Oremus for Saturday, October 3, 2020

Antiphon¹

Ant. Render secure my footsteps in your paths *
so that my feet do not slip; incline your ear and hear my words;
display your wonderful mercies, O Lord,
Savior of those who place their hope in you.
V. O Lord, hear a cause that is just; *
pay heed to my cry.
Turn your ear to my prayer: *
no deceit is on my lips.
From you may my justice come forth. *
Your eyes discern what is upright. Psalm 17

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: David W. Romig ©
Tune: Genevan 22^nd https://tinyurl.com/y2aealuh

1 When we are tempted to deny Your Son,
Because we fear the anger of the world,
And we are few who bear the insults hurled,
Your will, O God, be done.

2 When we are tempted to betray Your Son,
Because He leads us in a harder way,
And makes demands we do not want to pay,
Your will, O God, be done.

3 When we forget the cross that held Your Son,
And would avoid the burden of this life,
The cry for justice and an end to strife,
Your will, O God, be done.

4 When doubt obscures the victory of Your Son,
And faith is weak and all resolve has fled,
Help us to know Him risen from the dead;
Your will, O God, be done.

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

Psalm 18 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/yx7qz95s)

1  I will love thee, O Lord, my strength;
the Lord is my stony rock, and my defence *
 my Saviour, my God, and my might, in whom I will trust,
my buckler, the horn also of my salvation, and my refuge.
2  I will call upon the Lord, which is worthy to be praised *
 so shall I be safe from mine enemies.
3  The sorrows of death compassed me *
 and the overflowings of ungodliness made me afraid.
4  The pains of hell came about me *
 the snares of death overtook me.
5  In my trouble I will call upon the Lord *
 and complain unto my God.
6  So shall he hear my voice out of his holy temple *
 and my complaint shall come before him,
it shall enter even into his ears.
7  The earth trembled and quaked *
 the very foundations also of the hills shook,
and were removed, because he was wroth.
8  There went a smoke out in his presence *
 and a consuming fire out of his mouth,
so that coals were kindled at it.
9  He bowed the heavens also, and came down *
 and it was dark under his feet.
10  He rode upon the cherubims, and did fly *
 he came flying upon the wings of the wind.
11  He made darkness his secret place *
 his pavilion round about him with dark water,
and thick clouds to cover him.
12  At the brightness of his presence his clouds removed *
 hail-stones, and coals of fire.
13  The Lord also thundered out of heaven,
and the Highest gave his thunder *
 hail-stones, and coals of fire.
14  He sent out his arrows, and scattered them *
 he cast forth lightnings, and destroyed them.
15  The springs of waters were seen,
and the foundations of the round world were discovered,
at thy chiding, O Lord *
 at the blasting of the breath of thy displeasure.
16  He shall send down from on high to fetch me *
 and shall take me out of many waters.
17  He shall deliver me from my strongest enemy,
and from them which hate me *
 for they are too mighty for me.
18  They prevented me in the day of my trouble *
 but the Lord was my upholder.
19  He brought me forth also into a place of liberty *
 he brought me forth, even because he had a favour unto me.
20  The Lord shall reward me after my righteous dealing *
 according to the cleanness of my hands shall he recompense me.
21  Because I have kept the ways of the Lord *
 and have not forsaken my God, as the wicked doth.
22  For I have an eye unto all his laws *
 and will not cast out his commandments from me.
23  I was also uncorrupt before him *
 and eschewed mine own wickedness.
24  Therefore shall the Lord reward me after my righteous dealing *
 and according unto the cleanness of my hands in his eye-sight.
25  With the holy thou shalt be holy *
 and with a perfect man thou shalt be perfect.
26  With the clean thou shalt be clean *
 and with the froward thou shalt learn frowardness.
27  For thou shalt save the people that are in adversity *
 and shalt bring down the high looks of the proud.
28  Thou also shalt light my candle *
 the Lord my God shall make my darkness to be light.
29  For in thee I shall discomfit an host of men *
 and with the help of my God I shall leap over the wall.
30  The way of God is an undefiled way *
 the word of the Lord also is tried in the fire;
he is the defender of all them that put their trust in him.
31  For who is God, but the Lord *
 or who hath any strength, except our God?
32  It is God, that girdeth me with strength of war *
 and maketh my way perfect.
33  He maketh my feet like harts’ feet *
 and setteth me up on high.
34  He teacheth mine hands to fight *
 and mine arms shall break even a bow of steel.
35  Thou hast given me the defence of thy salvation *
 thy right hand also shall hold me up,
and thy loving correction shall make me great.
36  Thou shalt make room enough under me for to go *
 that my footsteps shall not slide.
37  I will follow upon mine enemies, and overtake them *
 neither will I turn again till I have destroyed them.
38  I will smite them, that they shall not be able to stand *
 but fall under my feet.
39  Thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle *
 thou shalt throw down mine enemies under me.
40  Thou hast made mine enemies also to turn their backs upon me *
 and I shall destroy them that hate me.
41  They shall cry, but there shall be none to help them *
 yea, even unto the Lord shall they cry, but he shall not hear them.
42  I will beat them as small as the dust before the wind *
 I will cast them out as the clay in the streets.
43  Thou shalt deliver me from the strivings of the people *
 and thou shalt make me the head of the heathen.
44  A people whom I have not known *
 shall serve me.
45  As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me *
 but the strange children shall dissemble with me.
46  The strange children shall fail *
 and be afraid out of their prisons.
47  The Lord liveth, and blessed be my strong helper *
 and praised be the God of my salvation.
48  Even the God that seeth that I be avenged *
 and subdueth the people unto me.
49  It is he that delivereth me from my cruel enemies,
and setteth me up above mine adversaries *
 thou shalt rid me from the wicked man.
50  For this cause will I give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the Gentiles *
 and sing praises unto thy Name.
51  Great prosperity giveth he unto his King *
 and sheweth loving-kindness unto David his Anointed,
and unto his seed for evermore.
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

