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Sunday 18 November 2018 2nd Sunday before Advent / Year B

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Heavenly Father, whose blessed Son was revealed to destroy the works of the devil and to make us the children of God and heirs of eternal life: grant that we, having this hope, may purify ourselves even as he is pure; that when he shall appear in power and great glory we may be made like him in his eternal and glorious kingdom; where he is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.or
Heavenly Lord, you long for the world’s salvation: stir us from apathy, restrain us from excess and revive in us new hope that all creation will one day be healed in Jesus Christ our Lord.Readings
Daniel 12.1-3

12‘At that time Michael, the great prince, the protector of your people, shall arise. There shall be a time of anguish, such as has never occurred since nations first came into existence. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book. 2Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.3Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.

This is the word of the Lord.
AllThanks be to God.
Psalm 16

1  Preserve me, O God, for in you have I taken refuge; •
I have said to the Lord, ‘You are my lord,
all my good depends on you.’
2  All my delight is upon the godly that are in the land, •
upon those who are noble in heart.
3  Though the idols are legion
that many run after, •
their drink offerings of blood I will not offer,
neither make mention of their names upon my lips.
4  The Lord himself is my portion and my cup; •
in your hands alone is my fortune.
5  My share has fallen in a fair land; •
indeed, I have a goodly heritage.
6  I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel, •
and in the night watches he instructs my heart.
7  I have set the Lord always before me; •
he is at my right hand; I shall not fall.
8  Wherefore my heart is glad and my spirit rejoices; •
my flesh also shall rest secure.
9  For you will not abandon my soul to Death, •
nor suffer your faithful one to see the Pit.
10  You will show me the path of life;
in your presence is the fullness of joy •
and in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.

Hebrews 10.11-14 [15-18]19-25

11 And every priest stands day after day at his service, offering again and again the same sacrifices that can never take away sins. 12But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, ‘he sat down at the right hand of God’, 13and since then has been waiting ‘until his enemies would be made a footstool for his feet.’ 14For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.[ 15And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying, 
16 ‘This is the covenant that I will make with them
after those days, says the Lord:
I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds’, 
17he also adds,
‘I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.’ 
18Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.]

19 Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, 20by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), 21and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. 24And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, 25not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

This is the word of the Lord.
AllThanks be to God.
Gospel Reading
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark.
AllGlory to you, O Lord.
Mark 13.1-8

13As he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!’ 2Then Jesus asked him, ‘Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.’

3 When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, 4‘Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?’ 5Then Jesus began to say to them, ‘Beware that no one leads you astray. 6Many will come in my name and say, “I am he!” and they will lead many astray. 7When you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. 8For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.

This is the Gospel of the Lord.
AllPraise to you, O Christ.
Post Communion
Gracious Lord, in this holy sacrament you give substance to our hope: bring us at the last to that fullness of life for which we long; through Jesus Christ our Saviour.
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Sunday 4 November 2018 Alternative 1 of 2 4th Sunday before Advent Year B

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Reading Notes: Use this provision if All Saints’ Day is celebrated on Thursday 1 November.
Collect
or
Readings
Deuteronomy 6.1-9

6Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the ordinances—that the Lord your God charged me to teach you to observe in the land that you are about to cross into and occupy, 2so that you and your children and your children’s children may fear the Lord your God all the days of your life, and keep all his decrees and his commandments that I am commanding you, so that your days may be long.3Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe them diligently, so that it may go well with you, and so that you may multiply greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has promised you.

4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lordalone. 5You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. 6Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. 7Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise.8Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, 9and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

This is the word of the Lord.
All Thanks be to God.
Psalm 119.1-8

1  Blessed are those whose way is pure, •
who walk in the law of the Lord.
2  Blessed are those who keep his testimonies •
and seek him with their whole heart,
3  Those who do no wickedness, •
but walk in his ways.
4  You, O Lord, have charged •
that we should diligently keep your commandments.
5  O that my ways were made so direct •
that I might keep your statutes.
6  Then should I not be put to shame, •
because I have regard for all your commandments.
7  I will thank you with an unfeigned heart, •
when I have learned your righteous judgements.
8  I will keep your statutes; •
O forsake me not utterly.

