Lectionary 05/10/2025
- Proper 22 /Ordinary 27 - Year C
Lectionary Readings
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Sometimes all justice seems a joke
Sometimes all justice seems a joke
by Andrew Pratt
1 Sometimes all justice seems a joke, we see love sink and drown, as anarchy and violence rule, the poor are trodden down. 2 And all is lost, audacious grace, seems vain, a hopeless thought; until we bring to mind again what Jesus lived and taught: 3 T…
Nothing Too Religious - Through this day of quiet and calm
Nothing Too Religious - Through this day of quiet and calm
by Marjorie Dobson
Through this day of quiet and calm let your peace sink into my soul. In this place, with time out of time, send your grace that I may be whole. Verses 2-3 follow Marjorie Dobson 8.8.8.8 (Irregular) Tune: Scarborough Fair (First published in Nothing Too Religious – Andrew Prat…
Prayer: Guarantees, glory and grit
Prayer: Guarantees, glory and grit
by Marjorie Dobson
Prayer: Guarantees, glory and grit Lord, forgive us for the times when we feel our lack of faith and ask for guarantees on the work we do. Forgive our lack of trust. Help us to read the signs that your work is continuing in us. Lord, forgive us for the times when we look for glor…
Imagining the lectionary: redevelopment on Story Street
Imagining the lectionary: redevelopment on Story Street
by David Perry
Imagining the Lectionary: redevelopment on story street (Proper 22C / Ordinary 27C) Reflection accompanying images Story Street 1, 2 & 3 Image: ‘Story Street 1’ Who is willing and able to invest in Story Street? The photograph poses a question which goes much deeper than the supe…
Lent for Everyone Year A - Sunday: Week 3 in Lent Year A
Lent for Everyone Year A - Sunday: Week 3 in Lent Year A
by SPCK - N T Wright
Lent For Everyone WEEK 3: SUNDAY Psalm 95 A small boy I knew asked his grandfather, a retired priest, what ‘worship’ meant. The old man paused. He was over 80 years of age, he said; he had been a clergyman most of his life; and he still found it hard to say exactly what ‘worshi…
John for Everyone Part 1 - The Man Born Blind
John for Everyone Part 1 - The Man Born Blind
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Man Born Blind John 9.1-12 I was just waking up, listening to the radio, when a news item caught my attention. Someone had been dismissed from their job for holding heretical views about the afterlife. I listened more intently. Who was it? What job had they been doing? Was it…
John for Everyone Part 1 - The Blind Man's Parents
John for Everyone Part 1 - The Blind Man's Parents
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Blind Man’s Parents John 9.13-23 John for Everyone The street lights weren’t working properly that night as my friend walked home late from work. As he took the short cut through the alleyway towards his own street, it was almost pitch dark. He knew the path well enough and w…
John for Everyone Part 1 - Is Jesus from God?
John for Everyone Part 1 - Is Jesus from God?
by SPCK - N T Wright
Is Jesus from God? John 9.24-34 One of the most depressing things about war is the way in which both sides routinely invoke God on their side. People now joke about the First World War, in which British army chaplains were praying to God for victory while a few hundred yards away…
John for Everyone Part 1 - Seeing and Not Seeing
John for Everyone Part 1 - Seeing and Not Seeing
by SPCK - N T Wright
Seeing and Not Seeing John 9.35-41 Who decides when the picture is in focus? I attended a lecture the other night in which the speaker showed us some wonderful colour slides of medieval paintings of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. The colour was magnificent; the interpretati…
Luke for Everyone - Forgiveness, Faith and Obedience
Luke for Everyone - Forgiveness, Faith and Obedience
by SPCK - N T Wright
Forgiveness, Faith and Obedience Luke 17.1-10 There is a famous story about a man who wrote a book with the title, Humility and How I Achieved It. The title is almost as self-contradictory as, in Jesus’ world, the phrase ‘the good Samaritan’ would have been. One of the paradoxes …
Lectionary Reflection Year C - Proper 22 Year C
Lectionary Reflection Year C - Proper 22 Year C
by SPCK - Jane Williams
Proper 22 Habakkuk 1.1–4; 2.1–4 2 Timothy 1.1–14 Luke 17.5–10 This central section of Luke’s Gospel is full of very uncomfortable reading. It starts at 9.51, when Jesus ‘set his face to go to Jerusalem’, and the ministry enters a new phase. Now everything he says and does is bein…
Twelve Months of Sunday year c - Proper 22 Year C
Twelve Months of Sunday year c - Proper 22 Year C
by SPCK - N T Wright
Proper 22 Lamentations 1.1–6 2 Timothy 1.1–14 Luke 17.5–10 Paul, in prison, writes about power. Dangerous stuff, we say – tends to corrupt, and all that. Paul’s setting, and the work that got him there, guards him from misunderstanding. Tyrants speak of God’s power to validate th…
The Pastoral Letters - Rekindle the Gift!
