Oremus for Tuesday, December 29, 2020

Antiphon¹

Ant. Yours are the heavens, yours is the earth, *
the world and the fullness thereof have been founded by you.
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne.
V. A God to be feared in the council of the holy ones, *
great and awesome to all around him. Psalm 89

Almighty God,
you wonderfully created,
and yet more wonderfully restored,
the dignity of human nature.
In your mercy,
let us share the divine life of Jesus Christ
who came to share our humanity,
and who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen. ^BCW

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: Medieval Dutch; trans. Klaas Hart ©
Tune: Komt, verwondert

1 Come and stand amazed, you people,
see how God is reconciled!
See his plans of love accomplished,
see his gift, this newborn child.
See the Mighty, weak and tender,
see the Word who now is mute.
See the Sovereign without splendor,
see the Fullness destitute;
the Beloved, whom we covet,
in a state of low repute.

2 See how humankind received him;
see him wrapped in swaddling bands,
who as Lord of all creation
rules the wind by his commands.
See him lying in a manger
without sign of reasoning;
Word of God to flesh surrendered,
he is wisdom’s crown, our King.
See how tender our Defender
at whose birth the angels sing.

3 O Lord Jesus, God incarnate,
who assumed this humble form,
counsel me and let my wishes
to your perfect will conform.
Light of life, dispel my darkness,
let your frailty strengthen me;
let your meekness give me boldness,
let your burden set me free;
let your sadness give me gladness,
let your death be life for me.

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

Psalm 142 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/ya9l4yc4)

1  I cried unto the Lord with my voice *
 yea, even unto the Lord did I make my supplication.
2  I poured out my complaints before him *
 and shewed him of my trouble.
3  When my spirit was in heaviness thou knewest my path *
 in the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me.
4  I looked also upon my right hand *
 and saw there was no man that would know me.
5  I had no place to flee unto *
 and no man cared for my soul.
6  I cried unto thee, O Lord, and said *
 Thou art my hope, and my portion in the land of the living.
7  Consider my complaint *
 for I am brought very low.
8  O deliver me from my persecutors *
 for they are too strong for me.
9  Bring my soul out of prison,
that I may give thanks unto thy Name *
 which thing if thou wilt grant me,
then shall the righteous resort unto my company.
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 143 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y76nm8vs)

1  Hear my prayer, O Lord, and consider my desire *
 hearken unto me for thy truth and righteousness’ sake.
2  And enter not into judgement with thy servant *
 for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.
3  For the enemy hath persecuted my soul;
he hath smitten my life down to the ground *
 he hath laid me in the darkness, as the men that have been long dead.
4  Therefore is my spirit vexed within me *
 and my heart within me is desolate.
5  Yet do I remember the time past; I muse upon all thy works *
 yea, I exercise myself in the works of thy hands.
6  I stretch forth my hands unto thee *
 my soul gaspeth unto thee as a thirsty land.
7  Hear me, O Lord, and that soon, for my spirit waxeth faint *
 hide not thy face from me,
lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.
8  O let me hear thy loving-kindness betimes in the morning,
for in thee is my trust *
 shew thou me the way that I should walk in,
for I lift up my soul unto thee.
9  Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies *
 for I flee unto thee to hide me.
10  Teach me to do the thing that pleaseth thee, for thou art my God *
 let thy loving Spirit lead me forth into the land of righteousness.
11  Quicken me, O Lord, for thy Name’s sake *
 and for thy righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.
12  And of thy goodness slay mine enemies *
 and destroy all them that vex my soul; for I am thy servant.
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 our refuge,
when all friends have forsaken us
and enemies line all our paths,
come quickly to our aid.
Lead us out from captivity
into the light of your freedom,
secured for us in the sacrifice
of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ^BCW

THE WORD OF GOD

Reading: Isaiah 49:5-15

And now the Lord says,
   who formed me in the womb to be his servant,
to bring Jacob back to him,
   and that Israel might be gathered to him,
for I am honoured in the sight of the Lord,
   and my God has become my strength—
he says,
‘It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
   to raise up the tribes of Jacob
   and to restore the survivors of Israel;
I will give you as a light to the nations,
   that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.’

Thus says the Lord,
   the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One,
to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations,
   the slave of rulers,
‘Kings shall see and stand up,
   princes, and they shall prostrate themselves,
because of the Lord, who is faithful,
   the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.’

Thus says the Lord:
In a time of favour I have answered you,
   on a day of salvation I have helped you;
I have kept you and given you
   as a covenant to the people,
to establish the land,
   to apportion the desolate heritages;
saying to the prisoners, ‘Come out’,
   to those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves.’
They shall feed along the ways,
   on all the bare heights shall be their pasture;
they shall not hunger or thirst,
   neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them down,
for he who has pity on them will lead them,
   and by springs of water will guide them.
And I will turn all my mountains into a road,
   and my highways shall be raised up.
Lo, these shall come from far away,
   and lo, these from the north and from the west,
   and these from the land of Syene.

Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth;
   break forth, O mountains, into singing!
For the Lord has comforted his people,
   and will have compassion on his suffering ones.

But Zion said, ‘The Lord has forsaken me,
   my Lord has forgotten me.’
Can a woman forget her nursing-child,
   or show no compassion for the child of her womb?
Even these may forget,
   yet I will not forget you.

HYMN: William Cowper
Tune: St Bees https://tinyurl.com/y82vtsvn

1 Hark, my soul, it is the Lord;
’tis thy Saviour, hear his word;
Jesus speaks, and speaks to thee,
‘Say, poor sinner, lov’st thou me?

2 ‘I delivered thee when bound,
and, when wounded, healed thy wound;
sought thee wandering, set thee right,
turned thy darkness into light.

3 ‘Can a woman’s tender care
cease towards the child she bare?
Yes, she may forgetful be,
yet will I remember thee.

4 ‘Mine is an unchanging love,
higher than the heights above,
deeper than the depths beneath,
free and faithful, strong as death.

5 ‘Thou shalt see my glory soon,
when the work of grace is done;
partner of my throne shalt be:
say, poor sinner, lov’st thou me?’

6 Lord, it is my chief complaint
that my love is weak and faint;
yet I love thee, and adore;
O for grace to love thee more!

Reading: Colossians 1:1-14

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the saints and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ in Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. You have heard of this hope before in the word of the truth, the gospel that has come to you. Just as it is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world, so it has been bearing fruit among yourselves from the day you heard it and truly comprehended the grace of God. This you learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow-servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, and he has made known to us your love in the Spirit.

For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God. May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

HYMN: attr. Piotrowi Skardze; para. Edith M. G. Reed
Music: W żłobie leży https://tinyurl.com/y76yf7vl

1 Infant holy, infant lowly,
for his bed a cattle stall;
oxen lowing, little knowing
Christ the babe is Lord of all.
Swiftly winging angels singing,
bells are ringing, tidings bringing:
Christ the babe is Lord of all!
Christ the babe is Lord of all!

2 Flocks were sleeping; shepherds keeping
vigil till the morning new
saw the glory, heard the story,
tidings of a gospel true.
Thus rejoicing, free from sorrow,
praises voicing, greet the morrow:
Christ the babe was born for you!
Christ the babe was born for you!

Reading: John 6:35-40

Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will never drive away; for I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last day.’

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 ^WS2

Incarnate God,
with the angels we sing and glorify your name,
thankful for all that you have given us:
for your presence in the world . . .
for our nation . . .
for our community and its leaders . . .
for the witness of your church celebrating around the world . . .
But today we are especially grateful for the gift of your Son, who gave up his heavenly
home for a manger and a cross so that we might experience redemption, a gift
that neither spoils nor fades.

With the angels we also desire peace on earth, a peace that is broader and deeper
than the end of war. We pray for the restoration of this world, for the growth of
your kingdom, for reconciliation, healing, and renewal. We bring before you our
prayers for
the nations of the world, especially . . .
our nation and those in authority . . .
our community and those who govern it . . .
the church universal, its mission, and those who minister . . .
the local congregation and its ministry, especially . . .
those with particular needs on this holy day . . .
Make your incarnate presence known in each situation, and may we as your servants
be vessels of your peace. We pray this in the name of the one who became flesh and dwelt among us, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

(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 glory,
your splendor shines from a manger in Bethlehem
into the darkness of human night.
Open our eyes to Christ’s presence in the shadows of our world
so that we, like him, may become beacons of your justice
and defenders of all for whom the world makes no room. Amen. ^{WS2, alt.}

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.

^WS2 The Worship Sourcebook, 2nd edition, © 2013, Faith Alive Christian Resources

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.