Church of the Epiphany

Saturday, July 5, 2014

The Collect

Proper 9
O God, who hast taught us to keep all thy commandments by loving thee and our neighbor: Grant us the grace of thy Holy Spirit, that we may be devoted to thee with our whole heart, and united to one another with pure affection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen
Preface of the Lord's Day

Old Testament Reading

Zechariah 9:9-12
⁹ Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on an ass, on a colt the foal of an ass. ¹⁰ I will cut off the chariot from E'phraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall command peace to the nations; his dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. ¹¹ As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your captives free from the waterless pit. ¹² Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double.

Psalm

Psalm 145

^{Exaltabo te, Deus}
¹I will exalt you, O God my King, *
     and bless your Name for ever and ever.
²Every day will I bless you *
     and praise your Name for ever and ever.
³Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; *
     there is no end to his greatness.
⁴One generation shall praise your works to another *
     and shall declare your power.
⁵I will ponder the glorious splendor of your majesty *
     and all your marvelous works.
⁶They shall speak of the might of your wondrous acts, *
     and I will tell of your greatness.
⁷They shall publish the remembrance of your great goodness; *
     they shall sing of your righteous deeds.
⁸The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, *
     slow to anger and of great kindness.
⁹The LORD is loving to everyone *
     and his compassion is over all his works.
¹⁰All your works praise you, O LORD, *
     and your faithful servants bless you.
¹¹They make known the glory of your kingdom *
     and speak of your power;
¹²That the peoples may know of your power *
     and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
¹³Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; *
     your dominion endures throughout all ages.
¹⁴The LORD is faithful in all his words *
     and merciful in all his deeds.
¹⁵The LORD upholds all those who fall; *
     he lifts up those who are bowed down.
¹⁶The eyes of all wait upon you, O LORD, *
     and you give them their food in due season.
¹⁷You open wide your hand *
     and satisfy the needs of every living creature.
¹⁸The LORD is righteous in all his ways *
     and loving in all his works.
¹⁹The LORD is near to those who call upon him, *
     to all who call upon him faithfully.
²⁰He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; *
     he hears their cry and helps them.
²¹The LORD preserves all those who love him, *
     but he destroys all the wicked.
²²My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD; *
     let all flesh bless his holy Name for ever and ever.

- OR -

Psalm 145:8-14

⁸The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, *
     slow to anger and of great kindness.
⁹The LORD is loving to everyone *
     and his compassion is over all his works.
¹⁰All your works praise you, O LORD, *
     and your faithful servants bless you.
¹¹They make known the glory of your kingdom *
     and speak of your power;
¹²That the peoples may know of your power *
     and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
¹³Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; *
     your dominion endures throughout all ages.
¹⁴The LORD is faithful in all his words *
     and merciful in all his deeds.

New Testament Reading

Romans 7:21-8:6
7:²¹ So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. ²² For I delight in the law of God, in my inmost self, ²³ but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin which dwells in my members. ²⁴ Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? ²⁵ Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I of myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. 8:¹ There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. ² For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death. ³ For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴ in order that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. ⁵ For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. ⁶ To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

Gospel Reading

Matthew 11:25-30
²⁵ At that time Jesus declared, "I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes; ²⁶ yea, Father, for such was thy gracious will. ²⁷ All things have been delivered to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. ²⁸ Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Friday, June 27, 2014

The Collect

Proper 8
O Almighty God, who hast built thy Church upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone: Grant us so to be joined together in unity of spirit by their doctrine, that we may be made an holy temple acceptable unto thee; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen
Preface of the Lord's Day

Old Testament Reading

Isaiah 2:10-17
¹⁰ Enter into the rock, and hide in the dust from before the terror of the LORD, and from the glory of his majesty. ¹¹ The haughty looks of man shall be brought low, and the pride of men shall be humbled; and the LORD alone will be exalted in that day. ¹² For the LORD of hosts has a day against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up and high; ¹³ against all the cedars of Lebanon, lofty and lifted up; and against all the oaks of Bashan; ¹⁴ against all the high mountains, and against all the lofty hills; ¹⁵ against every high tower, and against every fortified wall; ¹⁶ against all the ships of Tarshish, and against all the beautiful craft. ¹⁷ And the haughtiness of man shall be humbled, and the pride of men shall be brought low; and the LORD alone will be exalted in that day.

