Saturday, October 1, 2022

The Sunday Lectionary and Prayers for Sunday, October 2, 2022

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The Sunday Lectionary and Prayers
Sunday, October 2, 2022 — 17th Sunday after Pentecost
Lamentations 1:1-6; Psalm 37; 2 Timothy 1:1-14; Luke 17:5-10
[Ordinary 27, Proper 22]
(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)

World Communion Sunday


Opening Prayer



Come, let us sing to the LORD!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come to Him with thanksgiving.
Let us sing psalms of praise to Him.
For the LORD is a great God, a great King above all gods.
He holds in His hands the depths of the earth
and the mightiest mountains.
The sea belongs to Him, for He made it.
His hands formed the dry land, too.
Come, let us worship & bow down.
Let us kneel before the LORD our maker,
for He is our God.
We are the people He watches over,
the flock under His care.

The Collect (Book of Common Prayers)
Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray, and to give more than we either desire or deserve: Pour upon us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask, except through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ our Savior; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

World Communion Prayer of Confession
Lord, on this world communion Sunday, help us examine our hearts so that we may pay proper respect to Christ's sacrifice on the cross. Thank you for offering reconciliation to all of humankind, the forgiveness of sins through Christ, our high priest.

Almighty and ever-present God, we confess our sins to you. We are truly sorry for our wrongdoings and shortcomings, for sins of commission and sins of omission. Forgive us, we pray, in Christ's name.

Empower us to serve you fully, to share the resources we have with those who have less, to weep with those who weep, and to laugh with those who laugh. Help us to be good stewards over the earth you have placed in our care; help us to unite in love and concern for one another, not just in our local community, but with brothers and sisters in all the world.

As we draw near to your holy table we thank you, Lord, for providing the Bread of Life for us. As we partake, impart on us your grace and mercy, unite us with Christ, our Lord, and with one another. May your kingdom be established in all the earth. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon
The God of salvation, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of truth, offers forgiveness to each of us through the Redeemer sent in human form. We are grateful that over and over we are given the chance to begin again and that nothing we have done can separate us from God’s love.


First Reading
Lamentations 1:1-6
The Deserted City
1  How lonely sits the city
     that once was full of people!
   How like a widow she has become,
     she that was great among the nations!
   She that was a princess among the provinces
     has become a vassal.

2  She weeps bitterly in the night,
     with tears on her cheeks;
   among all her lovers
     she has no one to comfort her;
   all her friends have dealt treacherously with her,
     they have become her enemies.

3  Judah has gone into exile with suffering
     and hard servitude;
   she lives now among the nations,
     and finds no resting place;
   her pursuers have all overtaken her
     in the midst of her distress.

4  The roads to Zion mourn,
     for no one comes to the festivals;
   all her gates are desolate,
     her priests groan;
   her young girls grieve,
     and her lot is bitter.

5  Her foes have become the masters,
     her enemies prosper,
   because the Lord has made her suffer
     for the multitude of her transgressions;
   her children have gone away,
     captives before the foe.

6  From daughter Zion has departed
     all her majesty.
   Her princes have become like stags
     that find no pasture;
   they fled without strength
     before the pursuer.


The Response
Psalm 137 Super flumina
1  By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept, *
   when we remembered you, O Zion.

2  As for our harps, we hung them up *
   on the trees in the midst of that land.

3  For those who led us away captive asked us for a song,
   and our oppressors called for mirth: *
   "Sing us one of the songs of Zion."

4  How shall we sing the Lord'S song *
   upon an alien soil.

5  If I forget you, O Jerusalem, *
   let my right hand forget its skill.

6  Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth
   if I do not remember you, *
   if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy.

7  Remember the day of Jerusalem, O Lord,
   against the people of Edom, *
   who said, "Down with it! down with it!
   even to the ground!"

8  O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, *
   happy the one who pays you back
   for what you have done to us!

9  Happy shall he be who takes your little ones, *
   and dashes them against the rock!


Second Reading
2 Timothy 1:1-14
Salutation
1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, for the sake of the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,

2 To Timothy, my beloved child:

Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Thanksgiving and Encouragement
3 I am grateful to God—whom I worship with a clear conscience, as my ancestors did—when I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. 4 Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy. 5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you. 6 For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; 7 for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.

8 Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God, 9 who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace. This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11 For this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher, 12 and for this reason I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know the one in whom I have put my trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that day what I have entrusted to him. 13 Hold to the standard of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us.


The Gospel
Luke 17:5-10
17:5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6 The Lord replied, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

7 “Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here at once and take your place at the table’? 8 Would you not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink’? 9 Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? 10 So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, ‘We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!’”


