Almighty God,

you have broken the tyranny of sin

and have sent the Spirit of your Son into our hearts whereby we call you Father:

give us grace to dedicate our freedom to your service,

that we and all creation may be brought to the glorious liberty of the children of God;

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 saviour,

look on this wounded world

in pity and in power;

hold us fast to your promises of peace

won for us by your Son,

our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Readings

Continuous:

1 Samuel 15.34-16.13

34 Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul. 35Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, but Samuel grieved over Saul. And the Lord was sorry that he had made Saul king over Israel.

16

The Lord said to Samuel, ‘How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.’ 2Samuel said, ‘How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me.’ And the Lord said, ‘Take a heifer with you, and say, “I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.” 3Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you.’ 4Samuel did what the Lord commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, ‘Do you come peaceably?’ 5He said, ‘Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.’ And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

6 When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed is now before the Lord.’ 7But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.’ 8Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, ‘Neither has the Lord chosen this one.’ 9Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, ‘Neither has the Lord chosen this one.’ 10Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, ‘The Lord has not chosen any of these.’ 11Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Are all your sons here?’ And he said, ‘There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.’ And Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.’ 12He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The Lord said, ‘Rise and anoint him; for this is the one.’ 13Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah.

This is the word of the Lord.

AllThanks be to God.

Psalm 20

1  May the Lord hear you in the day of trouble, •

the name of the God of Jacob defend you;

2  Send you help from his sanctuary •

and strengthen you out of Zion;

3  Remember all your offerings •

and accept your burnt sacrifice;

4  Grant you your heart’s desire •

and fulfil all your mind.

5  May we rejoice in your salvation

and triumph in the name of our God; •

may the Lord perform all your petitions.

6  Now I know that the Lord will save his anointed; •

he will answer him from his holy heaven,

with the mighty strength of his right hand.

7  Some put their trust in chariots and some in horses, •

but we will call only on the name of the Lord our God.

8  They are brought down and fallen, •

but we are risen and stand upright.

9  O Lord, save the king •

and answer us when we call upon you.

Related:

Ezekiel 17.22-end

22 Thus says the Lord God:

I myself will take a sprig

from the lofty top of a cedar;

I will set it out.

I will break off a tender one

from the topmost of its young twigs;

I myself will plant it

on a high and lofty mountain.

23 On the mountain height of Israel

I will plant it,

in order that it may produce boughs and bear fruit,

and become a noble cedar.

Under it every kind of bird will live;

in the shade of its branches will nest

winged creatures of every kind.

24 All the trees of the field shall know

that I am the Lord.

I bring low the high tree,

I make high the low tree;

I dry up the green tree

and make the dry tree flourish.

I the Lord have spoken;

I will accomplish it.

This is the word of the Lord.

AllThanks be to God.

Psalm 92.1-4,12-end

1  It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord •

and to sing praises to your name, O Most High;

2  To tell of your love early in the morning •

and of your faithfulness in the night-time,

3  Upon the ten-stringed instrument, upon the harp, •

and to the melody of the lyre.

4  For you, Lord, have made me glad by your acts, •

and I sing aloud at the works of your hands.

12  The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, •

and shall spread abroad like a cedar of Lebanon.

13  Such as are planted in the house of the Lord •

shall flourish in the courts of our God.

14  They shall still bear fruit in old age; •

they shall be vigorous and in full leaf;

15  That they may show that the Lord is true; •

he is my rock,

and there is no unrighteousness in him.

or Psalm [ 92.1-8]

[

1  It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord •

and to sing praises to your name, O Most High;

2  To tell of your love early in the morning •

and of your faithfulness in the night-time,

3  Upon the ten-stringed instrument, upon the harp, •

and to the melody of the lyre.

4  For you, Lord, have made me glad by your acts, •

and I sing aloud at the works of your hands.

5  O Lord, how glorious are your works! •

Your thoughts are very deep.

6  The senseless do not know, •

nor do fools understand,

7  That though the wicked sprout like grass •

and all the workers of iniquity flourish,

8  It is only to be destroyed for ever; •

but you, O Lord, shall be exalted for evermore.

