Oremus for Tuesday, September 22, 2020

Antiphon¹

Ant. The Lord opened the doors of heaven *
and rained down manna upon them to eat;
he gave them bread from heaven;
man ate the bread of an-gels, alleluia.
V. Give ear, my people, to my teaching; *
incline your ear to the words of my mouth.
I will open my mouth in a parable *
and utter hidden lessons of the past. Psalm 78

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: Bernard of Clairvaux, trans. Ray Palmer
Tune: Eisenach https://tinyurl.com/y2x8mgl3

1 O Jesus, joy of loving hearts,
thou fount of life, thou light of men,
from fullest bliss that earth imparts
we turn unfilled to thee again.

2 Thy truth unchanged has ever stood,
thou savest those that on thee call;
to them that seek thee, thou art good,
to them that find thee, all in all.

3 We taste thee, O thou living bread,
and long to feast upon thee still;
we drink of thee, the fountainhead,
and thirst our souls from thee to fill.

4 Our restless spirits yearn for thee,
where’er our changeful lot is cast,
glad that thy gracious smile we see,
blest that our faith can hold thee fast.

5 O Jesus, ever with us stay,
make all our moments calm and bright;
chase the dark night of sin away,
shed o’er the world thy holy light.

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

Psalm 107 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/sp6nct3)

1  O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is gracious *
 and his mercy endureth for ever.
2  Let them give thanks whom the Lord hath redeemed *
 and delivered from the hand of the enemy;
3  And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west *
 from the north, and from the south.
4  They went astray in the wilderness out of the way *
 and found no city to dwell in;
5  Hungry and thirsty *
 their soul fainted in them.
6  So they cried unto the Lord in their trouble *
 and he delivered them from their distress.
7  He led them forth by the right way *
 that they might go to the city where they dwelt.
8  O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodness *
 and declare the wonders that he doeth for the children of men!
9  For he satisfieth the empty soul *
 and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.
10  Such as sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death *
 being fast bound in misery and iron;
11  Because they rebelled against the words of the Lord *
 and lightly regarded the counsel of the most Highest;
12  He also brought down their heart through heaviness *
 they fell down, and there was none to help them.
13  So when they cried unto the Lord in their trouble *
 he delivered them out of their distress.
14  For he brought them out of darkness, and out of the shadow of death *
 and brake their bonds in sunder.
15  O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodness *
 and declare the wonders that he doeth for the children of men !
16  For he hath broken the gates of brass *
 and smitten the bars of iron in sunder.
17  Foolish men are plagued for their offence *
 and because of their wickedness.
18  Their soul abhorred all manner of meat *
 and they were even hard at death’s door.
19  So when they cried unto the Lord in their trouble *
 he delivered them out of their distress.
20  He sent his word, and healed them *
 and they were saved from their destruction.
21  O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodness *
 and declare the wonders that he doeth for the children of men!
22  That they would offer unto him the sacrifice of thanksgiving *
 and tell out his works with gladness!
23  They that go down to the sea in ships *
 and occupy their business in great waters;
24  These men see the works of the Lord *
 and his wonders in the deep.
25  For at his word the stormy wind ariseth *
 which lifteth up the waves thereof.
26  They are carried up to the heaven, and down again to the deep *
 their soul melteth away because of the trouble.
27  They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man *
 and are at their wit’s end.
28  So when they cry unto the Lord in their trouble *
 he delivereth them out of their distress.
29  For he maketh the storm to cease *
 so that the waves thereof are still.
30  Then are they glad, because they are at rest *
 and so he bringeth them unto the haven where they would be.
31  O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodness *
 and declare the wonders that he doeth for the children of men!
32  That they would exalt him also in the congregation of the people *
 and praise him in the seat of the elders!
33  Who turneth the floods into a wilderness *
 and drieth up the water-springs.
34  A fruitful land maketh he barren *
 for the wickedness of them that dwell therein.
35  Again, he maketh the wilderness a standing water *
 and water-springs of a dry ground.
36  And there he setteth the hungry *
 that they may build them a city to dwell in;
37  That they may sow their land, and plant vineyards *
 to yield them fruits of increase.
38  He blesseth them, so that they multiply exceedingly *
 and suffereth not their cattle to decrease.
39  And again, when they are minished, and brought low *
 through oppression, through any plague, or trouble;
40  Though he suffer them to be evil intreated through tyrants *
 and let them wander out of the way in the wilderness;
41  Yet helpeth he the poor out of misery *
 and maketh him households like a flock of sheep.
42  The righteous will consider this, and rejoice *
 and the mouth of all wickedness shall be stopped.
43  Whoso is wise will ponder these things *
 and they shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord.
12  He shall refrain the spirit of princes *
 and is wonderful among the kings of 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,
you are light to the lost,
bread to the hungry,
deliverance to the captive,
healing to the sick, eternal vision to the dying,
and harbor to every soul in peril.
Gather the wanderers from every corner of the world
into the community of your mercy and grace,
that we may eternally praise you
for our salvation in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ^BCW