Psalm

Psalm 89:1-18

Part 1
¹Your love, O LORD, for ever will I sing; *
     from age to age my mouth will proclaim your faithfulness.
²For I am persuaded that your love is established for ever; *
     you have set your faithfulness firmly in the heavens.
³"I have made a covenant with my chosen one; *
     I have sworn an oath to David my servant:
⁴'I will establish your line for ever, *
     and preserve your throne for all generations.'"
⁵The heavens bear witness to your wonders, O LORD, *
     and to your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones;
⁶For who in the skies can be compared to the LORD? *
     who is like the LORD among the gods?
⁷God is much to be feared in the council of the holy ones, *
     great and terrible to all those round about him.
⁸Who is like you, LORD God of hosts? *
     O mighty LORD, your faithfulness is all around you.
⁹You rule the raging of the sea *
     and still the surging of its waves.
¹⁰You have crushed Rahab of the deep with a deadly wound; *
     you have scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.
¹¹Yours are the heavens; the earth also is yours; *
     you laid the foundations of the world and all that is in it.
¹²You have made the north and the south; *
     Tabor and Hermon rejoice in your Name.
¹³You have a mighty arm; *
     strong is your hand and high is your right hand.
¹⁴Righteousness and justice are the foundations of your throne; *
     love and truth go before your face.
¹⁵Happy are the people who know the festal shout! *
     they walk, O LORD, in the light of your presence.
¹⁶They rejoice daily in your Name; *
     they are jubilant in your righteousness.
¹⁷For you are the glory of their strength, *
     and by your favor our might is exalted.
¹⁸Truly, the LORD is our ruler; *
     The Holy One of Israel is our King.

- OR -

Psalm 89:1-4,15-18

¹Your love, O LORD, for ever will I sing; *
     from age to age my mouth will proclaim your faithfulness.
²For I am persuaded that your love is established for ever; *
     you have set your faithfulness firmly in the heavens.
³"I have made a covenant with my chosen one; *
     I have sworn an oath to David my servant:
⁴'I will establish your line for ever, *
     and preserve your throne for all generations.'"
¹⁵Happy are the people who know the festal shout! *
     they walk, O LORD, in the light of your presence.
¹⁶They rejoice daily in your Name; *
     they are jubilant in your righteousness.
¹⁷For you are the glory of their strength, *
     and by your favor our might is exalted.
¹⁸Truly, the LORD is our ruler; *
     The Holy One of Israel is our King.

New Testament Reading

Romans 6:3-11
³ Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. ⁵ For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. ⁶ We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the sinful body might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. ⁷ For he who has died is freed from sin. ⁸ But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. ⁹ For we know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. ¹⁰ The death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. ¹¹ So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Gospel Reading

Matthew 10:34-42
³⁴ "Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵ For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; ³⁶ and a man's foes will be those of his own household. ³⁷ He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; ³⁸ and he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. ³⁹ He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it. ⁴⁰ "He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me. ⁴¹ He who receives a prophet because he is a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward, and he who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. ⁴² And whoever gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he shall not lose his reward."

Friday, June 20, 2014

The Collect

Proper 7
O Lord, we beseech thee, make us have a perpetual fear and love of thy holy Name, for thou never failest to help and govern those whom thou hast set upon the sure foundation of thy loving-kindness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

Old Testament Reading

Jeremiah 20:7-13
⁷ O LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived; thou art stronger than I, and thou hast prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all the day; every one mocks me. ⁸ For whenever I speak, I cry out, I shout, "Violence and destruction!" For the word of the LORD has become for me a reproach and derision all day long. ⁹ If I say, "I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name," there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot. ¹⁰ For I hear many whispering. Terror is on every side! "Denounce him! Let us denounce him!" say all my familiar friends, watching for my fall. "Perhaps he will be deceived, then we can overcome him, and take our revenge on him." ¹¹ But the LORD is with me as a dread warrior; therefore my persecutors will stumble, they will not overcome me. They will be greatly shamed, for they will not succeed. Their eternal dishonor will never be forgotten. ¹² O LORD of hosts, who triest the righteous, who seest the heart and the mind, let me see thy vengeance upon them, for to thee have I committed my cause. ¹³ Sing to the LORD; praise the LORD! For he has delivered the life of the needy from the hand of evildoers.

