Sunday June 20 Pentecost 4
Click here for simplified daily office prayers
Psalm 66
God, you have made the earth wonderfully, and have rescued us from disaster so I will delight in praising you.
Psalm 67
Because of God’s blessings to nature and the nations we will all sing God’s praises.
1 Samuel 4: 12-22 What’s Samuel about?
When hearing the news of the capture of the ark, which contained the original two stones carved with the 10 commandments, a matter of unimaginable disaster, ElI, the priest in charge of the ark who had allowed his sons to abuse the people, falls over and dies. His daughter-in-law gives birth and then dies calling the child “Ichabod”, meaning “the glory has gone.” The ancient writers understood that the people and their leaders had been unjust and thus had abandoned the God of justice, and these were the inevitable and unspeakably disastrous consequences.
However, God will ensure that glory will return to Israel through Samuel, who as a child had shown himself to be more responsive to God’s call than his mentor Eli. Samuel will anoint the first king, Saul.
Matthew 19: 23-30 What’s Matthew about?
Following Jesus’ generous death and resurrection will mean giving up all lesser priorities such as wealth. This astonishes the disciples who cannot imagine how a person in deep poverty could ever be holy, just as that thought astonishes us. But Jesus assures them it is possible to make God’s kingdom of love and justice our priority and when we do the life we receive in return is far more valuable than what any amount of money could buy.
This week’s collect:
O God our defender,
storms rage about us and cause us to be afraid.
Rescue your people from despair,
deliver your sons and daughters from fear,
and preserve us all from unbelief;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and ever. Amen.
Click here to share a comment on the web site.