Collect, Readings and Prayers for the Last Sunday after Trinity and Bible Sunday.

Collect

Blessed Lord,

who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:

help us so to hear them,

to read, mark, learn and inwardly digest them

that, through patience, and the comfort of your holy word,

we may embrace and for ever hold fast

the hope of everlasting life,

which you have given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ,

who is alive and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

Readings for the last Sunday after Trinity

Moses Dies and Is Buried in the Land of Moab

34 Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho, and the Lord showed him the whole land: Gilead as far as Dan, ² all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea, ³ the Negeb, and the Plain—that is, the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees—as far as Zoar. ⁴ The Lord said to him, ‘This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, “I will give it to your descendants”; I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there.’ ⁵ Then Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of Moab, at the Lord’s command. ⁶ He was buried in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor, but no one knows his burial place to this day. ⁷ Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died; his sight was unimpaired and his vigour had not abated. ⁸ The Israelites wept for Moses in the plains of Moab for thirty days; then the period of mourning for Moses was ended.

⁹ Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, because Moses had laid his hands on him; and the Israelites obeyed him, doing as the Lord had commanded Moses.

¹⁰ Never since has there arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face. ¹¹ He was unequalled for all the signs and wonders that the Lord sent him to perform in the land of Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants and his entire land, ¹² and for all the mighty deeds and all the terrifying displays of power that Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.

OR

Leviticus 19:1-2, 15-18

Ritual and Moral Holiness

19 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

² Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.

¹⁵ You shall not render an unjust judgement; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great: with justice you shall judge your neighbour. ¹⁶ You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not profit by the blood of your neighbour: I am the Lord.

¹⁷ You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall reprove your neighbour, or you will incur guilt yourself. ¹⁸ You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbour as yourself: I am the Lord.

1 Thessalonian 2:1-8

Paul’s Ministry in Thessalonica

2 You yourselves know, brothers and sisters,  that our coming to you was not in vain, ² but though we had already suffered and been shamefully maltreated at Philippi, as you know, we had courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in spite of great opposition. ³ For our appeal does not spring from deceit or impure motives or trickery, ⁴ but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the message of the gospel, even so we speak, not to please mortals, but to please God who tests our hearts. ⁵ As you know and as God is our witness, we never came with words of flattery or with a pretext for greed; ⁶ nor did we seek praise from mortals, whether from you or from others, ⁷ though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children. ⁸ So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us.

Matthew 22:34-46

The Greatest Commandment

³⁴ When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, ³⁵ and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. ³⁶ ‘Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?’ ³⁷ He said to him, ‘“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” ³⁸ This is the greatest and first commandment. ³⁹ And a second is like it: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” ⁴⁰ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’

The Question about David’s Son

⁴¹ Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them this question: ⁴² ‘What do you think of the Messiah?  Whose son is he?’ They said to him, ‘The son of David.’ ⁴³ He said to them, ‘How is it then that David by the Spirit calls him Lord, saying,

⁴⁴ “The Lord said to my Lord,
‘Sit at my right hand,
    until I put your enemies under your feet’”?

⁴⁵ If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?’ ⁴⁶ No one was able to give him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.

Readings for Bible Sunday

Nehemiah 8:1-6, 8-12

¹ All the people gathered together into the square before the Water Gate. They told the scribe Ezra to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had given to Israel. ² Accordingly, the priest Ezra brought the law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could hear with understanding. This was on the first day of the seventh month. ³ He read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law. ⁴ The scribe Ezra stood on a wooden platform that had been made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand; and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hash-baddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left hand. ⁵ And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. ⁶ Then Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, ‘Amen, Amen’, lifting up their hands. Then they bowed their heads and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

⁸ So they read from the book, from the law of God, with interpretation. They gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.

⁹ And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, ‘This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.’ For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. ¹⁰ Then he said to them, ‘Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions of them to those for whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy to our Lord; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ ¹¹ So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, ‘Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved.’ ¹² And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them.

Colossians 3:12-17

¹² As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. ¹³ Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. ¹⁴ Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵ And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Matthew 24:30-35

30  Jesus said to his disciples: “The sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see “the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven” with power and great glory. ³¹ And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

³² ‘From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. ³³ So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. ³⁴ Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. ³⁵ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away”.

Prayers

• Loving God, we hold the needs of our sisters and brothers as dearly as our own needs. Help us to love you with all our hearts and with all our souls and with all our minds and to love our neighbours as ourselves. With these commandments before us we offer our thanksgivings and our petitions on behalf of the churches here in the Woodfield Team and throughout the world.

• Holy God, thank you for always hearing our prayers. We trust that you love us and are working all things together for good for those of us who love you. Guide each one of us in our prayers Lord through the power of the Holy Spirit. Help us to pray often so that we may make a lasting difference in other people’s lives through our intercession for them. Amen.

