heard me * and saved me from all my troubles.
The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him * and delivers them.
O taste and see that the Lord is gracious; * blessed is the one who trusts in him.
Many are the troubles of the righteous; * from them all will the Lord deliver them.
He keeps all their bones, * so that not one of them is broken.
But evil shall slay the wicked * and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
The Lord ransoms the life of his servants * and will condemn none who seek refuge in him.

 

Second Reading: Hebrews 7.23-28

The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office; but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues for ever. Consequently he is able for all time to save those who approach God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, blameless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he has no need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for those of the people; this he did once for all when he offered himself. For the law appoints as high priests those who are subject to weakness, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect for ever.

 

Gospel Reading: Mark 10.46-52

As Jesus and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Jesus stood still and said, ‘Call him here.’ And they called the blind man, saying to him, ‘Take heart; get up, he is calling you.’ So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ The blind man said to him, ‘My teacher, let me see again.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your faith has made you well.’ Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.

Prayers of Intercession

Let us pray to God that he may open our eyes to see his everlasting truth.

¶The Church of Christ

Lord,  may the glory of your word shine throughout the world, to be a light to all people. As we reflect on the Bible, hungering for your Word, make us open to your wisdom and receptive to your will. As we hear and believe, make us courageous in our responses as we attempt to follow you, secure in the light that shines from your Word, illuminating our path more and more until the perfect day.

Lord, we praise you as we taste and see your glory: in your mercy, hear our prayer

 

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

Lord, we pray for all those in positions of authority. We pray for those in government, who rule on behalf of the people who elected them. May the laws of economics and trade not entirely harden their hearts to the suffering that may be caused as a by-product of decisions of macro-economics. For what is the world writ large if not the collected body of each individual cell it contains?

Lord, we praise you as we taste and see your glory: in your mercy, hear our prayer

 

¶The local community

Lord, help us to look at the people who surround us in a new light, seeing for a moment only the good in them. We know that our family, our friends, our neighbours, our countrymen and women, all share  your divine spark. Knowing also that we, too, have our failings, help us to turn a blind eye to the failings of others, concentrating instead on your love for them, and the divine love that they too reflect in their lives.

Lord, we praise you as we taste and see your glory: in your mercy, hear our prayer

 

¶Those who suffer

Lord, in our affliction we sense your presence, moving with our sufferings to redeem them. With the strings that are taut with pain, you compose new music of joy, which the world has not yet heard.  Give us the courage and the strength to rise out of our pain and join you in that music of heaven, set free from all our fears. *

Lord, we praise you as we taste and see your glory: in your mercy, hear our prayer

 

¶The communion of saints

Lord, we commend the souls of the departed, confident in Christ’s promise to intercede on their behalf. May they rest in peace and rise with the perpetual vision of your glory.

Merciful Father, accept these prayers…

 

*Inspired by Jim Cotter’s meditation on Psalm 34.

Prayer after Communion

God of all grace,
your Son Jesus Christ fed the hungry
with the bread of his life
and the word of his kingdom:
renew your people with your heavenly grace,
and in all our weakness
sustain us by your true and living bread;
who is alive and reigns, now and for ever.

 

Copyright acknowledgement (where not already indicated above): Post Communion (Last after Trinity) © 1985 Anglican Church of Canada: The Book of Alternative Services 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 (Last after Trinity) © The Crown/Cambridge University Press: The Book of Common Prayer (1662)

Intercessions for Trinity + 20 – Proper 24 -Year B- 18 October 2015

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Image ID: 121496767 Copyright: style-photography

The Collect

God, the giver of life, whose Holy Spirit wells up within your Church: by the Spirit’s gifts equip us to live the gospel of Christ and make us eager to do your will, that we may share with the whole creation the joys of eternal life; 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: Job 38.1-7(34-41)

The Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind: ‘Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up your loins like a man, I will question you, and you shall declare to me. ‘Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements – surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone when the morning stars sang together and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy? ‘Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, so that a flood of waters may cover you? Can you send forth lightnings, so that they may go and say to you, “Here we are”? Who has put wisdom in the inward parts, or given understanding to the mind? Who has the wisdom to number the clouds? Or who can tilt the waterskins of the heavens, when the dust runs into a mass and the clods cling together? ‘Can you hunt the prey for the lion, or satisfy the appetite of the young lions, when they crouch in their dens, or lie in wait in their covert? Who provides for the raven its prey, when its young ones cry to God, and wander about for lack of food?

 

Psalm 104.1-10,24,35c

Bless the Lord, O my soul. * O Lord my God, how excellent is your greatness!
You are clothed with majesty and honour, * wrapped in light as in a garment.
You spread out the heavens like a curtain * and lay the beams of your dwelling place in the waters above.
You make the clouds your chariot * and ride on the wings of the wind.
You make the winds your messengers * and flames of fire your servants.
You laid the foundations of the earth, * that it never should move at any time.
You covered it with the deep like a garment; * the waters stood high above the hills.
At your rebuke they fled; * at the voice of your thunder they hastened away.
They rose up to the hills and flowed down to the valleys beneath, * to the place which you had appointed for them.
You have set them their bounds that they should not pass, * nor turn again to cover the earth.
The sun rises and they are gone * to lay themselves down in their dens.
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; * I will make music to my God while I have my being.

 

Second Reading: Hebrews 5.1-10

Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is subject to weakness; and because of this he must offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people. And one does not presume to take this honour, but takes it only when called by God, just as Aaron was. So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him, ‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you’; as he says also in another place, ‘You are a priest for ever, according to the order of Melchizedek.’ In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

 

Gospel Reading: Mark 10.35-45

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to Jesus and said to him, ‘Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.’ And he said to them, ‘What is it you want me to do for you?’ And they said to him, ‘Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.’ But Jesus said to them, ‘You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?’ They replied, ‘We are able.’ Then Jesus said to them, ‘The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.’ When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John. So Jesus called them and said to them, ‘You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.’

 


This is one of those weeks when the rubric for the lectionary ties itself into knots, viz: “18 October Festival of Luke the Evangelist. Red. Not usually displaced.  If falling on a Sunday, may be kept on that Sunday or transferred to the Monday (or, at the discretion of the minister, to the next suitable weekday).” Well, I’m sorry, St Luke, but we will have to wait until 2016 (if I am spared) to get around to intercessions in your honour. To keep the flow of readings in Mark, and because The Preachers’ Handbook says that verse 45 in the gospel passage is ‘the most important in the whole of Mark’, Lay Anglicana is treating this Sunday as Proper 24, the 20th Sunday after Trinity in Year B. It is also Laity Sunday, if you happen to be a Methodist. And as the following asks: ‘How far do our church structures mirror the picture in vv 43-44?’

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Prayers of Intercession

Let us pray to the Father, through his Son, as his loving servants.

¶The Church of Christ

King of kings, Lord of lords, whom we are joined together to serve, teach us also to serve one another in your name. For whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted. As we are the Body of Christ, may we be mindful that every member is a part of the whole, needed by us all, and they also serve who only stand and wait.

Lord, whom to serve is perfect freedom: in your mercy, hear our prayer

 

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

Lord, the beauty that is in you, and of you, and from you, is beyond all our imagining. Your truth shines like a beacon to shed light on our journey. Your power is beyond our imagining. Show us your glory, we pray, in so far as we can grasp it, and shield us from eating more of the tree of knowledge that we can bear until we are able at the last to gaze upon you without fear.

Lord, whom to serve is perfect freedom: in your mercy, hear our prayer

¶The local community

Lord, in our homes and at our places of work, let us not take pleasure and find glory in the power we have over each other. For the strongest may become weak over time, and we achieve most when we share the weight of authority amongst us, so that each may be empowered in your name.

Lord, whom to serve is perfect freedom: in your mercy, hear our prayer

¶Those who suffer

Lord of all, knowing the intricacies and intimacy of all that is created, we remember before you those who live with painful memories and challenging perceptions in this world. We remember those in hospital and community care against their will and those who struggle to find meaning in life. Help those of us who do not struggle with their own mental health to be without fear of difference: help those who do so struggle to become strong enough to ask others for support. Lord, hold us all close in your care.*

Lord, whom to serve is perfect freedom: in your mercy, hear our prayer

¶The communion of saints

Lord, you have told us that you are preparing a place for us: prepare also us, we pray, so that where you are we may be always, O Lord of life and death. We bring before you……………………………………. Comfort those who mourn their departing, and may they rest in peace and rise in glory.

