August 30th 2020 12th Sunday after Trinity
Prayer for this time
Heavenly Father, our ever present help in trouble, our fortress and our God: calm the anxious fears of all who turn to you; give strength and healing to those who are sick, and courage and skill to those who care for them; grant wisdom and clarity to those in authority; and humble us all to call upon you, that we may be saved not only in this life, but also for that which is to come. Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
A Simple Order of Morning Prayer in Ordinary Time
O Lord open our lips,
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
We sing to you, O Lord, and bless your name,
And tell of your salvation from day to day.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and shall be for ever. Amen.
Worship the Lord.
All praise to his name.
Silent prayer/reflection on the coming day. :
Eternal God, we praise and thank you for the day on which you created light and saw that it was good; the day on which the disciples
discovered the empty tomb and met the risen Christ. This is the day that you have made;
we rejoice and are glad in it.
Blessed be God for ever.
Jubilate Deo (Psalm 100)
The Lord is gracious, his steadfast love is everlasting.
O be joyful in the Lord, all the earth:
serve the Lord with gladness and come before his presence with a song.
Know that the Lord is God: it is he that has made us, and we are his; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise: give thanks to him and bless his name.
For the Lord is gracious; his steadfast love is everlasting: and his faithfulness endures from generation to generation.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be for ever. Amen.
The Lord is gracious, his steadfast love is everlasting.
Bible Reading
FIRST READING Jeremiah 15.15–21
O LORD, you know; remember me and visit me, and bring down retribution for me on my persecutors. In your forbearance do not take me away; know that on your account I suffer insult. Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart; for I am called by your name, O LORD, God of hosts. I did not sit in the company of merrymakers, nor did I rejoice; under the weight of your hand I sat alone, for you had filled me with indignation. Why is my pain unceasing, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Truly, you are to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail. Therefore, thus says the LORD: If you turn back, I will take you back, and you shall stand before me. If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless, you shall serve as my mouth. It is they who will turn to you, not you who will turn to them. And I will make you to this people a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you, but they shall not prevail over you, for I am with you to save you and deliver you, says the LORD. I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.
PSALM 26.1–8
R Your love is before my eyes; I have walked faithfully with you.
Give judgement for me, O Lord, for I have lived 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. R
For your love is before my eyes; I have walked faithfully with you. I have not sat with the worthless, nor do I consort with the deceitful. I have hated the company of evildoers; I will not sit down with the wicked. R
I will wash my hands in innocence, O Lord, that I may go in procession round your altar, singing aloud a song of thanksgiving and recounting all your wonderful deeds. Lord, I love the house in which you dwell and the place where your glory abides. R
SECOND READING Romans 12.9–21
Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good, love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honour. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ No, ‘if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.’ Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.
The Gospel of Christ according to Matthew 16. 21-28
Glory to you, O Lord.
From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, ‘God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.’ But he turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.’
Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?
‘For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done. Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.’
Praise to you, O Christ.
Reflection.
A Psalm for people like us
I recently came across this reflection on the familiar words of Psalm 23 produced by the Diocese of Oxford. The people of that diocese have been encouraged to say the words of this Psalm each day during the crisis. We hope you find it useful and pray it may bring some comfort and hope.
When we are isolated and alone, we remember God is with us; we place our hands in his hands…
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
When we are tired and confused…
He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters.
When we are worn out with worry…
He restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.
When we are sick and afraid and if we lose those, we love…
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff – they comfort me.
When we face difficulties today and we hope for a better tomorrow…
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
In the face of trouble & difficulty of all kinds, we remember Jesus’ promise of life beyond death…
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.
Some Bible verses related to this Psalm you might like to meditate on further:
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep”I am
the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep (John 10:11)
For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. (1 Peter2:25)
“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me (John 10:14)
The Benedictus
In your tender compassion, O God,
the dawn from on high shall break upon us.
Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel for he has come to his people and set them free. The Lord has raised up for us a mighty Saviour born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets God promised of old to save us from our enemies from the hands of all who hate us. To show mercy to our forebears and to remember his holy covenant. This was the oath God swore to our father Abraham to set us free from the hands of our enemies. Free to worship him without fear holy and righteous before him all the days of our life. And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, to give his people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us. To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be for ever. Amen.
In your tender compassion, O God, the dawn from on high shall break upon us.
Prayers
Loving God, we recognise our responsibility to encourage and uphold one another and to live together in peace and love. We also recognise your need for us to give up our lives for your sake. Forgive us our weaknesses Lord, and listen to our petitions. (Short Silence)
Lord in your mercy: Hear our prayer
O Lord our God, we love the habitation of your house, and the place where your mercy dwells.By your Spirit at work within us, grant us to grow strong in Christ. By your grace and mercy may our lives be in devotion to you, that we might reveal the power of your love to all we meet.May the power of the Holy Spirit strengthen our new Rector – Daniel Frett – and all who work with him. Support them, O Lord, that they grow as disciples, and reach out to those in need in our communities, and in our world. (Short Silence)
Lord in your mercy: Hear our prayer
Creator God, we pray for our world leaders; for our Queen and all the Royal Family. We pray too for our national and community leaders, those in public office, and all who serve in our armed forces. Be, O Lord, with those who lead in Healthcare, Industry, our Trade Unions and Commerce. In all walks of life, we pray for peace, justice, and integrity. (Short Silence)
Lord in your mercy: Hear our prayer
Father God, we pray for those who are returning to places of education, or are setting out on that path for the first time. We especially pray that all child nurseries, schools, colleges and universities find ways of making teaching and learning safe, as well as effective, in the strange and difficult circumstances caused by the current pandemic. Help all students in their daily lessons; give them the wisdom to listen and learn, and to keep safe. Be too, O Lord, with all who teach, lecture or administer in places of learning, and guide them in their every trial and fear. (Short Silence)
Lord in your mercy: Hear our prayer
Gracious and healing Father, we pray for all who are suffering a storm of life.We pray for all who are housebound and in nursing homes; those in hospitals, in recovery and rehabilitation. We thank you for our local hospitals, care homes, health centres and clinics, and for all who work in these places.We ask for your mercy on all who are hungry: the homeless, the refugee, and those with financial difficulties. We pray too for those who’ve been forced to go to foster carers, adoption agencies, and the parent or parents who might be in a hostel or even in prison.As we consider those in our community who need our prayers at this time, we pray for (add names of those requesting prayer)]. (Short Silence)
Lord in your mercy: Hear our prayer
Merciful God, we pray for all those departed this life and for those who are bereaved by their passing. [Remembering especially (add names of the recently departed)] (Pause) We pray too for all those whose anniversary of their passing falls at this time [remembering especially (add names of those on Anniversary list)] (Pause)Help us to be sympathetic, caring and loving with all who are bereaved. May we always be ready to help practically, and to pray diligently for them in their time of great need. (Short Silence)
Lord in your mercy: Hear our prayer
Holy God, we thank you that your wisdom not only enlightens us, but that it transforms and guides us as we go from this place of worship and into our daily walk through life with you.
Merciful Father: Accept these prayers for the sake of your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen
The Lord’s Prayer is said.
The Collect for Trinity 12
Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray and to give more than either we desire or deserve:
pour down upon us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid and giving us those good things which we are not worthy to ask but through the merits and mediation of 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 second collect, for peace.
O God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life,
to serve you is perfect freedom: defend us in all assaults of our enemies, that we, surely trusting in your protection, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The third collect, for grace.
Eternal God and Father, by your power we are created and by your love we are redeemed: guide and strengthen us by your Spirit, that we may give ourselves to you in love and service of one another; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all, evermore. Amen.
Let us bless the Lord. Thanks be to God.
