The Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
The gift of love
Sentence
I shall live through you O Lord and my children shall serve you; to a people as yet unborn they shall make known the saving deeds you have done. Psalm 22:30,31
Collects
Give us, we pray you, gentle God,
a mind forgetful of past injury,
a will to seek the good of others
and a heart of love.
Grant us, Jesus, that tender, indestructible love
which asks forgiveness for its executioners
and gives hope to the thief on the cross.
Keep us compassionate when the way is hard,
and gentle with those who oppose us.
Lord God,
you have taught us
that anything we do without love is worth nothing,
for whoever lives without love
is counted dead before you;
send your Holy Spirit,
and pour into our hearts
that most excellent gift of love,
the true bond of peace and of all virtues;
grant this for the sake of your Son Jesus Christ.
Psalms 116; 103
Readings
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1 |
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 |
Love the Lord your God |
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1 John 4:7-21 |
God is love |
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Luke 7:36-50 |
The woman who was a sinner |
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2 |
2 Samuel 23:13-17 |
A precious gift |
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1 John 3:11-24 |
The way of love |
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John 15:9-17 |
Abiding in love |
The Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
The gift of wisdom
Sentence
Satisfy us in the morning O Lord with your constant love. Teach us to know how few are our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom. Psalm 90:14,12
Collects
Almighty God,
fount of all wisdom, crown of all knowledge;
give us eyes to see
and minds to understand your marvellous works,
that we may know you through your handiwork
and use your creations to your glory;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
God of mercy,
you have blessed us beyond our dreams;
you have set before us promises and perils
beyond our understanding;
help us to struggle and pray
that the perils may be averted
and your promises fulfilled.
Save us, Lord,
from the worship of power or science.
Save us from making you in our image,
and keep us humble.
Psalms 111; 18:1-30
Readings
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1 |
Proverbs 3:13-23 |
The blessings of wisdom |
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James 3:13-18 |
The two wisdoms |
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Matthew 7:21-29 |
The wise and the foolish |
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2 |
Wisdom 9:1-12 |
A king’s prayer for wisdom |
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Or |
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1 Kings 3:4-15a |
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Colossians 1:24 - 2:7 |
The riches of assured |
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Matthew 25:14-30 |
The parable of the talents |
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The Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost
The fulfilment of life
Sentence
Happy are those whose helper is the God of Jacob; whose hope is in the Lord their God, who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them, who keeps a promise for ever. Psalm 146:5,6
Collects
Eternal God,
light of the minds that know you,
joy of the hearts that love you,
strength of the wills that serve you;
grant us so to know you that we may truly love you,
and so to love you that we may gladly serve you,
now and always.
We pray you, Jesus, take the old water,
our busy, conscientious lives,
and turn them into gospel wine,
that everyone may see your life
and thirst.
Merciful God,
you have prepared for those who love you
such good things as pass our understanding;
pour into our hearts such love towards you
that, loving you above all else,
we may obtain your promises,
which exceed all that we can desire;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Psalms 84; 20
Readings
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1 |
Isaiah 65:17-25 |
New heavens and new earth |
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1 Thessalonians 3:6-13 |
Perfected at his coming |
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Matthew 5:1-12 |
The truly blessed |
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2 |
Isaiah 62:1-7 |
Jerusalem to be transformed |
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Revelation 21:22 - 22:5 |
The heavenly city |
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Mark 10:17-31 |
One thing necessary |
The Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Fear of the Lord
Sentence
You O Lord are in your holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before you. Habakkuk 2:20 (adapted)
Collects
Father,
imprint upon our hearts
that because we belong to you
no one can pluck us from your hand,
and because we fear you
we need fear no other.
Holy God, grant us the beginning of wisdom
and love to cast out every fear:
that we may grow more brave,
more ready to hear,
more ready to obey.
Holy God, holy and strong, holy and immortal,
keep us under the protection of your good providence,
and help us continually
to revere and love your holy name;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Psalms 65; 96
Readings
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1 |
Genesis 28:10-17 |
An awesome place |
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Hebrews 12:18-29 |
Worship with reverence |
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Mark 4:35-41 |
They were filled with awe |
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2 |
Job 28:20-28 |
The fear of the Lord is wisdom |
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1 Peter 1:13-21 |
Conduct yourselves with fear |
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Luke 5:1-11 |
He was astonished |
The Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Joy in the Lord
Sentence
You O Lord are my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in you and I am helped; therefore my heart dances for joy, and in my song I will praise you. Psalm 28:8
Collects
God of all delight, grant us that joy
which none can take from us,
of having a work to do,
a life to live;
that joy in believing
which will carry us through temptation,
anxiety and grief.
Father,
let us not serve you grudgingly like slaves,
but with the gladness of children
who delight in you
and rejoice in your work.
