Oremus for Thursday, February 11, 2021

Antiphon¹

Ant. Remember, O Lord, your covenant, *
and do not abandon for ever the souls of your poor;
arise, O Lord, and judge your own cause;
forget not the cries of those who seek you.
V. Why, O God, have you cast us off forever? *
Why does your anger blaze at the sheep of your pasture?
Remember your flock which you claimed long ago, †
the tribe you redeemed to be your own possession, *
this mountain of Sion where you made your dwelling. Psalm 74

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: Chris Tomlin ©
Tune: https://tinyurl.com/96ezx5tf

1 All your ways are good, 
all your ways are sure; 
I will trust in you alone.
Higher than my sight, 
high above my life;
I will trust in you alone.

Refrain:
Where you go, I’ll go;
where you stay, I’ll stay;
when you move, I’ll move.
I will follow you.
Whom you love, I’ll love; 
how you serve, I’ll serve;
if this life I lose,
I will follow you.
I will follow you.

2 Light into the world, 
light into my life,
I will live for you alone.
You’re the one I seek, 
knowing I will find 
all I need in you alone. [Refrain]

Bridge:
In you, there’s life everlasting. 
In you, there’s freedom for my soul.
In you, there’s joy, unending joy;
and I will follow. [Refrain]

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

Psalm 59 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y7xjmm3n)

1  Deliver me from mine enemies, O God *
 defend me from them that rise up against me.
2  O deliver me from the wicked doers *
 and save me from the blood-thirsty men.
3  For lo, they lie waiting for my soul *
 the mighty men are gathered against me,
without any offence or fault of me, O Lord.
4  They run and prepare themselves without my fault *
 arise thou therefore to help me, and behold.
5  Stand up, O Lord God of hosts, thou God of Israel, to visit all the heathen *
 and be not merciful unto them that offend of malicious wickedness.
6  They go to and fro in the evening *
 they grin like a dog, and run about through the city.
7  Behold, they speak with their mouth, and swords are in their lips *
 for who doth hear?
8  But thou, O Lord, shalt have them in derision *
 and thou shalt laugh all the heathen to scorn.
9  My strength will I ascribe unto thee *
 for thou art the God of my refuge.
10  God sheweth me his goodness plenteously *
 and God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies.
11  Slay them not, lest my people forget it *
 but scatter them abroad among the people,
and put them down, O Lord, our defence.
12  For the sin of their mouth, and for the words of their lips,
they shall be taken in their pride *
 and why? their preaching is of cursing and lies.
13  Consume them in thy wrath, consume them, that they may perish *
 and know that it is God that ruleth in Jacob,
and unto the ends of the world.
14  And in the evening they will return *
 grin like a dog, and will go about the city.
15  They will run here and there for meat *
 and grudge if they be not satisfied.
16  As for me, I will sing of thy power,
and will praise thy mercy betimes in the morning *
 for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble.
17  Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing *
 for thou, O God, art my refuge, and my merciful God.
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 60 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/yaj9c4se)

1  O God, thou hast cast us out, and scattered us abroad *
 thou hast also been displeased; O turn thee unto us again.
2  Thou hast moved the land, and divided it *
 heal the sores thereof, for it shaketh.
3  Thou hast shewed thy people heavy things *
 thou hast given us a drink of deadly wine.
4  Thou hast given a token for such as fear thee *
 that they may triumph because of the truth.
5  Therefore were thy beloved delivered *
 help me with thy right hand, and hear me.
6  God hath spoken in his holiness, I will rejoice, and divide Sichem *
 and mete out the valley of Succoth.
7  Gilead is mine, and Manasses is mine *
 Ephraim also is the strength of my head; Judah is my law-giver;
8  Moab is my wash-pot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe *
 Philistia, be thou glad of me.
9  Who will lead me into the strong city *
 who will bring me into Edom?
10  Hast not thou cast us out, O God *
 wilt not thou, O God, go out with our hosts?
11  O be thou our help in trouble *
 for vain is the help of man.
12  Through God will we do great acts *
 for it is he that shall tread down our enemies.
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 61 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/ycmkl8hs)

1  Hear my crying, O God *
 give ear unto my prayer.
2  From the ends of the earth will I call upon thee *
 when my heart is in heaviness.
3  O set me up upon the rock that is higher than I *
 for thou hast been my hope, and a strong tower for me against the enemy.
4  I will dwell in thy tabernacle for ever *
 and my trust shall be under the covering of thy wings.
5  For thou, O Lord, hast heard my desires *
 and hast given an heritage unto those that fear thy Name.
6  Thou shalt grant the King a long life *
 that his years may endure throughout all generations.
7  He shall dwell before God for ever *
 O prepare thy loving mercy and faithfulness, that they may preserve him.
8  So will I alway sing praise unto thy Name *
 that I may daily perform my vows.
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 power,
deliver us from evil
and confirm our trust in you,
that at dusk we may sing of your justice
and at dawn exult in your mercy;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ^BCW

THE WORD OF GOD

Reading: Ruth 1:1-22

In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to live in the country of Moab, he and his wife and two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion; they were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. These took Moabite wives; the name of one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. When they had lived there for about ten years, both Mahlon and Chilion also died, so that the woman was left without her two sons or her husband.

