Collect, Readings and Prayers for the 15th Sunday after Trinity
Collect
God, who in generous mercy sent the Holy Spirit upon your Church in the burning fire of your love: grant that your people may be fervent in the fellowship of the gospel that, always abiding in you, they may be found steadfast in faith and active in service; 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
Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15
Jeremiah Buys a Field During the Siege
1The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the tenth year of King Zedekiah of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar. 2 At that time the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and the prophet Jeremiah was confined in the court of the guard that was in the palace of the king of Judah, 3 where King Zedekiah of Judah had confined him.
6 Jeremiah said, The word of the Lord came to me: 7 Hanamel son of your uncle Shallum is going to come to you and say, ‘Buy my field that is at Anathoth, for the right of redemption by purchase is yours.’ 8 Then my cousin Hanamel came to me in the court of the guard, in accordance with the word of the Lord, and said to me, ‘Buy my field that is at Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, for the right of possession and redemption is yours; buy it for yourself.’ Then I knew that this was the word of the Lord.
9 And I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel, and weighed out the money to him, seventeen shekels of silver. 10 I signed the deed, sealed it, got witnesses, and weighed the money on scales. 11 Then I took the sealed deed of purchase, containing the terms and conditions, and the open copy; 12 and I gave the deed of purchase to Baruch son of Neriah son of Mahseiah, in the presence of my cousin Hanamel, in the presence of the witnesses who signed the deed of purchase, and in the presence of all the Judeans who were sitting in the court of the guard. 13 In their presence I charged Baruch, saying, 14 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Take these deeds, both this sealed deed of purchase and this open deed, and put them in an earthenware jar, in order that they may last for a long time. 15 For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land.
1 Timothy 6: 6-19
6 Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; 7 for we brought nothing into the world, so that[a] we can take nothing out of it; 8 but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. 9 But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.
The Good Fight of Faith
11 But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made[b] the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 In the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14 to keep the commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which he will bring about at the right time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords. 16 It is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honour and eternal dominion. Amen.
17 As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, 19 thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life.
Luke 16:19-31
The Rich Man and Lazarus
19 ‘There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham.[a] The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side.[b] 24 He called out, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.” 25 But Abraham said, “Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. 26 Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.” 27 He said, “Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father’s house— 28 for I have five brothers—that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.” 29 Abraham replied, “They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.” 30 He said, “No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.” 31 He said to him, “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.”’
Prayers
Everlasting God, you are the source of growth and blessed are those who love you. We come before you, seeking your love, your way, your peace; offering our love, our choices, our worship; listening for wisdom, for challenge, for your ways.
Recognising the brokenness of our world and yearning for an end to hostilities everywhere, but in particular in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan, we pray for all leaders everywhere that they may be given wisdom and may work towards establishing peaceful solutions, where justice and fairness for all may reign. At home we pray for our government, and at this time of party conferences, for all our politicians, asking that you will guide them into making choices that improve our economic position and bring prosperity to our country, but a prosperity which benefits those most in need and creates a harmonious society which promotes compassion and tolerance.
Faithful God, you call us to follow, and you warn us of the cost of discipleship, as your love overwhelms all our life. We pray for those who pay a very high cost for faith, as they face danger, persecution or death for what they believe. We remember those who cry out for peace as they work in their communities and across the world to end conflict. We pray for those who speak up against systems of power, as they seek to transform economics and politics for the good of all.
Father God, we pray today for your creation, paying such a high price for our development, greed and progress. We remember today the land that is no longer flourishing, as water floods or runs dry and seeds cannot grow or bear fruit. We pray for the seas and all that is in them, where rising temperatures and major changes bring death. Motivate each one of us to do whatever we can in our own small ways to preserve the resources of our planet and reduce the effects of global warming.
Loving God, we pray for your church throughout the world. Keep us from distraction and self-indulgence, and help us to live as people of your kingdom.. Bless our bishops, clergy, and all who lead, that your church may be known for compassion, courage, and generosity. For ourselves we pray for an increase in outgoing hospitality and a spirit that is not possessive of family and friends, but inclusive of all. Open our eyes to those at our gates, that we may serve the poor, welcome the stranger, and share your love in word and action. Give us grace to notice the overlooked and to carry your blessing into the places we live and work
Forgive us Lord when we focus on material wealth and cling to our possessions as a form of security. Awaken us to a better way of living, where we find our security in you and have courage to reject wrong principles and embrace your ways.
The Sick
God of compassion, we bring before you those who suffer in body, mind, or spirit. For the sick, the weary, the anxious, and the dying. We bring before you those who are on our own hearts at this time ………. Surround them with your healing presence, guide those who care for them, and give hope and strength to all in need.
Amen
You may also wish to include the following in your prayers:
Woodfield Team Prayer
God our Father,
You long to draw all people into your love;
increase in number your church here
and throughout the Woodfield Team,
deepen us as followers and learners of Christ and give us courage to share
the good news of your kingdom.
We pray this in the power of your Spirit,
to the glory of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen