Morning Prayer
The Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity (Green)
Psalms: Psalm 119, Pts 15, 16
King James Version
113 I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love. 114 Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word. 115 Depart from me, ye evildoers: for I will keep the commandments of my God. 116 Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope. 117 Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe: and I will have respect unto thy statutes continually. 118 Thou hast trodden down all them that err from thy statutes: for their deceit is falsehood. 119 Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross: therefore I love thy testimonies. 120 My flesh trembleth for fear of thee; and I am afraid of thy judgments. 121 I have done judgment and justice: leave me not to mine oppressors. 122 Be surety for thy servant for good: let not the proud oppress me. 123 Mine eyes fail for thy salvation, and for the word of thy righteousness. 124 Deal with thy servant according unto thy mercy, and teach me thy statutes. 125 I am thy servant; give me understanding, that I may know thy testimonies. 126 It is time for thee, LORD, to work: for they have made void thy law. 127 Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold. 128 Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way.
First Lesson: Ezekiel 33:1-11
King James Version
1 Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 2 Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman: 3 If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; 4 Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. 6 But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand. 7 So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. 8 When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. 9 Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. 10 Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live? 11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
Second Lesson: Luke 10:1-24
King James Version
1 After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come. 2 Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. 3 Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves. 4 Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way. 5 And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house. 6 And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again. 7 And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house. 8 And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you: 9 And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. 10 But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say, 11 Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. 12 But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city. 13 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you. 15 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell. 16 He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me. 17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. 18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. 19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. 21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight. 22 All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him. 23 And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: 24 For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
Reflection
The Lord Jesus sends the seventy before him, “into every city and place, whither he himself would come.” They are not sent to establish their own little enterprise, nor to make a name for themselves. They are sent ahead of Christ. Their task is to prepare the way for his coming: to receive hospitality, to heal the sick, and to declare, “The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.”
That same pattern is found in Ezekiel’s calling. The prophet is appointed as a watchman. He is to hear the word from the Lord’s mouth and warn the people. The warning is not a display of superiority, and it is not delivered because God delights in condemning sinners. Quite the contrary: “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live.” The trumpet is sounded because destruction is approaching, and because mercy still calls the sinner to turn.
There is, then, a grave responsibility in speaking God’s word. The watchman must not keep silent when danger is at hand. Yet he is not commissioned to invent his own message. He must hear from the Lord, and then speak what he has heard. The seventy likewise do not carry a message of their own devising. They go in the authority of Christ, and Jesus says, “He that heareth you heareth me.”
This is one reason we should be grateful for the Church of England, with her ordered ministry, her daily worship, and her settled formularies. The Church is not meant to be a platform for the latest religious fashion. She is a watchtower from which the ancient and apostolic faith is proclaimed. In the Prayer Book, Scripture is not hidden away as a private possession, but read aloud morning and evening, so that the Church may continually hear the trumpet of God’s word and be prepared for the coming of her Lord.
But the readings also speak to every Christian. We may not all stand in a pulpit or bear the formal office of a watchman, but we are all called to bear faithful witness to Christ. Sometimes that witness will be a plain word of warning; sometimes it will be an invitation, an act of kindness, or a quiet declaration that the kingdom of God has come near in Jesus Christ. We are not required to force acceptance. The seventy were told to receive hospitality where it was offered, and to leave where it was refused. The message must be faithfully given, but it cannot be forced upon unwilling hearts.
The psalm gives us the inward disposition needed for such a calling: “Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.” The servant of God must first be sheltered by God. We cannot faithfully speak the truth if we are governed by the fear of man, or if we imagine that the success of the gospel depends upon our cleverness. The psalmist prays, “Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live.” So must we. The Lord’s servants are lambs among wolves, and their confidence lies not in themselves but in the Lord who sends them.
The seventy return with joy because even the devils are subject to them through Christ’s name. Jesus does not deny the reality of that victory. Yet he redirects their rejoicing: “Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.” Christian joy does not finally rest upon visible success, numbers, influence, or even remarkable spiritual experiences. It rests upon the gracious fact that, through Christ, we belong to God.
The kingdom has indeed come near. The King has sent his heralds, and the King himself has come among us. Let us therefore receive his word with the humility of little children, heed the warning of Scripture, and rejoice above all that our names are written in heaven.
