Altar
Server Prayer: Father in
heaven, Your Son Jesus Christ showed his love for you by
serving his brothers and sisters in need. I now ask you to give
me your help I serve you and your people Open my mouth to praise you in
word and song. Open my ears to hear your word. Open my hand to do your work
well. Take from me all evil and distracting thoughts.
Help me to know what I should
do and do it well. Help me to serve reverently at your Holy Altar
and give you praise and glory now and for ever. Amen
HE WAS HE IS
In my vision, I, John, saw a door open in heaven and heard the same voice speaking to me, the voice like a trumpet, saying, ‘Come up here: I will show you what is to come in the future.’ With that, the Spirit possessed me and I saw a throne standing in heaven, and the One who was sitting on the throne, and the Person sitting there looked like a diamond and a ruby. There was a rainbow encircling the throne, and this looked like an emerald. Round the throne in a circle were twenty-four thrones, and on them I saw twenty-four elders sitting, dressed in white robes with golden crowns on their heads. Flashes of lightning were coming from the throne, and the sound of peals of thunder, and in front of the throne there were seven flaming lamps burning, the seven Spirits of God. Between the throne and myself was a sea that seemed to be made of glass, like crystal. In the centre, grouped round the throne itself, were four animals with many eyes, in front and behind. The first animal was like a lion, the second like a bull, the third animal had a human face, and the fourth animal was like a flying eagle. Each of the four animals had six wings and had eyes all the way round as well as inside; and day and night they never stopped singing:
‘Holy, Holy, Holy
is the Lord God, the Almighty;
he was, he is and he is to come.’
Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God, the Almighty.
While the people were
listening, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and
they imagined that the kingdom of God was going to show itself then and there.
Accordingly he said, ‘A man of noble birth went to a distant country to be appointed
king and afterwards return. He summoned ten of his servants and gave them ten
pounds. “Do business with these” he told them “until I get back.” But his
compatriots detested him and sent a delegation to follow him with this message,
“We do not want this man to be our king.” ‘Now on his return,
having received his appointment as king, he sent for those servants to whom he
had given the money, to find out what profit each had made. The first came in
and said, “Sir, your one pound has brought in ten.” “Well done, my good servant!”
he replied “Since you have proved yourself faithful in a very small thing, you
shall have the government of ten cities.” Then came the second and said, “Sir,
your one pound has made five.” To this one also he said, “And you shall be in
charge of five cities.” Next came the other and said, “Sir, here is your pound.
I put it away safely in a piece of linen because I was afraid of you; for you
are an exacting man: you pick up what you have not put down and reap what you
have not sown.” “You wicked servant!” he said “Out of your own mouth I condemn
you. So you knew I was an exacting man, picking up what I have not put down and
reaping what I have not sown? Then why did you not put my money in the bank? On
my return I could have drawn it out with interest.” And he said to those
standing by, “Take the pound from him and give it to the man who has ten
pounds.” And they said to him, “But, sir, he has ten pounds…”. “I tell you, to
everyone who has will be given more; but from the man who has not, even what he
has will be taken away. ‘“But as for my enemies who did not want me
for their king, bring them here and execute them in my presence.”’ When
he had said this he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 
My Father in heaven, I bow down before you in worship and adoration for to you alone be all glory, worship and adoration.
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