]

New Testament Reading

2 Corinthians 5.6-10 [11-13] 14-17

6 So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord— 7for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 10For all of us must appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil.[

11 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade others; but we ourselves are well known to God, and I hope that we are also well known to your consciences. 12We are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you an opportunity to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast in outward appearance and not in the heart. 13For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.] 14For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. 15And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them.

16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. 17So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!

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 4.26-34

26 He also said, ‘The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, 27and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. 28The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. 29But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.’

30 He also said, ‘With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? 31It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; 32yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.’

33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; 34he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

AllPraise to you, O Christ.

Post Communion

O God, whose beauty is beyond our imagining

and whose power we cannot comprehend:

show us your glory as far as we can grasp it,

and shield us from knowing more than we can bear

until we may look upon you without fear;

through Jesus Christ our Saviour.

Lord, you have taught us

that all our doings without love are nothing worth:

send your Holy Spirit

and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of love,

the true bond of peace and of all virtues,

without which whoever lives is counted dead before you.

Grant this for your only Son Jesus Christ’s sake,

who is alive and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

or

Faithful Creator,

whose mercy never fails:

deepen our faithfulness to you

and to your living Word,

Jesus Christ our Lord.

Readings

Continuous:

1 Samuel 8.4-11 [12-15] 16-20

4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, 5and said to him, ‘You are old and your sons do not follow in your ways; appoint for us, then, a king to govern us, like other nations.’ 6But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, ‘Give us a king to govern us.’ Samuel prayed to the Lord, 7and the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. 8Just as they have done to me, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so also they are doing to you. 9Now then, listen to their voice; only—you shall solemnly warn them, and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.’

10 So Samuel reported all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. 11He said, ‘These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen, and to run before his chariots;[ 12and he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plough his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. 13He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his courtiers. 15He will take one-tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and his courtiers.] 16He will take your male and female slaves, and the best of your cattle and donkeys, and put them to his work. 17He will take one-tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. 18And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves; but the Lord will not answer you in that day.’

19 But the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel; they said, ‘No! but we are determined to have a king over us, 20so that we also may be like other nations, and that our king may govern us and go out before us and fight our battles.’

1 Samuel [11.14-end]

[

14 Samuel said to the people, ‘Come, let us go to Gilgal and there renew the kingship.’ 15So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the Lord in Gilgal. There they sacrificed offerings of well-being before the Lord, and there Saul and all the Israelites rejoiced greatly.]

This is the word of the Lord.

AllThanks be to God.

Psalm 138

1  I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with my whole heart; •

before the gods will I sing praise to you.

2  I will bow down towards your holy temple and praise your name,

because of your love and faithfulness; •

for you have glorified your name

and your word above all things.

3  In the day that I called to you, you answered me; •

you put new strength in my soul.

4  All the kings of the earth shall praise you, O Lord, •

for they have heard the words of your mouth.

5  They shall sing of the ways of the Lord, •

that great is the glory of the Lord.

6  Though the Lord be high, he watches over the lowly; •

as for the proud, he regards them from afar.

7  Though I walk in the midst of trouble,

you will preserve me; •

you will stretch forth your hand against the fury of my enemies;

your right hand will save me.

8  The Lord shall make good his purpose for me; •

your loving-kindness, O Lord, endures for ever;

forsake not the work of your hands.

Related:

Genesis 3.8-15

8 They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9But the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, ‘Where are you?’ 10He said, ‘I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.’ 11He said, ‘Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?’ 12The man said, ‘The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.’ 13Then the Lord God said to the woman, ‘What is this that you have done?’ The woman said, ‘The serpent tricked me, and I ate.’ 14The Lord God said to the serpent,

‘Because you have done this,

cursed are you among all animals

and among all wild creatures;

upon your belly you shall go,

and dust you shall eat

all the days of your life.

15 I will put enmity between you and the woman,

and between your offspring and hers;

he will strike your head,

and you will strike his heel.’

This is the word of the Lord.

AllThanks be to God.

Psalm 130

1  Out of the depths have I cried to you, O Lord;

Lord, hear my voice; •

let your ears consider well the voice of my supplication.

