Readings for Sunday – 11/23/25

The Last Day after Pentecost:
Christ the King

THE COLLECT
Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in your well-
beloved Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords: Mercifully grant that the peoples
of the earth, divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under
his most gracious rule; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God,
now and forever. Amen.

OLD TESTAMENT: Jeremiah 23:1-6
Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! says the
Lord. Therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds
who shepherd my people: It is you who have scattered my flock, and have driven
them away, and you have not attended to them. So, I will attend to you for your
evil doings, says the Lord. Then I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out
of all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold,
and they shall be fruitful and multiply.
I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them, and they shall not fear
any longer, or be dismayed, nor shall any be missing, says the Lord. The days are
surely coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch,
and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and
righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in
safety. And this is the name by which he will be called: “The Lord is our
righteousness.”.
Reader: The Word of the Lord People: Thanks be to God

PSALM: Canticle 16
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; *
he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior, *
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old, that he would save us from our
enemies, *
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers *
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, *
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
Free to worship him without fear, *
holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, *
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
To give people knowledge of salvation *
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God *
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, *
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, Is now, and will be forever. Amen.

EPISTLE: Colossians 1:11-20
May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious
power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while
joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the
inheritance of the saints in the light. He has rescued us from the power of
darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we
have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were
created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or
powers—all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is
before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the
body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he
might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God
was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself
all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of
his cross.
Reader: The Word of the Lord People: Thanks be to God

THE GOSPEL of our Lord Jesus Christ according to:
Luke 23:33-43 People: Glory to You Lord Christ
When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus
there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. Then Jesus said,
“Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they
cast lots to divide his clothing. And the people stood by, watching; but the
leaders scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is
the Messiah of God, his chosen one!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming
up and offering him sour wine, and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews,
save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the
Jews.” One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and
saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other
rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same
sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for
we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing
wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your king
dom.” He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
Reader: The Gospel of the Lord People: Praise to you, Lord Christ