The Pastoral Letters - Rekindle the Gift!
by SPCK - David Adam
Rekindle the Gift! 2Timothy 1.1-7 There was snow outside, and the living room was cold when I came downstairs. I don’t know why I’d woken up early, but I now shivered as I huddled on the sofa and waited for one of my parents to follow me downstairs. (I can’t have been more than a…
The Pastoral Letters - Don't Be Ashamed
The Pastoral Letters - Don't Be Ashamed
by SPCK - N T Wright
Don’t Be Ashamed! 2Timothy 1.8-14 My grandfather was a clergyman, and like many of us who have to stand up and do things in front of other people he had a recurring nightmare. In his dream, he would find himself standing in the pulpit getting ready to preach a sermon, and look do…
With My WholeHeart - Psalm 37: 4, 7, 32
With My WholeHeart - Psalm 37: 4, 7, 32
by SPCK - James Jones
Psalm 37. 4, 7, 32 The promise of God to give us our heart’s desires is conditional. When our heart is in tune with God’s heart and hence our will with his will then, as Jesus said, ‘Ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you’ (John 15.7 nrsv). The secret is to stay c…
LWPT Meditations - Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year C
LWPT Meditations - Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year C
by Susan Thorne
Meditation – 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time Yr C Lamentations 1:1-6 Psalm 137 2nd Timothy 1:1-14 Luke 17:5-10 These readings make no secret of the fact that to serve God is both challenging and testing. The apostle Paul wrote his second letter to Timothy from prison. It was not his…
Gazing on the Gospels Year C - Proper 22 Year C
Gazing on the Gospels Year C - Proper 22 Year C
by SPCK - Judith Dimond
Proper 22 Luke 17: 5-10 Gaze on this poor worker with the sweat running down his face, and blisters on his hands, plodding back from the fields. The light is dimming and he’s returning to the farmhouse. How he longs to be able to bathe his tired limbs, drink cool water, and gaze …
Prayer: God, who weeps as we do
Prayer: God, who weeps as we do
by Marjorie Dobson
Prayer: God, who weeps as we do God, who weeps as we do when we see another city destroyed, another home shelled, another victim gunned down in the street, another suicide bomber creating death and injury, another column of refugees fleeing to a hazardous safety, another child dy…
Monologue/meditation: Lament
Monologue/meditation: Lament
by Andrew Pratt
Monologue/meditation: Lament Share all or part of the reading from Lamentations. The speaker, a modern day Jeremiah, is sitting on a stool, thinking. Raising his or her head, begins to speak... The rooftops were wet, shining in light that glinted between clouds. The damp mist of …
Willows hung with harps are weeping
Willows hung with harps are weeping
by Andrew Pratt
Willows hung with harps are weeping like the sorrow of our song, deep reflection of the mourning for the hurt of human wrong. Hurt which seems to have no ending, still rings on from age to age, still our human hearts are bleeding, still our grief takes centre stage. Verses 3-4 fo…
Poem: By the river
Poem: By the river
by Marjorie Dobson
Poem: By the river There is something about rivers, something reflective, something that can bring tears and sorrow, something that tempts the suicidal and depressed, something immensely powerful, even in the smallest rushing stream, that provokes thoughtfulness and introspection…
Reflection: Paul and Timothy
Reflection: Paul and Timothy
by Marjorie Dobson
Reflection: Paul and Timothy Did Paul envy Timothy for his upbringing because he knew that it had led to a real devotion to the Christian cause, whereas Paul’s own background had first led him to the persecution of the Christians? Not the kind of envy that brings dissent, of cour…
Strange how we adorn with honours
Strange how we adorn with honours
by Andrew Pratt
Strange how we adorn with honours people doing what they should, while the one we count as master hung upon a cross of wood. Verses 2-3 follows Metre: 8 7 8 7 (Trochaic) Tune: ST OSWALD Andrew Pratt (born 1948) Words © 18/9/2013 Stainer & Bell Ltd, London, England, www.stainer.…
Poem: If you have faith
Poem: If you have faith
by Marjorie Dobson
Poem: If you have faith If you have enough faith to trust the bus driver to get you safely to your destination: if you have enough faith to believe that your train will eventually arrive in the station: if you can trust the bakery to make your daily bread fresh and edible and can…
A seasonal sign of fruitful giving
A seasonal sign of fruitful giving
by David Perry
Image accompanying reflection Imagining the Lectionary: A seasonal sign of fruitful giving (Proper 22/ Ordinary 27) Year C TIP- PowerPoint Slide Size- The ideal way to insert into PowerPoint is:- Reduce the image size to 1024x768 pixels using your image editing software. (Will re…
Imagining the Lectionary:A seasonal sign of fruitful giving
Imagining the Lectionary:A seasonal sign of fruitful giving
by David Perry
A seasonal sign of fruitful giving (Proper 22/Ordinary 27) Year C Reflection accompanying image “A seasonal sign of fruitful giving” Walking our dog in the early morning sunshine I noticed the numerous empty horse chestnut fruits littering the path, lying open and highlighted so …
Psalms for Everyone - The Lowly Will Inherit the Land
Psalms for Everyone - The Lowly Will Inherit the Land
by SPCK - John Goldingay
The Lowly Will Inherit the Earth Psalm 37: 1-20 The day before yesterday, in a demonstration that turned violent, the police station a quarter of a mile from where I lived as a child in Birmingham, England, and a quarter of a mile from my church there, was set on fire. One has a …
Psalms for Everyone - Did You Have Your Eyes Shut, Then?