Hebrews 9.11-14

11 But when Christ came as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation), 12he entered once for all into the Holy Place, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.13For if the blood of goats and bulls, with the sprinkling of the ashes of a heifer, sanctifies those who have been defiled so that their flesh is purified,14how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God!

This is the word of the Lord.
AllThanks be to God.
Gospel Reading
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark.
All Glory to you, O Lord.
Mark 12.28-34

28 One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, ‘Which commandment is the first of all?’ 29Jesus answered, ‘The first is, “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; 30you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” 31The second is this, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.’32Then the scribe said to him, ‘You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that “he is one, and besides him there is no other”; 33and “to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength”, and “to love one’s neighbour as oneself”,—this is much more important than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices.’ 34When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’ After that no one dared to ask him any question.

This is the Gospel of the Lord.
All Praise to you, O Christ.
Post Communion
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Thursday 1 November 2018 Alternative 1 of 3 All Saints’ Day or Year B

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Reading Notes: Collect
or Readings
Wisdom 3.1-9

3But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God,
and no torment will ever touch them. 
2 In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died,
and their departure was thought to be a disaster, 
3 and their going from us to be their destruction;
but they are at peace. 
4 For though in the sight of others they were punished,
their hope is full of immortality. 
5 Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good,
because God tested them and found them worthy of himself; 
6 like gold in the furnace he tried them,
and like a sacrificial burnt-offering he accepted them. 
7 In the time of their visitation they will shine forth,
and will run like sparks through the stubble. 
8 They will govern nations and rule over peoples,
and the Lord will reign over them for ever. 
9 Those who trust in him will understand truth,
and the faithful will abide with him in love,
because grace and mercy are upon his holy ones,
and he watches over his elect. 

This is the word of the Lord.
AllThanks be to God.
or Isaiah 25.6-9

6 On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food, a feast of well-matured wines,
of rich food filled with marrow, of well-matured wines strained clear. 
7 And he will destroy on this mountain
the shroud that is cast over all peoples,
the sheet that is spread over all nations; 
8 he will swallow up death for ever.
Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces,
and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the Lord has spoken. 
9 It will be said on that day,
Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us.
This is the Lord for whom we have waited;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

This is the word of the Lord.
All Thanks be to God.
Psalm 24.1-6

1  The earth is the Lord’s and all that fills it, •
the compass of the world and all who dwell therein.
2  For he has founded it upon the seas •
and set it firm upon the rivers of the deep.
3  ‘Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord, •
or who can rise up in his holy place?’
4  ‘Those who have clean hands and a pure heart, •
who have not lifted up their soul to an idol,
nor sworn an oath to a lie;
5  ‘They shall receive a blessing from the Lord, •
a just reward from the God of their salvation.’
6  Such is the company of those who seek him, •
of those who seek your face, O God of Jacob.

Revelation 21.1-6a

21Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
‘See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them;
they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them; 
4 he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away.’

5 And the one who was seated on the throne said, ‘See, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ 6Then he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life.

This is the word of the Lord.
All Thanks be to God.
Gospel Reading
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
All Glory to you, O Lord.
John 11.32-44

32When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’ 33When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. 34He said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ 35Jesus began to weep. 36So the Jews said, ‘See how he loved him!’ 37But some of them said, ‘Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?’

38 Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it.39Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’ Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, ‘Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead for four days.’ 40Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?’ 41So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upwards and said, ‘Father, I thank you for having heard me. 42I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.’ 43When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ 44The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let him go.’

This is the Gospel of the Lord.
All Praise to you, O Christ.
Post Communion
God, the source of all holiness and givers of all good things.
May who share at this table
As strangers and pilgrims here on earth
Be welcome with your all saints
To heavenly feast in your kingdom;
Through Jesus Christ our Lord amen.
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Sunday 28 October 2018 Alternative 1 of 3 Last after Trinity Proper 25 Year B

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Reading Notes:  Use this provision if Simon and Jude, Apostles is transferred to Monday 29 October. If the date of dedication of a church is not known, the Dedication Festival may be celebrated today or on 7 October, or on a suitable date chosen locally. See 7 October for the Dedication Festival provision.Collect
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: help us so to hear them, to read, mark, learn and inwardly digest them that, through patience, and the comfort of your holy word, we may embrace and for ever hold fast the hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.or
Merciful God, teach us to be faithful in change and uncertainty, that trusting in your word and obeying your will we may enter the unfailing joy of Jesus Christ our Lord.Readings
Continuous:
Job 42.1-6, 10-end

42Then Job answered the Lord: 
2 ‘I know that you can do all things,
and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. 
3 “Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?”
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. 
4 “Hear, and I will speak;
I will question you, and you declare to me.” 
5 I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,
but now my eye sees you; 
6 therefore I despise myself,
and repent in dust and ashes.’ 

10 And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he had prayed for his friends; and the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. 11Then there came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and they ate bread with him in his house; they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him; and each of them gave him a piece of money and a gold ring. 12The Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; and he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand donkeys. 13He also had seven sons and three daughters. 14He named the first Jemimah, the second Keziah, and the third Keren-happuch. 15In all the land there were no women so beautiful as Job’s daughters; and their father gave them an inheritance along with their brothers. 16After this Job lived for one hundred and forty years, and saw his children, and his children’s children, four generations. 17And Job died, old and full of days.

This is the word of the Lord.
AllThanks be to God.
Psalm 34.1-8, 19-end

1  I will bless the Lord at all times; •
his praise shall ever be in my mouth.
2  My soul shall glory in the Lord; •
let the humble hear and be glad.
3  O magnify the Lord with me; •
let us exalt his name together.
4  I sought the Lord and he answered me •
and delivered me from all my fears.
5  Look upon him and be radiant •
and your faces shall not be ashamed.
6  This poor soul cried, and the Lord heard me •
and saved me from all my troubles.
7  The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him •
and delivers them.
8  O taste and see that the Lord is gracious; •
blessed is the one who trusts in him.
19  Many are the troubles of the righteous; •
from them all will the Lord deliver them.
20  He keeps all their bones, •
so that not one of them is broken.
21  But evil shall slay the wicked •
and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
22  The Lord ransoms the life of his servants •
and will condemn none who seek refuge in him.

or Psalm [ 34.1-8]

[

1  I will bless the Lord at all times; •
his praise shall ever be in my mouth.
2  My soul shall glory in the Lord; •
let the humble hear and be glad.
3  O magnify the Lord with me; •
let us exalt his name together.
4  I sought the Lord and he answered me •
and delivered me from all my fears.
5  Look upon him and be radiant •
and your faces shall not be ashamed.
6  This poor soul cried, and the Lord heard me •
and saved me from all my troubles.
7  The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him •
and delivers them.
8  O taste and see that the Lord is gracious; •
blessed is the one who trusts in him.
]

Related:
Jeremiah 31.7-9

7 For thus says the Lord:
Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob,
and raise shouts for the chief of the nations;
proclaim, give praise, and say,
‘Save, O Lord, your people,
the remnant of Israel.’ 
8 See, I am going to bring them from the land of the north,
and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth,
among them the blind and the lame,
those with child and those in labour, together;
a great company, they shall return here. 
9 With weeping they shall come,
and with consolations I will lead them back,
I will let them walk by brooks of water,
in a straight path in which they shall not stumble;
for I have become a father to Israel,
and Ephraim is my firstborn. 

This is the word of the Lord.
AllThanks be to God.
Psalm 126

1  When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, •
then were we like those who dream.
2  Then was our mouth filled with laughter •
and our tongue with songs of joy.
3  Then said they among the nations, •
‘The Lord has done great things for them.’
4  The Lord has indeed done great things for us, •
and therefore we rejoiced.
5  Restore again our fortunes, O Lord, •
as the river beds of the desert.
6  Those who sow in tears •
shall reap with songs of joy.
7  Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed, •
will come back with shouts of joy,
bearing their sheaves with them.

