Oremus for Friday, June 26, 2020

At the site of Gezer in the Shephelah, one cannot miss the beautiful limestone mazzeboth (standing stones), the tallest measuring around 12 feet high.  These particular standing stones were likely erected during the Canaanite period, but they likely served to memorialize an event, such as a treaty which may have taken place at Gezer.  This illustrates the common practice mentioned in the Biblical narrative when individuals set up a stone of memorial, such as Jacob in Bethel (Genesis 28:18) and Samuel with the Ebenezer (1 Samuel 7:12, literally meaning “rock of help”).

Antiphon1

Ant. Come, let us worship God * and bow down before the Lord;
let us shed tears before the Lord who made us,
for he is the Lord our God.
Ps. Come, let us ring out our joy to the Lord; *
hail the rock who saves us.
Let us come into his presence, giving thanks; *
let us hail him with a song of praise. Psalm 95

Enable us, O God,
to do all things as unto you;
that small things may be filled with greatness,
and great things may be crowned with humility;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. BCW

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: Robert Robertson and Martin Madan
Tune: Nettleton https://tinyurl.com/ydaavg5b

1 Come, thou Fount of every blessing,
tune my heart to sing thy grace;
streams of mercy, never ceasing,
call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount I’m fixed upon it
mount of God’s redeeming love.

2 Here I find my greatest treasure;
hither by thy help I’ve come;
and I hope, by thy good pleasure,
safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
wandering from the fold of God;
he, to rescue me from danger,
bought me with his precious blood.

3 Oh, to grace how great a debtor
daily I’m constrained to be!
Let thy goodness, like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to thee:
prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love;
here’s my heart, O take and seal it;
seal it for thy courts above.

PSALMS
For psalms in contemporary language, https://tinyurl.com/y9tjh7rk

Psalm 119:145-176 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y74yj68g)

145  I call with my whole heart *
 hear me, O Lord, I will keep thy statutes.
146  Yea, even unto thee do I call *
 help me, and I shall keep thy testimonies.
147  Early in the morning do I cry unto thee *
 for in thy word is my trust.
148  Mine eyes prevent the night-watches *
 that I might be occupied in thy words.
149  Hear my voice, O Lord, according unto thy loving-kindness *
 quicken me, according as thou art wont.
150  They draw nigh that of malice persecute me *
 and are far from thy law.
151  Be thou nigh at hand, O Lord *
 for all thy commandments are true.
152  As concerning thy testimonies, I have known long since *
 that thou hast grounded them for ever.
153  O consider mine adversity, and deliver me *
 for I do not forget thy law.
154  Avenge thou my cause, and deliver me *
 quicken me, according to thy word.
155  Health is far from the ungodly *
 for they regard not thy statutes.
156  Great is thy mercy, O Lord *
 quicken me, as thou art wont.
157  Many there are that trouble me, and persecute me *
 yet do I not swerve from thy testimonies.
158  It grieveth me when I see the transgressors *
 because they keep not thy law.
159  Consider, O Lord, how I love thy commandments *
 O quicken me, according to thy loving-kindness.
160  Thy word is true from everlasting *
 all the judgements of thy righteousness endure for evermore.
161  Princes have persecuted me without a cause *
 but my heart standeth in awe of thy word.
162  I am as glad of thy word *
 as one that findeth great spoils.
163  As for lies, I hate and abhor them *
 but thy law do I love.
164  Seven times a day do I praise thee *
 because of thy righteous judgements.
165  Great is the peace that they have who love thy law *
 and they are not offended at it.
166  Lord, I have looked for thy saving health *
 and done after thy commandments.
167  My soul hath kept thy testimonies *
 and loved them exceedingly.
168  I have kept thy commandments and testimonies *
 for all my ways are before thee.
169  Let my complaint come before thee, O Lord *
 give me understanding according to thy word.
170  Let my supplication come before thee *
 deliver me, according to thy word.
171  My lips shall speak of thy praise *
 when thou hast taught me thy statutes.
172  Yea, my tongue shall sing of thy word *
 for all thy commandments are righteous.
173  Let thine hand help me *
 for I have chosen thy commandments.
174  I have longed for thy saving health, O Lord *
 and in thy law is my delight.
175  O let my soul live, and it shall praise thee *
 and thy judgements shall help me.
176  I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost *
 O seek thy servant, for I do not forget thy commandments.
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

Eternal God,
give us insight to discern your will for us,
to give up what harms us,
and to seek the perfection we are promised
in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. CW: Additional Collects

THE WORD OF GOD

Reading: 1 Samuel 7:2-14

From the day that the ark was lodged at Kiriath-jearim, a long time passed, some twenty years, and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.

Then Samuel said to all the house of Israel, ‘If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Astartes from among you. Direct your heart to the Lord, and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.’ So Israel put away the Baals and the Astartes, and they served the Lord only.

Then Samuel said, ‘Gather all Israel at Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you.’ So they gathered at Mizpah, and drew water and poured it out before the Lord. They fasted that day, and said, ‘We have sinned against the Lord.’ And Samuel judged the people of Israel at Mizpah.

