Lay Anglicana, the unofficial voice of the laity throughout the Anglican Communion.
This is the place to share news and views from the pews.

Get involved ...

Posts Tagged "Intercessions for Proper 24 Year A":

Intercessions for 18th Sunday after Trinity (Proper 24) Year A 19 October 2014

Rolff

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: Exodus 33.12-23

Moses said to the Lord, ‘See, you have said to me, “Bring up this people”; but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, “I know you by name, and you have also found favour in my sight.” Now if I have found favour in your sight, show me your ways, so that I may know you and find favour in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.’ He said, ‘My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’ And he said to him, ‘If your presence will not go, do not carry us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favour in your sight, I and your people, unless you go with us? In this way, we shall be distinct, I and your people, from every people on the face of the earth.’ The Lord said to Moses, ‘I will do the very thing that you have asked; for you have found favour in my sight, and I know you by name.’ Moses said, ‘Show me your glory, I pray.’ And he said, ‘I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim before you the name, “The Lord”; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But,’ he said, ‘you cannot see my face; for no one shall see me and live.’ And the Lord continued, ‘See, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock; and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by; then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen.’

Psalm 99

The Lord is king: let the peoples tremble; * he is enthroned upon the cherubim: let the earth shake.
The Lord is great in Zion * and high above all peoples.
Let them praise your name, which is great and awesome; *the Lord our God is holy.
Mighty king, who loves justice, you have established equity; * you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.
Exalt the Lord our God; * bow down before his footstool, for he is holy.
Moses and Aaron among his priests and Samuel among those who call upon his name, * they called upon the Lord and he answered them.
He spoke to them out of the pillar of cloud; * they kept his testimonies and the law that he gave them.
You answered them, O Lord our God; * you were a God who forgave them and pardoned them for their offences.
Exalt the Lord our God and worship him upon his holy hill, *  for the Lord our God is holy.

Second Reading:  1 Thessalonians 1.1-10

Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you. We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labour prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia – your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead – Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

Gospel Reading: Matthew 22.15-22

When the chief priests and Pharisees had heard the parables, they realized that Jesus was speaking about them. Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap him in what he said. So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, ‘Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?’ But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, ‘Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin used for the tax.’ And they brought him a denarius. Then he said to them, ‘Whose head is this, and whose title?’ They answered, ‘The emperor’s.’ Then he said to them, ‘Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’ When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away.

The RSCM comments:
The lightness with which Jesus deals with financial questions is remarkable. No ‘stewardship’, no dogma, no argument. At other times he condemns greed and encourages generosity. But for now his message is simply this: financial responsibilities in civic matters are insignificant compared to the call to love God first, in everything. The emperor’s head on the coin indicated that it belonged to him; so we remind ourselves, ‘All things come from you, and of your own do we give you’.

 

Prayers of Intercession

¶The Church of Christ

Lord, the work of building your Church on earth is not yet finished, not done. It is half-built, half-cooked and half-beautiful. Your people have a heart for the work of building, but become too easily distracted by trivial considerations. Creator God, continue your work, inspire us again to set our hands to the trowel and the plumb-line. Continue us, O Lord, and craft us to completion so that people might again say, ‘look how they love one another!’

Lord, show us your ways that we may find favour in your sight: in your mercy, hear our prayer.

 

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

Lord, yours is the power that holds all things in being, the power of justice and love. Yours is the holiness that sears us, bringing to light our falsehoods and misdeeds. You showed the prophets, the priests and the wise how to lead your people. Teach us not to be afraid of anything you have created, even if it may seem alien to us. Fill us with your Holy Spirit, that finds its home within us as creatures of flesh and blood and makes of us a holy people able in turn to transform base metal into spiritual gold in your name. *

Lord, show us your ways that we may find favour in your sight: in your mercy, hear our prayer.

 

¶The local community

Lord, if you will be the needle, we will be your thread. We will follow you as you weave our community into the Body of Christ, warp following weft, woven tightly enough to hold fast, but not so tight as to be rigid and unmanageable. Bend us and shape us until we form ourselves according to your will into a fabric which you can use for your purpose in the world.

Lord, show us your ways that we may find favour in your sight: in your mercy, hear our prayer.

 

¶Those who suffer

Lord, we pray for those that are in pain, whether in body, mind or spirit. Help us all to understand and believe that, no matter how long our story continues, we can never outrun your love. However far we journey, whether we keep to the straight and narrow or wander off the path, whether we walk in sunlit uplands or in the valley of shadows, we can never voyage beyond your loving care.

Lord, show us your ways that we may find favour in your sight: in your mercy, hear our prayer.

 

¶The communion of saints

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

Lord, show us your ways that we may find favour in your sight: in your mercy, hear our prayer.

 


*Based on Jim Cotter’s meditation on psalm 99.


 

Copyright acknowledgement (where not already indicated above):Post Communion (18th after Trinity) © 1973 ICEL: Roman Missal (English Translation)- last part of intercessions is based on this. 1 Thessalonians 1.1-10 © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Pub. Hodder & Stoughton.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

We rely on donations to keep this website running.