Psalm

Psalm 69:1-18

¹Save me, O God, *
     for the waters have risen up to my neck.
²I am sinking in deep mire, *
     and there is no firm ground for my feet.
³I have come into deep waters, *
     and the torrent washes over me.
⁴I have grown weary with my crying;
     my throat is inflamed; *
     my eyes have failed from looking for my God.
⁵Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs
     of my head;
     my lying foes who would destroy me are mighty. *
     Must I then give back what I never stole?
⁶O God, you know my foolishness, *
     and my faults are not hidden from you.
⁷Let not those who hope in you be put to shame through me,
     Lord GOD of hosts; *
     let not those who seek you be disgraced because of me,
     O God of Israel.
⁸Surely, for your sake have I suffered reproach, *
     and shame has covered my face.
⁹I have become a stranger to my own kindred, *
     an alien to my mother's children.
¹⁰Zeal for your house has eaten me up; *
     the scorn of those who scorn you has fallen upon me.
¹¹I humbled myself with fasting, *
     but that was turned to my reproach.
¹²I put on sack-cloth also, *
     and became a byword among them.
¹³Those who sit at the gate murmur against me, *
     and the drunkards make songs about me.
¹⁴But as for me, this is my prayer to you, *
     at the time you have set, O LORD:
¹⁵"In your great mercy, O God, *
     answer me with your unfailing help.
¹⁶Save me from the mire; do not let me sink; *
     let me be rescued from those who hate me
     and out of the deep waters.
¹⁷Let not the torrent of waters wash over me,
     neither let the deep swallow me up; *
     do not let the Pit shut its mouth upon me.
¹⁸Answer me, O LORD, for your love is kind; *
     in your great compassion, turn to me."

- OR -

Psalm 69:7-10,16-18

⁷Let not those who hope in you be put to shame through me,
     Lord GOD of hosts; *
     let not those who seek you be disgraced because of me,
     O God of Israel.
⁸Surely, for your sake have I suffered reproach, *
     and shame has covered my face.
⁹I have become a stranger to my own kindred, *
     an alien to my mother's children.
¹⁰Zeal for your house has eaten me up; *
     the scorn of those who scorn you has fallen upon me.
¹⁶Save me from the mire; do not let me sink; *
     let me be rescued from those who hate me
     and out of the deep waters.
¹⁷Let not the torrent of waters wash over me,
     neither let the deep swallow me up; *
     do not let the Pit shut its mouth upon me.
¹⁸Answer me, O LORD, for your love is kind; *
     in your great compassion, turn to me."

New Testament Reading

Romans 5:15-19
¹⁵ But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. ¹⁶ And the free gift is not like the effect of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brings justification. ¹⁷ If, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ Then as one man's trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one man's act of righteousness leads to acquittal and life for all men. ¹⁹ For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man's obedience many will be made righteous.

Gospel Reading

Matthew 10:(16-23)24-33
(¹⁶ "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. ¹⁷ Beware of men; for they will deliver you up to councils, and flog you in their synagogues, ¹⁸ and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear testimony before them and the Gentiles. ¹⁹ When they deliver you up, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour; ²⁰ for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. ²¹ Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; ²² and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. ²³ When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next; for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel, before the Son of man comes. )²⁴ "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master; ²⁵ it is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Be-el'zebul, how much more will they malign those of his household. ²⁶ "So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. ²⁷ What I tell you in the dark, utter in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim upon the housetops. ²⁸ And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. ²⁹ Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father's will. ³⁰ But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹ Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. ³² So every one who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven; ³³ but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

Friday, June 13, 2014

Book of Common Prayer - 1979
June-15-2014
Trinity Sunday

The Collect

First Sunday after Pentecost: Trinity Sunday
Almighty and everlasting God, who hast given unto us thy servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of thy Divine Majesty to worship the Unity: We beseech thee that thou wouldst keep us steadfast in this faith and worship, and bring us at last to see thee in thy one and eternal glory, O Father; who with the Son and the Holy Spirit livest and reignest, one God, for ever and ever. Amen
Preface of Trinity Sunday