2  If you, Lord, were to mark what is done amiss, •

O Lord, who could stand?

3  But there is forgiveness with you, •

so that you shall be feared.

4  I wait for the Lord; my soul waits for him; •

in his word is my hope.

5  My soul waits for the Lord,

more than the night watch for the morning, •

more than the night watch for the morning.

6  O Israel, wait for the Lord, •

for with the Lord there is mercy;

7  With him is plenteous redemption •

and he shall redeem Israel from all their sins.

New Testament Reading

2 Corinthians 4.13-5.1

13 But just as we have the same spirit of faith that is in accordance with scripture—‘I believed, and so I spoke’—we also believe, and so we speak, 14because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will bring us with you into his presence. 15Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

16 So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. 17For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, 18because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.

5

For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

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 3.20-end

20and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. 21When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, ‘He has gone out of his mind.’ 22And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, ‘He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons.’ 23And he called them to him, and spoke to them in parables, ‘How can Satan cast out Satan? 24If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come. 27But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered.

28 ‘Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; 29but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin’— 30for they had said, ‘He has an unclean spirit.’

31 Then his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to him and called him. 32A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, ‘Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you.’ 33And he replied, ‘Who are my mother and my brothers?’ 34And looking at those who sat around him, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! 35Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.’

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

AllPraise to you, O Christ.

Post Communion

Loving Father,

we thank you for feeding us at the supper of your Son:

sustain us with your Spirit,

that we may serve you here on earth

until our joy is complete in heaven,

and we share in the eternal banquet

with Jesus Christ our Lord.

1st Sunday after Trinity

Proper 4

Year B

Collect

O God,

the strength of all those who put their trust in you,

mercifully accept our prayers

and, because through the weakness of our mortal nature

we can do no good thing without you,

grant us the help of your grace,

that in the keeping of your commandments

we may please you both in will and deed;

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 of truth,

help us to keep your law of love

and to walk in ways of wisdom,

that we may find true life

in Jesus Christ your Son.

Readings

Continuous:

1 Samuel 3.1-10 [11-20]

3

Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread.

2 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room; 3the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. 4Then the Lord called, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ and he said, ‘Here I am!’ 5and ran to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ But he said, ‘I did not call; lie down again.’ So he went and lay down. 6The Lord called again, ‘Samuel!’ Samuel got up and went to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ But he said, ‘I did not call, my son; lie down again.’ 7Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. 8The Lord called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. 9Therefore Eli said to Samuel, ‘Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” ’ So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

10 Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’[ 11Then the Lord said to Samuel, ‘See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make both ears of anyone who hears of it tingle. 12On that day I will fulfil against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. 13For I have told him that I am about to punish his house for ever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them. 14Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be expiated by sacrifice or offering for ever.’

15 Samuel lay there until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the Lord. Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. 16But Eli called Samuel and said, ‘Samuel, my son.’ He said, ‘Here I am.’ 17Eli said, ‘What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also, if you hide anything from me of all that he told you.’ 18So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. Then he said, ‘It is the Lord; let him do what seems good to him.’

19 As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. 20And all Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was a trustworthy prophet of the Lord.]

This is the word of the Lord.

AllThanks be to God.

Psalm 139.1-5, 12-18

1  O Lord, you have searched me out and known me; •

you know my sitting down and my rising up;

you discern my thoughts from afar.

2  You mark out my journeys and my resting place •

and are acquainted with all my ways.

3  For there is not a word on my tongue, •

but you, O Lord, know it altogether.

4  You encompass me behind and before •

and lay your hand upon me.

5  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, •

so high that I cannot attain it.

12  For you yourself created my inmost parts; •

you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

13  I thank you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; •

marvellous are your works, my soul knows well.

14  My frame was not hidden from you, •

when I was made in secret

and woven in the depths of the earth.

15  Your eyes beheld my form, as yet unfinished; •

already in your book were all my members written,

16  As day by day they were fashioned •

when as yet there was none of them.

17  How deep are your counsels to me, O God! •

How great is the sum of them!

18  If I count them, they are more in number than the sand, •

and at the end, I am still in your presence.

Related:

Deuteronomy 5.12-15

12 Observe the sabbath day and keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. 13For six days you shall labour and do all your work. 14But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, or your son or your daughter, or your male or female slave, or your ox or your donkey, or any of your livestock, or the resident alien in your towns, so that your male and female slave may rest as well as you. 15Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the sabbath day.

This is the word of the Lord.

AllThanks be to God.

Psalm 81.1-10

1  Sing merrily to God our strength, •

shout for joy to the God of Jacob.

2  Take up the song and sound the timbrel, •

the tuneful lyre with the harp.

3  Blow the trumpet at the new moon, •

as at the full moon, upon our solemn feast day.

4  For this is a statute for Israel, •

a law of the God of Jacob,

5  The charge he laid on the people of Joseph, •

when they came out of the land of Egypt.

6  I heard a voice I did not know, that said: •

‘I eased their shoulder from the burden;

their hands were set free from bearing the load.

7  ‘You called upon me in trouble and I delivered you; •

I answered you from the secret place of thunder

and proved you at the waters of Meribah.

8  ‘Hear, O my people, and I will admonish you: •

O Israel, if you would but listen to me!

9  ‘There shall be no strange god among you; •

you shall not worship a foreign god.

10  ‘I am the Lord your God,

who brought you up from the land of Egypt; •

open your mouth wide and I shall fill it.’

New Testament Reading

2 Corinthians 4.5-12

5For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. 6For it is the God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness’, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

7 But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. 8We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. 11For while we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh. 12So death is at work in us, but life in you.

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 2.23-3.6

23 One sabbath he was going through the cornfields; and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. 24The Pharisees said to him, ‘Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?’ 25And he said to them, ‘Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need of food? 26He entered the house of God, when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and he gave some to his companions.’ 27Then he said to them, ‘The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath; 28so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.’

3

Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand. 2They watched him to see whether he would cure him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him. 3And he said to the man who had the withered hand, ‘Come forward.’ 4Then he said to them, ‘Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to kill?’ But they were silent. 5He looked around at them with anger; he was grieved at their hardness of heart and said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6The Pharisees went out and immediately conspired with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

AllPraise to you, O Christ.

Post Communion

Eternal Father,

we thank you for nourishing us

with these heavenly gifts:

may our communion strengthen us in faith,

build us up in hope,

and make us grow in love;

for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Collect

Almighty and everlasting God,

you have given us your servants grace,

by the confession of a true faith,

to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity

and in the power of the divine majesty to worship the Unity:

keep us steadfast in this faith,

that we may evermore be defended from all adversities;

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

Holy God,

faithful and unchanging:

enlarge our minds with the knowledge of your truth,

and draw us more deeply into the mystery of your love,

that we may truly worship you,

Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

Readings

Isaiah 6.1-8

6

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. 2Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. 3And one called to another and said:

‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;

the whole earth is full of his glory.’

4The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. 5And I said: ‘Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!’

6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. 7The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: ‘Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.’ 8Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I; send me!’

This is the word of the Lord.

AllThanks be to God.

Psalm 29

1  Ascribe to the Lord, you powers of heaven, •

ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

2  Ascribe to the Lord the honour due to his name; •

worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

3  The voice of the Lord is upon the waters;

the God of glory thunders; •

the Lord is upon the mighty waters.

4  The voice of the Lord is mighty in operation; •

the voice of the Lord is a glorious voice.

5  The voice of the Lord breaks the cedar trees; •

the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon;

6  He makes Lebanon skip like a calf •

and Sirion like a young wild ox.

7  The voice of the Lord splits the flash of lightning;

the voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; •

the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

8  The voice of the Lord makes the oak trees writhe

and strips the forests bare; •

in his temple all cry, ‘Glory!’

9  The Lord sits enthroned above the water flood; •

the Lord sits enthroned as king for evermore.

10  The Lord shall give strength to his people; •

the Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace.

Romans 8.12-17

12 So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— 13for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. 15For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ 16it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

This is the word of the Lord.

AllThanks be to God.

Gospel Reading

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.

AllGlory to you, O Lord.

