Oremus for Sunday, October 4, 2020

For another form of worship in the home based on today’s lessons in the Revised Common Lectionary, go to https://blogs.elca.org/worship/2829/

Antiphon¹

Ant. My soul aspires after your salvation; *
I hope in your word;
when will you judge those who persecute me?
The wicked are persecuting me;
come to my assistance, O Lord my God.
V. Blessed are those whose way is blameless, *
who walk in the law of the Lord!
Lord, let your mercy come upon me, *
the salvation you have promised. Psalm 119

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: T’ingfang Lew
Tune: Aurelia https://tinyurl.com/y9zdglzy

1 O Christ, the great foundation
on which your people stand
to preach your true salvation
in every age and land:
pour out your Holy Spirit
to make us strong and pure,
to keep the faith unbroken
as long as worlds endure.

2 Baptized in one confession,
one church in all the earth,
we bear our Lord’s impression,
the sign of second birth:
one holy people gathered
in love beyond our own,
by grace we were invited;
by grace we make you known.

3 Where tyrants’ hold is tightened,
where strong devour the weak,
where innocents are frightened,
the righteous fear to speak,
there let your church awaking
attack the powers of sin
and, all their ramparts breaking,
with you the victory win.

4 This is the moment glorious 
when he who once was dead
shall lead his church victorious,
their champion and their head.
The Lord of all creation
his heavenly kingdom brings:
the final consummation,
the glory of all things.

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

Psalm 22 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/tcvjnwc)

1  My God, my God, look upon me; why hast thou forsaken me *
 and art so far from my health, and from the words of my complaint?
2  O my God, I cry in the day-time, but thou hearest not *
 and in the night-season also I take no rest.
3  And thou continuest holy *
 O thou worship of Israel.
4  Our fathers hoped in thee *
 they trusted in thee, and thou didst deliver them.
5  They called upon thee, and were holpen *
 they put their trust in thee, and were not confounded.
6  But as for me, I am a worm, and no man *
 a very scorn of men, and the out-cast of the people.
7  All they that see me laugh me to scorn *
 they shoot out their lips, and shake their heads, saying,
8  He trusted in God, that he would deliver him *
 let him deliver him, if he will have him.
9  But thou art he that took me out of my mother’s womb *
 thou wast my hope, when I hanged yet upon my mother’s breasts.
10  I have been left unto thee ever since I was born *
 thou art my God even from my mother’s womb.
11  O go not from me, for trouble is hard at hand *
 and there is none to help me.
12  Many oxen are come about me *
 fat bulls of Basan close me in on every side.
13  They gape upon me with their mouths *
 as it were a ramping and a roaring lion.
14  I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint *
 my heart also in the midst of my body is even like melting wax.
15  My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue cleaveth to my gums *
 and thou shalt bring me into the dust of death.
16  For many dogs are come about me *
 and the council of the wicked layeth siege against me.
17  They pierced my hands and my feet; I may tell all my bones *
 they stand staring and looking upon me.
18  They part my garments among them *
 and cast lots upon my vesture.
19  But be not thou far from me, O Lord *
 thou art my succour, haste thee to help me.
20  Deliver my soul from the sword *
 my darling from the power of the dog.
21  Save me from the lion’s mouth *
 thou hast heard me also from among the horns of the unicorns.
22  I will declare thy Name unto my brethren *
 in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.
23  O praise the Lord, ye that fear him *
 magnify him, all ye of the seed of Jacob,
and fear him, all ye seed of Israel;
24  For he hath not despised, nor abhorred,
the low estate of the poor *
 he hath not hid his face from him,
but when he called unto him he heard him.
25  My praise is of thee in the great congregation *
 my vows will I perform in the sight of them that fear him.
26  The poor shall eat, and be satisfied *
 they that seek after the Lord shall praise him; your heart shall live for ever.
27  All the ends of the world shall remember themselves,
and be turned unto the Lord *
 and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before him.
28  For the kingdom is the Lord’s *
 and he is the Governor among the people.
29  All such as be fat upon earth *
 have eaten, and worshipped.
30  All they that go down into the dust shall kneel before him *
 and no man hath quickened his own soul.
31  My seed shall serve him *
 they shall be counted unto the Lord for a generation.
32  They shall come, and the heavens shall declare his righteousness *
 unto a people that shall be born, whom the Lord hath made.
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 23 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/swfdhyk)

1  The Lord is my shepherd *
 therefore can I lack nothing.
2  He shall feed me in a green pasture *
 and lead me forth beside the waters of comfort.
3  He shall convert my soul *
 and bring me forth in the paths of righteousness, for his Name’s sake.
4  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil *
 for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff comfort me.
5  Thou shalt prepare a table before me against them that trouble me *
 thou hast anointed my head with oil, and my cup shall be full.
6  But thy loving-kindness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life *
 and I will dwell in the house of the Lord 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

Lord Jesus Christ, our good shepherd,
in the waters of Baptism you give us birth,
and at your table you nourish us with heavenly food.
In your goodness and mercy,
lead us along safe paths,
beyond the terrors of evil and death,
to the house of the Lord
where we may rest securely in you forever. Amen. ^BCW

THE WORD OF GOD

Reading: Exodus 20:1-20

Then God spoke all these words:

I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me.

You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.

You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.

Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. For six days you shall labour and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it.

Honour your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

You shall not murder.

