The Sunday Lectionary and Prayers for Sunday, October 9, 2022

The Sunday Lectionary and Prayers

Sunday, October 9, 2022 — 18th Sunday after Pentecost

Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7; Psalm 66:1-12; 2 Timothy 2:8-15; Luke 17:11-19

[Ordinary 28, Proper 23]

(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)

Sing Praise to God

Opening Statement

The prophet Jeremiah tells the exiles living in Babylon to live their lives in this foreign place by making themselves at home and working to support the community where they are living. They are to remember God’s promise to them that God would one day send them home to Jerusalem. They are to keep their focus on God. We might hear Psalm 66 as a strong invitation to praise God who, in spite of persistent testing, always brings God’s people to a place of refreshment for the soul.  In 2 Timothy Paul teaches “Christ” at the center of our lives and offers an encouragement to present ourselves to God as we try to do our best. In so doing we praise God. In Luke Christ grants a request for healing. One of the ten recognized the gift and took the time to praise God with the kind of fervor suggested in Psalm 66. These passages repeat a theme of using our voices, our bodies and our lives to praise God with energy, a sense of aliveness, and purpose. God is present and is to be recognized.

Opening Prayer

Come, let us sing to the LORD!

Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.

Let us come to Him with thanksgiving.

Let us sing psalms of praise to Him.

For the LORD is a great God, a great King above all gods.

He holds in His hands the depths of the earth

and the mightiest mountains.

The sea belongs to Him, for He made it.

His hands formed the dry land, too.

Come, let us worship & bow down.

Let us kneel before the LORD our maker,

for He is our God.

We are the people He watches over,

the flock under His care.

The Collect (Book of Common Prayers)

Lord, we pray that your grace may always precede and follow us, that we may continually be given to good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Confession

Let us pray:
We cannot sing our praise to you O God, when we dishonor your creation.
We cannot sing our praise to you O God, when we use our voices to defame others.
We cannot sing our praises to you O God, when we claim for ourselves the honor due to you.
We cannot sing our praises to you O God, when we fail to recognize your healing work.
In order that we might sing we need you and nothing else at the center of our lives.
Place new desires in our hearts so that we sing to you and to you alone.
We make this prayer to you, O God from the places within our being where a reminder of your love is needed.

Assurance of Pardon

Even when we feel ourselves exiled and far from you, even when we forget to sing your praises, You assure us that you have not forgotten us! We are comforted by your promise of forgiveness and love.

First Reading

Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7

(Israel plants gardens in Babylon)

Jeremiah’s Letter to the Exiles in Babylon
29:1 These are the words of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the remaining elders among the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.

4 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.

The Psalm

Psalm 66:1-12

(God holds our souls in life)

Praise for God’s Goodness to Israel
To the leader. A Song. A Psalm.
1  Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth;
2    sing the glory of his name;
     give to him glorious praise.
3  Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
     Because of your great power, your enemies cringe
         before you.
4  All the earth worships you;
      they sing praises to you,
    sing praises to your name.”   Selah

5  Come and see what God has done:
     he is awesome in his deeds among mortals.
6  He turned the sea into dry land;
     they passed through the river on foot.
   There we rejoiced in him,
7    who rules by his might forever,
   whose eyes keep watch on the nations—
     let the rebellious not exalt themselves.   Selah

8  Bless our God, O peoples,
     let the sound of his praise be heard,
9  who has kept us among the living,
     and has not let our feet slip.
10 For you, O God, have tested us;
     you have tried us as silver is tried.
11 You brought us into the net;
     you laid burdens on our backs;
12 you let people ride over our heads;
     we went through fire and through water;
   yet you have brought us out to a spacious place.

Second Reading

2 Timothy 2:8-15

(We will live with Christ)

2:8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David—that is my gospel, 9 for which I suffer hardship, even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained. 10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, so that they may also obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. 11 The saying is sure:

   If we have died with him, we will also live with him;
12 if we endure, we will also reign with him;
   if we deny him, he will also deny us;
13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful—
   for he cannot deny himself.

A Worker Approved by God
14 Remind them of this, and warn them before God that they are to avoid wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are listening. 15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth.

The Gospel

Luke 17:11-19

(One leper gives thanks to God)

Jesus Cleanses Ten Lepers
17:11 On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, 13 they called out, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14 When he saw them, he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were made clean. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. 16 He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? 18 Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.”

Here ends the Lessons

Click HERE to read today’s Holy Gospel Lesson message

The Nicene Creed

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven; by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Closing Prayer

In the name of the Father and of the Son,

and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

God of love and mercy,

You call us to be your people,

You gift us with Your abundant grace.

Make us a holy people,

radiating the fullness of your love.

Form us into a community of people who care,

expressing Your compassion.

Remind us day after day of our baptismal call

to serve with joy and courage.

