Sundays at All Hallows (November 9, 2025)
Welcome to Sundays at All Hallows.
Advent Sunday, the first Sunday of Advent, falls on November 30, 2025. The Advent Season is a short one, only four Sundays, and it is too often overshadowed by the season that follows—Christmas. Indeed, many churches begin to celebrate Christmas during Advent. This is regrettable. Advent has many wonderful carols, hymns and traditions of its own. It is not just a season in which we prepare to celebrate our Savior’s birth but also a season in which we look for his return, his second coming in glory, a event for which he taught his disciples that they should always be prepared, and which receives special emphasis during the Advent Season.
In this Sunday’s message we take a look at an important element of the Divine Office, the liturgy that we use every Sunday in our worship of God.
GATHER IN GOD’S NAME
Open this link to hear Keith Duke’s instrumental arrangement of ON THE BREATH OF THE WIND.
Silence
God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in
spirit and truth. John 4:24
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth
is not in us. But if we confess our sins, God is faithful and
just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:8-9
So let us draw near to God with sincerity and confidence, and humbly confess our sins.
Silence
Almighty and most merciful Father,
we have strayed from your ways like lost sheep.
We have followed too much
the devices and the desires of our own hearts.
we have offended against your holy laws,
we have left undone what we ought to have done,
and we have done what we ought not to have done.
Yet, good Lord, have mercy on us;
restore those who are penitent,
according to your promises declared
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Grant, most merciful Father, for his sake,
that we may live a godly, righteous, and sober lives,
to the glory of your holy name. Amen.
Almighty God, who forgives all who truly repent,
have mercy on us,
pardon and deliver us from all our sins,
confirm and strengthen us in all goodness,
and keep us in life eternal;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Open our lips, O Lord;
And we shall declare your praise.
O God, make speed to save us.
O Lord, make haste to help us.
Glory to God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:
as in the beginning, so now, and for ever. Amen.
Let us praise the Lord.
The Lord’s name be praised.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Lloyd Larson’s choral arrangement of “O Come and Sing unto the Lord” (Palm 95) from The Palter 1912.
O come and sing unto the Lord,
to God our voices raise;
Let us in our most joyful song
the Lord our savior, praise!
Before God's presence let us
come with praise and thankful voice;
Let us sing psalms to God with grace,
with grateful hearts rejoice.
O come, and bowing down to God,
our worship let us bring;
Come, let us kneel before the Lord,
our Maker and our King.
The Lord our God is King of kings,
above all gods enthroned;
the depths of earth and mountains
high by God alone are owned.
To God the spacious sea belongs;
God made its waves and tides.
And by God's hand the rising land
was formed, and still abides.
O come, and bowing down to God,
our worship let us bring;
Come, let us kneel before the Lord,
our Maker and our King,
our Maker and our King, our King.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Lori True’s “In the Morning Let Us Sing” (Psalm 63).
In the morning let us sing,
let us sing praise to you.
Let us sing glad songs of praise to you.
In the morning let us sing,
let us sing praise to you.
Let us sing glad songs of praise to you.
1 O God, you are my God, for you I long;
for you my soul is thirsting.
My body pines for you
like a dry, weary land without water.
I gaze on you in the sanctuary
to see your strength and your glory.
In the morning let us sing,
let us sing praise to you.
Let us sing glad songs of praise to you.
In the morning let us sing,
let us sing praise to you.
Let us sing glad songs of praise to you.
2 For you love is better than life,
my lips will speak your praise.
I will bless you all my life,
in your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul shall be filled as with a banquet,
my mouth shall praise you with joy.
In the morning let us sing,
let us sing praise to you.
Let us sing glad songs of praise to you.
In the morning let us sing,
let us sing praise to you.
Let us sing glad songs of praise to you.
3 On my bed I remember you.
On you I muse through the night
for you have been my help;
in the shadow of your wings I rejoice.
My soul clings to you;
Your right hand holds me fast.
In the morning let us sing,
let us sing praise to you.
