18. Year B - Eighth Sunday after Epiphany (Proper 03)

Top Previous Next

VERSION: 9 April 2002

EIGHTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY (PROPER 3), YEAR B

In 2003: ---

In 2006: ---

In 2009: ---

In 2012: ---

In 2015: ---

- - -

Note: For explanations and suggestions on the various resources provided, see the documents 'General notes and resources' and 'Epiphany season and time after' in the 'General and seasonal' folder.

LITURGY

SENTENCE

See the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Sentence', in the 'General and seasonal' folder for suggestions on using a Sentence.

The Lord says: I will take you for my wife in righteousness and in justice,

in steadfast love, and in mercy.

I will take you for my wife in faithfulness;

and you shall know the Lord. (Hos 2:19,20 NRSV)

OR, use the standard Epiphany Sentence in the document 'Epiphany season and time after', under 'Sentence', in the 'General and seasonal' folder.

OR, use one of the general Sentences in the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Sentence', in the 'General and seasonal' folder.

PRAYER OF THE DAY (COLLECT)

Traditional

O Lord,

as you have set us free from the chains of sin,

mercifully hear our prayers,

and defend us from all evil;

through your Son,

Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

OR, modernised traditional

Lord, you have set us free

from the chains of sin.

In mercy listen to our prayers,

and guard us

against all the evil we face.

We ask this through your Son,

Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

OR, new (revised alternative)

(Let us pray that we live according to our faith. [silence])

Almighty and everliving God,

we thank you for loving us and making us yours

through your Son.

Teach us to live as your people,

and to show in our deeds

what we profess by our faith.

We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

FIRST READING

Hosea 2:14-20 The Lord will woo Israel back

(Begin: 'The Lord says:')

PSALM

Psalm 103:1-13,22

Antiphon:

The Lord is merciful and gracious (, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love). (Ps 103:8 NRSV)

SECOND READING

2 Corinthians 3:1-6 You are a letter from Christ

ALLELUIA VERSE (Mark 2:17 NIV)

Alleluia, alleluia.

(Jesus said:) 'It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.

I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.'

Alleluia.

GOSPEL

Mark 2:13-22 The guests of the bridegroom do not fast

PRAYER AFTER THE GOSPEL

This is the gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.

Lord Jesus, thank you for accepting sinners,

and for drawing us to you.

Let us always rejoice in your presence.

Amen.

OFFERING PRAYER

Thank you, Lord, for your great love for us,

like a bridegroom for a bride.

Help us to be faithful to you,

as you are to us,

and to show others your love.

Amen.

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

Call to prayer

When our Lord called us to follow him, he called us to pray for all those who are in need of God's grace and healing. So as we come to our heavenly Father in prayer, let us remember the whole people of God in Christ Jesus, and all people who are in need.

The regular response, OR:

Lord God, healer of all in need,

hear us in your mercy.

Suggested intercessions

Concluding prayer

Gracious and merciful Lord, you work your justice for all who are oppressed. Do not deal with us according to our sins, but have compassion on us, and in your fatherly goodness hear the prayers we bring to you. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

PREFACE

For these non-festival Sundays after Epiphany, either no seasonal preface is used, as in the Service with Communion (LHS p6), or the following Epiphany preface may be used.

It is indeed right and good,

Lord God, holy Father,

that we should at all times and in all places

give thanks to you,

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

You have sent your only Son

to appear among us as a human being,

and through him

you have fully revealed

the light of your presence to us.

And so, with angels and archangels,

and with all the company of heaven,

we adore and praise your glorious name:

COMMUNION INVITATION

The following Epiphany invitation or one of the two general invitations below may be used.

Epiphany

Jesus says:

'The bread that God gives

is he who comes down from heaven

and gives life to the world.'

(Thanks be to God.)

Come, everything is ready.

General

1  Jesus says:

'I am the bread of life.

Whoever comes to me will never be hungry,

and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.'

(Thanks be to God.)

Come, everything is ready.

2  Jesus says:

'My flesh is true food and my blood is true drink.

Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood

remain in me, and I in them.'

(Thanks be to God.)

Come, everything is ready.

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION

If it has not been used already, the third prayer under 'Prayer of the day' above may be modified as follows and used as a post-communion prayer.

Almighty and everliving God,

we thank you for loving us and making us yours

through your Son.

As we have received his body and blood,

help us to live as your people,

and to show in our deeds

what we profess by our faith.

