The Sunday Lectionary and Prayers for Sunday, February 12, 2023 — Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany

 

The Sunday Lectionary and Prayers
Sunday, February 12, 2023
Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany

God’s Field
Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Psalm 119:1-8;

1 Corinthians 3:1-9; Matthew 5:21-37
(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

Opening Statement

Today’s readings challenge us to choose life. As the church, we are called to focus on what God’s kingdom requires, what it blesses, and how the worshiping community is to live out its distinct calling to be the body of Christ. Moses reminds the people of their covenant to worship God alone and to walk in the ways of the Lord. Paul helps the congregation at Corinth to understand and reframe its views of leadership, particularly in relation to understanding the gift of growth that comes through the power of the Spirit. In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus begins to move his followers from their assumptions about the ways of God: “You have heard that it was said…” to the ways of the gospel: “but I say to you…” The teachings of Jesus confront us with choices, each carrying its own unique consequences. Jesus calls us to choose the practices that will bring God glory and honor.

Opening Prayer
(based on Deuteronomy 30, Matthew 5)

Holy Spirit, guide us as we walk in faith, and guard us against the powers that would draw us away from your love. Help us live according to your commandments, that we might live long in the land you have prepared for us. Prompt us to seek you with our whole heart and guide us to walk in your ways, that we may carry out the vows of the covenant we share. May our words and deeds bring life and faith to others, as we hold fast to the gift of faith. Be near us each and every day, and bless us with your light, that our days may be filled with grace. Amen.

The Collect
(from the Book of Common Prayers)

O God, the strength of all who put their trust in you: Mercifully accept our prayers; and because in our weakness we can do nothing good without you, give us the help of your grace, that in keeping your commandments we may please you both in will and deed; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Call to Confession
(based on Deuteronomy 30, 1 Corinthians 3)

Loving God, you call us to walk in your ways, observe your commandments, and love you as you have loved us. You offer us a community of abundant blessing, with rich soil to promote dynamic growth. Yet we often turn away from you to satisfy our own wants and desires. We forsake the way of love and forgiveness, giving in to petty jealousies and quarreling, and surrendering our lofty ideals to our baser inclinations. Forgive us, O God. When we flee from your embrace, draw us into community with you and with one another. Shower us with the cleansing waters of humility, that we may reclaim our purpose and find nourishment and growth in labors of love to bring your kingdom in our midst.

Assurance of Pardon
(based on Deuteronomy 30, 1 Corinthians 3)

God is alive and at work nurturing our growth, nourishing our needs, and reconciling us to one another. God hears the confessions of our hearts and forgives generously, sharing love with all who follow in God’s ways. It is through God’s amazing grace that we are forgiven.

Today’s Verse-of-the-Day:
1 Corinthians 13:6-7

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love is not merely a feeling—it is Jesus living in and through us (John 13:34, 35; 15:9–17; 1 John 4:7–21). If we say we believe in God and are maturing in our relationship with Him, but we are not growing in our unconditional love for others, something is wrong with our walk (1 Cor. 13). This is because as Jesus increases in us and we decrease, His loving nature should intensify within us as the evidence of His lordship in our life (Gal. 5:22, 23; 2 Pet. 1:3–8).

Today’s Lectionary Readings:
From the Pentateuch
Deuteronomy 30:15-20
Choose life

30:15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. 16 For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.

17 But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, 18 I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.

19 This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

A Psalm and A Prayer
Responsive Readings from the Psalms and Prayers
for Public Worship and Private Devotions
Psalm 119:1-8
Happy are those who walk in the law
Beati immaculati

Happy are they whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the LORD!

Happy are they who observe his decrees
and seek him with all their hearts!

Who never do any wrong,
but always walk in his ways.

You laid down your commandments,
that we should fully keep them.

Oh, that my ways were made so direct
that I might keep your statutes!

Then I should not be put to shame,
when I regard all your commandments.

I will thank you with an unfeigned heart,
when I have learned your righteous judgments.

I will keep your statutes;
do not utterly forsake me.

Heavenly Father, You have given us Your law that we might walk according to Your precepts and standards. You have called us to love You with our whole heart, and love our neighbors as ourselves. Indeed, we know this is the pathway to happiness and the way to enjoy eternal life now and forevermore. Thank You for sending Jesus Christ into our world to show us the depth of Your commitment to us. Help us to be likewise committed to You, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, in whose name we pray. Amen. Now hear our prayers as You taught us to pray:

“Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.”

From the First Epistle to the Corinthians
1 Corinthians 3:1-9
God gives the growth

3:1 Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere human beings?

5 What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. 9 For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.

Today’s Gospel Reading
Matthew 5:21-37
The teaching of Christ: forgiveness

5:21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.

23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

25 “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

31 “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

Click HERE to read today’s Holy Gospel Lesson message

The Nicene Creed

• We believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.

• And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, begotten from the Father before all ages, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made; of the same essence as the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven; he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and was made human. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried. The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead. His kingdom will never end.

• And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life. He proceeds from the Father and the Son, and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified. He spoke through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church. We affirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look forward to the resurrection of the dead, and to life in the world to come. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

Holy Communion

A nondenominational serving of bread and wine

Though no video can truly replace the experience of celebrating together in our places of worship, we know that where two or more are gathered, the Lord is present. This table is open to all who recognize Jesus Christ as healer and redeemer. This table is open to all who work to bring God’s Kingdom here on earth. No one is turned away because of life circumstances. No one is barred from this table. No one seeking God’s abundant grace and mercy is turned aside. We see before us the abundance that a life of faith offers as we respond to God’s everlasting mercy in prayer and deed.

Benediction
(based on Deuteronomy 30)

As we journey out into the world, may each of us walk in the light of God’s ways, striving to be blameless and just. May our hearts be vessels of God’s love and may the Lord bless us in the land that we are entering. Hold fast. Do not be led astray, and may the love of God be yours this day and forevermore. Go now in peace. 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 Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Responsive Readings from the Common Book of Prayer (1789).

The Daily Lectionary is a three year cyclical lectionary. We are currently in Year A. Beginning with the first Sunday of Advent in 2023, we will be in Year B. The year which ended at Advent 2022 was Year A. These readings complement the Sunday and festival readings: Thursday through Saturday readings help prepare the reader for the Sunday ahead; Monday through Wednesday readings help the reader reflect and digest on what they heard in worship. Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org
The Sunday Lectionary and Prayers for Sunday, February 12, 2023
Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany
Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Psalm 119:1-8; 1 Corinthians 3:1-9; Matthew 5:21-37