Evening Prayer
The Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity (Green)
Psalms: Psalm 102
King James Version
1 Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee. 2 Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily. 3 For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth. 4 My heart is smitten, and withered like grass; so that I forget to eat my bread. 5 By reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin. 6 I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert. 7 I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top. 8 Mine enemies reproach me all the day; and they that are mad against me are sworn against me. 9 For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping, 10 Because of thine indignation and thy wrath: for thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down. 11 My days are like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass. 12 But thou, O LORD, shalt endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations. 13 Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come. 14 For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof. 15 So the heathen shall fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth thy glory. 16 When the LORD shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory. 17 He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer. 18 This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the LORD. 19 For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the LORD behold the earth; 20 To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death; 21 To declare the name of the LORD in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem; 22 When the people are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD. 23 He weakened my strength in the way; he shortened my days. 24 I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: thy years are throughout all generations. 25 Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. 26 They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: 27 But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end. 28 The children of thy servants shall continue, and their seed shall be established before thee.
First Lesson: Philippians 1:12-end
King James Version
12 But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel; 13 So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places; 14 And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. 15 Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: 16 The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds: 17 But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel. 18 What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice. 19 For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, 20 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. 23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: 24 Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. 25 And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith; 26 That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again. 27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; 28 And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God. 29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake; 30 Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.
Reflection
“But thou, O LORD, shalt endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations.”
The Psalm begins in desolation. The speaker is worn down by trouble: his days are “consumed like smoke”, his heart is “smitten, and withered like grass”, and he sits like “a sparrow alone upon the house top”. This is not a polished account of religious feeling. It is the prayer of a man who is exhausted, lonely, and afraid that his life is passing away before his work is done.
Yet the Psalm does not end with the weakness of the man, but with the permanence of God. “My days are like a shadow that declineth,” he says; “but thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.” Human strength fails, human plans are interrupted, and even the heavens and the earth are described as garments which grow old. But the Lord remains.
That is the ground of St Paul’s confidence in the Epistle. Paul is in bonds, and there are Christians who preach Christ with a wrong motive—“of envy and strife”, even supposing that they will add affliction to his imprisonment. Paul does not pretend that their conduct is good. He does not call envy charity, or strife peace. But he sees beyond their miserable motives to the greater matter: Christ is preached. “And I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.”
This is a remarkable freedom. Paul’s joy does not depend upon being admired, nor upon having everything done in precisely the manner he would choose. His life is not centred upon Paul. “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Therefore even imprisonment can become a place from which the Gospel advances, and even another man’s imperfect ministry can become an occasion for Christ to be proclaimed.
That does not mean that circumstances are unimportant, or that bad motives do not matter. It means that the Lord is not defeated by the frailty of his servants. He can make use of a weak vessel without approving the weakness. He can preserve his Church even when her members are foolish, divided, or self-seeking. That should make us humble, and also hopeful. The work is God’s before it is ours.
Paul’s own desire was “to depart, and to be with Christ”, which he says is “far better”. Christian faith is not afraid to call death gain, because Christ has conquered death. Yet Paul also knows that “to abide in the flesh” is needful for the Philippians. His remaining life is therefore not merely an extension of his own wishes. It is a gift placed at the service of others: “for your furtherance and joy of faith”.
That is a useful word for any Christian who wonders why the Lord has not yet brought some chapter of life to its close. We may have disappointments, weariness, or a longing for release. Nevertheless, while God gives us breath, he may still have work for us among his people: a prayer to offer, a duty to fulfil, a truth to speak, a kindness to show, or simply a faithful presence to maintain. We need not make our lives splendid. We are called to make them available to Christ.
So St Paul exhorts the Philippians: “Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ.” The word means not merely our speech, but our manner of life, our citizenship and conduct. Whether Paul comes to them or remains absent, he wants to hear that they stand fast “in one spirit”, striving together for the faith of the Gospel.
The Church of England, in her sober and well-ordered worship, teaches us something of this steadfastness: not the excitement of novelty, but the daily turning of the heart towards the unchanging Lord. Morning and evening, in strength or weakness, the Church places the same everlasting God before us. We are reminded that our days are shadows, but that God’s years have no end; that our work is imperfect, but that Christ is faithful; and that our lives, whether long or short, may magnify him.
Let us then pray for the grace to live without terror, without rivalry, and without making ourselves the measure of the Church’s success. Whether in hardship or ease, in life or in death, may Christ be magnified in us. For the Lord endures for ever, and in him the children of his servants shall be established.
Electric See Chapel