God has graciously given us the Holy Scriptures so that we may be made wise unto salvation, strengthened in hope, and taught how to live faithfully between Christ’s first coming in humility and his return in glory. From Cranmer’s collect to Josiah’s rediscovery of the Law, we are reminded that true renewal begins when God’s Word is heard with a tender heart, humbly received, and faithfully obeyed.

Advent invites us to hold two realities together: the humility of Christ’s birth and the majesty of His coming again. While the world turns to the warmth of Bethlehem, the Church calls us to consider the King who will return in glory. The Child in the manger is the same Lord who entered Jerusalem to suffer for our sake and who will one day judge the living and the dead. St. Paul urges us to wake from spiritual sleep, cast off the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light. Advent summons us to active love, repentance, and readiness—turning from sin and walking in the vows of our baptism as we prepare for the true King’s return.

As we enter a new Church year, we are reminded that our need is no obstacle to God. In the wilderness of our lives, Christ takes what little we offer, blesses it, and multiplies it. Our need becomes the very place where His abundance breaks in.

This sermon for the Twenty-First Sunday after Trinity reflects on the collect and Psalm 121, reminding us that God grants His people pardon and peace. When we lift our eyes, we see that our help does not come from our own strength, luck, or circumstances, but from the Lord who made heaven and earth. Psalm 121 teaches us that God is our keeper, always watchful, never sleeping, guarding our steps in every season of life. As we look toward a new Church Year, we are encouraged to face both joys and trials with quiet minds and confident hearts, trusting that the Good Shepherd preserves our going out and coming in, now and forever.

All Saints’ Day honors the countless faithful who have trusted in Christ’s redeeming grace. Revelation 7 reveals a vast multitude from every nation, clothed in white robes washed in the blood of the Lamb. Their joy in heaven mirrors the Beatitudes’ call to live righteously on earth, sustained by hope in Christ’s eternal kingdom. In Holy Communion, we join the saints and angels in worship, anticipating the great reunion where all tears are wiped away and salvation belongs to God and the Lamb forever.

In the Book of Job, we encounter the timeless cry of the human heart: why do the righteous suffer while the wicked seem to thrive? Job’s lament paints a world filled with injustice and despair—yet the Gospel reveals God’s answer. In Christ, the power of forgiveness destroys the works of the devil, offering redemption and hope to all who believe. What Job longed for, Jesus fulfills—restoring hearts, renewing minds, and revealing God’s mercy in a fallen world.

In this Gospel passage, the Pharisees question Jesus not to learn, but to trap Him. Their inquiries echo the serpent’s ancient “Did God really say?”—questions born of unbelief. Jesus responds by uniting the two greatest commandments: to love God wholly and to love our neighbor as ourselves. True obedience begins not with skepticism but with love—a love that transforms questioning into trust and compels us to live faithfully before the Lord who is both David’s Son and David’s Lord.

Today’s Gospel contrasts pride and grace. Pride blinds us to God and others, while grace opens our eyes to mercy and truth. Jesus heals the man with dropsy, exposing the Pharisees’ self-righteousness and calling us to humility. As our Collect prays, may God’s prevenient grace—His favor that goes before and follows us—keep us from pride and make us ready for every good work. True discipleship begins in humility, where grace, not pride, shapes our hearts and actions.

“O LORD, let thy continual pity cleanse and defend thy Church.” Isaiah and the Gospel of Luke reveal God’s mercy as both personal and communal. In Isaiah, the prophet’s cleansing and Israel’s future redemption point to Christ, the well of salvation. In the Gospel, Jesus’ compassion at Nain transforms grief into joy, signaling God’s visitation and deliverance. His pity revives both individual souls and His whole Church, assuring us of cleansing, defense, and life through Christ our Lord.