Oremus for Friday, September 25, 2020

Lancelot Andrewes
Born in 1555 in Barking, Lancelot Andrewes studied at Merchant Taylors’ School and then Pembroke Hall, Cambridge. After ordination, he held several posts before accepting appointment as bishop, first of Chichester, then of Ely and finally of Winchester in 1619. Andrewes was present at the Hampton Court Conference in 1604, which furthered the reform of the Church of England, and he was also a translator of much of the Old Testament of what is known as the ‘Authorised Version’ of the Bible. His preaching and his writings proved highly influential and his holiness of life and gentle nature endeared him to all who met him. He died on this day in the year 1626 and his remains lie in a church which was then in his diocese of Winchester but now is the cathedral for the diocese of Southwark. ^EH

Antiphon¹

Ant. The ordinances of the Lord are right, *
bringing joy to all hearts, sweeter than honey or the honeycomb.
Therefore your servant will observe them.
V. The heavens declare the glory of God, *
and the firmament proclaims the work of his hands.
Day unto day conveys the message, *
and night unto night imparts the knowledge. Psalm 19

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: Lancelot Andrewes
Tune: Southport https://tinyurl.com/yynyorsw

1 My God, my Saviour, here this day,
To Thee I give myself away,
And evermore with Thee would stay,
Thine own to be.

2 Mine idols, one by one, I bring,—
Yea, ev’ry vile polluted thing,
That hush’d my song, when I would sing
In praise to Thee.

3 Each doubtful thing that kept me bound,
Like grave-clothes fast’ning me around,
And dead’ning ev’ry heav’nly sound,
I yield to Thee.

4 My “will,” that held unhinder’d sway
O’er my whole being day by day,
Gladly I now do give away
In love to Thee.

5 My very body, spirit, soul,
Take now, dear Lord, to Thy control,
And in Thy service use the whole
In work for Thee.

6 Come and abide, Thou Heavenly Guest;
Make Thou within my soul Thy rest,
Then truly shall I know I’m blest
In having Thee.

7 Roll in, Thou Wondrous Tide, roll in;
Sweep down the barriers of all sin,
And call Thou forth fresh song within
To welcome Thee.

8 Thou com’st, Thy still small voice I hear!
An inward silence speaks Thee near,
And all subdues, without a fear,
I rest in Thee.

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

Psalm 119:33-72 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/uzj6wj2

33  Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes *
 and I shall keep it unto the end.
34  Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law *
 yea, I shall keep it with my whole heart.
35  Make me to go in the path of thy commandments *
 for therein is my desire.
36  Incline my heart unto thy testimonies *
 and not to covetousness.
37  O turn away mine eyes, lest they behold vanity *
 and quicken thou me in thy way.
38  O stablish thy word in thy servant *
 that I may fear thee.
39  Take away the rebuke that I am afraid of *
 for thy judgements are good.
40  Behold, my delight is in thy commandments *
 O quicken me in thy righteousness.
41  Let thy loving mercy come also unto me, O Lord *
 even thy salvation, according unto thy word.
42  So shall I make answer unto my blasphemers *
 for my trust is in thy word.
43  O take not the word of thy truth utterly out of my mouth *
 for my hope is in thy judgements.
44  So shall I alway keep thy law *
 yea, for ever and ever.
45  And I will walk at liberty *
 for I seek thy commandments.
46  I will speak of thy testimonies also, even before kings *
 and will not be ashamed.
47  And my delight shall be in thy commandments *
 which I have loved.
48  My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved *
 and my study shall be in thy statutes.
49  O think upon thy servant, as concerning thy word *
 wherein thou hast caused me to put my trust.
50  The same is my comfort in my trouble *
 for thy word hath quickened me.
51  The proud have had me exceedingly in derision *
 yet have I not shrinked from thy law.
52  For I remembered thine everlasting judgements, O Lord *
 and received comfort.
53  I am horribly afraid *
 for the ungodly that forsake thy law.
54  Thy statutes have been my songs *
 in the house of my pilgrimage.
55  I have thought upon thy Name, O Lord, in the night-season *
 and have kept thy law.
56  This I had *
 because I kept thy commandments.
57  Thou art my portion, O Lord *
 I have promised to keep thy law.
58  I made my humble petition in thy presence with my whole heart *
 O be merciful unto me, according to thy word.
59  I called mine own ways to remembrance *
 and turned my feet unto thy testimonies.
60  I made haste, and prolonged not the time *
 to keep thy commandments.
61  The congregations of the ungodly have robbed me *
 but I have not forgotten thy law.
62  At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee *
 because of thy righteous judgements.
63  I am a companion of all them that fear thee *
 and keep thy commandments.
64  The earth, O Lord, is full of thy mercy *
 O teach me thy statutes.
65  O Lord, thou hast dealt graciously with thy servant *
 according unto thy word.
66  O learn me true understanding and knowledge *
 for I have believed thy commandments.
67  Before I was troubled, I went wrong *
 but now have I kept thy word.
68  Thou art good and gracious *
 O teach me thy statutes.
69  The proud have imagined a lie against me *
 but I will keep thy commandments with my whole heart.
70  Their heart is as fat as brawn *
 but my delight hath been in thy law.
71  It is good for me that I have been in trouble *
 that I may learn thy statutes.
72  The law of thy mouth is dearer unto me *
 than thousands of gold and silver.
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

