Collect, Readings & Prayers the Twelfth Sunday after Trinity

Collect

Almighty and everlasting God,

you are always more ready to hear than we to pray

and to give more than either we desire or deserve:

pour down upon us the abundance of your mercy,

forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid

and giving us those good things

which we are not worthy to ask

but through the merits and mediation

of 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.

Exodus 1:8-2:10

The Israelites Are Oppressed

⁸ Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. ⁹ He said to his people, ‘Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and more powerful than we. ¹⁰ Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase and, in the event of war, join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.’ ¹¹ Therefore they set taskmasters over them to oppress them with forced labour. They built supply cities, Pithom and Rameses, for Pharaoh. ¹² But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread, so that the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites. ¹³ The Egyptians became ruthless in imposing tasks on the Israelites, ¹⁴ and made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar and brick and in every kind of field labour. They were ruthless in all the tasks that they imposed on them.

¹⁵ The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, ¹⁶ ‘When you act as midwives to the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, she shall live.’ ¹⁷ But the midwives feared God; they did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but they let the boys live. ¹⁸ So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, ‘Why have you done this, and allowed the boys to live?’ ¹⁹ The midwives said to Pharaoh, ‘Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.’ ²⁰ So God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied and became very strong. ²¹ And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. ²² Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, ‘Every boy that is born to the Hebrews you shall throw into the Nile, but you shall let every girl live.’

Birth and Youth of Moses

2 Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a Levite woman. ² The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a fine baby, she hid him for three months. ³ When she could hide him no longer she got a papyrus basket for him, and plastered it with bitumen and pitch; she put the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the bank of the river. ⁴ His sister stood at a distance, to see what would happen to him.

⁵ The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her attendants walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid to bring it. ⁶ When she opened it, she saw the child. He was crying, and she took pity on him. ‘This must be one of the Hebrews’ children,’ she said. ⁷ Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, ‘Shall I go and get you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?’ ⁸ Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, ‘Yes.’ So the girl went and called the child’s mother. ⁹ Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, ‘Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will give you your wages.’ So the woman took the child and nursed it. ¹⁰ When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and she took him as her son. She named him Moses, ‘because’, she said, ‘I drew him out of the water.’

OR

Isaiah 51:1-6

Blessings in Store for God’s People

51 Listen to me, you that pursue righteousness,
    you that seek the Lord.
Look to the rock from which you were hewn,
    and to the quarry from which you were dug.
² Look to Abraham your father
    and to Sarah who bore you;
for he was but one when I called him,
    but I blessed him and made him many.
³ For the Lord will comfort Zion;
    he will comfort all her waste places,
and will make her wilderness like Eden,
    her desert like the garden of the Lord;
joy and gladness will be found in her,
    thanksgiving and the voice of song.

⁴ Listen to me, my people,
    and give heed to me, my nation;
for a teaching will go out from me,
    and my justice for a light to the peoples.
⁵ I will bring near my deliverance swiftly,
    my salvation has gone out
    and my arms will rule the peoples;
the coastlands wait for me,
    and for my arm they hope.
⁶ Lift up your eyes to the heavens,
    and look at the earth beneath;
for the heavens will vanish like smoke,
    the earth will wear out like a garment,
    and those who live on it will die like gnats;
but my salvation will be for ever,
    and my deliverance will never be ended.

Romans 12:1-8

The New Life in Christ

12 I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. ² Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.

³ For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgement, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. ⁴ For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, ⁵ so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. ⁶ We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ⁷ ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; ⁸ the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.

  Matthew 16:13-20

¹³ Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ ¹⁴ And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ ¹⁵ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ ¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ ¹⁷ And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. ¹⁸ And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. ¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’ ²⁰ Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

Prayers

Let us bring to God our prayers for the unity of the church, for the needs of the world and for the welfare of our own communities giving thanks for his promise to hear us when we pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.

