TENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST—PROPER 15

August 14, 2022

AS WE GATHER
“By faith . . .” With these words the writer to the Hebrews describes the manner of life of the saints of old. The writer records that “by faith” God’s people did things. They did not just believe stuff—they acted! This echoes James who challenges us, “Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works” (James 2:18). Life is changing all around us. Entrusting our life and will to the care of the founder and perfecter of our faith, Jesus, the Prince of Peace, God’s people act . . . by faith.

Bible Readings

OLD TESTAMENT READING: Jeremiah 23:16–29
(Ignoring false prophets, we listen to God’s Word.)

EPISTLE READING: Hebrews 11:17–31; 12:1–3
(The people of God living by faith)

HOLY GOSPEL: Luke 12:49–53 (Division and perfect peace)

NINTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST—PROPER 14

August 7, 2022

AS WE GATHER
How easy it is to become anxious when things go differently than we had hoped. We worry about ourselves and our loved ones. We experience everyday anxieties and big cosmic ones too. Sometimes anxiety can become so serious that professional help is needed. Paul writes in Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Easier said than done, Paul! Jesus invites us to let anxiety be. Concerning the things most of us worry about—like food, clothing, provisions—Jesus observes that just as the birds, the lilies, and the grass are well-provided for, we will be taken care of as well. The adventure of life is one of faith: entrusting ourselves to the care of God, seeking first God’s reign, and experiencing the rich provision enjoyed by all of creation as a gift.

Bible Readings

FIRST READING: Genesis 15:1–6
(God’s promises to Abraham)

EPISTLE READING: Hebrews 11:1–16
(The people of God living by faith)

HOLY GOSPEL: Luke 12:22–34
(Let anxiety be.)

EIGHTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST—PROPER 13

July 31, 2022

AS WE GATHER
Our world enjoys labeling people. Whether by skin color, gender, economic status, ethnic background, political affiliation, age, or whatever else it may be, labels are popular. This sort of labeling divides people into categories and causes much strife and argument. There was labeling going on in Colossae as well: Greek, Jew, circumcised, uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free. But in Colossians, Paul gives us a label that we share and a label that leads not to divisive evil but to amazing generosity and love. Paul writes, “You have been raised with Christ.” Imagine that. He doesn’t say that you will one day in the future be raised with Christ (although that is also true), he says, “You have been raised with Christ.” That is the label we are marked with in Holy Baptism. This comes to us by grace and calls forth from us a life abundant with generosity.

Bible Readings

OLD TESTAMENT READING: Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12–14; 2:18–26
(All is vanity.)

EPISTLE READING: Colossians 3:1–11
(You have been raised with Christ.)

HOLY GOSPEL: Luke 12:13-21 (Be on guard against covetousness.)

SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST—PROPER 12

July 24, 2022

AS WE GATHER
In the long, difficult path of persevering in faith, sometimes it can seem as if God is distant from our everyday problems, not responding to our prayers. This is a common experience faced by the people of God. Today’s Readings work together to encourage us as we travel the arduous path of following Jesus. Abraham pleads with God on behalf of mercy for the righteous people in the city of Sodom. Will God spare the city for 50 righteous people? 45? 30? 20? 10? The Lord God hears Moses’ pleas and agrees that He will spare the city if even 10 righteous people dwell there. Lot and his family were delivered from Sodom. Moses asked, he sought, he knocked. And God answered. Jesus encourages us to ask, to seek, to knock. Jesus promises that those who ask, receive; those who seek, find; and to those who knock a door will be opened. This doesn’t mean that the answers will always be what we want or that bad things will not happen to us. It does mean that no matter the circumstance, God is there with mercy. Rooted and built up in Jesus, and established in this faith, we are led by God to abound in thanksgiving and to continue to walk in Jesus no matter the circumstances of life.

Bible Readings

FIRST READING: Genesis 18: 20–33
(Abraham pleads to God, and He relents.)

EPISTLE READING: Colossians 2:6–15
(Paul encourages the Colossian Christians to persevere in Christ.)

HOLY GOSPEL: Luke 11:1–13
(Jesus teaches about prayer.)

SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST—PROPER 11

July 17, 2022

AS WE GATHER
Our only hope is Jesus! He is the eternal Word of God who in love entered our world to bring life and salvation to all people. Jesus proclaimed Himself Lord and Christ and then commissioned His apostles and disciples to proclaim repentance and forgiveness in His name to all nations. In churches, in homes, in crowded marketplaces, and along road and pathways, the Gospel has been proclaimed, and still is proclaimed, to save sinners. We’ve gathered to hear Jesus speak. The Spirit of God is working to draw us to our Savior. Lord, give us grace always to choose “the good portion.”

Bible Readings

OLD TESTAMENT READING Genesis 18:1–10a
(Abraham offers hospitality to his visitors.)

EPISTLE READING: Colossians 1:21–29 (To Jew and Gentile, Paul holds out only one hope for salvation: “We proclaim Christ!”)

HOLY GOSPEL: Luke 10:38–42 (Jesus at the home of Martha and Mary)

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST—PROPER 10

July 10, 2022

AS WE GATHER
A Good Samaritan. This phrase has become a cliché in our culture today that some use without much thought, but how many know the account from which this phrase comes? Today, we hear Jesus tell a parable involving the Good Samaritan in the Holy Gospel. Consider just who this “Good Samaritan” is. Perhaps the One who embodies this Good Samaritan best is our Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ. Jesus comes to us, beaten up by sin and the devil, as good as dead. Yet Jesus touches us with His Word and shelters us in His Church. Taking His love and service even further, Jesus lays down His life for us in His sacrificial death. Having been loved this way, we now “go and do likewise.”

Bible Readings

FIRST READING: Leviticus 19:9–18
(“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”)

EPISTLE READING: Colossians 1:1–14 (Christ has delivered us from darkness.)

HOLY GOSPEL: Luke 10:25–37 (The Good Samaritan)

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST—PROPER 8

June 26, 2022

AS WE GATHER
While we have received great freedom in Christ, we must not use such freedom for our own selfish desires. We use our freedom to follow Jesus. We follow Jesus by living and walking in the Spirit of God, seeking to produce His fruit for the benefit of our neighbors. We cannot have caveats and conditions to following Jesus, as some people did in today’s Gospel. Such people have become conceited and arrogant, thinking they can make demands of God. Thanks be to God that Jesus knows better than we do. Where He is leading is infinitely better than where we choose to go with all of our caveats and conditions.

Bible Readings

FIRST READING: 1 Kings 19:9b–21
(God reassures Elijah and sends him back to his people.)

EPISTLE READING: Galatians 5:1, 13–25
(Our freedom in Christ is not permission to sin even more.)

HOLY GOSPEL: Luke 9:51-62 (Following Jesus is costly.)

SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST—PROPER 7

June 19, 2022

AS WE GATHER
In the Readings for today, we see God’s desire to extend His kingdom to all people. In the Old Testament Reading, God says, “Here am I” to a nation that was not Israel. In the Epistle, we see that race, economic status, and gender do not disqualify anyone from being saved by Christ. God’s kingdom is for all people. In the Gospel, Jesus embarks to the country of the Gerasenes and casts out a legion of demons from a man. Jesus frees this demon-possessed man and brings him into His kingdom. As we seek to extend God’s kingdom, we share the Gospel with people from every tribe, nation, and language group. Like Jesus, show no partiality.

BIBLE READINGS

FIRST READING: Isaiah 65:1–9
(Though God seeks all people, many reject Him.)

EPISTLE READING: Galatians 3:23–4:7
(In Christ we are liberated from the Law and adopted as heirs.)

HOLY GOSPEL: Luke 8:26-39
(Jesus liberates a man possessed by many demons.)

THE HOLY TRINITY

June 12, 2022

AS WE GATHER
Trinity Sunday is set aside for us to assent to the witness of Scripture about the nature of God. We mere creatures cannot say that we understand the divine nature, but we can at least use the human words to which God limited Himself as He revealed what we need to know. All three persons of the Trinity work as one, although we recognize the Father as Creator, the Son as Savior, and the Holy Spirit as Sanctifier. We join the rest of creation in praising His great name, as we speak of our being made, saved from our sins, and given faith to trust our incredible God.

BIBLE READINGS

FIRST READING: Proverbs 8:1–4, 22–31
(Wisdom personified recalls creation and God’s delighting in humanity.)

SECOND READING: Acts 2:14a, 22–36 (Peter continues his Pentecost sermon,
proclaiming that Jesus is both Christ and Lord.)

HOLY GOSPEL: John 8:48–59 (Using the words “I am,” Jesus proclaims His divinity.)