 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
| Calvary Episcopal Church, Rockdale |
| Proper for the Commemoration of the 200th Anniversary of the Passage in the United States of a Law to end the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Used by Resolution of the 223rd Convention of the Diocese of Pennsylvania, on 6 January, 2007 click here to read the sermon preached by The Rev. Robert C. Granfeldt |
Collect
Almighty God, you show to those who are in error the light of your truth, that they may return to
the way of righteousness: grant to all those who are admitted into the fellowship of Christ's
religion, that they may reject those things that are contrary to their profession, and follow all
such things as are agreeable to the same; through our Lord Jesus Christ, who is alive and
reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and fore ever.
Amen
The Lesson: Exodus 2:11-25
One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and saw their forced labour. He
saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his kinsfolk. He looked this way and that, and seeing
no one he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. When he went out the next day, he saw
two Hebrews fighting; and he said to the one who was in the wrong, ‘Why do you strike your
fellow Hebrew?’ He answered, ‘Who made you a ruler and judge over us? Do you mean to kill
me as you killed the Egyptian?’ Then Moses was afraid and thought, ‘Surely the thing is known.’
When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses.
But Moses fled from Pharaoh. He settled in the land of Midian, and sat down by a well. The
priest of Midian had seven daughters. They came to draw water, and filled the troughs to water
their father’s flock. But some shepherds came and drove them away. Moses got up and came to
their defence and watered their flock. When they returned to their father Reuel, he said, ‘How
is it that you have come back so soon today?’ They said, ‘An Egyptian helped us against the
shepherds; he even drew water for us and watered the flock.’ He said to his daughters, ‘Where
is he? Why did you leave the man? Invite him to break bread.’ Moses agreed to stay with the
man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah in marriage. She bore a son, and he named him
Gershom; for he said, ‘I have been an alien residing in a foreign land.’
After a long time the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned under their slavery, and cried
out. Out of the slavery their cry for help rose up to God. God heard their groaning, and God
remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God looked upon the Israelites, and
God took notice of them.
Psalm 137 Super flumina
By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept : when we remembered Zion.
As for our harps we hung them up : upon the trees that are in that land.
For there those who led us away captive required of us a song : and those who had despoiled
us demanded mirth, saying ‘Sing us one of the songs of Zion.’
How can we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?
If I forget you, O Jerusalem : let my right hand forget its mastery.
Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth : if I do not remember you, if I do not prefer
Jerusalem above my chief joy.
Remember, O Lord, against the Edomites the day of Jerusalem : how they said ‘Down with it,
down with it, raze it to its foundations.’
O daughter of Babylon, you that lay waste : happy shall he be who serves you as you have
served us;
Happy shall he be who takes your little ones : and dashes them against the stones.
The Epistle: Galatians 3: 23-29
Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be
revealed. Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be
justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, for in
Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into
Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer
slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if
you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.
The Gospel: Matthew 25: 31-40
Jesus said, "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will
sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate
people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the
sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right
hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me
something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me
clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Then the
righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or
thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and
welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in
prison and visited you?” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one
of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”
Almighty God, you show to those who are in error the light of your truth, that they may return to
the way of righteousness: grant to all those who are admitted into the fellowship of Christ's
religion, that they may reject those things that are contrary to their profession, and follow all
such things as are agreeable to the same; through our Lord Jesus Christ, who is alive and
reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and fore ever.
Amen
The Lesson: Exodus 2:11-25
One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and saw their forced labour. He
saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his kinsfolk. He looked this way and that, and seeing
no one he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. When he went out the next day, he saw
two Hebrews fighting; and he said to the one who was in the wrong, ‘Why do you strike your
fellow Hebrew?’ He answered, ‘Who made you a ruler and judge over us? Do you mean to kill
me as you killed the Egyptian?’ Then Moses was afraid and thought, ‘Surely the thing is known.’
When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses.
But Moses fled from Pharaoh. He settled in the land of Midian, and sat down by a well. The
priest of Midian had seven daughters. They came to draw water, and filled the troughs to water
their father’s flock. But some shepherds came and drove them away. Moses got up and came to
their defence and watered their flock. When they returned to their father Reuel, he said, ‘How
is it that you have come back so soon today?’ They said, ‘An Egyptian helped us against the
shepherds; he even drew water for us and watered the flock.’ He said to his daughters, ‘Where
is he? Why did you leave the man? Invite him to break bread.’ Moses agreed to stay with the
man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah in marriage. She bore a son, and he named him
Gershom; for he said, ‘I have been an alien residing in a foreign land.’
After a long time the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned under their slavery, and cried
out. Out of the slavery their cry for help rose up to God. God heard their groaning, and God
remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God looked upon the Israelites, and
God took notice of them.
Psalm 137 Super flumina
By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept : when we remembered Zion.
As for our harps we hung them up : upon the trees that are in that land.
For there those who led us away captive required of us a song : and those who had despoiled
us demanded mirth, saying ‘Sing us one of the songs of Zion.’
How can we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?
If I forget you, O Jerusalem : let my right hand forget its mastery.
Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth : if I do not remember you, if I do not prefer
Jerusalem above my chief joy.
Remember, O Lord, against the Edomites the day of Jerusalem : how they said ‘Down with it,
down with it, raze it to its foundations.’
O daughter of Babylon, you that lay waste : happy shall he be who serves you as you have
served us;
Happy shall he be who takes your little ones : and dashes them against the stones.
The Epistle: Galatians 3: 23-29
Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be
revealed. Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be
justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, for in
Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into
Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer
slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if
you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.
The Gospel: Matthew 25: 31-40
Jesus said, "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will
sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate
people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the
sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right
hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me
something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me
clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Then the
righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or
thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and
welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in
prison and visited you?” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one
of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”