Oremus for Thursday, September 24, 2020

Antiphon¹

Ant. The Lord is my support, my refuge and my deliverer;
God is my only help.
V. I cry out, “Praised be the Lord!” *
and see, I am saved from my foes.
In my anguish I called to the Lord; *
I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice; *
my cry to him reached his ears. Psalm 18

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: Thomas Sternhold
Tune: Song 67 https://tinyurl.com/y36rcemk

1 O God, my strength and fortitude,
of force I must love thee;
thou art my castle and defense
in my necessity.

2 When I sing praise unto the Lord,
most worthy to be served,
then from my foes I am right sure
that I shall be preserved.

3 The Lord shall light my candle so
that it shall shine full bright:
the Lord my God will make also
my darkness to be light.

4 Unspotted are the ways of God;
his Word is purely tried;
he is a sure defense to such
as in his faith abide.

5 Now blessed be the living God,
most worthy of all praise;
he is my rock and saving health:
so praised be he always.

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

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.

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

Reading: Numbers 12:1-15

While they were at Hazeroth, Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married (for he had indeed married a Cushite woman); and they said, ‘Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?’ And the Lord heard it. Now the man Moses was very humble, more so than anyone else on the face of the earth. Suddenly the Lord said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, ‘Come out, you three, to the tent of meeting.’ So the three of them came out. Then the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud, and stood at the entrance of the tent, and called Aaron and Miriam; and they both came forward. And he said, ‘Hear my words:
When there are prophets among you,
   I the Lord make myself known to them in visions;
   I speak to them in dreams.
Not so with my servant Moses;
   he is entrusted with all my house.
With him I speak face to face—clearly, not in riddles;
   and he beholds the form of the Lord.
Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?’ And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them, and he departed.

When the cloud went away from over the tent, Miriam had become leprous, as white as snow. And Aaron turned towards Miriam and saw that she was leprous. Then Aaron said to Moses, ‘Oh, my lord, do not punish us for a sin that we have so foolishly committed. Do not let her be like one stillborn, whose flesh is half consumed when it comes out of its mother’s womb.’ And Moses cried to the Lord, ‘O God, please heal her.’ But the Lord said to Moses, ‘If her father had but spat in her face, would she not bear her shame for seven days? Let her be shut out of the camp for seven days, and after that she may be brought in again.’ So Miriam was shut out of the camp for seven days; and the people did not set out on the march until Miriam had been brought in again.

HYMN: David G. Preston ©
Tune: Welwyn https://tinyurl.com/y32bezss

1. The Lord is King: tremble, O earth, and fear him,
the God of heaven, by angel hosts adored;
his people bow before him and revere him,
so great and awesome: holy is the Lord!

2. The Lord loves right: only on this foundation
can equity and goodness be assured;
he instituted justice in his nation-
sing forth his praises: holy is the Lord!

3. When Israel’s priests called on the Lord to save them,
he granted them the blessings they implored;
they kept the statutes and decrees he gave them,
his holy people: holy is the Lord!

4. O Lord our God, you answered all who sought you:
you punished sins, but sinners you restored;
let all the nations worship and exalt you,
proclaiming: holy is our God the Lord!

Reading: James 4:11-16

Do not speak evil against one another, brothers and sisters. Whoever speaks evil against another or judges another, speaks evil against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is one lawgiver and judge who is able to save and to destroy. So who, then, are you to judge your neighbour?

Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town and spend a year there, doing business and making money.’ Yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wishes, we will live and do this or that.’ As it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.

CANTICLE Luke 1:46-55
(Lutheran Service Book setting: https://tinyurl.com/ycy2zmqf)

Ant. My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior.
My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior.

For he has regarded the lowliness of his handmaiden.
For behold from this day all generations shall call me blessed. For the Mighty One has done great things to me,
and holy is his Name,
and his mercy is on them that fear him
from generation to generation. Ant.

He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones
and has exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent empty away.
He has helped his servant Israel in remembrance of his mercy
as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed 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. Ant.

THE PRAYERS ^BCW

Loving God, as the rising sun chases away the night, so you have scattered the
power of death in the rising of Jesus Christ, and you bring us all blessings in him.
Especially we thank you for
the community of faith in our church . . .
those with whom we work or share common concerns . . .
the diversity of your children . . .
indications of your love at work in the world . . .
those who work for reconciliation. . . .

Mighty God, with the dawn of your love you reveal your victory over all that would
destroy or harm, and you brighten the lives of all who need you.
Especially we pray for
families suffering separation . . .
people different from ourselves . . .
those isolated by sickness or sorrow . . .
the victims of violence or warfare . . .
the church in the Pacific region. . . .

Setting by Eric Wyse:²

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.
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 of mercy,
you are full of tenderness and compassion,
slow to anger, rich in mercy,
and always ready to forgive.
Grant us grace to renounce all evil
and to cling to Christ,
that in every way we may prove to be your loving children;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. 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.

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.