Almighty God,
for the joy that was set before him
your Son endured the cross,
and by his resurrection turned our sorrow into joy;
help us to rejoice in his power
that we may walk in his way with glad obedience;
through our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Psalms 100; 126
Readings
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1 |
Isaiah 12 |
Joy in salvation |
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Hebrews 12:1-11 |
Joy set before him |
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John 16:16-24 |
Sorrow turned into joy |
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2 |
Isaiah 61:10-11 |
I will greatly rejoice |
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Philippians 4:1-9 |
Joy and peace |
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Luke 15:1-10 |
Joy in heaven |
The Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost
Prayer in the Lord
Sentence
Through the abundance of your steadfast love, I will come into your house, and bow low in reverence toward your holy temple. Psalm 5:7
Collects
Almighty and merciful God,
more ready to hear than we to pray,
giving more than either we desire or deserve;
pour down upon us the abundance of your mercy,
forgive us those things
of which our conscience is afraid,
and give us those good things
which we are not worthy to ask,
except through your Son our Saviour
Jesus Christ.
Come, Holy Spirit, with the new fire;
when our prayer seems to fail,
when we hear no voice nor any answer,
rouse us and light our way.
All-seeing God,
teach us to be open with you about our needs,
to seek your support in our trials,
to admit before you our sins,
and to thank you for all your goodness.
Psalms 42; 121
Readings
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1 |
1 Kings 18:30-39 |
A prayer of Elijah |
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Philippians 1:3-11 |
A prayer of Paul |
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Luke 11:1-13 |
Jesus on prayer |
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2 |
1 Kings 8:27-30 |
Solomon’s prayer |
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Colossians 1:1-14 |
A prayer of Paul |
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Matthew 6:5-15 |
Jesus on prayer |
The Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost
Our lives
Sentence
Taste and see how gracious the Lord is; happy are those who find refuge in the Most High. Psalm 34:8
Collects
Holy and eternal God,
give us such trust in your sure purpose,
that we measure our lives
not by what we have done or failed to do,
but by our faithfulness to you.
Almighty God,
you have made us for yourself,
and our hearts are restless
till they find their rest in you;
so lead us by your Spirit
that in this life we may live to your glory
and in the life to come enjoy you for ever;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Your cross, Jesus, remains like a tree on a hill.
You show me where I am,
you take away my fear,
and set me on my course again;
help me to watch for you night and day.
Psalms 139:1-18; 81
Readings
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1 |
Job 29:7-17 |
A model life |
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Philippians 3:3-14 |
Put no confidence in the flesh |
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Mark 10:35-45 |
You must be perfect |
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2 |
Genesis 13:1-12 |
A generous offer |
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Philippians 2:1-13 |
Do nothing from selfishness |
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Matthew 5:38-48 |
True greatness |
The Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost
Our homes
Sentence
How good and pleasant a thing it is when God’s people live together in unity. Psalm 133:1
Collects
Gentle God,
grant that at home
where we are most truly ourselves,
where we are known at our best and worst,
we may learn to forgive and be forgiven.
God, the mother and father of us all,
you have created families and love of every kind.
Give us courage to listen to each other and to learn,
and grant us the gentle blessing
which a home can give.
Almighty and everloving God,
your Son Jesus Christ shared at Nazareth
the life of an earthly home;
grant that we and all your children
may live together in peace and joy,
until we come to that eternal home
which you have prepared for those that love you;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Psalms 127; 128
Readings
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1 |
Genesis 45:1-15 |
Family affection |
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Titus 2:1-10 |
An early Christian household |
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Mark 10:1-16 |
Marriage and children |
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Or |
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Luke 8:40-42,49b-56 |
Jesus’ compassion for a family |
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2 |
Deuteronomy 11:18-21 |
Family teaching |
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Ephesians 3:14-21 |
From the Father every family |
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Luke 10:38-42 |
The home of Martha and Mary |
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The Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost
Our neighbours
Sentence
Arise O Lord God and lift up your hand; do not forget the poor in their need; the poor commit themselves to you; for you are the helper of the orphaned. Psalm 10:13,16
Collects
Almighty God,
you teach us in your word
that love is the fulfiling of the law:
grant that we may love you with all our heart
and our neighbours as ourselves;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Save us, Jesus, from hurrying away,
because we do not wish to help,
because we know not how to help,
because we dare not.
Inspire us to use our lives
serving one another.
Jesus Christ, you have taught us
that what we do to each other, we do to you;
make us quick to help and slow to hurt,
knowing that in our neighbour it is you
who receive our love or our neglect.
Psalms 15; 41
Readings
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1 |
Leviticus 19:9-18 |
Love of neighbour |
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1 Corinthians 13 |
A hymn to love |
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Luke 10:25-37 |
Who is my neighbour? |
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2 |
Deuteronomy 22:1-4 |
Neighbourly conduct |
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1 John 2:1-11 |
Obedience and love |
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Luke 14:1-14 |
Expecting no return |
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Or |
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Luke 16:19-31 |
The rich man and Lazarus |
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The Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost*
Our country
Sentence
The Lord who dwells on high is exalted, and will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge. Isaiah 33:5,6
Collects
God of nations, help us to reflect and share
the goodness that surrounds us.
Help us to win justice for poor and rich alike,
and bring trust and friendship
to all our different races.