Teach us how to grow in wisdom and grace

and joy in Your presence.

Through Jesus and Your Spirit,

we make this prayer. Amen.

Optional parts of the readings are set off in [square brackets.] Sing Praise to God Opening Statement, Confession and Assurance of Pardon was written by Henrietta Stith Andrews, a retired United Church of Christ Pastor. The Bible texts of the Old Testament, Epistle and Gospel lessons are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the USA, and used by permission.
The Sunday Lectionary Readings
Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7 (Israel plants gardens in Babylon); Psalm 66:1-12 (God holds our souls in life); 2 Timothy 2:8-15 (We will live with Christ); Luke 17:11-19 (One leper gives thanks to God)

“What kind of a leper are you?” The Gospel Message for Sunday, October 9, 2019

Our Gospel message comes to us today from the 17th chapter of Luke, beginning with the 11th verse.

17:11 On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, 13 they called out, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14 When he saw them, he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were made clean. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. 16 He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? 18 Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.”
— Luke 17:11-19 (NRSV)

All mighty God, we thank you for your word and the way that you in it revealed to us who you are and what you’ve done for us in Christ. Now, as we open that word, we pray that your spirit may be present, that all thoughts of worry or distraction may be removed and that the Spirit will allow us to hear your voice. And so, oh God, fill us with your spirit through the reading and proclamation of your word this day. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

“What kind of a leper are you?”

What kind of a leper are you? I know, that has to be one of the most unusual questions you’ve probably ever been asked. So why am I asking you this question?

Today’s Gospel lesson introduces us to a group of 10 “mystery” men. I say this because we don’t know much about these guys. They may come from entirely different backgrounds, be of different ages, and for all we know, they may not get along very well. But, they had one common experience that ended up joining them together. They had lived relatively anonymous lives up until something happened. Maybe it started as a white patch on the skin or an open sore that just wouldn’t seem to heal properly, but whatever the symptom, they knew they needed a diagnosis. So they went to the priest to determine what was going on and received a diagnosis no one wanted to hear. Leprosy. In those days, there was no known cure. It was, essentially, a death sentence.

But instead of the patient being placed into hospice care and surrounded by family and friends in their remaining time, the law of the day stated that they were to leave the city. They were, in essence, outcasts from society out of fear that leprosy would spread and infect others. The fear was so great that if someone who was not a leper approached them, the leper was required to cry out, “unclean, unclean, stay away!”

Somehow, these ten men with leprosy are banded together by that common denominator. They may not have otherwise known each other if circumstances were different, but here they are, together, with this dreaded disease, along a lonely, remote border between Samaria and Galilee. Their only hope was to be miraculously cured of their disease.

Suddenly, one day, Jesus appears. They’ve heard the Word about Him. They heard He has the power to do some miraculous things: He’s given the blind their sight, He’s made the lame walk, He’s made the mute shout out for joy and unstopped the ears of the deaf. If He could do all of that, maybe He could help! And He appears to be coming in their direction!

So instead of crying out, “Unclean, Stay Away!” which the Law required, they cry out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” And He hears their cry. He sees their situation and simply tells them to “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” There’s only one reason that Jesus would say that. The priests, the ones who initially declared them “Unclean,” were the ones who had the power to declare them “clean,” offer up the appropriate sacrifice, and allow them to return to their lives.

As they’re headed to the priests, these ten men look and see the white spots and the open sores disappear. It’s true! They’re healed! They’ll be declared clean, and they have their lives back! Nine keep running to the priests to receive this gift of new life right away. One stops dead in his tracks, turns around, runs back to Jesus, praises God in a loud voice, falls at Jesus’ feet, and gives Him thanks and praise.

It’s astonishing that only one of these ten returns to do this. But this is the part of the story where I have to share with you the last thing we know about these ten lepers that shows you why this is an even bigger deal than it initially appears. Nine are Jews, considered part of the “people of the covenant with God.” The other, the one who returned to give Jesus thanks and praise, was a Samaritan—considered an “outsider,” cut off from God’s covenant. Samaritans, you see, descended from Israelites left behind after Samaria’s destruction in 722 BC and included foreigners imported by Assyrian kings. Because of intermarriage between the Jews and the non-Jews that took place over the years since the Samaritans were not viewed as part of God’s covenant people anymore and endured being called derogatory names by the Jews such as “half breed” among others, and Jews avoided them every chance they had. Needless to say, long-standing, deep-seated hostility existed between Jews and Samaritans. Considering the Jews’ attitude toward Samaritans, and vice-versa, and the fact that Jesus himself was a Jew, it’s beyond belief that a Samaritan, of all people, would be the one who would come back to give Jesus thanks and praise for this gift of healing.