 

Merciful Father, accept these prayers……

* Based on a prayer by the Revd Jane Wallman-Girdlestone

Prayer after Communion

God our Father,
whose Son, the light unfailing,
has come from heaven to deliver the world
from the darkness of ignorance:
let these holy mysteries open the eyes of our understanding
that we may know the way of life,
and walk in it without stumbling;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

 

Copyright acknowledgement (where not already indicated above): Mark 10.35-45 © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Pub. Hodder & Stoughton Post Communion (20th after Trinity) © 1980, 1986 Mowbray, a Cassell Imprint: Prayers for the Alternative Services comp. David Silk 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

 

 


Intercessions for Trinity +19 – Year B – Proper 23 – 11 October 2015 – series 2

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The Collect

O God, forasmuch as without you we are not able to please you; mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; 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: Job 23.1-9,16-17

Job answered his companions: ‘Today also my complaint is bitter; his hand is heavy despite my groaning. O that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his dwelling! I would lay my case before him, and fill my mouth with arguments. I would learn what he would answer me, and understand what he would say to me. Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power? No; but he would give heed to me. There an upright person could reason with him, and I should be acquitted for ever by my judge. ‘If I go forward, he is not there; or backward, I cannot perceive him; on the left he hides, and I cannot behold him; I turn to the right, but I cannot see him. God has made my heart faint; the Almighty has terrified me; If only I could vanish in darkness, and thick darkness would cover my face!

Psalm 22.1-15

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me, * and are so far from my salvation, from the words of my distress?
O my God, I cry in the daytime, but you do not answer; * and by night also, but I find no rest.
Yet you are the Holy One, * enthroned upon the praises of Israel.
Our forebears trusted in you; * they trusted, and you delivered them.
They cried out to you and were delivered; * they put their trust in you and were not confounded.
But as for me, I am a worm and no man, * scorned by all and despised by the people.
All who see me laugh me to scorn; * they curl their lips and wag their heads, saying,
‘He trusted in the Lord; let him deliver him; * let him deliver him, if he delights in him.’
But it is you that took me out of the womb * and laid me safe upon my mother’s breast.
On you was I cast ever since I was born; * you are my God even from my mother’s womb.
Be not far from me, for trouble is near at hand * and there is none to help.
Mighty oxen come around me; * fat bulls of Bashan close me in on every side.
They gape upon me with their mouths, * as it were a ramping and a roaring lion.
I am poured out like water; all my bones are out of joint; * my heart has become like wax melting in the depths of my body.
My mouth is dried up like a potsherd; my tongue cleaves to my gums; * you have laid me in the dust of death.

 

Second Reading: Hebrews 4.12-16

The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account. Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

 

Gospel Reading: Mark 10.17-31

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: “You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honour your father and mother.”’ He said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.’ Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, ‘You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions. Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!’ And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, ‘Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.’ They were greatly astounded and said to one another, ‘Then who can be saved?’ Jesus looked at them and said, ‘For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.’ Peter began to say to him, ‘Look, we have left everything and followed you.’ Jesus said, ‘Truly I tell you there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age –  houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields – but with persecutions – and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.’


 

Read through the readings? Anything strike you? Yes, me too, and not only me, but Jane Williams, who says: ‘Is it just me, or are the readings actually getting harder at this time of year? Not only more difficult to understand, but more sombre? Certainly, today’s reading from Hebrews has taken large quantities of caffeine, and even so I’m not sure that I have got to the bottom of it. ‘ [Sadly the search facility doesn’t seem to be working]

scan 001But, as Jane says, today is the day of testing, but also of mercy. In the intercessions for this day in 2012, I decided on the theme of mercy, which you may like to see here.

Prayers of Intercession

Let us pray to God, in whose love and power all things are possible.

¶The Church of Christ

Lord, help us to seek you above all else that is important in our lives, and to pledge our total commitment. As we strive to be of service to you, we discover only our need. We pray to you, our healer, whose mercy is like a refining fire, to touch us with your judgement, and confront us with your tenderness; that, being comforted by you, we may in turn reach out to a troubled world in union with each other, and in the name of your son.

Lord, have mercy; Lord, have mercy; in your mercy, Lord, hear our prayer.

 

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

We live in a world where the rich grow ever richer, but the poor are always with us, seemingly without relief. We thank you for the many who do indeed try to use their wealth for the common good. Stir up, we beseech you, in the hearts of the unmoved, a degree of compassion for the needy. May those who have found earthly riches  find also the source of true wealth here on earth: in your mercy, do not send the rich empty away.

