Fifth Sunday after Trinity

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FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY
Sunday, July 21, 2019

Readings:
Lesson: 1 Samuel 16:1-13
Psalm: 16
Epistle: 1 Peter 3:8-17
Gospel: Luke 5:1-11

ADORATION
God of protection and counsel, I bless You for Your comfort and solace. You have given me a heart and mind that instruct me in Your ways night after night. You never abandon me to the hell of despair, and so my heart is glad to feel the fullness of joy in Your presence. You never allow me to see decay and corruption, and so my body rests in certain hope. You show me the path of life, and so my glory, my Higher Self, rejoices in the heavenly delights of Your Son, who sits at Your right hand. You are my Lord; I have no good besides You. You are my portion, my inheritance, and my cup. You are all I need. I place my trust and find refuge in You, and I rejoice in the beautiful heritage You give me.

CONFESSION
Lord, You revealed to Samuel that You do not see as we see. You do not look at the outward appearance, but rather at the heart. I confess that I fall desperately short of Your example. I look at the exterior, at styles of dress, at weight, height, color, ethnicity, gender, class, age and any other form of outward appearance that only serves to widen our unhappy divisions. And without Your word and example, I admit I would continue to do this unawares. You teach that all of these things will pass away, and so I acknowledge that I really should be looking at what does not pass away. I need to see not what a person has or does, but who a person is—a precious soul beloved by You.

THANKSGIVING
God, I thank You for providing the right way to live, which is through love, compassion, humility and respect; not returning evil for evil, or insult for insult, but rather offering blessings, goodness, and peace to everyone. There is no other real way to live, since this is how You Yourself act towards us. And I bless You that You have called me for this very purpose, not because I deserved it or was already on that path, but precisely when I was living in ways contrary to these ideals. Even when I was practicing unworthy behavior, You in Your love deemed me worthy enough to learn a better way. Thank You for making me alive in the Spirit by the death of Your Just and Righteous One.

SUPPLICATION
Lord Jesus, at Your miraculous display of power, Simon fell on his knees, recognized his sinfulness, and begged You to depart from him. I pray to You: let Your everyday miracles cause me to fall down in worship, praise and thanksgiving to You. Let Your power cut me to the heart by showing me my powerlessness and imperfection. But Lord, I pray, never hand me over to the kind of despair and depression that make me beg You to depart from my life. Yes, alone I would be imperfect and unworthy—but I am not alone. You choose to be with me, and You insist on never leaving me. And so I ask You to help me to accept that I am already perfect in Your eyes and worthy to receive Your love.

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