St Edburg's Church - Bicester

Collect of the Day

Almighty God,
give us grace to cast away the works of darkness and to put on the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which your Son Jesus Christ came to us in great humility; that on the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

All    

           

First Reading  Isaiah 64.1-9

1O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence – 2as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil – to make your name known to your adversaries, so that the nations might tremble at your presence!
3When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. 4From ages past no one has heard,       no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who works for those who wait for him.            5You meet those who gladly do right,
those who remember you in your ways. But you were angry, and we sinned;      because you hid yourself we transgressed. 6We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth.       We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. 7There is no one who calls on your name,    or attempts to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have delivered us into the hand of our iniquity.            8Yet, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.
9Do not be exceedingly angry, O LORD, and do not remember iniquity for ever. Now consider, we are all your people.

 

Psalm  Psalm 80.1-8,18-20

1                 Hear, O Shepherd of Israel, you that led Joseph like a flock; Shine forth, you that are enthroned upon the cherubim, before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh. Stir up your mighty strength and come to our salvation. Turn us again, O God; show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.  O Lord God of hosts, how long will you be angry at your people’s prayer? You feed them with the bread of tears; you give them abundance of tears to drink.  You have made us the derision of our neighbours, and our enemies laugh us to scorn. Turn us again, O God of hosts; show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.

18                Let your hand be upon the man at your right hand, the son of man you made so strong for yourself. And so will we not go back from you; give us life, and we shall call upon your name. Turn us again, O Lord God of hosts; show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.

 

Second Reading

1 Corinthians 1.3-9

My brothers and sisters: 3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

4I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, 5for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind – 6just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you – 7so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

Gospel   Mark 13.24-37

Jesus said to his disciples: 24‘In those days, after that suffering, 
the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 25and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
26Then they will see “the Son of Man coming in clouds” with great power and glory. 27Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.  28‘From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 30Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. 31Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. 32‘But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. 34It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. 35Therefore, keep awake – for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, 36or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. 37And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.’ 

 

Post Communion Prayer

O Lord our God, make us watchful and keep us faithful
as we await the coming of your Son our Lord; that, when he shall appear, he may not find us sleeping in sin but active in his service and joyful in his praise;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

Copyright acknowledgement (where not already indicated above):

1 Corinthians 1.3-9 ©  1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ, USA

Isaiah 64.1-9 ©  1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ, USA

Mark 13.24-37 ©  1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ, USA

Post Communion (1st of Advent) ©  The Archbishops' Council 2000

Psalm 80.1-8,18-20 ©  The Archbishops' Council 2000