Psalms for Everyone - Did You Have Your Eyes Shut, Then?
by SPCK - John Goldingay
Did You Have Your Eyes Shut, Then? Psalm 37: 21-40 There’s a poem by Jacqueline Osherow in which she imagines a Jewish boy who has learned the Psalms by heart saying them at Auschwitz and puzzling over Psalm 37 (“Psalm 37 at Auschwitz,” in Dead Men’s Praise [New York: Grove Press…
Psalms for Everyone Part 2 - Will You Just Shut Up and Listen?
Psalms for Everyone Part 2 - Will You Just Shut Up and Listen?
by SPCK - John Goldingay
Will You Just Shut Up and Listen? Psalm 95 One of the most formative experiences of my life was being a chorister in the choir at the cathedral in my home city in England. I learned to sing and to read and write music, and I wouldn’t have become a music freak except for that expe…
Psalms for Everyone Part 2 - Mindfulness, God’s and Ours
Psalms for Everyone Part 2 - Mindfulness, God’s and Ours
by SPCK - John Goldingay
His Commitment Is Forever Psalm 136 A former student of mine served as an armed forces chaplain in Iraq for two years after graduating from seminary. One week he called me from there. He had felt compelled to preach on the idea of God’s steadfast love. He remembered my explaining…
Four Gospels, One Jesus - What about the authors?
Four Gospels, One Jesus - What about the authors?
by SPCK - Richard A Burridge
What about the authors? Redaction and composition I cannot always read my favourite newspaper at coffee-time in our staff common room, because someone else has bagged it already! Never mind, there are others around, and reading various papers reveals their different styles and vi…
Four Gospels, One Jesus - Those who are burdened with heavy loads
Four Gospels, One Jesus - Those who are burdened with heavy loads
by SPCK - Richard A Burridge
Those who are burdened with heavy loads The ministry of the ox The keynote for Luke’s portrait of Jesus is set in his initial visit to the synagogue at Nazareth (4.16–30). Luke’s story is three times longer than the equivalent accounts which occur much later in Mark and Matthew (…
Enabling Church: inclusion of disabled people - Experiencing God in togetherness
Enabling Church: inclusion of disabled people - Experiencing God in togetherness
by SPCK - Gordon Temple and Lin Ball
4 Experiencing God in togetherness Genesis 2.18 –22; Psalm 68.5, 6; John 17.20 –23 Purpose: to explore God-given models of community; to consider the challenge of isolation and loneliness as a particular issue for disabled people…
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Book I (Pss. 1-41)
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Book I (Pss. 1-41)
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Book I (Pss. 1-41) Book I opens, in Psalm 1, with words encouraging faithful meditation upon the Torah. The book continues in Psalm 2 with words of warning to the nations and their rulers to recognize the God of Israel as king over all. The psalms are framed (1:1 and 2:11) with t…
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Book V
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Book V
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Book V (Psalms 107-150) Book V of the Psalter opens with Psalm 107, a community hymn celebrating God’s graciousness in delivering the community of faith from exile in Babylon. The psalmist says: “Let the redeemed of YHWH say so, those he redeemed from trouble and gathered in from…
glimpses of glory - Proper 3 - Year C
glimpses of glory - Proper 3 - Year C
by SPCK - David Adam
Proper 3 God of grace and glory, give us the gift of generosity, that we may reveal your love and forgiveness, and live in fellowship and peace with each other as we work for the coming of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy …
The Act of Prayer Year C - Proper 3 - Year C
The Act of Prayer Year C - Proper 3 - Year C
by BRF - John Birch
Proper 3 Year C Opening prayer God of yesterday, today and for ever, we thank you for your loving care, protection and strength. As Joseph, once abandoned into slavery, was able with confidence to state that every part of his life was lived according to your will, so we ask that …
The Womens' Bible Commentary - “Why Do You Look On the Treacherous?”
