Fifth Sunday after Trinity and St. James (25 July) - 2025

 

The Fifth Sunday after Trinity.

Psalm 119.65-80

ix. Bonitatem fecisti.

O LORD, thou hast dealt graciously with thy servant, * according unto thy word.

66 O teach me true understanding and knowledge; * for I have believed thy commandments.

67 Before I was troubled, I went wrong; * but now have I kept thy word.

68 Thou art good and gracious; * O teach me thy statutes.

69 The proud have imagined a lie against me; * but I will keep thy commandments with my whole heart.

70 Their heart is as fat as brawn; * but my delight hath been in thy law.

71 It is good for me that I have been in trouble; * that I may learn thy statutes.

72 The law of thy mouth is dearer unto me * than thousands of gold and silver.

x. Manus tuæ fecerunt me.

THY hands have made me and fashioned me: * O give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments.

74 They that fear thee will be glad when they see me; * because I have put my trust in thy word.

75 I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are right, * and that thou of very faithfulness hast caused me to be troubled.

76 O let thy merciful kindness be my comfort, * according to thy word unto thy servant.

77 O let thy loving mercies come unto me, that I may live; * for thy law is my delight.

78 Let the proud be confounded, for they go wickedly about to destroy me; * but I will be occupied in thy commandments.

79 Let such as fear thee, and have known thy testimonies, * be turned unto me.

80 O let my heart be sound in thy statutes, * that I be not ashamed.

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.

GRANT, O Lord, we beseech thee, that the course of this world may be so peaceably ordered by thy governance, that thy Church may joyfully serve thee in all godly quietness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

Old Testament Reading: Ecclesiastes 2.1-23

Psalter: Psalm 21, 23 | 26, 27

Epistle Reading: 1 Peter 3.8-15a (15b-17)

Gospel Reading: St. Luke 5.1-11 

HomilySaint James 

[July 25th]

GRANT, O merciful God, that, as thine holy Apostle Saint James, leaving his father and all that he had, without delay was obedient unto the calling of thy Son Jesus Christ, and followed him; so we, forsaking all worldly and carnal affections, may be evermore ready to follow thy holy commandments; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Old Testament Reading: Jeremiah 45

Psalter: Psalm 34

For the Epistle Reading: Acts 11.27-12.3a

Gospel Reading: Matthew 20.20-28 

Homily: http://orderofcenturions.org/documents/james.html#homily

Fourth Sunday after Trinity and Pastoral Letter - 2025

 

The Fourth Sunday after Trinity.

Psalm 119.49-64

vii. Memor esto verbi tui.

O THINK upon thy servant, as concerning thy word, * wherein thou hast caused me to put my trust.

50 The same is my comfort in my trouble; * for thy word hath quickened me.

51 The proud have had me exceedingly in derision; * yet have I not shrinked from thy law.

52 For I remembered thine everlasting judgments, O Lord, * and received comfort.

53 I am horribly afraid, * for the ungodly that forsake thy law.

54 Thy statutes have been my songs, * in the house of my pilgrimage.

55 I have thought upon thy Name, O Lord, in the night season, * and have kept thy law.

56 This I had, * because I kept thy commandments.

viii. Portio mea, Domine.

THOU art my portion, O Lord; * I have promised to keep thy law.

58 I made my humble petition in thy presence with my whole heart; * O be merciful unto me, according to thy word.

59 I called mine own ways to remembrance, * and turned my feet unto thy testimonies.

60 I made haste, and prolonged not the time, * to keep thy commandments.

61 The snares of the ungodly have compassed me about; * but I have not forgotten thy law.

62 At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee, * because of thy righteous judgments.

63 I am a companion of all them that fear thee, * and keep thy commandments.

64 The earth, O Lord, is full of thy mercy: * O teach me thy statutes.

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 GOD, the protector of all that trust in thee, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy; Increase and multiply upon us thy mercy; that, thou being our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we finally lose not the things eternal: Grant this, O heavenly Father, for Jesus Christ’s sake our Lord. Amen. 

