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#lectionary

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Rev Peter W Nimmo

Opening Prayers for the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany, Year C (February 9 2025)

Part of a series of opening prayers for Sundays in the Revised Common Lectionary. They take their inspiration from the Scripture readings in the Lectionary. Worship leaders are welcome to use them for worship, but if you print or display any part of them, please credit the author. Comments welcome.

The following prayers are for based on the readings for the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany, February 9, 2025.

Call to Prayer

The Psalmist says:

On the day I called, you answered me;

you increased my strength of soul.

Psalm 138.3

Let us pray.

Prayer of Approach and Confession

Holy, holy, holy,

Lord God of hosts-

you are the only holy God.

Source of life,

ground of our being,

creator of all:

you alone are worthy of our worship

in this holy place on this Sabbath day

and in loving service to our neighbours

wherever we are, every day of the week.

Above all lesser gods

we sing your praise

exalt your name

and give thanks

for your steadfast love and faithfulness.

We acknowledge that,

in the face of your holiness and power

we feel lost and unclean,

sinful people who feel unfit to be your people.

For we are too often blind and deaf to your call.

In silence, we remember our failings.

silence

Hear the message which has been proclaimed to us:

by the grace of God,

we are what we are-

people set free by God from sin

for the sake of Christ

who died, was buried, and raised to life for us.

Thanks be to God!

Holy God, by your Spirit

your grace is within us.

You will not forsake the work of your hands:

for you promise to preserve and deliver us.

You have brought us through

the waters of baptism

to land us safe with Christ

and now you call us to proclaim his love.

Help us to fish for men and women

who will join us in his boat.

Enable us to fulfil your purpose for us

and deliver us from your troubles.

We pray in Jesus’ name.

Amen.

Liked this? Buy me a coffee!

Featured image: Albrecht Bouts, Miraculous Draught of Fish, 16th Century. Museum Leuven, Belgium. from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library

#Epiphany5#Lectionary#LectionaryPrayers
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A Guy Named Brian (he/him)

Everliving God, who strengthened your apostle Thomas with firm and certain faith in your Son's resurrection: Grant us so perfectly and without doubt to believe in Jesus Christ, our Lord and our God, that our faith may never be found wanting in your sight; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

#SaintThomasDay #Apostle #Faith #Doubt #QuestionsCanBeGood #Episcopal #FeastDay #MajorFeast #Lectionary #Advent

satucket.com/lectionary/Thomas

www.satucket.comSt. Thomas, the Apostle
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Rev Peter W Nimmo

Opening Prayers for Epiphany of the Lord, Years A, B and C

Part of a series of opening prayers for Sundays in the Revised Common Lectionary. They take their inspiration from the Scripture readings in the Lectionary. Worship leaders are welcome to use them for worship, but if you print or display any part of them, please credit the author. Comments welcome.

The following prayers are for based on the readings for the Epiphany of the Lord, where the Gospel is the story of the Wise Men meeting Herod, and worshipping the baby in Bethlehem, and returning by another road. Where this is not a Sunday you may wish to transfer it to the previous Sunday or the next Sunday. Alterniatively, you might wish to preach on the passage during the Christmas season.

The prayers are based on Isaiah 60:1-6, Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14, Ephesians 3:1-12 and Matthew 2:1-12. The readings are the same for all three years.

Call to worship

Lift up your eyes, and look around!

God’s people are gathering.

cf Psalm 60.4

So let us worship God.

Prayer of Approach

Lord of light,

we praise you,

for you are the one who casts away the darkness

which covers our lives, and our world.

Yours is the light which illuminates that which is good

in all the nations of the world.

In this time of worship

we lift our eyes to your light.

We rejoice in your glory

and in the mystery of the salvation of the world

you have brought through Jesus Christ.

As the Wise Men came seeking the Christ Child

kindle within us a desire to seek him anew

and to make new discoveries

of his truth and his glory.

May the Star of Bethlehem

lead us to worship the Light of the World.

Confession

God of infinite grace,

in the gift you gave us at Bethlehem

you offer us the boundless riches of Christ.

Yet we are slow to offer all that we have.

The Wise Men left home to seek the truth;

but we are too often content to stay where we are comfortable.

King Herod claimed he wanted to worship the child;

and too often, we are taken in by plausible lies.

We ask for your forgiveness

for all the ways we fall short

in generosity,

in courage,

and in failing to seek and to heed your truth.

Give us time to amend our lives

and may your Spirit to enable us

to live more fully

in the light of your Word made flesh.

silence

Supplication

What shall we give you, O Lord

for all that you have given us in Jesus Christ?

The wealth of all nations would not be sufficient!

In the bleak midwinter,

the Wise Men brought their gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

So what may we bring you, poor as we are?

What else, but a heart to follow Jesus!

So grant us boldness and confidence

in our faith in the promises of Jesus.

Give us the courage to take another road

if that is where you are leading us on our journey of life.

And may we thrill and rejoice

as your light dawns on us anew every day.

We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ,

the Light of the World. Amen.