The Womens' Bible Commentary - “Why Do You Look On the Treacherous?”
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
“Why Do You Look On the Treacherous?” The prophet bemoans the failure of his expectations, namely, that the sins of the nation’s leaders would be met by appropriate judgment and that God would judge the iniquities of Judah’s enemies as well…
Fresh Thoughts For Sunday - Fresh Thoughts For Sunday Issue 136
Fresh Thoughts For Sunday - Fresh Thoughts For Sunday Issue 136
by Twelvebaskets Ltd
A selection of commentary, reflection and prayer ideas from various Christian authors and the full bible texts from the NRSV for this week's lectionary. NOW INCLUDING SERIALISED BOOKS FROM SPCK AND CONTRIBUTIONS FROM BRF. Check below for details. Subscribe to Fresh Thoughts For S…
Times and Seasons - Full Service - Proper 22 (27) - Year C
Times and Seasons - Full Service - Proper 22 (27) - Year C
by Andrew Pratt and Marjorie Dobson
Full Service - Proper 22 (27) - Year C Service contents: Hymn: Dear Lord and Father of mankind or Come and find the quiet centre or Here in the silence of this place Prayer: God, who weeps as we do Reading: Psalm 137 Poem: By the river Hymn: My life flows on in endless song (abov…
Mission - Sheep among wolves
Mission - Sheep among wolves
by Colin Smith
This short (1180 word) reflection/sermon explores the implications of Jesus's statement (Matthew 10.16) that he was sending his disciples out to be as sheep among wolves. Lessons for today's disciples are indicated. Also given are reassurances and advice derived from their expect…
Jesus the Light of the world
Jesus the Light of the world
by Colin Smith
This short (1270) reflection/sermon examines Jesus claim to be the light of the world. By comparing the light of a lamp in darkness, it is noted that Jesus brings order out of chaos, reveals too us how we really are and guides us to a happier more purposeful life.
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Prayer: Weeping God
Prayer: Weeping God
by Marjorie Dobson
Prayer: Weeping God Weeping God, we come to join in your tears for those people who are refugees, or have been taken captive from their own country. We weep for those fleeing from violence and oppression; for those falsely accused of rebellion, when only seeking for justice; for …
Poem: Armour
Poem: Armour
by Marjorie Dobson
Poem: Armour Flak jackets and body armour, protective helmets and rocket launchers may be essentials in personal protection in war zones today, but most of us – thankfully – will never need to use them. Not in the business of coping with living and dealing with people we meet eve…
Reflection/Poem: Thankful for the Law
Reflection/Poem: Thankful for the Law
by Marjorie Dobson
Reflection/Poem: Thankful for the Law For those of us who live in settled lands, have homes and families and reasonable stability, make money for our basic needs although it never seems enough, embrace democracy whilst grumbling against the government and are thankful that we do …
Poem/Meditation: Fruits of the Spirit
Poem/Meditation: Fruits of the Spirit
by Marjorie Dobson
Poem/Meditation: Fruits of the Spirit If people looking for the evidence of our faith turn to the church today, what do they see? Is there a danger that they will find indifference, when they need love: moaning and complaining, when they need joy: bickering and back-biting, when …
God resists a partial judgment
God resists a partial judgment
by Andrew Pratt
God resists a partial judgment, spinning justice in the air, mercy breathes in word and action when the Spirit's breath is there. Here the wicked face comeuppance, here the weak are heard at last, where each human word and action counts for more than prayer or fast. Verses 3-4 fo…
Prayer: God, our refuge
Prayer: God, our refuge
by Marjorie Dobson
Prayer: God, our refuge God, our refuge, you have promised shelter and safety for those who love and trust in you. Yet in the world around us we see faithful people suffering, innocent people injured and dying, children starving and women attacked and molested. Daily we hear of w…
Reflection: Royalty
Reflection: Royalty
by Marjorie Dobson
Psalm 99 Reflection: Royalty In our so-called civilised world, evil leaders rule with cruelty, violence and a total disregard for the welfare of their people. Other, manipulative people prefer to be the power behind their leader’s throne and use cunning, political scheming, bribe…
Poem/Meditation- When despair wrenches the soul
Poem/Meditation- When despair wrenches the soul
by Marjorie Dobson
