William Lloyd Garrison
In 1831, William Lloyd Garrison published the inaugural issue of his abolitionist newspaper The Liberator, writing: “I do not wish to think, or speak, or write, with moderation. … I am in earnest — I will not equivocate — I will not excuse — I will not retreat a single inch — AND I WILL BE HEARD.”
During his lifetime, Garrison was heard on a variety of issues, becoming a prominent and radical activist not only for abolition, but also for women’s suffrage, temperance and pacifism. While his radicalism attracted some, Garrison’s positions frightened many of the more moderate voices for social reform in the 19th century. On July 4, 1844, he publicly burned a copy of the Constitution. When the American Colonization Society failed to push for an immediate end to slavery, he broke with the organization. He co-founded the American Anti-Slavery Society and supported the admittance of women like Lucretia Mott to the organization. Most male members protested, and the organization fractured. He quarreled publicly and broke with his former ally Frederick Douglass.
John Brown’s failed raid at Harper’s Ferry pushed Garrison’s radicalism even further. In 1859, Garrison eulogized Brown’s execution with a call for Northern secession from the Union: “By the dissolution of the Union we shall give the finishing blow to the slave system; and then God will make it possible for us to form a true, vital, enduring, all-embracing Union from the Atlantic to the Pacific — one God to be worshiped, one Savior to be revered, one policy to be carried out — freedom everywhere to all the people without regard to complexion or race — and the blessing of God resting upon us all!” An avowed Unitarian, Garrison believed slavery to be in direct moral conflict with Scripture; America could only be pure if it was finally cleansed of slavery.
Yet Garrison supported Abraham Lincoln’s election and welcomed the Emancipation Proclamation and the Thirteenth Amendment that outlawed slavery forever in the United States. With emancipation achieved, Garrison published the final issue of The Liberator in 1865. Until his death in 1879, he remained a vocal advocate for social reform. 1
Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/3n22z7k7
The merciful love of the Lord fills the earth;
by the word of the Lord the heavens were made, alleluia.
Almighty God,
to whom all hearts are open,
all desires, known,
and from whom no secrets are hid:
Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you
and worthily magnify your holy name;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Music: https://tinyurl.com/ycn4djk5
O Lord, open my lips.
And my mouth will declare your praise.
Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
make haste to help me, O Lord.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to you, O Christ, Alleluia!
HYMN: William Lloyd Garrison
Tune: Babylon’s Stream https://tinyurl.com/2c85475s
The hour of freedom! come it must —
Oh! hasten it in mercy, Heav’n!
When all, who grovel in the dust,
Shall stand erect, their fetters riv’n.
When glorious freedom shall be won
By ev’ry caste, complexion, clime;
When tyranny shall be o’erthrown,
And color cease to be a crime!
Friend of the poor, long-suff’ring Lord!
This guilty land from ruin save;
Let Justice sheathe her glitt’ring sword,
And Mercy rescue from the grave.
And ye, who are like cattle sold,
Ignobly trodden like the earth,
And barter’d constantly for gold —
Your souls debased from their high birth —
Bear meekly still your cruel woes,
Light follows darkness — comfort, pain;
So time shall give you sweet repose,
And sever ev’ry hateful chain.
PSALMS
Psalm 116 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/r9c5ke7)
1 I am well pleased *
that the Lord hath heard the voice of my prayer;
2 That he hath inclined his ear unto me *
therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.
3 The snares of death compassed me round about *
and the pains of hell gat hold upon me.
4 I shall find trouble and heaviness, and I will call upon the Name of the Lord *
O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.
5 Gracious is the Lord, and righteous *
yea, our God is merciful.
6 The Lord preserveth the simple *
I was in misery, and he helped me.
7 Turn again then unto thy rest, O my soul *
for the Lord hath rewarded thee.
8 And why? thou hast delivered my soul from death *
mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.
9 I will walk before the Lord *
in the land of the living.