Old Testament Reading

Genesis 1:1-2:3
1:¹ In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. ² The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters. ³ And God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. ⁴ And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. ⁵ God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day. ⁶ And God said, "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters." ⁷ And God made the firmament and separated the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament. And it was so. ⁸ And God called the firmament Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day. ⁹ And God said, "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear." And it was so. ¹⁰ God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. ¹¹ And God said, "Let the earth put forth vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, upon the earth." And it was so. ¹² The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. ¹³ And there was evening and there was morning, a third day. ¹⁴ And God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, ¹⁵ and let them be lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light upon the earth." And it was so. ¹⁶ And God made the two great lights, the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night; he made the stars also. ¹⁷ And God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light upon the earth, ¹⁸ to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. ¹⁹ And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day. ²⁰ And God said, "Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the firmament of the heavens." ²¹ So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. ²² And God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth." ²³ And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day. ²⁴ And God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds." And it was so. ²⁵ And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the cattle according to their kinds, and everything that creeps upon the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. ²⁶ Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth." ²⁷ So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. ²⁸ And God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth." ²⁹ And God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. ³⁰ And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food." And it was so. ³¹ And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day. 2:¹ Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. ² And on the seventh day God finished his work which he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done. ³ So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all his work which he had done in creation.

Psalm

Psalm 150

^{Laudate Domi}
¹Hallelujah!
     Praise God in his holy temple; *
     praise him in the firmament of his power.
²Praise him for his mighty acts; *
     praise him for his excellent greatness.
³Praise him with the blast of the ram's-horn; *
     Praise him with lyre and harp.
⁴Praise him with timbrel and dance; *
     praise him with strings and pipe.
⁵Praise him with resounding cymbals; *
     praise him with loud-clanging cymbals.
⁶Let everything that has breath *
     praise the Lord.
     Hallelujah!

New Testament Reading

2 Corinthians 13:(5-10)11-14
(⁵ Examine yourselves, to see whether you are holding to your faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you?--unless indeed you fail to meet the test! ⁶ I hope you will find out that we have not failed. ⁷ But we pray God that you may not do wrong--not that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed. ⁸ For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. ⁹ For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. What we pray for is your improvement. ¹⁰ I write this while I am away from you, in order that when I come I may not have to be severe in my use of the authority which the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down. )¹¹ Finally, brethren, farewell. Mend your ways, heed my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you. ¹² Greet one another with a holy kiss. ¹³ All the saints greet you. ¹⁴ The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Gospel Reading

Matthew 28:16-20
¹⁶ Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. ¹⁷ And when they saw him they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸ And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age."

Thursday, May 29, 2014

The Collect

Seventh Sunday of Easter: The Sunday after Ascension Day
O God, the King of glory, you have exalted thine only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to thy kingdom in heaven: We beseech thee, leave us not comfortless, but send us thine Holy Ghost to comfort us, and exalt us to the same place where our Savior Christ is gone before; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen
Preface of the Ascension

Old Testament Reading

Acts 1:(1-7)8-14
(¹The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, ²until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, ³to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. ⁴And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me; ⁵for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."⁶Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" ⁷And He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. )⁸But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." ⁹Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.¹⁰And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, ¹¹who also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven." ¹²Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey. ¹³And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. ¹⁴These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers. -- NKJV

- OR -

Ezekiel 39:21-29
²¹"I will set My glory among the nations; all the nations shall see My judgment which I have executed, and My hand which I have laid on them. ²²So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day forward. ²³The Gentiles shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity; because they were unfaithful to Me, therefore I hid My face from them. I gave them into the hand of their enemies, and they all fell by the sword. ²⁴According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions I have dealt with them, and hidden My face from them."' ²⁵"Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: 'Now I will bring back the captives of Jacob, and have mercy on the whole house of Israel; and I will be jealous for My holy name- ²⁶after they have borne their shame, and all their unfaithfulness in which they were unfaithful to Me, when they dwelt safely in their own land and no one made them afraid. ²⁷When I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them out of their enemies' lands, and I am hallowed in them in the sight of many nations, ²⁸then they shall know that I am the LORD their God, who sent them into captivity among the nations, but also brought them back to their land, and left none of them captive any longer. ²⁹And I will not hide My face from them anymore; for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,' says the Lord GOD." -- NKJV

