But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
The Integrity Eucharist earlier this week at TEC’s General Convention, where a resolution was approved to allow same-sex blessings starting Advent 1, with the local bishop’s consent. Seven bishops with jurisdiction have said they will decline, and the South Carolina delegation walked out.
I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel; my heart teaches me, night after night. I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not fall. Psalm 16:7-8
INVITATORY AND PSALTER
O God, make speed to save us.
O Lord, make haste to help us.
Praise to the holy and undivided Trinity, one God: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.
Hymn: Light of the World
Phos hilaron
Light of the world in grace and beauty,
Mirror of God’s eternal face,
Transparent flame of love’s free duty,
You bring salvation to our race.
Now, as we see the lights of evening,
We raise our voice in hymns of praise;
Worthy are you of endless blessing,
Sun of our night, lamp of our days.
Psalm 18:21-50
The LORD rewarded me because of my righteous dealing; *
because my hands were clean he rewarded me;
For I have kept the ways of the LORD *
and have not offended against my God;
For all his judgments are before my eyes, *
and his decrees I have not put away from me;
For I have been blameless with him *
and have kept myself from iniquity;
Therefore the LORD rewarded me according to my righteous dealing, *
because of the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
With the faithful you show yourself faithful, O God; *
with the forthright you show yourself forthright.
With the pure you show yourself pure, *
but with the crooked you are wily.
You will save a lowly people, *
but you will humble the haughty eyes.
You, O LORD, are my lamp; *
my God, you make my darkness bright.
With you I will break down an enclosure; *
with the help of my God I will scale any wall.
As for God, his ways are perfect;
the words of the LORD are tried in the fire; *
he is a shield to all who trust in him.
For who is God, but the LORD? *
who is the Rock, except our God?
It is God who girds me about with strength *
and makes my way secure.
He makes me sure-footed like a deer *
and lets me stand firm on the heights.
He trains my hands for battle *
and my arms for bending even a bow of bronze.
You have given me your shield of victory; *
your right hand also sustains me;
your loving care makes me great.
You lengthen my stride beneath me, *
and my ankles do not give way.
I pursue my enemies and overtake them; *
I will not turn back till I have destroyed them.
I strike them down, and they cannot rise; *
they fall defeated at my feet.
You have girded me with strength for the battle; *
you have cast down my adversaries beneath me;
you have put my enemies to flight.
I destroy those who hate me;
they cry out, but there is none to help them; *
they cry to the LORD, but he does not answer.
I beat them small like dust before the wind; *
I trample them like mud in the streets.
You deliver me from the strife of the peoples; *
you put me at the head of the nations.
A people I have not known shall serve me;
no sooner shall they hear than they shall obey me; *
strangers will cringe before me.
The foreign peoples will lose heart; *
they shall come trembling out of their strongholds.
The LORD lives! Blessed is my Rock! *
Exalted is the God of my salvation!
He is the God who gave me victory *
and cast down the peoples beneath me.
You rescued me from the fury of my enemies;
you exalted me above those who rose against me; *
you saved me from my deadly foe.
Therefore will I extol you among the nations, O LORD, *
and sing praises to your Name.
He multiplies the victories of his king; *
he shows loving-kindness to his anointed,
to David and his descendants for ever.
Praise to the holy and undivided Trinity, one God: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
THE LESSON
Matthew 24:1-14 (NRSV)
As Jesus came out of the temple and was going away, his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. Then he asked them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.” When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
Jesus answered them, “Beware that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah!’ and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places: all this is but the beginning of the birthpangs.
“Then they will hand you over to be tortured and will put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of my name. Then many will fall away, and they will betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because of the increase of lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world, as a testimony to all the nations; and then the end will come.”
Canticle: The Song of Mary
Magnificat
Luke 1:46-55
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in you, O God my Savior, *
for you have looked with favor on your lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed: *
you, the Almighty, have done great things for me,
and holy is your Name.
You have mercy on those who fear you *
from generation to generation.
You have shown strength with your arm, *
and scattered the proud in their conceit,
Casting down the mighty from their thrones, *
and lifting up the lowly.
You have filled the hungry with good things, *
and sent the rich away empty.
You have come to the help of your servant Israel, *
for you have remembered your promise of mercy,
The promise made to our forebears, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Praise to the holy and undivided Trinity, one God: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
THE APOSTLES’ CREED
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
THE PRAYERS
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your Name,
your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and for ever. Amen.
Show us your mercy, O Lord;
And grant us your salvation.
Clothe your ministers with righteousness;
Let your people sing with joy.
Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;
For only in you can we live in safety.
Lord, keep this nation under your care;
And guide us in the way of justice and truth.
Let your way be known upon earth;
Your saving health among all nations.
Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;
Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.
Create in us clean hearts, O God;
And sustain us by your Holy Spirit.
Kate & Cate: the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church, Katharine Jefferts Schori, and the Bishop of Indianapolis, Catherine M. Waynick, slightly behind and right of her, during the daily Eucharist this week at TEC’s just-concluded General Convention. (Diocese of Alabama)
Collect of the Day: Nathan Söderblom, Archbishop of Uppsala and Ecumenist, 1931
Almighty God, we bless your Name for the life and work of Nathan Söderblom,
Archbishop of Uppsala, who helped to inspire the modern liturgical revival and worked tirelessly for cooperation among Christians. Inspire us by his example, that we may ever strive for the renewal of your Church in life and worship, for the glory of your Name; who with Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
For the Unity of the Church
Almighty Father, whose blessed Son before his passion prayed for his disciples that they might be one, as you and he are one: Grant that your Church, being bound together in love and obedience to you, may be united in one body by the one Spirit, that the world may believe in him whom you have sent, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
For Mission
O God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth, and sent your blessed Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Grant that people everywhere may seek after you and find you; bring the nations into your fold; pour out your Spirit upon all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The General Thanksgiving
Almighty God, Father of all mercies,
we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks
for all your goodness and loving-kindness
to us and to all whom you have made.
We bless you for our creation, preservation,
and all the blessings of this life;
but above all for your immeasurable love
in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ;
for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.
And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies,
that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise,
not only with our lips, but in our lives,
by giving up our selves to your service,
and by walking before you
in holiness and righteousness all our days;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit,
be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.++
