Third Sunday in Lent - 2026

 

The Third Sunday in Lent.

Psalm 102. Domine, exaudi.

HEAR my prayer, O Lord, * and let my crying come unto thee.

2 Hide not thy face from me in the time of my trouble; * incline thine ear unto me when I call; O hear me, and that right soon.

3 For my days are consumed away like smoke, * and my bones are burnt up as it were a firebrand.

4 My heart is smitten down, and withered like grass; * so that I forget to eat my bread.

5 For the voice of my groaning, * my bones will scarce cleave to my flesh.

6 I am become like a pelican in the wilderness, * and like an owl that is in the desert.

7 I have watched, and am even as it were a sparrow, * that sitteth alone upon the housetop.

8 Mine enemies revile me all the day long; * and they that are mad upon me are sworn together against me.

9 For I have eaten ashes as it were bread, * and mingled my drink with weeping;

10 And that, because of thine indignation and wrath; * for thou hast taken me up, and cast me down.

11 My days are gone like a shadow, * and I am withered like grass.

12 But thou, O Lord, shalt endure for ever, * and thy remembrance throughout all generations.

13 Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Sion; * for it is time that thou have mercy upon her, yea, the time is come.

14 And why? thy servants think upon her stones, * and it pitieth them to see her in the dust.

15 The nations shall fear thy Name, O Lord; * and all the kings of the earth thy majesty;

16 When the Lord shall build up Sion, * and when his glory shall appear;

17 When he turneth him unto the prayer of the poor destitute, * and despiseth not their desire.

18 This shall be written for those that come after, * and the people which shall be born shall praise the LORD.

19 For he hath looked down from his sanctuary; * out of the heaven did the Lord behold the earth;

20 That he might hear the mournings of such as are in captivity, * and deliver them that are appointed unto death;

21 That they may declare the Name of the Lord in Sion, * and his worship at Jerusalem;

22 When the peoples are gathered together, * and the kingdoms also, to serve the Lord.

23 He brought down my strength in my journey, * and shortened my days.

24 But I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of mine age; * as for thy years, they endure throughout all generations.

25 Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth, * and the heavens are the work of thy hands.

26 They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: * they all shall wax old as doth a garment;

27 And as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed; * but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.

28 The children of thy servants shall continue, * and their seed shall stand fast in thy sight.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son * and to the Holy Ghost.

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen. 

The Collect.

WE beseech thee, Almighty God, look upon the hearty desires of thy humble servants, and stretch forth the right hand of thy Majesty, to be our defence against all our enemies; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

{The Collect from the First Day of Lent is to be read every day in Lent after the Collect appointed for the Day.} 

The Collect.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Old Testament Reading: Deuteronomy 6

Psalter: Psalm 56, 58 | 119.73-104

Epistle Reading: Ephesians 5.1-14

Gospel Reading: St. Luke 11.14-28 

Homily

Second Sunday in Lent and Pastoral Letter - 2026

 

The Second Sunday in Lent.

Psalm 38. Domine, ne in furore.

PUT me not to rebuke, O Lord, in thine anger; * neither chasten me in thy heavy displeasure:

2 For thine arrows stick fast in me, * and thy hand presseth me sore.

3 There is no health in my flesh, because of thy displeasure; * neither is there any rest in my bones, by reason of my sin.

4 For my wickednesses are gone over my head, * and are like a sore burden, too heavy for me to bear.

5 My wounds stink, and are corrupt, * through my foolishness.

6 I am brought into so great trouble and misery, * that I go mourning all the day long.

7 For my loins are filled with a sore disease, * and there is no whole part in my body.

8 I am feeble and sore smitten; * I have roared for the very disquietness of my heart.

9 Lord, thou knowest all my desire; * and my groaning is not hid from thee.

10 My heart panteth, my strength hath failed me, * and the light of mine eyes is gone from me.

11 My lovers and my neighbours did stand looking upon my trouble, * and my kinsmen stood afar off.

12 They also that sought after my life laid snares for me; * and they that went about to do me evil talked of wickedness, and imagined deceit all the day long.