Psalm

Psalm 68:1-20

¹Let God arise, and let his enemies be scattered; *
     let those who hate him flee before him.
²Let them vanish like smoke when the wind drives it away; *
     as the wax melts at the fire, so let the wicked perish at
     the presence of God.
³But let the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; *
     let them also be merry and joyful.
⁴Sing to God, sing praises to his Name;
     exalt him who rides upon the heavens; *
     YAHWEH is his Name, rejoice before him!
⁵Father of orphans, defender of widows, *
     God in his holy habitation!
⁶God gives the solitary a home and brings forth prisoners
     into freedom; *
     but the rebels shall live in dry places.
⁷O God, when you went forth before your people, *
     when you marched through the wilderness,
⁸The earth shook, and the skies poured down rain,
     at the presence of God, the God of Sinai, *
     at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
⁹You sent a gracious rain, O God, upon your inheritance; *
     you refreshed the land when it was weary.
¹⁰Your people found their home in it; *
     in your goodness, O God, you have made provision
     for the poor.
¹¹The Lord gave the word; *
     great was the company of women who bore the tidings:
¹²"Kings with their armies are fleeing away; *
     the women at home are dividing the spoils."
¹³Though you lingered among the sheepfolds, *
     you shall be like a dove whose wings are covered with silver,
     whose feathers are like green gold.
¹⁴When the Almighty scattered kings, *
     it was like snow falling in Zalmon.
¹⁵O mighty mountain, O hill of Bashan! *
     O rugged mountain, O hill of Bashan!
¹⁶Why do you look with envy, O rugged mountain,
     at the hill which God chose for his resting place? *
     truly, the LORD will dwell there for ever.
¹⁷The chariots of God are twenty thousand,
     even thousands of thousands; *
     the Lord comes in holiness from Sinai.
¹⁸You have gone up on high and led captivity captive;
     you have received gifts even from your enemies, *
     that the LORD God might dwell among them.
¹⁹Blessed be the Lord day by day, *
     the God of our salvation, who bears our burdens.
²⁰He is our God, the God of our salvation; *
     God is the LORD, by whom we escape death.

- OR -

Psalm 47

^{Omnes gentes, plaudite}
¹Clap your hands, all you peoples; *
     shout to God with a cry of joy.
²For the LORD Most High is to be feared; *
     he is the great King over all the earth.
³He subdues the peoples under us, *
     and the nations under our feet.
⁴He chooses our inheritance for us, *
     the pride of Jacob whom he loves.
⁵God has gone up with a shout, *
     the LORD with the sound of the ram's-horn.
⁶Sing praises to God, sing praises; *
     sing praises to our King, sing praises.
⁷For God is King of all the earth; *
     sing praises with all your skill.
⁸God reigns over the nations; *
     God sits upon his holy throne.
⁹The nobles of the peoples have gathered together *
     with the people of the God of Abraham.
¹⁰The rulers of the earth belong to God, *
     and he is highly exalted.

New Testament Reading

1 Peter 4:12-19
¹²Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; ¹³but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. ¹⁴If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. ¹⁵But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people's matters. ¹⁶Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter. ¹⁷For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? ¹⁸Now " If the righteous one is scarcely saved, Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?" ¹⁹Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator. -- NKJV

- OR -

Gospel Reading

John 17:1-11
¹Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: "Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, ²as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. ³And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. ⁴I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. ⁵And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. ⁶"I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. ⁷Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. ⁸For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me. ⁹"I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. ¹⁰And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. ¹¹Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. -- NKJV

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

The Collect

Fifth Sunday of Easter
Almighty God, whom truly to know is everlasting life: Grant us so perfectly to know thy Son Jesus Christ to be the way, the truth, and the life, that we may steadfastly follow his steps in the way that leads to eternal life; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen
Preface of Easter