You shall not commit adultery.

You shall not steal.

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.

You shall not covet your neighbour’s house; you shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour.

When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking, they were afraid and trembled and stood at a distance, and said to Moses, ‘You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, or we will die.’ Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid; for God has come only to test you and to put the fear of him upon you so that you do not sin.’

HYMN: Psalm 19; para. Helen Otte ©
Tune: Genevan 19^th

1 The spacious heavens tell
the glory of the LORD;
the skies his work proclaim.
Each day and night is heard
their voice in all the earth;
they glorify God’s name.
Each day the mighty sun
rejoices in its run,
arising in the morning
a bridegroom coming forth,
a runner on the course
bright shining in its glory.

2 God’s perfect law is good,
for it revives the soul
and makes the simple wise.
The precepts of the LORD
give joy unto the heart
and light unto the eyes.
All God’s commands are sure
the fear of God is pure,
forevermore enduring
more precious than pure gold
or honey from the comb;
to keep them is rewarding.

3 Who can discern their wrongs?
Forgive my hidden faults.
Keep me from willful sins.
May they not rule my life;
then I will blameless be,
not guilty of great sin.
All of these words and thoughts,
reflections of my heart,
in praise to you I offer.
May this, my sacrifice,
be pleasing in your sight,
my Rock and my Redeemer.

Reading: Philippians 3:4b-14

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.

Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on towards the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.

HYMN: Fred Pratt Green ©
Tune: Repton https://tinyurl.com/yxmg5qr8

1 How clear is our vocation, Lord,
when once we heed your call:
to live according to your word,
and daily learn, refreshed, restored,
that you are Lord of all,
and will not let us fall.

2 But if, forgetful, we should find
your yoke is hard to bear;
if worldly pressures fray the mind,
and love itself cannot unwind
its tangled skein of care:
our inward life repair.

3 We marvel how your saints become
in hindrances more sure;
whose joyful virtues put to shame
the casual way we wear your name,
and by our faults obscure
your power to cleanse and cure.

4 In what you give us, Lord, to do,
together or alone,
in old routines and ventures new
may we not cease to look to you,
the cross you hung upon–
all you endeavored done.

Reading: Matthew 21:33-46

Jesus said, ‘Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watch-tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, “They will respect my son.” But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, “This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.” So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?’ They said to him, ‘He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time.’

Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read in the scriptures:
“The stone that the builders rejected
   has become the cornerstone;
this was the Lord’s doing,
   and it is amazing in our eyes”?
Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom. The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.’

When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. They wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet.

CANTICLE Revelation 11:17-18; 12:10b-12a
(Chant by John Michael Talbot: https://tinyurl.com/ycrn2d4f)

Ant. The Father has given Christ all power, honor, and kingship,
All people will obey him.
We praise you, the Lord God Almighty,
who is and who was.
You have assumed your great power,
you have begun your reign.
the nations have raged in anger,
but then came your day of wrath
and the moment to judge the dead:
the time to reward your servants the prophets
and the holy ones who revere you,
the great and the small alike.
Now have salvation and power come,
the reign of our god and the authority
of his anointed one,
for the accuser of our brothers is cast out,
who night and day accused them before God.
They defeated him by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
love for life did not deter them from death.
So rejoice, you heavens,
and you that dwell therein!
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 ^{Joe Milner}

For the Church: that we may be a fruitful garden, producing a harvest rich of justice, compassion, mercy, and forgiveness

For all who have suffered rejection: that God will heal their wounds, fill them with hope and guide them into the acceptance of a community of faith

For all religious leaders: that God will free them selfish pursuits and help them recognize that their opportunities and authority are gifts from God for the good of those entrusted to their care

For a deeper relationship with God: that we may not be satisfied with simply using religious words and gestures but rather make the Gospel the source of all our words and deeds

For humility: that we may recognize what is truthful, just, honorable, and worthy of praise in ourselves and one another, and further the reign of God through them

For all who experience anxiety or live with fear: that the peace of God that surpasses all understanding may fill their minds and hearts

For all with mental illness, particularly those with depression: that God‘s healing love will free them and open new possibilities for them

For all who tend the fields and bring food to our tables: that God will strengthen them and protect them in their labors

For greater respect for human life: that God will open all hearts to the beauty of the gift of each life

For all who are struggling financially: that God will calm their fears and guide them to new opportunities to support themselves and to use their gifts

For all who are recovering from natural disasters: that God will give them the strength to face their challenges, speed the assistance that they need, and fill their hearts with peace

For better international co-operation: that nations will join together in addressing the crises that are impacting God’s creation and work to preserve our common home

For healing of injustice: that God will help us recognize systemic injustices and give courage to all who are working to change society

For civility in public life: that public discourse may focus on ideas and programs, and that the election speeches and materials will respect the dignity of each person

For all who have died: that they may eternally experience the peace of Christ that surpasses all understanding

(Traditional chant: https://tinyurl.com/ydzx5jdp)

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And 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.]

Holy God,
you love justice and hate oppression;
you call us to righteousness and not to exploitation.
Give us generous and loving hearts,
and eyes to see the splendor of your reign,
that we may live in truth and honor,
and praise you for the transformation of our lives,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ^RCLP

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.

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

^BCP The Book of Common Prayer, The Episcopal Church, 1979.

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

The intercessions are by Joe Milner http://liturgy.slu.edu

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.