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St. Thomas website:  https://www.stthomascambridge.ca/ St. Thomas Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/St.Thomas.the.Apostle.Cambridgehttps://www.facebook.com/groups/969531309814142 (this is St. Luke’s page)  Friday, January 21, 2022  CollectAlmighty God, you have built your Church on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone.  Join us together in unity of spirit by their teaching, that we may become a holy temple, acceptable to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  AMEN.Come, let us worship.   The Proclamation of the Word1st Reading:  Isaiah 45:18-25 (NRSV)For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it a chaos, he formed it to be inhabited!):  I am the Lord, and there is no other.  I did not speak in secret, in a land of darkness; I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, ‘Seek me in chaos.’  I the Lord speak the truth, I declare what is right.

Idols Cannot Save Babylon

Assemble yourselves and come together, draw near, you survivors of the nations!  They have no knowledge— those who carry about their wooden idols, and keep on praying to a god that cannot save.  Declare and present your case; let them take counsel together!  Who told this long ago?  Who declared it of old?  Was it not I, the Lord?  There is no other god besides me, ighteous God and a Saviour; there is no one besides me.Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth!  For I am God, and there is no other.  By myself I have sworn, from my mouth has gone forth in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.’Only in the Lord, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength; all who were incensed against him shall come to him and be ashamed.  In the Lord all the offspring of Israel shall triumph and glory. Psalm 311               In you, O Lord, have I taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; * deliver me in your righteousness. 2               Incline your ear to me; * make haste to deliver me. 3               Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe, for you are my crag and my stronghold; * for the sake of your name, lead me and guide me.   4               Take me out of the net that they have secretly set for me, * for you are my tower of strength.   5               Into your hands I commend my spirit, * for you have redeemed me, O Lord, O God of truth. 6               I hate those who cling to worthless idols, * and I put my trust in the Lord.   7               I will rejoice and be glad because of your mercy; * for you have seen my affliction; you know my distress. 8               You have not shut me up in the power of the enemy; * you have set my feet in an open place.   9               Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in trouble; * my eye is consumed with sorrow, and also my throat and my belly.  10             For my life is wasted with grief, and my years with sighing; * my strength fails me because of affliction, and my bones are consumed. 11             I have become a reproach to all my enemies and even to my neighbours, a dismay to those of my acquaintance; * when they see me in the street they avoid me.  12             I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind; * I am as useless as a broken pot. 13             For I have heard the whispering of the crowd; fear is all around; * they put their heads together against me; they plot to take my life. 14             But as for me, I have trusted in you, O Lord. * I have said, “You are my God. 15             My times are in your hand; * rescue me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me.  16             Make your face to shine upon your servant, * and in your loving-kindness save me.” 17             Lord, let me not be ashamed for having called upon you; * rather, let the wicked be put to shame; let them be silent in the grave. 18             Let the lying lips be silenced which speak against the righteous, * haughtily, disdainfully, and with contempt. 19             How great is your goodness, O Lord! which you have laid up for those who fear you; * which you have done in the sight of all for those who put their trust in you. 20             You hide them in the covert of your presence from those who slander them; * you keep them in your shelter from the strife of tongues. 21             Blessed be the Lord! * for he has shown me the wonders of his love in a besieged city. 22             Yet I said in my alarm, “I have been cut off from the sight of your eyes.” * Nevertheless, you heard the sound of my entreaty when I cried out to you. 23             Love the Lord, all you who worship him; * the Lord protects the faithful, but repays to the full those who act haughtily. 24             Be strong and let your heart take courage, * all you who wait for the Lord.  Helper of the helpless, comfort of the afflicted, may your servants who stand in the midst of evil find strength in the knowledge of your presence, and praise you for the wonders of your love; through Jesus Christ our Redeemer.  Amen 2nd Reading:  Ephesians 6:1-9

Children and Parents

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honour your father and mother’—this is the first commandment with a promise: ‘so that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.’And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Slaves and Masters

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, in singleness of heart, as you obey Christ; not only while being watched, and in order to please them, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. Render service with enthusiasm, as to the Lord and not to men and women, knowing that whatever good we do, we will receive the same again from the Lord, whether we are slaves or free.And, masters, do the same to them. Stop threatening them, for you know that both of you have the same Master in heaven, and with him there is no partiality. Gospel Reading:  Mark 4:35-41 (NRSV)

Jesus Stills a Storm

On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, ‘Let us go across to the other side.’  And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was.  Other boats were with him.  A great gale arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped.  But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’  He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’  Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm.  He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid?  Have you still no faith?’  And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?’ The Lord’s Prayer Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread.  And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.  And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.  For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever.  Amen. Closing PrayerBlessed are you, God our Father, for the gift of your word in Holy Scripture.  Blessed are you for its transforming power.  Help us choose life and guide us by your Spirit, so that we can experience the happiness which you want so much to share with us. May the grace of God uphold you, the peace of God surround you, the love of God flow from you and the strength of God protect and bring you safely through this day.  Amen. God bless and keep us through this season of our lives -