13 As for me, I was like a deaf man, and heard not; * and as one that is dumb, who doth not open his mouth.

14 I became even as a man that heareth not, * and in whose mouth are no reproofs.

15 For in thee, O Lord, have I put my trust; * thou shalt answer for me, O Lord my God.

16 I have required that they, even mine enemies, should not triumph over me; * for when my foot slipt, they rejoiced greatly against me.

17 And I truly am set in the plague, * and my heaviness is ever in my sight.

18 For I will confess my wickedness, * and be sorry for my sin.

19 But mine enemies live, and are mighty; * and they that hate me wrongfully are many in number.

20 They also that reward evil for good are against me; * because I follow the thing that good is.

21 Forsake me not, O Lord my God; * be not thou far from me.

22 Haste thee to help me, * O Lord God of my salvation.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son * and to the Holy Ghost.

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen. 

The Collect.

ALMIGHTY God, who seest that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves; Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls; that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

{The Collect from the First Day of Lent is to be read every day in Lent after the Collect appointed for the Day.} 

The Collect.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Old Testament Reading: 1 Kings 8.37-43

Psalter: Psalm 6, 38 | 119.33-72

Epistle Reading: 1 Thessalonians 4.1-8

Gospel Reading: St. Matthew 15.21-28 

Homily 

For my weekly pastoral letter to my congregation, I sent the following: 

Last week I watched two interviews with Ben Sasse and shared one of those interviews with the Session and a few friends. I was delighted to see that Dr. Timothy D. Padgett of the Colson Center, published this short piece on “Break Point” yesterday. Here is a portion of what he wrote. 

“Ben Sasse is an accomplished man. He’s a devout Christian and proud husband and father. He has a PhD in History from Yale. He’s served for a decade or more in higher ed and another decade representing Nebraska in the U.S. Senate (…). He’s also a dying man. 

Back in December, he announced on X that he had pancreatic cancer. As he noted in a recent interview with The Hoover Institution’s Peter Robinson, this is a disease with a 97% mortality rate, and he has a particularly aggressive case. His doctors gave him 90 days; he’s hoping to get a little more time with experimental treatments. This kind of thing can focus someone’s thinking about what really matters in life. As he put it, “[W]hether you have 90 days, or 12 months, or 12 years, or 75 years left to live, we’re all gonna be pushing up daisies.” But knowing that he has fewer days ahead than he’d expected, he said he’s determined to “redeem the time.” 

(…) Senator Sasse seamlessly and richly discussed the ideas of mortality, theology, education, technology, community, family, identity, and many other fields. What’s particularly interesting, given the years he dedicated to public service, he has one of the healthiest attitudes toward politics. He inculpated professional politicians of being more interested in becoming TikTok stars than doing their jobs and mourned the fact that for wider portions of the population, politics had become their meaning in life: Don’t pretend that politics is the center of the world. The center of your world is where you’re raising your kids. It’s where you worship. It’s where you go to work next to somebody on the line for decades, or the farm next door. These words are important, mostly because so many have sidelined them. It’s what the French philosopher Jacques Ellul called “the political illusion”: the idea that all problems are, at root, political and therefore must have political solutions. Everything is politics instead of everything is those you love and serve. 

We see this in our daily lives more and more. It’s why people film themselves weeping after an election goes the “wrong” way. And why some cut off relationships with loved ones because they support the “wrong” candidate or aren’t as ideological as the mob demands. They don’t post the “right” things on social media, go to the right marches, and aren’t outraged enough about the cause of the day. So much of this is the downside of our increasingly online world. As Sasse put it: We have gazillions of people screaming all the time on the internet, and we pretend they’re representative. They’re not all representative. The loudest people have the most ridiculously outsized voice in American life. 

