Lectionary - Ordinary 26 Year C
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Jeremiah 32:1-3a;6-15 The prophet buys a field as a sign of hope
Psalm 91:1-6; 14-16 You will live in the shelter of the Most High
1 Timothy 6:6-19 `The love of money is the root of all evils'; vocation
Luke 16:19-31 The rich man and Lazarus; even if one should return
Suggested Hymns (From Denis Towner. TIS = Together in Song; AHB = Australian Hymn Book; SA = Sing Alleluia)
lesson | Hymns for Sunday 26, Yr.C | TIS | AHB | SA |
E/G | All my hope on God is founded | 560 | 465 | |
G | Amazing grace, how sweet the sound | 129 | 56 | |
G | Blest are the pure in heart | 448 | 376 | |
G | Brother sister, let me serve you | 650 | 14 | |
G | Christ is the world's light, he and none other | 246 | 191 | |
E | Creator of the earth and skies | 556 | ||
G | Father Lord of all creation | 631 | 567 | |
E | Feed us now, O Son of God | 565 | ||
E | Fight the good fight with all your might | 594 | 511 | |
G | Fold to your heart your sister and your brother | 587 | 503 | |
G | For the beauty of the earth | 137 | 77 | |
G | God has spoken by his prophets | 158 | 92 | |
G | God is love: let heaven adore him | 153 | 93 | |
Ps | God is our strength and refuge | 28 | ||
O | God of eternity, Lord of the ages | 89 | ||
God of freedom, God of justice | 657 | 42 | ||
O | God of Jeremiah, grieving | 679 | ||
Ps | He who dwells in the shadow of the most high | 96 | ||
E/G | I sing a song of the saints of God | 551 | ||
I sing the almighty power of God | 119 | 40 | ||
E | Immortal invisible, God only wise | 143 | 80 | |
G | Immortal love, for ever full | 168 | ||
G | Jesus remember me, when you come into … | 730 | 55 | |
E | Let all mortal flesh keep silence | 497 | 418 | |
E | May the mind of Christ my Saviour | 607 | 537 | |
Now thank we all our God | 106 | 14 | ||
G | O God of Bethel, by whose hand | 564 | 49 | |
E | O Jesus I have promised | 595 | 514 | |
O | Our God our help in ages past | 47 | 46 | |
G | Praise to the Lord the Almighty | 111 | 28 | |
Praise with joy the world's Creator | 179 | |||
O | Put all your trust in God | 555 | 464 | |
E | Rejoice the Lord is King | 216 | 147 | |
Ps | Safe in the shadow of the Lord | 644 | 74 | |
G | Seek O seek the Lord | 464 | 397 | |
G | Son of God eternal Saviour | 606 | 529 | |
E | Stand up, stand up for Jesus | 592 | 509 | |
E | Take my life, and let it be | 599 | 520 | |
G | Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord | 161 | 109 | |
E | The head that once was crowned with thorns | 378 | 301 | |
G | The Kingdom is upon you! | 81 | ||
E | The Lord is King! Lift up thy voice | 64 | ||
G | What does the Lord require? | 618 | 568 | |
G | When I needed a neighbour, were you there | 629 | 558 | |
Where cross the crowded ways of life | 608 | 532 | ||
Ps | You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord | 48 |
Other Possible Hymns
(Numbers refer to The Australian Hymn Book and Sing Alleluia. TIS = Together in Song)
55 (TIS 128) Sometimes an light surprises/ the Christian while he sings
318 (TIS 405) O Spirit of the living God
455 (TIS 584) Be thou my vision, O lord of my life
480 (TIS 571) Forth in thy name, O Lord, I go
503 (TIS 587) O brother man [Fold to your heart your sister your brother]
542 O God of earth and alter
548 Almighty Father, who for us thy Son dost give
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Sermon Notes
There is no necessary connection between the OT lesson giving Jeremiah's prophecy and the Gospel with the warning contained in the story of
Lazarus and the rich man, but they share in common a word addressed to the complacent in a time of crisis.
One must first feel the threat and the urgency of the proclamation. The Gospel reading is, in addition to its special purpose, one of many examples of warning that the Kingdom will come and catch many by surprise. In this case it is addressed especially to the Sadducees, who did not believe in resurrection and valued highly the signs of success in this life - the key is in the warning Dives asks to be given to his brothers who can be presumed to share his way of life and be in danger of a nasty surprise - this is an addition to the story that was commonly told among the Jews about the reversal of blessings after death. Most tragically they are likely to miss the greatest blessing of the resurrection, even if 'one should return'. Doubting the judgement of God they are in danger of missing the mercy and grace of God.
Similarly, at the time near the exile, when the city of Jerusalem was about to fall and the final destruction of the Kingdom of Judah was unavoidable, many still doubted Jeremiah's word from God, not seeing the justice and compassion in God's judgment and then when they were near panic, they found a sign of hope and mercy hard to accept. Judgment came from God who cares enough not to abandon them..