Let us sing glad songs of praise to you.
In the morning let us sing,
let us sing praise to you.
Let us sing glad songs of praise to you.
Let us sing glad songs of praise to you.
We’ll sing praise to you!
Silence
To you we come, O Lord,
the true goal of all human desiring,
beyond all earthly beauty,
gentle Protector, strong Deliverer;
in the night you are our confidence:
from first light be our joy. Amen.
Open this link to hear Timothy Dudley Smith’ metrical version of Psalm 98, “Sing a New Song to the Lord.”
1 Sing a new song to the Lord,
he to whom wonders belong;
rejoice in his triumph and tell of his power,
O sing to the Lord a new song!
2 Now to the ends of the earth
see his salvation is shown;
and still he remembers his mercy and truth,
unchanging in love to his own.
3 Sing a new song and rejoice,
publish his praises abroad;
let voices in chorus, with trumpet and horn,
resound for the joy of the Lord!
4 Join with the hills and the sea
thunders of praise to prolong;
in judgment and justice he comes to the earth,
O sing to the Lord a new song!
Silence
O God, mindful of your promises,
you have visited and redeemed your people:
as we rejoice in the power of your victory,
so hasten the day of your appearing;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD
A reading from the Book of Haggai.
Haggai 1: 15b - 2: 9
In the second year of King Darius, in the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the prophet Haggai, saying: “Speak now to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, and say: Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Is it not in your sight as nothing? Yet now take courage, O Zerubbabel, says the Lord; take courage, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; take courage, all you people of the land, says the Lord; work, for I am with you, says the Lord of hosts, according to the promise that I made you when you came out of Egypt. My spirit abides among you; do not fear. For thus says the Lord of hosts: Once again, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land, and I will shake all the nations, so that the treasure of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with splendor, says the Lord of hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the Lord of hosts. The latter splendor of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts, and in this place I will give prosperity, says the Lord of hosts.”
Silence
Open this link in a new tab to hear Kenneth Jennings’ choral arrangement of “All You Works of the Lord.”
1 All you works of the Lord, bless the Lord:
praise God and magnify God forever.
2 You angels of the Lord, bless the
Lord;
You heavens, bless the Lord;
all you waters above the heavens, bless the Lord;
praise God and magnify God forever.
3 You sun and moon, bless the Lord;
you stars of heaven, bless the Lord;
all you showers and dew, bless the Lord:
praise God and magnify God forever.
4 All you winds of God, bless the Lord;
you fire and heat, bless the Lord;
you winter and summer, bless the Lord:
praise God and magnify God forever.
5 You dews and frost, bless the Lord;
you frost and cold, bless the Lord;
you ice and snow, bless the Lord:
praise God and magnify God forever.
6 You nights and days, bless the Lord;
you light and darkness, bless the Lord;
you lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord:
praise God and magnify God forever,
praise God and magnify God forever,
praise God and magnify God forever,
praise God and magnify God forever.
Bless the Lord.
7 All the earth, bless the Lord;
you mountains and hills, bless the Lord;
all you green things that grow on the earth, bless the Lord:
praise God and magnify God forever
8 You wells and springs, bless the Lord;
you rivers and seas, bless the Lord;
you whales and all who move in the waters, bless the Lord:
praise God and magnify God forever.
9 All you birds of the air, bless the Lord;
all you beasts and cattle, bless the Lord;
all you children of mortals, bless the Lord:
praise God and magnify God forever.
10 You people of God, bless the Lord;
you priests of the Lord, bless the Lord;
you servants of the Lord, bless the Lord:
praise God and magnify God forever.
11 You spirits and souls of the righteous,
you pure and humble of heart, bless the Lord;
let us bless the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit:
praise God and magnify God forever. Amen
A reading from Paul’s Second Letter to the Thessalonians.
2 Thessalonians 2: 1-5, 13-17
As to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we beg you, brothers and sisters, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as though from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here. Let no one deceive you in any way, for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the lawless one is revealed, the one destined for destruction. He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, declaring himself to be God. Do you not remember that I told you these things when I was still with you?