For much of our culture, politics has taken on the role once played by religion. It can offer the same, though counterfeit, sense of meaning, morality, and justice. This is ironic because our little gods of political idolatry are too small that so many of us come unglued when they’re threatened (…). When asked if his efforts in politics were worth it, Sasse replied: Theoretically, absolutely. There is no doubt that a framework for ordered liberty is necessary. Power and coercion and restraint of evil are not the center of anybody’s loves, or they shouldn’t be. The worldview is pretty distorted if politics can become the central thing. And yet, because the world is broken, it’s important work. Politics matters, and those called to work in that world serve God and their neighbors in doing so. But it’s not the only thing in life, or even the most important thing. Far from it (…).” 

Pastor Mike

First Sunday in Lent, Lenten Ember Days, and Pastoral Letter "Desiring God" - 2026

 (Picture from Bible.art)

The First Sunday in Lent.

Psalm 32. Beati quorum.

BLESSED is he whose unrighteousness is forgiven, * and whose sin is covered.

2 Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth no sin, * and in whose spirit there is no guile.

3 For whilst I held my tongue, * my bones consumed away through my daily complaining.

4 For thy hand was heavy upon me day and night, * and my moisture was like the drought in summer.

5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee; * and mine unrighteousness have I not hid.

6 I said, I will confess my sins unto the Lord; * and so thou forgavest the wickedness of my sin.

7 For this shall every one that is godly make his prayer unto thee, in a time when thou mayest be found; * surely the great water-floods shall not come nigh him.

8 Thou art a place to hide me in; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; * thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance.

9 I will inform thee, and teach thee in the way wherein thou shalt go; * and I will guide thee with mine eye.

10 Be ye not like to horse and mule, which have no understanding; * whose mouths must be held with bit and bridle, else they will not obey thee.

11 Great plagues remain for the ungodly; * but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord, mercy embraceth him on every side.

12 Be glad, O ye righteous, and rejoice in the Lord; * and be joyful, all ye that are true of heart.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son * and to the Holy Ghost.

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen. 

The Collect.

O LORD, who for our sake didst fast forty days and forty nights; Give us grace to use such abstinence, that, our flesh being subdued to the Spirit, we may ever obey thy godly motions in righteousness, and true holiness, to thy honour and glory, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen. 

{The Collect from the First Day of Lent is to be read every day in Lent after the Collect appointed for the Day.}

The Collect.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 58.1-14

Psalter: Psalm 51, 54 | 119.1-32

Epistle Reading: 2 Corinthians 6.1-10

Gospel Reading: St. Matthew 4.1-11 

Homily 

Ember days are Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Here are the readings (morning and evening) along with the Collect.

------------------------ 

My letter to my congregation this last week was on “Desiring God.” It draws in Psalm 77:1, St. Augustine, Hannah More, and Paul Tripp.

The Next Sunday before Lent and Ash Wednesday - 2026

 

The Sunday called Quinquagesima, or the next Sunday before Lent.

1 Chronicles 29.10-13

Benedictus es, Domine Deus Israel

Blessed be thou, LORD God of Israel our father, * for ever and ever.

Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: * for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine;

Thine is the kingdom, O LORD, * and thou art exalted as head above all.

Both riches and honour come of thee, * and thou reignest over all;

And in thine hand is power and might; *and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.

Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, * and praise thy glorious name.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son * and to the Holy Ghost.

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen. 

The Collect.

O LORD, who hast taught us that all our doings without charity are nothing worth; Send thy Holy Ghost and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of charity, the very bond of peace and of all virtues, without which whosoever liveth is counted dead before thee. Grant this for thine only Son Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.

 

Old Testament Reading: Deuteronomy 10.12-11.1

Psalter: Psalm 15, 16 | 111, 112

Epistle Reading: 1 Corinthians 13.1-13

Gospel Reading: St. Luke 18.31-43 

Homily 

The First day of Lent,

Commonly called Ash-Wednesday.

Psalm 6. Domine, ne in furore

O  LORD, rebuke me not in thine indignation, * neither chasten me in thy displeasure.

2 Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak; * O Lord, heal me, for my bones are vexed.

3 My soul also is sore troubled: * but, Lord, how long wilt thou punish me?

4 Turn thee, O Lord, and deliver my soul; * O save me, for thy mercy’s sake.

5 For in death no man remembereth thee; * and who will give thee thanks in the pit?

6 I am weary of my groaning; * every night wash I my bed, and water my couch with my tears.

7 My beauty is gone for very trouble, * and worn away because of all mine enemies.

8 Away from me, all ye that work iniquity; * for the LORD hath heard the voice of my weeping.

9 The Lord hath heard my petition; * the Lord will receive my prayer.

10 All mine enemies shall be confounded, and sore vexed; * they shall be turned back, and put to shame suddenly.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son * and to the Holy Ghost.

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen. 

A Litany

A Penitential Office 

The Collect.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

{This Collect is to be read every day in Lent after the Collect appointed for the Day.} 

Old Testament Reading: Joel 2.12-17

Psalter: Psalm 51

Gospel Reading: St. Matthew 6.16-21 

Homily

The Sunday called Sexagesima, or the Second Sunday before Lent - 2026

 

The Sunday called Sexagesima, or the Second Sunday before Lent.

Psalm 87. Fundamenta ejus.

HER foundations are upon the holy hills: * the Lord loveth the gates of Sion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.

2 Very excellent things are spoken of thee, * thou city of God.

3 I will make mention of Egypt and Babylon, * among them that know me.

4 Behold, Philistia also; and Tyre, with Ethiopia; * lo, in Sion were they born.

5 Yea, of Sion it shall be reported, this one and that one were born in her; * and the Most High shall stablish her.

6 The Lord shall record it, when he writeth up the peoples; * lo, in Sion were they born.

7 The singers also and trumpeters shall make answer: * All my fresh springs are in thee.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son * and to the Holy Ghost.

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen. 

The Collect.

O LORD God, who seest that we put not our trust in anything that we do; Mercifully grant that by thy power we may be defended against all adversity; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 50.4-9

Psalter: Psalm 33, 93 | 139

Epistle Reading: 2 Corinthians 11.19-12.10

Gospel Reading: St. Luke 8.4-15 

Homily

Fourth Sunday after Epiphany, Pastoral Letter, and Presentation of Christ (2 February) - 2026

 

The Fourth Sunday after Epiphany

Psalm 117. Laudate Dominum.

O  PRAISE the Lord, all ye nations; * praise him, all ye peoples.

2 For his merciful kindness is ever more and more toward us; * and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever.  Praise the Lord.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son * and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be * world without end. Amen.

 

The Collect.

O GOD, who knowest us to be set in the midst of so many and great dangers, that by reason of the frailty of our nature we cannot always stand upright; Grant to us such strength and protection, as may support us in all dangers, and carry us through all temptations; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

Old Testament Reading: Amos 3

Psalter: Psalm 75, 76 | 107

Epistle Reading: Romans 13.1-7

Gospel Reading: Matthew 8:23-34

 

Homily

 

Here is Prayer for Revival and Reformation Pt 4.

 

The presentation of Christ in the temple, commonly called the Purification of Saint Mary the Virgin

(2 February)

Psalm 20. Exaudiat te Dominus.

THE Lord hear thee in the day of trouble; * the Name of the God of Jacob defend thee:

2 Send thee help from the sanctuary, * and strengthen thee out of Sion:

3 Remember all thy offerings, * and accept thy burnt sacrifice:

4 Grant thee thy heart’s desire, * and fulfil all thy mind.

5 We will rejoice in thy salvation, and triumph in the Name of the Lord our God: * the Lord perform all thy petitions.

6 Now know I that the Lord helpeth his anointed, and will hear him from his holy heaven, * even with the wholesome strength of his right hand.