New Testament Reading
Hebrews 7.23-end

23 Furthermore, the former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office; 24but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues for ever.25Consequently he is able for all time to save those who approach God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

26 For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, blameless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 27Unlike the other high priests, he has no need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for those of the people; this he did once for all when he offered himself. 28For the law appoints as high priests those who are subject to weakness, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect for ever. 

This is the word of the Lord.
AllThanks be to God.
Gospel Reading
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark.
AllGlory to you, O Lord.
Mark 10.46-end

46 They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. 47When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ 48Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’ 49Jesus stood still and said, ‘Call him here.’ And they called the blind man, saying to him, ‘Take heart; get up, he is calling you.’ 50So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. 51Then Jesus said to him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ The blind man said to him, ‘My teacher, let me see again.’ 52Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your faith has made you well.’ Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way. 

This is the Gospel of the Lord.
AllPraise to you, O Christ.
Post Communion
God of all grace, your Son Jesus Christ fed the hungry with the bread of his life and the word of his kingdom: renew your people with your heavenly grace, and in all our weakness sustain us by your true and living bread; who is alive and reigns, now and for ever.
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Sunday 21 October 2018 Alternative 1 of 2 21st Sunday after Trinity Proper 24 Year B

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Collect
Grant, we beseech you, merciful Lord, 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 your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.or
Almighty God, in whose service lies perfect freedom: teach us to obey you with loving hearts and steadfast wills; through Jesus Christ our Lord.Readings
Continuous:
Job 38.1-7 [34-end]

38Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind: 
2 ‘Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? 
3 Gird up your loins like a man,
I will question you, and you shall declare to me. 

4 ‘Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding. 
5 Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it? 
6 On what were its bases sunk,
or who laid its cornerstone 
7 when the morning stars sang together
and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy? 

[ 
34 ‘Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,
so that a flood of waters may cover you? 
35 Can you send forth lightnings, so that they may go
and say to you, “Here we are”? 
36 Who has put wisdom in the inward parts,
or given understanding to the mind? 
37 Who has the wisdom to number the clouds?
Or who can tilt the waterskins of the heavens, 
38 when the dust runs into a mass
and the clods cling together? 

39 ‘Can you hunt the prey for the lion,
or satisfy the appetite of the young lions, 
40 when they crouch in their dens,
or lie in wait in their covert? 
41 Who provides for the raven its prey,
when its young ones cry to God,
and wander about for lack of food? 

]

This is the word of the Lord.
AllThanks be to God.
Psalm 104.1-10, 26, 35c

1  Bless the Lord, O my soul. •
O Lord my God, how excellent is your greatness!
2  You are clothed with majesty and honour, •
wrapped in light as in a garment.
3  You spread out the heavens like a curtain •
and lay the beams of your dwelling place in the waters above.
4  You make the clouds your chariot •
and ride on the wings of the wind.
5  You make the winds your messengers •
and flames of fire your servants.
6  You laid the foundations of the earth, •
that it never should move at any time.
7  You covered it with the deep like a garment; •
the waters stood high above the hills.
8  At your rebuke they fled; •
at the voice of your thunder they hastened away.
9  They rose up to the hills and flowed down to the valleys beneath, •
to the place which you had appointed for them.
10  You have set them their bounds that they should not pass, •
nor turn again to cover the earth.
26  O Lord, how manifold are your works! •
In wisdom you have made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.
35  I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; •
I will make music to my God while I have my being.

or Psalm [ 104.1-10]

[

1  Bless the Lord, O my soul. •
O Lord my God, how excellent is your greatness!
2  You are clothed with majesty and honour, •
wrapped in light as in a garment.
3  You spread out the heavens like a curtain •
and lay the beams of your dwelling place in the waters above.
4  You make the clouds your chariot •
and ride on the wings of the wind.
5  You make the winds your messengers •
and flames of fire your servants.
6  You laid the foundations of the earth, •
that it never should move at any time.
7  You covered it with the deep like a garment; •
the waters stood high above the hills.
8  At your rebuke they fled; •
at the voice of your thunder they hastened away.
9  They rose up to the hills and flowed down to the valleys beneath, •
to the place which you had appointed for them.
10  You have set them their bounds that they should not pass, •
nor turn again to cover the earth.
]

Related:
Isaiah 53.4-end

4 Surely he has borne our infirmities
and carried our diseases;
yet we accounted him stricken,
struck down by God, and afflicted. 
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions,
crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the punishment that made us whole,
and by his bruises we are healed. 
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have all turned to our own way,
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all. 

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth. 
8 By a perversion of justice he was taken away.
Who could have imagined his future?
For he was cut off from the land of the living,
stricken for the transgression of my people. 
9 They made his grave with the wicked
and his tomb with the rich,
although he had done no violence,
and there was no deceit in his mouth. 

10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him with pain.
When you make his life an offering for sin,
he shall see his offspring, and shall prolong his days;
through him the will of the Lord shall prosper. 
11   Out of his anguish he shall see light;
he shall find satisfaction through his knowledge.
The righteous one, my servant, shall make many righteous,
and he shall bear their iniquities. 
12 Therefore I will allot him a portion with the great,
and he shall divide the spoil with the strong;
because he poured out himself to death,
and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors. 

This is the word of the Lord.
AllThanks be to God.
Psalm 91.9-end

9  Because you have made the Lord your refuge •
and the Most High your stronghold,
10  There shall no evil happen to you, •
neither shall any plague come near your tent.
11  For he shall give his angels charge over you, •
to keep you in all your ways.
12  They shall bear you in their hands, •
lest you dash your foot against a stone.
13  You shall tread upon the lion and adder; •
the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.
14  Because they have set their love upon me,
therefore will I deliver them; •
I will lift them up, because they know my name.
15  They will call upon me and I will answer them; •
I am with them in trouble,
I will deliver them and bring them to honour.
16  With long life will I satisfy them •
and show them my salvation.

New Testament Reading
Hebrews 5.1-10

5Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is subject to weakness; 3and because of this he must offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people. 4And one does not presume to take this honour, but takes it only when called by God, just as Aaron was.

5 So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him,
‘You are my Son,
today I have begotten you’; 
6as he says also in another place,
‘You are a priest for ever,
according to the order of Melchizedek.’

7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; 9and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, 10having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

This is the word of the Lord.
AllThanks be to God.
Gospel Reading
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark.
AllGlory to you, O Lord.
Mark 10.35-45

35 James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him, ‘Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.’ 36And he said to them, ‘What is it you want me to do for you?’ 37And they said to him, ‘Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.’ 38But Jesus said to them, ‘You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?’ 39They replied, ‘We are able.’ Then Jesus said to them, ‘The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized;40but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.’

41 When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John. 42So Jesus called them and said to them, ‘You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. 43But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, 44and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all.45For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.’ 

This is the Gospel of the Lord.
AllPraise to you, O Christ.
Post Communion
Father of light, in whom is no change or shadow of turning, you give us every good and perfect gift and have brought us to birth by your word of truth: may we be a living sign of that kingdom where your whole creation will be made perfect in Jesus Christ our Lord.
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Sunday 14 October 2018 Alternative 1 of 2 20th Sunday after Trinity Proper 23 Year B

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God, the giver of life, whose Holy Spirit wells up within your Church: by the Spirit’s gifts equip us to live the gospel of Christ  and make us eager to do your will, that we may share with the whole creation the joys of eternal life; 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.or
God, our light and our salvation: illuminate our lives, that we may see your goodness in the land of the living, and looking on your beauty may be changed into the likeness of Jesus Christ our Lord.Readings
Continuous:
Job 23.1-9, 16-end

23Then Job answered: 

 ‘is Today also my complaint is bitter;
his hand is heavy despite my groaning. 
3 O that I knew where I might find him,
that I might come even to his dwelling! 
4 I would lay my case before him,
and fill my mouth with arguments. 
5 I would learn what he would answer me,
and understand what he would say to me. 
6 Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power?
No; but he would give heed to me. 
7 There an upright person could reason with him,
and I should be acquitted for ever by my judge. 

8 ‘If I go forward, he is not there;
or backward, I cannot perceive him; 
9 on the left he hides, and I cannot behold him;
I turn to the right, but I cannot see him. 
16 God has made my heart faint;
the Almighty has terrified me; 
17 If only I could vanish in darkness,
and thick darkness would cover my face! 

