Third Sunday after Trinity

Readings

A reading from the prophecy of Ezekiel

Thus says the Lord God: I myself will take a sprig    from the lofty top of a cedar;    I will set it out. I will break off a tender one    from the topmost of its young twigs; I myself will plant it    on a high and lofty mountain. On the mountain height of Israel    I will plant it, in order that it may produce boughs and bear fruit,    and become a noble cedar. Under it every kind of bird will live;    in the shade of its branches will nest    winged creatures of every kind. All the trees of the field shall know    that I am the Lord. I bring low the high tree,    I make high the low tree; I dry up the green tree    and make the dry tree flourish. I the Lord have spoken;    I will accomplish it.

Ezekiel 17.22–24

A reading from the Letter of Paul to the Corinthians

So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord— for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For all of us must appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil.

Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade others; but we ourselves are well known to God, and I hope that we are also well known to your consciences. We are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you an opportunity to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast in outward appearance and not in the heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them.

From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!

2 Corinthians 5.6–10 [11–13] 14–17

A reading from the Gospel of Mark

He also said, ‘The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.’

He also said, ‘With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.’

With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.

Mark 4.26–34

Hymns

467 New Every Morning is the Love

649 The King of Love My Shepherd is

221 God is working His Purpose out

70 Be Thou My Vision

411 Lord Jesus Christ

Anthem: Teach Me O Lord