The 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time | Sunday 10 July 2022

Today is Sunday the 10th of July, the 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time.

Paul Zach sings, ‘Take my life and let it be’.

Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to thee
Take my moments and my days
Let them flow in ceaseless praise
Let them flow in ceaseless praise
Take my silver and my gold
Not a mite would I withhold
Take my intellect and use
Ev'ry pow'r as thou shalt choose
Every power as thou shalt choose
Take my will and make it thine
It shall be no longer mine
Take my heart, it is thine own
It shall be thy royal throne
It shall bе thy royal throne
Take my love; my Lord, I pour
At thy feet its trеasure-store
Take my self, and I will be
Ever, only, all for thee
Ever, only, all for thee

Today’s reading is from the book of Deuteronomy.
Deut 30:10-14

when you obey the LORD your God by observing his commandments and decrees that are written in this book of the law, because you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

Surely, this commandment that I am commanding you today is not too hard for you, nor is it too far away. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will go up to heaven for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?’ Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will cross to the other side of the sea for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?’ No, the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe.

In many of the passages chosen for prayer over the last week, people have been surprised by how loving and forgiving God is. The Pharisees find this hard to accept. The crowds rejoice when they hear it. For those to whom Hosea speaks, God’s loving mercy acts as a spur to bring them back to God. That same invitation, to turn back to God, lies at the heart of today’s reading. What is your immediate response to hearing it?

Notice that before there is any call to turn back to God, the reading insists that God takes delight in you. Are you able to believe that of yourself? What does it feel like to hear it?
What is it in particular that God delights in, when God looks at you today?

As the passage is read again, notice where you have to go to find this God who loves you.

Speak for a few moments, as the prayer draws to a close, to the God whose word is to be found in your mouth and in your heart.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.