Year B - Proper 25 (23 Oct - 29 Oct)

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VERSION: 8 May 2002

SUNDAY BETWEEN 23 AND 29 OCT (PROPER 25), YEAR B

In 2003: 20th Sunday after Pentecost, 26 Oct

In 2006: 21st Sunday after Pentecost, 29 Oct

In 2009: 21st Sunday after Pentecost, 25 Oct

In 2012: 22nd Sunday after Pentecost, 28 Oct

In 2015: 22nd Sunday after Pentecost, 25 Oct

- - -

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

REFORMATION DAY

If Reformation Day is not celebrated on 31 October, it may be celebrated today (except where Proper 25 falls on 23 or 24 October), in which case the propers for Reformation Day are used rather than those given below.

LITURGY

SENTENCE

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

Proclaim, give praise and say:

'Save, O Lord, your people!' (Jer 31:7b NRSV)

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

LORD, HAVE MERCY

Note the link between the 'Lord, have mercy' and the gospel. The following version may help to highlight the 'Lord, have mercy'. See also under 'Hymns and songs' below.

Lord Jesus Christ, hear our prayer and save us.

Lord, have mercy.

Lord Jesus Christ, hear our prayer and help us.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord Jesus Christ, hear our prayer and give us peace.

Lord, have mercy.

PRAYER OF THE DAY (COLLECT)

Traditional

O God, our refuge and strength,

the author of all godliness:

Be ready to hear

the devout prayers of your church;

and grant that what we ask in faith

we may fully obtain;

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, our refuge and strength,

and the source of all true devotion,

listen to the devout prayers of your church.

Let us fully obtain

what we pray for in 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.

OR, alternative

(Let us pray for healing. [silence])

Almighty and merciful God,

your Son showed your love

by healing the sick and making them whole.

Look with compassion on our broken world,

and make us whole by his healing power,

so that we also may show your love to others.

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 that we approach God with confidence. [silence])

Merciful God,

we thank you that your Son Jesus

is our great high priest.

Encourage us come to you in complete confidence

and bring to you all our needs

because Jesus is always praying on our behalf.

For he lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

FIRST READING AND PSALM

Note: There are two sets of first readings (with accompanying Psalms) given for the Sundays after Pentecost: (a) a new semi-continuous set, and (b) a set related thematically to the gospels (as in the earlier form of the lectionary). It is intended that either one of these two sets be used throughout and that they not be mixed.

1a

Job 42:1-6,10-17 The Lord restores Job

Psalm 34:1-8(19-22)

Antiphon:

O taste and see that the Lord is good. (Ps 34:8a NRSV)

OR, 1b

Jeremiah 31:7-9 The Lord will save a remnant of Israel

Psalm 126

Antiphon:

The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.  (Psalm 126:3 NIV)

SECOND READING

Hebrews 7:23-28 Jesus is a priest forever

(If using NRSV, replace 'he holds . . . ' with 'Jesus holds . . . ' in verse 24)

ALLELUIA VERSE (Luke 4:18 NRSV alt)

Alleluia, alleluia.

(Jesus said:) The Spirit of the Lord has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind.

Alleluia.

GOSPEL

Mark 10:46-52 Jesus heals a blind man

(If using NRSV, begin the second sentence: 'As Jesus . . . ')

PRAYER AFTER THE GOSPEL

This is the gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.

Lord Jesus, thank you for showing mercy

and healing people.

Increase our faith in you.

Amen.

OFFERING PRAYER

Eternal God,

we thank you that we can come before you

because of Jesus, our great high priest.

Help us to trust in him

to save us from all our sins,

and to be with us in all our needs.

Teach us also to show care and compassion to others.

Amen.

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

Call to prayer

The Lord said through Jeremiah that we are to proclaim, give praise and pray for the salvation of others. So let us lift our hearts to God and ask him to bless those in need.

The regular response, OR:

O eternal God,

hear our prayer,

Suggested intercessions

Concluding prayer

Loving Father, when blind Bartimaeus cried out to your Son his prayer was answered and he was healed. Hear our prayer this day and bless all those we have prayed for, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

PREFACE

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.

(On this day)*

he overcame death by his resurrection

and opened up for us

the way to eternal life with you.

And so, with angels and archangels,

and with all the company of heaven,

we adore and praise your glorious name:

* The words 'on this day' are used only on Sundays.

COMMUNION INVITATION

For a choice of communion invitations, see the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Communion invitation', in the 'General and seasonal' folder.

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION

See the service order for a standard post-communion prayer. Alternatively, use the third prayer of the day (as listed above) at this point. It may be modified as follows.

Almighty and merciful God,

you have given us the healing body of Christ

in the breaking of the bread.

Look with compassion on our broken world,

and make us whole by his healing power,

so that we also may show your love to others.

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. The Lord has done great things for you.