Featured image:

Featured image: Adoration of the Magi (1619). Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640).
Musées Royaux des Beaux Arts de Belgique. from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=56315 [retrieved December 13, 2022]. Original source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Peter_Paul_Rubens_-_L%27adoration_des_Mages.jpg.

If you appreciate my work, you can make a donation.

#christianity#Epiphany#Lectionary
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Rivikah

#Lectionary post: Positions

The sons of Zebedee are trying to ensure themselves special places in the Kingdom. They seem to envision some kind of banquet or court with Jesus in the most prominent position and others with honored or powerful positions arrayed around him according to the rules of precedence. They want to lock down the two most important positions for themselves. We've heard for several weeks in a row now.

lectionaryoutloud.wordpress.co

Lectionary Out Loud · PositionsThe sons of Zebedee are trying to ensure themselves special places in the Kingdom. They seem to envision some kind of banquet or court with Jesus in the most prominent position and others with hono…
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Rev Peter W Nimmo

Back in May I left full-time parish ministry due to my continuing ill-health. My continued battle with Long Covid has also meant that there have been few posts on this site recently

At the moment I am preparing to move out of the manse and into a new home. Once the move is over, I hope to be able to start thinking again about blogging here more often. In particular, I know that many people appreciated my Lectionary Prayers, and I eventually hope to start posting these again sometime soon.

I thank all of you follow me here for your patience.

Peter

https://peterwnimmo.co.uk/2024/10/14/a-personal-update/

Minister with a head microphone, with a cross on the church wall in the background
#Lectionary#Prayer
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Rivikah

#Lectionary Post: Disaster

Jesus is talking about welcoming children again you'd think we'd have that covered, but apparently the disciples still haven't figured it out. Anyway, I don't really want to write about that again so instead let's talk about Job. This is a kind of disturbing little story. To settle a private bet, God allows great misfortune to come to one of his loyal followers.

lectionaryoutloud.wordpress.co

Lectionary Out Loud · DisasterJesus is talking about welcoming children again you’d think we’d have that covered, but apparently the disciples still haven’t figured it out. Anyway, I don’t really want to…
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Rivikah

#Lectionary post: Millstone

The piece in this week's passage about the millstone and chopping off of hands is often snipped out of its context and used as a general response to sin. It becomes a kind of purity talking point that says if you sin or allow others to sin then you should be punished. However, I think this week's Gospel text really wants to be read together with last week's so let's just remind ourselves of the situation here.

lectionaryoutloud.wordpress.co

Lectionary Out Loud · MillstoneThe piece in this week’s passage about the millstone and chopping off of hands is often snipped out of its context and used as a general response to sin. It becomes a kind of purity talking p…
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Rivikah

#Lectionary Post: Messiah

Peter declares that Jesus is the Messiah and Jesus begins to teach his disciples something of what he's about. The way this passage is structured it feels like that's in response to Peter's declaration as a correction or an expansion on that idea. Jesus doesn't confirm or deny Peter's declaration. He just starts in on this lesson. The word "Messiah" comes with baggage.

lectionaryoutloud.wordpress.co

Lectionary Out Loud · MessiahPeter declares that Jesus is the Messiah and Jesus begins to teach his disciples something of what he’s about. The way this passage is structured it feels like that’s in response to Pet…
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Rivikah

#Lectionary post: Outsider

The general agreement is that the Gospel of Mark was written for a gentile audience far from Galilee or Jerusalem. So why all the insults in this week's encounter with this women seeking wholeness for her daughter? Jesus is in the road, visiting Tyre. He's apparently trying to go incognito for a quiet escape from all the crowds that have featured in the previous couple of chapters.

lectionaryoutloud.wordpress.co

Lectionary Out Loud · OutsiderThe general agreement is that the Gospel of Mark was written for a gentile audience far from Galilee or Jerusalem. So why all the insults in this week’s encounter with this women seeking whol…
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Rivikah

#Lectionary post:Defile

We're finished with John's long conversation about bread and we're back in Mark but we're still talking about eating so let's see if there are any interesting connections here. Before I jump in playing with this text, here's Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg putting this conversation, or one very much like it recorded in Matthew, into the context of debates between different schools of Rabbinic Judaism.

lectionaryoutloud.wordpress.co

Lectionary Out Loud · DefileWe’re finished with John’s long conversation about bread and we’re back in Mark but we’re still talking about eating so let’s see if there are any interesting connecti…
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Rivikah

I'm planning out my next set of lectionary inspired paintings. This seems to be a set of 6 small living things. So far I have:
Psalm 19:10 - honey, honeybee.
Psalm 1:3 - leaf, sapling
Psalm 124:7 - bird
Psalm 22:6 - worm.

Two are missing:
Psalm 125 (biblegateway.com/passage/?sear )
Psalm 26 (biblegateway.com/passage/?sear )

Do you have any ideas for small living things associated with mountains/unshakableness? Or with prairies/level ground?

Or another idea?