John 3.1-17

3

Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. 2He came to Jesus by night and said to him, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.’ 3Jesus answered him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.’ 4Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?’ 5Jesus answered, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. 6What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Do not be astonished that I said to you, “You must be born from above.” 8The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.’ 9Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can these things be?’ 10Jesus answered him, ‘Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?

11 ‘Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. 12If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

16 ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

17 ‘Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

AllPraise to you, O Christ.

Post Communion

Almighty and eternal God,

you have revealed yourself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

and live and reign in the perfect unity of love:

hold us firm in this faith,

that we may know you in all your ways

and evermore rejoice in your eternal glory,

who are three Persons yet one God,

now and for ever.

Reading Notes: †In the Principal Service, the reading from Acts must be used as either the first or second reading.

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.

or

Holy Spirit, sent by the Father,

ignite in us your holy fire;

strengthen your children with the gift of faith,

revive your Church with the breath of love,

and renew the face of the earth,

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Readings

Acts 2.1-21

2

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

5 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. 7Amazed and astonished, they asked, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? 9Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.’ 12All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’ 13But others sneered and said, ‘They are filled with new wine.’

14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: ‘Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. 15Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. 16No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

17 “In the last days it will be, God declares,

that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,

and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

and your young men shall see visions,

and your old men shall dream dreams.

18 Even upon my slaves, both men and women,

in those days I will pour out my Spirit;

and they shall prophesy.

19 And I will show portents in the heaven above

and signs on the earth below,

blood, and fire, and smoky mist.

20 The sun shall be turned to darkness

and the moon to blood,

before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day.

21 Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

This is the word of the Lord.

AllThanks be to God.

or Ezekiel 37.1-14

37

The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2He led me all round them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. 3He said to me, ‘Mortal, can these bones live?’ I answered, ‘O Lord God, you know.’ 4Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 6I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord.’

7 So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. 9Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.’ 10I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude.

11 Then he said to me, ‘Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, “Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.” 12Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. 14I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act, says the Lord.’

This is the word of the Lord.

AllThanks be to God.

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  Let sinners be consumed out of the earth

and the wicked be no more. •

Bless the Lord, O my soul.

Alleluia.

or Psalm [ 104.26-end]

[ 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  Let sinners be consumed out of the earth

and the wicked be no more. •

Bless the Lord, O my soul.

Alleluia.

]

Romans 8.22-27

22We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labour pains until now; 23and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? 25But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. 27And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

This is the word of the Lord.

AllThanks be to God.

or Acts 2.1-21

2

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

5 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. 7Amazed and astonished, they asked, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? 9Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.’ 12All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’ 13But others sneered and said, ‘They are filled with new wine.’

14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: ‘Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. 15Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. 16No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

17 “In the last days it will be, God declares,

that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,

and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

and your young men shall see visions,

and your old men shall dream dreams.

18 Even upon my slaves, both men and women,

in those days I will pour out my Spirit;

and they shall prophesy.

19 And I will show portents in the heaven above

and signs on the earth below,

blood, and fire, and smoky mist.

20 The sun shall be turned to darkness

and the moon to blood,

before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day.

21 Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

This is the word of the Lord.

AllThanks be to God.

Gospel Reading

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.

AllGlory to you, O Lord.

John 15.26-27, 16.4b-15

26 ‘When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. 27You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning. 4But I have said these things to you so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you about them.

‘I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. 5But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, “Where are you going?” 6But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. 7Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgement: 9about sin, because they do not believe in me; 10about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; 11about judgement, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.

12 ‘I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

AllPraise to you, O Christ.

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.

As of now, I been out of seminary for over three and half years. I been just trying to get my toe in the water of some form of ministry. Only to be reject by kind words, but offering me no hope. I been struggling to understand why God let me go to seminary and get in such massive debt over it. If I was not met to do this why allow me access to such a school and in such short time? Am I being tested by God? I just would like to have a purpose, a meaning to get up. I want to serve and I feel still called. It is seem, I must go this without a denomination per se. I want to be connect to a church, but no one will offer me a olive branch. I do not have a criminal record, I just do not have much experience. I put all my time and effort in school and seminary. I have learning disability which make it hard for me to express my thoughts on paper. Most assume that, because I can not write I am not intelligent enough. I also gain large amount of weight when I damage my leg and it never fully heal. So, I can not stand long and moving around is not fully easy. Now society has reject me, due to my disability. But, I am not mad or angry at the world per se.  I am however frustrated and dispointed that I have not been given a chance. I have something to offer and it is not hateful  or violent,  It is about love and compassion. I want to offer other hope, by the message of Lord Jesus. He was a man if action and he came to lonely and rejected. I know, what it like to be in this sub group. I want to give back and no one will give me a chance. I will not turn to hate and angry. I choose mercy and compassion. I want to help people and I Just would like a chance. Why will not someone just give me this chance? I want to serve a purpose and I want to give back. It just so frustrating , that I just repeat myself over and over again. 

