Readings
- Trinity 9. 17.08. 2025
- Collect.
- Contemporary
Almighty God, who sent your Holy Spirit to be the life and light of your Church:
open our hearts to the riches of your grace, that we may bring forth the fruit of the Spirit
in love and joy and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Continuous
Isaiah 5. 1-7
Let me sing for my beloved my love-song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watch-tower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it; he expected it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes.
And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. What more was there to do for my vineyard that I have not done in it? When I expected it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes?
And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and it shall be overgrown with briers and thorns; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.
For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the people of Judah are his pleasant planting; he expected justice, but saw bloodshed; righteousness, but heard a cry!
Psalm 80. [1, 2,] 8-19
Pointed Psalm
[1-2]
Hear, O / Shepherd of / Israel :
you that led / Joseph / like a / flock;
Shine forth, you that are enthroned up/on the / cherubim :
before Ephraim, / Benjamin / and Ma/nasseh.
8-19
Turn us again, O / God of / hosts :
show the light of your countenance, / and we / shall be / saved.
You brought a vine / out of / Egypt :
you drove / out the / nations and / planted it.
You made / room a/round it :
and when it had taken / root, it / filled the / land.
The hills were covered / with its / shadow :
and the cedars of / God / by its / boughs.
It stretched out its branches / to the / Sea :
and its / tendrils / to the / River.
Why then have you broken / down its / wall :
so that all who pass / by pluck / off its / grapes?
The wild boar out of the wood / tears it / off :
and all the / insects • of the / field de/vour it.
Turn again, O / God of / hosts :
look down from / heaven / and be/hold;
Cherish this vine which your / right hand has / planted :
and the branch that you / made so / strong for your/self.
Let those who burnt it with fire, who / cut it / down :
perish / at the re/buke • of your / countenance.
Let your hand be upon the man / at your / right hand :
the son of man you / made so / strong • for your/self.
And so will we / not go / back from you :
give us life, and we shall / call up/on your / name.
Turn us again, O Lord / God of / hosts :
show the light of your countenance, / and we / shall be / saved.
Hebrews 11.29 – 12.2
By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as if it were dry land, but when the Egyptians attempted to do so they were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell after they had been encircled for seven days. By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had received the spies in peace.
And what more should I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets—who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured, refusing to accept release, in order to obtain a better resurrection. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned to death, they were sawn in two, they were killed by the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, persecuted, tormented—of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.
Yet all these, though they were commended for their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better so that they would not, without us, be made perfect.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.
Luke 12. 49-56
‘I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed! Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! From now on, five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three; they will be divided: father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.’
He also said to the crowds, ‘When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, “It is going to rain”; and so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, “There will be scorching heat”; and it happens. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?
Related
Jeremiah 23. 23-29
Am I a God near by, says the Lord, and not a God far off? Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them? says the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? says the Lord. I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in my name, saying, ‘I have dreamed, I have dreamed!’ How long? Will the hearts of the prophets ever turn back—those who prophesy lies, and who prophesy the deceit of their own heart? They plan to make my people forget my name by their dreams that they tell one another, just as their ancestors forgot my name for Baal. Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let the one who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? says the Lord. Is not my word like fire, says the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?
Psalm 82
Pointed Psalm
God has taken his stand in the / council of / heaven :
in the midst of the / gods / he gives / judgement:
‘How long will you / judge un/justly :
and show such / favour / to the / wicked?
You were to judge the weak / and the / orphan :
defend the / right • of the / humble and / needy;
Rescue the weak / and the / poor :
deliver them / from the / hand of the / wicked.
They have no knowledge or wisdom;
they walk on / still in / darkness :
all the foun/dations • of the / earth are / shaken.
Therefore I say that though / you are / gods :
and all of you / children • of the / Most / High,
Nevertheless, you shall / die like / mortals :
and / fall like / one of their / princes.’
Arise, O God and / judge the / earth :
for it is you that shall take all / nations / for your pos/session.
Hebrews 11.29 – 12.2
Luke 12. 49-56
The Church in Wales: Word of the Lord 2011. Copyright
@ Church in Wales Publications 2011