• Faithful God, thank you for the gift of your word. May it be a lantern to our feet, a light to our paths, and a strength to our lives. Thank you that you have spoken, and that you still speak today. Give us a hunger for Scripture. Help us to understand it with our heads, receive it in our hearts and live it with our hands. Where we are discouraged, bring hope. Where we are uncertain, give wisdom. Where we need to change, give us courage to respond. We pray for Bible Society and for everyone working to make the Bible available and understood. May many more people in this nation and across the world encounter Jesus through the life-giving message of Scripture. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

• Creator God, we thank you that Scripture shows us that you care for the entire world and all its people. We pray for peace in the world bringing before you the troubles and dangers of people and nations, particularly Ukraine and in the Middle East. Shower your blessings on communities seeking to rebuild their lives in peace and hope; guide and protect refugees fleeing from war and persecution in their homelands and direct all rulers, governments and leaders of people to strive for justice, peace and fair shares of the rich bounty of their lands. Amen

• A Prayer for United Nations Day 24^th October

Dear God, we pray that you imbue the world leaders at the United Nations with patience and guidance as they seek peaceful resolutions to today’s challenges.  We often think in ways that divide us, emphasizing our differences.  Remind us all that we are a part of a world community, one family that regardless of nationality, culture, language, or gender, we are all touched by your grace.  And Lord, grant us the courage to transform our local communities, caring for the poor and standing up for the oppressed, so they may be peaceful, loving examples of your compassion.  May the world that we shape be a reflection of your kingdom. Amen

• A Prayer for Red Ribbon Week October 23-31, 2026, an annual campaign dedicated to promoting drug prevention and awareness.

Creator of Life and Source of All Strength,

We thank you for the gift of our youth, for their bright potential, and for the unique purpose you have placed in each of their hearts.

As Red Ribbon Week is observed with the theme, “Make a Difference. Be a Hero. Stay Drug Free,” we ask for your grace and protection over our children, students, families, and communities.

Grant them wisdom to see past confusion and peer pressure, and to choose paths that honour their bodies, minds, and spirits.

Grant them courage to stand tall for what is right, to speak up when a friend is hurting, and to be everyday heroes through quiet acts of kindness and strength.

Grant us compassion to support those walking through struggle, addiction, or pain, wrapping them in understanding and hope.

Guide our schools, homes, and leaders to plant roots of resilience so that every young person may grow up safe, healthy, and free. Amen

• Recalling the recent anniversary  of the Aberfan disaster we pray:             God of grace and compassion, we pray for the people and community of Aberfan. The world watched 60 years ago as the tip slide engulfed Pantglas School and took away so many hopes for the future.

In time, news coverage and the world focus slipped away as the community was left to rebuild and recover hope. Since then, the village has lived with pain, loss and anger: mourning those who died and supporting survivors and bereaved families.

We thank you for faithful leaders who ministered in your name to the families; for consistent pastoral care in the pain and the aftermath and for encouragement to rebuild their lives.

Today, as we remember the 116 children and 28 adults who died – and the lives impacted by that – we commend Aberfan to the God who knows our darkest moments and meets us in our brokenness.

We know that the promise of our faith is a day when all pain, sickness and tears will be wiped away. Give us faith to live in that promise, now and always. Amen. 

• A prayer for All Hallows Eve

God, we thank you for life. We thank you for those who have lived with us and now because of your goodness live in a new way in a new place. This is a season of grief and remembrance and sadness. But because of the victory of Jesus over death, it is not a season for fear or despair. We have hope, because of Jesus’ resurrection that we too will live forever. That fact of faith allows us to rest here and now and enjoy our moments with you here while we have them here. After all, we have forever to enjoy the rest! Remove fear of death in our lives and lead us to trust you for every moment. Thank you God for a Holy All Hallows Eve. Amen

• Dear God, this Halloween, many people will be living in fear. Whether they are afraid of taking their children trick or treating or of receiving unwanted visits, of the costumes and masks, of the dark elements of Halloween, or of the physical darkness at night, Halloween can highlight many of our fears. Be with everyone who is afraid this Halloween. Bring them comfort, peace and joy. Remind them that you are victorious, that you have already defeated evil. Amen.

• Gracious God we pray for the sick, the lonely and the hurting in our community and for those who care for them. Help them to draw strength from the love of our Lord Jesus shown through the words of scripture. As we think of the power of your Word to set captives free, we pray too for those who are chained by situations beyond their control or by sickness of body, mind or spirit. Lord, you are our Shepherd. May we lack nothing. Lead us all into green pastures and beside still waters. That there, all who are ill or distressed in any way may find their rest as you enfold us all in your fatherly care. Amen

• A prayer that God be our centre

In sorrow and in joy you meet us.
In despair and in hope,
feeling ignored or fully known.
Help each of us to do the same:
to weep with those who mourn,
to be alongside the wounded,
to reach out to all,
to listen and not be quick to move away.
In this moment – whoever, wherever, however we are –
be our centre, grounding us,
opening our hearts to your grace and bidding. Amen.

• The prayer set for Bible Sunday by United Society Partners in the Gospel.

God of yesterday, today and forever, Thank you, that in you we may affirm our heritage and forge new paths. Pour you blessing upon your church as we commemorate the past, seek your will in the present and lay our plans for the future before you. Amen