Henry Martyn, Priest and Missionary, 1812

The Collect:

Rite I:
O God of the nations, who gave to thy servant Henry Martyn a longing to share thy Gospel with all peoples; Inspire the church in our own day, we beseech thee, with that same desire, that we may be eager to commit both life and talents to thee who didst bestow them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Rite II:
O God of the nations, who gave to your servant Henry Martyn a longing to share your Gospel with all peoples; Inspire the church in our own day with that said desire, that we may be eager to commit both life and talents to you who gave them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

First Lesson: Isaiah 49:1-7

¹ Listen to me, O coastlands,
   pay attention, you peoples from far away!
The Lord called me before I was born,
   while I was in my mother’s womb he named me.
² He made my mouth like a sharp sword,
   in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me a polished arrow,
   in his quiver he hid me away.
³ And he said to me, ‘You are my servant,
   Israel, in whom I will be glorified.’
⁴ But I said, ‘I have laboured in vain,
   I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity;
yet surely my cause is with the Lord,
   and my reward with my God.’
⁵ And now the Lord says,
   who formed me in the womb to be his servant,
to bring Jacob back to him,
   and that Israel might be gathered to him,
for I am honoured in the sight of the Lord,
   and my God has become my strength—
⁶ he says,
‘It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
   to raise up the tribes of Jacob
   and to restore the survivors of Israel;
I will give you as a light to the nations,
   that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.’

⁷ Thus says the Lord,
   the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One,
to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations,
   the slave of rulers,
‘Kings shall see and stand up,
   princes, and they shall prostrate themselves,
because of the Lord, who is faithful,
   the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.’

Psalm: Psalm 98

¹ Sing to the Lord a new song, *
       for he has done marvelous things.
² With his right hand and his holy arm *
       has he won for himself the victory.
³ The Lord has made known his victory; *
       his righteousness has he openly shown in
                                the sight of the nations.
⁴ He remembers his mercy and faithfulness to
                                the house of Israel, *
       and all the ends of the earth have seen the
                                victory of our God.
⁵ Shout with joy to the Lord, all you lands; *
       lift up your voice, rejoice, and sing.
⁶ Sing to the Lord with the harp, *
       with the harp and the voice of song.
⁷ With trumpets and the sound of the horn *
       shout with joy before the King, the Lord.
⁸ Let the sea make a noise and all that is in it, *
       the lands and those who dwell therein.
⁹ Let the rivers clap their hands, *
       and let the hills ring out with joy before the Lord,
       when he comes to judge the earth.
¹⁰ In righteousness shall he judge the world *
       and the peoples with equity.

Gospel: John 4:21-26

²¹Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. ²²You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. ²³But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. ²⁴God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.’ ²⁵The woman said to him, ‘I know that Messiah is coming’ (who is called Christ). ‘When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us.’ ²⁶Jesus said to her, ‘I am he, the one who is speaking to you.’

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