Oremus for Thursday, January 14, 2021

Antiphon¹

Ant. Andrew said to his brother Simon:
“We have found the Messiah” which means Christ;
and he led him to Jesus.
V. I will bless the Lord at all times; *
praise of him is always in my mouth.
In the Lord my soul shall make its boast; *
the humble shall hear and be glad. John 1; Psalm 34

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: Cecil Frances Alexander
Tune: Galilee https://tinyurl.com/y6kqsafr

1 Jesus calls us: o’er the tumult
of our life’s wild restless sea,
day by day his sweet voice soundeth,
saying, ‘Christian, follow me’:

2 As of old Saint Andrew heard it
by the Galilean lake,
turned from home and toil and kindred
leaving all for his dear sake.

3 Jesus calls us from the worship
of the vain world’s golden store,
from each idol that would keep us,
saying, ‘Christian, love me more.’

4 In our joys and in our sorrows,
days of toil and hours of ease,
still he calls, in cares and pleasures,
that we love him more than these.

5 Jesus calls us: by thy mercies,
Saviour, make us hear thy call,
give our hearts to thine obedience,
serve and love thee best of all.

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

Psalm 71 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/ybx8s3ew)

1  In thee, O Lord, have I put my trust,
let me never be put to confusion *
 but rid me, and deliver me, in thy righteousness;
incline thine ear unto me, and save me.
2  Be thou my strong hold, whereunto I may alway resort *
 thou hast promised to help me,
for thou art my house of defence, and my castle.
3  Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the ungodly *
 out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.
4  For thou, O Lord God, art the thing that I long for *
 thou art my hope, even from my youth.
5  Through thee have I been holden up ever since I was born *
 thou art he that took me out of my mother’s womb;
my praise shall be always of thee.
6  I am become as it were a monster unto many *
 but my sure trust is in thee.
7  O let my mouth be filled with thy praise *
 that I may sing of thy glory and honour all the day long.
8  Cast me not away in the time of age *
 forsake me not when my strength faileth me.
9  For mine enemies speak against me,
and they that lay wait for my soul take their counsel together, saying *
 God hath forsaken him; persecute him, and take him,
for there is none to deliver him.
10  Go not far from me, O God *
 my God, haste thee to help me.
11  Let them be confounded and perish that are against my soul *
 let them be covered with shame and dishonour that seek to do me evil.
12  As for me, I will patiently abide alway *
 and will praise thee more and more.
13  My mouth shall daily speak of thy righteousness and salvation *
 for I know no end thereof.
14  I will go forth in the strength of the Lord God *
 and will make mention of thy righteousness only.
15  Thou, O God, hast taught me from my youth up until now *
 therefore will I tell of thy wondrous works.
16  Forsake me not, O God, in mine old age, when I am gray-headed *
 until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation,
and thy power to all them that are yet for to come.
17  Thy righteousness, O God, is very high *
 and great things are they that thou hast done;
O God, who is like unto thee?
18  O what great troubles and adversities hast thou shewed me!
and yet didst thou turn and refresh me *
 yea, and broughtest me from the deep of the earth again.
19  Thou hast brought me to great honour *
 and comforted me on every side.
20  Therefore will I praise thee and thy faithfulness, O God,
playing upon an instrument of musick *
 unto thee will I sing upon the harp, O thou Holy One of Israel.
21  My lips will be fain when I sing unto thee *
 and so will my soul whom thou hast delivered.
22  My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long *
 for they are confounded and brought unto shame that seek to do me evil.
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 72 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/ya9qaxre)

1  Give the King thy judgements, O God *
 and thy righteousness unto the King’s son.
2  Then shall he judge thy people according unto right *
 and defend the poor.
3  The mountains also shall bring peace *
 and the little hills righteousness unto the people.
4  He shall keep the simple folk by their right *
 defend the children of the poor, and punish the wrong doer.
5  They shall fear thee, as long as the sun and moon endureth *
 from one generation to another.
6  He shall come down like the rain into a fleece of wool *
 even as the drops that water the earth.
7  In his time shall the righteous flourish *
 yea, and abundance of peace, so long as the moon endureth.
8  His dominion shall be also from the one sea to the other *
 and from the flood unto the world’s end.
9  They that dwell in the wilderness shall kneel before him *
 his enemies shall lick the dust.
10  The kings of Tharsis and of the isles shall give presents *
 the kings of Arabia and Saba shall bring gifts.
11  All kings shall fall down before him *
 all nations shall do him service.
12  For he shall deliver the poor when he crieth *
 the needy also, and him that hath no helper.
13  He shall be favourable to the simple and needy *
 and shall preserve the souls of the poor.
14  He shall deliver their souls from falsehood and wrong *
 and dear shall their blood be in his sight.
15  He shall live, and unto him shall be given of the gold of Arabia *
 prayer shall be made ever unto him, and daily shall he be praised.
16  There shall be an heap of corn in the earth, high upon the hills *
 his fruit shall shake like Libanus,
and shall be green in the city like grass upon the earth.
17  His Name shall endure for ever;
his Name shall remain under the sun among the posterities *
 which shall be blessed through him; and all the heathen shall praise him.
18  Blessed be the Lord God, even the God of Israel *
 which only doeth wondrous things ;
19  And blessed be the Name of his Majesty for ever *
 and all the earth shall be filled with his Majesty. Amen, Amen.
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 strong fortress,
do not desert us in old age.
Help us to follow your will
through all our years
and under all circumstances,
that forever we may praise your faithfulness;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ^BCW

THE WORD OF GOD

Reading: Isaiah 45:18-25

For thus says the Lord,
who created the heavens
   (he is God!),
who formed the earth and made it
   (he established it;
he did not create it a chaos,
   he formed it to be inhabited!):
I am the Lord, and there is no other.
I did not speak in secret,
   in a land of darkness;
I did not say to the offspring of Jacob,
   ‘Seek me in chaos.’
I the Lord speak the truth,
   I declare what is right.