Bible GatewayBible Gateway passage: Psalm 125 - New International VersionA song of ascents. Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore. The scepter of the wicked will not remain over the land allotted to the righteous, for then the righteous might use their hands to do evil. LORD, do good to those who are good, to those who are upright in heart. But those who turn to crooked ways the LORD will banish with the evildoers. Peace be on Israel.
#WaterColor#art#brainstorming
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Rivikah

#Lectionary post: After

The Gospel of John was written afterwards. After the life of Jesus. After the destruction of the Temple. After Christians and Jews became distinct religions. After the writing of Mark, Matthew, Luke, Acts, all of Paul's letters, and most of the other Epistles. After decades of development in Christian doctrine and practice. As a result, it's sometimes more a theological document than a narrative one.

lectionaryoutloud.wordpress.co

Lectionary Out Loud · AfterThe Gospel of John was written afterwards. After the life of Jesus. After the destruction of the Temple. After Christians and Jews became distinct religions. After the writing of Mark, Matthew, Luk…
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Rivikah

#Lectionary post: Bread

It's my hypothesis that Jesus fed people a lot. There are several different miraculous feeding of large crowds of course. But I like to think there was probably more. Later, at Easter, his disciples will recognize him when he breaks bread. So I speculate wildly and fill in a lot more feedings. Maybe he just fed people all the time. Miraculous, perhaps, or perhaps just bread.

lectionaryoutloud.wordpress.co

Lectionary Out Loud · BreadIt’s my hypothesis that Jesus fed people a lot. There are several different miraculous feeding of large crowds of course. But I like to think there was probably more. Later, at Easter, his di…
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Rivikah

#Lectionary post: Nostalgia

After the miraculous feeding, Jesus goes to Capernaum. In my understanding, this is a little bit of a home base for much of Jesus early ministry. It's a town mentioned repeatedly through all four Gospels. Some people who were at the feeding of the 5000 that we read last week track him down there and they have this kind of tense conversation.

lectionaryoutloud.wordpress.co

Lectionary Out Loud · NostalgiaAfter the miraculous feeding, Jesus goes to Capernaum. In my understanding, this is a little bit of a home base for much of Jesus early ministry. It’s a town mentioned repeatedly through all …
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ReverendRef

Today is the day of what I personally call my #RapeSermon. #TrackOne of the #Lectionary gives us #DavidAndBathsheba …. Where #KingDavid stays at home instead of leading his troops to war, spies on #Bathsheba from the safety of his rooftop, brings her to his home by fiat, impregnates her, orders her husband killed, then makes her his wife. #BiblicalFamilyValues right there.
Will be addressing the fact that not all men are predators or behave badly, but #AllWomen have a story about men behaving badly.
Doing what I can to make #Church a #SafeSpace for all people, especially the vulnerable, while not tolerating bad, abusive behavior.
#SafeChurch #Honesty #HardSermons #Episcopal

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Rivikah

#Lectionary Post: Identity

Last week's readings included speculation about Jesus's identity. This week the readings suggest a different answer. It's more than just a different suggestion, it's a whole different genre of answer. Jesus, when confronted once again with the crowd stops to heal and teach them. Whatever people may appreciate, Jesus is the one who teaches the crowd. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like...

lectionaryoutloud.wordpress.co

Lectionary Out Loud · IdentityLast week’s readings included speculation about Jesus’s identity. This week the readings suggest a different answer. It’s more than just a different suggestion, it’s a whole…
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Rivikah

#Lectionary post: Raised

The death of John the Baptist here in Mark is told in flashback to explain some of the conclusions people are coming to about who Jesus is. There are various hypothesis, but some people apparently believe that Jesus is John the Baptist, raised from the dead. According to this passage, Herod is among those with this idea. Which has me wondering about the Resurrection.

lectionaryoutloud.wordpress.co

Lectionary Out Loud · RaisedThe death of John the Baptist here in Mark is told in flashback to explain some of the conclusions people are coming to about who Jesus is. There are various hypothesis, but some people apparently …
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Rivikah

#Lectionary post: Leave

This week we have Jesus sending out his disciples in pairs to do exactly the kinds of things that Jesus himself has been doing. Healing, preaching, the whole thing. He gives them some instructions when they go, one of which is "Just walk out." If they won't welcome you then leave. Like this poorly spelled meme: This is made easier by the other instruction: don't take anything with you.

lectionaryoutloud.wordpress.co

Lectionary Out Loud · LeaveThis week we have Jesus sending out his disciples in pairs to do exactly the kinds of things that Jesus himself has been doing. Healing, preaching, the whole thing. He gives them some instructions …
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Rivikah

#Lectionary post: Lament

To say that David and Saul aren't on good terms at the time of Saul's death is something of an understatement. They're not fighting each other directly in this incident. It is not David or his army who kills Saul and his sons, but they're still in opposition to each other. The messenger who comes to tell David the news believes that David will be pleased to hear it.

lectionaryoutloud.wordpress.co

Lectionary Out Loud · LamentTo say that David and Saul aren’t on good terms at the time of Saul’s death is something of an understatement. They’re not fighting each other directly in this incident. It is not…
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