10 I believed, and therefore will I speak; but I was sore troubled *
I said in my haste, All men are liars.
11 What reward shall I give unto the Lord *
for all the benefits that he hath done unto me?
12 I will receive the cup of salvation *
and call upon the Name of the Lord.
13 I will pay my vows now in the presence of all his people *
right dear in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.
14 Behold, O Lord, how that I am thy servant *
I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid;
thou hast broken my bonds in sunder.
15 I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving *
and will call upon the Name of the Lord.
16 I will pay my vows unto the Lord, in the sight of all his people *
in the courts of the Lord’s house,
even in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise the Lord.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son :
and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be :
world without end. Amen.
Psalm 117 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/rxgv7mn)
1 O praise the Lord, all ye heathen *
praise him, all ye nations.
2 For his merciful kindness is ever more and more towards us *
and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. Praise the Lord.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son :
and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be :
world without end. Amen.
Psalm 118 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/tkh65hw)
1 O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is gracious *
because his mercy endureth for ever.
2 Let Israel now confess, that he is gracious *
and that his mercy endureth for ever.
3 Let the house of Aaron now confess *
that his mercy endureth for ever.
4 Yea, let them now that fear the Lord confess *
that his mercy endureth for ever.
5 I called upon the Lord in trouble *
and the Lord heard me at large.
6 The Lord is on my side *
I will not fear what man doeth unto me.
7 The Lord taketh my part with them that help me *
therefore shall I see my desire upon mine enemies.
8 It is better to trust in the Lord *
than to put any confidence in man.
9 It is better to trust in the Lord *
than to put any confidence in princes.
10 All nations compassed me round about *
but in the Name of the Lord will I destroy them.
11 They kept me in on every side, they kept me in, I say, on every side *
but in the Name of the Lord will I destroy them.
12 They came about me like bees,
and are extinct even as the fire among the thorns *
for in the Name of the Lord I will destroy them.
13 Thou hast thrust sore at me, that I might fall *
but the Lord was my help.
14 The Lord is my strength, and my song *
and is become my salvation.
15 The voice of joy and health is in the dwellings of the righteous *
the right hand of the Lord bringeth mighty things to pass.
16 The right hand of the Lord hath the pre-eminence *
the right hand of the Lord bringeth mighty things to pass.
17 I shall not die, but live *
and declare the works of the Lord.
18 The Lord hath chastened and corrected me *
but he hath not given me over unto death.
19 Open me the gates of righteousness *
that I may go into them, and give thanks unto the Lord.
20 This is the gate of the Lord *
the righteous shall enter into it.
21 I will thank thee, for thou hast heard me *
and art become my salvation.
22 The same stone which the builders refused *
is become the head-stone in the corner.
23 This is the Lord’s doing *
and it is marvellous in our eyes.
24 This is the day which the Lord hath made *
we will rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Help me now, O Lord *
O Lord, send us now prosperity.
26 Blessed be he that cometh in the Name of the Lord *
we have wished you good luck, ye that are of the house of the Lord.
27 God is the Lord who hath shewed us light *
bind the sacrifice with cords, yea, even unto the horns of the altar.
28 Thou art my God, and I will thank thee *
thou art my God, and I will praise thee.
29 O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is gracious *
and his mercy endureth for ever.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son :
and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be :
world without end. Amen.
Psalm 116 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-116.mp3)
1 I love the LORD, because he has heard the voice of
my supplication, *
because he has inclined his ear to me whenever
I called upon him.
2 The cords of death entangled me;
the grip of the grave took hold of me; *
I came to grief and sorrow.
3 Then I called upon the Name of the LORD: *
“O LORD, I pray you, save my life.”
4 Gracious is the LORD and righteous; *
our God is full of compassion.
5 The LORD watches over the innocent; *
I was brought very low, and he helped me.
6 Turn again to your rest, O my soul, *
for the LORD has treated you well.