• Everlasting God, we thank you for the gift of your Son Jesus Christ and for revealing him as Messiah and Saviour of the World. Thank you that your Son gave St Peter the keys to the kingdom as a reward for his lively and outspoken faith and so became the bedrock foundation of your church here on earth. We pray for unity among your people throughout the world. Forgive the anger, prejudice and lack of love which has caused such terrible divisions among us. We pray that your Spirit of peace will fill us with renewed commitment to work for unity that we may speak with one voice to a world longing to hear the Good News of your salvation. Amen

• Lord of the Church, we thank you for our church leaders; locally in our Deanery & Diocese and throughout the Anglican Communion. We pray for all who preach your word, inspire, lead and grow us as disciples as we reach out to those in need in our communities and in our world. We pray for the future of the church, especially for rural churches, struggling to keep going with declining congregations. We pray for churches in towns and cities as they welcome in and encourage new generations of believers. We pray for our church schools, and all schools, that demanding curricula may still find time and space to share the word of God with children. Amen

• A prayer for breakthrough

God of love, God for all

Your purposes are more beautiful than we can possibly imagine.

Fill us with your Holy Spirit.

Help us let go of all that holds us back.

Open our lives and our churches to new seasons of humility and faith, of change and growth.

Shake us up with the good news of Jesus and show us the way.

Amen.

• Lord of all nations, we pray for peace, justice and reconciliation in all places of conflict in our world thinking especially of Ukraine, Gaza, the Congo, Sudan and Myanmar and the war with Iran. We give thanks for all those who work behind the scenes to bring about an end to war and oppression. We pray that your Spirit of peace will fill those in authority with a new resolve to use their power and authority for the good of all people. Amen

• Loving God, we ask for your wisdom to discern your wishes and direction in our lives and ask for your help to discern how to deal with others in our daily lives; those we live and work with; those we meet in shops and supermarkets; those with whom we share our roads and those who serve us in cafes and restaurants.  May we never be a "stumbling block" to those we meet in our daily lives and may our closeness to family and friends make us never exclusive, shutting others out, but always inclusive, welcoming others. Encourage us in outgoing hospitality and keep us from becoming possessive with those we love. Amen

• Lord of our lives, we pray for our own communities: our neighbours, our colleagues at work; our friends and our families. We pray for the grace and humility we need to bring love and understanding into broken relationships. We pray especially for all those who are at risk in homes where there is violence and abuse. We pray that your Spirit of peace will protect the vulnerable, restrain the angry and bring comfort and new insight into the lives of those who feel trapped and alone. Amen

• Gracious God, we pray for all who we know who are housebound and in nursing homes; those in hospitals, in recovery and rehabilitation. We thank you for our local hospitals, health centres and clinics and for all those working in sheltered accommodation and care homes. We pray for any known to us who are sick in body, mind or spirit; those who are worried about their jobs, relationships, and what the future might hold. Strengthen them Lord and may your Holy Spirit bring them healing and peace. Amen

• Heavenly Father, we lift up all individuals and families who are without a safe place to live, sleep, or find security. Comfort those who face the cold, hunger, and uncertainty of life on the streets, and guide them toward warmth, provision, and lasting hope. We pray for the success of the Prime Minister’s initiative to end rough sleeping by Christmas and pray that this may not be just a temporary measure but that long term plans may emerge to resolve the problem of homelessness and provide safe accommodation for all. Amen
• God of love, awaken our souls. God of power, protect us in temptation. God of forgiveness, cleanse us by the blood of Christ. God of saints, let us share in their inheritance. God of rest, let us be yours for ever. Amen.

Mary Gilbert, daughter of Nathaniel and Elizabeth Gilbert (died 1768, aged 16)

• Heavenly Father we thank you for your compassion and mercy and for your steadfast love for all your children. Accept our prayers and keep our hearts and minds open to the guidance of your Holy Spirit so that your love can flow through us to others whether friend or stranger. Amen.