Opening Sentence

Yours is the day, O God, yours also the night; you established the moon and the sun. You fixed all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter. Psalm 74:15,16

Confession

Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

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 neighbors 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.

Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen.

Invitatory

O God, make speed to save us.

O Lord, make haste to help us.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

O Gracious Light Phos hilaron

O gracious light,
pure brightness of the everliving Father in heaven,
O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed!
Now as we come to the setting of the sun,
and our eyes behold the vesper light,
we sing your praises, O God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
You are worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices,
O Son of God, O Giver of Life,
and to be glorified through all the worlds.

Psalm 59 Eripe me de inimicis

1

Rescue me from my enemies, O God; *
protect me from those who rise up against me.

2

Rescue me from evildoers *
and save me from those who thirst for my blood.

3

See how they lie in wait for my life,
how the mighty gather together against me; *
not for any offense or fault of mine, O LORD.

4

Not because of any guilt of mine *
they run and prepare themselves for battle.

5

Rouse yourself, come to my side, and see; *
for you, LORD God of hosts, are Israel's God.

6

Awake, and punish all the ungodly; *
show no mercy to those who are faithless and evil.

7

They go to and fro in the evening; *
they snarl like dogs and run about the city.

8

Behold, they boast with their mouths,
and taunts are on their lips; *
"For who," they say, "will hear us?"

9

But you, O LORD, you laugh at them; *
you laugh all the ungodly to scorn.

10

My eyes are fixed on you, O my Strength; *
for you, O God, are my stronghold.

11

My merciful God comes to meet me; *
God will let me look in triumph on my enemies.

12

Slay them, O God, lest my people forget; *
send them reeling by your might
and put them down, O Lord our shield.

13

For the sins of their mouths, for the words of their lips,
for the cursing and lies that they utter, *
let them be caught in their pride.

14

Make an end of them in your wrath; *
make an end of them, and they shall be no more.

15

Let everyone know that God rules in Jacob, *
and to the ends of the earth.

16

They go to and fro in the evening; *
they snarl like dogs and run about the city.

17

They forage for food, *
and if they are not filled, they howl.

18

For my part, I will sing of your strength; *
I will celebrate your love in the morning;

19

For you have become my stronghold, *
a refuge in the day of my trouble.

20

To you, O my Strength, will I sing; *
for you, O God, are my stronghold and my merciful God.

Psalm 60 Deus, repulisti nos

1

O God, you have cast us off and broken us; *
you have been angry;
oh, take us back to you again.

2

You have shaken the earth and split it open; *
repair the cracks in it, for it totters.

3

You have made your people know hardship; *
you have given us wine that makes us stagger.

4

You have set up a banner for those who fear you, *
to be a refuge from the power of the bow.

5

Save us by your right hand and answer us, *
that those who are dear to you may be delivered.

6

God spoke from his holy place and said: *
"I will exult and parcel out Shechem;
I will divide the valley of Succoth.

7

Gilead is mine and Manasseh is mine; *
Ephraim is my helmet and Judah my scepter.

8

Moab is my wash-basin,
on Edom I throw down my sandal to claim it, *
and over Philistia will I shout in triumph."

9

Who will lead me into the strong city? *
who will bring me to Edom?

10

Have you not cast us off, O God? *
you no longer go out, O God, with our armies.

11

Grant us your help against the enemy, *
for vain is the help of man.

12

With God we will do valiant deeds, *
and he shall tread our enemies under foot.

Gloria Patri

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Gospel

Matthew 13:18-23 (NRSV)

18 "Hear then the parable of the sower. 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; ²¹ yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. 23 But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty."

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Canticle 17 The Song of Simeon
Nunc Dimittis Luke 2:29-32

Lord, you now have set your servant free *
to go in peace as you have promised;

For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, *
whom you have prepared for all the world to see:

A Light to enlighten the nations, *
and the glory of your people Israel.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

• Departure of St. Theophilus, the 23rd Pope of Alexandria

When Pope Timothy I departed, Abba Theophilus was chosen to take his place. He was knowledgeable and he learned the books of the Church by heart. He wrote many discourses; works of exhortation concerning charity, mercy, warnings to the people about receiving the Holy Communion without being prepared for it, concerning the Resurrection and eternal punishment which is furnished for sinners and many other useful teachings.

