Friday, October 8, 2021

Sunday, October 10th - Proper 23


The Collect
 
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. 

Old Testament Job 23:1-9, 16-17 




Job said: "Today also my complaint is bitter; his hand is heavy despite my groaning. Oh, that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his dwelling! I would lay my case before him, and fill my mouth with arguments. I would learn what he would answer me, and understand what he would say to me. Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power? No; but he would give heed to me. There an upright person could reason with him, and I should be acquitted forever by my judge. "If I go forward, he is not there; or backward, I cannot perceive him; on the left he hides, and I cannot behold him; I turn to the right, but I cannot see him. God has made my heart faint; the Almighty has terrified me; If only I could vanish in darkness, and thick darkness would cover my face!" 








Psalm 22:1-15 

1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? * 
and are so far from my cry and 
from the words of my distress?
2 O my God, I cry in the daytime, 
but you do not answer; * 
by night as well, but I find no rest. 
3 Yet you are the Holy One, * 
enthroned upon the praises of Israel. 
4 Our forefathers put their trust in you; * 
they trusted, and you delivered them. 
5 They cried out to you and were delivered; * 
they trusted in you and were not put to shame. 
6 But as for me, I am a worm and no man, * 
scorned by all and despised by the people. 
7 All who see me laugh me to scorn; * 
they curl their lips and wag their heads, saying, 
8 "He trusted in the LORD; let him deliver him; * 
let him rescue him, if he delights in him." 
9 Yet you are he who took me out of the womb, * 
and kept me safe upon my mother's breast. 
10 I have been entrusted to you ever since I was born; * 
you were my God when I was still in my mother's womb. 
11 Be not far from me, for trouble is near, * 
and there is none to help. 
12 Many young bulls encircle me; * 
strong bulls of Bashan surround me. 
13 They open wide their jaws at me, * 
like a ravening and a roaring lion. 
14 I am poured out like water;
 all my bones are out of joint; * 
my heart within my breast is melting wax. 
15 My mouth is dried out like a pot-sherd; 
my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; * 
and you have laid me in the dust of the grave. 

The Epistle Hebrews 4:12-16 

The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account. Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. 








The Gospel Mark 10:17-31 

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.’” He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions. Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” They were greatly astounded and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.” Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

A Litany for Indigenous Peoples’ Day

 

Creator, you made us all in your beautiful diversity

Planting us in all four corners of your sacred earth

And you call us together now on the four winds

Inviting us to be renewed and healed by your spirit.

Creator, author of all goodness, water us with your tears and bind us all as one.

 

Your people have been scattered, abused and broken

Yet always you sang to us by the light of sister moon

You spoke to us through the radiance of brother sun

Through the very ground you remind us we are loved.

Creator, source of compassion, you bear our pain and hear our silent screams.

 

They took our land and then they took our little ones

You heard our moaning and our cries in the night

Sending comfort and vision for a new generation of hope

To the seventh generation you have promised healing.

Creator, you know our hearts, help us to pray as our ancestors did.

 

You placed us on lush, green and fertile lands

Draped with golden mountains and deep rivers

You taught us how to care for every living thing

But strangers came and did not see your beauty.

Creator, you bring sight to the blind, help our people to see again.

 

Loving Creator, use our wounds for the healing of our circle

Use our voices so the songs of the silenced are heard again

Use the threads of our anger and shame for the mending of this hoop

Use our homes and our ancient lands as places of sacred promise.

Creator, make us whole again, so our mother is renewed for all. Amen.

 

 

 


No comments: