Year C - Proper 21 (25 Sep - 01 Oct)

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VERSION: 8 May 2002

SUNDAY BETWEEN 25 SEP AND 1 OCT (PROPER 21), YEAR C

In 2004: 17th Sunday after Pentecost, 26 Sep

In 2007: 18th Sunday after Pentecost, 30 Sep

In 2010: 18th Sunday after Pentecost, 26 Sep

In 2013: 19th Sunday after Pentecost, 29 Sep

In 2016: 19th Sunday after Pentecost, 25 Sep

- - -

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.

LITURGY

SENTENCE

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

God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords,

who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light,

whom no one has seen or can see:

to him be honour and might forever. Amen.  (1 Tim 6:15,16 NIV alt)

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 without you

we are not able to please you:

Mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit

may in all things

direct and rule our hearts;

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,

without you we are not able to please you.

Direct our hearts

by the working of your mercy.

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 to be faithful stewards of our possessions. [silence])

Loving Father,

you have so generously given us

all that we are

and all that we call our own.

Help us to serve you

by managing our possessions wisely,

so that they may not be a curse in our lives,

but an instrument for blessing.

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 help other people. [silence])

God, the giver of all good gifts,

teach us to be understanding and compassionate

to all people, whatever their needs,

and to share with them

the good things you have provided.

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.

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

Jeremiah 32:1-3a,6-15 Jeremiah buys some land

Psalm 91:1-6,14-16

Antiphon:

You will not fear the terror of the night. (Ps 91:5a NRSV)

OR, 1b

Amos 6:1a,4-7 Woe to the complacent

Psalm 146

Antiphon:

Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help. (Ps 146:3 NRSV)

SECOND READING

1 Timothy 6:6-19 Pastoral advice to Timothy

ALLELUIA VERSE (Luke 16:31 NRSV)

Alleluia, alleluia.

If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets,

neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.

Alleluia.

GOSPEL

Luke 16:19-31 Parable of the rich man and Lazarus

(Begin: 'Jesus said:)

PRAYER AFTER THE GOSPEL

This is the gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for your great generosity to us.

Lead us to reflect your love

by sharing our wealth with those in need.

Amen.

OFFERING PRAYER

Merciful God,

you have given us so many good things.

Make us generous and willing to share with others,

and use us and our possessions

for your purposes.

Amen.

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

Call to prayer

Gathered in the presence of God and of his Son, Christ Jesus, let us pray for the needs of the church and the world.

The regular response, OR:

King of kings and Lord of lords,

hear our prayer.

Suggested intercessions

Concluding prayer

King of kings and Lord of lords, you dwell in unapproachable light, but you have graciously given us access to your love and mercy through your Son Jesus Christ. Hear the prayers we offer in his name, for he 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 fourth prayer of the day (as listed above) at this point. It may be modified as follows.

God, the giver of all good gifts,

you have fed our hunger for you

with the bread of life.

Teach us to be understanding and compassionate

to all people, whatever their needs,

and to share with them

the good things you have provided.

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.

BEFORE THE BLESSING

The following may be said before the blessing.

Fight the good fight of the faith;

take hold of the eternal life,

to which you were called

and for which you made the good confession

in the presence of many witnesses.

DISMISSAL

Go in peace, and be rich in good works.

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): Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15

-

First reading (b): Amos 6:1a,4-7

LHS

AT

TIS

Second reading: 1 Timothy 6:6-19

LHS

AT

TIS

Gospel: Luke 16:19-31

LHS

AT

TIS

PSALM 91:1-6,14-16

For musical settings of Psalm 91:1-6,14-16, see Music Package 9.

Michael Joncas's paraphrase of Psalm 91 'On eagle's wings' in ATO 411, TIS 48 is also suitable for use today.

OR

John Bell's paraphrase of Psalm 91 'Whoever lives beside the Lord' may be found on page 42 of Psalms of Patience, Protest and Praise (c) 1993 Wild Goose Publications (and is also in TIS, 49).

Note: The Iona Community is willing to allow a church or worship assembly to reproduce the words only of a song from this publication on a service sheet or overhead projector transparency that is to be used once only on a non-commercial basis . . . provided that the title of the song and name of the copyright owner are clearly shown.

OR

The song 'All those who live benath God's shade', LHS 861, AT 21, is also a paraphrase of part of Psalm 91.

PSALM 146

For musical settings of Psalm 146, see Music Packages 6, 9 and 10.

TIS 90, I'll praise my maker while I've breath, is a paraphrase of Psalm 146:1,2,5-9. Or, either of the following paraphrases of the psalm by David Sch¸tz may be used. If reproducing either of these versions, please put 'Words (c) David Sch¸tz' at the beginning or the end of the psalm. The first may be sung to the tune Adelaide, LH 461.

As long as I have breath,

I'll sing my praise to God:

      O praise the Lord, my soul!

Don't trust in human strength,

in whom there is no help.

      O praise the Lord, my soul!

When mortal breath is gone,

and strength returns to dust,

      all human plans will end;

but Jacob's God keeps faith -

he made the earth and sky

      and all that they contain!

He gives the hungry food,

and justice to the poor

      and sets the prisoners free.

The righteous know his love.

He lifts up those weighed down,

      and makes the blind to see.

He cares for refugees,

for widows, orphans too,

      but all who hate him fall!

Forever Zion's God

is King of all the earth,

      O praise the Lord, my soul!

This second version may be sung to the tune of 'Now the green blade rises' (LHS 764, AT 15, TIS 382).

Verses1-4

Praise the Lord, my soul! I'll praise him all my days.

Trust no human leader - mortals bring no aid.

Their breath departs, their bodies turn to dust,

all their plans will perish, as all creatures must.

Verses 5,6

Blest are those who find their help in Jacob's God.

Blest are those whose hope is in the Lord their God.

He made the sky, the sea, and all the earth.

He is always faithful, always keeps his word.

Verses 7,8

The Lord feeds the hungry, sets the prisoner free,

by his healing power the blind are made to see,

he gives his justice to all those oppressed,

lifts up those bowed down, and loves all righteousness.

Verses 9.10

Strangers, widows, orphans know his loving grace.

But he brings to ruin every wicked way.

The Lord will reign forever, Zion's God.

Through all generations, praise the Lord our God!

NOTES ON THE READINGS

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

JEREMIAH 32:1-3a,6-15: Jeremiah  was finally confined under arrest by the King Zedekiah for his continued prophesies of coming defeat and exile, even as Nebuchadnezzar's army was surrounding and besieging Jerusalem. It was at this time that the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, commanding him to buy some land outside of Jerusalem. Of course, this land would be of no practical use to Jeremiah. This symbolic act, emphasised in its execution by the most precise and detailed legal procedures, had a purpose. God was giving a last indication that despite the coming defeat and exile, there would still be a future day when Judah would be used by the Lord for his long-term plans and purposes of salvation.

AMOS 6:1a,4-7: This prophecy is directed at rich people in both Jerusalem and Samaria, the religious centres of Judah and Israel. Rich people vied with each other in spending both time and money in idle decadence, selfish luxury and drunken pastimes. They even compared their lamentable musical efforts to King David's music, so carried away were they with their own importance. The real tragedy was that they did not see the ruin going on around them in the land once promised to descendants of Joseph. Being first in everything, they would also be the first to be led away into exile.

1 TIMOTHY 6:6-19: Paul points to the danger of affluence. It is easy to permit money to become one's god. Money commands respect and gives power. However, the inordinate love of money leads to such sins that can rob anyone of salvation. It is much better to fight the fight of faith and to make use of the salvation God has freely offered and just as freely gives. If one promises to be faithful until death, let that promise be brought to eternal fruition at the day of Jesus Christ. Rather than store up riches in this world, it is better to store up treasures which last forever.

LUKE 16:19-31: This story of Jesus, although couched in symbolic terms, teaches some clear aspects of life after death. The rich man, who had as much access to the Scriptures as anyone else, was totally occupied with his luxurious and sumptuous life. It was obviously too important to him to see the crying needs of the poor man right at his gate. Lazarus means 'he whom God helps' and was obviously a godly man. In the next life the roles are reversed. Lazarus reclined in eternal and infinite happiness at table with Father Abraham, so to speak, while the rich man was in unremitting torment. Both men's states were actually settled by their attitudes during their lifetimes, but now were confirmed and irreversibly permanent. The rich man's plea for relief from Lazarus's simple service was not possible. No more was it possible for Lazarus to warn his brothers. Even the resurrection of Jesus at a later stage did not convince those who were hostile. There is for all a more than adequate guide to heaven in the Scriptures (Moses and the prophets, in the case of the brothers). The Lord calls for our trusting acceptance of God's word in repentance and faith, together with a life of out-flowing service in love and mercy.

VISUAL

VISUALS FOR THE READINGS

Pictures or visual symbols could be displayed on banners or the overhead screen during the readings. For instance, the reading from Amos could be illustrated by a picture like that in the TEV Bible for Amos 6:8.

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 reading from Luke could be read by three readers: narrator (words of Jesus - which could be read by the pastor), rich man, and Abraham.

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 'The rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31)'. Material for this story may be found in

Original Edition, Year C, Semester 2, 19 Pentecost

OR

Revised RCL Edition, Year C, Semester 2, Proper 21.