Poem: Meditation-When despair wrenches the soul When despair wrenches the soul and the heart is torn with grief; when the dark night is long and the hours are filled with fear; when anxieties prevent sleep and crying out to God seems to bring no answer, what is there to lift that…
Numbers in the Bible Assembly Collection - 30 Pieces of Silver Assembly
Numbers in the Bible Assembly Collection - 30 Pieces of Silver Assembly
by Christian Assembly Team
Thirty Pieces of Silver (30) Bible ref: Matthew 26:14-16 and Matthew 27:3 Excellent as one of the last assemblies before Easter, this can also be used at any time to demonstrate trust and betrayal. The Bible includes thousands of stories; many of them include significant or speci…
We are guardians for the people
We are guardians for the people
by Andrew Pratt
Hymn: We are guardians for the people Proper 18 Year A Ezekiel 33: 7 – 11 We are guardians for the people, called by God to care and serve acting out the love of neighbour, giving all without reserve. We are prophets for the people, God has asked us to protect... Tune: ALL FOR JE…
Intercessions - Love will come again
Intercessions - Love will come again
by Jane Bingham
Based on the Hymn – Love will come again like wheat that springs up green (204H&P) Lord we bring to you our prayers for others We pray for those people across the world who do not know love. Who have in their lives only experienced war and hatred, neglect and hunger, sadness and …
Willows hung with harps are weeping
Willows hung with harps are weeping
by Andrew Pratt
Willows hung with harps are weeping like the sorrow of our song, deep reflection of the mourning for the hurt of human wrong. Hurt which seems to have no ending, still rings on from age to age, still our human hearts are bleeding, still our grief takes centre stage. Verses 3-4 fo…
Faith is the tight-rope of travelling people
Faith is the tight-rope of travelling people
by Andrew Pratt
Faith is the tight-rope of travelling people, taut between mountains of mercy and grace. Pilgrims remember the fears of their parents, trials and deliverance they had to face. Hope kept the balance when human experience met with the fire and the dangers of life, torture and stoni…
Poem: Good news
Poem: Good news
by Marjorie Dobson
Poem: Good news Bad news stories hit the headlines: crime and evil every day. and if there’s no bad news story, speculation will hold sway. Tweets and twitters full of fury fuel aggression, stir up hate and when this erupts in violence, action comes, but far too late. Continues..…
Prayer on faith
Prayer on faith
by John Birch
A prayer on a theme of faith. Extract: Can we really move mountains with a mustard seed of faith? It seems rather a difficult task. Could we maybe start with a molehill and work our way up gradually? But that's not the way it works, is it, Lord? So often you challenge us with the…
In the wonder of creation (His love goes on)
In the wonder of creation (His love goes on)
by Andrew T Murphy
A hymn about the enduing love of God through all things, revealed in creation, providence, scripture, Christ and the Spirit. This hymn testifies that through every aspect of human experience we can trust in that love of God in Christ from which 'nothing can separate us'.
Once a prophet pictured Israel
Once a prophet pictured Israel
by Andrew Pratt
Once a prophet pictured Israel Once a prophet pictured Israel, like a vineyard, overgrown, no more fruitful, judged and broken, left to ruin, overthrown. In the tone hear disappointment in the prophet’s call and cry, seeing bloodshed wound his nation, justice now a living lie. Ve…
Lord of ages past remembering
Lord of ages past remembering
by Gareth Hill Publishing/Song Solutions CopyCare
Hymn – Lord of ages past remembering Lord of ages past remembering Lord of ages yet to be. Hope of every generation, yours the grace that sets us free. Thorn and cross your battle tokens symbols of a life laid down, as the hope of all the nations dies to claim us for his own. So …
If we sing with angel voices
If we sing with angel voices
by Andrew Pratt
If we sing with angel voices, without love it sounds absurd; only clanging empty cymbals will be sounding, will be heard. Are we blessed with understanding, wearing a prophetic crown? Will our faith unsettle mountains? Without love we tumble down. Verses 2-3 follow Tune: BLAENWER…
Occasions for Alleluia - Resting in God
Occasions for Alleluia - Resting in God
by SPCK - David Adam
Resting in God The conversation of the brethren should help and cheer us, but God’s voice speaks most often in silence. Keep some part of every day free from all noise and the voices of men, for human distraction and the craving for it hinder the Divine Peace...
