The Sunday Lectionary and Prayers for Sunday, October 16, 2022

The Sunday Lectionary and Prayers

Sunday, October 16, 2022 — 19th Sunday after Pentecost

Jeremiah 31:27-34; Psalm 119:97-104; 2 Timothy 3:14—4:5; Luke 18:1-8

[Ordinary 29, Proper 24]

(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)

Heart-Full Knowledge

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)

Almighty and everlasting God, in Christ you have revealed your glory among the nations: Preserve the works of your mercy, that your Church throughout the world may persevere with steadfast faith in the confession of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Prayer of Confession

Almighty and most merciful Father, You offer us covenant and write your word on our hearts. Together we are the body of Christ, and each one of us has the responsibility, the desire, to respond to you in word and deed and love. Yet, although you are beside us, within us, above us, all around us we still manage to ignore you. We are pleased to be in your family, but when it is time to do chores in your household we are busy with other things! We are satisfied to receive your gifts but when it comes to passing on your abundance and saying where we got it we hesitate. We are happy to say an occasional prayer to you who are always with us, but when it comes to actually spending time with you, we are already scheduled up! Help us to be your people as you are our God—always and forever.

Assurance of Pardon

The God of Covenant, who names each of us as one of the chosen people, continues to supply our needs and be our constant companion. Though we struggle, in the words of Luke, “to pray always,” we need not lose heart. The Holy One will not abandon: the Beloved is our grace, the healer of our lives. Though we sometimes grow weary, take heart, for our God is with us always to forgive us and remember our sin no more, to grant justice and to offer love.

First Reading

Jeremiah 31:27-34

(Promise of a new covenant)

Individual Retribution
31:27 The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of humans and the seed of animals. 28 And just as I have watched over them to pluck up and break down, to overthrow, destroy, and bring evil, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, says the Lord. 29 In those days they shall no longer say:

   “The parents have eaten sour grapes,
     and the children’s teeth are set on edge.”

30 But all shall die for their own sins; the teeth of everyone who eats sour grapes shall be set on edge.

A New Covenant
31 The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 32 It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, “Know the Lord,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.

The Psalm

Psalm 119:97-104

(Your words sweeter than honey)

97  Oh, how I love your law!
      It is my meditation all day long.
98  Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies,
      for it is always with me.
99  I have more understanding than all my teachers,
      for your decrees are my meditation.
100 I understand more than the aged,
      for I keep your precepts.
101 I hold back my feet from every evil way,
      in order to keep your word.
102 I do not turn away from your ordinances,
      for you have taught me.
103 How sweet are your words to my taste,
      sweeter than honey to my mouth!
104 Through your precepts I get understanding;
      therefore I hate every false way.

Second Reading

2 Timothy 3:14—4:5

(Christ the judge)

3:14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, 15 and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.

4:1 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I solemnly urge you: 2 proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths. 5 As for you, always be sober, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully.

The Gospel

Luke 18:1-8

(A widow begs for justice)

The Parable of the Widow and the Unjust Judge
18:1 Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. 3 In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Grant me justice against my opponent.’ 4 For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, ‘Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.’” 6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? 8 I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

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.]

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 31:27-34; Psalm 119:97-104; 2 Timothy 3:14—4:5; Luke 18:1-8

“Persistent and Patient Prayer” The Gospel Message for Sunday, October 16, 2022

Our Gospel message comes to us today from the 18th chapter of Luke, beginning with the 1st verse.

18:1 Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. 3 In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Grant me justice against my opponent.’ 4 For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, ‘Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.’” 6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? 8 I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

— Luke 18:1-8 (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.

"Persistent and Patient Prayer"

Jesus told His disciples in a parable that they should always pray and not lose heart. Jesus was training and preparing them for when they would no longer see Him walk the earth but would, instead, have to "watch and pray." Jesus was teaching His faithful about faith in Him, and the life of prayer, which flows from such faith.

