The Lessons Appointed for Use on the
Seventh Sunday of Easter
Year B BCP

Acts 1:15-26
or Exodus 28:1-4,9-10,29-30
1 John 5:9-15
or Acts 1:15-26
John 17:11b-19
Psalm 68:1-20 or 47

O God, the King of glory, you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven: Do not leave us comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and exalt us to that place where our Savior Christ has gone before; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

Acts 1:15-26

In those days Peter stood up among the believers (together the crowd numbered about one hundred twenty persons) and said, "Friends, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit through David foretold concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus-- for he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry." (Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. This became known to all the residents of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their language Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) "For it is written in the book of Psalms,

`Let his homestead become desolate,

and let there be no one to live in it';

and

`Let another take his position of overseer.'

So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us-- one of these must become a witness with us to his resurrection." So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. Then they prayed and said, "Lord, you know everyone's heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place." And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.

or

Exodus 28:1-4,9-10,29-30

The Lord said to Moses: Bring near to you your brother Aaron, and his sons with him, from among the Israelites, to serve me as priests-- Aaron and Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. You shall make sacred vestments for the glorious adornment of your brother Aaron. And you shall speak to all who have ability, whom I have endowed with skill, that they make Aaron's vestments to consecrate him for my priesthood. These are the vestments that they shall make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a checkered tunic, a turban, and a sash. When they make these sacred vestments for your brother Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests,

You shall take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel, six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, in the order of their birth.

So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment on his heart when he goes into the holy place, for a continual remembrance before the LORD. In the breastpiece of judgment you shall put the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be on Aaron's heart when he goes in before the LORD; thus Aaron shall bear the judgment of the Israelites on his heart before the LORD continually.

Psalm 68:1-20 Page 676, BCP

Exsurgat Deus

1

Let God arise, and let his enemies be scattered; *
let those who hate him flee before him.

2

Let them vanish like smoke when the wind drives it away; *
as the wax melts at the fire, so let the wicked perish at

the presence of God.

3

But let the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; *
let them also be merry and joyful.

4

Sing to God, sing praises to his Name;
exalt him who rides upon the heavens; *
YAHWEH is his Name, rejoice before him!

5

Father of orphans, defender of widows, *
God in his holy habitation!

6

God gives the solitary a home and brings forth prisoners into freedom; *
but the rebels shall live in dry places.

7

O God, when you went forth before your people, *
when you marched through the wilderness,

8

The earth shook, and the skies poured down rain,
at the presence of God, the God of Sinai, *
at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

9

You sent a gracious rain, O God, upon your inheritance; *
you refreshed the land when it was weary.

10

Your people found their home in it; *
in your goodness, O God, you have made provision for the poor.

11

The Lord gave the word; *
great was the company of women who bore the tidings:

12

"Kings with their armies are fleeing away; *
the women at home are dividing the spoils."

13

Though you lingered among the sheepfolds, *
you shall be like a dove whose wings are covered with silver,
whose feathers are like green gold.

14

When the Almighty scattered kings, *
it was like snow falling in Zalmon.

15

O mighty mountain, O hill of Bashan! *
O rugged mountain, O hill of Bashan!

16

Why do you look with envy, O rugged mountain,
at the hill which God chose for his resting place? *
truly, the LORD will dwell there for ever.

17

The chariots of God are twenty thousand,
even thousands of thousands; *
the Lord comes in holiness from Sinai.

18

You have gone up on high and led captivity captive;
you have received gifts even from your enemies, *
that the LORD God might dwell among them.

19

Blessed be the Lord day by day, *
the God of our salvation, who bears our burdens.

20

He is our God, the God of our salvation; *
God is the LORD, by whom we escape death.

or

Psalm 47 Page 650, BCP

Omnes gentes, plaudite

1

Clap your hands, all you peoples; *
shout to God with a cry of joy.

2

For the LORD Most High is to be feared; *
he is the great King over all the earth.

3

He subdues the peoples under us, *
and the nations under our feet.

4

He chooses our inheritance for us, *
the pride of Jacob whom he loves.

5

God has gone up with a shout, *
the LORD with the sound of the ram's-horn.

6

Sing praises to God, sing praises; *
sing praises to our King, sing praises.

7

For God is King of all the earth; *
sing praises with all your skill.

8

God reigns over the nations; *
God sits upon his holy throne.

9

The nobles of the peoples have gathered together *
with the people of the God of Abraham.

10

The rulers of the earth belong to God, *
and he is highly exalted.

1 John 5:9-15

If we receive human testimony, the testimony of God is greater; for this is the testimony of God that he has testified to his Son. Those who believe in the Son of God have the testimony in their hearts. Those who do not believe in God have made him a liar by not believing in the testimony that God has given concerning his Son. And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

And this is the boldness we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the requests made of him.

Acts 1:15-26

[See above]

John 17:11b-19

Jesus prayed for his disciples, saying, "Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth."

The Bible texts of the Old Testament, Epistle and Gospel lessons are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, and used by permission.

The Collects, Psalms and Canticles are from the Book of Common Prayer, 1979.

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