"The Parable of the Ten Virgins"
William Blake
“The kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise."
Matthew 25: 1
Welcome to Church!
As a way of loving our neighbor and protecting the most vulnerable, Emmanuel continues to pray and sing digitally at home.
With the Bishop's permission, outdoor Holy Eucharist also has begun Sundays 9:00 a.m. at the VTS Chapel Garden (Registration is required.)
Online and outdoor worship continue in tandem,
with Zoom Coffee Hour at 11:30 a.m. providing fellowship for all.
Today's service features homilist: The Rev. Charles C. McCoart, Jr. ,
along with hymns: "Come Home", "Keep Your Lamps",
"Drawn to You" & "Revelation 19".
If you missed a Sunday service, check out
.
Though we worship apart, we are still One Body, in communion with Christ and one another. Feel free to share with family and friends!
Morning Prayer: Rite II
Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost
Ordinary Time
The service continues with these sentences of Scripture.
Send out your light and your truth, that they may lead me, and bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling.
Psalm 43:3
The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him.
Habakkuk 2:20
Confession of Sin
Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
Silence may be kept.
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.
Prayer of acceptance for God's forgiveness of our sins.
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 in eternal life. Amen.
The Invitatory
Lord, open our lips. And our mouths shall proclaim your praise. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: Come let us adore him.
Venite Psalm 95:1-7
Come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving
and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.
For the Lord is a great God,
and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the caverns of the earth,
and the heights of the hills are his also.
The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands have molded the dry land.
Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee,
and kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.
Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!
The Lessons
Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25
Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel; and they presented themselves before God. And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Long ago your ancestors—Terah and his sons Abraham and Nahor—lived beyond the Euphrates and served other gods. Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan and made his offspring many.
“Now therefore revere the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
Then the people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods; for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight. He protected us along all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed; and the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.”
But Joshua said to the people, “You cannot serve the Lord, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm, and consume you, after having done you good.” And the people said to Joshua, “No, we will serve the Lord!” Then Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord, to serve him.” And they said, “We are witnesses.” He said, “Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.” The people said to Joshua, “The Lord our God we will serve, and him we will obey.” So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made statutes and ordinances for them at Shechem.
Canticle: A Song of Praise Benedictus es, Domine
Song of the Three Young Men, 29-34
Glory to you, Lord God of our fathers; *
you are worthy of praise; glory to you.
Glory to you for the radiance of your holy Name; *
we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.
Glory to you in the splendor of your temple; *
on the throne of your majesty, glory to you.
Glory to you, seated between the Cherubim; *
we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.
Glory to you, beholding the depths; *
in the high vault of heaven, glory to you.
Glory to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; *
we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.
Matthew 25:1-13
Jesus said, “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise replied, ‘No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
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.
Prayers of Intercession
Show us your mercy, O Lord;
And grant us your salvation.
Clothe your minsters 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.
Longing for Christ's reign to come among us, we pray for the outpouring of God's mercy on the church, the world and all in need.
Holy God, rouse us to a deep praise as we gather for worship. Enliven our liturgy with sincere and heartfelt song. Sustain the work of all musicians who creatively lead us in prayer and praise in the times of Covid-19. We pray through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Holy Creator, surprise and delight us with the beauty of the world you have made. Bless the work of gardeners, growers, groundskeepers, landscapers, architects and artists whose work invites us into harmony with Mother Earth. We pray through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Holy Judge, let justice roll down like waters over this world. May all appointed officers of the courts serve in a spirit of wisdom, charity, and justice; that with steadfast purpose they may promote the well-being of all people. We pray through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Holy Wisdom, we seek your guidance. Regardless of how the election turns out, help us to not hold hate, disdain, or ridicule for those who voted differently than ourselves. Whether we are pleased or upset about the outcome, we will seek to understand the concerns and aspirations of those who voted differently and will look for opportunities to work with people with whom we disagree. We pray through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Based on the Braver Angels' "With "Malice Toward None" pledge.)
Holy Comforter, release from pain and relieve from sorrow: Christian, the Berry family, Eric, Wilfred, Doug, Carol, Tom, Loretta, Kris, Elizabeth, Bonnie, Ralph, Barrett, April, Cindy, Timothy, Tom, Joe, Christa, Liam, Tony, June, the Kilpatrick family, Nancy, Jeff, Leslie, Peggy, Sally, Butch, Evan, Bucky, David, Peter, Erica, Chanelle, Larry, Beth, Doug, Bill, Cathy and Hai. Uphold those living with mental illness, struggling with addiction, victims of violence and survivors of abuse, and all impacted by Covid-19. Watch over all who provide comfort, care, hope and support. We pray through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Holy and Immortal One, we mourn the tragic loss of 234,000+ souls in our country who have perished from Covid-19. Gather them into your kingdom, Lord, and comfort all who grieve for them. We pray through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Holy Companion, shield and protect all who live and serve in harm’s way throughout the world; especially Jamie, Devin and Michael. We pray through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Holy Redeemer, in the Anglican Cycle of Prayer we pray for the Church in the Province of the West Indies and in the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer we pray for the congregations, staff and clergy of St. Paul's in Richmond and St. John's in Richmond. We pray especially for our partner parish Ste. Croix in Léogâne, Haiti and for Emmanuel’s refugee ministry with the Latifi family. We pray through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Here you may add your own prayers for family, community, church and world.
The Collects
A Collect of the Day
O God, whose blessed Son came into the world that he might destroy the works of the devil and make us children of God and heirs of eternal life: Grant that, having this hope, we may purify ourselves as he is pure; that, when he comes again with power and great glory, we may be made like him in his eternal and glorious kingdom; where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
A Collect for Social Justice
Almighty God, who created us in your own image: Grant us grace fearlessly to contend against evil and to make no peace with oppression; and, that we may reverently use our freedom, help us to employ it in the pursuit of justice in our communities and among the nations, to the glory of your holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.
A Collect for Mission
Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace; So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. Amen.
The Offertory
Let us with gladness present the offerings and oblations of our life and labor to the Lord. Amen.
The General Thanksgiving
Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up ourselves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.
Concluding Prayer
Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine; Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church and in Christ Jesus forever and even. Amen.
Ephesians 3: 20, 21
Go in peace. Remember the poor.
We Are Here for You
Emmanuel Church is a community of faith which seeks to nurture and support individuals and families in every stage of life and circumstances. If you or a member of your family needs pastoral care please reach out to Chuck or Joani via email.