This is the word of the Lord.
AllThanks be to God.
Psalm 22.1-15

1  My God, my God, why have you forsaken me, •
and are so far from my salvation,
from the words of my distress?
2  O my God, I cry in the daytime,
but you do not answer; •
and by night also, but I find no rest.
3  Yet you are the Holy One, •
enthroned upon the praises of Israel.
4  Our forebears trusted in you; •
they trusted, and you delivered them.
5  They cried out to you and were delivered; •
they put their trust in you and were not confounded.
6  But as for me, I am a worm and no man, •
scorned by all and despised by the people.
7  All who see me laugh me to scorn; •
they curl their lips and wag their heads, saying,
8  ‘He trusted in the Lord; let him deliver him; •
let him deliver him, if he delights in him.’
9  But it is you that took me out of the womb •
and laid me safe upon my mother’s breast.
10  On you was I cast ever since I was born; •
you are my God even from my mother’s womb.
11  Be not far from me, for trouble is near at hand •
and there is none to help.
12  Mighty oxen come around me; •
fat bulls of Bashan close me in on every side.
13  They gape upon me with their mouths, •
as it were a ramping and a roaring lion.
14  I am poured out like water;
all my bones are out of joint; •
my heart has become like wax
melting in the depths of my body.
15  My mouth is dried up like a potsherd;
my tongue cleaves to my gums; •
you have laid me in the dust of death.

Related:
Amos 5.6-7, 10-15

6 Seek the Lord and live,
or he will break out against the house of Joseph like fire,
and it will devour Bethel, with no one to quench it. 
7 Ah, you that turn justice to wormwood,
and bring righteousness to the ground! 

10 They hate the one who reproves in the gate,
and they abhor the one who speaks the truth. 
11 Therefore, because you trample on the poor
and take from them levies of grain,
you have built houses of hewn stone,
but you shall not live in them;
you have planted pleasant vineyards,
but you shall not drink their wine. 
12 For I know how many are your transgressions,
and how great are your sins—
you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe,
and push aside the needy in the gate. 
13 Therefore the prudent will keep silent in such a time;
for it is an evil time. 

14 Seek good and not evil,
that you may live;
and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you,
just as you have said. 
15 Hate evil and love good,
and establish justice in the gate;
it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts,
will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. 

This is the word of the Lord.
AllThanks be to God.
Psalm 90.12-end

12  So teach us to number our days •
that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.
13  Turn again, O Lord; how long will you delay? •
Have compassion on your servants.
14  Satisfy us with your loving-kindness in the morning, •
that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
15  Give us gladness for the days you have afflicted us, •
and for the years in which we have seen adversity.
16  Show your servants your works, •
and let your glory be over their children.
17  May the gracious favour of the Lord our God be upon us; •
prosper our handiwork; O prosper the work of our hands.

New Testament Reading
Hebrews 4.12-end

12 Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account. 

14 Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. 15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. 16Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

This is the word of the Lord.
AllThanks be to God.
Gospel Reading
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark.
AllGlory to you, O Lord.
Mark 10.17-31

17 As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ 18Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 19You know the commandments: “You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honour your father and mother.” ’20He said to him, ‘Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.’ 21Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, ‘You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ 22When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

23 Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!’ 24And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, ‘Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.’ 26They were greatly astounded and said to one another, ‘Then who can be saved?’ 27Jesus looked at them and said, ‘For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.’

28 Peter began to say to him, ‘Look, we have left everything and followed you.’ 29Jesus said, ‘Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, 30who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. 31But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.’ 

This is the Gospel of the Lord.
AllPraise to you, O Christ.
Post Communion
God our Father, whose Son, the light unfailing, has come from heaven to deliver the world from the darkness of ignorance: let these holy mysteries open the eyes of our understanding that we may know the way of life, and walk in it without stumbling; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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Sunday 7 October 2018 Alternative 1 of 3 19th Sunday after Trinity Proper 22 Year B

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Readings
Job 1.1, 2.1-10

1There was once a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. That man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.

2One day the heavenly beings came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord. 2The Lord said to Satan, ‘Where have you come from?’ Satan answered the Lord, ‘From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.’ 3The Lord said to Satan, ‘Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil. He still persists in his integrity, although you incited me against him, to destroy him for no reason.’ 4Then Satan answered the Lord, ‘Skin for skin! All that people have they will give to save their lives. 5But stretch out your hand now and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.’ 6The Lord said to Satan, ‘Very well, he is in your power; only spare his life.’

7 So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and inflicted loathsome sores on Job from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. 8Job took a potsherd with which to scrape himself, and sat among the ashes.

9 Then his wife said to him, ‘Do you still persist in your integrity? Curse God, and die.’ 10But he said to her, ‘You speak as any foolish woman would speak. Shall we receive the good at the hand of God, and not receive the bad?’ In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

This is the word of the Lord.
All Thanks be to God.
Psalm 26

1  Give judgement for me, O Lord,
for I have walked with integrity; •
I have trusted in the Lord and have not faltered.
2  Test me, O Lord, and try me; •
examine my heart and my mind.
3  For your love is before my eyes; •
I have walked in your truth.
4  I have not joined the company of the false, •
nor consorted with the deceitful.
5  I hate the gathering of evildoers •
and I will not sit down with the wicked.
6  I will wash my hands in innocence, O Lord, •
that I may go about your altar,
7  To make heard the voice of thanksgiving •
and tell of all your wonderful deeds.
8  Lord, I love the house of your habitation •
and the place where your glory abides.
9  Sweep me not away with sinners, •
nor my life with the bloodthirsty,
10  Whose hands are full of wicked schemes •
and their right hand full of bribes.
11  As for me, I will walk with integrity; •
redeem me, Lord, and be merciful to me.
12  My foot stands firm; •
in the great congregation I will bless the Lord.

Related:
Genesis 2.18-24

18 Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.’ 19So out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper as his partner. 21So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 23Then the man said,
‘This at last is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
this one shall be called Woman,
for out of Man this one was taken.’ 
24Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh.

This is the word of the Lord.
All Thanks be to God.
Psalm 8

1  O Lord our governor, •
how glorious is your name in all the world!
2  Your majesty above the heavens is praised •
out of the mouths of babes at the breast.
3  You have founded a stronghold against your foes, •
that you might still the enemy and the avenger.
4  When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, •
the moon and the stars that you have ordained,
5  What is man, that you should be mindful of him; •
the son of man, that you should seek him out?
6  You have made him little lower than the angels •
and crown him with glory and honour.
7  You have given him dominion over the works of your hands •
and put all things under his feet,
8  All sheep and oxen, •
even the wild beasts of the field,
9  The birds of the air, the fish of the sea •
and whatsoever moves in the paths of the sea.
10  O Lord our governor, •
how glorious is your name in all the world!

New Testament Reading
Hebrews 1.1-4, 2.5-12

1Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, 2but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. 3He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

5 Now God did not subject the coming world, about which we are speaking, to angels. 6But someone has testified somewhere,
‘What are human beings that you are mindful of them,
or mortals, that you care for them? 
7 You have made them for a little while lower than the angels;
you have crowned them with glory and honour, 
8   subjecting all things under their feet.’
Now in subjecting all things to them, God left nothing outside their control. As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to them, 9but we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honour because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of Godhe might taste death for everyone.

10 It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, 12saying,
‘I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters,
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.’

This is the word of the Lord.
All Thanks be to God.
Gospel Reading
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark.
AllGlory to you, O Lord.
Mark 10.2-16

2 Some Pharisees came, and to test him they asked, ‘Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?’ 3He answered them, ‘What did Moses command you?’ 4They said, ‘Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her.’ 5But Jesus said to them, ‘Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you. 6But from the beginning of creation, “God made them male and female.” 7“For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, 8and the two shall become one flesh.” So they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.’

10 Then in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. 11He said to them, ‘Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; 12and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.’

13 People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. 14But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. 15Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.’ 16And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.

This is the Gospel of the Lord.
All Praise to you, O Christ.
Post Communion