I lost my father three month ago and he got sick and past away in a week. He end up being in coma for over a week and died from organ failure. He was just turn 76 and he could have live long, if he had gonna the flu shot, he refuse to get the shot and he die. Ironically he would praise doctors for making medicine and treatment, to save people lives. He was thick in the head and was a pain in the ass.He grew up in the northeast and one of the sons of  Italian immigrants. He would lost his father, when he was ten years old. He and his brothers and one sister would grow up and become successful Americans. They would grow up in project area, only to get out and live in New England small town. He would become a engineer and he would get marry to my Mum and have three children with her. All would grow up and be good human beings with some issues. 

My father had nasty side and he made many of my years very shitty and scary. He would act up and cause problems, when they were not necessary he would resent that I was born with learning disability and become physical disable as I got older. He would knock and be little me, even when I was mock and be little in public school. He would use violence when it suite his needs. However, he use words that would sting and never go away. He would tell me what a disappointment and failure. He could never except that I was different and I was more of thinking man then him. He would tell, I have read more books then he had in a life time. 

He said I was waste of space and my mother should have abort me. He would try to smash a chair into my bad Legg he would try to get into fist fights with me. He also, drove me to all my appointments and even drove me to school and came to visit, so my mom could see me, even those he resent it. I think possible, it was very hard for him to drive and he never told us.He tried to teach us baseball and other sports he grow up playing. He was very poor as child and he would only get fruits as gifts. He would go snow slaying with us down Steephill. He play stage court and throw snow balls at us. He loved to go fishing and swimming in ocean. He said he was happiness when he was on his boat, but in all the years I knew him, he never own a boat. He Also took care of my mother as she battle cancer twice and he was with her for 41.5 years. He kept his vows and never cheat on my mum. Those he treated her like a maiden. He was there for her and me and my brothers. He was A difficult man and son of a bitch. Now you would think I would not miss him and to be honest I has been nicer home without him. But, his present is gone and I miss him. I took him for granted and I never really told him how grateful I was his care. He was my father and I will miss him. Now grief is bitch, you never know how it coming. There moments where I am glad he is gone and like nights like this. I cry and morn over him. He made me feel worthless and I just wanted to escape him. I did not want to see him died and yet I feel so bad. Some will say closure come, but I think that lost never fully goes away. He was part of my past and he was big part of it. 

He was my father and I will miss. I am sorry, I never got to tell him, how much he had done for me. We would fight and argue we could have do much more time together yet we would only fight and argue about stupid stuff. I just feel as,if I could have possible help to cause his death, because he took me to Hotspital and then he got sick. We argue because when he drove me, he forgot the direction and the cell phone. He was yelling and cursing at me. He tried to kick me out of the car in the rain. He got me do up set before interview I guess came off nasty to the interviewers. However, they had such power over my fate and they deny me. I was so mad at him and we curse and argue with each other. I told him, that I hated him and wish he died. Not very kind things to say to anyone, but your father. I just feel terribly guilty. God forgive me and I hope he is at peace. He was not church going man and he had not been to church in years. He claimed to believe in God, but on his own terms. He claimed that how do you know the Bible is real? We did not agree on this and fight many times over this. He was a good don and husband and father. I hope he is able to get into heaven. But, he never gave his life fully over to Jesus or even to concept of God it seem. He would watch westerns and ball games, he used the Lord name in vain, he would watch porn on the computer to my mother horror. He was a son of bitch, but he was our son of bitch. Rest in peace old man, maybe we see each other again.