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Intercessions for 3rd Sunday before Advent Year C: 10 November 2013

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The Collect

Almighty Father, whose will is to restore all things in your beloved Son, the King of all: govern the hearts and minds of those in authority, and bring the families of the nations, divided and torn apart by the ravages of sin, to be subject to his just and gentle rule; who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

¶ The Liturgy of the Word

First Reading: Job 19.23-27a

‘O that my words were written down! O that they were inscribed in a book!  O that with an iron pen and with lead they were engraved on a rock for ever! For I know that my Redeemer lives, and that at the last he will stand upon the earth; and after my skin has been thus destroyed, then in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see on my side, and my eyes shall behold, and not another.

Psalm 17.1-9

Hear my just cause, O Lord; consider my complaint; *listen to my prayer, which comes not from lying lips.
Let my vindication come forth from your presence; *let your eyes behold what is right.
Weigh my heart, examine me by night, *refine me, and you will find no impurity in me.
My mouth does not trespass for earthly rewards; *I have heeded the words of your lips.
My footsteps hold fast in the ways of your commandments; *my feet have not stumbled in your paths.
I call upon you, O God, for you will answer me; *incline your ear to me, and listen to my words.
Show me your marvellous loving-kindness, *O Saviour of those who take refuge at your right hand from those who rise up against them.
Keep me as the apple of your eye; *hide me under the shadow of your wings,
From the wicked who assault me, *from my enemies who surround me to take away my life.

Second Reading: 2 Thessalonians 2.1-5,13-17

As to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we beg you, brothers and sisters, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as though from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here. Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the lawless one is revealed, the one destined for destruction. He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, declaring himself to be God. Do you not remember that I told you these things when I was still with you? But we must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth. For this purpose he called you through our proclamation of the good news, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word.

Gospel Reading: Luke 20.27-38

Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus, and asked him a question, ‘Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers; the first married, and died childless; then the second and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. Finally the woman also died. In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage; but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. Indeed they cannot die any more, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive.’

 


Prayers of Intercession

These prayers from last week are again suggested by Church House:

We pray for the coming of God’s kingdom.

You sent your Son to bring good news to the poor, sight to the blind, freedom to captives and salvation to your people: anoint us with your Spirit; rouse us to work in his name.
Father, by your Spirit bring in your kingdom.

Send us to bring help to the poor and freedom to the oppressed.
Father, by your Spirit bring in your kingdom.

Send us to tell the world the good news of your healing love.
Father, by your Spirit bring in your kingdom.

Send us to those who mourn, to bring joy and gladness instead of grief.
Father, by your Spirit bring in your kingdom.

Send us to proclaim that the time is here for you to save your people.
Father, by your Spirit bring in your kingdom.

Lord of the Church, hear our prayer, and make us one in mind and heart to serve you in Christ our Lord. Amen.


In the Church of England, the main service today will be in remembrance of those who have given their lives in the service of their country at war.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.

 But it is also the third Sunday before Advent, and the readings today do resonate and to some extent overlap with our feelings about Remembrance Day. The intercessions are based on Jim Cotter and Paul Payton’s reflections on today’s psalm.

 

¶The Church of Christ

Lord, you know that our Church is riven with theological and ecclesiastical disagreement, beliefs honestly and sincerely held, but apparently irreconcilable.  You test us by fire, searching and probing our hearts and our motives in the dark of the night. We pray for judgment to come forth from you through your holy spirit, for your eyes to discern what is right and make your judgment known unto us. And then we ask, O Lord, for your strength to do your will.

Lord, take the sword from our hands and wield it with truth and with healing: in your mercy, hear our prayer

¶Creation, human society, the Sovereign and those in authority

Lord, like the psalmist of old, we are angry at the ways of the brutal on earth. Afraid of their cruelty and greed, we tremble on the point of their swords. Yet the hammer of our words and our cries stays poised in the air, for we know the evil in our own hearts, the lying, the pride and the arrogance. Purge us of all self-righteousness and hatred. Even as we pray for your justice, that oppressors may triumph no more, so we pray for our deliverance too. Let justice roll down like waters, righteousness like an overflowing stream.

 Lord, take the sword from our hands and wield it with truth and with healing: in your mercy, hear our prayer

¶The local community

Lord, dependent as we are on your faithfulness, save us through judgment tempered with mercy. Protector of those who come to you for refuge, show us the wonders of your steadfast love. In all those difficulties we face as a community, where it seems we cannot make our collective voice heard by those in positions of power, help us to believe that victory is not always on the side of the big battalions, so long as the cause is just.

Lord, take the sword from our hands and wield it with truth and with healing: in your mercy, hear our prayer

¶Those who suffer

Lord, when we face pain, whether physical or mental, hide us under the shadow of your wings. When we are afraid of what the future may bring, keep us as the apple of your eye. When we become engrossed in our own troubles, help us to lift up our eyes to the lives of our neighbours, and to offer them friendship, comfort and help in your name.

 Lord, take the sword from our hands and wield it with truth and with healing: in your mercy, hear our prayer

¶The communion of saints

Lord, keep alive in us the memory of those dear to us whom you have called to yourself. And grant that every remembrance which turns our hearts from things seen to things unseen may lead us always upwards to you, till we come to our eternal rest. For we know that our Redeemer lives, and lives for evermore.

Lord, take the sword from our hands and wield it with truth and with healing: in your mercy, hear our prayer

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