Abba Theophilus saw great potential in his nephew Kyrillos and thus he took care of his education. He sent him to Abba Serapion in the Desert of Scete. There Kyrillos studied the books of the Church and all its subjects and stayed there five years, then returned to his uncle. Later, Abba Kyrillos become the 24th Pope of Alexandria, known as the "Pillar of Faith".

Once Abba Theophilus saw Abba Athanasius looking at the hills from his cell and heard him saying: "If I find time, I will clear away these hills and build a church in their place in the name of St. John the Baptist and Elisha the Prophet". When Abba Theophilus became Patriarch, he remembered what St. Athanasius had said and talked about it often. Meanwhile, in the City of Rome, the husband of an exceedingly rich woman died and left her with two sons. The woman took her two sons, and much money and an icon of the Archangel Raphael and came to Alexandria. When she heard about the interest of the father the Patriarch in removing those hills, she went to him with great zeal and gave him enough money to do the work.

After the work was done, a treasure appeared under the hills and was covered with a slab of stone engraved in Coptic with three characters of "Theta". When Abba Theophilus saw them, guided by the Holy Spirit, he knew the secret of these three Thetas and said: "Behold the time has come for this treasure to be uncovered because these three Thetas were gathered together at the same time and they signify: Thoes, that of God, Theodosius the Emperor, son of Arcadius, son of Theodosius the Great, and Theophilus the Patriarch - meaning himself. He found that this treasure dated to the Era of Alexander son of Philip the Macedonian, 700 years old.

The Patriarch sent to the Emperor to inform him about the treasure and asked him to come to Alexandria. The Emperor came and gave a large sum of money to Abba Theophilus. He built many churches, starting with a church by the name of St. John the Baptist and Elisha the Prophet, and he transferred their relics to that church. That church was known at that time by the Demas. Then he built a church by the name of our Lady the Virgin Mary, then a church by the name of the Archangel Raphael at El-Gizira and seven other churches.

As for the two sons of the woman who came from Rome, he ordained them bishops. When the Emperor saw the love of the father the Patriarch for building the churches, he gave him all the houses of the idols which Abba Theophilus changed to churches and to lodging houses for strangers and endowed them with land.

Having fulfilled his days in a life pleasing to God, he departed from this world in peace.

May his prayers be with us. Glory be to God forever. Amen.

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 Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done, on earth as it is in
heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass
against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.

Suffrages A

Show us your mercy, O Lord;

And grant us your salvation.

Clothe your ministers with righteousness;

Let your people sing with joy.

Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;

For only in you can we live in safety.

Lord, keep this nation under your care;

And guide us in the way of justice and truth.

Let your way be known upon earth;

Your saving health among all nations.

Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;

Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.

Create in us clean hearts, O God;

And sustain us with your Holy Spirit.

Collect of the Day: Pentecost, proper 25

Almighty and everlasting God, increase in us the gifts of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain what you promise, make us love what you command; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

A Collect for Peace

Most holy God, the source of all good desires, all right judgments, and all just works: Give to us, your servants, that peace which the world cannot give, so that our minds may be fixed on the doing of your will, and that we, being delivered from the fear of all enemies, may live in peace and quietness; through the mercies of Christ Jesus our Savior. Amen.

For Mission

O God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth, and sent your blessed Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Grant that people everywhere may seek after you and find you; bring the nations into your fold; pour out your Spirit upon all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

World Cycle of Prayer

Aftenposten (newspaper)

Ecumenical Cycle of Prayer

We pray for our sisters and brothers, members of the Free Methodist Church.

The Free Methodist Church

For Local Government

For Those Who Need Continuing Care

Look with mercy, O God our Father, on all persons who have become ill, weak, distressed, or isolated. Provide for them homes of dignity and peace; give them understanding helpers, and the willingness to accept help; and increase their faith and their assurance of your love. This we ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For the Absent

O God, whose fatherly care reaches to the uttermost parts of the earth: We humbly beseech you graciously to behold and bless whom we love, now absent from us. Defend them from all dangers of soul and body; and grant that both they and we, drawing nearer to you, may be bound together by your love in the communion of your Holy Spirit, and in the fellowship of your saints; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Prayer Attributed to St. Francis

Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

General Thanksgiving

A Prayer of St. Chrysostom

Almighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen.

Benediction

Let us bless the Lord. Alleluia. Alleluia.

Thanks be to God. Alleluia. Alleluia.