Here ends the Lessons

Click HERE to read today’s Holy Gospel Lesson message

The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven; by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Closing Prayer


In the name of the Father and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

God of love and mercy,
You call us to be your people,
You gift us with Your abundant grace.
Make us a holy people,
radiating the fullness of your love.
Form us into a community of people who care,
expressing Your compassion.
Remind us day after day of our baptismal call
to serve with joy and courage.
Teach us how to grow in wisdom and grace
and joy in Your presence.
Through Jesus and Your Spirit,
we make this prayer. 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 New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the USA, and used by permission.
World Communion Sunday
Lamentations 1:1-6 (Jerusalem empty and destroyed); Psalm 137 (Weeping by the rivers of Babylon); 2 Timothy 1:1-14 (Guard the treasure entrusted to you); Luke 17:5-10 (Faith the size of a mustard seed)

“Mountain Moving Faith” The Gospel Message for Sunday, October 2, 2022 — 17th Sunday after Pentecost


Our Gospel message comes to us today from the 17th chapter of Luke, beginning with the 5th verse.

17:5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6 He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.

7 “Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? 8 Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? 9 Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? 10 So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”
Luke 17:5-10 (NRSV)

All mighty God, we thank you for your word and the way that you in it revealed to us who you are and what you’ve done for us in Christ. Now, as we open that word, we pray that your spirit may be present, that all thoughts of worry or distraction may be removed and that the Spirit will allow us to hear your voice. And so, oh God, fill us with your spirit through the reading and proclamation of your word this day. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.


“Mountain Moving Faith”


A small congregation in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains built a new sanctuary on a piece of land willed to them by a church member. Ten days before the new church was to open, the local building inspector informed the pastor that the parking lot was inadequate for the size of the building. Until the church doubled the parking lot size, they would not be able to use the new sanctuary. Unfortunately, with its undersized lot, the church had used every inch of its land except for the mountain against which it had been built.


They would have to move the mountain out of the backyard to build more parking spaces. Undaunted, the pastor announced the following Sunday morning that he would meet that evening with all members who had “mountain moving faith.” They would hold a prayer session asking God to remove the mountain from the backyard and to somehow provide enough money to have it paved and painted before the scheduled opening dedication service.


At the appointed time, 24 of the congregation’s 300 members assembled for prayer. They prayed for nearly three hours. At ten o’clock, the pastor said the final “Amen.” “We’ll open next Sunday as scheduled,” he assured everyone. “God has never let us down before, and I believe he will be faithful this time too.” The following day, as he was working in his study there, came a loud knock at his door. When he called “come in,” a rough-looking construction foreman appeared, removing his hard hat as he entered. “Excuse me, Reverend. I’m from Acme Construction Company over in the next county. We’re building a huge shopping mall. We need some fill dirt. Would you be willing to sell us a chunk of that mountain behind the church? We’ll pay you for the dirt we remove and pave all the exposed areas free of charge if we can have it right away. We can’t do anything else until we get the dirt in and allow it to settle properly.”


The little church was dedicated the following Sunday as initially planned, and there were far more members with “mountain moving faith” on opening Sunday than there had been the previous week! (Author Unknown).


Wow. At first, listen, that story sounds like a fantastic fulfillment of a saying Jesus liked to use during his ministry. Both Matthew and Mark record him as saying that faith the size of a mustard seed could move mountains. In the Gospel for today, Luke records Jesus as saying, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.” Either way, he chose to say it, the message was the same: With just a little faith, great things can be done.


It’s no wonder, then, that the disciples said to him, “Increase our faith.” Is it any wonder that the pastor of that small mountain church called for those with “mountain moving faith” to come pray? But the point of Jesus’ illustration does not support such conclusions. His point is that the amount of faith you have doesn’t matter. Lots and lots of faith aren’t necessary, but rather any faith at all, even a tiny bit like a mustard seed, is enough. But enough for what? How about enough to move trees or mountains or even human hearts?


The size of faith doesn’t matter because God is the one doing the moving. If my faith moved the mountain, then the bigger the mountain, the more faith I would need to move it. The bigger the obstacle, the more strength I’d need to climb it. The more serious the sin, the more faith I’d need to have it forgiven. That kind of thinking kind of makes sense, but that’s not how faith works. In fact, faith doesn’t do the work at all. God is the one doing the work through faith. Think of faith as the key that opens the door to God acting in our lives. Does it matter if I have a bigger key ring than you do? Because we can both open the door with that one little key. And once the door is open to God, he can move the mountains, trees, and even our hearts.


So, what Jesus is saying to his disciples, who asked for their faith to be increased, is that even if they had the smallest amount of faith, they could do great things. Great things like what Jesus tells us in the gospel for today.


Things like being especially sensitive to people new to the faith, and so Jesus says, “Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to anyone by whom they come! It would be better for you if a millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea than for you to cause one of these little ones to stumble.” (Luke 17:1-2).


Things like offering Christ-like forgiveness again and again, if necessary, and so Jesus says, “Be on your guard! If another disciple sins, you must rebuke the offender, and if there is repentance, you must forgive. And if the same person sins against you seven times a day, and turns back to you seven times and says, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive.” (Luke 17:3-4).


These things don’t seem like such great things until you have to do them, and the apostles didn’t think they were able. But they were. They already had what they needed and faith, so they just needed to let God move the mountains and the trees and even their hearts for them.


