Christ the King Sunday

Introduction:

Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 
And blessed be his kingdom, now and for ever. Amen. 

Come, let us worship God our King.
Come, let us worship Christ, our King and our God.
Come, let us worship Christ among us, our King and our God. 

Holy God,
holy and mighty,
holy immortal one,
have mercy upon us.
(3x)

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

The Invitatory:

The Lord is our refuge and strength: O come, let us worship. 

Psalm 51:1-18

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your loving-kindness; in your great compassion blot out my offenses.
Wash me through and through from my wickedness and cleanse me from my sin. 
For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. 
Against you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight. 
And so you are justified when you speak and upright in your judgement. 
Indeed, I have been wicked from my birth, a sinner from my mother’s womb. 
For behold, you look for truth deep within me, and will make me understand wisdom secretly. 
Purge me from my sin, and I shall be pure; wash me, and I shall be clean indeed. 
Make me hear of joy and gladness, that the body you have broken may rejoice. 
Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities. 
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence and take not your holy Spirit from me.
Give me the joy of your saving help again and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit.
I shall teach your ways to the wicked, and sinners shall return to you.
Deliver me from death, O God, and my tongue shall sing of your righteousness, O God of my salvation.
Open my lips, O Lord, and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Had you desired it, I would have offered sacrifice, but you take no delight in burnt-offerings.
The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. 

The Psalm

Psalm 100

Jubilate Deo

1

Be joyful in the Lord, all you lands; *

serve the Lord with gladness

and come before his presence with a song.

2

Know this: The Lord himself is God; *

he himself has made us, and we are his;

we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.

3

Enter his gates with thanksgiving;

go into his courts with praise; *

give thanks to him and call upon his Name.

4

For the Lord is good;

his mercy is everlasting; *

and his faithfulness endures from age to age.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

The Proclamation of the Word

Ezekiel 34:11-16

English Standard Version

“For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.

Ezekiel 34:20-24

English Standard Version

“Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them: Behold, I, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. Because you push with side and shoulder, and thrust at all the weak with your horns, till you have scattered them abroad, I will rescue my flock; they shall no longer be a prey. And I will judge between sheep and sheep. And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the Lord; I have spoken.

Ephesians 1:15-23

English Standard Version

For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Matthew 25:31-46

English Standard Version

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks Be To God.

Song of Thanksgiving

Isaiah 12:2-6

Surely, it is God who saves me; I will trust in him and not be afraid. 
For the Lord is my stronghold and my sure defense, and he will be my Savior. 
Therefore you shall draw water with rejoicing from the springs of salvation. 
And on that day you shall say, Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his name; 
make his deeds known among the peoples; see that they remember that his name is exalted. 
Sing the praises of the Lord, for he has done great things, and this is known in all the world. 
Cry aloud, inhabitants of Zion, ring out your joy, for the great one in the midst of you is the Holy One of Israel. 

The Symbol of Faith

The Nicene Creed

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. 

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. 

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father. With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified. He has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

The Litany

(In peace let us pray to the Lord, saying, “Lord, have mercy.”)

For peace from on high and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord. 
Lord, have mercy. 

For the peace of the whole world, for the welfare of the holy Church of God, and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord. 
Lord, have mercy. 

For our bishops, and for all the clergy and people, let us pray to the Lord. 
Lord, have mercy. 

For the leaders of our nation and others, and for all in authority, let us pray to the Lord. 
Lord, have mercy. 

For every city and community, and for those who live in them in faith, let us pray to the Lord. 
Lord, have mercy. 

For good weather, and for abundant harvests for all to share, let us pray to the Lord. 
Lord, have mercy. 

For those who travel by land, water, or air, for the sick and the suffering, for prisoners and captives, and for their safety, health, and salvation, let us pray to the Lord. 
Lord, have mercy. 

For our deliverance from all affliction, strife, and need, let us pray to the Lord. 
Lord, have mercy. 

For the absolution and remission of our sins and offenses, let us pray to the Lord. 
Lord, have mercy. 

For all who have died, let us pray to the Lord. 
Lord, have mercy. 

Remembering all the saints, we commit ourselves, one another, and our whole life to Christ our God. 
To you, O Lord. 

Let us take a moment of silence at this time to reflect, and lift up the names of those on our hearts in prayer. Responding with Lord, have mercy. 

(A Time of Silence)

For all of the needs made known and for those unknown. 
Lord, have mercy.

A Prayer of St. John Chrysostom

Almighty God, you have given us grace at this time, with one accord to make our common supplications to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will grant their requests: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen.

The Collect

Proper 29

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. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Officiant: And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say, 

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

The Dismissal

Officiant: Let us bless the Lord. 
People: Thanks be to God.

The Lord bless us and keep us. The Lord make his face shine on us and be gracious to us. The Lord look upon us with favor and grant us peace. Amen. 

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Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Psalms taken from the 1979 Book of Common Prayer by the Episcopal Church.

The reading plan based is based on the 1979 Daily Office Lectionary Year A

*Confession Prayer taken from the 2019 Book of Common Prayer