In the parable, we find an authority figure, a dishonest judge. He doesn't fear God or people and probably has sticky fingers, expecting a bribe. The person appealing to the judge is an irritating widow. She keeps showing up in his courtroom day after day, demanding justice.

The corrupt judge, however, couldn't care less about justice. Yet, the judge is tired of this woman wearing him down with her persistent petitions. So, reluctantly, he gives this woman justice, hoping she will finally leave him alone. That's the picture of persistent and patient prayer!

So what's the point of this parable? Jesus points us from the lesser to the greater, from the judge to God. However, God isn't like the judge in the parable. Oh, He's a judge, but He's not unrighteous. He's the righteous Judge whose pronouncements are pure and holy.

So what's the point? If the persistent petitions of a woman seeking justice can persuade a dishonest judge, how much more will God, who is righteous, work justice for His people? Bribes won't deter God from being a faithful judge. He won't drag His feet. He will do justice and carry it out as best serves His people.

The focal point of the parable is patient and enduring persistence—the true and persistent prayer that flows out from faith. John 9:31 says, "God does not listen to sinners." Hebrews 11:6 says, "Without faith, it is impossible to please God." God will only hear the prayers of those who have faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, those washed clean by His blood.

That's why it's pointless to think that an unbeliever can truly pray. True prayer is not an exercise of unbelief; it is nothing less than an act of faith. True prayer is trusting in God's promise that He will hear and answer you. Even if your faith is the size of a mustard seed, even if your faith is but a hairline crack in the bulwark of unbelief, you can still pray. And God will still hear.

That's why the parable ends as it does. The point is not if people will pray when Jesus returns on the Last Day. Oh, that will happen. The point is this: will Jesus find faith, for only true faith leads to true prayer that God will hear and answer!

So why do you lose heart and fail to pray as you should? Is it your impatience? Impatience kills faithful, persistent prayer. Prayer is an exercise in faithful patience. And the character of faith is to endure patiently, persisting in the face of difficulty. Faith is long-suffering and enduring. In the parable, the woman keeps coming back to the judge. She doesn't quit.

Yet, we often lose patience in our life of prayer. We don't get what we want. And if we do, we don't get it fast enough. And so we quit or look for something else that we think will work. Our prayers are shallow, sporadic, undisciplined, and lifeless. We pray like we often exercise. We go to the gym a few times, lift a few weights, and then decide, "This exercise stuff is for the birds. I haven't lost an ounce of fat."

Prayer is an exercise of faith over the long haul. Prayer is a marathon, not a 50-yard dash. That's why the Apostle Paul encourages us to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). But we quickly lose interest, thinking, "What's the point when it looks like prayer doesn't do anything?"

Jesus says, "And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night?" The answer is, "Yes." And so we, as God's people, pray. We pray for relief from the problems that afflict us. We pray day after day, week after week. Some problems get better; some don't, and some stay the same. Yet, we persist in prayer because that's what faith does. That's what faith does!

We have this crazy notion that God is a divine-vending machine high in heaven. Put in your quarters of prayer and praise, and out pops the blessing you demand. Many preachers are willing to serve up that false teaching to indulge you. Don't be deceived. Prayer is persistent as it is patient.

Our prayer life is like Jacob wrestling with God after crossing the Jabbok River. After wrestling through the night, Jacob finally pinned God down. Even with his hip knocked out of joint, Jacob wouldn't let God go until he received His blessing. That's the tenacious persistence of faith.

That's what we are as the Bride of Christ. Baptized believers are wrestlers with God. We wrestle with God in prayer. And, like Jacob, we walk with a limp, for we walk by faith and not by sight. Yet, walking by faith isn't all that troubling, for when we are weak in ourselves, we are strong in the strength of God.

