Category: Devotions for the Church Year

She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. Luke 2:7 (NIV)

I’ve been studying the finer details of the Christmas story and have run across some fascinating information from work done by Ken Bailey. Mr. Bailey was an acclaimed author and lecturer in Middle Eastern New Testament studies who spent 40 years living and teaching in seminaries and institutes in Egypt, Lebanon, Jerusalem, and Cypress.

The insights I learned about the layout of the houses in the era when Jesus was born is new to me, but it makes so much sense in helping me understand why the Christmas story happened the way it did that I thought I would share it with you.

The key is in the use of the words “guest room” in the NIV translation. Other translations use the word “inn” to tell us where Mary and Joseph hoped to spend their first night in Bethlehem. According to Ken Bailey, a Jewish family was quite hospitable, and Joseph likely had relatives living in Bethlehem. These relatives would have been more than willing to offer Joseph and his young wife a place to stay, but with the town congested with other travelers also needing to register for the census, their guest room was already taken by the time Joseph arrived.

The family offers him a place to stay anyway, giving him and Mary space to lie down in the living room. This fact is significant because of the house’s floor plan. The living room would have been in the center of the house with steps down to an area designated for use as a stable. The family’s living room and stable were one large space with the floor of the living room raised to the perfect height for the feeding of the livestock. Indentations in the living room floor served as mangers for the animals while they stayed in the stable under one roof with the family overnight, safe and secure. In the morning, the door to the stable would be opened, and the livestock were released to graze throughout the day while the stable was cleaned out.

According to this explanation, Mary probably gave birth in the living room, and her baby was then wrapped in cloth and laid in one of the mangers to keep him safe from getting stepped on or from rolling off the living room floor into the stable.

This explanation of the setting of Jesus’ birth challenges the notions of a grumpy innkeeper, and of the remote barn or cave as Mary and Joseph’s final destination. We may either accept it or reject it, but it makes a good point about God’s desires on the night Jesus appeared as a baby.

The Lord was born at home in the commotion of family life. God had orchestrated for him to arrive in a crowded place of transient folks coming and going, their temporary need for housing adding to the disorder of the household as well as that of the entire town.

It is here that Jesus comes, quietly, unobtrusively. He slips into places that already appear overcrowded and agitated, but these places are actually where we should start our search for him.

The Lord was born in a home that was common. Everyone lived in homes like this one with no evidence of social class, and no extravagance or individual displays of success. Just ordinary. Anyone could have lived or lodged there. Anyone’s baby could have been born there.

This is just the way God wanted it. His world is full of normal, everyday people. We live in ordinary houses and deal with the same relational and financial issues as everyone else. No one is less deserving or more sinful than the next person. God sent his Son into an ordinary home to show that Jesus came for the type of people who would live in such a home. He came to save the common, the unknown, the struggling, and the average.

The commonplace is another of the Lord’s favorite destinations. For those who wonder if they will ever get ahead, or who live a life lacking distinction, Jesus is near. The moment of his birth marked the beginning of his message. He came for the humble, the meek, the ones who mourn, the ones who long for something better. He is their Lord. He is our Lord.

If you find yourself today in a tight place overflowing with unrest or agitation, the message of Christmas is for you.

If you often feel ordinary, overlooked, struggling to make it, and like you blend in with the background to the point of hardly being noticeable, the message of Christmas is for you.

Salvation has come. Jesus is here, and he has come to seek and to save the lost.

Jesus’ own mother identified with the common and ordinary person. When she visited Elizabeth during her pregnancy, she sang a song of praise to the Lord for his notice of her, his favor for her, and his power to accomplish marvels on behalf of the powerless. This song is called the “Magnificat.” Here it is from Luke 1:46-55. The lyrics of this song give us a fitting prayer of praise for the works God has done on behalf of his struggling, agitated, unnoticed, sinful people.

My soul glorifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.

From now on all generations will call me blessed,

for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name.

His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.

He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;

he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.

He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.

He has helped his servant Israel,

remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever,

just as he promised our ancestors.