But we must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth. For this purpose he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter.
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word.
Silence
Open this link in a new tab to hear “Glory to God” from Marty Haugen’s Beneath the Tree of Life Mass.
Glory to God, glory to God, glory to God in the highest,
and peace to God’s people, peace to God’s people,
peace to God’s people on earth.
1 Lord God, heavenly King,
almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks,
we praise you for your glory.
Glory to God, glory to God, glory to God in the highest,
and peace to God’s people, peace to God’s people,
peace to God’s people on earth.
2 Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world:
have mercy on us;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father:
receive our prayer.
Glory to God, glory to God, glory to God in the highest,
and peace to God’s people, peace to God’s people,
peace to God’s people on earth.
3 For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father,
Amen.
Glory to God, glory to God, glory to God in the highest,
and peace to God’s people, peace to God’s people,
peace to God’s people on earth.
A reading from the Gospel according to Luke.
Luke 20: 27-38
Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to him and asked him a question: “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers; the first married a woman and died childless; then the second and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. Finally the woman also died. In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her.”
Jesus said to them, “Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. Indeed, they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Now he is God not of the dead but of the living, for to him all of them are alive.”
Silence
You may have noticed that this Sunday we used a different prayer after the General Confession from the one that we have been using. The reason for this change is that the prayer, “Merciful Lord, grant to your faithful people pardon and peace…” is the collect appointed for this Sunday, the twenty-first Sunday after Trinity.
Both this collect and variations of the prayer we used this Sunday are provided in a number of service books as alternatives to an absolution for Sunday and other occasions when a deacon or authorized lay person is leading a public service of Morning Prayer or an individual is reading the office as a part of their daily devotions.
In Anglican churches only bishops and priests are authorized to declare God’ forgiveness. A deacon or an authorized lay person may only pray for forgiveness on behalf of the congregation or read an assurance of forgiveness from the Bible.
I am not going to delve into the theology behind this practice except to note that there is more than one school of thought on the topic. What I am going to do is to take a look at the origin of this collect and what we are asking God when we pray it.
In his first letter to the Corinthians the apostle Paul stresses the importance of praying with understanding (1 Corinthians 14:15). In this Sunday’s second reading from Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians, the apostle urges the Christians at Thessalonica, modern-day Thessaloniki, Greece, to stand firm and hold fast to the traditions, or teachings, that he taught them by word of mouth or by letter. With my explanation of this collect I am hoping to enable those praying the collect to pray it with understanding.
The collect is a contemporary language version of the collect appointed for twenty-first Sunday after Trinity in the eucharistic lectionary of the first English Book of Common Prayer of 1549.
"Graunt we beseche thee, merciful Lord, to thy faithfull people pardon and peace, that they maye bee clensed from all. their synnes, and serve thee with a quiet mynde. Through Jesus Christ our Lorde."
The collect was adapted from a 7th or early 8th century collection of prayers, the Gelasian Sacramentary, which is the second oldest surviving western liturgical book, after the Verona Sacramentary. The wording was altered only slightly. “Pardon” was substituted for “indulgence,” a word associated with a particular medieval Catholic abuse—the sale of indulgences. “Quiet” was substituted for the Latin “secure.”
In the General Confession at the beginning of the office we confess how we have gone our own way instead of living to the glory of God’s holy name, how we have failed to fulfill God’s will and purposes for us. We not only confess our individual failures but also our failures as a local church and a part of the larger Christian community, our lack of love for God and our neighbor, the ways we have resisted God's grace working in us and in others.
In the collect we ask for God’s mercy, God’s forgiveness and God’s kindness. We also ask for “freedom from the torment of sin and from anxiety and worry.” We are asking God to enable us to keep from beating ourselves up and doing the devil’s work for him. We are also asking God to help us overcome our doubts and accept his forgiveness and his ability to wipe away our sins and to give us peace of mind. We are asking for sanctifying grace too, the grace that enables us to grow in our love of God and in Christlikeness. We are not only asking these things for ourselves but also for the local church and the larger Christian community of which we are part. The collect is both a supplication, a prayer for ourselves, and an intercession, a prayer for others.