Look at Jesus. He prayed in Gethsemane for His suffering to be taken away—if there were another way to save you. Yet, He still prayed, "Not my will [O Father] but yours be done" (Luke 22:42)! He prayed for those who scorned Him: "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34). Jesus prayed the 22nd Psalm when the Father seemed oblivious to His suffering. He prayed, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" In the deepening darkness, Jesus prayed in His dying breath to the seemingly silent Father, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit" (Luke 23:46).

Jesus prays: He prays for the world, His Church, and you. He intercedes at the right hand of the Father, reminding Him of His once-for-all Sacrifice, for only Jesus wrestled with God in your place. But He didn't lose His hip joint. No, He lost His life—all to save you and bring you into an intimate, divine life with God.

Well, let's get back to the parable. If we are to see God's goodness even in the corrupt character of the judge, who then are we to see in the widow? She doesn't represent you or me. No, she represents Jesus. Jesus persisted where you failed and faltered. He pleads for justice in the courtroom of God and wins salvation for you. He has done what God's justice demands. And so God the Father always hears His prayers. And through Jesus, in His Spirit, the Father also hears your prayers. After all, we are to pray in "Jesus' name."

Prayer is not an empty, religious exercise. Prayer is the voice of faith breathing out. Prayer breathes out what God has breathed in through His Spirit-breathed Word. Praying is going to your gracious Father, through His Son, in the Holy Spirit. It is the family conversation of God's household, where our deepest longings and hopes, our yearning for forgiveness, life, and salvation, are placed before our Father, where He hears and answers.

In the Book of Genesis, Jacob wrestled with God. Where he wrestled became known as "Peniel," which means the "face of God." Jacob rejoiced, "I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is preserved" (Genesis 32:30). And where is the face of God for you? Jesus told His disciples, "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:9).

The place where you meet God is through His Son. Here, His Son baptizes you. Here, His Son forgives you. Here, His Son gives you His Body and Blood. Here, God's face shines on you, and here He delights in showing you His favor. Here, you get His God-given peace.

So when you doubt God, remember today's parable. Remember today's parable when you wonder how God can still be patient with you, a sinner. God will not fail you because Jesus has not failed you. Jesus is persistent. Jesus still saves. He still comes to you today, doing just that: persistently and patiently saving you.

Here, in the Divine Service, you see God face to face and are delivered. Here, God comes to you in His Word and Spirit, where He forges your faith ever stronger and stronger. Here, God shapes and feeds your faith. And here, the faithful people of God are moved toward a life of persistent and patient prayer. 

Heavenly Father, hear our persistent and patient prayers for the virtue of patience and perseverance in our hearts, homes, and our lives. We want to wait patiently for Your will to enfold in our lives. May we learn to wait patiently for You to bring Your answers to our prayers. This we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

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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. All rights reserved. Sermon contributed by Rev. Richard Futrell.
In the Parable of the Persistent Widow, Jesus was training and preparing His disciples to “watch and pray.”  Jesus was teaching His faithful about faith in Him, and the life of prayer, which flows from such faith.

The Morning Prayer for Sunday, October 16, 2022

 

The Morning Prayer
Sunday, October 16, 2022

I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge.

— 1 Corinthians 1:4–5 (NIV)

Lord our God, we thank you that you are so near to us that we may feel and know we are your children, your children who are in your hands with all that belongs to our earthly life, all our needs and temptations, all our efforts and pain. We come together to thank you, and our thanksgiving wins a victory over everything that makes life difficult for us. In this thanksgiving the harshness, crookedness, and injustice on earth cannot harm us. Protect us with your light, which gives us wisdom for all situations and which lifts us above everything that is base and meaningless and must pass away. Amen.

Verse of the Day for Sunday, October 16, 2022

 

Verse of the Day
Sunday, October 16, 2022

Psalm 19:14

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with asking the Lord to make you pleasing to Him; in fact, He loves to teach you His ways. He tenderly molds your character so that you speak, think, and act in a way that honors Him.

Read all of Psalm 19

Listen to Psalm 19

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