Call to Prayer

In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 

Prayer of Confession

O promised Christ, we are a world at war. Our peace depends on your coming. We are a sinful people. Our pardon depends on your coming. We are full of good intentions but weak at keeping promises; our only hope of doing God’s will is that you should come and help us do it. Lord Christ, Word made flesh, our world waits for your peace, for your pardon, and for your grace. Even so, come Lord Jesus. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon

The good news of this Advent season is forgiveness of sin and new life. Let us commit our lives to Christ’s way of hope and peace. Thanks be to the Advent God, who comes among us, setting us free to love and serve.

Jubilate

O be joyful in the Lord, all you lands; serve the Lord with gladness, and come before his presence with a song.

Be assured that the Lord, he is God; it is he that has made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

O go your way into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise; be thankful unto him, and speak good of his Name.

For the Lord is gracious, his mercy is everlasting, and his truth endures from generation to generation.

Psalm: Psalm 72:1-19

Gloria Patri

Glory be to the Father, and to the son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen

Scripture Readings

Old Testament: Isaiah 11:1-10

New Testament: Romans 15:1-13

Gospel: Matthew 3:1-12

Canticle (The Song of the Redeemed) Revelation 15:3-4

O ruler of the universe, Lord God, great deeds are they that you have done, surpassing human understanding.

Your ways are ways of righteousness and truth, O King of all the ages.

Who can fail to do you homage, Lord, and sing the praises of your Name? For you only are the Holy One. All nations will draw near and fall down before you, because your just and holy works have been revealed.

Intercession

For the Peace of the World

Eternal God, from whom all thoughts of truth and peace proceed, kindle, we pray, in the hearts of all people the true love of peace, and guide with your pure and peaceable wisdom those who take counsel for the nations of the earth; that in tranquility your kingdom may go forward, till the earth is filled with the knowledge of your love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your Name.

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen

Collect

Blessed Lord, who caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and the comfort of your holy Word we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Benediction

May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Sources

The Book of Common Prayer. (Huntington Beach, CA: Anglican Liturgy Press, 2019).

The Worship Sourcebook. (Kalamazoo, MI: Faith Alive Christian Resources, 2004).

Worship the Lord, The Liturgy of the Reformed Church in America. (Reformed Church Press, 2005).

This first Sunday in the season of Advent marks the start of a new year. The Gregorian calendar we follow to keep track of the months, weeks, and days in a year tells us that a year ends on December 31 with the start of the next year as the first of January, so that the transition into a new year happens after Christmas.

But according to the Church calendar, the shift into a new year happens four weeks before Christmas with the first day of the new year landing on a Sunday early in December.

In this year of 2019, the first Sunday in Advent and the first day of a new Church year happens to be the date of December 1. The season of Advent will span the days from December 1 to December 23, the fourth and last Sunday before Christmas. The term Advent, from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming” or “arrival,” is the four-week season of preparation for the coming of Jesus at Christmas.

What is the best way to prepare for the coming of a King? The world presents multiple opportunities for preparation in the form of shopping, entertainment, parties, and eating. While these events are all fun and may enhance our enjoyment of the Christmas season, they don’t go deep enough in helping us get ready for Jesus.

He wants to make his home in us, to come and live with us. This is what the name Emmanuel means, God with us, living here among us. This means it isn’t our houses or Christmas trees or schedules that need preparation, but our hearts.

Advent is a time for discipline. Contrary to what the world offers during this season, our hearts need regulation and training, much like a loving parent would give to a dear child.

Advent is also a time for repentance. We must climb the daring slope of self-awareness, and take a good look at our behavior, our character, and our weaknesses, and admit to the Lord how desperately we need him. Repentance makes space for the holy, and this is exactly the conditioning our hearts need in order to be ready for Christ to enter into them.

In addition to this somber work of the season, Advent is also a time for the joyous watch of expectation. We wait in confidence and hope because Christ is coming again. He came once as a baby. He will come the next time as the King. Advent contains this tension of celebrating what has already happened while hoping for what is yet to come.

As Romans 13:11 tells us, we now know what time it is, how it is now the moment for us to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first became believers.

The order of prayer in the remainder of this blog is intended to help you focus, to prepare, and to wait in hopeful expectation for the day of the Lord’s coming.

