Scriptures and Reflection Questions for Sunday, June 26

Scriptures and Reflection Questions

Second Sunday after Pentecost

Proper 8, Year A
June 26, 2011
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Collect

Almighty God, you have built your Church upon the foundation of the apostles and
 prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone: Grant us so to be joined
together in unity of spirit by their teaching, that we may be made a holy temple
 acceptable to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you
 and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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Episcopal Revised Common Lectionary
Year A
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How to use this page:

Print this and read a different passage each day and think about it.  Some questions
are offered to help stimulate your reflection.  You'll find your experience of worship
on Sunday will be intensified.

For a method to read and pray with the scriptures you might try to use the ancient
practice of Lectio Divina (Divine Reading).  We've written some instructions on
how to use Lectio with the Sunday Scriptures at this link.

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The Lessons

Genesis 22:1-14
Psalm 13
Romans 6:12-23
Matthew 10:40-42

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Genesis 22:1-14

God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." He said,
"Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah,
and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show
you." So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of
his young men with him, and his son Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt offering,
and set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him. On the
 third day Abraham looked up and saw the place far away. Then Abraham said to his
young men, "Stay here with the donkey; the boy and I will go over there; we will
 worship, and then we will come back to you." Abraham took the wood of the burnt
 offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the
knife. So the two of them walked on together. Isaac said to his father Abraham,
"Father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." He said, "The fire and the wood are
here, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" Abraham said, "God himself will
provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." So the two of them walked on together.

When they came to the place that God had shown him, Abraham built an altar there
 and laid the wood in order. He bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar,
on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill
 his son. But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven, and said, "Abraham,
Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." He said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy or
 do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld
your son, your only son, from me." And Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in
a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt
offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place "The LORD will provide";
as it is said to this day, "On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided."

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What impact might this story have had in its original context?

How might that be different from what we can gain or learn from this story?

What does this story mean to you?  How do you interpret the troubling notion that
Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son in obedience to God?  What does that mean
for us?

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Psalm 13

How long, O God? Will you forget me for ever; *
     how long will you hide your face from me?

How long shall I have perplexity in my mind, and grief in my heart, day after day;*
     how long shall my enemy triumph over me?

Look upon me and answer me, O God; *
     give light to my eyes, lest I sleep in death;

Lest my enemies say they have prevailed over me, *
     and my foes rejoice that I have fallen.

But I put my trust in your mercy; *
     my heart is joyful because of your saving help.

I will sing to the Holy One, who has dealt with me richly; *
     I will praise the Name of God Most High.

                                               St. Helena Psalter

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When have you cried "How long, O God?"?  What happened?

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Romans 6:12-23

Do not let sin exercise dominion in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions.
No longer present your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present
yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and present
 your members to God as instruments of righteousness. For sin will have no dominion
over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

What then? Should we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!
Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you
 are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of
 obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that you, having
once been slaves of sin, have become obedient from the heart to the form of teaching
to which you were entrusted,and that you, having been set free from sin, have become
slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms because of your natural limitations.
For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to greater
 and greater iniquity, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness for
sanctification.

When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. So what advantage
did you then get from the things of which you now are ashamed? The end of those
things is death. But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God,
the advantage you get is sanctification. The end is eternal life. For the wages
of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord

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When do you find you have passions that draw you in a sinful direction?

How does following God set you free?

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Matthew 10:40-42

Jesus said, "Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes
the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive
a prophet's reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous
person will receive the reward of the righteous; and whoever gives even a cup of
 cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple-- truly I tell
 you, none of these will lose their reward."

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How do you welcome others as welcoming Christ?

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The Rev. Lowell Grisham
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, AR

The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church
is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.

Our Rule of Life:
  We aspire to...
     worship weekly
     pray daily
     learn constantly
     serve joyfully
     live generously.

Check our website: www.stpaulsfay.org