Old Testament Reading

Acts 17:1-15
¹Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. ²Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, ³explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, "This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ." ⁴And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas. ⁵But the Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. ⁶But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, "These who have turned the world upside down have come here too. ⁷Jason has harbored them, and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king-Jesus." ⁸And they troubled the crowd and the rulers of the city when they heard these things. ⁹So when they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go. ¹⁰Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. ¹¹These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. ¹²Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men. ¹³But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was preached by Paul at Berea, they came there also and stirred up the crowds. ¹⁴Then immediately the brethren sent Paul away, to go to the sea; but both Silas and Timothy remained there. ¹⁵So those who conducted Paul brought him to Athens; and receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him with all speed, they departed. -- NKJV - OR -
Deuteronomy 6:20-25
²⁰"When your son asks you in time to come, saying, 'What is the meaning of the testimonies, the statutes, and the judgments which the LORD our God has commanded you?' ²¹then you shall say to your son: 'We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand; ²²and the LORD showed signs and wonders before our eyes, great and severe, against Egypt, Pharaoh, and all his household. ²³Then He brought us out from there, that He might bring us in, to give us the land of which He swore to our fathers. ²⁴And the LORD commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as it is this day. ²⁵Then it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to observe all these commandments before the LORD our God, as He has commanded us.' -- NKJV

Psalm

Psalm 66:1-11

¹Be joyful in God, all you lands; *
     sing the glory of his Name;
     sing the glory of his praise.
²Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds! *
     because of your great strength your enemies
     cringe before you.
³All the earth bows down before you, *
     sings to you, sings out your Name."
⁴Come now and see the works of God, *
     how wonderful he is in his doing toward all people.
⁵He turned the sea into dry land,
     so that they went through the water on foot, *
     and there we rejoiced in him.
⁶In his might he rules for ever;
     his eyes keep watch over the nations; *
     let no rebel rise up against him.
⁷Bless our God, you peoples; *
     make the voice of his praise to be heard;
⁸Who holds our souls in life, *
     and will not allow our feet to slip.
⁹For you, O God, have proved us; *
     you have tried us just as silver is tried.
¹⁰You brought us into the snare; *
     you laid heavy burdens upon our backs.
¹¹You let enemies ride over our heads;
     we went through fire and water; *
     but you brought us out into a place of refreshment.

- OR -
Psalm 66:1-8

¹Be joyful in God, all you lands; *
     sing the glory of his Name;
     sing the glory of his praise.
²Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds! *
     because of your great strength your enemies
     cringe before you.
³All the earth bows down before you, *
     sings to you, sings out your Name."
⁴Come now and see the works of God, *
     how wonderful he is in his doing toward all people.
⁵He turned the sea into dry land,
     so that they went through the water on foot, *
     and there we rejoiced in him.
⁶In his might he rules for ever;
     his eyes keep watch over the nations; *
     let no rebel rise up against him.
⁷Bless our God, you peoples; *
     make the voice of his praise to be heard;
⁸Who holds our souls in life, *
     and will not allow our feet to slip.

New Testament Reading

1 Peter 2:1-10
¹Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, ²as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, ³if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. ⁴Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, ⁵you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, " Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame." ⁷Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, " The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone," ⁸and " A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense." They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed. ⁹But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; ¹⁰who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. -- NKJV - OR -
Acts 17:1-15
¹Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. ²Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, ³explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, "This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ." ⁴And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas. ⁵But the Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. ⁶But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, "These who have turned the world upside down have come here too. ⁷Jason has harbored them, and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king-Jesus." ⁸And they troubled the crowd and the rulers of the city when they heard these things. ⁹So when they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go. ¹⁰Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. ¹¹These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. ¹²Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men. ¹³But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was preached by Paul at Berea, they came there also and stirred up the crowds. ¹⁴Then immediately the brethren sent Paul away, to go to the sea; but both Silas and Timothy remained there. ¹⁵So those who conducted Paul brought him to Athens; and receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him with all speed, they departed. -- NKJV

Gospel Reading

John 14:1-14
¹"Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. ²In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. ³And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. ⁴And where I go you know, and the way you know." ⁵Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?" ⁶Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. ⁷"If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him." ⁸Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us." ⁹Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, 'Show us the Father'? ¹⁰Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. ¹¹Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves. ¹²"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. ¹³And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. -- NKJV