Call to Prayer

In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 

Prayer of Confession

Merciful God, always with us, always coming: We confess that we do not know how to prepare for your Advent. We have forgotten how to hope in miracles; we have ignored the promise of your kingdom; we get distracted by all the busyness of the season. Forgive us, God. Grant us the simple wonder of the shepherds, the intelligent courage of the Magi, and the patient faith of Mary and Joseph, that we may journey with them to Bethlehem and find the good news of a child born for us. Now, in the quiet of our hearts, we ask you to make us ready for his coming. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon

The good news of this Advent season is forgiveness of sin and new life. Let us commit our lives to Christ’s way of hope and peace. Thanks be to the Advent God, who comes among us, setting us free to love and serve.

Jubilate

O be joyful in the Lord, all you lands; serve the Lord with gladness, and come before his presence with a song.

Be assured that the Lord, he is God; it is he that has made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

O go your way into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise; be thankful unto him, and speak good of his Name.

For the Lord is gracious, his mercy is everlasting, and his truth endures from generation to generation.

Psalm: Psalm 122

Gloria Patri

Glory be to the Father, and to the son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen

Scripture Readings

Old Testament: Isaiah 2:1-5

New Testament: Romans 13:8-14

Gospel: Matthew 24:29-44

Canticle (The Song of the Redeemed) Revelation 15:3-4

O ruler of the universe, Lord God, great deeds are they that you have done, surpassing human understanding.

Your ways are ways of righteousness and truth, O King of all the ages.

Who can fail to do you homage, Lord, and sing the praises of your Name? For you only are the Holy One. All nations will draw near and fall down before you, because your just and holy works have been revealed.

Intercession

For Joy in God’s Creation

O heavenly Father, you have filled the world with beauty: Open our eyes to behold your gracious hand in all your works; that, rejoicing in your whole creation, we may learn to serve you with gladness; for the sake of him through whom all things were made, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your Name.

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen

Collect

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Benediction

May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Sources

The Book of Common Prayer. (Huntington Beach, CA: Anglican Liturgy Press, 2019).

The Worship Sourcebook. (Kalamazoo, MI: Faith Alive Christian Resources, 2004).

Worship the Lord, The Liturgy of the Reformed Church in America. (Reformed Church Press, 2005).

We are nearing the time of year when an official holiday is designated for giving thanks. Celebrations include a day off from work, possibly a church service in the morning and a football game in the afternoon, a large mid-day meal, and time spent with family.

The Thanksgiving holiday we observe in the 21^st century is actually a combination of three earlier traditions. These are the New England custom of rejoicing after a successful harvest, the commemoration of the Pilgrims’ landing in Massachusetts, and religious observances involving prayer and feasting.

The first thanksgiving was decreed by Governor Bradford in 1621 to commemorate the Pilgrims’ harvest. Later George Washington proclaimed November 26, 1789, as a national day of thanksgiving, but the holiday wasn’t repeated on a national basis until Abraham Lincoln named it a national Harvest Festival on November 26, 1861. After that time, the holiday was proclaimed annually by the President and the governors of each state. Finally, in 1941, Congress passed a bill naming the fourth Thursday of each November as Thanksgiving Day. [1]

The Thanksgiving holiday is one area where our heritage as a nation and our heritage as children of God intersect. The rhythm of pause for gratitude to the Lord is built into our functioning as Americans. This pattern goes all the way back to the earliest people to settle here. They were English Puritans, reverent in their Calvinist faith, and disappointed with the Church of England because attempts at reform didn’t go far enough to model the church of the 1600’s after the ancient church as depicted in the New Testament. These plucky Pilgrims may appear a bit extreme in their radical determination to cling to their vision of a pure church. They risked prison and breaking the law in their defiance of English politics. And yet, they survived with a gentle awareness of God’s provision for them.

This excerpt from a letter written by Edward Winslow, one of the participants in the first thanksgiving, to a friend in England, reinforces their ability to see God’s providence in their experiences:

And God be praised, we had a good increase. Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling so that we might rejoice together . . . These things I thought good to let you understand, that you might on our behalf give God thanks who hath dealt so favorable with us. [2]

Imagine that first year as a pilgrim to North America. Most of their colony had left England several years prior and settled in the cities of Holland where they found a nurturing place for their high ideals. But these folks were farmers, and they feared the effects the city would have on their younger generations, so sought a place where they might preserve their culture as well as their religious standards.

The journey meant risk. The arrival on the other side meant hardship since they would be landing in the winter. Half of their group died, consecrating their pious commitments with grief and sorrow. The ones that survived built a village, planted crops, and with the help of their Indian neighbors, reaped a harvest enough to sustain them through the second winter.

But before the temperatures dropped and the cold wind blew snow in from low clouds, the community at Plymouth paused, feasted, and gave thanks for God’s favorable dealings with them.

The experiences of those early settlers teach us to realize what we have. We could just as easily not have it. Health, family, and daily provisions could not be taken for granted in those early years in Plymouth. When those benefits were bestowed, the people understood what they had been given and offered thanks for them. They gave thanks while also enduring grief. There were losses, and they hurt. But the event of this first thanksgiving shows us how to thank the Lord for what we have while also grieving what we’ve lost. Even when the losses appear to outnumber the blessings, we must still choose to offer the Lord our gratitude for who he is and the work he has done.

Like the pilgrims when the seasons changed, we must welcome the seasons of growth. They are straight from the Lord and intended to make us aware of his goodness and his favor.

A traditional Thanksgiving hymn from Germany, written in the 1600’s during a time of war and suffering, helps us understand what it means to give thanks even while dealing with hardship and loss:

Now thank we all our God with hearts and hands and voices, who wondrous things hath done, in whom His world rejoices; who from our mothers’ arms hath blessed us on our way with countless gifts of love, and still is ours today.

O may this bounteous God through all our life be near us, with ever joyful hearts and blessed peace to cheer us; and keep us in His grace, and guide us when perplexed, and free us from all ills in this world and the next.

All praise and thanks to God the father now be given, the Son and Him who reigns with Them in highest heaven—The one eternal God whom earth and heaven adore—for thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore.

A Thanksgiving Prayer

Father in heaven, we give thanks for life and the experience life brings us.

We thank you for our joys, sorrows, trials, failures, and triumphs.

Above all we thank you for the hope we have in Christ,

that we shall find fulfillment in him.

We praise you for our country, its beauty, the riches it has for us,

and the gifts it showers on us.

We thank you for your peoples, the gift of languages we speak,

The variety of people we have,

The cultural heritage we cherish.

Enable us to use these things for the good of the human race and to bring glory to you.

Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen

---

[1] Amazing Grace by Kenneth W. Osbeck, p. 349.

[2] The Thanksgiving Primer, a Plimouth Plantation Publication, p. 5.

The 29th Sunday after Trinity

This Sunday marks the last Sunday of the season of ordinary time, bringing the current church year to a close. Christ the King Sunday serves as a transitional week, ushering us out of a long season of growth, and into a new season of preparation.

It provides a pause in order to celebrate that Jesus is the Christ who reigns over the world. Everything in creation and culture must submit to him. This submission happens eagerly and with joy when we remember that the upcoming Christmas season is about so much more than a baby in a manger. It is a time to honor a Sovereign Christ who came as divine royalty. He is the Prince of Peace. He is the one before whom every knee will bow, and to whom every tongue will confess that he is Lord. He is the King.

The prayers and scriptures used in today’s order of prayer focus on Jesus as the King who is deserving of all honor, glory, and power.

Call to Prayer

Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord Almighty—He is the King of glory. 

Prayer of Confession

Righteous God, you have crowned Jesus Christ as Lord of all. We confess that we have not bowed before him and are slow to acknowledge his rule. We give allegiance to the powers of this world and fail to be governed by justice and love. In your mercy, forgive us. Raise us to acclaim him as ruler of all, that we may be loyal ambassadors, obeying the commands of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon

Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. With his blood he has purchased people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. He has made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth. Thanks be to God!

Venite

O come, let us sing unto the Lord;

Let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation.

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving

And show ourselves glad in him with psalms.

For the Lord is a great God and a great King above all gods.

In his hand are all the depths of the earth, and the heights of the hills are his also.

The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands prepared the dry land.

O come, let us worship and fall down, and kneel before the Lord our Maker.

For he is our god, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Psalm 95:1-7

Psalm: Psalm 46

Gloria Patri

Glory be to the Father, and to the son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen

Scripture Readings

Old Testament: Jeremiah 23:1-6

New Testament: Colossians 1:11-20

Gospel: Luke 23:35-43

Canticle

Te Deum Laudamus (We Praise You , O God)

We praise you, O God; we acclaim you as Lord;

All creation worships you, the Father everlasting.

