Cycle B Lectionary 31 Proper 26

11/1/2015 Confession 

Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost

Sunday Title: Instruction Sunday

Sermon Title: When all is more than all.

Scripture Cuttings:

Deuteronomy 6:1-9 Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. 

Psalm 119:1-8 Happy are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord…. How can young people keep their way pure? By guarding it according to your word.

Hebrews 9:11-14 …how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God! 

Mark 12:28-34 The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."    

All may make the sign of the cross in remembrance of baptism

as the presiding minister begins:

P:  In the Name of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen

P:  Let us prepare to worship the living God! (pause for reflection)

    (heart, soul, mind and strength are required now)

P:  O Lord, our God...

C: we are not close to your words,

  nor do we listen to your statutes, decrees, laws or ordinaces.

We don’t even like to read the instructions

  for our own longevity or prosperity

    if it means giving up the pleasures of the moment.

We do not take satisfaction in faithfulness,

  but only see it as an obedient burden.

How could we ever consider to love to you

  with all our heart, mind, soul and strength?

    And then what could be left for our neighbor?

      For oursleves?

We have many allegances.

  We wear them on foreheads,

    and argue them in our conversations,

      and fly their banners on our homes,

        we give them our resources, time, and passion.

But you have gone missing among them.

How could we teach our children well?

Our works are dead!

For the sins we name, forgiove us.

From the sins we hide, save us. (pause for reflection)

P:  When Christ came as a high priest of the good things that have come, he obtained eternal redemption through his blood. For Christs’ sake our sins are forgiven. Now through the eternal Spirit our conscience may be purfied and we may turn our heart, soul, mind and strength to the Lord our God. And learning from God’s words we may love our neighbor as ourself. All this to the Glory of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen. -wjw

P:  The peace of the Lord be with you always!

C: And also with you!