Then she started to return with her daughters-in-law from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the Lord had had consideration for his people and given them food. So she set out from the place where she had been living, she and her two daughters-in-law, and they went on their way to go back to the land of Judah. But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, ‘Go back each of you to your mother’s house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. The Lord grant that you may find security, each of you in the house of your husband.’ Then she kissed them, and they wept aloud. They said to her, ‘No, we will return with you to your people.’ But Naomi said, ‘Turn back, my daughters, why will you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? Turn back, my daughters, go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. Even if I thought there was hope for me, even if I should have a husband tonight and bear sons, would you then wait until they were grown? Would you then refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, it has been far more bitter for me than for you, because the hand of the Lord has turned against me.’ Then they wept aloud again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.

So she said, ‘See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.’ But Ruth said,
‘Do not press me to leave you
   or to turn back from following you!
Where you go, I will go;
   where you lodge, I will lodge;
your people shall be my people,
   and your God my God.
Where you die, I will die—
   there will I be buried.
May the Lord do thus and so to me,
   and more as well,
if even death parts me from you!’
When Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her.

So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them; and the women said, ‘Is this Naomi?’ She said to them,
‘Call me no longer Naomi,
   call me Mara,
   for the Almighty has dealt bitterly with me.
I went away full,
   but the Lord has brought me back empty;
why call me Naomi
   when the Lord has dealt harshly with me,
   and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?’

So Naomi returned together with Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, who came back with her from the country of Moab. They came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.

HYMN: Psalm 25; para. Stanley Wiersma ©
Tune: Genevan 25th https://tinyurl.com/34w67bpy

1 LORD, to you my soul is lifted.
Let me never be ashamed
that I trust in you to keep me
though I seem to wait in vain.
LORD, remember all your love;
in your holy will instruct me.
LORD, do not remember sins
of those younger years behind me.

2 LORD of covenant and goodness,
pardon and correct my sin.
They who worship you and fear you
choose the paths you choose for them.
They and all their family
shall possess the earth forever.
You, O LORD, will be their friend.
From the snare you will deliver.

3 Turn to me in grace and mercy,
as I suffer all alone.
Take away my sin and sadness,
all the trouble I have known.
May my fierce and spiteful foes
not succeed to harm and curse me.
In your faithfulness I hope.
On your people, LORD, have mercy.

Reading: Romans 15:7-21

Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God in order that he might confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,
‘Therefore I will confess you among the Gentiles,
   and sing praises to your name’;
and again he says,
‘Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people’;
and again,
‘Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,
   and let all the peoples praise him’;
and again Isaiah says,
‘The root of Jesse shall come,
   the one who rises to rule the Gentiles;
in him the Gentiles shall hope.’
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

I myself feel confident about you, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another. Nevertheless, on some points I have written to you rather boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to boast of my work for God. For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to win obedience from the Gentiles, by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and as far around as Illyricum I have fully proclaimed the good news of Christ. Thus I make it my ambition to proclaim the good news, not where Christ has already been named, so that I do not build on someone else’s foundation, but as it is written,
‘Those who have never been told of him shall see,
   and those who have never heard of him shall understand.’

HYMN: attr. to John Calvin; trans. Elizabeth Lee Smith
Tune: Toulon https://tinyurl.com/45bnac0l

1 I greet thee, who my sure Redeemer art,
my only trust and Savior of my heart,
who pain didst undergo for my poor sake;
I pray thee from our hearts all cares to take.

2 Thou art the King of mercy and of grace,
reigning omnipotent in ev’ry place:
so come, O King, and our whole being sway;
shine on us with the light of thy pure day.

3 Thou art the Life, by which alone we live,
and all our substance and our strength receive;
O comfort us in death’s approaching hour,
strong-hearted then to face it by thy pow’r.

4 Thou hast the true and perfect gentleness,
no harshness hast thou and no bitterness:
make us to taste the sweet grace found in thee
and ever stay in thy sweet unity.

5 Our hope is in no other save in thee;
our faith is built upon thy promise free;
O grant to us such stronger hope and sure
that we can boldly conquer and endure.

Reading: Matthew 10:8-15

Jesus continued his instruction to the twelve: ‘Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for labourers deserve their food. Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave. As you enter the house, greet it. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgement than for that town.’

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 of love,
in your compassion
you reach out to the lost and helpless.
Continue this work through us,
so that your reign of justice and peace may increase;
through Jesus Christ, the Lord of the harvest. Amen. ^GS2016

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.

^GS2016 Trial Use Collects, Anglican Church of Canada, 2016.

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.