Sunday, 12/10/2025
Trinity 17/Pentecost 18
OPENING SENTENCE OF SCRIPTURE –
Come now and see the works of God (Psalm 66)
HYMN-
GREETING
Grace and peace to you from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen
COLLECT FOR PURITY
Almighty God,
to whom all hearts are open,
all desires known,
and from whom no secrets are hidden:
cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you,
and worthily magnify your holy name;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
SUMMARY OF THE LAW
Our Lord Jesus Christ said: The first commandment is this:
Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is the only Lord. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength.”
The second is this: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these. Amen. Lord, have mercy.
CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
God is love and we are God’s children. There is no room for fear in love. We love because God loved us first.
Let us confess our sins in penitence and faith.
SILENCE
God our Father,
we confess to you
and to our fellow members in the Body of Christ
that we have sinned in thought, word and deed,
and in what we have failed to do.
We are truly sorry.
Forgive us our sins,
and deliver us from the power of evil,
for the sake of your Son who died for us, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
ABSOLUTION
God, who is both power and love,
forgive you and free you from your sins,
heal and strengthen you by the Holy Spirit,
and raise you to new life in Christ our Lord. Amen.
GLORIA
sung by Sue Turner
COLLECT
O Lord, since without you we cannot please you:
let the work of your mercy in all things guide our hearts;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, world without end. Amen
PROCLAIMING & RECEIVING GOD’S WORD
FIRST READING Jeremiah 29.1, 4–7
1 These are the words of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the remaining elders among the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 4 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon:
5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease.
7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.
SECOND READING 2 Timothy 2.8–15
8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David – that is my gospel, 9 for which I suffer hardship, even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained. 10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, so that they may also obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. 11 The saying is sure: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; 12 if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny us;
13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful – for he cannot deny himself. 14 Remind them of this, and warn them before God that they are to avoid wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are listening. 15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth.
GRADUAL HYMN
GOSPEL Luke 17.11–19
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke Chaoter 17, beginning at verse 11.
Glory to Christ our Saviour
11 On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, 13 they called out, saying, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’ 14 When he saw them, he said to them, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went, they were made clean. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. 16 He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan.
17 Then Jesus asked, ‘Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? 18 Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?’ 19 Then he said to the Samaritan, ‘Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.
Give thanks to the Lord for his glorious Gospel
Praise to Christ our Lord.
SERMON
Jeremiah 29: 1-4
The Prophet gives advice for those exiled in Babylon:
Build, plant, and eat the produce; Live your life, you will be there for 70 years,
Give your daughters and sons in marriage. Multiply! Contribute to the welfare of the city and pray for Babylon, “for in its welfare is your welfare.”
Jeremiah’s character shines throughout his prophecy:
He is optimistic; hopeful; and honest; There are painful struggles with God in the style of Lamentations; Courage in confronting kings; Agony over the tragic fate of Jerusalem; and Perseverance in the face of continuous rejection.
Which characteristics do you recognise in this passage?
Jeremiah tenderly responds to life and beauty, to growth and blossoming (1:11); The silence in the air when the last bird has flown away (4:25); The gurgling freshness of spring water (2:13) Celebrate, he felt its loneliness severely, however, this bonded him with the people in their most difficult moments of loss and isolation and led the way to peace with God.
Where do you see Jesus’ teaching and healing from his own life experience?
Luke 17: 11- 19
The lepers in Luke, are in a different but none the less real kind of exile, Leprosy. They call out from a distance: Recognising Jesus’ authority and asking for mercy. Jesus asked them to go and show themselves to the priests and on their way, they were cleansed. Jesus thus summoned them out of exile into their existing faith systems. Whilst on the way the Samaritan realised that he was healed. He returned loudly praising God and lay prostrate at Jesus’ feet thanking him. He again recognises Jesus’ authority and became a shining example to the Jewish Leaders of Jesus reaching out to all people, he cancels barriers and restores people to their rightful place in the Community. Jesus sent the Samaritan away, “Get up, go on your way, your faith has made you well.”
In sickness and in health the Samaritan shows us the way of healing:
Recognises his need and asks for mercy.
Is obedient to Jesus’ request.
Recognised his healing and returned to Jesus with thanksgiving.
The Samaritan is reconciled with his community, and a new future lies before him.
Jesus goes on to tell the Pharisees, “The faithful people,” “See the Kingdom of God is among you.”
The healing ministry is at the heart of the Gospel and people like the Samaritan call from their place of isolation; Jesus acts involving the faith community; The Samaritan responds in praise and thanksgiving and is restored to his rightful place in community.
Read the Gospel again:
Am I responding to people in isolation? Do I hear their cries for mercy?
Do I offer the ministry of healing? Do I ask for healing myself?
In the sacrament of healing, do I hope for a new beginning for myself and for others?
THE CREED
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
God from God,
Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one substance with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven;
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father.
With the Father and the Son,
he is worshipped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Our response for today is from Psalm 66: Come now, and see the works of God
We have so much to give thanks for; good news that we need to share with others – and to acknowledge the work of God in all of it: in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths and, as the Living Bible has it, crown your efforts with success.
So: we give thanks for friends, family, neighbours and colleagues: in particular this morning we’re thinking about this congregation: the family of St John’s, and especially, among the newer members, though they’ve been here a while now, those from Ukraine. In today’s Old Testament reading, God says to those in exile: seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you… and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. And that, with members in Choir, on the Vestry, amongst our children, and fully participating in the life of St John’s, is what they have done, and are doing. Thank you for sending them here.
Come now, and see the works of God.
We give thanks for the church; the Christian church worldwide, this place, and for faith communities everywhere; particularly those under threat of persecution, misrepresentation or suppression. We give thanks for leaders who take their cues from you and provide strong leadership, with integrity. We give thanks for the recent appointment of Sarah Mulally as the new Archbishop of Canterbury and ask your blessing on her ongoing ministry, her leadership, and the Anglican Communion under her.
Come now and see the works of God
We pray for nations, leaders and governments; giving thanks for those exercising courageous, honest leadership and service. But whatever the stripe or quality of government anywhere, we remember again the words from today’s reading from Jeremiah, seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you, says the Lord, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare, you will find your welfare.. Help us do that, Lord, and, in this moment of quiet, pray to you on behalf of any regime particularly on our own hearts. […]
Come now, and see the works of God.
We remember the sick, the weak, the powerless; those, like St Paul, imprisoned for standing up for their beliefs. Help us, however disinclined we might be to do so, to remember to pray for oppressors too, for it is only through you that positive change comes about. In our own community, we remember those who may be worried about friends or family elsewhere, particularly Ukraine, or other parts of the world, or closer to home. We also remember […] and, in a moment of silence, any others particularly on our own hearts. We give thanks for the lives of […] and ask for your comfort for those they have left behind.
Come and see the works of the Lord
And lastly, we give thanks for our own situations. In each circumstance that we find ourselves, may we praise our God: not for hardships, but for your presence with us through them, even when we’re not aware of it. In a final moment of quiet, let’s bring before God our own particular worries or concerns. And, like the tenth leper, let us finally remember to give thanks.
Come and see the works of the Lord
Amen
Merciful Father accept these prayers for the sake of your Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ who taught us to pray together
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those
who sin against us.
Do not bring us
to the time of trial
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power
and the glory are yours,
now and forever. Amen.
BLESSING
Christ the Son of God gladden your hearts with the good news of his kingdom; and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen.
HYMN –
DISMISSAL
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord
In the name of Christ. Amen
