Oremus for Friday, February 26, 2021

Refrain Lord, come and save us.
1 The Lord God keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets captives free. Refrain
2 The Lord gives sight to the blind;
the Lord raises up those who were bowed down.
The Lord loves the just;
the Lord protects strangers. Refrain
3 The fatherless and the widow he sustains,
but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
The Lord shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion, through all generations. Refrain
Psalm 146

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/ufxekitx

God, come to my assistance.
Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory 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.

HYMN: Fred Pratt Green ©
Tune: Ar hyd y nos https://tinyurl.com/4krx34d6

1 For the fruit of all creation,
thanks be to God.
For the gifts to ev’ry nation,
thanks be to God.
For the plowing, sowing, reaping,
silent growth while we are sleeping,
future needs in earth’s safekeeping,
thanks be to God.

2 In the just reward of labor,
God’s will is done.
In the help we give our neighbor,
God’s will is done.
In our worldwide task of caring
for the hungry and despairing,
in the harvests we are sharing,
God’s will is done.

3 For the harvest of the Spirit,
thanks be to God.
For the good we all inherit,
thanks be to God.
For the wonders that astound us,
for the truths that still confound us,
most of all, that love has found us,
thanks be to God.

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

Psalm 119:145-176 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y74yj68g)

145  I call with my whole heart *
hear me, O Lord, I will keep thy statutes.
146  Yea, even unto thee do I call *
help me, and I shall keep thy testimonies.
147  Early in the morning do I cry unto thee *
for in thy word is my trust.
148  Mine eyes prevent the night-watches *
that I might be occupied in thy words.
149  Hear my voice, O Lord, according unto thy loving-kindness *
quicken me, according as thou art wont.
150  They draw nigh that of malice persecute me *
and are far from thy law.
151  Be thou nigh at hand, O Lord *
for all thy commandments are true.
152  As concerning thy testimonies, I have known long since *
that thou hast grounded them for ever.
153  O consider mine adversity, and deliver me *
for I do not forget thy law.
154  Avenge thou my cause, and deliver me *
quicken me, according to thy word.
155  Health is far from the ungodly *
for they regard not thy statutes.
156  Great is thy mercy, O Lord *
quicken me, as thou art wont.
157  Many there are that trouble me, and persecute me *
yet do I not swerve from thy testimonies.
158  It grieveth me when I see the transgressors *
because they keep not thy law.
159  Consider, O Lord, how I love thy commandments *
O quicken me, according to thy loving-kindness.
160  Thy word is true from everlasting *
all the judgements of thy righteousness endure for evermore.
161  Princes have persecuted me without a cause *
but my heart standeth in awe of thy word.
162  I am as glad of thy word *
as one that findeth great spoils.
163  As for lies, I hate and abhor them *
but thy law do I love.
164  Seven times a day do I praise thee *
because of thy righteous judgements.
165  Great is the peace that they have who love thy law *
and they are not offended at it.
166  Lord, I have looked for thy saving health *
and done after thy commandments.
167  My soul hath kept thy testimonies *
and loved them exceedingly.
168  I have kept thy commandments and testimonies *
for all my ways are before thee.
169  Let my complaint come before thee, O Lord *
give me understanding according to thy word.
170  Let my supplication come before thee *
deliver me, according to thy word.
171  My lips shall speak of thy praise *
when thou hast taught me thy statutes.
172  Yea, my tongue shall sing of thy word *
for all thy commandments are righteous.
173  Let thine hand help me *
for I have chosen thy commandments.
174  I have longed for thy saving health, O Lord *
and in thy law is my delight.
175  O let my soul live, and it shall praise thee *
and thy judgements shall help me.
176  I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost *
O seek thy servant, for I do not forget thy commandments.
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

Eternal God,
give us insight to discern your will for us,
to give up what harms us,
and to seek the perfection we are promised
in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ^{CW: Additional Collects}

THE WORD OF GOD

Reading: Leviticus 23:9-22

The Lord spoke to Moses: Speak to the people of Israel and say to them: When you enter the land that I am giving you and you reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. He shall raise the sheaf before the Lord, so that you may find acceptance; on the day after the sabbath the priest shall raise it. On the day when you raise the sheaf, you shall offer a lamb a year old, without blemish, as a burnt-offering to the Lord. And the grain-offering with it shall be two-tenths of an ephah of choice flour mixed with oil, an offering by fire of pleasing odour to the Lord; and the drink-offering with it shall be of wine, one-fourth of a hin. You shall eat no bread or parched grain or fresh ears until that very day, until you have brought the offering of your God: it is a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your settlements.

And from the day after the sabbath, from the day on which you bring the sheaf of the elevation-offering, you shall count off seven weeks; they shall be complete. You shall count until the day after the seventh sabbath, fifty days; then you shall present an offering of new grain to the Lord. You shall bring from your settlements two loaves of bread as an elevation-offering, each made of two-tenths of an ephah; they shall be of choice flour, baked with leaven, as first fruits to the Lord. You shall present with the bread seven lambs a year old without blemish, one young bull, and two rams; they shall be a burnt-offering to the Lord, along with their grain-offering and their drink-offerings, an offering by fire of pleasing odour to the Lord. You shall also offer one male goat for a sin-offering, and two male lambs a year old as a sacrifice of well-being. The priest shall raise them with the bread of the first fruits as an elevation-offering before the Lord, together with the two lambs; they shall be holy to the Lord for the priest. On that same day you shall make proclamation; you shall hold a holy convocation; you shall not work at your occupations. This is a statute for ever in all your settlements throughout your generations.

