Sunday 5th July 2026
- Jul 3
- 4 min read
ORDINARY 14A
5th July 2026
A short act of worship and daily devotions
Opening Prayers
Look at your feet.
Notice the scraps and marks on your shoes or slippers, or if your feet are bare notice the lines and wrinkles. Wriggle your toes and notice how that feels.
Look at the ground your feet are on. Is it a carpet? Or wood? Laminate or something else?
When you are ready, offer this time of worship to God
“Creator God, thank you that my feet are on holy ground. As I sit here I choose to offer the time to you. I long to meet with you on this holy, ordinary ground. Amen”
You may now wish to say the Lord’s Prayer in a version or translation with which you are familiar
Reading: Matthew 11: 16-19, 25-30 – Click for reading
Responding to the reading
Matthew 11 contains two very different moods. In the first part of the passage, Jesus sounds frustrated. People criticise John the Baptist for being too severe and Jesus for being too joyful, too open, too willing to share meals with ordinary and questionable people. Whatever God does, some people refuse to respond.
And perhaps that still feels familiar.
There are always voices telling us that faith should look a certain way: more serious, more certain, more respectable, more rigid. Some dismiss joy as shallow. Others dismiss questioning as weakness. Some want a faith built on fear and control; others reject faith altogether because of how it has been misused or miscommunicated.
Into all of this, Jesus speaks with honesty. He refuses to perform according to other people’s expectations. He remains rooted in compassion, wisdom, and openness, even when misunderstood.
Then the tone changes completely.
Jesus turns from frustration to invitation:
“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”
These may be among the most tender words in the Gospels.
Notice who Jesus addresses: the weary, the burdened, those carrying too much. He does not call first to the successful, the spiritually confident, or the morally perfect. He calls to ordinary people who are tired.
That matters, because many people carry heavy burdens in life and in faith. Some carry anxiety, grief, or loneliness. Some carry impossible expectations. Some carry wounds caused by religion itself: shame, exclusion, fear, or the feeling that they were never quite enough.
Jesus offers something different:
“My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
This is another verse that is often misunderstood: it is important to remember that a yoke was something placed on shoulders for work. Jesus is not suggesting that discipleship is effortless or passive. But he is contrasting his way with systems that crush people under guilt, legalism, or endless striving: the work will not destroy you.
This passage offers both challenge and comfort. It challenges us to ask whether our faith is becoming life-giving or life-draining. Are we helping people breathe more freely, love more deeply, and live more compassionately? Or are we adding burdens, to ourselves and/or others?
At the same time, Jesus in this passage comforts us with the reminder that grace is not something we earn through exhaustion. God’s love is not reserved for those who have everything together, or who do the hardest work. Discipleship is not about carrying the heaviest load possible to prove our worth. It is about learning the unforced rhythms of grace.
So today, you might like to reflect on this:
What burdens are you carrying that you were never meant to carry alone?
Where do you need rest, gentleness, or healing?
How might you help make faith lighter, kinder, and more spacious for someone else?
Jesus does not invite us into fear. He invites us into freedom. Into rest. Into a way of living shaped not by endless pressure, but by grace.
May you find courage to lay down what weighs you down, wisdom to follow the gentle way of Christ, and rest for your soul in the embrace of God’s love.
Hymn / Song 471 STF – Lord, I come to you – YouTube
Blessing
Rise from this space, Go from this time, And enter into a world crying out for grace, for peace, for love. May the Spirit be at work in your lives, today and always, Amen. ____________________________________________________________________
Prayers and Prayer Pointers For This Week
Monday 6th July
God of all wisdom, guide me in the choices I make this week.
Help me to choose love over fear, patience over irritation, and generosity over self protection. Walk with me today. Amen.
Tuesday 7th July
Today, pray for those living with illness, pain, or long-term health conditions.
Pray for treatment, support, understanding, and hope.
Christ who healed with compassion, be close to all who suffer. Amen.
Wednesday 8th July
Think about the people you will meet or speak to today.
Before each conversation, silently pray: “May I meet Christ in you.”
God of every person, help me to see others with love. Amen.
Thursday 9th July
God of truth, help me to be honest today.
Honest about my needs, my limits, my hopes, and my mistakes.
Let truth lead me not into shame, but into freedom. Amen.
Friday 10th July
Today, pray for people affected by violence in homes, communities, and nations.
Pray for safety, justice, healing, and courage for those seeking help.
God of refuge, protect the vulnerable and strengthen those who work for peace. Amen.
Saturday 11th July
Take time today to rest, even briefly.
Rest is not wasted time; it is part of being human.
God of Sabbath, teach me to receive rest as a gift. Amen.