When the Philistines heard that the people of Israel had gathered at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the people of Israel heard of it they were afraid of the Philistines. The people of Israel said to Samuel, ‘Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us, and pray that he may save us from the hand of the Philistines.’ So Samuel took a sucking lamb and offered it as a whole burnt-offering to the Lord; Samuel cried out to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him. As Samuel was offering up the burnt-offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel; but the Lord thundered with a mighty voice that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion; and they were routed before Israel. And the men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and struck them down as far as beyond Beth-car.

Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Jeshanah, and named it Ebenezer; for he said, ‘Thus far the Lord has helped us.’ So the Philistines were subdued and did not again enter the territory of Israel; the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. The towns that the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath; and Israel recovered their territory from the hand of the Philistines. There was peace also between Israel and the Amorites.

HYMN: Albert A. Goodson ©
Performed by the Bowling Family: https://tinyurl.com/yd2gyhsj

Refrain:
We’ve come this far by faith,
leaning on the Lord,
trusting in his holy Word 
he’s never failed us yet.
Oh, can’t turn around,
we’ve come this far by faith.

Don’t be discouraged with trouble in your life;
he’ll bear your burdens
and move all misery and strife. 
That’s why we’ve come this far by faith,
leaning on the Lord,
trusting in his holy Word 
he’s never failed us yet.
Oh, can’t turn around,
we’ve come this far by faith.

Reading: Philippians 3:1-11 

Finally, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is not troublesome to me, and for you it is a safeguard.

Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of those who mutilate the flesh! For it is we who are the circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and boast in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh— even though I, too, have reason for confidence in the flesh.

If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.

Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

HYMN: Fanny Crosby
Performed by Tony Weeks: https://tinyurl.com/yby4sgem

1 I am thine, O Lord, I have heard thy voice,
And it told thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith
And be closer drawn to thee.

Refrain:
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To the cross where thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To thy precious, bleeding side.

2 Consecrate me now to thy service, Lord,
By the pow’r of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in thine. [Refrain]

3 O, the pure delight of a single hour
That before thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer, and with thee, my God,
I commune as friend with friend! [Refrain]

4 There are depths of love that I cannot know
Till I cross the narrow sea;
There are heights of joy that I may not reach
Till I rest in peace with thee. [Refrain]

Reading: Luke 8:40-42, 49-56

Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him. Just then there came a man named Jairus, a leader of the synagogue. He fell at Jesus’ feet and begged him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, who was dying.

While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the leader’s house to say, ‘Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the teacher any longer.’ When Jesus heard this, he replied, ‘Do not fear. Only believe, and she will be saved.’ When he came to the house, he did not allow anyone to enter with him, except Peter, John, and James, and the child’s father and mother. They were all weeping and wailing for her; but he said, ‘Do not weep; for she is not dead but sleeping.’ And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But he took her by the hand and called out, ‘Child, get up!’ Her spirit returned, and she got up at once. Then he directed them to give her something to eat. Her parents were astounded; but he ordered them to tell no one what had happened.

CANTICLE 1 Peter 2:21-24
(Chant by John Michael Talbot: https://tinyurl.com/y94v9fvt)

Ant. If we share fully in the sufferings of Christ,
through Christ we shall know the fullness of his consolation.

Christ suffered for you,
and left you an example
to have you follow in his footsteps.
He did no wrong;
no deceit was found in his mouth.
When he was insulted,
he returned no insult.
When he was made to suffer,
he did not counter with threats.
Instead he delivered himself up
to the One who judges justly.
In his own body
he brought your sins to the cross,
so that all of us, dead to sin,
could live in accord with God’s will.
By his wounds you were healed.

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 BCW

Merciful God, we praise you that you give strength for every weakness, forgiveness
for our failures, and new beginnings in Jesus Christ.
Especially we thank you for
the guidance of your spirit through this day . . .
signs of new life and hope . . .
people who have helped us . . .
those who struggle for justice . . .
expressions of love unexpected or undeserved. . . .

Almighty God, you know all needs before we speak our prayers, yet you welcome
our concerns for others in Jesus Christ. Especially we pray for
those who keep watch over the sick and dying . . .
those who weep with the grieving . . .
those who are without faith and cannot accept your love . . .
the aged who are lonely, distressed or weak . . .
Reformed, Presbyterian, and Lutheran churches. . . .

Setting: Sanford Dole https://tinyurl.com/y7ldq7h5

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your Name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as 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.

Almighty God,
fount of all wisdom, crown of all knowledge,
give us eyes to see
and minds to understand your marvelous works,
that we may know you through your handiwork
and use your creation to your glory;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen. BCW

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


BCW Book of Common Worship, Presbyterian Church U.S.A., 1993.

EH Exciting Holiness, Ed. Brother Tristram SSF © European Province of the Society of Saint Francis, 1997

RCLP Revised Common Lectionary Prayers. © 2002 Consultation on Common Texts admin. Augsburg Fortress.

WS2 Worship Sourcebook, 2nd Edition, © 2013, Faith Alive Christian Resources

DL © Daniel Lawson; used with permission.

CW Common Worship © 2000, Central Board of Finance of the Church of England

1 Adam Bartlett, Simple English Propers; audio from https://musicasacra.com/additional-publications/sep-practice-videos/ ©
2 Eric Wyse, Lord’s Prayer, ©; audio from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_a40ME7aVk

The three main scripture readings are from the The New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Edition, The New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The psalms are from The Book of Common Prayer (1662).

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 © 2020 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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