When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest; you shall leave them for the poor and for the alien: I am the Lord your God.

HYMN: Jill Jackson and Sy Miller
Tune: https://tinyurl.com/4r78evry

Let there be peace on earth,
and let it begin with me;
let there be peace on earth,
the peace that was meant to be.
With God our creator,
children all are we.
Let us walk with each other
in perfect harmony.
Let peace begin with me;
let this be the moment now.
With every step I take,
let this be my solemn vow;
to take each moment and live each moment
in peace eternally.
Let there be peace on earth,
and let it begin with me.

Reading: Hebrews 5:1-14

Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is subject to weakness; and because of this he must offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people. And one does not presume to take this honour, but takes it only when called by God, just as Aaron was.

So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him,
‘You are my Son,
today I have begotten you’;
as he says also in another place,
‘You are a priest for ever,
according to the order of Melchizedek.’

In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

About this we have much to say that is hard to explain, since you have become dull in understanding. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic elements of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food; for everyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is unskilled in the word of righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, for those whose faculties have been trained by practice to distinguish good from evil.

HYMN: Samuel Crossman
Tune: Love Unknown https://tinyurl.com/854w22ps

1 My song is love unknown,
my Savior’s love for me:
love to the loveless shown
that they might lovely be.
But who am I,
that for my sake
my Lord should take frail flesh and die?

2 He came from heaven’s throne
salvation to bestow.
But they refused, and none
the longed-for Christ would know.
This is my friend,
my friend indeed,
who at my need his life did spend.

3 Sometimes they crowd his way
and his sweet praises sing,
resounding all the day
hosannas to their King.
Then “crucify”
is all their breath,
and for his death they thirst and cry.

4 With angry shouts they have
my savior done away.
A murderer they save,
the Source of Life they slay!
Yet willingly
he bears the shame
that through his name all might be free.

5 In life, no house, no home
the Christ on earth might have.
In death, no friendly tomb,
but what a stranger gave.
What may I say?
Heav’n was his home,
but mine the tomb wherein he lay.

6 Here might I sing belief
in one my soul adores:
never was pain nor grief,
never was love like yours.
This is my friend
in whose sweet praise
I all my days could gladly spend.

Reading: Matthew 19:1-12

When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. Large crowds followed him, and he cured them there.

Some Pharisees came to him, and to test him they asked, ‘Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause?’ He answered, ‘Have you not read that the one who made them at the beginning “made them male and female”, and said, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh”? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.’ They said to him, ‘Why then did Moses command us to give a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her?’ He said to them, ‘It was because you were so hard-hearted that Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but at the beginning it was not so. And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for unchastity, and marries another commits adultery.’

His disciples said to him, ‘If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.’ But he said to them, ‘Not everyone can accept this teaching, but only those to whom it is given. For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who can.’

CANTICLE Philippians 2:6-11
(Chant by John Michael Talbot: https://tinyurl.com/y8ljx8y7)

Though he was in the form of God,
Jesus did not deem equality with God
something to be grasped at.
Rather, he emptied himself
and took the form of a slave,
being born in the likeness of men.
He was known to be of human estate
and it was thus that he humbled himself,
obediently accepting even death,
death on a cross!
Because of this,
God highly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
above every other name,
So that at Jesus’ name
every knee must bend
in the heavens, on the earth,
and under the earth,
and every tongue proclaim
to the glory of God the Father:
JESUS CHRIST IS LORD!
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

THE PRAYERS ^WS2

Giver of life, we wait with you to offer the hope
that comes from the cross to earth’s darkest places.
Where pain is deep and affection is denied:
let love break through.
Where justice is destroyed,
let sensitivity to right spring up.
Where hope is crucified,
let faith persist.
Where peace has no chance,
let passion live on.
Where truth is trampled underfoot,
let the struggle continue.
Where fear paralyzes,
let forgiveness break through.
Eternal God, reach into the silent darkness of our souls
with the radiance of the cross.
O you who are the bearer of all pain,
have mercy on us.
Giver of life,
have mercy on us.
Merciful God,
have mercy on us. Amen.

Setting: Sanford Dole https://tinyurl.com/y7ldq7h5

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your Name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today the bread of life;
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.

Sovereign God,
you make us for each other,
to live in loving community
as friends, sons and daughters,
sisters and brothers, wives and husband,
partners and companions.
Teach us to choose love
that is committed and devoted;
teach us like little children
to wonder and to trust,
that our loving may reflect the image of Christ. 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

Donation to Support This Ministry

Since 1993, Oremus has been done on a volunteer basis. If you are able, please consider supporting this work at the PayPal link below. For software reasons, I’ve set the value at $10.00, but feel free to change it. Thank you.

$10.00

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

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.

Share this:

Like this:

Related

Leave a Reply Cancel reply