God of all the earth,
you have given us the heritage
of this good and fertile land;
grant that we may so respect and use it
that others may thank us
for what we leave to them.
God of nations,
you have given us a good land for our heritage;
inspire in the people of our country
a love of peace and a zeal for justice,
that we may use our liberty
in accordance with your will;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Psalms 72:1-14; 149
Readings
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1 |
Deuteronomy 8:6-10 |
A good land |
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1 Peter 2:11-17 |
Respect for authority |
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Mark 12:13-17 |
The things of Caesar |
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2 |
Isaiah 5:1-7 |
God’s land is judged |
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Romans 13:1-7 |
Authority in the state |
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Mark 12:1-12 |
A treacherous nation |
* The 24th to 27th Sunday after Pentecost are used each year as required.
The Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost
Our world
Sentence
From the rising of the sun to its setting my name is great among the nations, and in every place incense is offered to my name, and a pure offering; for my name is great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts. Malachi 1:11
Collects
Almighty God,
govern the hearts and minds of those in authority
and mercifully grant that the peoples of the world,
divided and torn apart by sin,
may be brought together
under the gentle rule of Christ.
Almighty and eternal God,
you have made of one blood all the nations of the earth
and will that they live together
in peace and harmony;
so order the course of this world
that all peoples may be brought together
under Christ’s most gentle rule;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Universal and unchanging God,
we are one, unalterably one,
with all the human race.
Grant that we who share Christ’s blood
may, through your unifying Spirit,
break down the walls that divide us.
Psalms 82; 16
Readings
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1 |
Zechariah 8:20-23 |
Many nations seek God |
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Romans 10:9-17 |
Salvation for all who believe |
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John 12:20(27)-36 |
I will draw everyone to myself |
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2 |
Isaiah 19:21-25 |
Egypt and Assyria one |
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Acts 17:22-31 |
From one, |
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Matthew 8:5-13 |
Many will come |
The Twenty-sixth Sunday after Pentecost
Things of eternal worth
Sentence
Your throne O Lord has stood firm from of old; from all eternity you are God. Mightier than the noise of great waters; mightier than the waves of the sea; so the Lord on high is mighty. Psalm 93:3,5
Collects
God, you have given us a lodging in this world
but not an abiding city.
Help us, as a pilgrim people, to endure hardness,
knowing that at the end of our journey
Christ has prepared a place for us.
Eternal God,
protector of all who put their trust in you,
without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy;
fill us with your mercy and your grace
that with you to rule and guide
we may so use the good things of this present life
that we do not neglect things of eternal worth;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Lord,
help us to see:
to see what is eternally good and true,
and having seen, to go on searching
until we come to the joys of heaven.
Psalms 9:1-10; 71
Readings
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1 |
2 Kings 6:8-17 |
Armies visible and invisible |
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2 Corinthians 4:16-5:10 |
Things seen and unseen |
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Luke 16:1-13 |
No one can serve two masters |
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2 |
Isaiah 55:6-11 |
God’s ways and ours |
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Philippians 3:13b-21 |
Citizenship in heaven |
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John 15:18-25 |
Jesus and the world |
The Twenty-seventh Sunday after Pentecost
The two ways
Sentence
What does the Lord who has showed you what is good require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8
Collects
Jesus our guide, we journey in faith to resurrection,
through failure, through success,
through whatever lies ahead;
for you are the way, and life.
Almighty God, you alone can bring order
to our unruly wills and affections;
give us grace to love what you command
and desire what you promise,
that in all the changes and chances
of this uncertain world,
our hearts may surely there be fixed
where true joys are to be found;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
God our ruler and guide,
when we come to the place where the road divides,
keep us true to the way of Christ,
alive to present opportunities,
and confident of eternal life.
Psalms 1; 112
Readings
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1 |
Deuteronomy 30:11-20 |
Life or death |
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Philippians 2:12-18 |
Lights in a dark world |
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Luke 9:18-27 |
The way of the cross |
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2 |
Proverbs 4:10-19 |
The way of wisdom |
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Ephesians 5:15-20 |
Look carefully how you walk |
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Matthew 7:13-23 |
The easy way and the hard |
Sunday before Advent
Preparedness
Sentence
But as for me, I keep watch for the Lord; I wait in hope for God my Saviour; my God will hear me. Micah 7:7 (adapted)
Collects
Keep your Church alert, Holy Spirit,
ready to hear when you are calling,
and when you challenge us.
Keep us hopeful, Holy Spirit,
knowing that Christ will come again.
Rouse our spirits, Lord Jesus,
that whenever you come to the door and knock
you may find us awake,
ready to admit and serve you.
Stir up, O Lord,
the wills of your faithful people
that, richly bearing the fruit of good works,
they may by you be richly rewarded;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Psalms 98; 70
Readings
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1 |
Malachi 3:13-18 |
The Day is coming |
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1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 |
The coming of the Lord |
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Luke 12:35-40 |
Waiting for the master |
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2 |
Isaiah 30:8-14 |
A people unprepared |
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1 Peter 4:7-19 |
The end at hand |
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Matthew 24:32-44 |
Watch, therefore |