Oremus for Sunday, February 7, 2021

The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany

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/3327/

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: Anna Briggs ©
Tune: Garelochside https://tinyurl.com/ywhwp6hl

1. We lay our broken world
in sorrow at your feet,
haunted by hunger, war, and fear,
oppressed by power and hate.

2. Here human life seems less
than profit, might, and pride
though to unite us all in you
you lived and loved and died.

3. We bring our broken towns
our neighbours hurt and bruised;
you show us how old pain and wounds
for new life can be used.

4. We bring our broken loves,
friends parted, families torn;
then in your life and death we see
that love must be reborn.

5. We bring our broken selves,
confused and closed and tired;
then through your gift of healing grace
new purpose is inspired.

6. Breathe in us, breath of God,
our life and strength renew,
find in us trust, and hope, and love,
and lift us up to you.

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

Psalm 37 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/tujglrg)

1  Fret not thyself because of the ungodly *
 neither be thou envious against the evil doers.
2  For they shall soon be cut down like the grass *
 and be withered even as the green herb.
3  Put thou thy trust in the Lord, and be doing good *
 dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
4  Delight thou in the Lord *
 and he shall give thee thy heart’s desire.
5  Commit thy way unto the Lord, and put thy trust in him *
 and he shall bring it to pass.
6  He shall make thy righteousness as clear as the light *
 and thy just dealing as the noon-day.
7  Hold thee still in the Lord, and abide patiently upon him *
 but grieve not thyself at him, whose way doth prosper,
against the man that doeth after evil counsels.
8  Leave off from wrath, and let go displeasure *
 fret not thyself, else shalt thou be moved to do evil.
9  Wicked doers shall be rooted out *
 and they that patiently abide the Lord, those shall inherit the land.
10  Yet a little while, and the ungodly shall be clean gone *
 thou shalt look after his place, and he shall be away.
11  But the meek-spirited shall possess the earth *
 and shall be refreshed in the multitude of peace.
12  The ungodly seeketh counsel against the just *
 and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.
13  The Lord shall laugh him to scorn *
 for he hath seen that his day is coming.
14  The ungodly have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow *
 to cast down the poor and needy,
and to slay such as are of a right conversation.
15  Their sword shall go through their own heart *
 and their bow shall be broken.
16  A small thing that the righteous hath *
 is better than great riches of the ungodly.
17  For the arms of the ungodly shall be broken *
 and the Lord upholdeth the righteous.
18  The Lord knoweth the days of the godly *
 and their inheritance shall endure for ever.
19  They shall not be confounded in the perilous time *
 and in the days of dearth they shall have enough.
20  As for the ungodly, they shall perish;
and the enemies of the Lord shall consume as the fat of lambs *
 yea, even as the smoke, shall they consume away.
21  The ungodly borroweth, and payeth not again *
 but the righteous is merciful, and liberal.
22  Such as are blessed of God shall possess the land *
 and they that are cursed of him shall be rooted out.
23  The Lord ordereth a good man’s going *
 and maketh his way acceptable to himself.
24  Though he fall, he shall not be cast away *
 for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.
25  I have been young, and now am old *
 and yet saw I never the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging their bread.
26  The righteous is ever merciful, and lendeth *
 and his seed is blessed.
27  Flee from evil, and do the thing that is good *
 and dwell for evermore.
28  For the Lord loveth the thing that is right *
 he forsaketh not his that be godly, but they are preserved for ever.
29  The unrighteous shall be punished *
 as for the seed of the ungodly, it shall be rooted out.
30  The righteous shall inherit the land *
 and dwell therein for ever.
31  The mouth of the righteous is exercised in wisdom *
 and his tongue will be talking of judgement.
32  The law of his God is in his heart *
 and his goings shall not slide.
33  The ungodly seeth the righteous *
 and seeketh occasion to slay him.
34  The Lord will not leave him in his hand *
 nor condemn him when he is judged.
35  Hope thou in the Lord, and keep his way,
and he shall promote thee, that thou shalt possess the land *
 when the ungodly shall perish, thou shalt see it.
36  I myself have seen the ungodly in great power *
 and flourishing like a green bay tree.
37  I went by, and lo, he was gone *
 I sought him, but his place could no where be found.
38  Keep innocency, and take heed unto the thing that is right *
 for that shall bring a man peace at the last.
39  As for the transgressors, they shall perish together *
 and the end of the ungodly is, they shall be rooted out at the last.
40  But the salvation of the righteous cometh of the Lord *
 who is also their strength in the time of trouble.
41  And the Lord shall stand by them, and save them *
 he shall deliver them from the ungodly,
and shall save them, because they put their trust in him.
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 strength,
give us the humility to trust in your loving care,
and the patience to be faithful in seeking your kingdom,
that we may come to share in the inheritance of your saints;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen. ^BCW

THE WORD OF GOD

Reading: Isaiah 40:21-31

Have you not known? Have you not heard?
   Has it not been told you from the beginning?
   Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,
   and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;
who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
   and spreads them like a tent to live in;
who brings princes to naught,
   and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing.

Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown,
   scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth,
when he blows upon them, and they wither,
   and the tempest carries them off like stubble.

To whom then will you compare me,
   or who is my equal? says the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes on high and see:
   Who created these?
He who brings out their host and numbers them,
   calling them all by name;
because he is great in strength,
   mighty in power,
   not one is missing.

Why do you say, O Jacob,
   and speak, O Israel,
‘My way is hidden from the Lord,
   and my right is disregarded by my God’?
Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
   the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
   his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint,
   and strengthens the powerless.
Even youths will faint and be weary,
   and the young will fall exhausted;
but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
   they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
   they shall walk and not faint.

HYMN: Psalm 147; para. Marie J Post ©
Tune: Hartford

1. Sing praise to our Creator.
How good his name to praise!
God blesses all his people
in countless loving ways.
He builds the walls of Zion
and seeks those cast aside.
He comforts those who sorrow,
who in his love abide.

2. He numbers stars and planets,
gives each a name and place.
How wide and deep his power
through all of time and space!
He lifts the meek to honor,
drives sinners to the ground.
To God pour out thanksgiving;
let all your praise resound.

3. With clouds God fills the heavens;
he sends the welcome rain.
The slopes and hills are fertile
with springing grass and grain.
God feeds the beasts and ravens;
their needs are all supplied.
He loves the meek who fear him,
but turns the proud aside.

4. Extol the Lord, O Zion:
he blesses you with peace.
He blesses all your children;
his gracious gifts increase.
He speaks and makes the snow fall
like wool upon the land.
His word sends warmth; the seasons
are gathered in his hand.

5. He speaks to all his people;
they know his law and word.
No other land is favored,
nor is their conscience stirred.
Let all who know his blessing,
his loving, righteous ways,
sing praise to their Creator.
How good his name to praise!

Reading: 1 Corinthians 9:16-23

If I proclaim the gospel, this gives me no ground for boasting, for an obligation is laid on me, and woe betide me if I do not proclaim the gospel! For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with a commission. What then is my reward? Just this: that in my proclamation I may make the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my rights in the gospel.

For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law) so that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I might by any means save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.

HYMN: Kelly Williard ©
Tune: https://tinyurl.com/1q71agvj

Make me a servant, humble and meek;
Lord, let me lift up those who are weak.
And may the prayer of my heart always be:
make me a servant, make me a servant,
make me a servant today.

Reading: Mark 1:29-39

As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

That evening, at sunset, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. And the whole city was gathered around the door. And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.

In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. And Simon and his companions hunted for him. When they found him, they said to him, ‘Everyone is searching for you.’ He answered, ‘Let us go on to the neighbouring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.’ And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.

CANTICLE Revelation 4:11, 5:9-10, 13
(Chant by Joe Cox: https://tinyurl.com/y499lmmp)

Ant. Splendor and honor and kingly power *
are yours by right, O Lord our God,
For you created everything that is, *
and by your will they were created and have their being;
And yours by right, O Lamb that was slain, *
for with your blood you have redeemed for God,
From every family, language, people, and nation, *
a kingdom of priests to serve our God.
And so, to him who sits upon the throne, *
and to Christ the Lamb,
Be worship and praise, dominion and splendor, *
for ever and for evermore. Ant.

THE PRAYERS ^{Joe Milner}

For the Church: that we may be instruments of healing, relieving the suffering of those who are burdened with illness or frailty, and offering support and hope

For a renewed apostolic spirit: that we may be on fire with zeal to announce the Good News that there is meaning, purpose, and value in every life because of Christ

For all the preach the Good News: that God will inspire their words to draw people closer to Christ and empower them to live the Gospel each day

For ministers and missionaries, particularly those serving in areas of crime and violence: that God will guide and protect them as they accompany God’s people with the Gospel and words of hope

For all who are hopeless or despairing: that the Spirit of God will bring light to their darkness and hope to their hearts

For all who feel devalued: that God will heal their self-image and give them a new spirit of purpose and direction in life

For all young people who are searching: that they may come to know God in a new way and be filled with enthusiasm for life

For all in healthcare: that God will work through them to bring healing and strength to all who seek their assistance

For all who are ill: that the Spirit of Christ may renew the gift of life within them and bring healing to their mind, body, and spirit

For all who are seeking employment: that God will open new opportunities for them and help them recognize their gifts and skills that they have

For the members of Congress: that God will guide their deliberations on the budget and immigration, help them develop policies that honor the dignity of each person, and promote the greatest good for our society

For all who are working to establish peace: that the Spirit will lead their dialogue and inspire new pathways to establish lasting peace and mutual understanding

For effective and rapid distribution of the Covid vaccines: that God will inspire and guide those who are distributing and administering the vaccines and bring an end to the pandemic

For all who have died, particularly those who had Covid-19: that Christ will welcome them into eternal joy and give peace to all who grieve their death

(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.]

Faithful God,
you have appointed us your witnesses,
to be light that shines in the world.
Let us not hide the bright hope you have given us,
but tell everyone your love,
revealed in Jesus Christ the 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

---

^BCW Book of Common Worship, Presbyterian Church U.S.A., 1993.

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

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.