Collect, Readings and Prayers for 6th Sunday after Trinity.Collect, Readings and Prayers for the sixth Sunday after Trinity Collect Merciful God, you have prepared for those who love you such good things as pass our understanding: pour into our hearts such love toward you that we, loving you in all things and above all things, may obtain your promises, which exceed all that we can desire; 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. Readings Genesis 25:19-34 The Birth and Youth of Esau and Jacob 19 These are the descendants of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham was the father of Isaac, 20 and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, sister of Laban the Aramean. 21 Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord granted his prayer, and his wife Rebekah conceived. 22 The children struggled together within her; and she said, ‘If it is to be this way, why do I live?’ So she went to inquire of the Lord. 23 And the Lord said to her, ‘Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples born of you shall be divided; one shall be stronger than the other, the elder shall serve the younger.’ 24 When her time to give birth was at hand, there were twins in her womb. 25 The first came out red, all his body like a hairy mantle; so they named him Esau. 26 Afterwards his brother came out, with his hand gripping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them. 27 When the boys grew up, Esau was a skilful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents. 28 Isaac loved Esau, because he was fond of game; but Rebekah loved Jacob. Esau Sells His Birthright 29 Once when Jacob was cooking a stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was famished. 30 Esau said to Jacob, ‘Let me eat some of that red stuff, for I am famished!’ (Therefore he was called Edom.) 31 Jacob said, ‘First sell me your birthright.’ 32 Esau said, ‘I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?’ 33 Jacob said, ‘Swear to me first.’[d] So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank, and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright. or Isaiah 55:10-13 Thus says the Lord: For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it. 12 For you shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. 13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall be to the Lord for a memorial, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off. Romans 8:1-11 Life in the Spirit 8 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law—indeed it cannot, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you. Matthew 13:1-9,18-23 The Parable of the Sower 13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the lake. 2 Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. 6 But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 Let anyone with ears listen!’ The Parable of the Sower Explained 18 ‘Hear then the parable of the sower. 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. 23 But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.’ Prayers Everlasting God, we pray to you for the needs of the church, the world, our communities and ourselves, trusting in your love which reaches out from before the foundation of the world.  Lord of the harvest, you sow your Word in every age and place. We pray for your Church throughout the world: that we may be faithful hearers of your Word, patient in our witness, and fruitful in lives of love and service. Strengthen all who teach, preach, and nurture faith, especially those who serve our local church and community. Gracious God, we pray for each of those churches, asking that there will be a growing desire to work together and support one another. We give you thanks for those who come up with fresh ways of making your name known to the wider community. We remember the General Synod, which meet this coming week in York and we pray that debates may be courteous and thoughtful and wise decisions may be made. Amen.  God of all creation, you scatter seed upon every soil. We pray for the nations of the world, for places of conflict, division, and hardship, that hearts may be open to justice and peace. As we bring before you the situation regarding the fighting between the US and Iran, Israel and Lebanon, Russia & Ukraine, and the remaining crisis in Gaza, we pray that you will break up the hardened ground of indifference, clear away the thorns of greed and fear, and bring forth a harvest of mercy and grace. Have mercy on us Lord, and help us to end this perpetual cycle of hatred and violence. Amen  Sower of life, your Word falls among us in our daily lives. We pray for our neighbourhood: for those whose lives feel crowded, choked, or worn down. Give us grace to make space for your truth, and courage to live it out with integrity and compassion. Bless all who work to support growth, learning, and care among others. Amen  Father God, we thank you for the love we share with our families and our friends. We recognise that they may have faults and they love us in spite of ours. Help us to be flexible and adaptable in all of our relationships and also capable of accepting constructive criticism. Amen  We continue to pray for the people of Venezuela. Dear God, We lift up the people of Venezuela in the wake of this devastating earthquake. We pray for those who have lost loved ones, for those who have been injured, and for every family facing fear and uncertainty. Surround them with Your comfort, Your peace, and Your strength in the days ahead. Loving God, unite us in prayer and action, move us, and the world, to respond urgently and generously, in this time of crisis. Show us how to support affected communities, Not just today but in the weeks and months to come. Amen  12th July 2026 is Sea Sunday A Prayer for Seafarers Almighty God, we remember those whose lives are lived on your great oceans. For those who go down to the sea in ships, we give thanks; they enrich our lives at great personal cost. May they daily feel the strength of your protection, the warmth of your presence and the love of your relationship as they seek the hope of safe passage. We pray for seafarers who are stranded at sea and forced to survive using only the resources available around them. Comfort them in times of loneliness and need and remind them that, in you, they are never alone, particularly when they are struggling with poor weather conditions or sickness. AMEN  As the holiday season is upon us, loving Lord, we thank You for times of rest and relaxation. In our work and in our play may we know your goodness and love. Bless us with joy as we set out for our days of vacation. Let them bring us rest and refreshment, Protect us as we travel. Give us gentle weather and peaceful times. Be with us at the meals we enjoy and in the activities we share and in all we do let us grow in our love for You and each other. Amen  Loving God and Lord of life, we pray for the gift of courage to face up to and cope with illness. We pray for it for ourselves, and for those who we now name before you…... We thank you for those who through their courage have come through illness and for those facing the reality that there is little light at the end of their earthly tunnel…… We pray too for all those mourning the loss of loved ones. Grant them your comfort and the peace which passes understanding………. Amen.  Generous God, you call us not just to hear but to understand. Make us good soil for your Word: deep-rooted in faith, resilient in trial, and abundant in love. May our lives bear fruit that lasts, to the glory of your name. Amen.

Packington Open Gardens Day 31st August 2026

Collect, Readings and Prayers for the Fifth Sunday after Trinity