7 Some put their trust in chariots, and some in horses; * but we will remember the Name of the Lord our God.

8 They are brought down and fallen; * but we are risen and stand upright.

9 Save, Lord; and hear us, O King of heaven, * when we call upon thee.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son * and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be * world without end. Amen.

 

Nunc dimittis. St. Luke ii. 29.

(Simeon’s Song at seeing the Christ-child)

LORD, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, * according to thy word.

For mine eyes have seen * thy salvation,

Which thou hast prepared * before the face of all people;

To be a light to lighten the Gentiles, * and to be the glory of thy people Israel. 

The Collect

Almighty and everliving God, we humbly beseech thy Majesty, that, as thy only-begotten Son was this day presented in the temple in substance of our flesh, so we may be presented unto thee with pure and clean hearts, by the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Old Testament Reading: Malachi 3.1-5

Psalter: Psalm 84

Epistle Reading: Galatians 1.1-24

Gospel Reading: St. Luke 2.22-40 

Homily

Third Sunday after Epiphany, Pastoral Letter, Conversion of St. Paul (25 Jan) - 2026

 

The Third Sunday after the Epiphany.

Psalm 72. Deus, judicium.

GIVE the King thy judgments, O God, * and thy righteousness unto the King’s son.

2 Then shall he judge thy people according unto right, * and defend the poor.

3 The mountains also shall bring peace, * and the little hills righteousness unto the people.

4 He shall keep the simple folk by their right, * defend the children of the poor, and punish the wrong doer.

5 They shall fear thee, as long as the sun and moon endureth, * from one generation to another.

6 He shall come down like the rain upon the mown grass, * even as the drops that water the earth.

7 In his time shall the righteous flourish; * yea, and abundance of peace, so long as the moon endureth.

8 His dominion shall be also from the one sea to the other, * and from the River unto the world’s end.

9 They that dwell in the wilderness shall kneel before him; * his enemies shall lick the dust.

10 The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall give presents; * the kings of Arabia and Saba shall bring gifts.

11 All kings shall fall down before him; * all nations shall do him service.

12 For he shall deliver the poor when he crieth; * the needy also, and him that hath no helper.

13 He shall be favourable to the simple and needy, * and shall preserve the souls of the poor.

14 He shall deliver their souls from falsehood and wrong; * and dear shall their blood be in his sight.

15 He shall live, and unto him shall be given of the gold of Arabia; * prayer shall be made ever unto him, and daily shall he be praised.

16 There shall be an heap of corn in the earth, high upon the hills; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: * and they of the city shall flourish like grass upon the earth.

17 His Name shall endure for ever; his Name shall re- main under the sun among the posterities, which shall be blessed in him; * and all the nations shall praise him.

18 Blessed be the Lord God, even the God of Israel, * which only doeth wondrous things;

19 And blessed be the Name of his majesty for ever: *  and all the earth shall be filled with his majesty. Amen,  Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son * and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be * world without end. Amen. 

The Collect.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, mercifully look upon our infirmities, and in all our dangers and necessities stretch forth thy right hand to help and defend us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 41.8-10, 17-20

Psalter: Psalm 20, 21 | 27, 29

Epistle Reading: Romans 12.16-21

Gospel Reading: St. Matthew 8.1-13 

Homily

 

Here is Prayer for Revival and Reformation Pt 3

 

The Conversion of Saint Paul (25 January) 

The Collect

O God, who, through the preaching of the blessed Apostle Saint Paul, hast caused the light of the Gospel to shine throughout the world: Grant, we beseech thee, that we, having his wonderful conversion in remembrance, may shew forth our thankfulness unto thee for the same, by following the holy doctrine which he taught; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Old Testament Reading: Jeremiah 1.4-10

Psalter: Psalm 67

Epistle Reading: Acts 9.1-22

Gospel Reading: *St. Matthew 19.27-30 

Homily