And what does Jesus say? “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.” You see, that last statement has something to say to us. “Your faith has made you well.” Jesus sees that this man believes that Jesus has much more than physical healing to offer. He has forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and salvation to give. That’s why this man returns to give thanks and praise to Jesus. He’s so grateful for the gift Jesus has given to him.

The other nine? They have their gift. They believed that Jesus had gifts to give in this life, but when it came to matters of eternal life, that’s a different story. They got what they wanted from Jesus for this life and left before He could give them more gifts.

It’s important to note here that Jesus doesn’t take away the gift of physical healing from them simply because of their sin of ingratitude. But there is a difference in the healings that take place that day along that lonely border. The nine who kept going and never returned were looking for physical healing, and Jesus gave them that. But, while they may be healed from the disease of leprosy, they still have to face the wages of sin someday. There will come a time when their bodies will start to deteriorate. Perhaps they will contract leprosy again, or it will be some other physical ailment. But eventually, they face disease and death. The healing they sought will only last for a relatively short time.

The Samaritan who returns to give Jesus thanks and praise, yes, he has that healing the other nine had. But, he recognizes that Jesus has more to offer. He realizes that Jesus is taking His sins to the cross to die for them there, that Jesus has more gifts to give, the kind of healing that will last for eternity. When he realizes this, this Samaritan, the least likely person, comes back to thank Jesus for this gift. That’s why Jesus says, “Your faith has made you well.” This Samaritan knows his position. He doesn’t deserve any of this because of who he is. This is all because of who Jesus is. This healing that took place was all Jesus’ work. He realizes that Jesus is the one who will provide eternal healing by winning forgiveness, life, and salvation for all. This Healer is also his Savior. That’s why Jesus says, “rise and go; your faith has made you well.” Jesus already gave this man physical healing, but now, He has told this Samaritan, “You believe that I am the one who will give you eternal healing. Go, your faith in Me will make you well for eternity.”

And so it’s appropriate to really look at what took place that day on that border near Samaria and Galilee. And as we do, we come to realize that, truth be told, we actually have a lot of similarities with the lepers in our text.

First, we are infected with a disease that threatens to separate us from God and from each other. That disease is sin. It eats away at every aspect of our lives, be it our relationship with God, our relationships with other people, and our apparent lack of thanks for what God has given to us. Like those 9 Jews, we tend to look at others as “outsiders.” Those who are of a different nationality or ethnic background from us, those who wish to practice their faith in a way that’s different from us, so that we decide that they are not “really Christian,” those who were not lifelong members of our churches, or those who don’t ever come to church anywhere. Sometimes, in things we say and do, we act as if we are the only ones with whom God has a covenant, and it’s our responsibility to keep that pure. Or, when we hear God’s Word of Law accuse us of a particular sin, instead of confessing it, we shrug it off or say, “yeah, but I’m not as bad as THAT person over there!” Other times, when God gives us good gifts, we ignore the fact that He was the giver of those gifts. We take the credit for ourselves, not realizing that everything we have in life is a gift from Him for us to manage for a time. That’s sin infecting our lives; sin that threatens to choke off our lifeline with God if something isn’t done about it. Like cancer that’s just ignored and allowed to grow. And just like a patient with a terminal illness for which there is no known cure, like the lepers in our text, we need nothing short of a miracle to heal us.

But while we at times act in ways that are like the nine lepers who didn’t return to give Jesus thanks and praise, you are here reading this sermon. You’re here because you, hopefully, recognize that God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are the true source of everything you have. Your job, your family, your home, even your church, everything you have, isn’t really yours. It’s God’s. And He has graciously given it to you to be a steward over and take care of faithfully as He would have you do. You recognize, like that Samaritan leper, that on your own, you have no worthiness of anything God has given you. But, you cried out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on me, a sinner.” And He took your sin, sickness, and infirmities to the cross, to suffer and die for them there. So that now, today, you can hear Your Savior tell you, “rise and go on your way; your faith has made you well.”

You may have other things on your mind. You may be missing a loved one at the table. You may be dealing with a family crisis, where a family member isn’t speaking to another one over something that happened that caused that relationship to be damaged or outright destroyed. A friend or family member, or perhaps even you yourself, may be seriously ill, and you don’t know what will happen. You may be worried about a possible job loss or a reduction of your income and wondering how you will support your family, especially with Christmas coming up. It may be next to impossible for you to be like that Samaritan leper to give thanks and praise to God because it might be next to impossible, if not impossible, to find a reason to be thankful for anything.

But as you read this, you know Your Savior, Jesus Christ, your ultimate Healer of body and soul, is with you. You know through His Word that He has died for your sins. That He has eternal healing to give to you. Those sins of thought, word, and deed that would separate you from Him are forgiven! You are set free to live a life of thanksgiving, even in the most difficult of times. You know that even though God has provided you with all you need to support this body and life, you also know that, more importantly, He gives you all that you need for eternal life. You know that the suffering you endure in this life is only temporary. And because of that, you can be thankful!

Yes, thankful! We’re thankful that our sins, even our sins of ingratitude for what God has given to us, are all forgiven for the sake of Christ. We are thankful that whatever suffering we endure in this life will only be temporary. We’re set free from living for ourselves and living our lives in thankful service to others so that they, too, can receive all of the gifts that God has to offer for us, both in this life and, most importantly, for eternal life.

So remember Who it is that gives you everything you need to support this body and life. Remember that where you were once an “outsider” from God, Jesus Christ has lived, died, and risen again, and has given you some pretty amazing gifts, so that you will no longer be a stranger and alien but a redeemed child of God. Indeed, in the words of the 107th Psalm, we rejoice to say, “O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.”

What kind of a leper are you? Are you one of the thankless lepers who is simply looking for things in this life, and once you get them, you run away from Jesus without even uttering a word of thanks, ignoring whatever other gifts He has to give you, gifts that are more important? Or are you like the “foreigner,” the “Thankful Leper,” the one who returned to give glory to God and received even more gifts from Jesus? The answer to this question lies every day of our lives, living as thankful servants of Jesus Christ, showing our faith through our thankfulness, giving God thanks and praise for what He has done for us, and receiving the even better gifts that He has to offer us. May we be thankful, lepers, who give our Lord thanks and praise by living a life of thanksgiving to Jesus Christ for giving you the gifts of healing for this life and for eternal life.

Heavenly Father, I know that I have neglected to thank you for so many blessings. You’ve blessed me and waited for me to run back to you with thanks, and I’ve gone my way. I’ve taken you for granted. Please forgive me. Put thankfulness into my heart and soul. Let me speak it, sing it, and live it. That I might be a visible, not silent, example of someone you have healed. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Seeking God?

Click HERE to find out more about how to have a personal

relationship with Jesus Christ

Scripture taken from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)® Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. rights reserved. Sermon contributed by Rev. Christopher Martin.
What kind of a leper are you? Are you one of the thankless lepers who is simply looking for things in this life, or are you like the one who returned to give glory to God, and received even more gifts from Jesus?

The Morning Prayer for Sunday, October 9, 2022

 

The Morning Prayer
Sunday, October 9, 2022

They were standing by the sea of glass, holding harps that God had given them and singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb: “Lord God Almighty, how great and wonderful are your deeds! King of the nations, how right and true are your ways! Who will not stand in awe of you, Lord? Who will refuse to declare your greatness?  You alone are holy. All the nations will come and worship you, because your just actions are seen by all.”

— Revelation 15:2b–4 (GNT)

O Lord God, we thank you that in our times we may feel and see that you are at work. This is a joy and comfort to us and we take heart, although the misery on earth sometimes brings us to tears. We find joy again because you are at work. You are carrying out your will, which includes your plan for our life and salvation. Grant that fruits may appear in our times, for our times are in your hands. Grant that many people from all nations may come to you. May they turn to you in their need and know the happiness of receiving your help. May your name be honored, your kingdom come, and your will be done on earth as in heaven. Amen.

Verse of the Day for Sunday, October 9, 2022

 

Verse of the Day
Sunday, October 9, 2022

Deuteronomy 13:4

It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him.

When we know we have heard from the Lord, we cannot let anyone convince us that He has changed His mind—regardless of the source of the supposed new revelation (Deut. 13:1–4; Gal. 1:8). Remember the warning of 2 Corinthians 11:14, 15, “Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.”

Read all of Deuteronomy Chapter 13

Listen to Deuteronomy Chapter 13

Scripture from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

The Power of Scripture

 

The Power of Scripture

For the word of God is alive and active. Hebrews 4:12

Stephen was an up-and-coming comedian, and a prodigal. Raised in a Christian family, he struggled with doubt after his dad and two brothers died in a plane crash. By his early twenties, he’d lost his faith. But he found it one night on the frigid streets of Chicago. A stranger gave him a pocket New Testament, and Stephen cracked open the pages. An index said those struggling with anxiety should read Matthew 6:27–34, from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.

Stephen turned there, and the words kindled a fire in his heart. He recalls, “I was absolutely, immediately lightened. I stood on the street corner in the cold and read the sermon, and my life has never been the same.”

Such is the power of Scripture. The Bible is unlike any other book, for it’s alive. We don’t just read the Bible. The Bible reads us. “Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit…; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

Scripture presents the most powerful force on the planet, a force that transforms and leads us toward spiritual maturity. Let’s open it and read it out loud, asking God to ignite our hearts. He promises that the words He’s spoken “will not return to [Him] empty, but will accomplish what [He desires] and achieve the purpose for which [He] sent it” (Isaiah 55:11). Our lives will never be the same.

How has Scripture changed your life? What expectations do you have when you read it?

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving me the Bible. Please make it alive in my life.