The Twenty-Fifth Sunday After Pentecost

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 123

Ad te levavi oculos meos

1

To you I lift up my eyes, *

to you enthroned in the heavens.

2

As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, *

and the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,

3

So our eyes look to the Lord our God, *

until he show us his mercy.

4

Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy, *

for we have had more than enough of contempt,

5

Too much of the scorn of the indolent rich, *

and of the derision of the proud.

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

Zephaniah 1:7

English Standard Version

Be silent before the Lord God!
    For the day of the Lord is near;
the Lord has prepared a sacrifice
    and consecrated his guests.

Zephaniah 1:12-18

English Standard Version

At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps,
    and I will punish the men
who are complacent,
    those who say in their hearts,
‘The Lord will not do good,
    nor will he do ill.’
Their goods shall be plundered,
    and their houses laid waste.
Though they build houses,
    they shall not inhabit them;
though they plant vineyards,
    they shall not drink wine from them.”

The great day of the Lord is near,
    near and hastening fast;
the sound of the day of the Lord is bitter;
    the mighty man cries aloud there.
A day of wrath is that day,
    a day of distress and anguish,
a day of ruin and devastation,
    a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and thick darkness,
    a day of trumpet blast and battle cry
against the fortified cities
    and against the lofty battlements.

I will bring distress on mankind,
    so that they shall walk like the blind,
    because they have sinned against the Lord;
their blood shall be poured out like dust,
    and their flesh like dung.
Neither their silver nor their gold
    shall be able to deliver them
    on the day of the wrath of the Lord.
In the fire of his jealousy,
    all the earth shall be consumed;
for a full and sudden end
    he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

English Standard Version

Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

Matthew 25:14-30

English Standard Version

“For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

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 28

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. 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