Lord, have mercy; Lord, have mercy; in your mercy, Lord, hear our prayer.

 

¶The local community

We pray for all those whom you have called. May those who have answered your call be sustained in all that they do as they translate their desire to serve into action. May those who can only respond ‘not yet’ be given the strength and the resolve to respond as they are able. And may those who have heard your call but have turned away from their vocations or have been unable to follow to the end be comforted.

Lord, have mercy; Lord, have mercy; in your mercy, Lord, hear our prayer.

 

¶Those who suffer

Lord, you have told us that the race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong. Have mercy on those who would strive with you but are unable, through their frailties, whether of mind, body or spirit. Share your comforting presence with them in their sufferings, and give them your peace in their hearts.

Lord, have mercy; Lord, have mercy; in your mercy, Lord, hear our prayer.

 

¶The communion of saints

Lord, grant the inheritance of eternal life to those who have left this earth…………

Receive them in mercy as they come to your presence, and may they rest in peace and rise in glory.

 

Merciful Father, accept these prayers….

 

Prayer after Communion

Holy and blessed God,
you have fed us with the body and blood of your Son
and filled us with your Holy Spirit:
may we honour you,
not only with our lips
but in lives dedicated to the service
of Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

Copyright acknowledgement (where not already indicated above): 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 (19th after Trinity) © The Crown/Cambridge University Press: The Book of Common Prayer (1662)

Intercessions for Trinity +18 – Year B – Proper 22 – 4 October 2015 – series 2

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Image ID: 229857658 Copyright: CHOAT via shuterstock

The Collect

Almighty and everlasting God, increase in us your gift of faith that, forsaking what lies behind and reaching out to that which is before, we may run the way of your commandments and win the crown of everlasting joy; 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: Job 1.1; 2.1-10

There was once a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. That man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. One day the heavenly beings came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord. The Lord said to Satan, ‘Where have you come from?’ Satan answered the Lord, ‘From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.’The Lord said to Satan, ‘Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil. He still persists in his integrity, although you incited me against him, to destroy him for no reason.’ Then Satan answered the Lord, ‘Skin for skin! All that people have they will give to save their lives. But stretch out your hand now and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.’ The Lord said to Satan, ‘Very well, he is in your power; only spare his life.’ So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and inflicted loathsome sores on Job from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. Job took a potsherd with which to scrape himself, and sat among the ashes. Then his wife said to him, ‘Do you still persist in your integrity? Curse God, and die.’ But he said to her, ‘You speak as any foolish woman would speak. Shall we receive the good at the hand of God, and not receive the bad?’ In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

Psalm 26

Refrain: Lord, I love the place where your glory abides.

Give judgement for me, O Lord, for I have walked with integrity; * I have trusted in the Lord and have not faltered.
Test me, O Lord, and try me; * examine my heart and my mind.
For your love is before my eyes; * I have walked in your truth.
I have not joined the company of the false, * nor consorted with the deceitful. R
I hate the gathering of evildoers * and I will not sit down with the wicked.
I will wash my hands in innocence, O Lord, * that I may go about your altar,
To make heard the voice of thanksgiving * and tell of all your wonderful deeds.
Lord, I love the house of your habitation * and the place where your glory abides. R
Sweep me not away with sinners, * nor my life with the bloodthirsty,
Whose hands are full of wicked schemes * and their right hand full of bribes.
As for me, I will walk with integrity; * redeem me, Lord, and be merciful to me.
My foot stands firm; * in the great congregation I will bless the Lord.

Refrain: Lord, I love the place where your glory abides.

Have mercy on us and redeem us, O Lord,
for our merits are your mercies
and in your judgement is our salvation;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Second Reading: Hebrews 1.1-4; 2.5-12

Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. Now God did not subject the coming world, about which we are speaking, to angels. But someone has testified somewhere, ‘What are human beings that you are mindful of them, or mortals, that you care for them? You have made them for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned them with glory and honour, subjecting all things under their feet.’ Now in subjecting all things to them, God left nothing outside their control. As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to them, but we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honour because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.  It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, saying, ‘I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters, in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.’

Gospel Reading: Mark 10.2-16

Some Pharisees came, and to test Jesus they asked, ‘Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?’ He answered them, ‘What did Moses command you?’ They said, ‘Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her.’ But Jesus said to them, ‘Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you. But from the beginning of creation, “God made them male and female.” “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.’ Then in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. Jesus said to them, ‘Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.’ People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.’ And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.