Praise to you, God of our salvation.
You come to our help and set us free.
May your strength be our shield
and your word, our lamp,
that we may serve you with pure hearts
and find deliverance in Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen. ^BCW

THE WORD OF GOD

Reading: Leviticus 25:35-55

If any of your kin fall into difficulty and become dependent on you, you shall support them; they shall live with you as though resident aliens. Do not take interest in advance or otherwise make a profit from them, but fear your God; let them live with you. You shall not lend them your money at interest taken in advance, or provide them food at a profit. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, to be your God.

If any who are dependent on you become so impoverished that they sell themselves to you, you shall not make them serve as slaves. They shall remain with you as hired or bound labourers. They shall serve with you until the year of the jubilee. Then they and their children with them shall be free from your authority; they shall go back to their own family and return to their ancestral property. For they are my servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt; they shall not be sold as slaves are sold. You shall not rule over them with harshness, but shall fear your God. As for the male and female slaves whom you may have, it is from the nations around you that you may acquire male and female slaves. You may also acquire them from among the aliens residing with you, and from their families that are with you, who have been born in your land; and they may be your property. You may keep them as a possession for your children after you, for them to inherit as property. These you may treat as slaves, but as for your fellow Israelites, no one shall rule over the other with harshness.

If resident aliens among you prosper, and if any of your kin fall into difficulty with one of them and sell themselves to an alien, or to a branch of the alien’s family, after they have sold themselves they shall have the right of redemption; one of their brothers may redeem them, or their uncle or their uncle’s son may redeem them, or anyone of their family who is of their own flesh may redeem them; or if they prosper they may redeem themselves. They shall compute with the purchaser the total from the year when they sold themselves to the alien until the jubilee year; the price of the sale shall be applied to the number of years: the time they were with the owner shall be rated as the time of a hired labourer. If many years remain, they shall pay for their redemption in proportion to the purchase price; and if few years remain until the jubilee year, they shall compute thus: according to the years involved they shall make payment for their redemption. As a labourer hired by the year they shall be under the alien’s authority, who shall not, however, rule with harshness over them in your sight. And if they have not been redeemed in any of these ways, they and their children with them shall go free in the jubilee year. For to me the people of Israel are servants; they are my servants whom I brought out from the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

