Today is the Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity. In the reading from Luke’s Gospel, as Jesus continues to draw closer to Jerusalem, he is teaching his followers about the last days and hope for the future. This teaching includes two parables about prayer that appear only in Luke’s Gospel. The first parable about the widow and the unjust judge affirms that God listens to the people of God who pray day and night. We should not lose heart simply because there seems to be no immediate signs of answer to prayer. In this sense Christians are exhorted to go on praying and trusting for God’s will to be done.

For those of you who wanted to do some thinking and preparation for today’s service during the preceding week, I invited reflection on the image of Autumn. In today’s picture from her book, Autumn, Betsy Bear knows that, while in Autumn things appear to be dying, there are already signs of new life ready and waiting for the Spring.

Lord Jesus Christ,

your promises can be truly trusted.

Open our eyes to the promises

of your reign all around us,

that we may place

our full trust and confidence in you;

now and always.

Amen.

Next week, the Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity, the reading from Luke’s Gospel presents the second parable about prayer. The image to help us prepare for next week’s theme is conversation. You can find out more about that theme by looking at the Educational Resources and the Preparation Resources.

Preparation Resources

Family Resources