Prayers of Intercession

¶The Church of Christ

Lord, we love the silent presence in the places of prayer. There we see glimpses of your glory shine, and your light is reflected in the faces of those who trust you, and the lives of the quietly faithful. With your grace, we shall walk with integrity: with your compassion, our feet shall stand firm. *

Lord, help us to find again the simplicity and clarity of childhood: in your mercy, hear our prayer.

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

But Lord, we are reminded not to be too easy with evil, both with our own and with those near and far. We pray for the enemy, both in others and in ourselves, the one who whispers the lie and imprisons the tellers of truth. Forgive us our laziness and our fears, our stupidity and our turning aside. Shed on us, we pray, the painful healing beams of the light of Christ, the living truth.

Lord, help us to find again the simplicity and clarity of childhood: in your mercy, hear our prayer.

¶The local community

Lord, we pray for the many communities that we are involved in: our families, our schools, our colleagues at work and our neighbours at home, as well as our country and those in the wider community of nations. May we contribute to the achievements and the harmony of all these circles, both through our own efforts and the support of others.

Lord, help us to find again the simplicity and clarity of childhood: in your mercy, hear our prayer.

¶Those who suffer

Lord, we bring before you all those who suffer in body, mind or spirit. We pray for all those who find the complexities of life, and its vicissitudes, too difficult to bear. We pray for those with chronic diseases, as well as those who have been surprised by the sudden onset of pain. May they all feel the reality of your living and loving presence amongst them.

Lord, help us to find again the simplicity and clarity of childhood: in your mercy, hear our prayer.

¶The communion of saints

Lord, as you gather to yourself  the children of your Kingdom, we remember those who have recently died……………

May they join the heavenly choirs of cherubim and seraphim as they continuously sing your praise!

Merciful Father, accept these prayers…….

 

Prayer after Communion

We praise and thank you, O Christ, for this sacred feast:
for here we receive you,
here the memory of your passion is renewed,
here our minds are filled with grace,
and here a pledge of future glory is given,
when we shall feast at that table where you reign
with all your saints for ever.


The intercessions I wrote in the first series are gradually maturing, you may be pleased to hear! Here is what I offered for this Sunday in 2012.  I still think I can improve on them, but I like my introduction:

Today’s lectionary is an example of why it is a good idea to read it well in advance and then forget about it, hoping your subconscious will work out what the theme is. When I read this last Sunday, I could see no link. Today I can see such a link, though it is in some places a gossamer thread rather than a metal chain! The collect is one of my favourites, and the passage from Job is all about the torments inflicted on him by Satan, which failed to make him curse God [and lose his faith]. The psalm is on the theme ‘I have trusted in the Lord and not faltered’ (v.1). The epistle is more complicated, and introduces the note of glory also in the psalm, but  contains the summary of our faith: For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father (v.11). And the gospel includes: whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it. (v.16)

If you prefer Jane Williams’ musings on the lectionary to mine (and you would be right), you can read them here (searching ‘speculate’ will take you to p.112).

 

*Based on Jim Cotter’s meditation on Psalm 26

Copyright acknowledgement (where not already indicated above): Post Communion (18th after Trinity) © 1973 ICEL: Roman Missal (English Translation) 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

Intercessions for Trinity +17 – Year B – Proper 21- 27 September 2015 – series 2

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The Collect

Almighty God, you have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you: pour your love into our hearts and  draw us to yourself, and so bring us at last to your heavenly city where we shall see you face to face; 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: Esther 7.1-6,9-10; 9.20-22

The king and Haman went in to feast with Queen Esther. On the second day, as they were drinking wine, the king again said to Esther, ‘What is your petition, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you. And what is your request? Even to the half of my kingdom, it shall be fulfilled.’ Then Queen Esther answered, ‘If I have won your favour, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me – that is my petition – and the lives of my people – that is my request. For we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. If we had been sold merely as slaves, men and women, I would have held my peace; but no enemy can compensate for this damage to the king.’ Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther, ‘Who is he, and where is he, who presumed to do this?’ Esther said, ‘A foe and enemy, this wicked Haman!’ Then Haman was terrified before the king and queen. Then Harbona, one of the eunuchs in attendance on the king, said, ‘Look, the very gallows that Haman has prepared for Mordecai, whose word saved the king, stands at Haman’s house, fifty cubits high.’ And the king said, ‘Hang him on that.’ So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the anger of the king abated. Mordecai recorded these things, and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, enjoining them that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar and also the fifteenth day of the same month, year by year, as the days on which the Jews gained relief from their enemies, and as the month that had been turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days for sending gifts of food to one another and presents to the poor.