7 For you have rescued my life from death, *
my eyes from tears, and my feet from stumbling.
8 I will walk in the presence of the LORD *
in the land of the living.
9 I believed, even when I said,
“I have been brought very low.” *
In my distress I said, “No one can be trusted.”
10 How shall I repay the LORD *
for all the good things he has done for me?
11 I will lift up the cup of salvation *
and call upon the Name of the LORD.
12 I will fulfill my vows to the LORD *
in the presence of all his people.
13 Precious in the sight of the LORD *
is the death of his servants.
14 O LORD, I am your servant; *
I am your servant and the child of your handmaid;
you have freed me from my bonds.
15 I will offer you the sacrifice of thanksgiving *
and call upon the Name of the LORD.
16 I will fulfill my vows to the LORD *
in the presence of all his people,
17 In the courts of the LORD’S house, *
in the midst of you, O Jerusalem.
Hallelujah!
Psalm 117 (LSB Tone A: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-117-LSB.mp3)
1 Praise the LORD, all nations!*
Extol him, all peoples!
2 For great is his steadfast love toward us,*
and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.
Praise the LORD!
Glory be to the Father and to the Son*
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,*
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Psalm 118 (LSB Tone I: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-118-LSB.mp3)
1 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;*
for his steadfast love endures forever!
2 Let Israel say,*
“His steadfast love endures forever.”
3 Let the house of Aaron say,*
“His steadfast love endures forever.”
4 Let those who fear the LORD say,*
“His steadfast love endures forever.”
5 Out of my distress I called on the LORD;*
the LORD answered me and set me free.
6The LORD is on my side; I will not fear.*
What can man do to me?
7 The LORD is on my side as my helper;*
I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.
8 It is better to take refuge in the LORD*
than to trust in man.
9 It is better to take refuge in the LORD*
than to trust in princes.
10 All nations surrounded me;*
in the name of the LORD I cut them off!
11 They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side;*
in the name of the LORD I cut them off!
12 They surrounded me like bees;
they went out like a fire among thorns;*
in the name of the LORD I cut them off!
13 I was pushed hard, so that I was falling,*
but the LORD helped me.
14 The LORD is my strength and my song;*
he has become my salvation.
15 Glad songs of salvation are in the tents of the righteous:*
“The right hand of the LORD does valiantly,
16 the right hand of the LORD exalts,*
the right hand of the LORD does valiantly!”
17 I shall not die, but I shall live,*
and recount the deeds of the LORD.
18 The LORD has disciplined me severely,*
but he has not given me over to death.
19 Open to me the gates of righteousness,*
that I may enter through them and give thanks to the LORD.
20 This is the gate of the LORD;*
the righteous shall enter through it.
21 I thank you that you have answered me*
and have become my salvation.
22 The stone that the builders rejected*
has become the cornerstone.
23 This is the LORD’s doing;*
it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day that the LORD has made;*
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Save us, we pray, O LORD!*
O LORD, we pray, give us success!
26 Blessèd is he who comes in the name of the LORD!*
We bless you from the house of the LORD.
27The LORD is God,
and he has made his light to shine upon us.*
Bind the festal sacrifice with cords,
up to the horns of the altar!
28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;*
you are my God; I will extol you.
29 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;*
for his steadfast love endures forever!
Glory be to the Father and to the Son*
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,*
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
PRAYER
Holy and mighty God,
your Son’s triumph over sin and death
has opened to us the gate of eternal life.
Purify our hearts
that we may follow him
and share in the radiance of his glory.
We ask this for the sake of our risen Lord. Amen. BCW
THE WORD OF GOD
Their idea seemed like a good one to Hamor and Hamor’s son Shechem. The young man didn’t waste any time doing this because he liked Jacob’s daughter so much. He was more respected than anyone else in his father’s household. Hamor and his son Shechem went to their city’s gate and spoke to the men of their city: “These men want peace with us. Let them live in the land and travel through it; there’s plenty of land for them. We will marry their daughters and give them our daughters. But the men will agree to live with us and become one people only if we circumcise every male just as they do. Their livestock, their property, and all of their animals—won’t they be ours? Let’s agree with them and let them live with us.” Everyone at the city gate agreed with Hamor and his son Shechem, so every able-bodied male in the city was circumcised.
