Learning About Hebrews: The Last Word

Twenty-Fourth Sunday After Pentecost

**Please note this service is based on the format of the Anglican Church of Canada. Unless otherwise indicated, all prayers come from the Book of Alternative Services (BAS) and the hymns from the Book of Common Praise (BCP). Other hymns and prayers have been sourced to give appropriate credit.

 

**NRSV translation used for the readings, unless otherwise stated.

 

Opening Prayer

Let us pray

Gracious God, we bless your holy name for the heritage you have given us. Show us the path of life, that we may follow it in hope, and come to know the joy of the resurrection of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

Opening Hymn – The Love of Jesus Calls Us (BCP #434)

            Listen Here

 

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,

and the love of God,

and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

And also with you.

 

Collect for Purity

            Listen Here

 

The Gloria

            Listen Here

 

Collect of the Day

Let us pray.

Almighty God, you sent your Son Jesus Christ to be the light of the world. Free us from all that darkens and ensnares us, and bring us to eternal light and joy; through the power of him who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Amen.

 

The Readings

A reading from the First Book of Samuel 1:4-20

On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters; but to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb. Her rival used to provoke her severely, to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. So it went on year by year; as often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. Her husband Elkanah said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? Why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?”

After they had eaten and drunk at Shiloh, Hannah rose and presented herself before the Lord. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the Lord. She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord, and wept bitterly. She made this vow: “O Lord of hosts, if only you will look on the misery of your servant, and remember me, and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a male child, then I will set him before you as a nazirite until the day of his death. He shall drink neither wine nor intoxicants, and no razor shall touch his head.”

As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was praying silently; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard; therefore Eli thought she was drunk. So Eli said to her, “How long will you make a drunken spectacle of yourself? Put away your wine.” But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman deeply troubled; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation all this time.” Then Eli answered, “Go in peace; the God of Israel grant the petition you have made to him.” And she said, “Let your servant find favor in your sight.” Then the woman went to her quarters, ate and drank with her husband, and her countenance was sad no longer.

They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at Ramah. Elkanah knew his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. In due time Hannah conceived and bore a son. She named him Samuel, for she said, “I have asked him of the Lord.”

 

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be the God.

 

Psalm 16

            Listen Here

 

Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge.

I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;

    I have no good apart from you.”

As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble,

    in whom is all my delight.

Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows;

    their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out

    or take their names upon my lips.

The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;

    you hold my lot.

The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;

    I have a goodly heritage.

I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;

    in the night also my heart instructs me.

I keep the Lord always before me;

    because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices;

    my body also rests secure.

For you do not give me up to Sheol,

    or let your faithful one see the Pit.

You show me the path of life.

    In your presence there is fullness of joy;

    in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

 

A reading from the Letter to the Hebrews 10:11-25

And every priest stands day after day at his service, offering again and again the same sacrifices that can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, “he sat down at the right hand of God,” and since then has been waiting “until his enemies would be made a footstool for his feet.” For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying,

“This is the covenant that I will make with them

    after those days, says the Lord:

I will put my laws in their hearts,

    and I will write them on their minds,”

he also adds,

“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”

Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

 

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

 

Gradual Hymn – Our Father, We Have Wandered (BCP #611)

            Listen Here

 

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

 

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark 13:1-8

Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

As he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!” Then Jesus asked him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.”

When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?” Then Jesus began to say to them, “Beware that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.

 

The Gospel of Christ.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Sermon

Affirmation of Faith

Let us confess the faith of our baptism, as we say the Apostles’ Creed:

I believe in God,

the Father almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.

 

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.

He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit

and born of the Virgin Mary.

He 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,

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

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 of the People

In peace, we pray to you, Lord God.

For all people in their daily life and work;

For our families, friends, and neighbours, and for all those who are alone.

For Victoria Beach and the Eastern Beaches, for Canada and the world;

For all who work for justice, freedom and peace.

For the just and proper use of your creation;

For the victims of hunger, fear, injustice, and oppression.

For all who are in danger, especially for the soldiers throughout our world who risk their lives to keep peace in areas of war, for all who experience sorrow or are in any kind of trouble;

For those who minister to the sick, the friendless, and the needy.

For the peace and unity of the Church of God;

For all who proclaim the gospel, and all who seek the truth.

For Geoff our bishop, and for all bishops, for Theo our Rector and other ministers; 

For all who serve God in his Church.

For our own needs and for the needs of others.

Please feel free to add your own petitions at this time. 

Hear us, Lord;

For your mercy is great.

We thank you, Lord, for all the blessings of this life.

Silence

We will exalt you, O God our king;

And praise your name for ever and ever.

We pray for all those who have died in the peace of Christ, and for those whose faith is known to you alone, that they may have a place in your eternal kingdom.

Lord, let your loving kindness be upon them; 

Who put their trust in you.

God of continuing love, sustaining life by your continuing work, surrounding us with your continuing presence, we thank You for Your presence here.

If we do not sense Your presence, is it because we fail to open our minds in meditation, or is it that we choose darkness over light, the light of Your Word available to us?

God of ALL nations, we thank You for our nation of Canada, our heritage of freedom, separation of powers in government, protections against tyranny, protections in law of human rights, religious liberty, and all the blessings of our land.  We are incredibly grateful to all the soldiers who fought so bravely in the First and Second World Wars, the Korean War and all other wars in our world.  On Thursday, November 11th, Remembrance Day, we once again stood silently in honour of those who made sure that we would continue to have those freedoms.

