July 4 – Pentecost 6

Isaiah 66:10-14
God is at work bringing the creation back into communion with God. Here we see a vision from the prophet Isaiah of the day when sadness and separation ends for Jerusalem and the whole of God’s people. The image of God is a rich one, as a mother caring for her child.

Galatians 6:1-16
Paul gives warning that how we live shows whose we will be. The Church is called to live differently from the world around us. We seek
to fit into the world, but here Paul reminds us that the people of Jesus live differently from others.

Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
God’s healing and restoration is carried out by Jesus’ followers. This first group of 70 disciples is sent to preach and teach and heal.
Jesus reminds them (and us) that what we do in his name is not a simple act, but carries with it a divine meaning. Like ambassadors, Jesus people still speak and act for God.

July 11 – Pentecost 7

Deuteronomy 30:9-14
The Book of Deuteronomy is a series of “sermons” delivered by Moses before the people enter the promised land. Here Moses is reminding God’s people that God wants to bless them and that the commands of God are not too difficult for them.

Colossians 1:1-14
Paul greets those who read this letter with the reminder that we are now in God’s grace in Jesus. He also reminds us that God will provide all we need to live in this world as the people of God. God begins and provides for our life in the world.

Luke 10:25-37
A teacher of the Law seeks to put Jesus on the spot. In doing this, Jesus teaches him that compassion is the mark of being God’s child.
God’s wish for us is not out of our grasp. It is caring for others as we would want to be cared for.

July 18 – Pentecost 8

Genesis 18:1-10a
The story told in these verses can also be seen in the icon in the chapel. It is a story about hospitality and promise. Abraham and Sarah
welcome three strangers and receive the promise of a child to be born to them even though Sarah was around 90 and Abraham about 100 years old. With God all things are possible. The child was named Isaac.

Colossians 1:15-28
Jesus is the image of God. To know God, we must know Jesus. The author reminds the Colossians that in Christ even suffering can be
redeemed. This is an encouragement to them and to us.

Luke 10:38-42
Mary and Martha show us signs of hospitality— both the welcome of others by preparation and spending time with them are important. Jesus reminds Martha not to be worried and distracted. He calls her to consider the things that are eternal.

July 25 – Pentecost 9

Genesis 18:20-32
Abraham bargains with God to spare the towns of Sodom and Gomorrah. In doing this, we see the grace of God who agrees to spare
the cities if only ten righteous people are found in both towns.

Colossians 2:6-15
The lives of Christians are shaped not by the past, but by the future.

Luke 11:1-13
Jesus teaches us the Lord’s Prayer in this text as well as the need for
persistence in prayer. In doing this, Jesus also teaches us the grace of God who answers prayer, perhaps not as we wish, but as is best for us.

Sunday Readings – August 2010

August 1 – Pentecost 10

Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14
The teacher in the book of Ecclesiastes seeks a way for life to have meaning. The teacher tries many paths, among which are money and
possessions. He comes to know that eventually these things will not bring us meaning in life. As the teacher writes: “Vanity of vanities! All is
vanity.”

Colossians 3:1-11
The writer reminds us of what really matters: who we are in God’s eyes. We are also reminded that this understanding of who we are
shapes what we do in life everyday.

Luke 12:13-21
Jesus teaches us what the teacher in Ecclesiastes did not learn: as we build treasures by a rich relationship with God, our lives find meaning not only in this world, but also in the world to come.

August 8 – Pentecost 11

Genesis 15:1-6
God promises Abram that his own child will be the one who receives the promises of God. God uses the stars in the sky as a way to show the abundance of God’s promises.

Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16
Faith is defined in this reading for us: it is the trust that God will fulfill promises God makes. Faith is also trusting in what is not possible now,
but will happen in God’s good time.

Luke 12:32-40
Being vigilant is a way of being faithful. Jesus reminds us that in God’s time things will happen. None of us knows when God will finally set
things right, so we live each day in obedience and hope.

August 15 – Mary, Mother of Our Lord

Isaiah 61:7-11
In language reminiscent of the song of Mary (in our Gospel for today), the people of Old Testament Israel sing in joy about the victory of
God over all the forces which seek to control and diminish others. It will finally be God who gives victory to justice as a sign of God’s grace and
mercy.

Galatians 4:4-7
In this section of Galatians, Paul reminds his readers of Jesus’ true humanity, “born of a woman, born under the law”. We remember
Mary as a sign that Jesus shares the fullness of our humanity: joys and sorrows, struggles and rejoicings.

Luke 1:46-55
In words that sound revolutionary, Mary’s words reflect how God is at work turning the world upside down. The proud and powerful are
brought low and those who are lowly and empty receive blessings from God.

August 22 – Pentecost 13

Isaiah 58:9b-14
God promises joy and wholeness to the people who include the needy in their lives.

Hebrews 12:18-29
The Book of Hebrews often compares the earthly and heavenly realities of God. In this section, the writer compares the heavenly Jerusalem, the
city of God, with Mount Sinai. But the author also looks to the future when God will refine and strengthen God’s people by including them in
God’s very presence.

Luke 13:10-17
Jesus is criticized for healing on a Sabbath. He refuses to accept this criticism because he knows that God’s heart is for those in need, not those who seek their own holiness.

August 29 – Pentecost 14

Proverbs 25:6-7
The Book of Proverbs contains practical advice for people to live by. Here the writer gives a word of warning about remembering to take a
lower place rather than seeking to be the center of attention.

Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16
The early church needed collections of practical advice on being a follower of Jesus. In this section of Hebrews, the writer gives us a picture of what the life of God’s people looks like.

Luke 14:1, 7-14
Jesus moves his listeners from practical advice to how to show compassion for others in this section of Luke’s gospel. He grounds compassion in the final gift of the resurrection for those who seek to
be God’s people.