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Today is July 13th, Trinity 8
First Reading: Isaiah 55.10-13
Thus says the Lord: As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and
do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth
and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word
be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall
accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
For you shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace; the mountains and the
hills before you shall burst into song, and all the trees of the field shall
clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of
the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall be to the Lord for a memorial,
for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
Psalm 65.9-13
The river of God is / full of / water:
you prepare grain for your people, for /
so you pro/vide for the / earth.
You drench the furrows and / smooth out the /
ridges:
you soften the ground with / showers and
/ bless its / increase.
You crown the year / with your / goodness:
and your / paths over/flow with / plenty.
May the pastures of the wilderness / flow with
/ goodness:
and the / hills be / girded with / joy.
May the meadows be clothed with / flocks of /
sheep:
and the valleys stand so thick with corn
that / they shall / laugh and / sing
Second Reading: Romans 8.1-11
There is no condemnation now
for those who live in union with Christ Jesus.
For the law of the Spirit, which brings us life in union with Christ
Jesus, has set me free from the law of sin and death. What the Law could not do, because human
nature was weak, God did. He condemned sin in human nature by sending his own
Son, who came with a nature like our sinful nature, to do away with sin. God did this so that the righteous demands of
the Law might be fully satisfied in us who live according to the Spirit, and
not according to human nature. Those who
live as their human nature tells them to, have their minds controlled by what
human nature wants. Those who live as the Spirit tells them to, have their
minds controlled by what the Spirit wants.
To be controlled by human nature results in death; to be controlled by
the Spirit results in life and peace.
And so people become enemies of God when they are controlled by their
human nature; for they do not obey God's law, and in fact they cannot obey
it. Those who obey their human nature
cannot please God. But you do not live
as your human nature tells you to; instead, you live as the Spirit tells you
to---if, in fact, God's Spirit lives in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit
of Christ does not belong to him. But if
Christ lives in you, the Spirit is life for you because you have been put right
with God, even though your bodies are going to die because of sin. If the Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from
death, lives in you, then he who raised Christ from death will also give life
to your mortal bodies by the presence of his Spirit in you.
Gospel: Matthew 13.1-9,18-23
Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the lake. Such
great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while
the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables,
saying: 'Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on
the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground,
where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had
no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had
no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew
up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some
a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen! Hear then
the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does
not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the
heart; this is what was sown on the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground,
this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet
such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or
persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away.
As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the
cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields
nothing. But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the
word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a
hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.'
Post Communion Prayer
Strengthen for service, Lord, the hands
that have taken holy things; may the ears which have heard your word be deaf to
clamour and dispute; may the tongues which have sung your praise be free from
deceit; may the eyes which have seen the tokens of your love shine with the
light of hope; and may the bodies which have been fed with your body be
refreshed with the fullness of your life; glory to you for ever. Amen
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