Sunday 31 August 2025 – The Eleventh Sunday after Trinity

Collect
God, who in generous mercy sent the Holy Spirit
upon your Church in the burning fire of your love:
grant that your people may be fervent
in the fellowship of the gospel
that, always abiding in you,
they may be found steadfast in faith and active in service;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen

Amos 6.1a, 4-7
Thus, says the Lord, the God of hosts: alas for those who are ease in Zion,
and for those who feel secure on Mount Samaria!
Alas for those who lie on beds of ivory, and lounge on their couches, and eat lambs from the flock,
and calves from the stall;
who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp, and like David improvise on instruments of music;
who drink wine from bowls, and anoint themselves with the finest oils,
but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph!
Therefore, they shall now be the first to go into exile, and the revelry of the loungers shall pass away.

1 Timothy 6. 6-19
There is great gain in godliness combined with contentment;
for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it;
but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.
But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless
and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have
wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.
But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love,
endurance, gentleness.

Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called
and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
In the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony
before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you
to keep the commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
which he will bring about at the right time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign,
the King of kings and Lord of lords.
It is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light,
whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honour and eternal dominion. Amen.

As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty,
or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God
who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.
They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share,
thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future,
so that they may take hold of the life that really is life.

Luke 16. 19-31
Jesus told this parable to those among the Pharisees who loved money;

“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day.
And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,
who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table;
even the dogs would come and lick his sores.
The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham.
The rich man also died and was buried.
In Hades, where he was being tormented,
he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side.
He called out, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me,
and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue;
for I am in agony in these flames.’

But Abraham said, “Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things,
and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony.
Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed,
so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so,
and no one can cross from there to us.’

He said, “Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father’s house—
for I have five brothers—that he may warn them,
so that they will not also come into this place of torment.’
Abraham replied, “They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.’
He said, “No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’
He said to him, “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets,
neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ “