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<Proper 26> =The Sunday closest to November 2=

PRAYER (traditional language) Almighty and merciful God, of whose only thy gift it cometh that thy faithful people do unto thee true and laudable service: Grant, we beseech thee, that we may run without stumbling to obtain thy heavenly promises; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

PRAYER (contemporary language) Almighty and merciful God, by whose gift it is that your faithful people offer you true and laudable service: Grant that we may run without stumbling to obtain your heavenly promises; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

FOR YEAR A

FIRST READING: Micah 3:5-12 (Woe to the prophets who lead Israel astray, and the rulers who pervert justice.)

PSALM 43 (Take my side, O LORD, against my unjust and deceitful oppressors.)

EPISTLE: 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13,17-20 (You remember when we first brought the Gospel to you, how we were careful to take no advantage of you, but worked on your behalf like a father working to support his family.)

THE HOLY GOSPEL: Matthew 23:1-12 (Jesus said, "Listen to the teaching of the scholars, but do not follow their examples, for they preach well but do not practice, and they love the honor of men.")

FOR YEAR B

FIRST READING: Deuteronomy 6:1-9 (These are the statutes that the LORD gives you for your wellbeing. "Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is One. And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and soul and might.")

PSALM 119:1-16 *or* 119:1-8 (Blessed are those who walk in the law of the LORD.)

EPISTLE: Hebrews 7:23-28 (The high priests of old were many, and imperfect. They died and were replaced. But Christ is perfect and abides our High Priest forever.)

THE HOLY GOSPEL: Mark 12:28-34 (Jesus is asked what the greatest commandment is, and answers: The first is, "Hear, O Israel... you shall love the LORD with all your heart...." and the second is, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself.")

FOR YEAR C

FIRST READING: Isaiah 1:10-20 (Outward worship is worthless without a renewal of the heart.)

PSALM 32 (The joy of those who have experienced God's grace and forgiveness.)

EPISTLE: 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12 (The heavenly glory that awaits those who suffer for the faith of Christ here upon earth.)

THE HOLY GOSPEL: Luke 19:1-10 (Jesus befriends the outcast publican, Zacchaeus.)

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<Proper 27> =The Sunday closest to November 9=

PRAYER (traditional language) O God, whose blessed Son was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil and make us the children of God and heirs of eternal life: Grant us, we beseech thee, that, having this hope, we may purify ourselves even as he is pure; that, when he shall appear again with power and great glory, we may be made like unto him in his eternal and glorious kingdom; where with thee, O Father, and thee, O Holy Ghost, he liveth and reigneth ever, one God, world without end.

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

FOR YEAR A

FIRST READING: Amos 5:18-24 (Prepare for God's Day of Judgement, not with ritual offerings, but with justice and righteousness.)

PSALM 70 ("Make haste to deliver me, O LORD.")

EPISTLE: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (The Lord will come with a shout, and the dead in Christ shall be raised, and all who are Christ's, living and dead alike, shall dwell with him forever.)

THE HOLY GOSPEL: Matthew 25:1-13 (The Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids, and how only five were ready when the wedding began.)

FOR YEAR B

FIRST READING: 1 Kings 17:8-16 (During a famine, Elijah the prophet asked a poor widow with almost no food left to feed him, and she did; and her supply of food lasted, for her, her son, and the prophet, until the famine was over.)

PSALM 146 *or* 146:4-9 (The LORD watches over the poor, the widows, the orphans. For a metrical version, see the hymn, "I'll praise my maker while I've breath," at Proper 18, Year B, in September.)

EPISTLE: Hebrews 9:24-28 (The high priests of old offered repeated sacrifices, which were shadows of the True Sacrifice offered once for all by Jesus, the Eternal High Priest.)

THE HOLY GOSPEL: Mark 12:38-44 (Jesus saw worshipers offering money in the Temple, and said, "The rich have put in what they could well spare, but this poor widow has given out of her need.")

FOR YEAR C

FIRST READING: Job 19:23-27a ("I know that my Redeemer liveth!")

PSALM 17 ("When I awake after thy likeness, I shall be satisfied.")

