 St Alban’s Episcopal Church Bolivar, Missouri Friday, December 30, 2022 Sunday in Christmastide The Collect for Sunday Almighty God, you have poured upon us the new light of your incarnate Word: Grant that this light, enkindled in our hearts, may shine forth in our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.  The first reading Isaiah 61:10-62:3 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my whole being shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the earth brings forth its hoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations. For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until her vindication shines out like the dawn, and her salvation like a burning torch. The nations shall see your vindication, and all the kings your glory; and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will give. You shall b a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.   The wise men are still on their way! We will celebrate their arrival on Sunday, January 8 – since the actual date of Epiphany falls the day before Ryan’s ordination, and we are not going to try to do anything then – AND we don’t want to skip over it either. THIS Sunday, January 1, is the first Sunday after Christmas – and we will celebrate it as usual with Eucharist at 10:30 – with carols and readings as we continue to enjoy the mystery of the Incarnation! John 1:1-14 In the beginning was the Word, and the word was with God, and the Word was God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.  |
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