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The Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity.
Magnificat.
St. Luke I.
MY
soul doth magnify the Lord : and my spirit hath
rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For he hath regarded : the
lowliness of his handmaiden.
For behold, from henceforth
: all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath
magnified me : and holy is his Name.
And his mercy is on them
that fear him : throughout all generations.
He hath showed strength
with his arm : he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty
from their seat : and hath exalted the humble and meek.
He hath filled the hungry
with good things : and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He remembering his mercy
hath holpen his servant Israel : as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and
his seed, for ever.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son : and to the
Holy Ghost;
As
it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be : world without end. Amen.
The Collect.
O
LORD, we beseech thee, let thy continual pity
cleanse and defend thy Church; and, because it cannot continue in safety
without thy succour, preserve it evermore by thy help and goodness; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Old
Testament Reading: Isaiah 12
Psalter:
Psalm 98, 99 | 89, 59
Epistle
Reading: Ephesians 3:8-21
Gospel
Reading: St. Luke 7:11-17
This is from my letter to my congregation this
week:
If you’re looking for a handy sized, and decent, commentary that covers Jude, let me recommend one published in 1995, “Life Application Bible Commentary: 1 & 2 Peter and Jude.” As the author addresses the fraudsters and scammers in Jude, he writes:
“They set themselves above all other Christians because of their assumed superior knowledge and understanding of their ‘freedom’ in Christ. Those allegedly enlightened enough to join them regarded themselves as distinct and superior from others in the church. Thus, Jude condemned these false teachers for causing divisions” (“Life Application Bible Commentary: 1 & 2 Peter and Jude,” pg. 258).
Take that statement and see how it fits the
different projects that have rippled through churches you’ve been part of over
the years. Such as the newest, most perfect parenting fads; or that new,
cutting edge project that guarantee health and wealth; or that movement that
finds secret messages from God by collating every fourth Hebrew letter in the
Old Testament; or the state-of-the-art proof of who the ‘real’ Antichrist is;
and more. As a few of you have experienced, some of those projects have ripped
churches apart; or carved out some of God’s people to go off into the
wildernesses and woods of their perfect schemes, etc. Elitist ruses may
momentarily ‘build’ a church, but in the end they either rip churches apart or
create tensions and distrust in congregations that have long term effects that
can last years.
Further, the author gives us a set of questions (on page 242) to ask ourselves to help discern between heresies and wholesome, Biblical teaching:
- Does it stress man-made rules and taboos rather than God’s grace?
- Does it foster a critical spirit toward others, or does it exercise discipline discreetly and lovingly?
- Does it stress formulas, secret knowledge, or special visions more than the Word of God?
- Does it elevate self-righteousness, honoring those who keep the rules, rather than elevating Christ?
- Does it neglect Christ’s universal church, claiming to be an elite group?
- Does it teach humiliation of the body as a means to spiritual growth rather than focusing on the whole person?
- Does it disregard the family rather than holding it in high regard as the Bible does?
As our life at Heritage is about truth, worship, and Christian love to equip us in making disciples who will belong and believe with us as we grow in truth, worship and Christian love, these questions can help keep us from being sidetracked or bushwacked.
Don’t be surprised if either or both of these
quotations show up during this series in Jude.
Pastor Mike
Saint Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist
[September 21]
O ALMIGHTY God, who by thy blessed Son didst call Matthew from the receipt of custom to be an Apostle and Evangelist; Grant us grace to forsake all covetous desires, and inordinate love of riches, and to follow the same thy Son Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.
Old
Testament Reading: Proverbs 3:1-6
Psalter:
Psalm 119:1-16
New
Testament Reading: 2 Corinthians 4:1-6
Gospel Reading: Matthew 9:9-17
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