Whether we pray the collect ourselves or hear someone else pray the collect and add our “amen,” this is what we are asking.
Silence
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth;
and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father
almighty;
from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
THE MINISTRY OF PRAYER
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
Lord, show us your mercy,
and grant us your salvation.
Keep our nation under your care,
and guide us in justice and truth.
Clothe your ministers with righteousness,
and make your chosen people joyful.
Lord, save your people,
and bless your inheritance.
Give peace in our time, O Lord,
for you are our help and strength.
Create in us dean hearts, O God,
and renew us by your Holy Spirit.
Merciful Lord, grant to your faithful people pardon
and peace, that they may be cleansed from all their
sins, and serve you with a quiet mind; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
O God, the author and lover of peace, in knowledge of whom
stands our eternal life, whose service is perfect freedom;
defend us your servants in all assaults of our enemies,
that, surely trusting in your defense, we may not fear the power
of any adversaries, through the might of Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
Eternal God and Father, by whose power we are created and
by whose love we are redeemed: guide and strengthen us by
your Spirit, that we may give ourselves to your service, and
live every day in love to one another and to you; through Jesus
Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Dave Hunt’s arrangement of Edith McNeill’s “The Steadfast Love of the Lord.”
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
His mercies never come to an end;
They are new every morning,
New every morning,
Great is Thy faithfulness, O Lord,
Great is Thy faithfulness!
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
His mercies never come to an end;
They are new every morning,
New every morning,
Great is Thy faithfulness, O Lord,
Great is Thy faithfulness!
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
His mercies never come to an end;
They are new every morning,
New every morning,
Great is Thy faithfulness, O Lord,
Great is Thy faithfulness!
[Let us pray for the Church]
Almighty and eternal God, you alone work great marvels:
send down your life-giving Spirit of grace on our bishops and other clergy, and on the congregations which they serve; and, in order that they may truly please you, pour upon them the continual dew of your blessing. Grant this, Lord, for the honour of our advocate and mediator, Jesus Christ. Amen.
[Let us pray for all people according to their needs]
God of providence, God of love,
we pray for all people: make your way known to them, your saving power
among all nations.
We pray for the welfare of your Church throughout the world: guide and
govern it by your Holy Spirit, that all who call themselves Christians
may be led in the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit,
in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life.
We commend to your fatherly goodness all who are afflicted or distressed
in mind, body, or circumstances (especially…). Relieve them according to their needs, giving them patience in their sufferings, and deliverance in their afflictions. This we ask for the sake of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.
[Let us pray for ourselves and others.]
Silence
Those present may offer their own prayers and thanksgivings, either silently or aloud.
Eternal God,
grant to us this day and every day
such readiness and delight in following Christ,
that whether our lives are short or long
we shall have lived abundantly. Amen.
[Let us give thanks to God for his goodness.]
Almighty God and merciful Father,
we give you heart-felt thanks
for all your goodness and loving kindness to us
and to all people.
We bless you for our creation and preservation,
and all the blessings of this life;
but above all for your immeasurable love
in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ;
for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.
And, we pray, give us such a sense of all your mercies,
that our hearts may be truly thankful,
and that we praise you,
not only with our lips but in our lives,
serving you in holiness and righteousness all our days;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
to whom with you and the Holy Spirit,
be honour and glory, now and for ever. Amen.
Almighty God, you have promised to hear the petitions of
those who ask in your Son’s name: mercifully accept us who
have now made our prayers to you; and grant us those things
which we have asked in faith according to your will; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Richard Bruxvoort Colligan’s “O Christ, surround me.”