Guide us, O God,
by your Word and Spirit,
that in your light we may see light,
in your truth find freedom,
and in your will discover your peace;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ^BCW

THE WORD OF GOD

Reading: Numbers 14:1-23

Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. And all the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron; the whole congregation said to them, ‘Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! Why is the Lord bringing us into this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become booty; would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?’ So they said to one another, ‘Let us choose a captain, and go back to Egypt.’

Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the Israelites. And Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes and said to all the congregation of the Israelites, ‘The land that we went through as spies is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. Only, do not rebel against the Lord; and do not fear the people of the land, for they are no more than bread for us; their protection is removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.’ But the whole congregation threatened to stone them.

Then the glory of the Lord appeared at the tent of meeting to all the Israelites. And the Lord said to Moses, ‘How long will this people despise me? And how long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them? I will strike them with pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.’

But Moses said to the Lord, ‘Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for in your might you brought up this people from among them, and they will tell the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you, O Lord, are in the midst of this people; for you, O Lord, are seen face to face, and your cloud stands over them and you go in front of them, in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. Now if you kill this people all at one time, then the nations who have heard about you will say, “It is because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land he swore to give them that he has slaughtered them in the wilderness.” And now, therefore, let the power of the Lord be great in the way that you promised when you spoke, saying,
“The Lord is slow to anger,
and abounding in steadfast love,
forgiving iniquity and transgression,
but by no means clearing the guilty,
visiting the iniquity of the parents
upon the children
to the third and the fourth generation.”
Forgive the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of your steadfast love, just as you have pardoned this people, from Egypt even until now.’

Then the Lord said, ‘I do forgive, just as you have asked; nevertheless—as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord— none of the people who have seen my glory and the signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have tested me these ten times and have not obeyed my voice, shall see the land that I swore to give to their ancestors; none of those who despised me shall see it.’

HYMN: Thomas O. Chisholm
Tune:

1 Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father; 
there is no shadow of turning with thee; 
thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not; 
as thou hast been thou forever wilt be. 

Refrain: 
Great is thy faithfulness! 
Great is thy faithfulness! 
Morning by morning new mercies I see:
all I have needed thy hand hath provided–
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

2 Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
sun, moon, and stars in their courses above
join with all nature in manifold witness 
to thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love. [Refrain]

3 Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, 
thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide, 
strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside! [Refrain]

Reading: 2 Corinthians 12:11-21

I have been a fool! You forced me to it. Indeed you should have been the ones commending me, for I am not at all inferior to these super-apostles, even though I am nothing. The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, signs and wonders and mighty works. How have you been worse off than the other churches, except that I myself did not burden you? Forgive me this wrong!

