17. Year B - Seventh Sunday after Epiphany (Proper 02)

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VERSION: 9 April 2002

SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY (PROPER 2), YEAR B

In 2003: 23 Feb

In 2006: 19 Feb

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: Forget the former things. I am doing a new thing!

I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.

(Isa 43:18,19 NIV)

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 God,

since you know that we cannot put our trust

in anything that we do:

mercifully defend us by your power

against all the evil that opposes us;

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 God,

you know that we cannot put our trust

in anything that we do.

In mercy defend us by your power

from 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, alternative

(Let us pray for love, to fulfil God's law. [silence])

Almighty and merciful God,

you have taught us through your Son

that to love is to fulfil the law.

Help us to love you with our whole heart,

and our neighbours as ourselves.

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

(Let us pray for trust in God's goodness. [silence])

Compassionate God,

we thank you that your Son

brought healing and forgiveness

to people in need.

Strengthen our faith,

so that we confidently go to you for help

in all our needs,

and trust in your forgiveness of all our sins.

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

Isaiah 43:18-25 God's mercy and Israel's unfaithfulness

(Begin: 'The Lord says:')

PSALM

Psalm 41

Antiphon:

Heal me, for I have sinned against you. (Ps 41:4b NRSV).

SECOND READING

2 Corinthians 1:18-22 Jesus, the fulfilment of all God's promises

ALLELUIA VERSE (Isa 43:25 NRSV)

Alleluia, alleluia.

(The Lord says:) I am he who blots out your trangressions for my own sake,

and I will not remember your sins.

Alleluia.

GOSPEL

Mark 2:1-12 Jesus shows his authority to forgive sins

(If using NRSV, begin: 'When Jesus returned . . .')

PRAYER AFTER THE GOSPEL

This is the gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.

Lord Jesus, thank you for forgiving sins,

as well as healing people's bodies.

Increase our faith in you as our healer and Saviour.

Amen.

OFFERING PRAYER

Heavenly Father, thank you

for healing and forgiveness through your Son Jesus.

Help us to let him be the Lord and the centre of our lives.

Make our faith stronger,

and lead us to give of ourselves

in service to you and to others.

Amen.

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

Call to prayer

When people brought a paralysed man to Jesus, Jesus received him, forgave him, and healed him. Let us bring those in need to our heavenly Father.

The regular response, OR:

Lord, in your compassion,

see our faith, and hear our prayer.

Suggested intercessions

Concluding prayer

Lord, always hold us in your care, and keep us in your gracious presence. Protect all those for whom we pray. 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 merciful God,

you have taught us through your Son,

that to love is to fulfil the law.

As we have received his love in this sacrament,

help us to love you with our whole heart,

and our neighbours as ourselves.

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, for you belong to 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: Isaiah 43:18–25

LHS

AT

TIS

Second reading: 2 Corinthians 1:18-22

LHS

AT

TIS

Gospel: Mark 2:1-12

LHS

AT

TIS

PSALM 41

For musical settings of Psalm 41, see Music Package 4. TIS 24, Blessed are they that consider the poor and helpless, is a version of Psalm 41:1-4,12-13.

The following metrical paraphrase of Psalm 41 by David Sch¸tz may be sung to the tune of LH 355, 'May we thy precepts, Lord, fulfil'. If reproducing this version, please put 'Words (c) David Sch¸tz' at the beginning or the end of the psalm.

How happy those who love the poor:

the Lord protects and rescues them

from trouble, need and death.

He saves them from their enemies,

and heals their illness and disease.

The whole land calls them 'blest'.

I said, 'O Lord, be merciful,

I know that I've offended you -

restore and heal me, Lord.

My enemies want me to die,

they slander me, and utter lies

and spread their tales abroad.

My enemies all think the worst,

that I won't rise from where I lie,

they whisper about my fate.

My closest friend, who shared my bread,

has left me broken and betrayed -

but you, Lord, show me grace!

By this I know you favour me:

you saved me from their victory

and raised me up again.

You set me down before your face.

Blest be the Lord, the God of grace,

for evermore. Amen.'

NOTES ON THE READINGS

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

ISAIAH 43:18-25: In verses 18-21 God reminds Israel of the miracles of deliverance in the Exodus from Egypt to the promised land. While centuries later they are again captives in a foreign land, God will give them an even greater deliverance. Yet their response will amount to a bored yawn in return for all God's blessings of mercy. What a burden God carries in their sin! The only solution can be the full and free forgiveness of God himself.

2 CORINTHIANS 1:18-22: Some of the Corinthians had accused Paul of inconsistency because he failed to come back to Corinth as he had promised. Here Paul tells them that it wasn't a case of saying 'yes' and then acting 'no'. He had been diverted by unexpected necessities. The seeming discrepancy in his promises in no way invalidated the promises of God in Christ. The gospel is God's 'yes' to forgiven sinners, and the Spirit's strong testimony empowers the gospel in our hearts and lives.

MARK 2:1-12: If Jesus had the power to heal a paralysed man, as everyone in the room expected, then he had power to forgive sins. Only God can do either. While the man was let down from the roof for physical healing, Jesus saw his greater need - forgiveness.  That was the case with the spectators, and it is the case with us. The same authority that sent the man away walking lies behind the word which proclaims our forgiveness.

VISUAL

VISUALS FOR THE READINGS

Pictures or visual symbols could be displayed on banners or the overhead screen during the readings. For instance, the gospel could be accompanied by a picture like the illustration in the TEV Bible for Luke 5:19. Or a symbol of Christ such as the raised hand of blessing or chi rho or IHC could be used.

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 four readers: narrator (the pastor), Jesus, scribe, one of the crowd.

CHILDREN

'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: 'Jesus releases a condemned woman' (a new story, to be found in the RCL edition, 7 Epiphany (Proper 2), year B).