1 God be the love to search and keep me
God be the prayer to move my voice
God be the strength to now uphold me
O Christ, surround me
O Christ, surround me
2 Bind to myself the name of Holy
Great cloud of witnesses enfold
Prophets, apostles, angels witness
O Christ, surround me
O Christ, surround me
3 Brightness of sun and glow of moonlight
Flashing of lightning, strength of wind
Depth of the sea to soil of planet
O Christ, surround me
O Christ, surround me
4 Walking behind to hem my journey
Going ahead to light my way
And from beneath, above, and all ways
O Christ, surround me
O Christ, surround me
5 Christ in the eyes of all who see me
Christ in the ears who hear my voice
Christ in the hearts of all who know me
O Christ, surround me
O Christ, surround me
THE SENDING FORTH OF GOD’S PEOPLE
The Lord be with you.
And also with you
Let us praise the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Open this link in a new tab to hear St. Aidan’s Community’s “The Grace (2 Corinthians 13:14).”
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God our Father,
and the fellowship, the fellowship
of the Holy Spirit be with us
for evermore and evermore and evermore. Amen.
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God our Father,
and the fellowship, the fellowship
of the Holy Spirit be with us
for evermore and evermore and evermore. Amen.
praise God and magnify God forever.
2 You angels of the Lord, bless the
Lord;
You heavens, bless the Lord;
all you waters above the heavens, bless the Lord;
praise God and magnify God forever.
3 You sun and moon, bless the Lord;
you stars of heaven, bless the Lord;
all you showers and dew, bless the Lord:
praise God and magnify God forever.
4 All you winds of God, bless the Lord;
you fire and heat, bless the Lord;
you winter and summer, bless the Lord:
praise God and magnify God forever.
5 You dews and frost, bless the Lord;
you frost and cold, bless the Lord;
you ice and snow, bless the Lord:
praise God and magnify God forever.
6 You nights and days, bless the Lord;
you light and darkness, bless the Lord;
you lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord:
praise God and magnify God forever,
praise God and magnify God forever,
praise God and magnify God forever,
praise God and magnify God forever.
Bless the Lord.
7 All the earth, bless the Lord;
you mountains and hills, bless the Lord;
all you green things that grow on the earth, bless the Lord:
praise God and magnify God forever
8 You wells and springs, bless the Lord;
you rivers and seas, bless the Lord;
you whales and all who move in the waters, bless the Lord:
praise God and magnify God forever.
9 All you birds of the air, bless the Lord;
all you beasts and cattle, bless the Lord;
all you children of mortals, bless the Lord:
praise God and magnify God forever.
10 You people of God, bless the Lord;
you priests of the Lord, bless the Lord;
you servants of the Lord, bless the Lord:
praise God and magnify God forever.
11 You spirits and souls of the righteous,
you pure and humble of heart, bless the Lord;
let us bless the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit:
praise God and magnify God forever. Amen
A reading from Paul’s Second Letter to the Thessalonians.
2 Thessalonians 2: 1-5, 13-17
As to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we beg you, brothers and sisters, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as though from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here. Let no one deceive you in any way, for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the lawless one is revealed, the one destined for destruction. He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, declaring himself to be God. Do you not remember that I told you these things when I was still with you?
But we must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth. For this purpose he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter.
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word.
Silence
Open this link in a new tab to hear “Glory to God” from Marty Haugen’s Beneath the Tree of Life Mass.
Glory to God, glory to God, glory to God in the highest,
and peace to God’s people, peace to God’s people,
peace to God’s people on earth.
1 Lord God, heavenly King,
almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks,
we praise you for your glory.
Glory to God, glory to God, glory to God in the highest,
and peace to God’s people, peace to God’s people,
peace to God’s people on earth.
2 Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world:
have mercy on us;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father:
receive our prayer.
Glory to God, glory to God, glory to God in the highest,
and peace to God’s people, peace to God’s people,
peace to God’s people on earth.
3 For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father,
Amen.
Glory to God, glory to God, glory to God in the highest,
and peace to God’s people, peace to God’s people,
peace to God’s people on earth.
A reading from the Gospel according to Luke.
Luke 20: 27-38
Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to him and asked him a question: “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers; the first married a woman and died childless; then the second and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. Finally the woman also died. In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her.”