What does it mean in 2021 when we call You, Light of the world, God of all nations, but fail to see ourselves as citizens of the world, identified with peoples in all places, and all races?

O God coming in Christ to show Your love for the world. Forgive our narrow nationalism when our love of country, blinds us to our offences, in failing to love people of all nations, blinds us to our selfishness, in withholding our abundance from a needy world, blinds us to our indifference, to injustice suffered by many minorities, blinds us to our calling, to be in mission here and everywhere.

O God, who so loved the world, coming to be the Saviour of mankind, including all believers in a new covenant, we pray for new ways of seeing ourselves as part of the whole human family, we pray for new ways of seeing others, as people for whom Christ was born, lived and died.

Amen

Confession and Absolution

Dear friends in Christ,

God is steadfast in love and infinite in mercy;

God welcomes sinners and invites them to the table.

Let us confess our sins, confident in God’s forgiveness.

 

Most merciful God,

We confess that we have sinned against you

in thought, word, and deed,

by what we have done,

and by what we have left undone.

We have not loved you with our whole heart;

we have not loved our neighbours as ourselves.

We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.

for the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,

have mercy on us and forgive us,

that we may delight in your will,

and walk in your ways,

to the glory of your name. Amen.

 

As we speak the truth of our lives, God who is faithful and just, restores us and brings us home again and again.

 

Almighty God have mercy upon you,

pardon and deliver you from all your sins,

confirm and strengthen you in all goodness,

and keep you in eternal life;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

 

The Peace

The peace of the Lord be always with you.

And also with you.

 

Offertory Hymn – Draw Near and Take (BCP #49)

            Listen Here

 

Prayer over the Gifts

**Although not physically at our church buildings to share our offering together I would encourage you to set your offering of money aside so that it can be dropped off or placed in the church once services resume, to mail your offering to the church, or to make donations online. Please remember ministry is still taking place.

 

Let us pray.

Holy God, in this eucharist we renew our baptismal covenant. Help us, through our offering this day, to renounce all things that draw us from your love. This we ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

This service was created for live worship on Zoom. For those worshiping on your own, you may either read the Eucharistic prayer, or skip ahead to the Lord's Prayer and then the Doxology.

 

Eucharistic Prayer 2 (p. 196)

 

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

 

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them to the Lord.

 

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give our thanks and praise.

 

We give you thanks and praise, almighty God,

through your beloved Son, Jesus Christ,

our Saviour and Redeemer.

He is your living Word,

through whom you have created all things.

 

By the power of the Holy Spirit

he took flesh of the Virgin Mary

and shared our human nature.

He lived and died as one of us,

to reconcile us to you,

the God and Father of all.

 

In fulfilment of your will

he stretched out his hands in suffering,

to bring release to those who place their hope in you;

and so he won for you a holy people.

 

He chose to bear our griefs and sorrows,

and to give up his life on the cross,

that he might shatter the chains of evil and death,

and banish the darkness of sin and despair.

By his resurrection

he brings us into the light of your presence.

 

Now with all creation we raise our voices

to proclaim the glory of your name.

 

Holy, holy, holy Lord,

God of power and might,

heaven and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest.

 

Blessed are they who come in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest.

 

Holy and gracious God,

accept our praise,

through your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ;

who on the night he was handed over

to suffering and death,

took bread and gave you thanks,

saying, “Take, and eat:

this is my body which is broken for you.”

In the same way he took the cup,

saying, “This is my blood which is shed for you.

When you do this, you do it in memory of me.”

 

Remembering, therefore, his death and resurrection,

we offer you this bread and this cup,

giving thanks that you have made us worthy

to stand in your presence and serve you.

 

We ask you to send your Holy Spirit

upon the offering of your holy Church.

Gather into one

all who share in these sacred mysteries,

filling them with the Holy Spirit

and confirming their faith in the truth,

that together we may praise you

and give you glory

through your Servant, Jesus Christ.

 

All glory and honour are yours,

Father and Son,

with the Holy Spirit

in the holy Church,

now and for ever.

Amen.

 

And now, as our Saviour Christ has taught us,

we are bold to pray,

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.

 

Breaking of the Bread

This is the body of Christ.

Behold what you are.

Become what you receive.

Amen.

 

Communion

This is the table of Christ. It is made ready for those who love him, and for those who want to love him more. Come, whether you have much faith or little, have tried to follow, or are afraid that you have failed. Come. Because it is Christ's will that those who want to meet him, might meet him here.

 

These are the gifts of God for the People of God.

Thanks be to God.

 

Share in the Eucharist

Prayer After Communion

As we have feasted around the table, let us pray.

Gracious God, in this sacrament we have shared the body and blood of Christ. May we who have been nourished by holy things bear witness to his light, and share in his eternal priesthood; for he is Lord for ever and ever. Amen.

 

Doxology

As a congregation, we declare our doxology, as we say together,

Glory to God,

whose power, working in us,

can do infinitely more

than we can ask or imagine.

Glory to God from generation to generation,

in the Church and in Christ Jesus,

for ever and ever.

Amen.

 

Blessing

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord: and the blessing of the Holy and Undivided Trinity be with you and remain with you always, in the Name of Love, ☩ the Glory of Love, and the Power of Love. Amen.

 

Closing Hymn – Be Thou My Vision (BCP #505)

            Listen Here

 

Dismissal

Go forth into the world, rejoicing in the power of the Spirit.

Thanks be to God.