Here I am, ready to come to you this third time. And I will not be a burden, because I do not want what is yours but you; for children ought not to lay up for their parents, but parents for their children. I will most gladly spend and be spent for you. If I love you more, am I to be loved less? Let it be assumed that I did not burden you. Nevertheless (you say) since I was crafty, I took you in by deceit. Did I take advantage of you through any of those whom I sent to you? I urged Titus to go, and sent the brother with him. Titus did not take advantage of you, did he? Did we not conduct ourselves with the same spirit? Did we not take the same steps?

Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves before you? We are speaking in Christ before God. Everything we do, beloved, is for the sake of building you up. For I fear that when I come, I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish; I fear that there may perhaps be quarrelling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder. I fear that when I come again, my God may humble me before you, and that I may have to mourn over many who previously sinned and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and licentiousness that they have practised.

HYMN: Charles Wesley
Tune: Surrey https://tinyurl.com/y3eskyzk

1. Give me the faith which can remove 
and sink the mountain to a plain; 
give me the childlike praying love, 
which longs to build thy house again; 
thy love, let it my heart o’er-power, 
and all my simple soul devour. 

2. I would the precious time redeem, 
and longer live for this alone, 
to spend and to be spent for them
who have not yet my Savior known; 
fully on these my mission prove, 
and only breathe, to breathe thy love. 

3. My talents, gifts, and graces, Lord, 
into thy blessed hands receive; 
and let me live to preach thy word, 
and let me to thy glory live; 
my every sacred moment spend 
in publishing the sinner’s Friend. 

4. Enlarge, inflame, and fill my heart 
with boundless charity divine, 
so shall I all my strength exert, 
and love them with a zeal like thine, 
and lead them to thy open side, 
the sheep for whom the Shepherd died.

Reading: Luke 21:29-33

Then Jesus told them a parable: ‘Look at the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.’

CANTICLE Jonah 2:2-9
(Patrick Schlabs: https://tinyurl.com/yy9zwfv6)

You cast me out into the deep
And there your floods surround
I sank beneath the raging sea
As billows crashed around
I was thrown out from your sight
And I was driven away
I know I will see with my eyes
Again your holy place
Refrain:
I called to God in my distress
He has heard my voice
I cried to him out of the depths
He answered my call, he answered my call

The waters closed in over me
They came to bring me death
I was covered up by the deep
Weeds choked out my breath
I sank down to the mountain roots
The earth had locked me in
Just as the grave sealed up its gates
You saved me from the pit Refrain

As my life fainted away
I remembered you my God
All those who hope in idols vain
Forsake their hope of loveI called to God in my distress
He has heard my voice
I cried to him out of the depths
He answered my call

So with my voice I will give thanks
A sacrifice to you
What I have vowed I now will pay
Salvation comes from you
Salvation comes from you
Salvation comes from you

THE PRAYERS ^BCW

Eternal God, we praise you for your mighty love given in Christ’s sacrifice on the
cross, and the new life we have received by his resurrection.
Especially we thank you for
the presence of Christ in our weakness and suffering . . .
the ministry of Word and Sacrament . . .
all who work to help and heal . . .
sacrifices made for our benefit . . .
opportunities for our generous giving. . . .

God of grace, let our concern for others reflect Christ’s self-giving love, not only
in our prayers, but also in our practice.
Especially we pray for
those subjected to tyranny and oppression . . .
wounded and injured people . . .
those who face death . . .
those who may be our enemies . . .
the church in Latin America. . . .

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.

Lord God,
who gave to Lancelot Andrewes
    many gifts of your Holy Spirit,
making him a man of prayer and a pastor of your people:
perfect in us that which is lacking in your gifts,
    of faith, to increase it,
    of hope, to establish it,
    of love, to kindle it,
that we may live in the light of your grace and glory;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen. ^EH

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.

^DL © Daniel Lawson; used with permission.

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.