Sunday August 21. 2022
The Collect
Grant, O merciful God, that your Church, being gathered together in unity by your Holy Spirit, may show forth your power among all peoples, to the glory 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.
Old Testament
Jeremiah 1:4-10
The word of the LORD came to me saying, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations." Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy." But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a boy'; for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you, Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD." Then the LORD put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the LORD said to me, "Now I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant."
Psalm 71:1-6 
1 In you, O LORD,
have I taken refuge; *
let me never be ashamed.
2 In your righteousness,
deliver me and set me free; *
incline your ear to me and save me.
3 Be my strong rock,
a castle to keep me safe; *
you are my crag
and my stronghold.
4 Deliver me, my God,
from the hand of the wicked, *
from the clutches of the evildoer
and the oppressor.
5 For you are my hope,
O Lord GOD, *
my confidence since I was young.
6 I have been sustained by you
ever since I was born;
from my mother's womb
you have been my strength; *
my praise shall be always of you.
The Epistle
Hebrews 12:18-29
You have not come to something that can be touched, a blazing fire, and darkness, and gloom, and a tempest, and the sound of a trumpet, and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that not another word be spoken to them. (For they could not endure the order that was given, "If even an animal touches the mountain, it shall be stoned to death." Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, "I tremble with fear.") But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. See that you do not refuse the one who is speaking; for if they did not escape when they refused the one who warned them on earth, how much less will we escape if we reject the one who warns from heaven! At that time his voice shook the earth; but now he has promised, "Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heaven." This phrase, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of what is shaken-- that is, created things-- so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks, by which we offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe; for indeed our God is a consuming fire.
The Gospel
Luke 13:10-17 
Now Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, "Woman, you are set free from your ailment." When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God. But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, "There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, and not on the sabbath day." But the Lord answered him and said, "You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the sabbath day?" When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing.
I have, over my lifetime, experienced pain and ached for healing. I thought my faith wasn't strong enough. Some spiritual healing leaders even chastised me when I didn't immediately get healed from the touch and the prayers. Yet we find Jesus, lovingly healing a women who has been suffering for eighteen years. He is not chastising her. Instead he criticized the temple leadership for their adherence to rules rather than to compassion. Jesus did not accuse her of a lack of faith, but focused on their lack of care. We are called to care for the hungry, the homeless, the stranger, the suffering and those in prison. Jesus had no restrictions on the right day or time for healing and compassion, so there are no restrictions for us as well.
A Sunday Litany
Loving Creator, you look on us with compassion
calling everyone to care for those who are suffering
without restrictions or any kind of limitations.
Lord, give us loving compassionate hearts for service.
We are often bound by culture and class norms
yet you did not hold back on you care for all
make us humble and ready to serve the least among us.
Lord, give us loving compassionate hearts for service.
You weep when we fail to see the neighbor in need
you call us back every time we wander away
and you heal us despite the hardness of our hearts.
Lord, give us loving compassionate hearts for service.
The religious leaders held fast to the rules
and miss your great miracles and blessing.
Lord, give us loving compassionate hearts for service.
Help us to take down the walls and barriers we build
and learn to be people of warm welcome and embrace.
Lord, give us loving compassionate hearts for service.
This is you world crying our for healing and justice
help us to hear and respond with your love in all we do.
Lord, give us loving compassionate hearts for service.Amen
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