The week in Bible reading and prayer
Pray for the finances of the church, both for our parishes and for the diocese, and for our Gift days;
Sunday 11th October, Trinity 17
8am Eucharist: Holy Trinity, Tarleton
10.30am: Harvest Thanksgiving Eucharist: St Mary the Virgin, Rufford
Todays readings
For Trinity 17 – Isaiah 25.1-9, Psalm 23, Philippians 4.1-9 & Matthew 21.1-14.
For Harvest – Deuteronomy 8.7-13, Psalm 65 & Matthew 13.1-9,18-33.
The Collect
Eternal God, you crown the year with your goodness and you give us the fruits of the earth in their season: grant that we may use them to your glory, for the relief of those in need and for our own wellbeing; 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.
Old Testament – Deuteronomy 8.7-18
7 For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land with flowing streams, with springs and underground waters welling up in valleys and hills, 8 a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, 9 a land where you may eat bread without scarcity, where you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron and from whose hills you may mine copper. 10 You shall eat your fill and bless the Lord your God for the good land that he has given you.
11 Take care that you do not forget the Lord your God, by failing to keep his commandments, his ordinances, and his statutes, which I am commanding you today. 12 When you have eaten your fill and have built fine houses and live in them, 13 and when your herds and flocks have multiplied, and your silver and gold is multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied, 14 then do not exalt yourself, forgetting the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, 15 who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, an arid wasteland with poisonous snakes and scorpions. He made water flow for you from flint rock, 16 and fed you in the wilderness with manna that your ancestors did not know, to humble you and to test you, and in the end to do you good. 17 Do not say to yourself, “My power and the might of my own hand have gotten me this wealth.” 18 But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, so that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your ancestors, as he is doing today.
Psalm 65 Refrain: You crown the year with goodness
NT: 2 Corinthians 9.6-end
6 The one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. 9 As it is written, “He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” 10 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us; 12 for the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God. 13 Through the testing of this ministry you glorify God by your obedience to the confession of the gospel of Christ and by the generosity of your sharing with them and with all others, 14 while they long for you and pray for you because of the surpassing grace of God that he has given you. 15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
Gospel: Matthew 13.1-9,18-23
13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. 5 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. 6 But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 Let anyone with ears listen!”
18 “Hear then the parable of the sower. 19 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. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 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. 22 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. 23 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.”
Prayer intentions
🙏🏼 We pray for public health professionals and in our cycle of prayer, for those living in in Southport New Road.
🙏🏼 For the sick and those in need: Zena Ashcroft; Margaret Baxter, Bishop John, Colin Brown, Jack Dalton, Jimmy Johnstone, Paddy MacDonagh, Ruth Middlesborough, Donald Sephton & Stephen Smith.
🙏🏼 Year’s mind: Thomas Ashcroft, Alice Barron, Margaret Blackstone, Daisy Bowen, Dorothy Holmes, Margaret Moss, Henry Nicholas-Hooton, Churchwarden, John Taylor, William Rimmer, Mary Sephton, Joseph Horace Webster & Isabella Williams.
Monday 12th – Wilfred, bishop, missionary, 709.
Todays readings – Galatians 4.21-24, 26-27, 31 & 5.1, Ps. 113 & Luke 11.29-32.
🙏🏼 We pray for our province of York.
🙏🏼 We also pray for those working in Foodbanks and food production & distribution.
Tuesday 13th – Edward the Confessor, king, 1066.
Todays readings – Galatians 5.1-6, Ps. 119.41-48 & Luke 11.37-41.
🙏🏼 We pray for the leaders of our nation and for those keeping the creative arts going.
Wednesday 14th
10am – Eucharist – Holy Trinity, Tarleton.
Today’s readings – Galatians 5.18-end, Ps. 1 & Luke 11.42-46.
🙏🏼 We pray for those responsible for test and trace.
Thursday 15th – Teresa of Avila, teacher of the faith, 1582
7pm Eucharist – St Mary the Virgin, Rufford.
Today’s readings – Ephesians 1.1-10, Ps. 98.1-4 & Luke 11.47-end.
🙏🏼 We give thanks for those who encourage our faith in difficult times. We pray for those who stand up for justice and serve our local communities.
Friday 16th – Nicholas Ridley and Hugh Latimer, bishops, martyrs, 1555.
Today’s readings – Ephesians 1.11-14, Ps. 33.1-6,12 & Luke 12.1-7.
🙏🏼 We pray for those grieving the death of a loved one.
Saturday 17th – Ignatius, bishop, martyr, c107.
10am-3pm: Gift Day, Rufford.
Today’s readings – Ephesians 1.15-end, Ps. 8 & Luke 12.8-12.
🙏🏼 We pray for our communities.
Next Sunday 18th – LUKE the Evangelist
8am Eucharist: St Mary the Virgin, Rufford.
10.30am: Eucharist: Holy Trinity, Tarleton.
Today’s readings – Isaiah 35.3-6, Psalm 147.1-7, 2 Timothy 4.5-17 & Luke 10.1-9.
🙏🏼 We pray for the medical profession, Christian health care workers, and chaplains. In our cycle of prayer we pray or those living in Spencers Drive and St Helen’s Well.