HYMN: Ruth Duck ©
Tune: Festal Song https://tinyurl.com/y8bcun39

1 Arise, your light is come! 
The Spirit’s call obey; 
show forth the glory of your God 
which shines on you today.

2 Arise, your light is come! 
Fling wide the prison door; 
proclaim the captives’ liberty, 
good tidings to the poor.

3 Arise, your light is come! 
All you in sorrow born, 
bind up the brokenhearted ones 
and comfort those who mourn.

4 Arise, your light is come! 
The mountains burst in song! 
Rise up like eagles on the wing;
God’s power will make us strong.

Reading: Ephesians 1:1-10

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

HYMN: Augustus Toplady
Tune: St Matthew https://tinyurl.com/y4qn3jn6

1 How vast the benefits divine
which we in Christ possess!
We are redeemed from sin and shame,
and called to holiness.
‘Tis not for works that we have done,
these all to him we owe;
but he of his electing love
salvation doth bestow.

2 To thee, O Lord, alone is due
all glory and renown;
aught to ourselves we dare not take,
or rob thee of thy crown.
Thou wast thyself our Surety 
in God’s redemption plan;
in thee his grace was given us,
long ere the world began.

3 Safe in the arms of sov’ereign love
we ever shall remain;
nor shall the rage of earth or hell
make thy sure counsel vain.
Not one of all the chosen race
but shall to heav’n attain;
here they will share abounding grace,
and there with Jesus reign.

Reading: Luke 22:1-13

Now the festival of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was near. The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to put Jesus to death, for they were afraid of the people.

Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was one of the twelve; he went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers of the temple police about how he might betray him to them. They were greatly pleased and agreed to give him money. So he consented and began to look for an opportunity to betray him to them when no crowd was present.

Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, ‘Go and prepare the Passover meal for us that we may eat it.’ They asked him, ‘Where do you want us to make preparations for it?’ ‘Listen,’ he said to them, ‘when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him into the house he enters and say to the owner of the house, “The teacher asks you, ‘Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ ” He will show you a large room upstairs, already furnished. Make preparations for us there.’ So they went and found everything as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover meal.

CANTICLE Isaiah 9; Isaiah 40:1-9; 1 John 1
(Dan Schutte: https://tinyurl.com/ybrvb259)

Awake from your slumber! Arise from your sleep!
A new day is dawning for all those who weep
The people in darkness have seen a great light
The Lord of our longing has conquered the night
Refrain:
Let us build the city of God
May our tears be turned into dancing!
For the Lord, our light and our love
Has turned the night into day!

We are sons of the morning; we are daughters of day
The One who has loved us has brightened our way. Refrain

God is light; in him there is no darkness
Let us walk in his light, his children, one and all. Refrain

O comfort my people; make gentle your words
Proclaim to my city the day of her birth. Refrain

THE PRAYERS ^BCW

God of glory, we praise you for your presence in our lives, and for all goodness
that you shower upon your children in Jesus Christ. Especially we thank you for
promises kept and hope for tomorrow . . .
the enjoyment of friends . . .
the wonders of your creation . . .
the love from our parents, our sisters and brothers, our spouses and children . . .
the pleasures of living. . . .

God of grace, we are one with all your children, for we are sisters and brothers
of Jesus Christ, and we offer our prayers for all whom we love.
Especially we pray for
those we too often forget . . .
people who have lost hope . . .
victims of tragedy and disaster . . .
those who suffer mental anguish . . .
ecumenical councils and church agencies. . . .

(Plainsong Mode 2: https://tinyurl.com/yctqq8cf)^DL

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your Name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is 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,
your Son came into the world
to free us all from sin and death.
Breathe upon us with the power of your Spirit,
that we may be raised to new life in Christ,
and serve you in holiness and righteousness all our days;
through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of 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

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^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.

^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/ ©

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.