Month: November 2025

30Nov

A Celebration of the First Sunday of Advent 2025

  1. Opening Sentence: From Psalm 25.
  2. Hymn: “Come, thou Long Expected Jesus.” Public Domain at Archive.org; Uploaded by Fr Timothy Matkin.
  3. First Reading: Isaiah 2:1-5, King James Bible.
  4. Psalm 122: “I Was Glad When They Said Unto Me” by Charles H. Hubert Parry (1848-1918). Performed by Immanuel Congregational Church, Hartford; available in the Public Domain at Archive.org.
  5. Second Reading: Romans 13:11-14, World English Bible.
  6. Hymn: “Savior of the Nations Come”, sung by Immanuel Congregational Church, Hartford, in the public domain at Archive.org.  
  7. Gospel: Matthew 24:36-44, World English Bible.
  8. The Lord’s Prayer: From Matthew.
  9. Blessing: 2nd Corinthians 13.
  10. Anthem: “O Come O Come Emmanuel” posted by “Ferox” in the Internet Archive. Public Domain.
  11. Organ Postlude: J.S. Bach (1685-1750) “Nun Komm, der Heiden Heiland”, BWV 659, Performed by David Schaller. Uploaded to YouTube by “After Dark Organ Music”, used in accordance with Creative Commons license.

The Bible passages were recorded by Librivox, and are in the public domain. Readings correspond to the Revised Common Lectionary. All audio files are given with attribution where known.

27Nov

Thanksgiving Celebration 2025 (Year C)

As you gather with family to remember the blessings of this life, I present this virtual service as an offering of thanks.

  1. Opening Acclamation: Psalm 136:1-3.
  2. Hymn: “Now Thank we All Our God”, performed by St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Guelph, Ontario Canada; used in accordance with Creative Commons license.
  3. FIrst reading: Deuteronomy 26:1-11, King James Bible.
  4. Psalm: Old 100th. Washington National Cathedral Singers, performed in 2015, used in accordance with Creative Commons license. The organ overpowers the singing at times, so here is the text: “All people that on earth do dwell, sing to the Lord with cheerful voice. Serve him with joy, his praises tell, come now before him and rejoice! Know that the Lord is God indeed; he formed us all without our aid. We are the flock he surely feeds, the sheep who by his hand were made. O enter then his gates with joy, within his courts his praise proclaim! Let thankful songs your tongues employ. O bless and magnify his name! Because the Lord our God is good, his mercy is forever sure. His faithfulness at all times stood and shall from age to age endure.”
  5. Second Reading: Phillippians 4:4-9, World English Bible.
  6. Anthem: “Rejoice in the Lord Always” by The Choirs of St. Matthew’s, Ottawa, directed by Stephen Candow. Uploaded to YouTube by Leonard Surges, and used in accordance with Creative Commons license.
  7. Gospel: John 6:25-35, World English Bible.
  8. The Lord’s Prayer: Setting by Phillippe Radcliffe (1905-1986), performed at Kerke de Laurens, Rotterdam, in 2020. Used in accordance with the Creative Commons license.
  9. Benediction: Ephesians 3.
  10. Hymn: “We Gather Together” sung by Grace Community Church, Sun Valley, California, uploaded to YouTube by Martijn de Groot, and used in accordance with Creative Commons license.

Bible passages were recorded by Librivox, and are in the public domain.

23Nov

Readings for 24th Sunday of Pentecost 2025: Feast of Christ the King

  1. Opening Acclamation: Revelation 5:12.
  2. Hymn: “Crown Him with Many Crowns”, public domain.
  3. First Reading: Jeremiah 23:1-6, King James Bible.
  4. Psalm 46, Anglican Chant, by St. Paul’s Burlingame, used in accordance with the Creative Commons license.
  5. Second Reading: Colossians 1:11-20, World English Bible.
  6. Alleluia: From “Omnes gentes with Alleluias (Psalm 46)” Posted to YouTube by “verbum gloriae”, used in accordance with the Creative Commons license.
  7. Gospel: Luke 23:33-43, World English Bible.
  8. The Lord’s Prayer: From the 1662 Book of Common Prayer.
  9. Benediction: From the 1662 Book of Common Prayer.
  10. Organ Postlude: “Praise my soul the King of Heaven.” Performed by Diane Bish, at the Eglise Notre Dame de Caudebec en Caux. Used in accordance with Creative Commons license.
15Nov

