The Sunday Lectionary and Prayers for Sunday, July 2, 2023—Fifth Sunday after Pentecost

 

The Sunday Lectionary and Prayers
Sunday, July 22, 2023
Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
Genesis 22:1-14; Psalm 13; Romans 6:12-23; Matthew 10:40-42
(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)
  (Semi-continuous Reading Plan)

Opening Statement

Today’s scriptures reveal contrasting understandings of God and the followers of God. Abraham thinks faithfulness means sacrificing a beloved child, whereas Paul advises us to sacrifice ourselves to faithfulness and righteousness in response to being saved by grace. Jesus reveals the clearest message. In sharp contrast to talk of slavery and sacrifice, Jesus invites us to receive and welcome any and all, for in receiving others, we are receiving Christ. In receiving righteous people, we are deemed righteous. Encouraging us to offer care and compassion to even the little ones, Jesus reveals God’s deepest truth: We are defined by who we love and care for, and how we love and care for them.

Opening Prayer
(Genesis 22, Psalm 13)

God of ages past and days yet to come, journey with us today. Journey with us all our days, whether on treacherous paths or beside still waters. Guide our steps to find solid ground, that we may know the firm foundation of your constant presence. Open our minds to the blessings and miracles we encounter along the way. In your holy name, we pray. Amen.

Call to Confession
(Genesis 22, Romans 6, Matthew 10)

God of grace and God of glory, shower us with your mercy and forgiveness. When we can’t see the way forward, be our navigation system. When we make a wrong turn, gently correct us. When we neglect our health and wellness, heal us with your love. When we neglect or harm your world and its peoples, reveal your righteousness and guidance, that we may be forgiven and reconciled with you and with your beloved creation. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon
(Romans 6)

In Christ, we are set free. We are reconciled through the power of love and grace. Thanks be to God.

Today’s Verse-of-the-Day:

Jeremiah 17:9-10

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”

Our hearts will lie to us, and our feelings are unreliable. Although they are a powerful part of who we are, we must realize that our emotions can lead us in devastating ways (Prov. 16:25; Eccl. 9:3). Only God knows the human heart and how to redeem it. So when it is hurting or moving us in a destructive manner, we must turn to our Maker to help us (1 John 3:20).

Today’s Lectionary Readings:
First Reading

Genesis 22:1-14
The testing of Abraham

Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied.

Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”

Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”

Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”

“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.

“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.

When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied.

“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”

Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

A Psalm and A Prayer
Responsive Readings from the Psalms and Prayers
for Public Worship and Private Devotions
Psalm 13
Will you forget me forever?
Usquequo, Domine?

How long, O LORD?
    will you forget me for ever? *
  how long will you hide your face from me?

How long shall I have perplexity in my mind,
    and grief in my heart, day after day? *
  how long shall my enemy triumph over me?

Look upon me and answer me, O LORD my God; *
  give light to my eyes, lest I sleep in death;

Lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” *
  and my foes rejoice that I have fallen.

But I put my trust in your mercy; *
  my heart is joyful because of your saving help.

I will sing to the LORD, for he has dealt with me richly; *
  I will praise the Name of the Lord Most High.

Heavenly Father, we worship You as our defender, guardian, and protector. You care for us in ways that make You the perfect example of true fatherhood. Sometimes we pray to You with groans that words cannot express, and You rise up to meet our needs with a perfect understanding. You lead us to safety and Your everlasting arms hold us securely. We find our rest in the palm of Your hand. We trust in all of Your promises, and we confess that You have never failed to keep Your word to us. Fill us now with Your Spirit and help us keep our word to You. We rejoice in You and in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray, Amen.

Second Reading
From the Epistles

Romans 6:12-23
No longer under law but under grace

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Today’s Gospel Reading

Matthew 10:40-42
Welcome Christ in those Christ sends

“Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”

Here end the Readings

Click HERE to read today’s Holy Gospel Lesson message

The Nicene Creed

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

The Lord's Prayer - Our Father Who Art in Heaven

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

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
(Matthew 10)

As we have been received in God’s love, we go to receive others in love. As we have been welcomed with God’s grace, we go to welcome the world with grace.

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, July 2, 2023
Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
Genesis 22:1-14; Psalm 13; Romans 6:12-23; Matthew 10:40-42
Today’s scriptures reveal contrasting understandings of God and the followers of God. Abraham thinks faithfulness means sacrificing a beloved child, whereas Paul advises us to sacrifice ourselves to faithfulness and righteousness in response to being saved by grace. Jesus reveals the clearest message. In sharp contrast to talk of slavery and sacrifice, Jesus invites us to receive and welcome any and all, for in receiving others, we are receiving Christ. In receiving righteous people, we are deemed righteous. Encouraging us to offer care and compassion to even the little ones, Jesus reveals God’s deepest truth: We are defined by who we love and care for, and how we love and care for them.