Trinity 19

Opening Verse of Scripture Philippians Chapter 4 

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 

Collect Prayer for the Day—Before we read we pray

O God, forasmuch as without you we are not able to please you; mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord ,who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Faithful Lord, whose steadfast love never ceases and whose mercies never come to an end: grant us the grace to trust you and to receive the gifts of your love, new every morning, in Jesus Christ our Lord.

First Bible Reading Exodus 32:1-14

When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered around Aaron and said to him, ‘Come, make gods for us, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ Aaron said to them, ‘Take off the gold rings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.’ So all the people took off the gold rings from their ears, and brought them to Aaron. He took the gold from them, formed it in a mould, and cast an image of a calf; and they said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’ When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation and said, ‘Tomorrow shall be a festival to the Lord.’ They rose early the next day, and offered burnt-offerings and brought sacrifices of well-being; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to revel.

The Lord said to Moses, ‘Go down at once! Your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have acted perversely; they have been quick to turn aside from the way that I commanded them; they have cast for themselves an image of a calf, and have worshipped it and sacrificed to it, and said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” ’ The Lord said to Moses, ‘I have seen this people, how stiff-necked they are. Now let me alone, so that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them; and of you I will make a great nation.’

But Moses implored the Lord his God, and said, ‘O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, “It was with evil intent that he brought them out to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth”? Turn from your fierce wrath; change your mind and do not bring disaster on your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, how you swore to them by your own self, saying to them, “I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it for ever.” ’ And the Lord changed his mind about the disaster that he planned to bring on his people.

Second Reading Philippians 4.1–9

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved. I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion, help these women, for they have struggled beside me in the work of the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life. Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.

Gospel Reading  Matthew 22.1–14

Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. Again he sent other slaves, saying, “Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.” But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his slaves, maltreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then he said to his slaves, “The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.” Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests. ‘But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, and he said to him, “Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?” And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, “Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” For many are called, but few are chosen.’

Post Communion Prayer

Holy and blessed God, you have fed us with the body and blood of your Son and filled us with your Holy Spirit: may we honour you, not only with our lips but in lives dedicated to the service of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Commentary

This weekend I have a wedding invitation to the school chapel at Bedford School, followed by a dinner reception. It all starts about 2.00pm and will no doubt finish late, far too late considering I have an 8.30am communion! It has been in my diary for months and months, probably since early last year and I completed my RSVP a long time ago so that Henry and Eve would know that I was going. It would have needed to be something really serious to prevent me from going because it is going to be a happy celebration and I am planning on having a good time. Am I going - Of course ! 

In the passage from Matthew this week we see Jesus telling a parable about another special invitation to a celebration banquet. This isn’t just an ordinary invitation to which a man invites guests, it is an invitation from a king. I remember last year receiving an invitation to a garden party at Buckingham Palace from Her Majesty. Now I know that if Queen Elizabeth received a reply from me saying I wasn’t going to make it she would not send the palace guard round to chop off my head. She might be upset at me not being there. My reason for going was because this was a big deal, of course if the Queen sends you an invite then you know this is going to be a really important gathering. It’s not every day you get to wander around the grounds of Buckingham Palace and walk through all those corridors you see on television. 

.In the passage from Matthew this week we read about a very special invitation to a banquet. It is not just an ordinary party to which a man invites guests, it is an invitation from a king. When kings threw banquets and invited you along you went, not because you necessarily wanted to, but because it was expected. It’s just like the boss inviting you round for a meal, if you want to get on you go, you don’t say you have a better offer or make excuses. So, the best food and drink would have been prepared, servants were sent out to "summon the invited guests to the feast." According to the custom of the time, the guests would already received the invitation and were waiting for when things were prepared and they received the announcement to come to the feast. The guests had already accepted the invitation and been catered for! Yet in the story from Jesus those who the king invited turned down the invitation. They never turned it down because there was something that really prevented them from going, they just made lame excuses. Frankly it is all rather strange and it becomes even more confusing when we read that the reaction of some is not just poor excuses but they kill the servants who bring the invitation. 

This is a parable which doesn’t leave a lot to the imagination and those who heard it would have a pretty good idea what Jesus was getting at. The King is God and the people who were invited were the Jews. God was planning the great party which the Jewish people had known about and waited for a long time, but now at the last minute they were refusing. The servants who were killed were the prophets who had proclaimed the coming kingdom had been ridiculed and killed.

The hearers would also come to realise exactly what Jesus meant when he spoke of the King sending his soldiers to destroy the city. After the fall of Jerusalem in AD70 the pieces of the story would all fit neatly into place.

So what about those who came? Since the guests who were invited refused, the invitation went out instead to all and sundry. People who would never have imagined being invited to such an event heard the call, the labourers, the down and outs, the criminals and just ordinary folk. Nobody who came would be able to boast of anything they had done to get there. They could claim no privilege or rank. None of them had a special status. They came because they were hungry, not because they could afford it or were posh. So the parable becomes our story too. We are now the recipients of God's gracious hospitality and generosity. We are Christian people because of God’s generosity, not because of any good we may have done. We claim no right and we feel privileged to find ourselves in the banquet hall. We are from the highways and byways no longer. We are honoured guests. Just like the guests invited to the banquet in the story, each one of us is invited as a special guest by God to his celebration. It is a truly remarkable thing that God should bother with us at all and yet he goes so far as to make us honoured guests.

