First Sunday after Trinity

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FIRST SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY
Sunday, June 23, 2019

Readings:
Lesson: Joshua 24:1-15
Psalm: 5
Epistle: 1 John 4:7-21
Gospel: Luke 16:19-31

ADORATION
Almighty God, I look up and direct my prayer and praise to You. You are ever-living and ever-loving, and so wickedness and evil cannot dwell with You, lies and deceit cannot stand in Your sight. From this I learn that all malice and ignorance have an end. Only Your righteousness, faithfulness, and selfless Love are true, real and permanent. I praise and rejoice in You because You choose the side of all who trust in You, do good, and love Your Name. You defend and bless them with Your kindness. You listen to their prayers. You lead them through their lives, making Your ways plain and simple before them. And You bring them home into Your Presence.

CONFESSION
Holy Father, Your servant Joshua renewed Israel’s covenant by rehearsing their history. I confess that I forget and ignore my own history. I refuse to heed its warnings, condemning myself to error and ignorance, but I also refuse to count Your blessings, leaving myself vulnerable to despair. You delivered Israel from bondage to Egypt—so You deliver me from enslavement to sin. You drove out the nations from the Promised Land—so You also drive out evil thoughts from my mind and heart. You gave Your people land, cities and fields for which they did not work—so You also give me health, home and happiness, that I may serve You with my life.

THANKSGIVING
Holy Spirit, You are the Love that links the loving Father to the beloved Son into One undivided Trinity. I thank You for being Love because that means Love wins. Love overcomes the world. And Love is with me always. I thank You for Your gift of Love. Your perfect Love casts out fear and torment, gives me boldness always to choose the side of Love, makes me free to love my neighbor just as he or she is, and thereby opens my heart to Your presence there in complete, perfect, and selfless Love. Not that I loved You, but You loved me first. Through Love, You manifest Yourself to me, and sanctify every corner of my imperfect life.

SUPPLICATION
Lord Jesus Christ, the story of Lazarus and the Rich Man invites me into Your selfless Love. By global standards, I have more than enough. I pray that I may not walk by the poor and suffering at my doorstep. In my lifetime I have received good things simply by virtue of where I was born. Grant that I may freely give to those who have not had my privileges, that I may narrow the great gulf that exists between me and them. If I cannot give directly to them, then open my eyes and lead me to find the right, trustworthy organizations that provide relief for those in need. Remind me that there is always an opportunity to give—and love.

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