Jesus said to them, “Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. Indeed, they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Now he is God not of the dead but of the living, for to him all of them are alive.”
Silence
A Prayer for God’s Mercy
You may have noticed that this Sunday we used a different prayer after the General Confession from the one that we have been using. The reason for this change is that the prayer, “Merciful Lord, grant to your faithful people pardon and peace…” is the collect appointed for this Sunday, the twenty-first Sunday after Trinity.
Both this collect and variations of the prayer we used this Sunday are provided in a number of service books as alternatives to an absolution for Sunday and other occasions when a deacon or authorized lay person is leading a public service of Morning Prayer or an individual is reading the office as a part of their daily devotions.
In Anglican churches only bishops and priests are authorized to declare God’ forgiveness. A deacon or an authorized lay person may only pray for forgiveness on behalf of the congregation or read an assurance of forgiveness from the Bible.
I am not going to delve into the theology behind this practice except to note that there is more than one school of thought on the topic. What I am going to do is to take a look at the origin of this collect and what we are asking God when we pray it.
In his first letter to the Corinthians the apostle Paul stresses the importance of praying with understanding (1 Corinthians 14:15). In this Sunday’s second reading from Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians, the apostle urges the Christians at Thessalonica, modern-day Thessaloniki, Greece, to stand firm and hold fast to the traditions, or teachings, that he taught them by word of mouth or by letter. With my explanation of this collect I am hoping to enable those praying the collect to pray it with understanding.
The collect is a contemporary language version of the collect appointed for twenty-first Sunday after Trinity in the eucharistic lectionary of the first English Book of Common Prayer of 1549.
"Graunt we beseche thee, merciful Lord, to thy faithfull people pardon and peace, that they maye bee clensed from all. their synnes, and serve thee with a quiet mynde. Through Jesus Christ our Lorde."
The collect was adapted from a 7th or early 8th century collection of prayers, the Gelasian Sacramentary, which is the second oldest surviving western liturgical book, after the Verona Sacramentary. The wording was altered only slightly. “Pardon” was substituted for “indulgence,” a word associated with a particular medieval Catholic abuse—the sale of indulgences. “Quiet” was substituted for the Latin “secure.”
In the General Confession at the beginning of the office we confess how we have gone our own way instead of living to the glory of God’s holy name, how we have failed to fulfill God’s will and purposes for us. We not only confess our individual failures but also our failures as a local church and a part of the larger Christian community, our lack of love for God and our neighbor, the ways we have resisted God's grace working in us and in others.
In the collect we ask for God’s mercy, God’s forgiveness and God’s kindness. We also ask for “freedom from the torment of sin and from anxiety and worry.” We are asking God to enable us to keep from beating ourselves up and doing the devil’s work for him. We are also asking God to help us overcome our doubts and accept his forgiveness and his ability to wipe away our sins and to give us peace of mind. We are asking for sanctifying grace too, the grace that enables us to grow in our love of God and in Christlikeness. We are not only asking these things for ourselves but also for the local church and the larger Christian community of which we are part. The collect is both a supplication, a prayer for ourselves, and an intercession, a prayer for others.
Whether we pray the collect ourselves or hear someone else pray the collect and add our “amen,” this is what we are asking.
Silence
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth;
and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father
almighty;
from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
THE MINISTRY OF PRAYER
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
Lord, show us your mercy,
and grant us your salvation.
Keep our nation under your care,
and guide us in justice and truth.
Clothe your ministers with righteousness,
and make your chosen people joyful.
Lord, save your people,
and bless your inheritance.
Give peace in our time, O Lord,
for you are our help and strength.
Create in us dean hearts, O God,
and renew us by your Holy Spirit.