Prayer: Ever-present God
Prayer: Ever-present God
by Marjorie Dobson
Prayer: Ever-present God Ever-present God, at this time of Advent this is our prayer for others, that they may discover your presence in their world and in their lives in this special season. Many people live in situations that are devoid of hope; that are steeped in poverty; tha…
Reflection: What happens when
Reflection: What happens when
by Marjorie Dobson
Reflection: What happens when...? When, through our greed, the earth’s natural resources are exhausted, are we so arrogant as to expect that our human brains will have solved the problems of energy, water and food supplies in a way that is totally sustainable? When, through our s…
Maker of Life and Lord of Lords
Maker of Life and Lord of Lords
by Andrew T Murphy
A hymn about grace, atonement and discipleship. The hymn would be ideal for Lent or Passiontide, and has a traditional style and metre for use by most congregations. A suggested tune is 'Abridge (St Stephen)' [CM], although there are plenty of others.
What news is good? That Christ will live forever?
What news is good? That Christ will live forever?
by Andrew Pratt
What news is good? That Christ will live forever? Beyond a cruel death an empty grave? And whether this is fact or faith means nothing unless Christ's Spirit gives the means to save. If we endure derision, in this moment, or share communion bread within this place, unless our liv…
Gazing on the Gospels Year B - The First Sunday of Lent Year B
Gazing on the Gospels Year B - The First Sunday of Lent Year B
by SPCK - Judith Dimond
The First Sunday of Lent Mark 1.9-15 Contemplate how passive Jesus is in this description: he acquiesces to baptism; he hears the voice and accepts anointing; he goes where the Spirit sends him, and endures. He is obedient. Contemplate being with Jesus in this wilderness. Excha…
Responsive Prayer: We cannot comprehend
Responsive Prayer: We cannot comprehend
by Andrew Pratt
Responsive Prayer: We cannot comprehend based on Psalm 147 We cannot comprehend the height and depth, the brightness and beauty of the stars above our heads, so in awe we praise you O God. You rebuild broken cities and gather together the outcasts, bringing peace we dare not imag…
Isaiah for Everyone - Grief Brought To An End
Isaiah for Everyone - Grief Brought To An End
by SPCK - John Goldingay
GRIEF BROUGHT TO AN END In a movie called Grace Is Gone, Grace is a sergeant in the army on active service. Her husband, Stan, looks after a supply store back home. One morning the feared and terrifying visit comes from army representatives with the task of telling Stan that Grac…
Hymn: Fear and foreboding clouding perception
Hymn: Fear and foreboding clouding perception
by Andrew Pratt
Fear and foreboding clouding perception, feel the earth shaking, dust fills the air, nations in torment, war seems unceasing, justice is absent, nothing seems fair. How do we read this Signs of the end times? Judgment of God-head striking the earth? Human indifference Natural dis…
How can we look, and not be moved
How can we look, and not be moved
by Andrew Pratt
1 How can we look, and not be moved by lives that end and eyes that plead, where parents cry while families part amid their last despairing need. 2 Once we were distanced from the ones that suffered while we stood to stare. God give the gift of empathy that we might offer more th…
Imagining the Lectionary: berry-bright promises (Advent 4A)
Imagining the Lectionary: berry-bright promises (Advent 4A)
by David Perry
Imagining the Lectionary: Berry-bright promises (Advent 4A) Reflection accompanying image Red berries covered in frost God's promises are berry-bright with hope. So when life events freeze expectation and cruel circumstances chill to the bone, the promise-laded seeds of love han…
Lectionary Reflections - Year B - Proper 5 Year B
Lectionary Reflections - Year B - Proper 5 Year B
by SPCK - Jane Williams
Proper 5 Genesis 3: 8-15 2 Corinthians 4: 13-5: 1 Mark 3: 20-35 Things are moving at a relentless pace for Jesus in these early chapters of Mark’s Gospel. Already he is being followed everywhere he goes by large crowds of people. Already he has made bitter enemies out of the loca…
Eggs and Ashes Book - A Prayer on the Way to Jerusalem
Eggs and Ashes Book - A Prayer on the Way to Jerusalem
by R Burgess/C Polhill (Wild Goose Publ)
A prayer on the way to Jerusalem Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? Those who have clean hands and pure hearts. O Living God, age after age the children of dust make their way to holy places to seek you, yet you are closer than hands or feet. In…
God of our sunrise and light of the morning
God of our sunrise and light of the morning
by Gareth Hill Publishing/Song Solutions CopyCare
