Sunday, July 25th, 2021 Proper 12

Sunday July 2th, 2021 Proper 12

The Collect 

O God, the protector of all who trust in you, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy: Increase and multiply upon us your mercy; that, with you as our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we lose not the things eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. 

Old Testament 2 Samuel 11:1-15 

In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab with his officers and all Israel with him; they ravaged the Ammonites, and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. It happened, late one afternoon, when David rose from his couch and was walking about on the roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; the woman was very beautiful. David sent someone to inquire about the woman. It was reported, “This is Bathsheba daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” So David sent messengers to get her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she was purifying herself after her period.) Then she returned to her house. The woman conceived; and she sent and told David, “I am pregnant.” So David sent word to Joab, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent Uriah to David. When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab and the people fared, and how the war was going. Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house, and wash your feet.” Uriah went out of the king’s house, and there followed him a present from the king. But Uriah slept at the entrance of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house. When they told David, “Uriah did not go down to his house,” David said to Uriah, “You have just come from a journey. Why did you not go down to your house?” Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah remain in booths; and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field; shall I then go to my house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do such a thing.” Then David said to Uriah, “Remain here today also, and tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day. On the next day, David invited him to eat and drink in his presence and made him drunk; and in the evening he went out to lie on his couch with the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house. In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. In the letter he wrote, “Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, so that he may be struck down and die.” 

Psalm 14  

1 The fool has said in his heart, 

"There is no God." * 

All are corrupt and commit abominable acts;

 there is none who does any good. 

2 The LORD looks down 

from heaven upon us all, * 

to see if there is any who is wise, 

if there is one who seeks after God. 

3 Every one has proved faithless; 

all alike have turned bad; * 

there is none who does good; 

no, not one. 

4 Have they no knowledge,

all those evildoers * 

who eat up my people like bread

 and do not call upon the LORD? 

5 See how they tremble with fear, *

 because God is in the company

 of the righteous. 

6 Their aim is to confound 

the plans of the afflicted, * 

but the LORD is their refuge. 

7 Oh, that Israel's deliverance 

would come out of Zion! * 

when the LORD restores 

the fortunes of his people, 

Jacob will rejoice and Israel be glad. 

 The Epistle Ephesians 3:14-21 

I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. 

The Gospel John 6:1-21 

Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?” He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?” Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.” So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.” When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself. When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land toward which they were going.

A Litany for Sunday, July 25th

Loving Creator, source of food for us all

you created this garden of great abundance

teaching us your ways to plant and harvest

yet we find ourselves empty and alone.

Help us Lord, to gather up the fragments, so nothing may be lost.

You care for the lost, the lonely and broken

and call us to help with this holy work

yet we too often withdraw to our own needs

and ignore your daily calls to service and love.

Help us Lord, to gather up the fragments, so that nothing is lost.

We are distracted by our cares and worries

you have promised to provide for everyone

you fed the huge crowd with five loaves and two fish

and walked on water to the frightened disciples.

Help us Lord, to gather up the fragments, so that nothing is lost.

Our hands are your hands in this weary world

strengthen us in faith so that we might serve you.

Help us Lord, to gather up the fragments, so that nothing is lost.

When the dark clouds gather and storms threaten

let us trust in you grace to be sufficient for the day.

Help us Lord, to gather up the fragments, so that nothing is lost.

You are the Savior of the world and a friend to all

help us to follow you by providing food and safe harbor.

Help us Lord, to gather up the fragments, so that nothing is lost.

Let your love surround us and strengthen us daily

so that we might bring you love wherever we go.

Help us Lord, to gather up the fragments, so that nothing is lost. Amen.