Frederick Douglass, Social Reformer, 1895

The Collect:

Rite I:
Almighty God, we bless thy Name for the witness of Frederick Douglass, whose impassioned and reasonable speech moved the hearts of people to a deeper obedience to Christ: Strengthen us also to speak on behalf of those in captivity and tribulation, continuing in the way of Jesus Christ our Liberator; who with thee and the Holy Ghost dwelleth in glory everlasting. Amen.

Rite II:
Almighty God, we bless your Name for the witness of Frederick Douglass, whose impassioned and reasonable speech moved the hearts of people to a deeper obedience to Christ: Strengthen us also to speak on behalf of those in captivity and tribulation, continuing in the way of Jesus Christ our Liberator; who with you and the Holy Spirit dwells in glory everlasting. Amen.

First Lesson: Isaiah 32:11-18

¹¹ Tremble, you women who are at ease,
   shudder, you complacent ones;
strip, and make yourselves bare,
   and put sackcloth on your loins.
¹² Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields,
   for the fruitful vine,
¹³ for the soil of my people
   growing up in thorns and briers;
yes, for all the joyous houses
   in the jubilant city.
¹⁴ For the palace will be forsaken,
   the populous city deserted;
the hill and the watch-tower
   will become dens for ever,
the joy of wild asses,
   a pasture for flocks;
¹⁵ until a spirit from on high is poured out on us,
   and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field,
   and the fruitful field is deemed a forest.
¹⁶ Then justice will dwell in the wilderness,
   and righteousness abide in the fruitful field.
¹⁷ The effect of righteousness will be peace,
   and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust for ever.
¹⁸ My people will abide in a peaceful habitation,
   in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting-places.

Psalm: Psalm 35:23-28 

²³ Awake, arise, to my cause! *
to my defense, my God and my Lord!
²⁴ Give me justice, O Lord my God,
according to your righteousness; *
do not let them triumph over me.
²⁵ Do not let them say in their hearts,
“Aha! just what we want!” *
Do not let them say, “We have swallowed him up.”
²⁶ Let all who rejoice at my ruin be ashamed and disgraced; *
let those who boast against me be clothed with
dismay and shame.
²⁷ Let those who favor my cause sing out with joy and be glad; *
let them say always, “Great is the Lord,
who desires the prosperity of his servant.”
²⁸ And my tongue shall be talking of your righteousness *
and of your praise all the day long.

Second Lesson: Hebrews 2:10-13 

¹⁰ It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. ¹¹ For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, ¹² saying,

‘I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters,
    in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.’

¹³ And again,

‘I will put my trust in him.’

And again,

‘Here am I and the children whom God has given me.’

Gospel: Luke 4:14–21

¹⁴Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. ¹⁵He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.

¹⁶When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, ¹⁷and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: 
¹⁸ ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
   because he has anointed me
     to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
   and recovery of sight to the blind,
     to let the oppressed go free, 
¹⁹ to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’ 
²⁰And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. ²¹Then he began to say to them, ‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’

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Sample Text: Today we honor Frederick Douglass, abolitionist, orator, and writer, whose powerful witness called the Church and society to account. His life reminds us that truth spoken in love can shake nations and free captives.

“…whose impassioned and reasonable speech moved the hearts of people to a deeper obedience to Christ…” #Episcopal

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