And so do you. Like the Apostles, you also have what is needed. You also have been given the gift of faith by God. Why else would you be here? You are here to read God’s Word and be nourished by his body and blood because the Holy Spirit created faith in you at your baptism. You are here because that faith, even faith as small as a mustard seed, has moved you to pray, praise, and give thanks to the one who loves you and has given himself over to death for you. You are here because of a faith that only trusts what God has done to give you eternal life; as Paul reminds us in the 2nd lesson that it is “God who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace” (2 Timothy 1:8-9).


Faith certainly can accomplish great things, and since, as I have already said that faith is the reason you are here and faith is the reason you are a child of God, then faith is also the reason that you can do the same things as the apostles. You also can be sensitive to people new to the faith. That means always living your faith. Don’t act righteous and holy on Sundays, and the rest of the week, you live as the heathens do. What would someone new to Christianity think if they knew you from church but heard you take the Lord’s name in vain? And in the same way, what would a new Christian think, or any Christian for that matter, think if after we hear Jesus tell us to forgive and forgive and forgive, and then after we feel someone has sinned against us, we refuse to forgive?


I think all of us have to admit that at one time or another, we are guilty of conducting ourselves in an un-Christian manner, and more often than not, we are guilty of holding grudges and refusing forgiveness. The worse part of this is the fact that what I have mentioned so far is only a small list of how we sin in thought, word, and deed each and every day, and because of the things we say and do, we are deserving of an eternity spent separated from God in hell.


But praise God that he doesn’t treat us according to what we deserve. Praise God that despite our sins, he has given us faith—even as small as a mustard seed. And God working through the faith he has given us will defeat the devil’s temptations to sin, he will help us overcome the obstacles we face when forgiveness is required. God working in us through faith can move mountains, trees, and even our own hearts for his glory. Faith is powerful because the Christ in whom faith believes is powerful. He defeated death, destroyed the devil, and swept away our sins by his mercy. Through faith in Jesus, God can even do the impossible: save sinners like you and me.


And so that brings us back to that little mountain church story I told at the beginning. At first, it seems to be a good illustration of the mountain-moving powers of faith. But in the end, it never happened—at least, that’s what the resource I got the illustration from says. And I’d tend to agree. According to this text, God didn’t need twenty-four people with big faiths to pray. Nor did the pastor’s belief make that contractor show up in his office. God moves mountains, trees, and even human hearts through faith so tiny as a mustard seed. In fact, the whole idea of “if you really, really believe, then it will happen” is disproved by this text. But let’s not twist these words to convince ourselves that now we don’t need to take this Christianity stuff, faith, and prayer and study any more seriously than we already do. Realize that since you already possess more than enough of what’s needed to change your life, your heart, your family, your community, and even your world, the question ceases to be “Why can’t you?” and is now “Why won’t you?” God moves mountains, trees, and even the stubbornness of our own sinful hearts.


Father, thank You that according to Your Word, You have given us all a measure of Your faith—Mountain Moving faith. Hallelujah!


And it was through that same faith that Abraham became the father of many Nations, and it was not because he lived like a saint and did everything right, but because You made something out of Abraham even when he was a nobody because he dared to trust You.


Father, I pray that we will all have that same kind of faith and trust in You—the faith to trust You to do what You said You would do.


Even though things in the natural may seem hopeless right now, help us not to focus on what we can’t do, Lord, but on what Your Word said You would do for us.


Help us get a revelation that we must mix our faith with Your Word. You said Your Word is near us even in our mouths, and we have been given the power and the authority to speak to our mountains, and Your Word, like a hammer, will break into pieces the rock of most stubborn resistance. Amen.



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Scripture taken from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)® Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Sermon contributed by Rev. Christopher Raiford.

Lots and lots of faith isn’t necessary, but rather any faith at all, even a tiny bit like a mustard seed is enough.

The Morning Prayer for Sunday, October 2, 2022

 


The Morning Prayer
Sunday, October 2, 2022


In you, Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness. Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me.
Psalm 31:1–2 (NIV)

Lord our God, give us your Spirit, we beseech you, that we may find your paths on earth and live in the hope and certainty that everything is in your hands, even when we see much that is unjust and evil. May we remain under your protection, living by your commandments and in your Spirit. For your Spirit witnesses to the truth and longs to change and lift up our lives. Your Spirit longs to reach all people who have felt your touch, longs that they may come to you and have life. Amen.

Verse of the Day for Sunday, October 2, 2022

 


Verse of the Day
Sunday, October 2, 2022


Proverbs 29:25
Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.
True security is the result of trusting God and not other humans. Fear of others becomes a snare when it gets to the point of letting others control your life—their opinions and attitudes put subtle pressure on you, even hindering you from speaking the truth or doing what is right. Release from such bondage comes when people put their faith in the Lord alone.

Read all of Proverbs Chapter 29

Listen to Proverbs Chapter 29


Scripture from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.