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The Church of England in common with many other churches uses a Calendar of Seasons.
With Christmas/Epiphany and Eastertide as the two main seasons of the church year,
the calendar not only gives a rhythm to our Christian lives but also ensures that each year we are kept
in rememberance of all the aspects of our redemption in Jesus.
The Lectionary which we use on Sundays is based on a 3 year cycle.
During each of the 3 years the Gospel reading is based on 1 of the 3 Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke). The 4th Gospel of John is used during any of the 3 years where John's viewpoint best suits the theme of the Sunday.
We are currently in year C and are reading through Luke's Gospel. This is a longer gospel than Mark's which we read last year but is also a
synoptic gospel contains many of the same stories which we read in Mark. Luke's gospel begins with the Nativity stories and like Matthew's contains
a Genealogy of Jesus. Luke also wrote the Acts of the Apostles as can be seen from the mention of Theophilus in the opening chapters
of each book.
Like the rest of the New Testament, Luke's gospel was written in Koine Greek or 'common Greek'. This was at the time the universal language of the general public of the
then Roman Empire. The wide use of this language and its concise vocabulary is a factor which contributed to the rapid spread of the Good News of Jesus throughout the Roman Empire.
Readings for Trinity Sunday
New Testament: Romans 5:1-5. Gospel: John 16:12-15.
On Trinity Sunday we consider a subject so profound that whole books have been written about it. In Romans 5 St Paul deals with our relationship
to God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Whether we acknowledge it or not, We have a deep longing to know God. Paul tells us that 'since we have
been justified through faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ'. Peace is to be in right relationship with God the Father and has
been made possible through the death and resurrection of Jesus the Son. This represents our relationship towards the Father whom we may now approach
with confidence through the Son. The Father's relationship towards us is in verse 5 'God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit
whom he has given us'. Essentially the relationships between the members of the Holy Trinty enable us to experience the most important relationship
for which God created us in the beginning.
Readings for Trinity 1
New Testament: Galatians 1:11-end. Gospel: Luke 7:11-17.
St Paul in his letter to the Galatians tells how he received the Gospel as a revelation from Jesus. Previously Paul had intensely persecuted
the Church. That is until he met Jesus on the road to Demascus and received his commission to preach Jesus among the Gentiles. Now known
as Paul and not by his Hebrew name Saul, he fulfilled his mission and left us his writings in the form of the letters to wrote to the churches.
Readings for Trinity 2
New Testament: Galatians 2:15-end. Gospel: Luke 7:36-8:3.
St Paul who was born under the Jewish Law knows the good things which God did when He gave the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai. However now that
St Paul knows Jesus he is fully aware that 'a man is not saved by observing the Law, but by faith in Jesus Christ' v16. As Paul writes elseware
the Law is good and holy (Romans 7.12), but here he profundly states 'for if righteousness could be gained through the Law, Christ died for
nothing!' v21.
Readings for Trinity 3
New Testament: Galatians 3:23-end. Gospel: Luke 8:26-39.
This week St Paul tells us that even though observing the Law cannot make us righteous, the Law was intended to lead us to Christ who is
our righteousness. The Law leads us to Christ that we may be justified by faith v24. Through baptism we have clothed ourselves with
Christ and are made one in Christ Jesus. This Gospel which St Paul received by revelation is so good that, whether we were born under the Law
like St Paul or outside of the Law as many of us were, we who belong to Christ are 'Abraham's seed and heirs accoring to the promise'. St Paul's
letters will never cease to stir our hearts once we understand how great is his understanding of what Christ Jesus did when he died and rose
again for all people everywhere.
Readings for Trinity 4
New Testament: Galatians 5:1,13-25. Gospel: Luke 9:51-end.
St Paul knows that the gospel of life in Christ Jesus has set us free and he urges us not to go back to a yoke of slavery. This week he
tells us how we are to use our freedom. It is not to indulge the desires of the flesh/sinful nature but to serve one another in love v13. the key
to living in love is to keep in step with the Holy Spirit who dwells in us and by whom we live.
Readings for Trinity 5
New Testament: Galatians 6:1-16. Gospel: Luke 10:1-11,16-20.
St Paul's letters were concerned with instructing the young church how to live as the church in the freedom of the gospel. There was always the
temptation for some members to go back the Law which they knew. But as we saw above the law was only intended to lead to Christ. Paul sums up where
he stands in verse 14 'May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me and I to
the world'. May this be our boast and result in the life lived in the Spirit which St Paul describes.
Readings for Trinity 6
New Testament: Colossians 1:1-14. Gospel: Luke 10:25-37.
Readings for Trinity 7
New Testament: Colossians 1:15-28. Gospel: Luke 10:38-end.
Readings for previous seasons may still be viewed. Please select the season below:
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