Lectionary for Pentecost 7

Lectionary for Pentecost 7

Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.           Luke 11:9

Collect. Almighty God, your Son Jesus Christ fed the hungry with the bread of his life and the word of his kingdom. Renew your people with your heavenly grace, and in all our weakness sustain us by Christ the true and living bread, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Reading. Colossians 2:6-15 [16-19]. Paul sees that by accepting Jesus as Lord a person receives all that Jesus has to offer, the fullness of forgiveness, the fullness of blessing and a welcome into the family of God. This then is the building block which gives believers the power to live the Christian life. For a Christian the Good News is that Jesus is Lord and his lordship comes through the cross and his resurrection. Once that is firmly in mind then a believer can build their life securely on him, for it will not change. This gives a certainty to life in each and every situation; His lordship does not change. The more one relies on that lordship the stronger faith and confidence is established. Paul then goes on to give a warning about philosophical ideas that can lead people away from the truth. The lordship of Jesus Christ is not a philosophy but a reality; it is a truth that stands firm. It is true that there is symbolism in a person’s baptism but there is also a reality, for in baptism the lordship of Christ takes away the old life and replaces it with the new in a believer’s life. Through baptism we emerge with a new status, we become a righteous child of God. In Christ the old life was nailed to the cross and a new life is established. In bringing about that new life, Jesus has overcome everything that was and is contrary to God’s will. The new life brings with it a new freedom for now our obedience is to Jesus Christ alone. Now we are called to do only those things which demonstrate our love for God and our love for each other.

The congregation had been carefully taught about that freedom. Through false teaching, new laws and observations had been added to the believer’s life and Paul is urging the congregation to keep focussed only on Jesus and his lordship. Keeping Jesus central in our lives is still the one thing we must do!

Prayer. Holy God, in Jesus Christ you have come to us and through Jesus you have given us forgiveness that we may love and serve you alone. Help us to recognise again how you have placed us on solid ground and set us free to rejoice as your children. Change our hearts, so that we will desire you more completely and more fervently and then Lord we will be ready to make a difference for you. Filled with your Spirit’s power let our words and deeds speak authoritatively of your saving grace. May the gentleness of your spirit touch our lives and renew us again. When we have grown cold warm us with your love, when we have walked away from your paths draw us back with strong ties that cannot be broken. When we have been disobedient teach us to recognise our faults and pride and to search diligently for forgiveness. Do not let us presume upon your loving-kindness but on the contrary be always ready to serve with a full heart and willing mind; eager to receive your correction, knowing that only in you can wholeness be found. Lord let our lives count in your service now and always. Amen.

Reading. Luke 11:1-13. The Lord ’s Prayer is a favourite of many but even though it is a beautiful prayer it was given as a model. “Lord, teach us to pray!” Thus it is with these teaching points that we should pray.

Prayer is both natural but also a mystery. I suggest that many prayers are addressed to an unknown god. Jesus on the other hand instructs his disciples to pray to the Father. We are familiar with the opening phrase being, “our Father’ and indeed the Greek does denote a plural form so it is not “my Father”, but is our father. Under God’s fatherhood we are a family and so it is a reminder that when we pray it is always a corporate activity. Even when we pray on our own we are to pray linking our prayer with others. It is a reminder that God is Father to us all and we are linked to that fatherhood through the merits of Jesus Christ.

We pray that God’s name will be highly respected and a part of that is that we who claim a relationship with the Father would live in a way that shows respect to him. We pray also with an eye for the future and the kingdom of God to be established here on earth even as it is in the very presence of God. In an era when people did not know if they could provide enough food for their daily needs the petition for daily bread was vitally important. While in some parts of our world the supply of daily food is still essential for many of us food is readily available. However in our era our prayer would be for the supply of those things which we need but cannot guarantee by ourselves. Even so it is a reminder that without God’s love and care we cannot survive. In Jesus Christ our sins are forgiven and yet this prayer is a constant reminder that we are to forgive as we have been forgiven and anything less puts us in jeopardy. God’s love and grace are universal and outside of Jesus Christ we can claim no special privileges.

The final petition is for God to keep us safe in the spiritual environment where there are many spiritual powers which are in opposition to God. We need God’s shield to keep us safe and able to make right choices in all situations. Only by God’s protective power are we kept from the temptations to do evil rather than good.

The remainder of our reading gives us the needed assurance that God answers prayer. In answering prayer we are always blessed by God, even though our time frame is not always God’s time frame. Jesus ends his teaching by emphasising the need to ask for the Holy Spirit who is freely given. A poignant reminder that without the Holy Spirit we do not, indeed cannot, know how we ought to pray. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. Romans 8:26.

Prayer. Most Holy God,  today we would ask nothing other than our prayers would honour you and give you the praise that you deserve. You are always faithful and constantly supply all that we need and more. Once more we praise you for your bountiful goodness. You know far better than we what lies ahead and so you also know how to sustain us in the ups and downs of life. Forgive us Lord that often our prayers are so self centred; on this day when many of your children go without food we are filled; when many have lost homes and loved ones we experience a peaceful society. Before you we remember the whole world around us and pray for those whose needs only you know. In true humility we look to you and commit our ways to be under your direction; asking only that you guide our steps and our speech. You have a plan and purpose for us and that is why we ask that you give to us the gifts and skills that we will need to be fruitful for your sake. Then Lord, when our day is ended and we pause to rest let us still be aware that your presence continues to surround us. All this we ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Saviour and Lord. Amen.

Collect. Lord Jesus, teach us to pray; increase our confidence in the goodness of our  Father; send your Spirit to help us in our weakness, and give us glimpses of the coming kingdom; for you live now and for ever. Amen.