THE WORD OF GOD

Reading: Numbers 11:1-9

Now when the people complained in the hearing of the Lord about their misfortunes, the Lord heard it and his anger was kindled. Then the fire of the Lord burned against them, and consumed some outlying parts of the camp. But the people cried out to Moses; and Moses prayed to the Lord, and the fire abated. So that place was called Taberah, because the fire of the Lord burned against them.

The rabble among them had a strong craving; and the Israelites also wept again, and said, ‘If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we used to eat in Egypt for nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.’

Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its colour was like the colour of gum resin. The people went around and gathered it, ground it in mills or beat it in mortars, then boiled it in pots and made cakes of it; and the taste of it was like the taste of cakes baked with oil. When the dew fell on the camp in the night, the manna would fall with it.

HYMN: Shirley Erena Murray ©
Tune: Sarum https://tinyurl.com/y273m8m8

1 Give thanks for life, the measure of our days,
Mortal, we pass through beauty that decays,
Yet sing to God our hope, our love, our praise,
Alleluia! Alleluia!

2 Give thanks for those who made their life a light
Caught from the Christ flame, bursting through the night,
Who touched the truth, who burned for what is right,
Alleluia! Alleluia!

3 And for our own, our living and our dead,
Thanks for the love by which our life is fed,
A love not changed by time or death or dread,
Alleluia! Alleluia!

4 Give thanks for hope, that like the wheat, the grain
That lies in darkness does its life retain
In resurrection to grow green again,
Alleluia! Alleluia!

Reading: Romans 16:1-20

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church at Cenchreae, so that you may welcome her in the Lord as is fitting for the saints, and help her in whatever she may require from you, for she has been a benefactor of many and of myself as well.

Greet Prisca and Aquila, who work with me in Christ Jesus, and who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert in Asia for Christ. Greet Mary, who has worked very hard among you. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my relatives who were in prison with me; they are prominent among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was. Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. Greet my relative Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; and greet his mother—a mother to me also. Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers and sisters who are with them. Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.

I urge you, brothers and sisters, to keep an eye on those who cause dissensions and offences, in opposition to the teaching that you have learned; avoid them. For such people do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the simple-minded. For while your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, I want you to be wise in what is good, and guileless in what is evil. The God of peace will shortly crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

CANTICLE Colossians 1:12-20
(Chant by John Michael Talbot https://tinyurl.com/ya95yzto)

Ant. He is the first born of all creation,
in every way the primacy is his.

Let us give thanks to the Father
for having made you worthy
to share the lot of the saints in light.
He rescued us from the power of darkness
and brought us into the kingdom of his beloved Son.
Through him we have redemption,
the forgiveness of our sins.
He is the image of the invisible God,
the first-born of all creatures.
In him everything in heaven and on earth was created,
things visible and invisible.
All were created through him; all were created for him.
He is before all else that is.
In him everything continues in being.
It is he who is head of the body, the church!
He who is the beginning, the first-born of the dead,
so that primacy may be his in everything.
It pleased God to make absolute fullness reside in him
and, by means of him, to reconcile everything in his person,
both on earth and in the heavens,
making peace through the blood of his cross.
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

Eternal God, we rejoice today in the gift of life, which we have received
by your grace, and the new life you give in Jesus Christ.
Especially we thank you for
the love of our families . . .
the affection of our friends . . .
strength and abilities to serve your purpose today . . .
this community in which we live . . .
opportunities to give as we have received. . . .

God of grace, we offer our prayers for the needs of others and commit ourselves
to serve them even as we have been served in Jesus Christ. Especially we pray for
those closest to us, families, friends, neighbors . . .
refugees and homeless men, women and children . . .
the outcast and persecuted . . .
those from whom we are estranged . . .
the church in Africa. . . .

(Karin Simmons: https://tinyurl.com/y7vwp7dd)

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your Name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread;
and forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
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.

O Lord God,
you led your people through the wilderness
and brought them to the promised land.
So guide us,
that, following our Savior,
we may walk through the wilderness of this world
toward the glory of the world to come;
through your Son, 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.

^CGP Celebrating God’s Presence. © United Church of Canada.

¹ Adam Bartlett, Simple English Propers; audio from https://musicasacra.com/additional-publications/sep-practice-videos/ ©

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.