On the third day, when they were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons and Dinah’s brothers Simeon and Levi took their swords, came into the city, which suspected nothing, and killed every male. They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with their swords, took Dinah from Shechem’s household, and left. When Jacob’s other sons discovered the dead, they looted the city that had defiled their sister. They took their flocks, their cattle, and their donkeys, whether in the city or in the fields nearby. They carried off their property, their children, and their wives. They looted the entire place. Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You’ve put me in danger by making me offensive to those who live here in the land, to the Canaanites and the Perizzites. I have only a few men. They may join forces, attack me, and destroy me, me and my household.” They said, “But didn’t he treat our sister like a prostitute?”
HYMN: Psalm 46; para. Book of Psalms for Worship ©, alt.
Tune: Ein feste Burg https://tinyurl.com/ytt452ec
1 God is our refuge and our strength,
a present help in our distress.
2 We will not therefore be afraid
though all the earth should be removed,
though mountains great be hurled
into the ocean’s depths,
3 though seas may roar and foam
and billows shake the shore,
though mountains tremble at their power.
4 A river brings refreshing streams
to cheer the city of our God,
the Most High’s holy dwelling place.
5 God is in her; she won’t be moved;
at dawn will God help her.
6 The nations rage; realms quake;
he lifts his voice; earth melts.
7 The LORD of hosts with us!
Our fortress strong is Jacob’s God.
8 O come, see what the LORD has done:
’midst desolation brought on earth;
9 on earth he puts an end to wars,
breaks bow and spear, and chariots burns.
10 Be still! Know I am God.
exalted o’er nations,
exalted o’er all earth.
11 The LORD of hosts with us!
Our fortress strong is Jacob’s God.
Timothy my coworker says hello to you, and Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my relatives. I’m Tertius, and I’m writing this letter to you in the Lord—hello! Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, says hello to you. Erastus the city treasurer says hello to you, along with our brother Quartus.
May the glory be to God who can strengthen you with my good news and the message that I preach about Jesus Christ. He can strengthen you with the announcement of the secret that was kept quiet for a long time. Now that secret is revealed through what the prophets wrote. It is made known to the Gentiles in order to lead to their faithful obedience based on the command of the eternal God. May the glory be to God, who alone is wise! May the glory be to him through Jesus Christ forever! Amen.
HYMN: R.T. Brooks ©
Tune: St Helen https://tinyurl.com/4bvshcwj
1 Thanks to God whose word was spoken
in the deed that made the earth.
His the voice that called a nation,
his the fires that tried her worth.
God has spoken:
praise him for his open word.
2 Thanks to God whose Word Incarnate
glorified the flesh of man;
deeds and words and death and rising
tell the grace in heaven’s plan.
God has spoken:
praise him for his open word.
3 Thanks to God whose word was written
in the Bible’s sacred page,
record of the revelation
showing God to every age.
God has spoken:
praise him for his open word.
4 Thanks to God whose word is published
in the tongues of every race.
See its glory undiminished
by the change of time or place.
God has spoken:
praise him for his open word.
5 Thanks to God whose word is answered
by the Spirit’s voice within.
Here we drink of joy unmeasured,
life redeemed from death and sin.
God is speaking:
praise him for his open word.
As Jesus walked alongside the Galilee Sea, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew, throwing fishing nets into the sea, because they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” he said, “and I’ll show you how to fish for people.” Right away, they left their nets and followed him. Continuing on, he saw another set of brothers, James the son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with Zebedee their father repairing their nets. Jesus called them and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
CANTICLE Ephesians 1:3-10
(John Michael Talbot https://tinyurl.com/ya8y3kqs)
Ant. God chose us in his Son to be his beloved children.