Merciful Lord, grant to your faithful people pardon
and peace, that they may be cleansed from all their
sins, and serve you with a quiet mind; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
O God, the author and lover of peace, in knowledge of whom
stands our eternal life, whose service is perfect freedom;
defend us your servants in all assaults of our enemies,
that, surely trusting in your defense, we may not fear the power
of any adversaries, through the might of Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
Eternal God and Father, by whose power we are created and
by whose love we are redeemed: guide and strengthen us by
your Spirit, that we may give ourselves to your service, and
live every day in love to one another and to you; through Jesus
Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Dave Hunt’s arrangement of Edith McNeill’s “The Steadfast Love of the Lord.”
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
His mercies never come to an end;
They are new every morning,
New every morning,
Great is Thy faithfulness, O Lord,
Great is Thy faithfulness!
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
His mercies never come to an end;
They are new every morning,
New every morning,
Great is Thy faithfulness, O Lord,
Great is Thy faithfulness!
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
His mercies never come to an end;
They are new every morning,
New every morning,
Great is Thy faithfulness, O Lord,
Great is Thy faithfulness!
[Let us pray for the Church]
Almighty and eternal God, you alone work great marvels:
send down your life-giving Spirit of grace on our bishops and other clergy, and on the congregations which they serve; and, in order that they may truly please you, pour upon them the continual dew of your blessing. Grant this, Lord, for the honour of our advocate and mediator, Jesus Christ. Amen.
[Let us pray for all people according to their needs]
God of providence, God of love,
we pray for all people: make your way known to them, your saving power
among all nations.
We pray for the welfare of your Church throughout the world: guide and
govern it by your Holy Spirit, that all who call themselves Christians
may be led in the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit,
in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life.
We commend to your fatherly goodness all who are afflicted or distressed
in mind, body, or circumstances (especially…). Relieve them according to their needs, giving them patience in their sufferings, and deliverance in their afflictions. This we ask for the sake of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.
[Let us pray for ourselves and others.]
Silence
Those present may offer their own prayers and thanksgivings, either silently or aloud.
Eternal God,
grant to us this day and every day
such readiness and delight in following Christ,
that whether our lives are short or long
we shall have lived abundantly. Amen.
[Let us give thanks to God for his goodness.]
Almighty God and merciful Father,
we give you heart-felt thanks
for all your goodness and loving kindness to us
and to all people.
We bless you for our creation and preservation,
and all the blessings of this life;
but above all for your immeasurable love
in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ;
for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.
And, we pray, give us such a sense of all your mercies,
that our hearts may be truly thankful,
and that we praise you,
not only with our lips but in our lives,
serving you in holiness and righteousness all our days;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
to whom with you and the Holy Spirit,
be honour and glory, now and for ever. Amen.
Almighty God, you have promised to hear the petitions of
those who ask in your Son’s name: mercifully accept us who
have now made our prayers to you; and grant us those things
which we have asked in faith according to your will; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Richard Bruxvoort Colligan’s “O Christ, surround me.”
1 God be the love to search and keep me
God be the prayer to move my voice
God be the strength to now uphold me
O Christ, surround me
O Christ, surround me
2 Bind to myself the name of Holy
Great cloud of witnesses enfold
Prophets, apostles, angels witness
O Christ, surround me
O Christ, surround me
3 Brightness of sun and glow of moonlight
Flashing of lightning, strength of wind
Depth of the sea to soil of planet
O Christ, surround me
O Christ, surround me
4 Walking behind to hem my journey
Going ahead to light my way
And from beneath, above, and all ways
O Christ, surround me
O Christ, surround me
5 Christ in the eyes of all who see me
Christ in the ears who hear my voice
Christ in the hearts of all who know me
O Christ, surround me
O Christ, surround me
THE SENDING FORTH OF GOD’S PEOPLE
The Lord be with you.
And also with you
Let us praise the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Open this link in a new tab to hear St. Aidan’s Community’s “The Grace (2 Corinthians 13:14).”
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God our Father,
and the fellowship, the fellowship
of the Holy Spirit be with us
for evermore and evermore and evermore. Amen.
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God our Father,
and the fellowship, the fellowship
of the Holy Spirit be with us
for evermore and evermore and evermore. Amen.
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