Monday March 14, 2022

St. Thomas Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/St.Thomas.the.Apostle.Cambridgehttps://www.facebook.com/groups/969531309814142 (this is St. Luke’s page) 

 Monday, March 14, 2021 CollectO Lord, our Rock and Redeemer, guide our thoughts and our words in our discussions today. Let our hearts be filled with your praise. Let us never forget the good things you do for us. You have forgiven our sins. You have rescued us from death. You have crowned us with love and tender mercies. Renew our strength and refresh our souls.  Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.Come, let us worship. 

 The Proclamation of the Word-1st Reading:  Jeremiah 1:11 – 19 (NRSV)The word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘Jeremiah, what do you see?’  And I said, ‘I see a branch of an almond tree.’  Then the Lord said to me, ‘You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it.’  The word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying, ‘What do you see?’  And I said, ‘I see a boiling pot, tilted away from the north.’Then the Lord said to me:  Out of the north disaster shall break out on all the inhabitants of the land.  For now I am calling all the tribes of the kingdoms of the north, says the Lord; and they shall come and all of them shall set their thrones at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, against all its surrounding walls and against all the cities of Judah.  And I will utter my judgements against them, for all their wickedness in forsaking me; they have made offerings to other gods and worshipped the works of their own hands.  But you, gird up your loins; stand up and tell them everything that I command you.  Do not break down before them, or I will break you before them.  And I for my part have made you today a fortified city, an iron pillar, and a bronze wall, against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its princes, its priests, and the people of the land.  They will fight against you; but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, says the Lord, to deliver you. 

Psalm 56 (Book of Alternative Services page 776):

1              Have mercy on me, O God, for my enemies are hounding me; * all day long they assault and oppress me.

2              They hound me all the day long; truly there are many who fight against me, O Most High.

3              Whenever I am afraid, * I will put my trust in you.

4              In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust and will not be afraid, * for what can flesh do to me?  

5              All day long they damage my cause; * their only thought is to do me evil.

6              They band together; they lie in wait; * they spy upon my footsteps; because they seek my life.

7              Shall they escape despite their wickedness? * O God, in your anger, cast down the peoples.

8              You have noted my lamentation; put my tears into your bottle; * are they not recorded in your book?

9              Whenever I call upon you, my enemies will be put to flight; * this I know, for God is on my side.

10           In God the Lord, whose word I praise, in God I trust and will not be afraid, * for what can mortals do to me?

11           I am bound by the vow I made to you, O God; * I will present to you thank-offerings; 12           For you have rescued my soul from death and my feet from stumbling, * that I may walk before God in the light of the living.  

Giver of courage, when our path is hard and dangerous, give us the grace of quiet confidence.  We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, the way, the truth, and the life.  Amen.  2nd Reading:  Romans 1:1-15 (NRSV)

THE LETTER OF PAUL TO THE

Romans

Salutation

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name, including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,To all God’s beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints:Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Prayer of Thanksgiving

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you because your faith is proclaimed throughout the world. For God, whom I serve with my spirit by announcing the gospel of his Son, is my witness that without ceasing I remember you always in my prayers, asking that by God’s will I may somehow at last succeed in coming to you.  For I am longing to see you so that I may share with you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— or rather so that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as I have among the rest of the Gentiles.  I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish — hence my eagerness to proclaim the gospel to you also who are in Rome. 

Gospel Reading:  John 4:27 – 42 (NRSV)Just then his disciples came.  They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, ‘What do you want?’ or, ‘Why are you speaking with her?’  Then the woman left her water-jar and went back to the city.  She said to the people, ‘Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done!  He cannot be the Messiah, can he?’  They left the city and were on their way to him.Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, ‘Rabbi, eat something.’  But he said to them, ‘I have food to eat that you do not know about.’  So the disciples said to one another, ‘Surely no one has brought him something to eat?’  Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work.  Do you not say, “Four months more, then comes the harvest”?  But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting.  The reaper is already receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together.  For here the saying holds true, “One sows and another reaps.” I sent you to reap that for which you did not labour.  Others have laboured, and you have entered into their labour.’Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I have ever done.’  So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there for two days. And many more believed because of his word.  They said to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Saviour of the world.’ 

The Lord’s Prayer Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread.  And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.  And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.  For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever.  Amen. 

Closing Prayer

God of mercy and tenderness, giver of life and conqueror of death, look upon our weakness and grief, and restore us to health, that we may sing a new song to your praise; through Jesus Christ our risen Lord. May the grace of God uphold you, the peace of God surround you, the love of God flow from you and the strength of God protect and bring you safely through this day.  Amen. God bless and keep us through this season of our lives -