Sermon summary - Pentecost 19 (Ordinary 26) Year C [ Click here for complete sermon]
The idea that good people will find themselves in Paradise after they die, and those who have not been as good as they should have been will suffer in the flames of Hell, is a strong tradition in our culture, a legacy of many generations of Christian teaching and discipline. It is often of an object of satire and ridicule. Yet people do think about it. There are various interpretations of the story we read today of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) as of parable of the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25:31-46), some emphasising social justice concerns, others the threat of eternal punishment.
We don't have to choose between these different ways of understanding the parable. But it was one of a number of warnings Jesus gave of the disastrous consequences of not being prepared for the sudden, unexpected coming of the Kingdom of God or of our own death. You might not have to take it literally, but you do have to take it seriously.
Jesus had been in dispute with the Sadducees about the possibility of resurrection. Besides being opposed to the teaching about resurrection, the Sadducees were known for their love of riches, so when Jesus began saying, (Luke 16:19) "There was a rich man...". His message comes, as usual at the end, when the rich man asks Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his brothers in case they should fall into the same trap (Luke 16:27-28). The should have known (Luke 16:29). He had argued scripture with them at other times (Mark 12:26-27). But, of course, the rich man knew that his brothers would not have learned this from Moses, so Jesus has him raise the extraordinary prospect of someone actually returning from the dead. (Luke 16:30-31). The justice of God pointed beyond itself to the promise of new life in his infinite mercy.
The Old Testament reading for today tells us something similar about God. We may learn something similar from the prophet Jeremiah in today's lesson (Jeremiah 32). The setting for a great symbolic action by Jeremiah, when he expressed faith in the future of the nation by buying a plot of land which the enemy was already taking over, is one of the two greatest events in a thousand years in the life of his nation.
The king and people flirted with the gods of foreign powers. (Jeremiah 35:15).They were said even to have sacrificed children to these terrible gods, and to have enslaved their own people who should have been set free an d to have done many other evils. (Jeremiah 32:33-36).Yet when the army of the king of Babylon was besieging the city, he, the very prophet of doom, went a nd bought land as a sign of hope (Jeremiah 32:37-44). Jeremiah, though he warned of judgment, gave the sign of new life in the midst of death.
Accept the warning, the dangers are real; and accept the promise.
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Order of Service - Pentecost 17 (Ordinary 26) Year C
The Gathering of the People of God
CALL TO WORSHIP
We come into the presence the Most High, we abide in the shadow of the Almighty, we say to the LORD,
"My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust." [from Psalm 91:1-2]
HYMN Immortal, invisible, God only wise TIS 143 AHB 80
PRAYER OF ADORATION
Mighty and merciful God, we meet to celebrate your greatness.
We join with the hosts of heaven to sing your praise and to offer you worship.
For you are worthy of adoration from every mouth,
and every tongue should praise you.
You created the earth by your power; you save the human race by your mercy; and make it new by your grace.
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we offer you our grateful praise.
CONFESSION
Merciful God, our Maker and our Judge,
We have sinned against you in thought, word and deed:
We have not loved you with our whole heart,
We have not loved our neighbours as ourselves;
We repent, and are sorry for all our sins.
Father, forgive us.
Strengthen us to love and obey you in newness of life;
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
DECLARATION OF FORGIVENESS
God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. -- Romans 5:8
Hear then Christ's word of grace: Your sins are forgiven.
Thanks be to God
DOXOLOGY: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
WELCOME AND GREETING EACH OTHER
Service of the Word
INTRODUCTION OF THEME: and a word to the children.
OLD TESTAMENT Jeremiah 32:1-3a;6-15 The prophet buys a field as a sign of hope
PSALM 91:1-6; 14-16 You will live in the shelter of the Most High
EPISTLE 1 Timothy 6:6-19 `The love of money is the root of all evils'; vocation
GOSPEL Luke 16:19-31 The rich man and Lazarus; even if one should return
HYMN O Spirit of the living God AHB 318 TIS 405
SERMON
HYMN Almighty Father, who for us thy Son dost give AHB 548
OFFERING AND DEDICATION
SHARING TIME [Notices, celebrations, requests for intercessions]
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
COLLECT FOR THE DAY
Father, you graciously strengthen and replenish all who wait upon you. Grant us your Holy Spirit, that, by gladly serving others, we may always be true to Christ, our Lord and our Redeemer. He lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
THE LORD'S PRAYER [Front of the Hymn Book]
The Sending Forth of the People of God
HYMN Where cross the crowded way of life AHB 532 TIS 608
WORD OF MISSION
BLESSING
DISMISSAL Go in peace to love and serve the Lord:
In the name of Christ. Amen.
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