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 (a): Job 42:1-6,10-17

LHS

AT

-

TIS

First reading (b): Jeremiah 31:7-9

LHS

AT

TIS

Second reading: Hebrews 7:23-28

LHS

AT

TIS

Gospel: Mark 10:46-52

LHS

AT

TIS

LORD, HAVE MERCY

The gospel for the day is one of the origins of the Christian prayer 'Lord, have mercy'. For hymn/song versions of the 'Lord, have mercy' which could be used instead on this day, see the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Hymns ans songs', 'Lord, have mercy', in the 'General and seasonal' folder.

PSALM 34:1-8(19-22)

For musical settings of Psalm 34:1-8(19-22), see Music Package 6. TIS 22, I will bless the Lord at all times, is a version of Psalm 34:1-8.

The following metrical version of Psalm 34:1-8(19-22) may be sung to the tune 'Gott sei dank' (LH 221, TIS 450). Note that verse 18 has been included in the third last verse to make up a full verse. If reproducing this version, please put 'Words (c) David Sch¸tz' at the beginning or the end of the psalm.

I will bless the Lord always;

his praise always fills my mouth.

My soul makes its boast in God;

let the humble hear with joy.

Glorify the Lord with me,

let us praise his name as one;

I cried out, he heard my voice.

He freed me from all my fears.

Faces bright will look to him.

Never will we be ashamed.

In my helplessness, I prayed,

he saved me in time of need.

See, the angel of the Lord

guards and saves his faithful ones.

Taste and see the Lord is good.

Blest are those who rest in him.

[He will mend the broken heart;

he will heal the battered soul.

Though the righteous suffer much,

yet he rescues them from all.

He will guard his righteous ones,

not one of their bones will break.

Sin will reap the wage of death;

those who hate the good are doomed.

But he pays the ransom price

for the lives of all his saints.

All whose refuge is in him,

shall not ever be condemned.]

PSALM 126

For musical settings of Psalm 126, see Music Packages 4, 6 and 8. TIS 80, When the Lord delivered Zion from bondage, is another version of this psalm.

The following paraphrase of Psalm 126 by David Sch¸tz may be sung to the tune of Beethoven's Ode to Joy (LHS 895, TIS 152). If reproducing this version, please put 'Words (c) David Sch¸tz' at the beginning or the end of the psalm.

When the Lord restored Jerus'lem,

then we were like those who dream,

then our mouths were filled with laughter,

and our tongues with shouts of joy.

Then they said among the nations,

'See, the Lord has worked for them.'

Yes, the Lord has done this for us,

we rejoice and sing his praise!

Like a river in the desert,

Lord, restore us once again.

May all those who sow with weeping,

harvest with great shouts of joy.

Those who bore their seed in sorrow,

going out to sow in tears,

will return with shouts of gladness,

bringing in their sheaves of grain.

NOTES ON THE READINGS

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

JEREMIAH 31:7-9: Joyful hope is expressed in praise for the anticipated restoration of God's people from captivity to their homeland. The reference to 'blind', 'lame', 'in labour' illustrates the grace of God in providing a smoothed-out journey. 'Weeping and consolations' emphasise that a fitting repentance is leading to a new obedience to God who is their 'Father'. References to Ephraim (representing the separated people of the northern kingdom) and Jacob (Israel) (people of the southern kingdom) suggest that the return home will also restore a longed-for united kingdom. The prophecy of Jeremiah sweeps forward to the new Israel where our eternal hopes are made sure.

HEBREWS 7:23-28: The Old Testament priesthood was instituted by God through Moses, but was confined to fallible and mortal men.  They represented God's people before the throne of God by offering sacrifices for sin and praying on their behalf. First, they had to offer sacrifice for their own sins. Christ, as the Son of God, had no need to offer up sacrifice for his own sins, yet became the once-and-for-all sacrifice for the sin of the whole world. Being both priest and victim, he can guarantee sure access to the Father and all that is needed for ultimate salvation. He continues to represent us and our needs before the eternal throne.

MARK 10:46-52: Here is a blind man who had 20/20 spiritual vision. He shows his faith initially by addressing Jesus as 'Son of David'. This was one of the terms used by people of the day for the long-awaited Messiah. King David was told he would have a descendant (son) who would rule forever. Not only did this man confess Jesus but he persisted with his faith despite strong discouragement. At Jesus' call to come, his eager enthusiasm in responding was accompanied by a confident request. After his miraculous cure, his faith impelled him to follow Jesus along the way.

VISUAL

VISUALS FOR THE READINGS

Pictures or visual symbols could be displayed on banners or the overhead screen during the readings. For instance, reading 1a from Job could be accompanied by a picture like the illustration in TEV for Job 42:10.

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, reading 1a from Job could be read by two readers: narrator,and Job; and the gospel could be read by three readers: narrator (the pastor), Bartimaeus, Jesus. The gospel could also be mimed as it is read.

CHILDREN

SONG

The song 'The blind man' (ATN 23, TIS 579) could be sung in connection with the gospel and talk with the 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 currently available for the Revised Common Lectionary.

This week's story is 'Jesus heals blind Bartimaeus'. Material for this story may be found in

Original Edition, Series B, Semester 2 (23 Pentecost)

OR

Revised RCL Edition, Series B, Sememster 2 (Proper 25)