Collect, Readings & Prayers for the 13^th Sunday after Trinity

Collect

Almighty God,

who called your Church to bear witness

that you were in Christ reconciling the world to yourself:

help us to proclaim the good news of your love,

that all who hear it may be drawn to you;

through him who was lifted up on the cross,

and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

Readings

Exodus 3:1-15

Moses at the Burning Bush

3 Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. ² There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. ³ Then Moses said, ‘I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.’ ⁴ When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ ⁵ Then he said, ‘Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.’ ⁶ He said further, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

⁷ Then the Lord said, ‘I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, ⁸ and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. ⁹ The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. ¹⁰ So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.’ ¹¹ But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?’ ¹² He said, ‘I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain.’

The Divine Name Revealed

¹³ But Moses said to God, ‘If I come to the Israelites and say to them, “The God of your ancestors has sent me to you”, and they ask me, “What is his name?” what shall I say to them?’ ¹⁴ God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am.’ He said further, ‘Thus you shall say to the Israelites, “I am has sent me to you.”’ ¹⁵ God also said to Moses, ‘Thus you shall say to the Israelites, “The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you”:

This is my name for ever,
and this my title for all generations.

OR

Jeremiah 15:15-21

O Lord, you know;
    remember me and visit me,
    and bring down retribution for me on my persecutors.
In your forbearance do not take me away;
    know that on your account I suffer insult.
¹⁶ Your words were found, and I ate them,
    and your words became to me a joy
    and the delight of my heart;
for I am called by your name,
    O Lord, God of hosts.
¹⁷ I did not sit in the company of merrymakers,
    nor did I rejoice;
under the weight of your hand I sat alone,
    for you had filled me with indignation.
¹⁸ Why is my pain unceasing,
    my wound incurable,
    refusing to be healed?
Truly, you are to me like a deceitful brook,
    like waters that fail.

¹⁹ Therefore, thus says the Lord:
If you turn back, I will take you back,
    and you shall stand before me.
If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless,
    you shall serve as my mouth.
It is they who will turn to you,
    not you who will turn to them.
²⁰ And I will make you to this people
    a fortified wall of bronze;
they will fight against you,
    but they shall not prevail over you,
for I am with you
    to save you and deliver you,
says the Lord.
²¹ I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked,
    and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.

Romans 12:9-21

Marks of the True Christian

⁹ Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; ¹⁰ love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honour. ¹¹ Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. ¹² Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. ¹³ Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.

¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. ¹⁶ Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. ¹⁷ Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. ¹⁸ If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. ¹⁹ Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God;  for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ ²⁰ No, ‘if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.’ ²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Matthew 16:21-28

Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection

²¹ From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. ²² And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, ‘God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.’ ²³ But he turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.’

The Cross and Self-Denial

²⁴ Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. ²⁵ For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. ²⁶ For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?

²⁷ ‘For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done. ²⁸ Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.’

Prayers

Friends in Christ,
God invites us to hold the needs of our sisters and brothers
as dear to us as our own needs.
Loving our neighbours as ourselves,
we offer our thanksgivings and our petitions
on behalf of the church and the world.

• God, you are the power of liberation,
  calling your servant Moses
  to lead your people into freedom,
  and giving him the wisdom to proclaim your holy law.

  Through the waters of oppression and death, Lord God,
  you led a people into the burning presence of your love.
  As you fed them in the desert,
  now feed us with the light of your Word

  Your voice burns within the depths of our being,
  O God of our ancestors,
  and draws us into your presence and service.
  Hear the cries of your people
  and speak words of comfort and assurance,
  that we may proclaim to all the earth
  the glory of your name. Amen.

• Heavenly Father, we give you thanks for the men and women of faith, who down the centuries have taught us how to be your children. We give you thanks for the inspiration of their lives and ask that we may grow to be worthy members of the faithful company of your followers and that, in turn, as your Holy Spirit works within us, our lives may be an inspiration to others. Amen

• Loving God,

   We pray for all those affected by the floods in Nepal and Tibet.

   Be near to those who mourn the loss of loved ones, and to all who wait in uncertainty for news of family and friends.

  Hold close those whose homes, livelihoods and communities have been swept away, and all who are shocked, displaced or afraid.

  Strengthen rescue workers, local communities, churches and all who are searching, serving and offering care in the midst of this crisis.

  Grant courage and resilience to those waiting for news, facing uncertainty, and fearing the days ahead.

  As we witness the growing fragility of creation, renew our commitment to care for one another and for the earth of which we are a part.

  In the name of Christ. Amen

• We pray for all people suffering the effects of the extreme weather conditions, including the unprecedented heat this summer and now the torrential rain, bringing the threat of flooding in our own country.  We pray too for those affected by natural disasters and famine around the world, for all who have died and the survivors who have lost loved ones. May those with the means and ability help the poorest in society. Amen

• Lord, we lift up the many places of conflict in our war-torn world. Break the weapons of violence and bring your eternal peace. Look with deep tenderness upon the millions of refugees and displaced families ripped from their homes. Fill the stomachs of the hungry and protect those running for their lives. Break the hard hearts of leaders who chase wealth and power at the cost of human souls. Pour your compassion into their minds and move them to hear the cries of the vulnerable and the suffering. Amen
   
• Prayer of Julian of Norwich

  My Father, how blind and deaf I am – to miss your voice as you speak within my own being! You call to me in my restlessness and       discontent, You guide me by my own confusion….out of myself into you. Keep me faithful while I grope my way along – as one who         searches blindly along a wall – until I understand that there is a door… always open. And the door is you. Amen” 

• Spirit of God, breathing life into all, we give you thanks for our talents and abilities, for the powers of renewal and refreshment. We pray that as we go about our daily lives and experience happiness, disappointments, unexpected events and changes we might find the different aspects of the Trinity at work in us helping us to find reasons for hope and joy. We pray that you will bind us together in unity and love, and that we and your church may reach out in love. We pray for our church leaders and for the ministry of all your faithful people. We pray for the outreach and mission of your church across the world and that we here in our corner of North West Leicestershire may be inspired to find new and imaginative ways of working in our community. Amen

• Lord, we shall shortly once again be entering into discussions about the future of the churches in the Woodfield Team and their part in the Minster Community process. We pray that you will direct and guide us so that we may be wise in our responses to Diocesan proposals and behave with courtesy and dignity but may also have the courage to voice whatever our concerns may be and to promote a way ahead which will best enable us to continue to seek to build up our congregations and reach out in love to the communities in which we are located. Amen

• Father God, we pray for our children and grandchildren who are returning back to school, colleges and universities to continue their education, help us pass on to them the wisdom that has been passed down to us from the generations before us.  Help all students in their daily lessons; give them the wisdom to listen and learn.  Help their teachers and give them patience and knowledge to teach well and help them all as together they learn the lessons of life. Amen

• Loving God, we pray for all who work to rehabilitate offenders in prison, that on release they will not re-offend but find enough support to start a new life in the community. We pray for all who are vulnerable and unable to cope with the demands of life, for alcoholics, drug addicts and all who are sick in mind.  We pray for proper, compassionate help for them. Amen

• We pray to you, dear Lord, for all people who walk in darkness, all who cry out in pain, all who feel beyond hope.  We remember all who are sick and disabled, those in hospital and those who are housebound, especially those who have no one to care for them. May the Good Lord grant them the healing only he can give. Let us pray too for those who have recently died… and for all who mourn, that they may be comforted.  Amen

• Life-giving God,
  heal our lives,
  that we may acknowledge your wonderful deeds
  and offer you thanks from generation to generation
  through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.