Worship for the Third Sunday after Trinity

Opening Rite

If you’re at home you might wish to light a candle, make sure you are sitting comfortably and take a few deep breaths to still yourself. 

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

The Lord is here His Spirit is with us.

Prayers of Penitence

Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near.

Let the wicked abandon their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts.

Turn back to the Lord, who will have mercy;  to our God who will richly pardon.                                                                                                                  cf Isaiah 55

A time of silence and self-examination may be kept.

Lord God, we have sinned against you; we have done evil in your sight. We are sorry and repent. Have mercy on us according to your love. Wash away our wrongdoing and cleanse us from our sin. Renew a right spirit within us and restore us to the joy of your salvation, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.                                                                                                                     cf Psalm 51

May the Father of all mercies cleanse us from our sins, and restore us in his image to the praise and glory of his name, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Blessed be the Lord, who has heard the voice of our prayer.  

Therefore shall our hearts dance for joy and in our song will we praise our God.                                                                                                                    Psalm 28.7,9

The Collect

You might like to keep a few moments of silence

Almighty God, you have broken the tyranny of sin and have sent the Spirit of your Son into our hearts whereby we call you Father: give us grace to dedicate our freedom to your service, that we and all creation may be brought to the glorious liberty of the children of God; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen                       

Isaiah 66:10-14

Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice with her in joy, all you who mourn over her - that you may nurse and be satisfied from her consoling breast, that you may drink deeply with delight from her glorious bosom.  For thus says the LORD: I will extend prosperity to her like a river and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing stream, and you shall nurse and be carried on her arm and bounced on her knees.  As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.  You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice; your bodies shall flourish like the grass, and it shall be known that the power of the LORD is with his servants, and his indignation is against his enemies

Responsorial Psalm 66:1-8

/R: Ring out your joy to God our strength

Be joyful in God, all the earth; sing the glory of his name; sing the glory of his praise. Say to God, ‘How awesome are your deeds! /R:

Because of your great strength your enemies shall bow before you. ‘All the earth shall worship you, sing to you, sing praise to your name.’ /R:

Come now and behold the works of God, how wonderful he is in his dealings with humankind. He turned the sea into dry land; the river they passed through on foot; there we rejoiced in him. /R:

In his might he rules for ever;  hi eyes keep watch over the nations; let no rebel rise up against him. Bless our God, O you peoples; make the voice of his praise to be heard, Who holds our souls in life and suffers not our feet to slip. /R:

Galatians 6: [1-6], 7-16

[My brothers and sisters, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ.  For if those who are nothing think they are something, they deceive themselves.  All must test their own work; then that work, rather than their neighbour’s work, will become a cause for pride.  For all must carry their own loads.  Those who are taught the word must share in all good things with their teacher.]  Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow.  If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh, but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit.  So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest-time, if we do not give up.  So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all and especially for those of the family of faith.  See what large letters I make when I am writing in my own hand!  It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who try to compel you to be circumcised--only that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.  Even the circumcised do not themselves obey the law, but they want you to be circumcised so that they may boast about your flesh.  May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.  For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything, but a new creation is everything!  As for those who will follow this rule--peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

The Gospel according to Luke                                             chapter 10:1-11,16-20

After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go.  He said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.  Go on your way; I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves.  Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house!'  And if a person of peace is there, your peace will rest on that person, but if not, it will return to you.  Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the labourer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house.  Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you;  cure the sick who are there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'  But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say,  'Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.'  "Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me."  The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, "Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!"  He said to them, "I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning.  Indeed, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will hurt you.  Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."

This is the Gospel of the Lord    Praise to you O Christ

Reflection

Jesus sends 70 of his disciples to announce the good news of the kingdom in the towns and villages that he himself would visit on his journey to Jerusalem. In his instructions he offers a model to all who go to share the gospel with others: don’t take much baggage, accept hospitality from those you go to, work with them, share their food, tell stories of God’s kingdom. He warns his friends to be gentle but wise and to not hang around where they are obviously not welcome. There are great lessons here for us in our mission.  And the 70 clearly enjoyed great success – so much so that Jesus likens it to Satan falling from the sky: the powers dominating society succumbing to the good news of God’s kingdom that sets people free of tyranny and sin.

© Reproduced with permission ROOTS for Churches Ltd www.rootsontheweb.com 2002-2021  

Prayers

Spend a few moments praying for the people you know and love, for the world, for peace and for the relief of refugees everywhere. 

On the First Sunday after Trinity

Father, accept all we bring before you this day.  Guide us with your love and feed us at your table as you nourish the faith of the Church by the preaching of your apostles Peter and Paul.  We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Praying for the Earth                                                     Farms and farmers

We pray for all who make their living from the land. Help them to contend with the vagaries of the weather and with the variability of the economic climate. Defend them from the threat of disease, and help them to protect the animals in their care. We ask for your blessing on farm shops and farmer’s markets, and on all who buy and sell food locally.  Amen

From the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer for the Church

Porvoo Communion: Diocese of St Albans Diocese of Linköping (Church of Sweden)

Anglican Communion: The Church of Nigeria Primate: The Most Reverend Henry C Ndukuba

Newcastle East Deanery:   Deanery Lay Chair: Louisa Fox

Those living with disability:  Those living with acquired hearing loss

From our Parish Prayer Cycle this week

Pray for all residents of Swaledale Gardens, Cumberland Walk, Whitton Place and Teesdale Gardens

For the sick and those being cared for in hospital or at home      

For those in residential care    

For those who have recently died

Derek Lumsdon

For those whose year’s minds are this week 

Margaret Turner, Margaret Quinn, Ivy Carr, Mary Carr, Gladys Carr, Frances Carr, Mollie Renton, Joseph Rigney, Jack Hunter, Doris Lacey, Surtees Hogg, George and Doris Chalmers, John Smart Munro, Eva Murray, Dorothy Hadden, Thomas Dixon, Margaret Tiffin and Isabella Snowdon

You might like to end your prayers with The Lord's Prayer  

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread.  And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.  And lead us not  into temptation; but deliver us from evil.  For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever.  Amen.

The Conclusion

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen

Let us bless the Lord!  Thanks be to God!