Praised be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, *
who bestowed on us in Christ every spiritual blessing in the heavens.
God chose us in him before the world began, *
to be holy and blameless in his sight.
He predestined us to be his adopted children through Jesus Christ, *
such was his will and pleasure,
that all might praise the glorious favor
he has bestowed on us in his beloved.
In him and through his blood, we have been redeemed, *
and our sins forgiven, so immeasurably generous is God’s favor to us.
God has given us the wisdom to understand fully the mystery, *
the plan he was pleased to decree in Christ.
A plan to be carried out in Christ, in the fullness of time, *
to bring all things into one in him, in the heavens and on the earth
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
THE PRAYERS PWC
Liberator of the peoples, fill all who confess the name of Christ
with the power your Holy Spirit.
Holy One, accomplish your purposes in us.
Be the joy and the strength of all
whose lives are bound in mutual love
and for those who live in celibacy.
Holy One, accomplish your purposes in us.
Grant your salvation to all who are far from home,
prisoners, exiles and victims of oppression.
Holy One, accomplish your purposes in us.
Show your kindness and mercy to all who are facing trials and difficulties,
to those who are sick and to those who are dying.
Holy One, accomplish your purposes in us.
Forgive our sins and set us free from all hardship,
distress, want, war and injustice.
Holy One, accomplish your purposes in us.
Guide us into new and just ways of sharing the goods of the earth,
so that we may live by the abundance of your mercies.
Holy One, accomplish your purposes in us.
Strengthen us in our struggle
against exploitation, greed and lack of concern,
so that we may find joy together.
Holy One, accomplish your purposes in us.
Unite us in love and service,
so that we may live in communion with all Christ’s saints.
Holy One, accomplish your purposes in us.
(Plainsong Mode 2: https://tinyurl.com/yctqq8cf)DL
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your Name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today the bread of life;
and forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen.
God, in whose service alone is perfect freedom: We thank you for your prophet William Lloyd Garrison, who testified that we are made not by the color of our skin but by the principle formed in our soul. Fill us with the hope and determination to break every chain of enslavement, that bondage and ignorance may melt like wax before flames, and we may build that community of justice and love which is founded on Jesus Christ our cornerstone; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen. HWHM
Music: https://tinyurl.com/y9efvwm5
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with us all. Amen. 2 Cor. 13:14
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BCW Book of Common Worship, Presbyterian Church U.S.A., 1993.
DL © Daniel Lawson; used with permission.
PWC PRAY WITHOUT CEASING: Morning and Evening Prayer for the Seasons of the Church Year Prepared by The Rev’d Dr Richard Geoffrey Leggett on behalf of The Liturgy Task Force of the Anglican Church of Canada, May 2016.
HWHM Holy Women, Holy Men © Church Publishing, Inc.
1 https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/godinamerica/people/william-lloyd-garrison.html
The main scripture readings are © 2011 Common English Bible.
The traditional language psalms are from The Book of Common Prayer (1662). The modern language version of Psalm 116 is from The Book of Common Prayer (1979) and is sung by Ryland Angel. Psalms 117 and 118 are in the version used in Lutheran Service Book: Pew Edition Concordia Publishing House, and are from the Next to the Word of God YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkVRYL-MRebncw584Ql2xfg.
Musical links are usually either to artists’ albums posted on Spotify or to recordings made available at smallchurchmusic.com. Audio stripped from YouTube videos is footnoted accordingly above.
Compilation © 2024 Stephen T. Benner. All links worked at the time they were created, but I cannot accept responsibility for their content or any damage resulting from their use. The linked content is under the control of the respective content creators and is subject to change at any time. Any copyright texts included in this compilation are provided for non-commercial purposes related to study or worship. Please contact the respective copyright holders for permission to use the texts in other contexts.
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