To you all angels, all the powers of heaven, the cherubim and seraphim, sing endless praise;

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory.

The glorious company of apostles praise you. The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.

The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.

Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you: Father, of majesty unbounded, your true and only Son, worthy of all praise, and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.

You, Christ, are the king of glory, the eternal Son of the Father.

When you took our flesh to set us free you humbly chose the Virgin’s womb.

You overcame the sting of death and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.

You are seated at God’s right hand in glory.

We believe that you will come to be our judge.

Come then, Lord, and help your people,

Bought with the price of your own blood, and bring us with your saints to glory everlasting.

Intercession

For a Spirit of Evangelism

Almighty God our Savior, you desire that none should perish, and you have taught us through your Son that there is great joy in heaven over every sinner who repents: Grant that our hearts may ache for a lost and broken world. May your Holy Spirit work through our words, deeds, and prayers, that the lost may be found and the dead made alive, and that all your redeemed may rejoice around your throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your Name.

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen

Collect

Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in your well-beloved Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords: Mercifully grant that the peoples of the earth, divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under his most gracious rule; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Benediction

And now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

Sources

The Book of Common Prayer. (Huntington Beach, CA: Anglican Liturgy Press, 2019).

The Worship Sourcebook. (Kalamazoo, MI: Faith Alive Christian Resources, 2004).

Worship the Lord, The Liturgy of the Reformed Church in America. (Reformed Church Press, 2005).

Call to Prayer

The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him.   

Prayer of Confession

Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for your goodness’ sake, O Lord. Good and upright is the Lord, therefore he instructs sinners in the way. For your name’s sake, O Lord, pardon my guilt, for it is great. Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. Relieve the troubles of my heart, and bring me out of my distress. Consider my affliction and my trouble, and forgive all my sins. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon

He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.

Venite

O come, let us sing unto the Lord;

Let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation.

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving

And show ourselves glad in him with psalms.

For the Lord is a great God and a great King above all gods.

In his hand are all the depths of the earth, and the heights of the hills are his also.

The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands prepared the dry land.

O come, let us worship and fall down, and kneel before the Lord our Maker.

For he is our god, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Psalm 95:1-7

Psalm: Psalm 98

Gloria Patri

Glory be to the Father, and to the son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen

Scripture Readings

Old Testament: Malachi 3:13-4:6

New Testament: 2 Thessalonians 3:6-16

Gospel: Luke 21:5-19

Canticle

Te Deum Laudamus (We Praise You , O God)

We praise you, O God; we acclaim you as Lord;

All creation worships you, the Father everlasting.

To you all angels, all the powers of heaven, the cherubim and seraphim, sing endless praise;

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory.

The glorious company of apostles praise you. The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.

The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.

Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you: Father, of majesty unbounded, your true and only Son, worthy of all praise, and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.

You, Christ, are the king of glory, the eternal Son of the Father.

When you took our flesh to set us free you humbly chose the Virgin’s womb.

You overcame the sting of death and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.

You are seated at God’s right hand in glory.

We believe that you will come to be our judge.

Come then, Lord, and help your people,

Bought with the price of your own blood, and bring us with your saints to glory everlasting.

Intercession

For the Mission of the Church

O God, our heavenly Father, you manifested your love by sending your only-begotten Son into the world, that all might live through him: Pour out your Spirit on your Church, that we may fulfill his command to preach the Gospel to all people. Send forth laborers into your harvest; defend them in all dangers and temptations; and hasten the time when the fullness of the Gentiles shall be gathered in, and faithful Israel shall be saved; through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your Name.

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen

Collect

Stir up, O Lord, the wills of your faithful people, that bringing forth in abundance the fruit of good works, they may be abundantly rewarded when our Savior Jesus Christ comes to restore all things; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Benediction

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore.

Sources

The Book of Common Prayer. (Huntington Beach, CA: Anglican Liturgy Press, 2019).

The Worship Sourcebook. (Kalamazoo, MI: Faith Alive Christian Resources, 2004).

Worship the Lord, The Liturgy of the Reformed Church in America. (Reformed Church Press, 2005).

Call to Prayer

O send out your light and your truth, that they may lead me, and bring me to your holy hill, and to your dwelling.   

