18 June 2023

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Bible readings for today

• Genesis 18:1-15 (21:1-7)
• Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19
• Romans 5:1-8
• Matthew 9:35-10:8 (9-23)

Liturgical Colour: GREEN

Today we also mark Disabilities Awareness Sunday in the church calendar. 

Collect

Almighty God, 
by your grace alone 
we are accepted and called to your service; 
strengthen us by your Holy Spirit and empower our calling; 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Amen. 

E te Atua kaha rawa,
mā tōu aroha noa anake e whakaae i a mātou hei kaimahi māu;
mā tōu Wairua Tapu hoki mātou e whakakaha,
e whakamana i tāu i karanga i a mātou.
Ko Īhu Karaiti tō mātou Ariki. 
Āmine. ​

Jesus sends out the 12 (Matthew 10:1-8)

Jesus sent his twelve harvest hands out with this charge: “Don’t begin by traveling to some far-off place to convert unbelievers. And don’t try to be dramatic by tackling some public enemy. Go to the lost, confused people right here in the neighborhood. Tell them that the kingdom is here. Bring health to the sick. Raise the dead. Touch the untouchables. Kick out the demons. You have been treated generously, so live generously.

Discussion Questions

• Who are the lost, confused people that Jesus is sending out the disciples to? 
• To be lost is to be disorientated, having lost your bearings or sense of direction, and you've lost sight of where you're heading. Who are the lost people in our community? 
• How can we help people be less lost and confused? 
• Jesus surprised the religious leaders by talking and spending time with the most unlikely people in the community. Why was that confronting for them? 
• How can we live generous lives? 

Media

These videos are on the topic of the disciples of Jesus, which help provide context for this passage from the Gospel of Matthew

Sarah laughs (Genesis 18:1-15)

Media

Disabilities Awareness Sunday

Resources

Sunday resources (Elevate Christian Disability Trust)
Anglican Taonga article (Anglican Taonga) 
Avoiding Abelist Language (Augsburg.edu)
A simple reflection tool (Erik Carter) - a resource for schools, but you could replace the word 'student' with 'children' and reflect on how you are creating a space for all children to belong in your churches. 

Reading

My Body is Not a Prayer Request
​Amy Kenny
"Much of the church has forgotten that we worship a disabled God whose wounds survived resurrection, says Amy Kenny. It is time for the church to start treating disabled people as full members of the body of Christ who have much more to offer than a miraculous cure narrative and to learn from their embodied experiences.

Written by a disabled Christian, this book shows that the church is missing out on the prophetic witness and blessing of disability. Kenny reflects on her experiences inside the church to expose unintentional ableism and cast a new vision for Christian communities to engage disability justice. She shows that until we cultivate church spaces where people with disabilities can fully belong, flourish, and lead, we are not valuing the diverse members of the body of Christ.

Here is an Facebook Live interview with Amy Kelly
Soujourners Article (Amy Kenny)