In the midst of a troubled and turbulent world, where the frailty of life is ever before us, the simple message of this parable should come to us as a great reassurance. In spite of the seeming unimportance which attaches to us in the universe, nevertheless our lives are significant. Life might so often seem cheap and unimportant and yet we are individually watched over and cared for by God. The realisation that God is involved with each of us should change the way that we think about things, life is no longer a series of abstract choices, we are not adrift subject the vagaries of life. This message should cause us to have much peace and a sense of purpose for the future which gives real meaning to our lives. 

Sadly for many people this is simply not the case, offered such a magnificent invitation they choose to ignore the blessings of God and miss out on the generosity of God. The message of the story is clear, if you choose not to go, then somebody else will take your place. For this reason we should not be slow to respond but willingly answer God’s call on our lives. Charles Royden 

Meditation

An invitation to a wedding or a special party is often seen as a good reason to go shopping. Ladies will sometimes spend hours discussing their outfits beforehand but gentlemen also usually make an effort even if the clothing is an easier choice. In the parable Jesus tells of somebody thrown out of the party because they don’t have the right clothes, what was he getting at? we can’t be sure but it is worth remembering that clothing is a common New Testament metaphor for spiritual change.

Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature. Rom 13:14

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12

All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." 1 Peter 5:5 

For the Christian, the clothing about which we are concerned is not visible garments but rather character and behaviour. Our lives should not just demonstrate the same old predictable behaviour, rather we should exhibit something of the holiness and goodness of God. We take off those clothes which are unsuitable and change into something appropriate. For those who are called by Christ it is unthinkable that we should not now be spending time getting dressed in the right clothes. 

Hymns

• Come sinners to the Gospel feast Tune Fulda
• The feast is ready
• We come as guests invited
• My God and is thy table spread
• The trumpets sound the angels sing

Prayers for Sunday and the week ahead

God, the journey ahead is one into the unknown. To move forward with confidence, I need to know that you are with me. Make your presence known to me. Show me your glory. Pass by me in this time of prayer and show yourself to be with me. I will declare your glory. I will speak your name. I will declare your presence so that my companions on the journey may be encouraged. Help me today, God, to be distinct—to stand out in the courage and hope and faith, born of glimpses of your passing through my life—that I might be a source of courage and hope and faith to others. Amen. Jana L. Norman-Richardson Book of Daily Prayer 

Lord Jesus Christ, you said, ‘May they all be one, just as, Father, You are in me and I am in You, so that the world might believe it was You who sent me.’ Dear Lord, bring together in love and peace all who believe in You. Amen Cardinal Basil Hume OSB (1923-99)

It is not far to go for you are near, it is not far to go for you are here. And not by travelling, Lord we come to you, but by the way of love, and we love you. Amen (Amy Carmichael 1868—1951)

There is no place where God is not, wherever I go, there God is. Now and always he upholds me with his power, and keeps me safe in his love. (Author unknown)

O most high Almighty, good Lord God, creator of the universe, watch over us and keep us in the light of your presence. May our praise continually blend with that of all creation, until we come together to the eternal joys which you promise in your love, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen (F H Joweth 1841/1923)

Great is, O King, our happiness in thy Kingdom, thou, our King. We dance before thee, our King, by the strength of thy kingdom. May our feet be made strong; Let us dance before thee, eternal. Give you praise, all angels, to him above who is worthy of praise. (Prayer in sacred dance of the Zulu Nazarite Church)

I...ask the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, to give you the Spirit, who will make you wise and reveal God to you, so that you will know him. I ask that your minds may be opened to see his light, so that you will know what is the hope to which he has called you, how rich are the wonderful blessings he promises his people, and how very great is his power at work in us who believe. (From Ephesians 1)

Lord Jesus, it’s a shameful thing when you’ve set invitations to all who will come and we stand at the door and turn people away. It is shameful how we find ways to justify, in Your Name, the lines we draw between us, the exclusions and suspicions, the greeds and power-plays, that harm the least, and protect our special interests. And so we pray: Lift us above our pettiness and self-protection, and use us as Your agents of justice and mercy; May Your grace open our doors, stretch out our arms and turn our attention to the excluded, rejected and neglected ones. May Your wisdom teach our minds, open our hearts and challenge our apathy to find solutions to the conflicts and self-created threats in our world. May Your love release our energies, ignite our abilities and inspire our action to heal those who carry the scars of abuse, war and disease, to comfort those who grieve the loss of loved ones or opportunities, to restore the ones who have failed or fallen, to nurture the life that breaks out in every person and every part of our planet. And make us heralds of Your kingdom who extend Your invitation to all who will listen. Amen. 

Additional Material

Meditation

In times when you are sad and troubled, do not give up the good works of prayer and penance which you have been in the habit of doing. For the devil will try to persuade you to abandon them, and unsettle you. Rather, practice them more than before, and you will see how quickly the Lord will come to your aid. Theresa of Avila in A Life of Prayer

Prayers

O God, from whom to be turned is to fall, to whom to be turned is to rise, and in whom to stand is to abide for ever: grant us in all our duties your help, in all our perplexities your guidance, in all our dangers your protection, and in all our sorrows your peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen St Augustine, 354-430

Almighty God, source of every blessing, your generous goodness comes to us anew every day. By the work of your Spirit lead us to acknowledge your goodness, give thanks for your benefits, and serve you in willing obedience. Indeed we pray you to pour out your Holy Spirit upon us - your Spirit of joy and laughter - of comfort and of strength - that we might celebrate with you and you with us, as we offer our worship and ourselves to you this day; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Dear God. Fill us with those things that are good: things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely and honourable. Help us to put into practice what we have learned from your Word. Loving God, you have invited us to feast in your promised Kingdom. May we never be so busy that we cannot turn to you, and thankfully celebrate the power of Your Son. Amen