EPISTLE: 2 Thessalonians 2:13--3:5 ("I give thanks for you to God, who has chosen you from the beginning, and called you by the preaching of the Gospel. Hold fast to what you have been taught, pray for my work as a preacher, and trust in God.")

THE HOLY GOSPEL: Luke 20:27-38 (The Sadducees confront Jesus with a puzzle about the conditions of life after death, and He replies that eternal life is not simply a continuation of this life, and that the Scriptures show that God's love and care are eternal.)

NOTE: The Sadducees were one school of Jewish thought in New Testament times. They were the party of the chief priests, and controlled the Temple. They recognized only the Torah (the Five Books of Moses) as authoritative. Since they found in these books no clear-cut reference to resurrection or to blessings beyond the grave, they taught that the promises of God are for this life only. Thus Jesus, in replying to them, quotes Exodus 3:6, where God says to Moses, "I am the God of Abraham, the God, of Isaac, the God of Jacob." The point of the argument, as I see it, is something like this. Suppose a man dies, leaving his young son with no family. His will names his business partner as guardian and trustee. The partner speaks to the son, beginning, "Tommy, I was your father's best friend, and he asked me to look after you if anything happened, and I promised I would." We all expect him to say "was," and would find it odd if he said, "I * AM * your father's best friend." We understand that the father is no longer around, and that therefore the friendship is spoken of in the past tense. But God says, "I * AM * the God of Abraham," thereby implying that Abraham is still in the picture, and that the relation of God to Abraham is fundamentally unchanged. A linguistic digression: Actually, the Hebrew does not have "am," since Hebrew does not ordinarily use the verb "to be" in the present tense. However, the Hebrew construction that is used quite clearly refers to current and not previous conditions.)

REMARK Note that Jesus, speaking to men who recognized only Five Books as having authority, bases His argument on a quotation from the Five Books. In seeking to assist others, it is useless for us to try to prove a point by quoting the Bible or some other source as an authority to someone who does not recognize that source as an authority. It pleased me, many months ago, to have an earnest young moslem on the same list with me. His attempts to prove various doctrines by quoting the Koran gave some Christians on the list a chance to see how that process looks and feels from the receiving end. If we want to assist a friend in his search for the Truth, we have to listen as well as talk, find out where our friend is, and start with truths he already recognizes. Of course, this warning applies only to quoting the Bible to prove something. Using it to explain what it is that Christians believe is another matter. Be sure, however, that your listener understands the distinction. I have seen exchanges, for example on TV talk shows, where a Christian began to quote the Bible in the middle of an argument and the audience went absolutely berserk and started shrieking for him to stop. It is tempting to explain this as the Devil at work -- that unbelievers cannot endure to hear the Gospel. But I suspect that it derives in part from experience with Christians who throw out texts as a substitute for (sometimes as a preventive of) any meaningful dialogue.

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<Proper 28> =The Sunday closest to November 16=

PRAYER (traditional language) Blessed Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that, by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

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

FOR YEAR A

FIRST READING: Zephaniah 1:7,12-18 (The Lord will come in wrath, to judge evil-doers.)

PSALM 90 (or 90:1-8,12) (Our lives are short, and we face God the Eternal Judge. For a metrical version, see Proper 23, Year B, in October.)

EPISTLE: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-10 (The Lord will come in judgement when he is least expected. But we, my brethren, have nothing to fear, for we are his. Let us await his coming in faith, hope, and love.)

THE HOLY GOSPEL: Matthew 25:14-15,19-29 (The Parable of the Talents: a man gave each of his servants a sum of money, and then went on a long journey. When he returned, he held them accountable.)

FOR YEAR B

FIRST READING: Daniel 12:1-4a(5-13) (Daniel is told in a vision of a great tribulation to come, heralded by the setting up of an abomination, and followed by a great deliverance at the end.)

PSALM 16 *or* 16:5-11 ("Thou dost show me the path of life, in thy presence is the fullness of joy; at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore.")

EPISTLE: Hebrews 10:31-39 (A time of tribulation is coming; but have faith and await your deliverance.)

THE HOLY GOSPEL: Mark 13:14-23 (When you see the abomination set up, let those in Judea flee, for the great tribulation is coming.)

FOR YEAR C

REMARK: As the traditional Church Year draws to a close, the theme of the Scripture lessons is the final return of Christ to judge and renew the earth.