Old Testament Reading: Lamentations 3.22-33

Psalter: Psalm 19, 20 | 24, 25

Epistle Reading: Romans 8.18-23

Gospel Reading: St. Luke 6.36-42 

Homily

 

This is the pastoral letter I sent out to my congregation this last week:

I’m thinking about floods in the hill country of Texas, in Ruiodoso, New Mexico, and more. We often cringe and grieve over such catastrophes, and rightly so. Sometimes we want to blame someone for the calamities, or even concoct conspiracy narratives to why they happened and how, wrongly so. Most of this fingerpointing is because we don’t know how to deal with what might be called natural evil. But I think our catechsims have a lot to teach us, in categories and thoughts that are deeply Biblical. For example, after tackling the fall of humankind, and the created order that was under humankind’s rule, the Westminster Shorter Catechism asks, “Q. 19. What is the misery of that estate whereinto man fell?” The answer grates on our self-centered, entitiled-to-the-pain-free-life, health-and-wealth nerves, but it’s Biblical and helpful: “A. All mankind, by their fall, lost communion with God, are under his wrath and curse, and so made liable to all miseries in this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell for ever.” That includes pestilence, plague, floods, drought, Hurricanes, and so much more. 

Another of our Reformed Catechisms grounds us even more as we face the miseries of this life: 

“What do you understand by the providence of God? God's providence is His almighty and ever present power, whereby, as with His hand, He still upholds heaven and earth and all creatures, and so governs them that leaf and blade, rain and drought, fruitful and barren years, food and drink, health and sickness, riches and poverty, indeed, all things, come not by chance but by His fatherly hand.” 

“What does it benefit us to know that God has created all things and still upholds them by His providence? We can be (1) patient in adversity, (2) thankful in prosperity, and with a view to the future (3) we can have a firm confidence in our faithful God and Father that no creature shall separate us from His love; for all creatures are so completely in His hand that without His will they cannot so much as move” (Heidelberg Catechism #27-28). 

Now, this honestly doesn’t answer all of our questions about natural evils like the disasters and tragedies as we see unfolding in the floods. But it does anchor us so that we are not blown away by these devastations, and we can weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15). But also, instead of becoming swallowed up in the finger pointing, wrongheaded notions of conspiracies, and mind-numbing grief, we can pray and do our part to help.

Pastor Mike 

1^st - Here is a short piece by a seminary classmate of mine who is pastoring a PCA church in Kerrville.

2^nd - For a hymn written in the middle of death and plague and natural evil, take time to sit in the words of Trinity Hymn 98, “Now Thank We All Our God.”

Third Sunday after Trinity - 2025

 

The Third Sunday after Trinity.

Psalm 119.33-48

v. Legem pone.

TEACH me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes, * and I shall keep it unto the end.

34 Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; * yea, I shall keep it with my whole heart.

35 Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; * for therein is my desire.

36 Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, * and not to covetousness.

37 O turn away mine eyes, lest they behold vanity; * and quicken thou me in thy way.

38 O stablish thy word in thy servant, * that I may fear thee.

39 Take away the rebuke that I am afraid of; * for thy judgments are good.

40 Behold, my delight is in thy commandments; * O quicken me in thy righteousness.

vi. Et veniat super me.

LET thy loving mercy come also unto me, O Lord, * even thy salvation, according unto thy word.

42 So shall I make answer unto my blasphemers; * for my trust is in thy word.

43 O take not the word of thy truth utterly out of my mouth; * for my hope is in thy judgments.

44 So shall I alway keep thy law; * yea, for ever and ever.

45 And I will walk at liberty; * for I seek thy commandments.

46 I will speak of thy testimonies also, even before kings, * and will not be ashamed.

47 And my delight shall be in thy commandments, * which I have loved.

48 My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved; * and my study shall be in thy statutes.

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 mercifully to hear us; and grant that we, to whom though hast given an hearty desire to pray, may be comforted in all dangers and adversities; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Old Testament Reading: Jeremiah 31.1-14

Psalter: Psalm 16, 17 | 18

Epistle Reading: 1 Peter 5.5-11

Gospel Reading: St. Luke 15.1-10 

Homily