Lectionary for Pentecost 13
Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God. John 6:68-69
Collect. Let us pray (that our minds may be fixed on eternal truth): Lord our God, all truth is from you, and you alone bring oneness of heart. Give your people the joy of hearing your word amid the din of human noise, and of longing for your presence more than for life itself. May all the attractions of a changing world point us to the peace of your kingdom, a peace which this world does not give. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Reading. 1 Kings 8:[1, 6, 10-11], 22-30, 41-43. As we read the verses in the square brackets we see that the writer sets the scene for Solomon’s prayer. The leaders of the tribes are gathered together; the Ark of the Covenant is set as the focal piece, and then the awesome presence of God is acknowledged. So in the centre of the scene Solomon begins his prayer of dedication. The prayer is broadly divided into three parts. Solomon recalls the great character of God and so there is much praise and thanksgiving. God is the one who has covenanted with the people and guided them from slavery into this the Land of Promise and freedom. With great power God has established a secure kingdom with which to uphold his name. As Solomon accepts with thanksgiving all that God has done, he also admits that the covenant is conditional on obediently following the commandments and remaining faithful to God. This leads Solomon on to asking that God will be merciful when any of the people fall away and call on God for forgiveness. Solomon asks for mercy because he knows that God is merciful but he also knows that people often do stray away from the right paths. Solomon is appealing to God in recognition of the quality of God’s nature and character. The prayer ends with a prophetic vision of the future. As has been noted before the Book of Kings is not simply an historic record but from a Hebrew point of view it is a prophetic book. Thus Solomon’s prayer casts forward to a time when other nations will come and pay homage to the God of Israel. Solomon’s prayer is an excellent model of prayer. It brings to mind all the attributes which make God great. It is as we focus on God’s nature and character that we are drawn to follow in joyful obedience: yet at the same time recognise that we often fall short of true obedience. As we call on God for mercy it is the joy of forgiveness which brings us that realisation of how personal is our relationship with God. Our God is merciful because he is all loving. Prayer will always have an eye on the future for we know that God is active in our world and in our lives and can and does change the situation.
Prayer. Almighty and Everlasting God; the Eternal Lord of all. By your creative power you have brought the whole universe into being and now you sustain all things in heaven and earth. We humbly give you all thanks and praise and recognising with wonder how much you love us. We thank you for guiding and protecting us. We praise you for you will bring us into your Kingdom through the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ and establish us together with all your people; we come before you in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord and offer to you all thanks and praise. Amen
Reading. John 6:56-69. Jesus had been teaching about the bread that sustains, “the living bread”: it is bread which sustains for all eternity, not simply bread that satisfies hunger only to be hungry again. The Jewish way was to observe the commandments which to some extent gave the follower some choices. Commitment was a choice. They held dear the bread or Manna which was gifted to the tribe in order to sustain them through the wilderness into the Promised Land. This bread they gathered and ate as they needed it. Jesus is presenting himself as an even greater gift, one that sustains forever. The presentation of this gift swept away the gift of Manna which pointed to Moses. Dietrich Bonheoffer said.”When Jesus calls a man, he bids him come and die”. It was this sense of total commitment without compromise that lead some of the people following Jesus to say, “This is a hard teaching who can accept it?” It was not so much the metaphor they were rejecting it was the principle. Here was someone much greater than Moses. Giving Jesus authority over every aspect of your life is no easy task. This commitment asks for submission and goes against the will and selfhood of a person. Nonetheless, Jesus taught this total commitment was the only way to receive the eternal life that God gives. To feed on him is to let him be the one who guides and directs for he holds our destiny in his hands. It means putting his principles and ideals first. Not simply by example, picking and choosing but by giving in to him. It means letting him take complete control. Jesus true disciples were to face the challenge of giving in and letting God’s values and principles rule supreme. Only then were they participating in the flesh and blood of Jesus. It was a mystical union, played out in the realities of life. This is the challenge believers’ face each time they take communion. True communion is much more than receiving a portion of bread and wine. Communion is a constant remembrance of what Jesus has done for us and is a reminder of our need to totally rely on him. It recounts the phrase used in the Methodist Covenant Service, “I am no longer my own but yours”.
Prayer. Almighty God we give you all thanks and praise for sending your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord to be our Saviour. We thank you that in your great and generous love we are never alone, never forsaken, for Jesus is with us at all times. Lord, though we often feel separated from you, you are always present. We praise you for the companionship that you afford us in Jesus Christ. May we have the faith to trust Jesus to guide and direct all we do. Lord we so easily lose sight of your true call upon our lives, help us to live for you. Help us to live lives that praise you and clearly give your will and way the priority it deserves and demands. Grant us the insight and wisdom to discern what your will is for our lives: give us the courage to face up to whatever you call us to do. May your good and gracious will be done in us, bringing blessings both to us and to all those with whom we have contact. O Lord, let us live to honour and praise your name. Grow us on in service to you O Lord. Amen.
Collect. Lord Jesus, we have tasted, and you are good; we have seen and touched you, and your word feeds us for eternal life. Keep us close to you, trusting your promises, for you are the Holy One of God, and we can go to no other. Amen.
ericjkirkham.com 