Oremus for Monday, May 11, 2020

Antiphon (Music: https://tinyurl.com/y8hous2j)

Ant. Lend your ear and make haste to rescue me.
In you, O Lord, I take refuge. *
Let me never be put to shame.
In your justice, set me free; *
incline your ear to me, and speedily rescue me.
Be a rock of refuge for me, *
a mighty stronghold to save me.
Ant. Lend your ear and make haste to rescue me. Psalm 31

Almighty God,
to you all hearts are open,
all desires known,
and from you no secrets are hidden:
Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may worthily
that we may perfectly love you,
and worthily magnify your holy Name;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Glory 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.
Alleluia!

HYMN: Percy Dearmer after John Bunyan
Tune: Monks Gate https://tinyurl.com/y8at2r8c

1. He who would valiant be
‘gainst all disaster,
let him in constancy
follow the Master.
There’s no discouragement
shall make him once relent
his first avowed intent
to be a pilgrim.

2. Those who beset him round
with dismal stories,
do but themselves confound;
his strength the more is.
No foes shall stay his might,
though he with giants fight:
he will make good his right
to be a pilgrim.

3. Since, Lord, you will defend
us with your Spirit,
we know we at the end
shall life inherit.
Then fancies flee away!
I’ll fear not what men say,
I’ll labour night and day
to be a pilgrim.

PSALMS

Psalm 56 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y89cbz8u)

1  Be merciful unto me, O God, for man goeth about to devour me *
 he is daily fighting, and troubling me.
2  Mine enemies are daily in hand to swallow me up *
 for they be many that fight against me, O thou most Highest.
3  Nevertheless, though I am sometime afraid *
 yet put I my trust in thee.
4  I will praise God, because of his word *
 I have put my trust in God, and will not fear what flesh can do unto me.
5  They daily mistake my words *
 all that they imagine is to do me evil.
6  They hold all together, and keep themselves close *
 and mark my steps, when they lay wait for my soul.
7  Shall they escape for their wickedness *
 thou, O God, in thy displeasure shalt cast them down.
8  Thou tellest my flittings ; put my tears into thy bottle *
 are not these things noted in thy book?
9  Whensoever I call upon thee, then shall mine enemies be put to flight *
 this I know; for God is on my side.
10  In God’s word will I rejoice *
 in the Lord’s word will I comfort me.
11  Yea, in God have I put my trust *
 I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.
12  Unto thee, O God, will I pay my vows *
 unto thee will I give thanks.
13  For thou hast delivered my soul from death, and my feet from falling *
 that I may walk before God in the light of the living.
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 57 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/yb9ln9xn)

1  Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me,
for my soul trusteth in thee *
 and under the shadow of thy wings shall be my refuge,
until this tyranny be over-past.
2  I will call unto the most high God *
 even unto the God that shall perform the cause which I have in hand.
3  He shall send from heaven *
 and save me from the reproof of him that would eat me up.
4  God shall send forth his mercy and truth *
 my soul is among lions.
5  And I lie even among the children of men, that are set on fire *
 whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.
6  Set up thyself, O God, above the heavens *
 and thy glory above all the earth.
7  They have laid a net for my feet, and pressed down my soul *
 they have digged a pit before me,
and are fallen into the midst of it themselves.
8  My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed *
 I will sing, and give praise.
9  Awake up, my glory; awake, lute and harp *
 I myself will awake right early.
10  I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the people *
 and I will sing unto thee among the nations.
11  For the greatness of thy mercy reacheth unto the heavens *
 and thy truth unto the clouds.
12  Set up thyself, O God, above the heavens *
 and thy glory above all the earth.
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 58 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y79vycco)

1  Are your minds set upon righteousness, O ye congregation *
 and do ye judge the thing that is right, O ye sons of men?
2  Yea, ye imagine mischief in your heart upon the earth *
 and your hands deal with wickedness.
3  The ungodly are froward, even from their mother’s womb *
 as soon as they are born, they go astray, and speak lies.
4  They are as venomous as the poison of a serpent *
 even like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ears;
5  Which refuseth to hear the voice of the charmer *
 charm he never so wisely.
6  Break their teeth, O God, in their mouths;
smite the jaw-bones of the lions, O Lord *
 let them fall away like water that runneth apace;
and when they shoot their arrows let them be rooted out.
7  Let them consume away like a snail,
and be like the untimely fruit of a woman *
 and let them not see the sun.
8  Or ever your pots be made hot with thorns *
 so let indignation vex him, even as a thing that is raw.
9  The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance *
 he shall wash his footsteps in the blood of the ungodly.
10  So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous *
 doubtless there is a God that judgeth the earth.
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.

