seventh sunday after EPIphany (Proper 2),
year A

2020 -
2023 - 
2026 - 
2029 - 
2032 - 
2035 - 
2038 - 21 February

Note: For explanations and suggestions on the various resources provided, see the documents 'General notes and resources' and 'Epiphany season and time after' in the 'General and seasonal' folder.

LITURGY

Sentence
See the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Sentence', in the 'General and seasonal' folder for suggestions on using a Sentence.

Be children of your Father in heaven,
for he makes his sun shine on the evil and on the good. 
(Matt 5:45 NRSV)

OR
You shall be holy,
for I the Lord your God am holy.  (Lev 19:2 NRSV)

OR
You are God's temple,
and God's Spirit dwells in you.  (1 Cor 3:16 NRSV alt)

OR, use the standard Epiphany Sentence in the document 'Epiphany season and time after', under 'Sentence', in the 'General and seasonal' folder.

OR, use one of the general Sentences in the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Sentence', in the 'General and seasonal' folder.

PRAYER OF THE DAY (COLLECT)
Traditional
O God, 
since you know that we cannot put our trust 
in anything that we do: 
mercifully defend us by your power 
against all the evil that opposes us; 
through your Son, 
Jesus Christ our Lord, 
who lives and reigns 
with you and the Holy Spirit, 
one God, now and forever. 
Amen.

OR, modernised traditional
Lord God, 
you know that we cannot put our trust 
in anything that we do. 
I mercy defend us by your power 
from all the evil we face. 
We ask this through your Son, 
Jesus Christ our Lord, 
who lives and reigns 
with you and the Holy Spirit, 
one God, now and forever. 
Amen.

OR, alternative
(Let us pray for love, to fulfil God's law. [silence])
Almighty and merciful God, 
you have taught us through your Son 
that to love is to fulfil the law. 
Help us to love you with our whole heart, 
and our neighbours as ourselves. 
We ask this through your Son, 
Jesus Christ our Lord, 
who lives and reigns 
with you and the Holy Spirit, 
one God, now and forever. 
Amen.

OR, new 
(Let us pray that we love our enemies. [silence])
Loving heavenly Father, 
thank you that your Son loved us 
even when we were enemies, 
and that he prayed for those who killed him. 
Teach us to be merciful like you, 
and do good to all people, 
even to those who do us harm. 
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord, 
who lives and reigns 
with you and the Holy Spirit, 
one God, now and forever. 
Amen.

FIRST READING
Leviticus 19:1,2,9-18 Be holy - the Lord is God

PSALM
Psalm 119:33-40
Antiphon: 
I delight in the path of your commandments.  (Ps 119:35 NRSV alt)

SECOND READING
1 Corinthians 3:10,11,16-23 Built on Christ alone - God's wisdom

ALLELUIA VERSES (1 John 2:5 comp)
Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever keeps the word of Christ,
in this person the love of God is made complete.
Alleluia.

GOSPEL
Matthew 5:38-48 Loving your enemies
(Begin: 'Jesus said:')

Prayer after the gospel
This is the gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
Lord Jesus, thank you for loving even your enemies.
Make us perfect like you,
and give us your love for all people.
Amen.

Offering prayer
Holy God,
we thank you for making us your temple
and giving us your Holy Spirit.
Teach us to love all people,
even our enemies,
and to give ourselves in loving service.
Amen.

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
Call to prayer
Our Lord Jesus constantly prayed to his heavenly Father, even for his enemies. Let us pray to the Father for all people.

The regular response, OR:
Listen to our prayer, O Lord,
and have mercy on all.

Suggested intercessions
*	for the church, that it may be a sign of forgiveness in the world
*	that Christians may not seek retaliation, but love their enemies
*	for peace and reconciliation between nations and among groups within our own country
*	for those divided by enmity and hatred, that by love and forgiveness broken relationships might be restored
*	for families that are divided or alienated from one another

Concluding prayer
Heavenly Father, teach us to love and to forgive as we have been forgiven. Make us perfect, as you are perfect. Hear our prayers through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. 
Amen.

PREFACE
For these non-festival Sundays after Epiphany, either no seasonal preface is used, as in the Service with Communion (LHS p6), or the following Epiphany preface may be used.

It is indeed right and good, 
Lord God, holy Father, 
that we should at all times and in all places 
give thanks to you, 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Who, sharing our life,
lived among us to reveal your glory and love, 
that our darkness should give way to his own brilliant light. 
And so, with angels and archangels, 
and with all the company of heaven, 
we adore and praise your glorious name:

COMMUNION INVITATION
The following Epiphany invitation or one of the two general invitations below may be used.

Epiphany
Jesus says:
'The bread that God gives
is he who comes down from heaven
and gives life to the world.'
(Thanks be to God.)
Come, everything is ready.

General
1  Jesus says:
'I am the bread of life.
Whoever comes to me will never be hungry,
and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.'
(Thanks be to God.)
Come, everything is ready.

