6th Sunday after Trinity

6th after Trinity

Readings: Genesis 18v20-32; Psalm 138; Colossians 2v6-19; Luke 11v1-13.

Let us pray: May the words of my mouth and the thoughts and meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our strength and our redeemer.

A Word: In the readings today we learn much about prayer.

In Genesis we hear that God spoke to Abraham about what he was going to do because of the evil done by the people who lived in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Being a kind and caring man, Abraham was unhappy that God might destroy innocent people who might still live in those cities, so he challenged, questioned and argued with God. We know that God heard what Abraham had to say because God promised that he would not destroy those cities, even if only 10 good people were to be found there. Sadly, later scriptures tell us that these cities were destroyed, which tells us that God did not find even 10 innocent people living in them. What we learn from this encounter between God and Abraham is that God does listen to our prayers. God is also willing to hear what we have to say, even when God knows much better than we do. For God cares about what we think and what we want, even when we are mistaken or in error.

In the psalm we hear a song of praise and thanksgiving for all that the Lord has done. For we have a Lord who is praised by the rulers and leaders of the earth for being faithful and loving by answering prayers and strengthening our souls. For we have a Lord who watches over the fearful. A Lord who walks with us in times of trouble. A Lord who protects and saves us from our enemies. A Lord who has plans for those he saves. What we learn from this is that down the ages many people have learnt about God’s interventions in the lives of prayerful people. For God hears what we ask, and God draws close to us when we pray, and God does what is best for us in answer to our prayers.

In Colossians we hear that we are to live lives rooted and built up by our faith in Jesus. For God has made us alive through Jesus. For through Jesus’ death on the cross our sins have been forgiven and we have been raised to a new life in Jesus, through Baptism. For Jesus has set aside the old laws and nailed them to the cross. So now there is nothing and no-one who can condemn us and nothing that can disqualify us from belonging to Christ. What we learn from this is that God wants to save us so much that everything we need to be saved has been done for us by Jesus, no matter who we are or what we have done.

In Luke we hear the disciples asking Jesus to teach them how to pray. In reply, Jesus gave the prayer we call “The Lord’s Prayer”. A prayer that focuses first on giving glory to God, then praying for God kingdom to come, before asking God to meet our needs for food, forgiveness and protection from evil. Jesus also taught that his father hears our prayers and answers them by giving us what we really need as well before reminding us that what we really should be asking for is the gift of the Holy Spirit. What we learn from this is that the Lord’s prayer embodies what all who follow Jesus should be praying for. Jesus’ guidance also teaches us that God’s replies to our prayers will always be the best answer for us, no matter what we think of God’s reply.

From these readings we learn that like Abraham we can argue with God in our prayers. We also learn from the psalm that God will always answer our prayers with what is truly best for us. Then in Luke, we learn what God encourages us to pray for the Holy Spirit and in Colossians we learn that no matter what we think of God’s replies to our prayers that God’s love for us is so great that Jesus died for us.

Let us Pray: Merciful and ever loving God, we thank you for all the good things you give to us. We ask you to lead us in the pilgrimage of life. We ask you to refresh and sustain us with your living water for our onward journey. We pray you will pour into us such love for you that we love you beyond all things. All this we ask in the name of your son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen

Thanks for joining us today.