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ANGLICAN PARISH OF ATWELL/SUCCESS THE CHURCH OF THE TRANSFIGURATION Sunday Bulletin Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost– 18th October 2009 |
Saint Luke
Luke was born of Greek origin in the city of Antioch. It is probable that he met Paul in Troas and was converted to Christianity there. He accompanied Paul to Philippi and stayed there for some time superintending the young church. Luke was Paul’s constant companion on the journey to Jerusalem. We hear of Luke when Paul sets out from Rome and Luke remains with him during his first imprisonment. The last mention of Luke is in 2 Tim 4:11, where Paul says ‘only Luke is with me’.
Luke is the author of the third gospel as well as the book of Acts. He was clearly a well educated person and goes to great pains to be clear, precise and systematic in his writing. It is widely acknowledged that he had a good grasp of Greek, the language the New Testament. Not being of Jewish origin, yet knowing the customs, and having a close association with the early Christians, he is regarded as the evangelist to the gentiles. It is certainly true that in his gospel there is more emphasis on social issues such as the poor, the oppressed, the role of women and Jesus being the light to the gentiles as well as the people of Israel.
Another important characteristic of Luke is that he was a medical doctor, or physician, as Paul states in Colossians 4:14. As a physician he had knowledge of many things and his attention to physical detail comes from his profession. Because he was a physician he has been made the patron saint of doctors and medical personnel. This is why there is often a service of healing or a service of remembrance for those who have died in hospital or hospice care at the this time of the year when we have St Luke’s day, which is the 18th of October where he is remembered as evangelist and martyr.
Fr Clive
Sentence
The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; ask therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest. Luke 10.2
Prayer of the day
Almighty God, who inspired your servant Luke the physician to set forth in his Gospel the love and healing power of your Son: graciously continue in your Church
this love and power to heal, to the praise and glory of your name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
First Reading: Jeremiah 8:22-9:3
Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has the health of my poor people not been restored?
O that my head were a spring of water, and my eyes a fountain of tears,
so that I might weep day and night for the slain of my poor people! O that I had in the desert a traveller’s lodging place, that I might leave my people
and go away from them! For they are all adulterers, a band of traitors. They bend their tongues like bows; they have grown strong in the land for falsehood, and not for truth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not know me, says the Lord.
For the word of the Lord; thanks be to God.
Psalm 145:10-18
10 All creation praises you, O Lord:
and your faithful servants bless your name.
11 They speak of the glory of your kingdom:
and tell of your great might,
12 That the whole earth may know your mighty acts:
and the glorious splendour of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom:
and your dominion endures through all generations.
14 The Lord upholds all those who stumble:
and raises up those that are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to you in hope:
and you give them their food in due season;
16 You open wide your hand:
and fill all things living with your bounteous gift.
17 The Lord is just in all his ways:
and faithful in all his dealings.
18 The Lord is near to all who call upon him:
to all who call upon him in truth.
Second Reading: 2 Timothy 4:9-17a
Do your best to come to me soon, for Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful in my ministry. I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus. When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will pay him back for his deeds. You also must beware of him, for he strongly opposed our message. At my first defence no one came to my support, but all deserted me. May it not be counted against them! But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it.
For the word of the Lord; thanks be to God.
The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to Luke 10:1-9
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest. Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house!’ And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
This is the Gospel of the Lord: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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NOTICES
Today: We welcome Fr Clive McCallum to preside and preach.
Please stay for a cuppa after the service.
Readings Next Sunday, Twenty First after Pentecost (G), 25 October 2009.
Jer 31:9-7; Psalm 126; Heb 7:21-28; Mark 10:46-52
Filed under: pew sheet
