The richness of interdependence

Collect: Proper 22

Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray, and to give more than we either desire or deserve: Pour upon us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask, except through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ our Savior; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen

Job 1:1, 2:1-10 . . . stricken with suffering by Satan to test his faithfulness to God.

Psalm 26 . . . A Prayer For Level Ground

or

Genesis 2:18-24 & Psalm 8 . . .  describes the complementary nature of man and woman as God originally intended it at creation.

Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12 . . . the relationship of Jesus to God, to God’s creation and to humanity.

Mark 10:2-16 . . . the importance of caring for those most likely to be abandoned

Jim Somerville, Pastor of Richmond’s First Baptist Church and Co-Founder of A Sermon for Every Sunday, preaches this week’s Gospel text from Mark 10:2-16. “There are times when the lectionary forces the preacher to consider texts he or she would rather avoid,” Somerville says. “This Sunday is one of those times.” Is divorce a sin? Is re-marriage adultery? Don’t we wish Jesus had kept these thoughts to himself?