FIRST READING: Malachi 3:13--4:2a,5-6 (The prophet Malachi speaks of the day when the Lord will come to judge those who have turned from him, and to deliver those who have remained faithful.)

PSALM 98 (Praise to the Lord, for He comes to judge the world in righteousness.)

EPISTLE: 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 (Paul, speaking of how we ought to behave while awaiting the return of Christ, warns Christians against idleness, and encourages them to useful and productive work.)

THE HOLY GOSPEL: Luke 21:5-19 (Jesus warns of disasters and persecutions to come, and counsels His followers to trust in God.)

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<Proper 29> =The Sunday closest to November 23=

FOR THE SUNDAY BEFORE ADVENT

In the traditional Christian calendar of the West, the Church year begins with the season of Advent, which begins with the fourth Sunday before Christmas. The theme of Advent is expectation, looking forward to the coming of Christ. Often Advent has had a kind of double theme, representing both the pre-Christian world awaiting the birth of Jesus at Bethlehem and the Christian world awaiting the return of Christ in glory to judge the quick and the dead. The recent tendency is to assign the former theme to the Advent season, and the latter theme to the last few Sundays of the Church Year, the ones just before Advent. The seasons from Christmas to Easter represent the birth of Christ, His earthly life and ministry, His death and resurrection. After this, we contemplate His forty days on earth as Risen Lord, instructing His disciples, and then His Ascension and the Descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The season after Pentecost up to the beginning of Advent then represents the life and growth of the Church here in the world until the End of the Age, the Return of Christ in Glory, and the final defeat of Evil.

REMARK: The traditional Church Year ends with this celebration, looking forward to the eternal and glorious kingdom of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. A really first-class sermon on Christ as Lamb and Christ as Lion, in my judgement a sermon excellent in every way (except perhaps that its length is better suited to the presumably longer attention span of an earlier era) is that of Jonathan Edwards on "The Excellencies of Christ". The reader can obtain a copy by sending the message GET LION LAMB to LISTSERV @ ASUACAD.BITNET or to LISTSERV@ASUVM.INRE.ASU.EDU

PRAYER (traditional language) Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in thy well-beloved Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords: Mercifully grant that the peoples of the earth, divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under his most gracious rule; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

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

FOR YEAR A

FIRST READING: Ezekiel 34:11-17 (The Lord GOD himself will be the shepherd of Israel, and will gather his scattered flock.)

PSALM 95:1-7 (The LORD is the Maker of land and sea, and we are the sheep of his hand.)

EPISTLE: 1 Corinthians 15:20-28 (Christ is risen from the dead, and at his coming those who are his will be raised also, and evil shall be destroyed, and good triumph, and God shall be all in all.)

THE HOLY GOSPEL: Matthew 25:31-46 (When the Son of Man returns in judgement, he will say: "What you did to the least of my brothers, you did to me.")

FOR YEAR B

FIRST READING: Daniel 7:9-14 (In a vision, Daniel sees the Ancient of Days enthroned, and with him the Son of Man, to whom is given an everlasting kingdom.)

PSALM 93 (The LORD reigns in might. His rule is eternal.)

EPISTLE: Revelation 1:1-8 (John the Visionary speaks of Christ the All-Ruler, and his return in glory and judgement.)

THE HOLY GOSPEL: Mark 11:1-11 (Jesus rides into Jerusalem, to the cheers of the people.)

AN ALTERNATIVE READING FROM THE HOLY GOSPEL: John 18:33-37 (Jesus tells Pilate: "My kingship is not of this world.")

FOR YEAR C

FIRST READING: Jeremiah 23:1-6 (God promises Israel a righteous King of the line of David under whose reign all shall be well.)

PSALM 46 (God is our refuge and strength.... "Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted upon the earth.")

EPISTLE: Colossians 1:11-20 (The all-surpassing glory of Christ, the image of the invisible God, the heir of all creation, the head of the church, the pioneer of the resurrection, having the pre-eminence in all things, through whom the Father has reconciled all things unto himself.)

THE HOLY GOSPEL: Luke 23:35-43 (Our Lord, crucified as King of the Jews, promises to the penitent thief a place with Him in Paradise.)

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