Collect
Almighty God,
who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ
have overcome death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life:
grant that, as by your grace going before us
you put into our minds good desires,
so by your continual help
we may bring them to good effect;
through Jesus Christ our risen Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen
New Testement
Acts 8.26-40
Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Go south to the road – the
desert road – that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ So he started out,
and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge
of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means ‘queen of the
Ethiopians’). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way
home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet.
The Spirit told Philip, ‘Go to that chariot and stay near it.’
Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the
prophet. ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ Philip asked.
‘How can I,’ he said, ‘unless someone explains it to me?’ So he
invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading:
‘He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth.’
The eunuch asked Philip, ‘Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking
about, himself or someone else?’ Then Philip began with that very passage
of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.
As they travelled along the road, they came to some water and the
eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being
baptised?’ And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and
the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptised him. When they
came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip
away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.
Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and travelled about, preaching the
gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.
Psalm 22.25-31
25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation; I will perform
my vows in the presence of those that fear you.
26 The poor shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek the Lord shall
praise him; their hearts shall live for ever.
27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and
all the families of the nations shall bow before him.
28 For the kingdom is the Lord’s and he rules over the nations.
29 How can those who sleep in the earth bow down in worship, or those
who go down to the dust kneel before him?
30 He has saved my life for himself; my descendants shall serve him;
this shall be told of the Lord for generations to come.
31 They shall come and make known his salvation, to a people yet
unborn, declaring that he, the Lord, has done it.
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
Gospel
John 15.1-8
‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every
branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit
he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean
because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain
in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine.
Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
‘I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you,
you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not
remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such
branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in
me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done
for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing
yourselves to be my disciples.
Post Communion
Eternal God,
whose Son Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life:
grant us to walk in his way,
to rejoice in his truth,
and to share his risen life;
who is alive and reigns, now and for ever.
Amen
May 13th 2012
6th of Easter
Collect
God our redeemer,
you have delivered us from the power of darkness
and brought us into the kingdom of your Son:
grant, that as by his death he has recalled us to life,
so by his continual presence in us he may raise us
to eternal joy;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen
New Testement
Acts 10.44-48
While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all
who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter
were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even
on Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.
Then Peter said, ‘Surely no one can stand in the way of their being
baptised with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.’
So he ordered that they be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ. Then
they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.
Psalm 98
1 Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvellous things.
2 His own right hand and his holy arm have won for him the victory.
3 The Lord has made known his salvation; his deliverance has he openly
shown in the sight of the nations.
4 He has remembered his mercy and faithfulness towards the house of
Israel, and all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
5 Sound praises to the Lord, all the earth; break into singing and make
music.
6 Make music to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the voice of
melody.
7 With trumpets and the sound of the horn sound praises before the
Lord, the King.
8 Let the sea thunder and all that fills it, the world and all that
dwell upon it.
9 Let the rivers clap their hands and let the hills ring out together
before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth.
10 In righteousness shall he judge the world and the peoples with
equity.
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
Gospel
John 15.9-17
‘As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my
love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have
kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so
that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command
is this: love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one
than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends
if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a
servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you
friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to
you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you
might go and bear fruit – fruit that will last – and so that whatever you
ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: love each
other.
Post Communion
God our Father,
whose Son Jesus Christ gives the water of eternal life:
may we thirst for you,
the spring of life and source of goodness,
through him who is alive and reigns, now and for ever.
Amen
May 20th 2012
7th of Easter
(After Ascension)
Collect
O God the King of glory,
you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ
with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven:
we beseech you, leave us not comfortless,
but send your Holy Spirit to strengthen us
and exalt us to the place where our Saviour Christ is gone before,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen
New Testement
Acts 1.15-17,21-26
In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering
about a hundred and twenty) and said, ‘Brothers and sisters, the Scripture
had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David
concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus. He
was one of our number and shared in our ministry.’
Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with
us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, beginning from
John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of
these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.’
So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as
Justus) and Matthias. Then they prayed, ‘Lord, you know everyone’s heart.
Show us which of these two you have chosen to take over this apostolic
ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.’ Then they cast lots,
and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles
Psalm 1
1 Blessed are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked,
nor lingered in the way of sinners, nor sat in the assembly of the
scornful.
2 Their delight is in the law of the Lord and they meditate on his law
day and night.
3 Like a tree planted by streams of water bearing fruit in due season,
with leaves that do not wither, whatever they do, it shall prosper.
4 As for the wicked, it is not so with them; they are like chaff which
the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked shall not be able to stand in the judgement, nor
the sinner in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the
wicked shall perish.
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
Gospel
John 17.6-19
‘I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They
were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they
know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them
the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty
that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I pray for
them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for
they are yours. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory
has come to me through them. I will remain in the world no longer, but
they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect
them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be
one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them
safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to
destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.
‘I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the
world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. I
have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not
of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you
take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.
They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the
truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent
them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be
truly sanctified.
Post Communion
Eternal God, giver of love and power,
your Son Jesus Christ has sent us into all the world
to preach the gospel of his kingdom:
confirm us in this mission,
and help us to live the good news we proclaim;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
May 27th
Pentecost
Collect
God, who as at this time
taught the hearts of your faithful people
by sending to them the light of your Holy Spirit:
grant us by the same Spirit
to have a right judgement in all things
and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort;
through the merits of Christ Jesus our Saviour,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen
New Testement
Acts 2.1-21
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one
place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from
heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what
seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of
them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in
other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation
under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in
bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken.
Utterly amazed, they asked: ‘Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans?
Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language?
Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and
Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of
Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to
Judaism); Cretans and Arabs – we hear them declaring the wonders of God in
our own tongues!’ Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, ‘What
does this mean?’
Some, however, made fun of them and said, ‘They have had too much wine.
Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the
crowd: ‘Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain
this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These people are not drunk,
as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken
by the prophet Joel:
‘“In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Psalm 104.26-36,37b*
26 O Lord, how manifold are your works!
In wisdom you have
made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.
27 There is the sea, spread far and wide, and there move creatures
beyond number, both small and great.
28 There go the ships, and there is that Leviathan which you have made
to play in the deep.
29 All of these look to you to give them their food in due season.
30 When you give it them, they gather it; you open your hand and they
are filled with good.
31 When you hide your face they are troubled; when you take away their
breath, they die and return again to the dust.
32 When you send forth your spirit, they are created, and you renew the
face of the earth.
33 May the glory of the Lord endure for ever; may the Lord rejoice in
his works;
34 He looks on the earth and it trembles; he touches the mountains and
they smoke.
35 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will make music to my
God while I have my being.
36 So shall my song please him
while I rejoice in the Lord.
37 Bless the Lord, O my soul. Alleluia.
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
Gospel
John 15.26-27; 16.4b-15
‘When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father –
the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father – he will testify about
me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the
beginning.
I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you, but
now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, “Where are you
going?” Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these
things. But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going
away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I
will send him to you. When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the
wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people
do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the
Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the
prince of this world now stands condemned.
‘I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when
he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He
will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will
tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me
that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to
the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me
what he will make known to you.’
Post Communion
Faithful God,
who fulfilled the promises of Easter
by sending us your Holy Spirit
and opening to every race and nation
the way of life eternal:
open our lips by your Spirit,
that every tongue may tell of your glory;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen