Oremus for Tuesday, December 1, 2020

Antiphon¹

Ant. Be unto me a protecting God *
and a house of refuge, to save me;
for you are my support and my refuge;
and for the sake of your name you will lead me and nourish me.
V. In you, O Lord, I take refuge. *
Let me never be put to shame.
In your justice, set me free; *
incline your ear to me, and speedily rescue me. Psalm 31

Almighty God,
give us grace to cast away the works of darkness,
and put on the armor of light,
now in the time of this mortal life
in which your Son Jesus Christ came
to visit us in great humility;
that in the last day,
when he shall come again in his glorious majesty
to judge both the living and the dead,
we may rise to the life immortal;
through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. 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: Walter Chalmer Smith
Tune: Lingwood https://tinyurl.com/y5lblc3f

1 Earth was waiting, spent and restless,
with a mingled hope and fear,
faithful men and women praying,
‘Surely, Lord, the day is near:
the Desire of all the nations —
it is time he should appear!’

2 Then the Spirit of the Highest
to a virgin meek came down,
and he burdened her with blessing,
and he pained her with renown;
for she bore the Lord’s anointed
for his cross and for his crown.

3 Earth has groaned and laboured for him
since the ages first began,
for in him was hid the secret
which through all the ages ran —
Son of Mary, Son of David,
Son of God, and Son of Man.

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

Psalm 6 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/yxx3vdzs)

1  O Lord, rebuke me not in thine indignation *
 neither chasten me in thy displeasure.
2  Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak *
 O Lord, heal me, for my bones are vexed.
3  My soul also is sore troubled *
 but, Lord, how long wilt thou punish me?
4  Turn thee, O Lord, and deliver my soul *
 O save me for thy mercy’s sake.
5  For in death no man remembereth thee *
 and who will give thee thanks in the pit?
6  I am weary of my groaning; every night wash I my bed *
 and water my couch with my tears.
7  My beauty is gone for very trouble *
 and worn away because of all mine enemies.
8  Away from me, all ye that work vanity *
 for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping.
9  The Lord hath heard my petition *
 the Lord will receive my prayer.
10  All mine enemies shall be confounded, and sore vexed *
 they shall be turned back, and put to shame suddenly.
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 7 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/u4vua9c)

1  O Lord my God, in thee have I put my trust *
 save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me;
2  Lest he devour my soul, like a lion, and tear it in pieces *
 while there is none to help.
3  O Lord my God, if I have done any such thing *
 or if there be any wickedness in my hands;
4  If I have rewarded evil unto him that dealt friendly with me *
 yea, I have delivered him that without any cause is mine enemy;
5  Then let mine enemy persecute my soul, and take me *
 yea, let him tread my life down upon the earth,
and lay mine honour in the dust.
6  Stand up, O Lord, in thy wrath, and lift up thyself,
because of the indignation of mine enemies *
 arise up for me in the judgement that thou hast commanded.
7  And so shall the congregation of the people come about thee *
 for their sakes therefore lift up thyself again.
8  The Lord shall judge the people; give sentence with me, O Lord *
 according to my righteousness,
and according to the innocency that is in me.
9  O let the wickedness of the ungodly come to an end *
 but guide thou the just.
10  For the righteous God *
 trieth the very hearts and reins.
11  My help cometh of God *
 who preserveth them that are true of heart.
12  God is a righteous Judge, strong, and patient *
 and God is provoked every day.
13  If a man will not turn, he will whet his sword *
 he hath bent his bow, and made it ready.
14  He hath prepared for him the instruments of death *
 he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors.
15  Behold, he travaileth with mischief *
 he hath conceived sorrow, and brought forth ungodliness.
16  He hath graven and digged up a pit *
 and is fallen himself into the destruction that he made for other.
17  For his travail shall come upon his own head *
 and his wickedness shall fall on his own pate.
18  I will give thanks unto the Lord, according to his righteousness *
 and I will praise the Name of the Lord most High.
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 8 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/vtzy6pg)

1  O Lord our Governor, how excellent is thy Name in all the world *
 thou that has set thy glory above the heavens!
2  Out of the mouth of very babes and sucklings
hast thou ordained strength, because of thine enemies *
 that thou mightest still the enemy, and the avenger.
3  For I will consider thy heavens, even the works of thy fingers *
 the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained.
4  What is man, that thou art mindful of him *
 and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
5  Thou madest him lower than the angels *
 to crown him with glory and worship.
6  Thou makest him to have dominion of the works of thy hands *
 and thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet;
7  All sheep and oxen *
 yea, and the beasts of the field;
8  The fowls of the air, and the fishes of the sea *
 and whatsoever walketh through the paths of the seas.
9  O Lord our Governor *
 how excellent is thy Name in all the world!
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

God of glory,
despite the majesty of your creation
you sought us out,
and through Christ
you crowned us with dignity and honor,
giving us dominion over your works.
Enable us so to care for the earth
that all creation may radiate the splendor
of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ^BCW

THE WORD OF GOD

Reading: Hosea 4:11-16

Wine and new wine
   take away the understanding.
My people consult a piece of wood,
   and their divining-rod gives them oracles.
For a spirit of whoredom has led them astray,
   and they have played the whore, forsaking their God.
They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains,
   and make offerings upon the hills,
under oak, poplar, and terebinth,
   because their shade is good.

Therefore your daughters play the whore,
   and your daughters-in-law commit adultery.
I will not punish your daughters when they play the whore,
   nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery;
for the men themselves go aside with whores,
   and sacrifice with temple prostitutes;
thus a people without understanding comes to ruin.

Though you play the whore, O Israel,
   do not let Judah become guilty.
Do not enter into Gilgal,
   or go up to Beth-aven,
   and do not swear, ‘As the Lord lives.’
Like a stubborn heifer,
   Israel is stubborn;
can the Lord now feed them
   like a lamb in a broad pasture?

HYMN: James Montgomery
Tune: St Mary https://tinyurl.com/yywhvksn

1 Almighty God, in humble prayer
To Thee our souls we lift:
Do Thou our waiting minds prepare
For Thy most needful gift.

2 We ask not golden streams of wealth
Along our path to flow;
We ask not undecaying health,
Nor length of years below.

3 We ask not honors, which an hour
May bring or take away;
We ask not pleasure, pomp, and power,
Lest we should go astray.

4 We ask for wisdom:–Lord, impart
The knowledge how to live;
A wise and understanding heart
To all before Thee give.

5 The young remember Thee in youth,
Before the evil day!
The old be guided by Thy truth
In wisdom’s pleasant way!

Reading: Philippians 1:12-20

I want you to know, beloved, that what has happened to me has actually helped to spread the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to everyone else that my imprisonment is for Christ; and most of the brothers and sisters, having been made confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, dare to speak the word with greater boldness and without fear.

Some proclaim Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from goodwill. These proclaim Christ out of love, knowing that I have been put here for the defence of the gospel; the others proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but intending to increase my suffering in my imprisonment. What does it matter? Just this, that Christ is proclaimed in every way, whether out of false motives or true; and in that I rejoice.

Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will result in my deliverance. It is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be put to shame in any way, but that by my speaking with all boldness, Christ will be exalted now as always in my body, whether by life or by death.

HYMN: Philip Doddridge
Music: Warrington https://tinyurl.com/y3ny9k3t

1 My gracious Lord, I own thy right
to ev’ry service I can pay;
and call it my supreme delight
to hear thy dictates and obey.

2 What is my being but for thee,
its sure support, its noblest end,
thy ever-smiling face to see
and serve the cause of such a friend?

3 I would not breathe for worldly joy,
or to increase my worldly good,
nor future days or pow’rs employ
to spread a sounding name abroad;

4 But to my Saviour I would live,
to him who for my ransom died;
nor could untainted Eden give
such bliss as blossoms at his side.

5 His work my later tears shall bless,
when youthful vigour is no more,
and my last hour of life confess
his love hath animating pow’r.

Reading: Mark 11:12-19

On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see whether perhaps he would find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. He said to it, ‘May no one ever eat fruit from you again.’ And his disciples heard it.

Then they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling and those who were buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold doves; and he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. He was teaching and saying, ‘Is it not written,
“My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations”?
   But you have made it a den of robbers.’
And when the chief priests and the scribes heard it, they kept looking for a way to kill him; for they were afraid of him, because the whole crowd was spellbound by his teaching. And when evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city.

CANTICLE Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55)
(Andrew Rottner: https://tinyurl.com/ybqv7yxk)

He who is mighty, has shown great strength to me
And his mercy is for those who fear his holy name
And he has shown strength with his arm and his law
And he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.

He who is mighty has brought the wicked shame
And his anger is for those who curse his holy name
And he has shown rage with the mighty in their thrones
And he has lifted the low into his glorious home

O my soul magnifies the Lord,
Yes my soul magnifies the Lord.

He who is mighty has not forgotten me
And his helping is for those to serve his holy name
He has shown remembrance with his servant Israel
And he spoke the promise from which all my doubts dispel

O my soul magnifies the Lord,
Yes my soul magnifies the Lord.
O my soul magnifies the Lord,
Yes my soul magnifies the Lord.

THE PRAYERS ^CCP

Watchful at all times,
let us pray for strength to stand with confidence
before our Maker and Redeemer.

That God may bring in his kingdom with judgement and mercy,
let us pray to the Lord:
Come in your might, Lord Jesus.

That God may establish among the nations
his sceptre of righteousness, let us pray to the Lord:
Come in your might, Lord Jesus.

That the Church may seek him in the scriptures
and recognise him in the breaking of the bread,
let us pray to the Lord:
Come in your might, Lord Jesus.

That God may bind up the broken‑hearted,
restore the sick and raise up all who have fallen,
let us pray to the Lord:
Come in your might, Lord Jesus.

That the light of God’s coming may dawn
on all who live in darkness and in the shadow of death,
let us pray to the Lord:
Come in your might, Lord Jesus.

That with all the saints in light,
we may shine forth as lights of the world,
let us pray to the Lord:
Come in your might, Lord Jesus.

(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.

God of mercy, we pray you,
listen to our prayer
and stand by us in all our trials.
Let the presence of your Son
free us from self-centeredness
and may the hope of his glorious return
fill us with longing to see him face to face.
We make this prayer
through Jesus Christ, the Lord. Amen. ²

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.

^CCP Celebrating Common Prayer © 1993 Society of St Francis

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

² Alan Griffiths, Celebrating the Christian Year, Vol. 1, © Canterbury Press

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.