Lighting the Way - 11.8.20 The Rev. Liz Armstrong

Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost Occasion: Proper 27 Sunday, November 08, 2020 Year (cycle): A   The Collect: 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. First Lesson:  Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25 [Alternate: Wisdom of Solomon 6:12-16 or Amos 5:18-24] 1Then 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. 2And 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. 3Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan and made his offspring many. 14 '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. 15Now 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.' 16 Then the people answered, 'Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods; 17for 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; 18and 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.' 19 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. 20If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm, and consume you, after having done you good.' 21And the people said to Joshua, 'No, we will serve the Lord!' 22Then 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.' 23He said, 'Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.' 24The people said to Joshua, 'The Lord our God we will serve, and him we will obey.' 25So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made statutes and ordinances for them at Shechem. Alternate: 12 Wisdom is radiant and unfading, and she is easily discerned by those who love her, and is found by those who seek her. 13 She hastens to make herself known to those who desire her. 14 One who rises early to seek her will have no difficulty, for she will be found sitting at the gate. 15 To fix one's thought on her is perfect understanding, and one who is vigilant on her account will soon be free from care, 16 because she goes about seeking those worthy of her, and she graciously appears to them in their paths, and meets them in every thought. or 18 Alas for you who desire the day of the Lord!    Why do you want the day of the Lord? It is darkness, not light; 19   as if someone fled from a lion,    and was met by a bear; or went into the house and rested a hand against the wall,    and was bitten by a snake. 20 Is not the day of the Lord darkness, not light,    and gloom with no brightness in it? 21 I hate, I despise your festivals,    and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. 22 Even though you offer me your burnt-offerings and grain-offerings,    I will not accept them; and the offerings of well-being of your fatted animals    I will not look upon. 23 Take away from me the noise of your songs;    I will not listen to the melody of your harps. 24 But let justice roll down like waters,    and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. Psalm:  Psalm 78:1-7 [Alternate: Wisdom of Solomon 6:17-20 or Psalm 70] 1 Hear my teaching, O my people; *        incline your ears to the words of my mouth. 2 I will open my mouth in a parable; *        I will declare the mysteries of ancient times. 3 That which we have heard and known,   and what our forefathers have told us, *        we will not hide from their children. 4 We will recount to generations to come   the praiseworthy deeds and the power of the Lord, *        and the wonderful works he has done. 5 He gave his decrees to Jacob   and established a law for Israel, *        which he commanded them to teach their children; 6 That the generations to come might know,   and the children yet unborn; *        that they in their turn might tell it to their children; 7 So that they might put their trust in God, *        and not forget the deeds of God,        but keep his commandments; Alternate: 17 The beginning of wisdom is the most sincere desire for instruction, and concern for instruction is love of her, 18 and love of her is the keeping of her laws, and giving heed to her laws is assurance of immortality, 19 and immortality brings one near to God; 20 so the desire for wisdom leads to a kingdom. or 1 Be pleased, O God, to deliver me; *        O Lord, make haste to help me. 2 Let those who seek my life be ashamed   and altogether dismayed; *        let those who take pleasure in my misfortune        draw back and be disgraced. 3 Let those who say to me "Aha!" and gloat over me turn back, *        because they are ashamed. 4 Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; *        let those who love your salvation say for ever,       "Great is the Lord!" 5 But as for me, I am poor and needy; *        come to me speedily, O God. 6 You are my helper and my deliverer; *        O Lord, do not tarry. Epistle:  1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died. 15For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will by no means precede those who have died. 16For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel's call and with the sound of God's trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord for ever. 18Therefore encourage one another with these words. Gospel:  Matthew 25:1-13 1'Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; 4but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. 6But at midnight there was a shout, "Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him." 7Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. 8The foolish said to the wise, "Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out." 9But 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." 10And 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. 11Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, "Lord, lord, open to us." 12But he replied, "Truly I tell you, I do not know you." 13Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.