Psalm 124

Refrain: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

If the Lord himself had not been on our side, * now may Israel say;
If the Lord had not been on our side, * when enemies rose up against us;
Then would they have swallowed us alive * when their anger burned against us;
Then would the waters have overwhelmed us and the torrent gone over our soul; * over our soul would have swept the raging waters. R
But blessed be the Lord * who has not given us over to be a prey for their teeth.
Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowler; * the snare is broken and we are delivered.
Our help is in the name of the Lord, * who has made heaven and earth.

Refrain: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

O God, maker of heaven and earth,
you save us in the water of baptism
and by the suffering of your Son you set us free;
help us to put our trust in his victory
and to know the salvation won for us
by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Second Reading: James 5.13-20

Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the earth yielded its harvest. My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and is brought back by another, you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner’s soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

 

Gospel Reading: Mark 9.38-50

John said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.’ But Jesus said, ‘Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterwards to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us. For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward. If any of you put a stumbling-block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into hell, where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched. For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.’


Two things I love about today’s readings: the first part of the collect, and the line in the gospel: ‘Whoever is not against us is for us’. This is a lot more interesting than its obverse, which we see so often in action today: ‘who is not for us is against us’. I love the presumption that people are naturally good, naturally followers of Christ.

The lectionary today leaves little hiding space for ‘Sunday Christians’, as Jane Williams spells out with a certain relish (search ‘whine’ p109):

Jane

Prayers of Intercession

¶The Church of Christ

Lord, we hear your voice saying ‘whom shall I send, and who will go for us? If it be your will, help each one of us to respond ‘Here am I! Send me’.  Help us to take up joyfully whatever mission you may entrust to us. Help us to know that, though the task be daunting, those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not be faint.

Lord, show us how to remain close to you, breathing in harmony: in your mercy, hear our prayer.

 

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

Lord, your Spirit is around us in the air we breathe. Your glory touches us in the light we see, the fruitfulness of the earth and  our joy in its creatures. You have written for us your revelation, as you have granted us our daily bread: teach us how to read, mark, learn and inwardly digest all that you make known to us.

Lord, show us how to remain close to you, breathing in harmony: in your mercy, hear our prayer

 

¶The local community

Lord, guide us that we may become more sensitive to the needs of all those we live amongst. May we be aware of the need of the reserved for human contact; the need of the noisy for affirmation; the need of the young to know that what they have to say is valued by the community as a whole; the need of the old to know that they are not seen as useless ; and the need of us all to know that we are valued.

Lord, show us how to remain close to you, breathing in harmony: in your mercy, hear our prayer

 

¶Those who suffer

Lord, when destructive powers rise up and seem to bar our path; when they threaten to sweep all before them like a fire in the forest; when the river of life turns into a raging torrent; in all the dangers of the pilgrim way, we thank you for being our constant companion. Strengthen us to face the perils of the storm when they threaten to overwhelm us, and show us yet again that your all-encompassing love is the strongest force in the universe. *

Lord, show us how to remain close to you, breathing in harmony: in your mercy, hear our prayer.

 

¶The communion of saints

Lord, we thank you for the multitude of quiet and gracious souls whose presence has purified and sanctified the world: and for those whom we knew and loved, who have passed from this earthly fellowship into the fuller light of life with you.

Merciful Father, accept these prayers…

*Based on Jim Cotter’s meditation on the psalm.

When I wrote the intercessions for this Sunday in 2012, I apparently decided the theme was our need for help, our vulnerability and our reliance on the divine.