PRAYER

O God,
when our path is hard and dangerous,
give us the grace of quiet confidence.
Remind us that we belong to you in baptism,
for you have claimed us in Jesus Christ,
the way, the truth, and the life. Amen. Book of Common Worship

THE WORD OF GOD

Reading: Isaiah 51:9-16

Awake, awake, put on strength,
   O arm of the Lord!
Awake, as in days of old,
   the generations of long ago!
Was it not you who cut Rahab in pieces,
   who pierced the dragon?
Was it not you who dried up the sea,
   the waters of the great deep;
who made the depths of the sea a way
   for the redeemed to cross over?
So the ransomed of the Lord shall return,
   and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
   they shall obtain joy and gladness,
   and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

I, I am he who comforts you;
   why then are you afraid of a mere mortal who must die,
   a human being who fades like grass?
You have forgotten the Lord, your Maker,
   who stretched out the heavens
   and laid the foundations of the earth.
You fear continually all day long
   because of the fury of the oppressor,
who is bent on destruction.
   But where is the fury of the oppressor?
The oppressed shall speedily be released;
   they shall not die and go down to the Pit,
   nor shall they lack bread.
For I am the Lord your God,
   who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—
   the Lord of hosts is his name.
I have put my words in your mouth,
   and hidden you in the shadow of my hand,
stretching out the heavens
   and laying the foundations of the earth,
   and saying to Zion, ‘You are my people.’

HYMN: David G. Preston, para. of Psalm 66 © Jubilate Hymns
Tune: Ode to Joy https://tinyurl.com/ydfxhyd5

1. Shout with joy to God, all nations,
sing the glory of his name;
praise with loudest acclamations!
His tremendous deeds proclaim!
All his foes in fear and trembling
bow beneath his mighty arm,
while all earth with joy assembling
sounds his praise in song and psalm.

2. Come and see, with awe and wonder,
see displayed the power of God:
as he held the waves asunder,
Israel crossed the sea dry-shod;
praise him, then, with jubilation,
who for ever rules by might,
keeping watch lest any nation
dare contest his sovereign right.

3. Praise him, who has stood beside us
and not let our footsteps slide!
In the fires of life you tried us
till, like silver, purified:
you sent fierce affliction to us,
conquerors trampled on our head,
yet through flame and flood you drew us
and to peace and freedom led.

4. What thank-offering shall I render,
my most solemn vows to pay,
made to you, my strong defender,
when I faced the evil day?
Here I offer on your altar
all I am and have and do;
may my purpose never falter,
all my life be spent for you.

5. Come and listen, all who fear him,
hear what God has done for me:
with my praises I drew near him
and poured out my urgent plea;
had I cherished sin within me,
God would not have heard my prayer –
praise him for the answer given me
in his gracious love and care.

Reading: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died. For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will by no means precede those who have died. For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord for ever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

HYMN: Christopher Idle © Jubilate Hymns
Tune: Vox Dilecti https://tinyurl.com/y9jdfbef

1. If Christ had not been raised from death
our faith would be in vain,
our preaching but a waste of breath,
our sin and guilt remain.
But now the Lord is risen indeed;
he rules in earth and heaven:
his gospel meets a world of need-
in Christ we are forgiven.

2. If Christ still lay within the tomb
then death would be the end
and we should face our final doom
with neither guide nor friend.
But now the Saviour is raised up,
so when a Christian dies
we mourn, yet look to God in hope-
in Christ the saints arise!

3. If Christ had not been truly raised
his church would live a lie;
his name should nevermore be praised,
his words deserve to die.
But now our great Redeemer lives;
through him we are restored;
his word endures, his church revives
in Christ, our risen Lord.

Reading: Matthew 8:18-22

Now when Jesus saw great crowds around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. A scribe then approached and said, ‘Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’ Another of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’ But Jesus said to him, ‘Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.’

CANTICLE The Easter Sequence
(Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y82way8w)

1 Christians, to the Paschal Victim
offer your thankful praises —
a lamb the sheep redeems;
Christ, who only is sinless,
reconciles sinners to the Father.
Death and life have contended in that combat stupendous;
the prince of life, who died, reigns immortal.

2 Speak, Mary, declaring
what you saw wayfaring.
“The tomb of Christ, who is living,
the glory of Jesus’ resurrection;
bright angels attesting,
the shroud and napkin resting.
Yes, Christ, my hope, is arisen;
to Galilee he goes before you.”

3 Christ indeed from death is risen,
our new life obtaining.
Have mercy, victor King, ever reigning!
Amen. Alleluia!

THE PRAYERS Worship Sourcebook

God of life,
we rejoice in the resurrection of your Son,
his defeat over death, and his gift of new life.
We praise you for the reflections of that new life
in creation . . .
in nations and governments around the world . . .
in the ministry of the church universal . . .
in our community as it . . .
in the sacrifice of those who serve . . .
in our new life in Christ . . .

To you as the giver of new life and renewed hope
we bring our prayers
for creation and its care . . .
for the nations of the world . . .
for our nation and its leaders . . .
for this community and those who are in authority . . .
for the church universal as it works on your behalf . . .
for this local church in its ministry . . .
for persons with particular needs . . .
We pray all this in your name, the Lord and giver of life. Amen.

(Camaldolese chant: https://tinyurl.com/rpf242j)

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
[For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.]

God, you call us to go where Christ leads.
Turn us from the ways of the world;
guide us to fullness of joy in the Spirit,
where bodies and souls rest secure;
and grant us strength
to follow the way of the cross,
which frees us to love one another
for the sake of all creation. Amen. RCL Prayers

https://tinyurl.com/rkxkpmc
Go in peace, alleluia, alleluia!
Thanks be to God, alleluia, alleluia!

Glory to God whose power, working in us,
can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine:
Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church,
and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen.    Ephesians 3:20,21