Prayer of Confession

Our Father, forgive us for thinking small thoughts of you and for ignoring your immensity and greatness. Lord Jesus, forgive us when we forget that you rule the nations and our small lives. Holy Spirit, we offend you in minimizing your power and squandering your gifts. We confess that our blindness to your glory, O triune God, has resulted in shallow confession, tepid conviction, and only mild repentance. Have mercy upon us. In Jesus’ name. Amen

Assurance of Pardon

Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin in covered. Happy are those to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

Venite

O come, let us sing unto the Lord;

Let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation.

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving

And show ourselves glad in him with psalms.

For the Lord is a great God and a great King above all gods.

In his hand are all the depths of the earth, and the heights of the hills are his also.

The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands prepared the dry land.

O come, let us worship and fall down, and kneel before the Lord our Maker.

For he is our god, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Psalm 95:1-7

Psalm: Psalm 17

Gloria Patri

Glory be to the Father, and to the son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen

Scripture Readings

Old Testament: Job 19:23-27

New Testament: 2 Thessalonians 2:13-3:5

Gospel: Luke 20:27-38

Canticle

Te Deum Laudamus (We Praise You , O God)

We praise you, O God; we acclaim you as Lord;

All creation worships you, the Father everlasting.

To you all angels, all the powers of heaven, the cherubim and seraphim, sing endless praise;

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory.

The glorious company of apostles praise you. The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.

The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.

Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you: Father, of majesty unbounded, your true and only Son, worthy of all praise, and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.

You, Christ, are the king of glory, the eternal Son of the Father.

When you took our flesh to set us free you humbly chose the Virgin’s womb.

You overcame the sting of death and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.

You are seated at God’s right hand in glory.

We believe that you will come to be our judge.

Come then, Lord, and help your people,

Bought with the price of your own blood, and bring us with your saints to glory everlasting.

Intercession

For the Mission of the Church

O God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth, and sent your blessed Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Grant that people everywhere may seek after you and find you; bring the nations into your fold; pour out your Spirit upon all flesh; and hasten the coming of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your Name.

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen

Collect

O God, whose blessed son came into the world that he might destroy the works of the devil and make us children of God and heirs of eternal life: Grant that, having this hope, we many purify ourselves as he is pure; that, when he comes again with power and great glory, we may be made like him in his eternal and glorious kingdom; where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Benediction

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore.

Sources

The Book of Common Prayer. (Huntington Beach, CA: Anglican Liturgy Press, 2019).

The Worship Sourcebook. (Kalamazoo, MI: Faith Alive Christian Resources, 2004).

Worship the Lord, The Liturgy of the Reformed Church in America. (Reformed Church Press, 2005).

Call to Prayer

O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the sheep of his hand. 

Prayer of Confession

Have mercy upon us, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercies, blot out our transgressions. Wash us thoroughly from our iniquity, and cleanse us from our sin. For we know our transgressions, and our sin is ever before us. Create in us a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within us. Cast us not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from us. Restore to us the joy of your salvation, and uphold us with a willing spirit. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon

With everlasting love I will have compassion on you, says the Lord, your Redeemer. I am He who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.

Venite

O come, let us sing unto the Lord;

Let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation.

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving

And show ourselves glad in him with psalms.

For the Lord is a great God and a great King above all gods.

In his hand are all the depths of the earth, and the heights of the hills are his also.

The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands prepared the dry land.

O come, let us worship and fall down, and kneel before the Lord our Maker.

For he is our god, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Psalm 95:1-7

Psalm: Psalm 32

Gloria Patri

Glory be to the Father, and to the son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen

Scripture Readings

Old Testament: Isaiah 1:10-20

New Testament: 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12

Gospel: Luke 19:1-10

Canticle

Te Deum Laudamus (We Praise You , O God)

We praise you, O God; we acclaim you as Lord;

All creation worships you, the Father everlasting.

To you all angels, all the powers of heaven, the cherubim and seraphim, sing endless praise;

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory.

The glorious company of apostles praise you. The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.

The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.

Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you: Father, of majesty unbounded, your true and only Son, worthy of all praise, and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.

You, Christ, are the king of glory, the eternal Son of the Father.

When you took our flesh to set us free you humbly chose the Virgin’s womb.

You overcame the sting of death and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.

You are seated at God’s right hand in glory.

We believe that you will come to be our judge.