Celebration for the 23rd Sunday after Pentecost

  1. Opening Acclamation: Psalm 118:1.
  2. Hymn: “Rejoice The Lord Is King” by unknown soloist. Uploaded to YouTube by Christina Iqupen, and used in accordance with the Creative Commons license.  
  3. First Reading: Malachi 4:1-2a, King James Bible.
  4. Psalm: Giovanni Croce (1557-1609) “Cantate Domino” (setting of Psalm 98 in Latin), performed by an anonymous choir, uploaded to YouTube by “Free Music Tube”, used in accordance with the Creative Commons license.
  5. Second Reading: 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13, World English Bible.
  6. Organ Sequence: Georg Böhm (1661-1733): “Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend”, performed by Jens Engle, Used in accordance with the Creative Commons license.
  7. Gospel: Luke 21:5-19, World English Bible.
  8. The Lord’s Prayer: From Matthew 6.
  9. Blessing: From 2 Corinthians 13.
  10. Choral “Amen”, public domain.
  11. Organ postlude: J. S. Bach (1685–1750), “Fantasie c-Dur”, BWV 573, performed by Axel Fischer at Lüchow, uploaded to YouTube by NOMINEeV, used in accordance with Creative Commons license.

The Bible passages were recorded by Librivox, and are in the public domain. Readings correspond to the Revised Common Lectionary. All audio files are given with attribution where known.

02Nov

Celebration for the 21st Sunday After Pentecost

  1. Opening Acclamation: Psalm 46:1.
  2. Organ Prelude: “A Mighty Fortress is Our God” performed at Zwingli’s church, Bern Minster, by Diane Bish, from “8719 BERN CATHEDRAL – BERN, SWITZERLAND”, used in accordance with Creative Commons License.
  3. First Reading: Isaiah 1:10-18, King James Bible.
  4. Hymn: “A Mighty Fortress is Our God” sung by an unknown congregation. Public domain.
  5. Psalm 32:1-7, King James Bible.
  6. Response: Psalm 84 (1), sung at Kerke de Laurens, Rotterdam, in 2020. Used in accordance with the Creative Commons license.
  7. Second Reading: 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12, World English Bible.
  8. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) Chorale prelude on “Allein Gott in der Höh´ sei Ehr´” BWV 716, recorded on Hauptwerk VI, using the Sonus Paradisi Sample Set of the Schnitger Organ in Noordbroek, Netherlands. Uploaded to Youtube by Leon Kopecny in 2021, used in accordance with the Creative Commons license.
  9. Gospel: Luke 19:1-10, World English Bible.
  10. The Lord’s Prayer: Setting by Phillippe Radcliffe (1905-1986), performed at Kerke de Laurens, Rotterdam, in 2020. Used in accordance with the Creative Commons license.
  11. Blessing: 1 Timothy 1:17.
  12. Organ Postlude: Johan Sebastian Bach (1685-1750): “Toccata and Fugue in D minor.” Played by Fyodor Stroganov (organ). Recorded from a concert on 10/04/2015 at the Evangelical Lutheran Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul. Used in accordance with Creative Commons license.

The Bible passages were recorded by Librivox, and are in the public domain. Readings correspond to the Revised Common Lectionary. All audio files are given with attribution where known.

01Nov

A Hymn for All Saints Day

“For All The Saints” (verses 1, 2, 4)

For All the Saints (Tune “Sine Nomine), written by William How.

For all the saints who from their labours rest,
All who by faith before the world confessed,
Thy name, O Jesus, be for ever blest.
Alleluia! Alleluia!

Thou wert their rock, their fortress and their might;
Thou, Lord, their Captain in the well-fought fight;
Thou in the darkness drear, their one true light.
Alleluia! Alleluia!

O may thy soldiers, faithful, true and bold,
Fight as the saints who nobly fought of old,
And win with them, the victor’s crown of gold.
Alleluia! Alleluia!

O blest communion, family divine!
We feebly struggle, they in glory shine;
Yet all are one within thy great design.
Alleluia! Alleluia!

And when the strife is fierce, the warfare long,
Steals on the ear the distant triumph song,
And hearts are brave again, and arms are strong.
Alleluia! Alleluia!

The golden evening brightens in the west;
Soon, soon to faithful warriors comes their rest;
Sweet is the calm of paradise the blest.
Alleluia! Alleluia!

But then there breaks a yet more glorious day:
The saints triumphant rise in bright array;
The King of glory passes on his way.
Alleluia! Alleluia!

From earth’s wide bounds, from ocean’s farthest coast,
Through gates of pearl streams in the countless host.
Singing to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost:
Alleluia! Alleluia!