Collect, Readings & Prayers for 23rd November 2025
The Feast of Christ the King
Collect
Eternal Father,
whose Son Jesus Christ ascended to the throne of heaven
that he might rule over all things as Lord and King:
keep the Church in the unity of the Spirit
and in the bond of peace,
and bring the whole created order to worship at his feet;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Collect from the Book of Common Prayer for what is traditionally known as “Stir Up” Sunday
“Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may by thee be plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
Readings
Jeremiah 23:1-6
Restoration after Exile
23 1Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! says the Lord. 2 Therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who shepherd my people: It is you who have scattered my flock, and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. So, I will attend to you for your evil doings, says the Lord. 3 Then I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. 4 I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them, and they shall not fear any longer, or be dismayed, nor shall any be missing, says the Lord.
The Righteous Branch of David
5 The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 6 In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’
Colossians 1:11-20
11 May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
The Supremacy of Christ
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; 16 for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.
Luke 23:33-43
33 When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.’ And they cast lots to divide his clothing. 35 And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, ‘He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!’ 36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, 37 and saying, ‘If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!’ 38 There was also an inscription over him, ‘This is the King of the Jews.’
39 One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, ‘Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’ 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.’ 42 Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ 43 He replied, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’
Prayers
King Jesus, teach us how to worship You with a pure heart. Let our praise rise with sincerity, gratitude, and wonder. Take away distractions that cloud our devotion. Let worship flow from the deepest part of our souls. Let our lives, our actions, and our heart reflect Your majesty. Help us see You in Your glory so our worship becomes fuller, richer, and more alive. Amen
• Eternal Father, we pray for your church, of which your Son is King. We pray that you will draw us together and unite us in the love of Christ that we may proclaim with one voice your justice and righteousness in a broken world. A world where many indeed have never known about you and your son; but where sadly many, have rejected you. In an increasingly secular society where promotion of the Christian faith is not only often ridiculed but even in our own country frequently resisted and condemned, give us courage to continue to proclaim your love for us and the sacrifice that Jesus made for us and above all may we demonstrate your love for all in the way that we live our lives.
• Lord, teach us to obey You with joy and trust. Remove stubbornness, hesitation, and fear. Help us to walk in Your ways with a willing spirit. Let obedience become natural, peaceful, and steady within us. Lead us in paths that honour Your name.
• We pray for world leaders: that they may really listen to their people and follow Jesus's example of love and help for all who are in need and learn to resolve divisions by negotiation rather than by aggression and battle. We pray for all the areas of conflict and for a lasting peace and workable settlement in Gaza and effective means of rebuilding the devastated areas. Be with all the relief agencies as they seek to meet the needs of the people, not least for secure and safe shelter. We pray for all people around the world, especially those who are poor: that they may have the chance to speak out about what is important to them and be listened to.
• We pray for the peace initiatives in relation to the war in Ukraine that whatever emerges may be acceptable to the people of Ukraine and its allies and bring protection and security for the future to that land.
• Loving God help us reach out to one another with greater love and better understanding; we pray for our homes, our relatives, our neighbours, and our friends, particularly those who do not yet realise the extent of your love for them. May they be touched anew by the wonder of your coming to earth this Christmas time.
• Father God, your Son, Jesus Christ, understood people’s fear and pain before they spoke of them, we pray for those who are sick, housebound or in hospital; surround the frightened with your tenderness; give strength to those in pain; hold the weak in your arms of love, and give hope and patience to those who are recover
• Lord God, Almighty, we give thanks to you for all that you do in our lives. At the end of this church year we commend to you all those for whom we have prayed throughout the year and ask that you continue to use us and our prayers to make a difference in their lives.
• Loving Lord Jesus, you showed us
that not even death can overcome the power of love.
We pray for the coming of your reign here on earth
for the kingdom, the power and the glory is yours ever and ever.
Amen.