Collect, Readings and Prayers for the Fifth Sunday after Trinity.
Collect
Almighty and everlasting God,
by whose Spirit the whole body of the Church
is governed and sanctified:
hear our prayer which we offer for all your faithful people,
that in their vocation and ministry
they may serve you in holiness and truth
to the glory of your name;
through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Readings
Genesis 24:34-38. 42-49, 58-67
34 The servant whom Abraham had sent, said to Laban, ‘I am Abraham’s servant. 35 The Lord has greatly blessed my master, and he has become wealthy; he has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female slaves, camels and donkeys. 36 And Sarah my master’s wife bore a son to my master when she was old; and he has given him all that he has. 37 My master made me swear, saying, “You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live; 38 but you shall go to my father’s house, to my kindred, and get a wife for my son.”
42 ‘I came today to the spring, and said, “O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, if now you will only make successful the way I am going! 43 I am standing here by the spring of water; let the young woman who comes out to draw, to whom I shall say, ‘Please give me a little water from your jar to drink,’ 44 and who will say to me, ‘Drink, and I will draw for your camels also’—let her be the woman whom the Lord has appointed for my master’s son.”
45 ‘Before I had finished speaking in my heart, there was Rebekah coming out with her water-jar on her shoulder; and she went down to the spring, and drew. I said to her, “Please let me drink.” 46 She quickly let down her jar from her shoulder, and said, “Drink, and I will also water your camels.” So I drank, and she also watered the camels. 47 Then I asked her, “Whose daughter are you?” She said, “The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him.” So I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her arms. 48 Then I bowed my head and worshipped the Lord, and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me by the right way to obtain the daughter of my master’s kinsman for his son. 49 Now then, if you will deal loyally and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so that I may turn either to the right hand or to the left.’
58 And they called Rebekah, and said to her, ‘Will you go with this man?’ She said, ‘I will.’ 59 So they sent away their sister Rebekah and her nurse along with Abraham’s servant and his men. 60 And they blessed Rebekah and said to her,
‘May you, our sister, become
thousands of myriads;
may your offspring gain possession
of the gates of their foes.’
61 Then Rebekah and her maids rose up, mounted the camels, and followed the man; thus the servant took Rebekah, and went his way.
62 Now Isaac had come from Beer-lahai-roi, and was settled in the Negeb. 63 Isaac went out in the evening to walk in the field; and looking up, he saw camels coming. 64 And Rebekah looked up, and when she saw Isaac, she slipped quickly from the camel, 65 and said to the servant, ‘Who is the man over there, walking in the field to meet us?’ The servant said, ‘It is my master.’ So she took her veil and covered herself. 66 And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. 67 Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent. He took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.
OR
Zechariah 9:9-12
The Coming Ruler of God’s People
9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion!
Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem!
Lo, your king comes to you;
triumphant and victorious is he,
humble and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
and the warhorse from Jerusalem;
and the battle-bow shall be cut off,
and he shall command peace to the nations;
his dominion shall be from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
11 As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you,
I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.
12 Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope;
today I declare that I will restore to you double.
Romans 7:15-25a
15 I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. 17 But in fact it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me.
21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, 23 but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30
16 ~At that time Jesus said, “To what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market-places and calling to one another,
17 “We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
we wailed, and you did not mourn.”
18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, “He has a demon”; 19 the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, “Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners!” Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.’
Jesus Thanks His Father
25 At that time Jesus said, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; 26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
28 ‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’
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 but first,
let us be still and open our hearts to God’s presence.
Silence us, that we may hear
Amid the crowds that clamour, amid the demands that call,
Amid the things that shout, silence us, that we may hear.
Amid the ceaseless rounds, amid the hurried pace,
Amid the countless journeys, silence us, that we may hear.
Amid the hasty thoughts, amid the speedy reactions,
Amid the swift communications, silence us, that we may hear.
Amid the powers that threaten, amid the people who manipulate,
Amid the robbers of our freedom. silence us, that we may hear.
Amid all our fellow workers, amid all our leisure-sharers,
Amid all our homes and families, silence us, that we may hear.
Amen
- Heavenly Father, all the states and kingdoms of this world are answerable to your authority, and much evil is allowed to flourish through the silence of good people. Give us the courage and the words to speak out your truth, humbly and persistently in our local circumstances but also on the wider stage. Where we see injustice done, challenge our inertia and direct us to the most appropriate and effective ways of lawful protest. Amen
- Faithful God,
even when the earth shakes,
your love remains firm.
You are our refuge and help.
Be near the people of Venezuela,
in this time of grief and fear.
Welcome into your light
those who have died,
comfort those who mourn,
be close to those who are injured
and bring renewed hope
to those who have lost all that they built.
Move us, and the world,
to respond urgently and generously,
in this time of crisis
and keep us united in solidarity,
walking with the people of Venezuela,
in the long journey of recovery ahead. Amen
- Holy God, we pray for all who work in places of power and influence, who make decisions which affect the lives of people. We ask you to bless those who work in politics, especially all who are seeking peace agreements, but also those in the media, in advertising and in the financial markets. May they know what to say and how to act for the benefit of all people and at all times. Amen
- Heavenly Father, we are the body of Christ because your Spirit binds us together. Give us true concern and love for one another so that we can support and encourage each other without malice or quarrels. Be in all our listening at home, at work, at school and college. May we give our full attention to you and to one another, happy to grow wiser through each conversation. Amen
- Merciful God, in today’s readings we heard about the struggles St Paul had in his ministry and the worries that Abraham’s servant had searching for a wife for his master’s son. Lord, we thank you for your faithfulness to us when we are worried or struggling and we pray for all people who are struggling and worrying today. We pray too for those suffering acute and incessant pain, for those who have no one in whom they can confide, no one to listen. We pray that your love will enfold them, your peace brings them rest, and your healing transform them. Amen
- Lord, we so easily forget in our churches that we are a new creation. The struggle goes on to find people to serve on our committees, to find those to serve as school governors, to repair the roof, to pay the Parish Share. Too easily the vision fades and the Christian story which brought us back to life finds us caught up in systems and obligations, no longer free but in captivity. Lord remind us again and again that it need not be so, for there is a new world and amazingly, we are part of it. Help us to take from your hand each day, the gift of new life.
If anyone is in Christ there is a new creation
The old has passed away, behold the new has come. Amen
- Loving God, we thank you for the hard work, growth, and learning of the past school year. As the summer holidays arrive, we pray that you will grant our children the gift of deep rest. Clear their minds of academic pressure, help them to simply 'be,' and allow them to recharge their batteries with joy, play, and laughter. Amen
- Loving God,
In all the stories that we tell of our yesterdays,
remind us that your grace was always sufficient.
In all that we face today,
remind us each step of the way that your grace is always sufficient.
In all that our tomorrows will bring,
reassure us that your grace will always be sufficient.
In the familiar and in the unexpected;
in the predictable and in the unknown;
in the welcome and in the unwelcome;
may we look for your grace,
see your power perfected in our weakness,
and go on our way rejoicing. Amen.