Monday, May 5, 2014

The Collect

Fourth Sunday of Easter
O God, whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of thy people; Grant that when we hear his voice we may know him who calls us each by name, and follow where he doth lead; who, with thee and the Holy Spirit, liveth and reigneth, one God, for ever and ever. Amen
Preface of Easter

Old Testament Reading

Acts 6:1-9
¹Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. ²Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, "It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. ³Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; ⁴but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word." ⁵And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, ⁶whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them. ⁷Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith. ⁸And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. ⁹Then there arose some from what is called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia), disputing with Stephen. -- NKJV - AND -
Acts 7:2,51-60
²And he said, "Brethren and fathers, listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran, ⁵¹"You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. ⁵²Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, ⁵³who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it." ⁵⁴When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. ⁵⁵But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, ⁵⁶and said, "Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!" ⁵⁷Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; ⁵⁸and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. ⁵⁹And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." ⁶⁰Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not charge them with this sin." And when he had said this, he fell asleep. -- NKJV - OR -
Nehemiah 9:6-15
⁶You alone are the LORD; You have made heaven, The heaven of heavens, with all their host, The earth and everything on it, The seas and all that is in them, And You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You. ⁷"You are the LORD God, Who chose Abram, And brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans, And gave him the name Abraham; ⁸You found his heart faithful before You, And made a covenant with him To give the land of the Canaanites, The Hittites, the Amorites, The Perizzites, the Jebusites, And the Girgashites- To give it to his descendants. You have performed Your words, For You are righteous. ⁹"You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, And heard their cry by the Red Sea. ¹⁰You showed signs and wonders against Pharaoh, Against all his servants, And against all the people of his land. For You knew that they acted proudly against them. So You made a name for Yourself, as it is this day. ¹¹And You divided the sea before them, So that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land; And their persecutors You threw into the deep, As a stone into the mighty waters. ¹²Moreover You led them by day with a cloudy pillar, And by night with a pillar of fire, To give them light on the road Which they should travel. ¹³"You came down also on Mount Sinai, And spoke with them from heaven, And gave them just ordinances and true laws, Good statutes and commandments. ¹⁴You made known to them Your holy Sabbath, And commanded them precepts, statutes and laws, By the hand of Moses Your servant. ¹⁵You gave them bread from heaven for their hunger, And brought them water out of the rock for their thirst, And told them to go in to possess the land Which You had sworn to give them. -- NKJV

Psalm

Psalm 23

^{Dominus regit me}
¹The LORD is my shepherd; *
     I shall not be in want.
²He makes me lie down in green pastures *
     and leads me beside still waters.
³He revives my soul *
     and guides me along right pathways for his Name's sake.
⁴Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
     I shall fear no evil; *
     for you are with me;
     your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
⁵You spread a table before me in the presence of those
     who trouble me; *
     you have anointed my head with oil,
     and my cup is running over.
⁶Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days
     of my life, *
     and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

New Testament Reading

1 Peter 2:19-25
¹⁹For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. ²⁰For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. ²¹For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: ²²" Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth"; ²³who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; ²⁴who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness-by whose stripes you were healed. ²⁵For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. -- NKJV - OR -

Acts 6:1-9
¹Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. ²Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, "It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. ³Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; ⁴but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word." ⁵And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, ⁶whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them. ⁷Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith. ⁸And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. ⁹Then there arose some from what is called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia), disputing with Stephen. -- NKJV
- AND -

Acts 7:2,51-60
²And he said, "Brethren and fathers, listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran, ⁵¹"You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. ⁵²Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, ⁵³who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it." ⁵⁴When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. ⁵⁵But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, ⁵⁶and said, "Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!" ⁵⁷Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; ⁵⁸and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. ⁵⁹And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." ⁶⁰Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not charge them with this sin." And when he had said this, he fell asleep. -- NKJV

Gospel Reading

John 10:1-10
¹"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. ²But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. ³To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. ⁵Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers." ⁶Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them. ⁷Then Jesus said to them again, "Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. ⁸All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. ⁹I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. ¹⁰The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. -- NKJV

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