Hymn – God of our sunrise and light of the morning God of our sunrise and light of the morning, dawn on our worship, renew us today. Come by your Spirit and fill with your passion, set us on fire with the Gospel we pray. We are your people, the Church you have chosen. We are a gi…
Your word is truth
Your word is truth
by John Birch
Prayers of Adoration, Confession and Thanksgiving ADORATION Your Word is truth for victims of injustice, light for all who cannot see, love where there is hatred, freedom for the oppressed. Continues... CONFESSION God of Grace forgive our ingratitude for the blessings we have r…
Prayer: Sheltering God
Prayer: Sheltering God
by Marjorie Dobson
Prayer: Sheltering God Sheltering God, we need your help and your protection – when we are under attack because of our commitment to you: when we feel vulnerable in an uncaring world: when we are made to feel foolish by those who think our beliefs are out-dated: when there is rea…
Love that breaks the heart of God
Love that breaks the heart of God
by Andrew Pratt
Love that breaks the heart of God, love of Israel, you or me, love that taught a child to walk, has the power to set us free. Loving kindness now ignored, people turn their backs on grace, turn away from faith and hope, fear to see God's loving face. Verse 2 follows Tune: ABERYST…
Not in some future span of time
Not in some future span of time
by Andrew Pratt
Not in some future span of time, but every moment that we live, is when to trust the grace of God, to offer love and to forgive. Now is the hour to realise the height and depth, the breadth and length of love in which our lives are held, God's everlasting grace and strength. Vers…
Eggs and Ashes PPT - 5th in Lent Yr A
Eggs and Ashes PPT - 5th in Lent Yr A
by R Burgess/C Polhill/ A Lindley (Wild Goose Publ)
Responsive Readings for the 5th Sunday in Lent, taken from Eggs and Ashes Published by Wild Goose. Liturgy written by Ruth Burgess - Illustrations by Rev Andy Lindley Loving God Hear our cry BRING US TO LIFE Redeeming God Rescue us BRING US TO LIFE Spirit of God Breathe on us BR…
The Things He Carried - 7. Our Sorrows
The Things He Carried - 7. Our Sorrows
by SPCK - Stephen Cottrell
THE THINGS HE CARRIED 7. Our Sorrows He carried our sorrows. Nothing was too small for him. All the fragments were gathered up. And nothing was too large or too heavy. He carried the tiny, casual disappointments, the lost hopes and shattered dreams that reverberate through a life…
Come now and follow me
Come now and follow me
by Avis Palmer
Come now and follow me, To us Christ's words are spoken. He calls each one by name; By Love our hearts are woken. We're asked to walk with faith A path we cannot tell; And well shall all things be, And all things shall be well. Verses 2-3 follow © Avis Palmer Tune Nun danket (H&P…
Prayers for all Occasions - Kindle
Prayers for all Occasions - Kindle
by SPCK - Ian Black
This wonderful collection of 140 original prayers – published here for the first time – is suitable for anyone who leads public prayers, or is looking for a resource to enrich private devotions. Covering a wide variety of subjects, the prayers are grouped under broad headings: …
Hannah’s prayer – an alternative
Hannah’s prayer – an alternative
by Marjorie Dobson
Hannah’s prayer – an alternative How wonderful it is when God answers prayer with, ‘Yes!’ What joy and happiness it brings and it is understandable that we feel like singing. It is good to celebrate. But we must always remember those prayers that never seem to be answered, or whe…
See the veins that run through marble
See the veins that run through marble
by Andrew Pratt
Hymn: See the veins that run through marble Proper 16 year A Isaiah 51: 1 – 6 See the veins that run through marble, making every slab unique, like them, strands run through our history, through our thoughts and words we speak. We are hewn from living history, formed by comfort, …
Lectionary Reflections - Year B - The Third Sunday of Advent Year B
Lectionary Reflections - Year B - The Third Sunday of Advent Year B
by SPCK - Jane Williams
The Third Sunday of Advent Isaiah 61.1–4, 8–11 1 Thessalonians 5.16–24 John 1.6–8, 19–28 So at last, after weeks of foreboding, of warnings that the coming of the Lord is not something to take lightly or to meet with unprepared, now at last the excitement begins to mount. First o…
Strange holiness: the glory of the Godhead
Strange holiness: the glory of the Godhead
by Andrew Pratt
Strange holiness: the glory of the Godhead, once named as love, the voice of living grace, the Word that spoke the cosmos into being: now Moses met that glory face to face. Unveiled he took that same un-borrowed glory, the covenant was given to his hand; two tablets of the law ga…
Prayer: The changing world
Prayer: The changing world
by Marjorie Dobson
Prayer: The changing world Dear God, sometimes when we look at the world we live in, we are filled with despair at the selfishness and greed that we see around us. It seems as if so many people are concerned solely with their own business and no one cares about morality, or selfl…
