A Prayer for Trinity 7 (July 7 in 2024)
7/11/24
Just a quick note about "Trinity 7." In historic Christianity the year is divided into particular seasons. We're currently in the season called, variously, Pentecost, Ordinary Time, or Trinity. It has to do with the timing of Pentecost Sunday (7 weeks after Easter) or Trinity Sunday (1 week after Pentecost Sunday). So it shifts a little bit due to the shifts in the date of Easter Sunday. This year, July 7 was the 7th Sunday after Trinity.
Many churches have a prayer associated with the readings appointed for Trinity 7 (and with other Sundays). Here's the one from the Lutheran Service Book Altar Book, prayer B67.
O God, Your almighty power is made known chiefly in showing mercy. Grant us the fullness of Your grace that we may be called to repentance and made partakers of Your heavenly treasures; through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Christianity confesses the need for God's mercy. We realize that God in Christ shows mercy to our world, and that he regularly does it by having his people act mercifully.
There have always been some, and I think their number is increasing, who want mercy to mean that anything goes. They think anything and everything should be permissible.
The world really can't work that way. The reason is quite simple. If I have complete freedom, my liberty is likely to come into conflict with yours. We all realize this. If I am free to take your property because I want it, that interferes with your freedom to keep your property. Countless examples could be drawn on that same principle.
The Bible describes our greed, selfishness, and willingness to act with a lack of mercy as sin. The Bible has many examples of people sinning against each other, and also against God. It describes the world as God's creation, and God as knowing exactly how to govern it.
Because of human sin, we all need God's mercy. Otherwise he would have to deal with us in accord with our sin. We wouldn't do well, as we all fall short of God's standard. How does God deal with us?
God the Son, in the person of Jesus, brought us mercy. Theologically we say Jesus voluntarily became sin for us. He interfered with our freedom to sin by ourselves and to receive in ourselves the penalty for that sin. Instead, he claimed your sin and my sin, and he went on to suffer the righteous anger of God. He shows that mercy and invites everyone to receive mercy by faith in him.
Do we need mercy? Yes, because we are not perfect. The good news of this prayer, and of the whole of the Bible, is that God is rich in mercy and calls us all to receive his mercy.
7/11/24
Just a quick note about "Trinity 7." In historic Christianity the year is divided into particular seasons. We're currently in the season called, variously, Pentecost, Ordinary Time, or Trinity. It has to do with the timing of Pentecost Sunday (7 weeks after Easter) or Trinity Sunday (1 week after Pentecost Sunday). So it shifts a little bit due to the shifts in the date of Easter Sunday. This year, July 7 was the 7th Sunday after Trinity.
Many churches have a prayer associated with the readings appointed for Trinity 7 (and with other Sundays). Here's the one from the Lutheran Service Book Altar Book, prayer B67.
O God, Your almighty power is made known chiefly in showing mercy. Grant us the fullness of Your grace that we may be called to repentance and made partakers of Your heavenly treasures; through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Christianity confesses the need for God's mercy. We realize that God in Christ shows mercy to our world, and that he regularly does it by having his people act mercifully.
There have always been some, and I think their number is increasing, who want mercy to mean that anything goes. They think anything and everything should be permissible.
The world really can't work that way. The reason is quite simple. If I have complete freedom, my liberty is likely to come into conflict with yours. We all realize this. If I am free to take your property because I want it, that interferes with your freedom to keep your property. Countless examples could be drawn on that same principle.
The Bible describes our greed, selfishness, and willingness to act with a lack of mercy as sin. The Bible has many examples of people sinning against each other, and also against God. It describes the world as God's creation, and God as knowing exactly how to govern it.
Because of human sin, we all need God's mercy. Otherwise he would have to deal with us in accord with our sin. We wouldn't do well, as we all fall short of God's standard. How does God deal with us?
God the Son, in the person of Jesus, brought us mercy. Theologically we say Jesus voluntarily became sin for us. He interfered with our freedom to sin by ourselves and to receive in ourselves the penalty for that sin. Instead, he claimed your sin and my sin, and he went on to suffer the righteous anger of God. He shows that mercy and invites everyone to receive mercy by faith in him.
Do we need mercy? Yes, because we are not perfect. The good news of this prayer, and of the whole of the Bible, is that God is rich in mercy and calls us all to receive his mercy.
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