Lord of the harvest make us fruitful
in good works. Help us to share in your salvation, and enjoy bringing in your
harvest; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
We pray for all those who go out to
seek and save the lost. We are sorry for the times when we stray from you, when
we are tempted to lose hope.
God,
you are our salvation. You are the hope of us all.
We pray for all of those who have
lost their jobs and livelihoods.
We pray for those who have
unrewarding work to do and feel neglected,
for all who are choked by the burden
of care and anxiety.
We hold up to you all who have lost
hope and feel they have nothing to offer.
God, you are our salvation.
You
are the hope of us all.
May our homes be places where love,
joy and peace abound.
May we nurture the young in the ways
of truth and goodness.
We pray for the homeless and all of
those who look in hope to have a home of their own.
God,
you are our salvation. You are the hope of us all.
We pray for all of those who we love,
especially those from whom we have
been parted for so long.
Protect and enfold them in your love.
God
you are our salvation. You are the hope of us all.
Our
Bible readings for this week:
Genesis
25: 19-34
Jacob
and Esau
These are
the descendants of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham was the father of Isaac, and
Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel the Aramean
of Paddan-aram, sister of Laban the Aramean. Isaac prayed to the Lord for his
wife because she was barren; and the Lord granted his prayer, and his wife
Rebekah conceived. The children struggled together within her; and she said,
“If it is to be this way, why do I live?” So, she went to inquire of the Lord.
And the Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples born
of you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the elder
shall serve the younger.” When her time to give birth was at hand, there were
twins in her womb. The first came out red, all his body like a hairy mantle; so
they named him Esau. Afterward his brother came out, with his hand gripping
Esau's heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore
them. When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field,
while Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents. Isaac loved Esau, because he was
fond of game; but Rebekah loved Jacob. Once when Jacob was cooking a stew, Esau
came in from the field, and he was famished. Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat
some of that red stuff, for I am famished!” (Therefore he was called Edom.)
Jacob said, “First sell me your birthright.” Esau said, “I am about to die; of
what use is a birthright to me?” Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore
to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil
stew, and he ate and drank, and rose and went his way. Thus, Esau despised his
birthright.
Matthew
13: 1-9, 18-23
The
Parable of the Sower
That same day Jesus went out of the house and
sat beside the sea. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a
boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them
many things in parables, saying: “Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he
sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other
seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang
up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were
scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell
among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good
soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let
anyone with ears listen!” “Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone
hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes
and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path.
As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and
immediately receives it with joy; yet such a person has no root, but endures
only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the
word, that person immediately falls away. As for what was sown among thorns,
this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of
wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. But as for what was sown on good
soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears
fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another
thirty.”
Collect
Almighty God,
send down upon your Church
the riches of your Spirit,
and kindle in all of us
your countless gifts of grace;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
God is our salvation and the hope of all the ends of
the earth.
May the Lord bless us,
and protect us.
May the Lord smile on us
and be gracious to us.
May the Lord show us his favour
and give us his peace.
Amen
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