Love enters in our joy and gladness
Love enters in our joy and gladness
by Andrew Pratt
Love enters in our joy and gladness, love celebrates each win, each goal, love sits with us in deepest sadness, love lives with us and makes us whole. Love holds us in our deepest sorrow, love feels the hurt beneath a sigh, loves walks with us toward tomorrow, loves lives with us…
A day of returning, a day to remember
A day of returning, a day to remember
by Andrew Pratt
A day of returning, a day to remember: the years of their exile were over and gone, a day of thanksgiving for such preservation, a day for rejoicing, a day to move on. And now they would settle to re-build a kingdom, to value tradition, to start a new life. For now they were feas…
Through the city streets they hurried
Through the city streets they hurried
by Andrew Pratt
Through the city streets they hurried where each shadow, like a shroud, hung across the darkened doorways, sounds of commerce echoed, loud. This had been the scene of bloodshed, Hist’ry heard, a nation sighed, factions fought and people suffered, mothers wept while children cried…
Hymn: A shade for the nations and fruit for the earth
Hymn: A shade for the nations and fruit for the earth
by Andrew Pratt
A shade for the nations and fruit for the earth, a focus for people, a mark of their worth; the sign of a cedar, a hope set up high, for grace would be present, this wasn't a lie. Abandoned in exile, or so it would seem, the prophet had spoken of more than a dream. Dejected and h…
Poem: Justice
Poem: Justice
by Marjorie Dobson
Poem: Justice God calls for justice for the weak and defenceless, for the ignorant and the misunderstood, for the poor and the hungry, for the oppressed and the orphaned, for all who cannot understand why the greedy and the selfish, the wicked and the unjust seem to win every tim…
Here is hope in desolation
Here is hope in desolation
by Andrew Pratt
3rd Sunday in Lent Romans 5: 1 – 11 Hymn: Here is hope in desolation Here is hope in desolation: pain that speaks of sacrifice bringing deeper faith among us, mirrored God, embodied Christ. Here within this turmoil, testing, every sinew of God’s grace stretched in tension, peace …
When roots grow deep and branches rise
When roots grow deep and branches rise
by Andrew Pratt
When roots grow deep and branches rise they mirror faith secure in grace. And from this ground thanksgiving grows beyond this time, in every place. Verses 2 follows Tune: BRESLAU Metre: LM Andrew Pratt (born 1948) Words © 12/7/2013 Stainer & Bell Ltd, London, England, www.stain…
Grant me the faith
Grant me the faith
by John Birch
Grant me the faith that can move mountains, the mustard seed sown in hope with certainty of fruitfulness. Grant me the faith that can ask for healing, with confidence in your love, compassion and power. Grant me the faith... Continues... Taken from 'A God of Compassion' b…
Prayer: Forgiving God, we are your creation
Prayer: Forgiving God, we are your creation
by Marjorie Dobson
Prayer: Forgiving God, we are your creation Forgiving God, we are your creation, yet we are also creatures of this world and we know how sometimes that can lead us away from you. So often we are tempted to be selfish and self-centred. So often we excuse ourselves from doing the r…
God's full and perfect justice (Revised)
God's full and perfect justice (Revised)
by Andrew T Murphy
[A slightly revised version, to replace the earlier version] "Justice has been done"? How does God deal with sin? What is justice? Surely it is more than simply punishment or revenge. This is a big hymn which asks for a big theory of atonement, exploring the wealth of rich…
Monologue: It's all so familiar
Monologue: It's all so familiar
by Andrew Pratt
Monologue on 1 Corinthians 13 (I use the name Andrew. It is best if the reader inserts their own name here). It's all so familiar: 'Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity', they translate that as 'love' now - makes more sense, charity has the w…
Hymn: In the depth of deep recession
Hymn: In the depth of deep recession
by Andrew Pratt
In the depth of deep recession hopeless, helpless here we stand; all around new fears are waking anxious thoughts throughout this land. While some live in wealth and comfort, others struggle to be fed; mothers queue at new-found food banks, others look to find a bed. Verses 2-3 f…
Imagining the Lectionary: Sheepish (Christ the King/Reign of Christ A)
Imagining the Lectionary: Sheepish (Christ the King/Reign of Christ A)
by David Perry
Imagining the Lectionary: Sheepish (Christ the King/Reign of Christ A) Reflection accompanying images “I will find my sheep and rescue them” and “I will surely judge between the fat sheep and the scrawny sheep” When it comes to getting the point across in a way that anyone can un…
Mustard seed