Let mutual love continue.
Let me all people live in love no matter where life takes us.
Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.
May we show extravagant hospitality to all those who come into our lives so to
honor the One who sends a great variety of people to us.
Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured.
How this would change things for us! To be the prisoner or the tortured one would
change the shape of our prayers. Let us remember, especially, those who are wrongly
imprisoned and those upon whom pain is inflicted needlessly.
Let marriage be held in honor by all, and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled; for God will judge fornicators and adulterers.
May all marriages be equally honored and respected around the world. For those who
have disrespected a spouse, themselves, or another, we pray for insight and forgiveness.
Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?”
May I be content with the abundance I now have and not desire more money or materials
for the sake of having more. Let me not trust my future to anything other than the Lord,
who is my helper.
Remember your leaders, those who spoke the word of God to you; consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.
Let us remember women and men who have gone before us if faith. Those who dreamed
like Martin Luther King, Jr. and others like Mother Theresa who labored endlessly for the
sake of others. We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses; let us not forget that we
do not run this race alone – ever.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever.
Yes, Jesus never changes. The way of peace is constant, though there are many feet on
the path. However, let us be changeable in our worship, in our lives, that the eternal love
Christ has for the world pours out through us.
Through him, then, let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name.
When the events in the world threaten to overwhelm us, let us remember that we are
children of a God who is, who was, and who is to come. We are never alone. Let
gratitude and praise flow from our lips.
Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
May we all do what is right and good, sharing the gifts we have been given. May our lives be pleasing to God, always.
RCL – Year C – Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost – September 1, 2013
Jeremiah 2:4-13 with Psalm 81:1, 10-16 or
Sirach 10:12-18 with Psalm 112
Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16
Luke 14:1, 7-14