Come then, Lord, and help your people,

Bought with the price of your own blood, and bring us with your saints to glory everlasting.

Intercession

For the Local Congregation

Almighty and everlasting God, you govern all things in heaven and on earth: Mercifully hear our prayers, and grant that in our congregations the pure Word of God may be preached and the Sacraments duly administered. Strengthen and confirm the faithful; protect and guide the children; visit and relieve the sick; turn and soften the wicked; arouse the careless; recover the fallen; restore the penitent; remove all hindrances to the advancement for your truth; and bring us all to be of one heart and mind within your holy Church, to the honor and glory of your Name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your Name.

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen

Collect

Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, as we live among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Benediction

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore.

Sources

The Book of Common Prayer. (Huntington Beach, CA: Anglican Liturgy Press, 2019).

The Worship Sourcebook. (Kalamazoo, MI: Faith Alive Christian Resources, 2004).

Worship the Lord, The Liturgy of the Reformed Church in America. (Reformed Church Press, 2005).

Call to Prayer

I was glad when they said unto me, “We will go into the house of the Lord.”

Prayer of Confession

Merciful God, you made us in your image, with a mind to know you, a heart to love you, and a will to serve you. But our knowledge is imperfect, our love inconstant, our obedience incomplete. Day by day, we fail to grow into your likeness. In your tender love, forgive us through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me.

Venite

O come, let us sing unto the Lord;

Let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation.

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving

And show ourselves glad in him with psalms.

For the Lord is a great God and a great King above all gods.

In his hand are all the depths of the earth, and the heights of the hills are his also.

The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands prepared the dry land.

O come, let us worship and fall down, and kneel before the Lord our Maker.

For he is our god, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Psalm 95:1-7

Psalm: Psalm 84

Gloria Patri

Glory be to the Father, and to the son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen

Scripture Readings

Old Testament: Jeremiah 14:1-10, 19-22

New Testament: 2 Timothy 4:6-18

Gospel: Luke 18:9-14

Canticle

Te Deum Laudamus (We Praise You , O God)

We praise you, O God; we acclaim you as Lord;

All creation worships you, the Father everlasting.

To you all angels, all the powers of heaven, the cherubim and seraphim, sing endless praise;

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory.

The glorious company of apostles praise you. The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.

The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.

Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you: Father, of majesty unbounded, your true and only Son, worthy of all praise, and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.

You, Christ, are the king of glory, the eternal Son of the Father.

When you took our flesh to set us free you humbly chose the Virgin’s womb.

You overcame the sting of death and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.

You are seated at God’s right hand in glory.

We believe that you will come to be our judge.

Come then, Lord, and help your people,

Bought with the price of your own blood, and bring us with your saints to glory everlasting.

Intercession

For the Local Congregation

O God the Holy Spirit, Sanctifier of the faithful, sanctify our congregation by your abiding presence. Bless those who minister in holy things. Enlighten the minds of your people more and more with the light of the everlasting Gospel. Bring erring souls to the knowledge of our Savior Jesus Christ, and those who are walking in the way of life, keep steadfast to the end. Give patience to the sick and afflicted, and renew them in body and soul. Guard those who are strong and prosperous from forgetting you. Increase in use your many gifts of grace, and make us all fruitful in good works. This we ask, O blessed Spirit, whom with the Father and the Son we worship and glorify, one God, world without end. Amen

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your Name.

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen

Benediction

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore.

 

Sources

The Book of Common Prayer. (Huntington Beach, CA: Anglican Liturgy Press, 2019).

The Worship Sourcebook. (Kalamazoo, MI: Faith Alive Christian Resources, 2004).

Worship the Lord, The Liturgy of the Reformed Church in America. (Reformed Church Press, 2005).

 

The 24th Sunday after Trinity

While in college working toward my religion degree, I studied under a professor who was also an Anglican priest. He introduced our Christian worship class to the rhythms and the schedules of the church year. I’d grown up in a Reformed church, so the terms Advent, Lent, and Ordinary Time were already familiar to me.

But the merging of daily readings of Scripture with written prayers was new. Once I learned how these readings and prayers corresponded with the seasons observed in the church year, my prayer life started to rest on a stable foundation that provided me with the depth and diversity I needed to grow in relationship with God while also engaging in ministry.

