5th October
online Morning Prayer from St.Mary’s.
Harvest Festival: St.Peter’s & St.John’s
Deuteronomy 26:1-11
As Moses addresses the Hebrews before his death, he reminds them of God’s care for them in the wilderness and instructs them that each year they must celebrate the harvest bringing produce with joy and thankfulness to present to the priest.
When you have come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, and you possess it, and settle in it, you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place that the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his name. You shall go to the priest who is in office at that time, and say to him, "Today I declare to the Lord your God that I have come into the land that the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us.” When the priest takes the basket from your hand and sets it down before the altar of the Lord your God, you shall make this response before the Lord your God: "A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous. When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing hard labor on us, we cried to the Lord, the God of our ancestors; the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders; and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that you, O Lord, have given me." You shall set it down before the Lord your God and bow down before the Lord your God. Then you, together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house.
John 6:25-35
When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?” Jesus answered them, "Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.” Then they said to him, "What must we do to perform the works of God?” Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” So they said to him, "What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, "He gave them bread from heaven to eat.' “ Then Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, "Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
Something to think about
One of the ways John’s account of the life and ministry of Jesus differs from the synoptic gospels, is the way he included the so-called ‘I am’ sayings (eg the light of the world, the good shepherd). These illustrated vividly particular aspects of who he was. The saying ‘I am the bread of life’ was spoken soon after the feeding of the 5,000 and would have reminded the people of the story of God’d gifts of manna, quails and water in the wilderness.
Collect
Creator God,
in the evolution of time your hand has shaped the world:
as we give thanks for the fruits of the earth,
enrich our lives with the fruits of your love;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Post Communion
Lord of the harvest,
with joy we have offered thanksgiving for your love in creation
and have shared in the bread and the wine of the kingdom:
by your grace plant within us a reverence for all that you give us
and make us generous and wise stewards of the good things we enjoy;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Trinity 16, St.Oswald’s.
2 Timothy 1:1-14
Paul writes to Timothy who was a friend and partner in Paul’s work, and also a leader in the church in Ephesus, encouraging and advising him about his responsibilities in his ministry.
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, for the sake of the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I am grateful to God—whom I worship with a clear conscience, as my ancestors did—when I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you. For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline. Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace. This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. For this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher, and for this reason I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know the one in whom I have put my trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that day what I have entrusted to him. Hold to the standard of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us.
Luke 17:5-10
The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!"The Lord replied, "If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, "Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you."Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, "Come here at once and take your place at the table’? Would you not rather say to him, "Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink’? Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, "We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!' "
Something to think about
As the disciples became more aware of the difficulties they might face as followers of Jesus, they asked for advice, which Jesus offered through short parables leaving them to think it out for themselves. Parables were a favourite method of teaching used by Jesus and Jewish Rabbis, encouraging pupils to discuss and come to their own conclusions.
Collect
Lord of creation, whose glory is around and within us:
open our eyes to your wonders, that we may serve you with reverence
and come to our lives’ end in peace,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Post 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.
Next Sunday’s (12th) Readings:
2 Kings 5:1-3,7-15
Luke 17:11-19
Please remember in your prayers this week:
Those who are unable to be with us in church, including Linda Torr and Arthur Williams.
Those who are ill.
The recently bereaved, especially the family and friends of Nicholas Flux, Rita Mawbey and Duncan Renshaw.
Areas of conflict: the Ukraine, the Middle East and too many others.
Our local churches.
Our Ministry Team: Dwayne, Maggie, Nigel & Lynda.