2  Jesus says:
'My flesh is true food and my blood is true drink.
Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood
remain in me, and I in them.'
(Thanks be to God.)
Come, everything is ready.

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
If it has not been used already, the third prayer under 'Prayer of the day' above may be modified as follows and used as a post-communion prayer.

Almighty and merciful God,
you have taught us through your Son,
that to love is to fulfil the law.
As we have received his love in this sacrament,
help us to love you with our whole heart,
and our neighbours as ourselves.
We ask this through your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns 
with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Dismissal
Go in peace, and live as God's holy people.
Thanks be to God.  OR  In the name of Christ. Amen.

HYMNS AND SONGS

FOR THE READINGS
Please note:	* =	Modernised version available
	G3, G4 . . . =	Guitar chords available in the Music Package 3, 4 . . . 
	GS =	Guitar chords in the Supplement to LH

First reading: Leviticus 19:1,2,9-18
LHS
345	O that the Lord would guide my ways* G6
355	May we Thy precepts, Lord, fulfil* G3
357	O God, Thou faithful God* G3
381	O God our Father, throned on high (alt tune 391, G9)
853	A new commandment GS
AT
65	A new commandment
177	Love one another
TIS
587	Fold to your heart your sister and your brother
614	O God of love, whose heart is ever yearning
630	The law of Christ alone can make us free
657	God of freedom, God of justice
699	A new commandment

Second reading: 1 Corinthians 3:10,11,16-23
LHS
130	O enter, Lord, Thy temple* G4
179	Christ alone is our salvation* G3
188	Built on a rock the Church doth stand* G4
248	Christ is made the sure foundation G6
249	Christ is our cornerstone (alt tune 182, G8)
253	In the name which earth and heaven (esp vv 1,2) G3
507	Open now thy gates of beauty* G3
AT
313	Christ, be our light
404	Let nothing trouble you
TIS
432	Christ is made the sure foundation
433	Christ is our cornerstone
461	God, your glory we have seen in your Son (v 5)

Gospel: Matthew 5:38-48
LHS
355	May we Thy precepts, Lord, fulfil* G3
356	Lord of glory, who hast bought us* G3
357	O God, Thou faithful God* G3
380	O God of mercy, God of might G9
AT
177	Love one another
301	Prayer of peace
499	It was me
TIS
648	Help us accept each other
677	Christ's is the world in which we move
681	Lord, let me see, see more and more
697	All the sleepy should have a place to sleep

PSALM:119:33-40
For musical settings of Psalm 119:33-40, see Music Packages 6 and 10.

NOTES ON THE READINGS

See the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Notes on the readings', in the 'General and seasonal' folder.

LEVITICUS 19:1,2,9-18: The words of introduction impress on the hearers that the following instructions are to be observed as though they are to aspire to holiness like the perfection of the Lord. These requirements set forth practical ways in which different commandments of the law will work out in love for one's neighbour. Note the authority that stands behind each of these examples of precise detailed attention to be given to the working of the law in love, namely, 'I am the Lord'.

1 CORINTHIANS 3:10,11,16-23: Beset by false teachers who supplanted the gospel with their own self-styled 'knowledge', the Corinthians also split into different groups following and acclaiming one favoured preacher/teacher whom they pitted against the others. Paul reminds them that all their ministers had simply served God's purpose to build the members into a spiritual body that he compares to a building, ie a temple. He himself had laid the only foundation which can be laid, namely by preaching Christ and his gospel alone. Their subsequent ministers built further on that foundation. Therefore no one should destroy that temple either by false teaching or by division. Everyone and everything they had received for their salvation was their possession through Christ from God.

MATTHEW 5:38-48: Jesus here calls on his followers to be imitators of God in their response to evil, rather than modelling their perfection on popularly accepted human models. God made salvation freely available to the very worst of sinners at his own expense in the person of his Son. The Christian's response to evil in all the examples of this section is not to respond to evil by returning it in kind, but rather to bear it. Christian love also follows the Lord's own example of prayer for those who were crucifying him. Love is always extended regardless of accepted human friendship patterns.

VISUAL

VISUALS FOR THE READINGS
Pictures or visual symbols could be displayed on banners or the overhead screen during the readings. For instance, the second reading could be illustrated by a symbol of Christ the cornerstone (a block with the chi rho or IHS or JESUS inscribed on it).

DRAMA

'MEGA DRAMA'
See a drama for the day in Mega Drama resources (Openbook Publishers), originally included in these worship resources when they were released on disks.

dramatising the READINGS
The readings can be read by more than one person to make the dramatic meaning of the text clearer.

CHILDREN

'COME AND SEE JESUS'
The Come and See Jesus curriculum published by Openbook Publishers has a wealth of material and ideas that may be adapted for use in worship. Please note that a new edition of this material is now available for the Revised Common Lectionary.