St James the Less Church in the Parish of Renforth
November 6, 2016 Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost
Collect Eternal God, who caused all holy scriptures to be written for our learning, grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
FIRST READING: Job 19:23-27a
23I wish that my words could be written down 24or chiseled into rock. 25I know that my Savior lives,
and at the end he will stand on this earth. 26My flesh may be destroyed, yet from this body I will see God.
27Yes, I will see him for myself, and I long for that moment.
PSALMODY: Psalm 17:1-9 (Said Responsively)
1I am innocent, LORD!
Won’t you listen as I pray and beg for help?
I am honest! Please hear my prayer.
2Only you can say that I am innocent,
because only your eyes can see the truth.
3You know my heart,
and even during the night you have tested me
and found me innocent.
I have made up my mind never to tell a lie.
4I don’t do like others.
I obey your teachings and am not cruel.
5I have followed you, without ever stumbling.
6I pray to you, God, because you will help me.
Listen and answer my prayer!
7Show your wonderful love.
Your mighty arm protects those who run to you
for safety from their enemies.
8Protect me as you would your very own eyes;
hide me in the shadow of your wings.
9Don’t let my brutal enemies
attack from all sides and kill me.
God of truth and justice, watch over your people in adversity, that we may know the wonders of your love and see the glory of your presence; through Jesus Christ our Saviour.
SECOND READING: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17
When our Lord Jesus returns, we will be gathered up to meet him. So I ask you, my friends, 2not to be easily upset or disturbed by people who claim that the Lord has already come. They may say that they heard this directly from the Holy Spirit, or from someone else, or even that they read it in one of our letters. 3But don’t be fooled! People will rebel against God. Then before the Lord returns, the wicked one who is doomed to be destroyed will appear. 4He will brag and oppose everything that is holy or sacred. He will even sit in God’s temple and claim to be God. 5Don’t you remember that I told you this while I was still with you? 6You already know what is holding this wicked one back until it is time for him to come. 7His mysterious power is already at work, but someone is holding him back. And the wicked one won’t appear until that someone is out of the way. 8Then he will appear, but the Lord Jesus will kill him simply by breathing on him. He will be completely destroyed by the LORD’S glorious return.
9When the wicked one appears, Satan will pretend to work all kinds of miracles, wonders, and signs. 10Lost people will be fooled by his evil deeds. They could be saved, but they will refuse to love the truth and accept it. 11So God will make sure that they are fooled into believing a lie. 12All of them will be punished, because they would rather do evil than believe the truth.
13My friends, the Lord loves you, and it is only natural for us to thank God for you. God chose you to be the first ones to be saved. His Spirit made you holy, and you put your faith in the truth. 14God used our preaching as his way of inviting you to share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15My friends, that’s why you must remain faithful and follow closely what we taught you in person and by our letters.
16God our Father loves us. He is kind and has given us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope. We pray that our Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father 17will encourage you and help you always to do and say the right thing.
GOSPEL: Luke 20:27-38
27The Sadducees did not believe that people would rise to life after death. So some of them came to Jesus 28and said: Teacher, Moses wrote that if a married man dies and has no children, his brother should marry the widow. Their first son would then be thought of as the son of the dead brother. 29There were once seven brothers. The first one married, but died without having any children. 30The second one married his brother’s widow, and he also died without having any children. 31The same thing happened to the third one. Finally, all seven brothers married that woman and died without having any children. 32At last the woman died. 33When God raises people from death, whose wife will this woman be? All seven brothers had married her.
34Jesus answered: The people in this world get married. 35But in the future world no one who is worthy to rise from death will either marry 36or die. They will be like the angels and will be God’s children, because they have been raised to life. 37In the story about the burning bush, Moses clearly shows that people will live again. He said, “The Lord is the God worshiped by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” 38So the Lord isn’t the God of the dead, but of the living. This means that everyone is alive as far as God is concerned.
Sentence: Jesus Christ is the first born of the dead; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen see Revelation 1:5-6
Notices.
Donations for seafarers Christmas packages are now being requested. There is a list in the Narthex. Please sign up and let us know now what you would like to contribute. We will be purchasing what ever else is needed the week of December 4th – 10th Sunday after church on the 11th will be the packing day.
On Thursday Dec 8 St James the less church welcomes seniors in the area to:
an Advent Afternoon Tea. 2:00-4:00 Please talk with Sue, Sharon or Ada if you would like to help plan and run this event.
Goals:
Fellowship
Exchange of ideas and resources for personal needs.
A cup of tea and light snacks
Some entertainment
Some inspirational thoughts
We are looking for a volunteer to take the Remembrance Day Wreath to the Cenotaph service on the 11th. Please indicate to Eric if you are able to do that in remembrance of the members of this Parish lost in war.