We ask this through your Son,

Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

DISMISSAL

Go in peace, and be joyful in the Lord.

Thanks be to God. OR In the name of Christ. Amen.

HYMNS AND SONGS

FOR THE READINGS

Please note:        * =        Modernised version available

      G3, G4 . . . =        Guitar chords available in the Music Package 3, 4 . . .

      GS =        Guitar chords in the Supplement to LH

First reading: Hosea 2:14-20

LHS

AT

TIS

Second reading: 2 Corinthians 3:1-6

LHS

AT

TIS

Gospel: Mark 2 :13-22

LHS

AT

TIS

PSALM 103:1-13,22

For musical settings of Psalm 103:1-13,22, see Music Package 4. A setting of Psalm 103:1-13 is also in Music Package 3.

The hymn 'O bless the Lord, my soul' (LH 452, TIS 64) is a paraphrase of Psalm 103:1-7 or 1-9. A paraphrased version of Psalm 103 from the Iona Community may be found in John L Bell, Psalms of patience, protest and praise on page 48.

NOTES ON THE READINGS

See the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Notes on the readings', in the 'General and seasonal' folder.

HOSEA 2:14-20: Israel's recurring penchant for polluting their spiritual loyalty, mixing in with cultic worship of Baal, is powerfully described by Hosea as an act of adultery. God's covenant with Israel was infinitely deeper and even more binding than the permanence of marriage. Such a course can lead only to punishment. In this section Hosea looks forward past this to describe an outcome of a restored perfect relationship between God (the husband) and his bride (the people of Israel). The language of peace with wild beasts suggests a future return to the perfection of Eden. The marriage expressions used in verses 19 and 20 compare well with the new covenant described by Jeremiah (31:32) a hundred years later.

2 CORINTHIANS 3:1-6: The severity of Paul's previous letter's admonitions prompted face-saving accusations against him of self-aggrandisement. His answer in this section points up the lack of any need for self-praise. The work of the Holy Spirit amongst the Corinthian congregation is the open evidence of the gospel's success, not his own. They themselves are letters of commendation demonstrating the success of his work amongst them. His credentials are written in the human hearts of converted Christians. However, whatever competency was responsible for this evidence of New Testament life is from God, not human beings.

MARK 2:13-22: Jesus made a disciple from a tax collector, an outcast from Jewish community life because of working for the hated Romans.  Matthew then invited his fellow outcast friends to a dinner, perhaps to meet Jesus. The religious leaders' carping criticism of Jesus for dining with sinners elicited the informative response that this way he could actually meet people who were more likely to know their need for salvation. Further criticism was directed at the disciples for not joining in the humanly ordained Jewish fasts. Jesus pointed out that it was not fitting for them to fast while the bridegroom was still with them, a reference to his messiahship and ultimate consequent death. In reference to 'patches' and 'wineskins' - using old customs with a new order would only do damage to their discipleship, by taking them back into meaningless ritual.

VISUAL

PICTURE OF REJOICING

A picture of rejoicing, such as stylised figures dancing and waving arms around, could be displayed, eg see the illustration to Psalm 149 in the TEV Bible.

VISUALS FOR THE READINGS

Pictures or visual symbols could be displayed on banners or the overhead screen during the readings. For instance, the first reading could be accompanied by a picture like the illustration in the TEV Bible for Hosea 2:18. The second reading could be accompanied by a drawing of an envelope with the words 'From Christ' and a picture of a heart on it. OR a group of children could hold up large envelopes, each with their own name on it as well as 'From Christ' and a heart.

DRAMA

'MEGA DRAMA'

See a drama for the day in Mega Drama resources (Openbook Publishers), originally included in these worship resources when they were released on disks.

DRAMATISING THE READINGS

The readings can be read by more than one person to make the dramatic meaning of the text clearer. For instance, the gospel could be read by three readers: narrator (the pastor), Jesus, person asking questions.

CHILDREN

CHILDREN AND THE READINGS

See the suggestion for the second reading under 'Visuals for the readings' above.

'COME AND SEE JESUS'

The Come and See Jesus curriculum published by Openbook Publishers has a wealth of material and ideas that may be adapted for use in worship. Please note that a new edition of this material is now available for the Revised Common Lectionary.

This week's story is: 'Praise the Lord!' (a new story, to be found in the RCL edition, 8 Epiphany (Proper 3), year B).