The Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost | Oct 5, 2025 | 10 a.m. | St. Dunstan's |Carmel Valley | CA

The Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost | Oct 5, 2025 | 10 a.m. | St. Dunstan's |Carmel Valley CA This Sunday’s lectionary draws us into the tension between lament and hope, weakness and faithfulness. Synopsis of the Readings Job 39:1–18 reminds us of the mystery of God’s creation—the wildness of animals, the rhythms of life beyond our control, and the humility of recognizing that all creatures belong first to God. Lamentations 1:1–6 paints a picture of Jerusalem’s desolation—once full of life, now emptied and grieving. It is a raw acknowledgment of loss and the consequences of brokenness. Yet in Lamentations 3:19–26, the voice of hope rises: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases… great is your faithfulness.” Even in exile, God’s mercy is new every morning. 2 Timothy 1:1–14 reminds us that faith is a gift to be rekindled. Paul urges courage, love, and self‑discipline, encouraging us to guard the treasure of the gospel entrusted to us. In Luke 17:5–10, the disciples ask for greater faith, and Jesus assures them that even faith as small as a mustard seed is powerful. Yet he also reminds them that discipleship is about humble service—doing what we are called to do without seeking reward. THE COLLECT Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray, and to give more than we either desire or deserve: Pour upon us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask, except through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ our Savior; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.