St Edburg's Church - Bicester

Collect of the Day

Eternal Father,
whose Son Jesus Christ ascended to the throne of heaven
that he might rule over all things as Lord and King:
keep the Church in the unity of the Spirit and in the bond of peace,
and bring the whole created order to worship at his feet;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

 

First Reading

Daniel 7.9-10,13-14

9As I watched, thrones were set in place, and an Ancient One took his throne; his clothing was white as snow,
and the hair of his head like pure wool;
his throne was fiery flames,
and its wheels were burning fire.
10A stream of fire issued
and flowed out from his presence.
A thousand thousand served him,
and ten thousand times ten thousand stood attending him.
The court sat in judgement,
and the books were opened.
13As I watched in the night visions, 
I saw one like a human being
coming with the clouds of heaven.
And he came to the Ancient One
and was presented before him.
14To him was given dominion
and glory and kingship,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away,
and his kingship is one
that shall never be destroyed.

 

Psalm

Psalm 93

Refrain: The Lord shall reign for ever and ever.

1 The Lord is king and has put on 

glorious apparel; ♦ 

the Lord has put on his glory and

girded himself with strength.

2 He has made the whole world so 

sure ♦ 

that it cannot be moved.

3 Your throne has been established

from of old; ♦ 

you are from everlasting. R

4 The floods have lifted up, O Lord, 

the floods have lifted up their voice; ♦

the floods lift up their pounding waves.

5 Mightier than the thunder of many

waters, mightier than the breakers of

the sea, ♦ 

the Lord on high is mightier.

6 Your testimonies are very sure; ♦ 

holiness adorns your house, O Lord,

for ever.

Refrain: The Lord shall reign for ever and ever.

Christ our King, you put on the apparel of our nature
and raised us to your glory;
reign from your royal throne
above the chaos of this world,
that all may see the victory you have won and trust in your salvation;
for your glory’s sake.

 

Second Reading

Revelation 1.4b-8

4Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, 6and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 
7Look! He is coming with the clouds; every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him; and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail. So it is to be. Amen.

8‘I am the Alpha and the Omega’, says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. 

 

Gospel

John 18.33-37

33Pilate asked Jesus, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ 34Jesus answered, ‘Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?’ 35Pilate replied, ‘I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?’ 36Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.’ 37Pilate asked him, ‘So you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.’

 

Post Communion Prayer

Stir up, O Lord, 
the wills of your faithful people;
that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works,
may by you be plenteously rewarded;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

Copyright acknowledgement (where not already indicated above):

Daniel 7.9-10,13-14 ©  1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ, USA

John 18.33-37 ©  1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ, USARevelation 1.4b-8 ©  1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ, USACollect (Christ the King) ©  The Archbishops' Council 2000

Psalm 93 ©  The Archbishops' Council 2000

Post Communion (Christ the King) ©  The Crown/Cambridge University Press: The Book of Common Prayer (1662)