Assemble yourselves and come together,
   draw near, you survivors of the nations!
They have no knowledge—
   those who carry about their wooden idols,
and keep on praying to a god
   that cannot save.
Declare and present your case;
   let them take counsel together!
Who told this long ago?
   Who declared it of old?
Was it not I, the Lord?
   There is no other god besides me,
a righteous God and a Saviour;
   there is no one besides me.

Turn to me and be saved,
   all the ends of the earth!
   For I am God, and there is no other.
By myself I have sworn,
   from my mouth has gone forth in righteousness
   a word that shall not return:
‘To me every knee shall bow,
   every tongue shall swear.’

Only in the Lord, it shall be said of me,
   are righteousness and strength;
all who were incensed against him
   shall come to him and be ashamed.
In the Lord all the offspring of Israel
   shall triumph and glory.

HYMN: Clara H Scott
Tune: https://tinyurl.com/y699yl7f

1 Open my eyes that I may see
glimpses of truth thou hast for me.
Place in my hands the wonderful key
that shall unclasp and set me free.
Silently now I wait for thee,
ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my eyes, illumine me,
Spirit divine!

2 Open my ears that I may hear
voices of truth thou sendest clear,
and while the wave notes fall on my ear,
ev’rything false will disappear.
Silently now I wait for thee,
ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my ears, illumine me,
Spirit divine!

3 Open my mouth and let me bear
gladly the warm truth ev’rywhere.
Open my heart and let me prepare
love with thy children thus to share.
Silently now I wait for thee,
ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my mouth, illumine me,
Spirit divine!

Reading: Romans 2:12-29 

All who have sinned apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but the doers of the law who will be justified. When Gentiles, who do not possess the law, do instinctively what the law requires, these, though not having the law, are a law to themselves. They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts, to which their own conscience also bears witness; and their conflicting thoughts will accuse or perhaps excuse them on the day when, according to my gospel, God, through Jesus Christ, will judge the secret thoughts of all.

But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast of your relation to God and know his will and determine what is best because you are instructed in the law, and if you are sure that you are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth, you, then, that teach others, will you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? You that forbid adultery, do you commit adultery? You that abhor idols, do you rob temples? You that boast in the law, do you dishonour God by breaking the law? For, as it is written, ‘The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.’

Circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law; but if you break the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. So, if those who are uncircumcised keep the requirements of the law, will not their uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? Then those who are physically uncircumcised but keep the law will condemn you that have the written code and circumcision but break the law. For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is true circumcision something external and physical. Rather, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly, and real circumcision is a matter of the heart—it is spiritual and not literal. Such a person receives praise not from others but from God.

HYMN: Joseph Hart
Tune: Restoration https://tinyurl.com/y2fr24nr

1 Come, ye sinners, poor and needy,
weak and wounded, sick and sore;
Jesus ready stands to save you,
full of pity, love, and power.

2 Come, ye thirsty, come and welcome,
God’s free bounty glorify;
true belief and true repentance,
ev’ry grace that brings you nigh.

3 Let not conscience make you linger,
nor of fitness fondly dream;
all the fitness he requireth
is to feel your need of him.

4 Come, ye weary, heavy laden,
lost and ruined by the fall;
if you tarry till you’re better,
you will never come at all.

5 I will rise and go to Jesus!
He will save me from my sin.
By the riches of his merit,
there is joy and life in him.

Reading: Matthew 4:18-25

As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the lake—for they were fishermen. And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.’ Immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people. So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought to him all the sick, those who were afflicted with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, and paralytics, and he cured them. And great crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.

CANTICLE Luke 1:46-55
(Lutheran Service Book setting: https://tinyurl.com/ycy2zmqf)

Ant. My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior.
My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior.

For he has regarded the lowliness of his handmaiden.
For behold from this day all generations shall call me blessed. For the Mighty One has done great things to me,
and holy is his Name,
and his mercy is on them that fear him
from generation to generation. Ant.

He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones
and has exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent empty away.
He has helped his servant Israel in remembrance of his mercy
as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever.
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. Ant.

THE PRAYERS ^BCW

Loving God, as the rising sun chases away the night, so you have scattered the
power of death in the rising of Jesus Christ, and you bring us all blessings in him.
Especially we thank you for
the community of faith in our church . . .
those with whom we work or share common concerns . . .
the diversity of your children . . .
indications of your love at work in the world . . .
those who work for reconciliation. . . .

Mighty God, with the dawn of your love you reveal your victory over all that would
destroy or harm, and you brighten the lives of all who need you.
Especially we pray for
families suffering separation . . .
people different from ourselves . . .
those isolated by sickness or sorrow . . .
the victims of violence or warfare . . .
the church in the Pacific region. . . .

Setting by Eric Wyse:²

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.
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.

God, your voice moves over the waters.
Immerse us in your grace,
mark us with your images,
and raise us to live our baptismal vows
empowered by the Holy Spirit
and the example of Christ our Lord,
in whose name we pray. 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.

^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/ ©

2 Eric Wyse, Lord’s Prayer, ©; audio from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_a40ME7aVk

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.