The calendar tells us the month of October is the tenth month of the year. It is the season of harvest, changing colors in the leaves, longer hours of night, and cooler days. The calendar also tells us there is something like 65 days until Christmas and nearly three months left of the year.

According to the church year, October is near the end of the year. Already in November, the last Sunday of the previous church year is observed as Christ the King Sunday, and a new year will begin on the first Sunday of December.

Starting this week, as the current church year comes to a close, I am going to observe the church year on my blog. Each weekend I will write a new post specifying where we are in the church year while also including the Scripture readings and prayers designated for that particular Sunday.

Each week of the church year adds another scene to a vibrant and complex story. As you observe the church year, you may begin to see how God uses the rhythm and changing of the seasons to impart grace into your life, supply answers to prayers, and reveal more of himself.

This centuries-old practice of observing the church year is filled with adventure as we listen to our Heavenly Father and recognize his movement in our lives.

Each blog post will look similar to an order of worship we might follow on a Sunday morning during a church service. This is because we as disciples need the regular feeding from the Word, the cleansing of sin, and the opportunity to praise. At the bottom of each post, I will cite the resources I used for the various prayers. These resources come from my own library as a worship leader.

Use these posts as a way to enhance your own personal worship or devotional time, or draw on them for resources to incorporate into Sunday morning worship services.

Please join me in the next months as we observe the church year opening our lives to worship prayer.

The 24^th Sunday after Trinity. (I will explain more next summer what the significance is of the term Trinity and also about the reason for numbering the Sundays following it).

Call to Prayer

Dear God, I come to worship you today.

I come to pray and to listen.

You always hear me. Help me to hear you.

Prayer of Confession

Almighty and most merciful Father, we have erred and strayed from your ways like lost sheep.

We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts.

We have offended against your holy laws.

We have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and we have don those things which we ought not to have done; and apart from your grace, there is no health in us.

O Lord, have mercy upon us.

Spare all those who confess their faults.

Restore all those who are penitent, according to your promises declared to all people in Christ Jesus our Lord.

And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake, that we may now live a godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of your holy Name. Amen.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

Christ, have mercy upon us.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

Venite

O come, let us sing unto the Lord;

Let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation.

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving

And show ourselves glad in him with psalms.

For the Lord is a great God and a great King above all gods.

In his hand are all the depths of the earth, and the heights of the hills are his also.

The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands prepared the dry land.

O come, let us worship and fall down, and kneel before the Lord our Maker.

For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Psalm 95:1-7

Psalm: Psalm 84

Gloria Patri

Glory be to the Father, and to the son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen

Scripture Readings

Old Testament: Jeremiah 14:1-10, 19-22

New Testament: 2 Timothy 4:6-18

Gospel: Luke 18:9-14

Canticle

Te Deum Laudamus (We Praise You , O God)

We praise you, O God; we acclaim you as Lord;

All creation worships you, the Father everlasting.

To you all angels, all the powers of heaven, the cherubim and seraphim, sing endless praise;

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory.

The glorious company of apostles praise you. The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.

The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.

Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you: Father, of majesty unbounded, your true and only Son, worthy of all praise, and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.

You, Christ, are the king of glory, the eternal Son of the Father.

When you took our flesh to set us free you humbly chose the Virgin’s womb.

You overcame the sting of death and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.

You are seated at God’s right hand in glory.

We believe that you will come to be our judge.

Come then, Lord, and help your people,

Bought with the price of your own blood, and bring us with your saints to glory everlasting.

Intercession

For the Unity of All Christian People

O God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our only Savior, the Prince of Peace: Give us grace to take to heart the grave dangers we are in through our many divisions. Deliver you Church from all enmity and prejudice, and everything that hinders us from godly union. As there is one Body and one Spirit, one hope of our calling, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of us all, so make us all to be of one heart and of one mind, united in one holy bond of truth and peace, of faith and love, that with one voice we may give you praise, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God in everlasting glory. Amen

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your Name.

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen

Benediction

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore.

Sources

The Book of Common Prayer. (Huntington Beach, CA: Anglican Liturgy Press, 2019).

The Worship Sourcebook. (Kalamazoo, MI: Faith Alive Christian Resources, 2004).

Worship the Lord, The Liturgy of the Reformed Church in America. (Reformed Church Press, 2005).