Weekly Readings and Prayers
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Sunday 3rd August 2025 Seventh Sunday after Trinity
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Collect
Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things: graft in our hearts the love of your name, increase in us true religion, nourish us with all goodness, and of your great mercy keep us in the same; 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.
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First Reading Ecclesiastes 1.2, 12–14, 2, 18–23
Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. I, the Teacher, when king over Israel in Jerusalem, applied my mind to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven; it is an unhappy business that God has given to human beings to be busy with. I saw all the deeds that are done under the sun; and see, all is vanity and a chasing after wind. Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. For in much wisdom is much vexation, and those who increase knowledge increase sorrow.
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Psalm 49 vv 1–12
1 Hear this, all you peoples; : listen, all you that dwell in the world,
2 You of low or high degree, : both rich and poor together.
3 My mouth shall speak of wisdom : and my heart shall meditate on understanding.
4 I will incline my ear to a parable; : I will unfold my riddle with the lyre.
5 Why should I fear in evil days, : when the malice of my foes surrounds me,
6 Such as trust in their goods : and glory in the abundance of their riches?
7 For no one can indeed ransom another : or pay to God the price of deliverance.
8 To ransom a soul is too costly; : there is no price one could pay for it,
9 So that they might live for ever, : and never see the grave.
10 For we see that the wise die also; with the foolish and ignorant they perish : and leave their riches to others.
11 Their tomb is their home for ever, their dwelling through all generations, : though they call their lands after their own names.
12 Those who have honour, but lack understanding, : are like the beasts that perish.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son : and to the Holy Spirit;
As it was in the beginning is now : and shall be for ever. Amen.
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Second Reading Colossians 3.1-11
So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). On account of these the wrath of God is coming on those who are disobedient. These are the ways you also once followed, when you were living that life. But now you must get rid of all such things—anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator. In that renewal there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all!
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Gospel Luke 12. 13–21
Someone in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.’ But he said to him, ‘Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?’ And he said to them, ‘Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.’ Then he told them a parable: ‘The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, “What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?” Then he said, “I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich towards God.’
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Post Communion Prayer
Lord God, whose Son is the true vine and the source of life, ever giving himself that the world may live: may we so receive within ourselves the power of his death and passion that, in his saving cup, we may share his glory and be made perfect in his love; for he is alive and reigns, now and for ever. Amen.
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Prayers for the week
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This week we pray for those who live in Tite Hill, Torin Court, Vegal Crescent
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"Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother." Mark 3.35
Sunday 3rd August
Lord, teach me to find space in the noise and turmoil of my daily life to discover moments of tranquillity and to make an oasis of stillness within me, as I allow Christ to always be all things and in all places to me.
Monday 4th August
Almighty God, ruler over heaven and earth, Lord of space and time, creator of all that is and was and shall be, Alpha and Omega, I worship you.
Tuesday 5th August
Gracious God, always helping, always caring, always renewing, always blessing, I thank you.
Wednesday 6th August
Father, I thank you for all those who give to support the work of the Church; bless our giving, guide our spending, and help us to value the true wealth of your abundant love.
Thursday 7th August
I pray for those who are burdened with financial worries, and all who struggle to make ends meet; for the emotionally and spiritually bankrupt, and those who do not yet know God's love for them.
Friday 8th August
I bring before you all parents with young children, thanking you for them and asking you to bless and guide their parenting; I pray for families in debt; for those whose homes have been repossessed, and those whose financial security makes them forgetful of your love.
Saturday 9th August
For our church family in Englefield Green, and for our brothers and sisters in Christ of all denominations, here and in Egham and Windsor, I pray that we may receive what we most need: faith, love, strength, and wisdom.​​​​
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Heavenly Father, please accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.
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At all our services we pray for those who are sick, in need and for the bereaved by name. Please do let us know if you would like specific prayer for anyone, and they will be included on our prayer list.