Holy Communion Service in English
Worship Service
Lectionary Theme: Annunciation to Joseph; Embracing God’s plan
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Judges 6:11-24 First Lesson
11. Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the oak at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, as his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press, to hide it from the Midianites.
12. The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, you mighty warrior.”
13. Gideon answered him, “But sir, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our ancestors recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has cast us off, and given us into the hand of Midian.”
14. Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian; I hereby commission you.”
15. He responded, “But sir, how can I deliver Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”
16. The Lord said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike down the Midianites, every one of them.”
17. Then he said to him, “If now I have found favor with you, then show me a sign that it is you who speak with me.
18. Do not depart from here until I come to you, and bring out my present, and set it before you.” And he said, “I will stay until you return.”
19. So Gideon went into his house and prepared a kid, and unleavened cakes from an ephah of flour; the meat he put in a basket, and the broth he put in a pot, and brought them to him under the oak and presented them.
20. The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened cakes, and put them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” And he did so.
21. Then the angel of the Lord reached out the tip of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes; and fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened cakes; and the angel of the Lord vanished from his sight.
22. Then Gideon perceived that it was the angel of the Lord; and Gideon said, “Help me, Lord God! For I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.”
23. But the Lord said to him, “Peace be to you; do not fear, you shall not die.”
24. Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord, and called it, The Lord is peace. To this day it still stands at Ophrah, which belongs to the Abiezrites.
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Acts 9:10-19 Second Lesson
10. Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” He answered, “Here I am, Lord.”
11. The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying,
12. and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.”
13. But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem;
14. and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.”
15. But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel;
16. I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”
17. So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
18. And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized,
19. and after taking some food, he regained his strength. Saul Preaches in Damascus For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus,
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1 Thessalonians 5:14-22 Epistle
14. And we urge you, beloved, to admonish the idlers, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all of them.
15. See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all.
16. Rejoice always,
17. pray without ceasing,
18. give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
19. Do not quench the Spirit.
20. Do not despise the words of prophets,
21. but test everything; hold fast to what is good;
22. abstain from every form of evil.
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Matthew 1:18-25 Gospel
18. Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.
19. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly.
20. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
21. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
22. All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
23. “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.”
24. When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife,
25. but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.