Copyright acknowledgement (where not already indicated above): 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 Post Communion (17th after Trinity) © The Crown/Cambridge University Press: The Book of Common Prayer (1662)

Intercessions for Trinity +16 – Year B – Proper 20 – 20 September 2015 – Series 2

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Flowering cherry trees by a waterfall in spring Image: 260680856 by TTphoto

 

The Collect

O Lord, we beseech you mercifully to hear the prayers of your people who call upon you; and grant that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfil them; 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: Proverbs 31.10-31

A capable wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life. She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands. She is like the ships of the merchant, she brings her food from far away. She rises while it is still night and provides food for her household and tasks for her servant-girls. She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard. She girds herself with strength, and makes her arms strong. She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp does not go out at night. She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle. She opens her hand to the poor, and reaches out her hands to the needy. She is not afraid for her household when it snows, for all her household are clothed in crimson. She makes herself coverings; her clothing is fine linen and purple. Her husband is known in the city gates, taking his seat among the elders of the land. She makes linen garments and sells them; she supplies the merchant with sashes. Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her happy; her husband too, and he praises her: ‘Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.’ Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her a share in the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the city gates.

 

Psalm 1

Refrain: The Lord knows the way of the righteous.

Blessed are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked, * nor lingered in the way of sinners, nor sat in the assembly of the  scornful.
Their delight is in the law of the Lord * and they meditate on his law day and night.
Like a tree planted by streams of water bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither, * whatever they do, it shall prosper. R
As for the wicked, it is not so with them; * they are like chaff which the wind blows away.
Therefore the wicked shall not be able to stand in the judgement, * nor the sinner in the congregation of the righteous.
For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, * but the way of the wicked shall perish.

Refrain: The Lord knows the way of the righteous.

Christ our wisdom,
give us delight in your law,
that we may bear fruits of patience and peace
in the kingdom of the righteous;
for your mercy ’s sake.

Second Reading: James 3.13-4.3,7-8a

Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace. Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

Gospel Reading: Mark 9.30-37

After leaving the mountain, Jesus and his disciples went on from there and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it; for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, ‘The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.’ But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him. Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, ‘What were you arguing about on the way?’ But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, ‘Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.’ Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.’


To be frank, there are few fireworks or ‘Eureka’ moments among the commentators I have consulted this week. However, Jane Williams (pp 108-109 – search ‘roller-coaster’) is as always, a pleasure to read. Here is her conclusion:

Capture

Prayers of Intercession

¶The Church of Christ

Lord, without you we are a rootless people; outside your house we are unable to stand. All our wisdom comes from you; lend us also your gentleness. May we know your truth; and defend it unflinchingly in the face of the lie. Giver of life, save us from the desert of faithlessness, and nourish us with the living water of your word. *

Lord, keep us true to your way that we may yield your fruit in due season: in your mercy, hear our prayer

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

Lord, we pray for those who are given authority in our society, for those who are born with power over others, those who achieve power, and those who have it thrust upon them (or would have us believe that their rank was not of their own choosing). May they be mindful of the example set by your son, our Lord, who died the death of a slave so that all might be empowered through your grace.

Lord, keep us true to your way that we may yield your fruit in due season: in your mercy, hear our prayer

¶The local community

Lord, as we try to build our community in the image of you, give us the grace to do so with a servant heart. Help us to be open to each other, and to take pleasure in working alongside those who happen to come along, knowing that we can safely leave judgment and chastisement in your hands. May all that we undertake in your name develop according to your desire.

Lord, keep us true to your way that we may yield your fruit in due season: in your mercy, hear our prayer

¶Those who suffer

Lord, we pray for all those who suffer in body, mind or spirit. Give them the knowledge that, when hopes are defeated, when the hour seems darkest, when they feel most alone with their pain, they can lean on you, and that you will pour comfort and strength into them for whatever may be the next step on the journey. For underneath are your everlasting arms.

Lord, keep us true to your way that we may yield your fruit in due season: in your mercy, hear our prayer

¶The communion of saints

Lord, we give you thanks for the gift of eternal life. We pray for all those who have recently departed this life, especially…….

May they rest in peace and rise in glory.

 

Merciful Father, accept these prayers….

In 2012, I think I had some difficulty in deciding on a theme from today’s lectionary. I chose ‘Peace‘ http://www.layanglicana.org/blog/2012/09/19/peace-intercessions-for-16th-sunday-after-trinity-proper-20/.

*Inspired by Jim Cotter’s meditation on the psalm

Prayer after Communion

Almighty God,
you have taught us through your Son
that love is the fulfilling of the law:
grant that we may love you with our whole heart
and our neighbours as ourselves;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

 

Copyright acknowledgement (where not already indicated above): 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 (16th after Trinity) © The Crown/Cambridge University Press: The Book of Common Prayer (1662)

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