The Second Sunday in Advent.
Psalm
50. Deus deorum.
THE Lord, even the Most Mighty God, hath spoken,
*and called the world, from the rising up of the sun unto the going down
thereof.
2 Out of Sion hath God appeared * in perfect
beauty.
3 Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence;
*there shall go before him a consuming fire, and a mighty tempest shall be
stirred up round about him.
4 He shall call the heaven from above, * and the
earth, that he may judge his people.
5 Gather my saints together unto me; * those that
have made a covenant with me with sacrifice.
6 And the heavens shall declare his righteousness;
* for God is Judge himself.
7 Hear, O my people, and I will speak; * I myself
will testify against thee, O Israel; for I am God, even thy God.
8 I will not reprove thee because of thy
sacrifices; * as for thy burnt-offerings, they are alway before me.
9 I will take no bullock out of thine house, * nor
hegoats out of thy folds.
10 For all the beasts of the forest are mine, * and
so are the cattle upon a thousand hills.
11 I know all the fowls upon the mountains, * and
the wild beasts of the field are in my sight.
12 If I be hungry, I will not tell thee; * for the
whole world is mine, and all that is therein.
13 Thinkest thou that I will eat bulls’ flesh, *
and drink the blood of goats?
14 Offer unto God thanksgiving, * and pay thy vows
unto the Most Highest.
15 And call upon me in the time of trouble; * so
will I hear thee, and thou shalt praise me.
16 But unto the ungodly saith God, * Why dost thou
preach my laws, and takest my covenant in thy mouth;
17 Whereas thou hatest to be reformed, * and hast
cast my words behind thee?
18 When thou sawest a thief, thou consentedst unto
him; * and hast been partaker with the adulterers.
19 Thou hast let thy mouth speak wickedness, * and
with thy tongue thou hast set forth deceit.
20 Thou sattest and spakest against thy brother; *
yea, and hast slandered thine own mother’s son.
21 These things hast thou done, and I held my
tongue, and thou thoughtest wickedly, that I am even such a one as thyself; *
but I will reprove thee, and set before thee the things that thou hast done.
22 O consider this, ye that forget God, * lest I
pluck you away, and there be none to deliver you.
23 Whoso offereth me thanks and praise, he
honoureth me; * and to him that ordereth his way aright, will I show the
salvation of God.
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.
[The Collect from the First Sunday in Advent is
to be repeated every day, with the other Collects in Advent, until
Christmas-Eve:]
ALMIGHTY God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put
upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which thy
Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when
he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the
dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who liveth and reigneth
with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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 Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 55.1-13
Psalter: Morning-80, 82; Evening-25, 26
Epistle Reading: Romans 15.4-13
Gospel Reading: Luke 21.25-33
Homily
The following is what I wrote and sent to my
congregation this past week:
Many years ago, an Anglican churchman
compiled a spiral booklet that has supplemental seasonal prayers that
focus on missions, evangelism, service, and giving. It’s titled “Spend and Be
Spent”. I doubt it’s still in print anywhere, but I have an old copy that I
have used for about 15 years.
The supplemental prayer for the First
Sunday in Advent is drawn from an ancient 5th Century liturgy and is
attached to passages from Romans 12: “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is
evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo
one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit,
serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in
prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality”
(12:9-13).
This supplemental prayer addresses God’s
love, and how that should impact our interactions. I feel like this prayer is
perfect for this time of year because Advent is all about God’s love displayed
toward us in Christ. But it’s also fitting because in this Advent/Christmas
season painful memories of wrongs done to us, or wrongs we’ve experienced, often
surface. I’m sharing the prayer with you, modernizing the language a bit,
because I have found it valuable to me, personally, and think some of you will
as well.
O God of love, who through your Son has given us a new commandment
that we should love one another even as you do love us: We beseech you to give
us your servants, in each day of our life on earth, a mind forgetful of past
ill will and a single heart to love our brethren; for the sake of your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
May this prayer enrich your hearts and
make time shared with family and friends more wholesome, hopeful, and healthy.
Pastor Mike
