July 31, 2011 is the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost.
These collects are very different in tone. Since the readings are the same, I’ll end each passage with the Free Church book. For Revised Common Lectionary users, the Romans lesson is used in the Easter vigil all years and for Proper 6, year A; the Matthew lesson is used on Epiphany 6, year A.
Free Church Book of Common Prayer (1929)
Collect:
O God, who has prepared for them that love thee such good things as pass man’s understanding; pour into our hearts such love towards thee, that we, loving thee above all things, may obtain thy promises, which exceed all that we can desired; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
- Epistle: Rom. vi. 3-11
- Gospel: Matt. v, 20-26.
A book of prayer for the church and the home (Universalist, 1866)
Collect:
O God, whose promises exceed all that we could desire or understand; grant us, we beseech thee, the greatest of all blessings, thy love shed abroad in our hearts; thy we may render to thee a ready and joyful obediance as true disciples of thy Son Jesus Christ. Amen.
- Gospel, St. Matt. v. 20.
- Epistle, Rom. vi. 3.
The lection from Romans strikes me as being more appropriate for the Easter season. And I think some of the words are actually used in the Pascha Nostrum, which is recited as an invitatory during the Easter season.
I think Matthew 5: 20 – 24 offers a succinct lection with some profound implications for people to ponder regarding reconcilliation. Part of the trickiness is to avoid an insipid, liberal, “all you need is love” exploration of the passage. The more conservative interpretations that focus on inherent human sinfullness also seem shallow to me. To me, there is some sense that the things worth doing can be difficult to do, and might take a long time. And so the preacher has a responsibility to explore the power of reconcilliation, and to be realistic with the congregation about the quantity of devoted work that may be required from those practice the Way of Christ.