Oremus for Wednesday, April 7, 2021

Supper at Emmaus, Caravaggio, 1606

Antiphon 1

Ant. Christ, our Paschal Lamb, has been sacrificed, alleluia;
therefore let us keep the feast
by sharing the unleavened bread of uprightness and truth,
alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
V. Give praise to the Lord, for he is good; *
his mercy endures forever.
Let the house of Israel say, *
“His mercy endures forever.” 1 Corinthians 5; Psalm 118

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/mb6h9xfa

O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall declare your praise.
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.
Alleluia, alleluia!

HYMN: Donald Fishel ©
Tune: Alleluia No. 1 https://tinyurl.com/5fu46e9r

Refrain:
Alleluia, alleluia, give thanks to the risen Lord.
Alleluia, alleluia, give praise to his Name.

1 Jesus is Lord of all the earth.
He is the King of creation. [Refrain]

2 Spread the good news o’er all the earth:
Jesus has died and has risen. [Refrain]

3 We have been crucified with Christ.
Now we shall live forever. [Refrain]

4 God has proclaimed his gracious gift:
Life eternal for all who believe. [Refrain]

5 Come, let us praise the living God,
Joyfully sing to our Savior. [Refrain]

PSALMS

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.

Psalm 37 (The Psalms Project: https://tinyurl.com/3pdyn7su)
Don’t worry about evildoers
Don’t be envious of those who do wrong
For they will soon fade like the grass
And they will wither like a flower without rain
Trust in the LORD and do good
Dwell in the land and feast on the truth
Delight yourself in Yahweh
And He will give you the desires of your heart

Commit your way to the LORD
Trust in Him, and He will act
He will bring your vindication like the dawn
And your justice like the noonday
Be still before the LORD and wait with expectation

Chorus:
Delight yourself in the LORD
And He’ll give you the desires of your heart
The desires of your heart (x2)

Don’t worry about those who prosper
Nor the one who carries out evil schemes
Refrain from anger and flee from wrath
And do not worry, for it only leads to sin
The wicked will be cut off
But those who wait for the LORD
Will inherit and receive the land
But in just a little while
The wicked will be no more
Though you look closely at his place, he won’t be there [Chorus]

O, the meek will inherit the land
And delight themselves in abundant peace (x2)
The wicked plots against the just
And gnashes his teeth at him
But the LORD laughs at the wicked
For He sees that his day is near
The wicked draw the sword
And bend their bow to bring down the poor
To slay those whose way is right

But their sword shall enter into their own heart
And their bow shall be broken
Better is the little that the righteous have
Than the riches of many wicked
For the arms of the wicked shall be broken
But the LORD upholds the just
And day by day the LORD watches over His saints
And their inheritance is forever
They will not be ashamed when the dark trials come
In the famine they will be fed (x2)

But the wicked will pass away
The enemies of the LORD are like the glory of the meadows
They’re here, then one day they’re gone
They vanish into nothingness, like smoke, they disappear
And no trace of them are left [Chorus]

The wicked borrow, but do not pay back
But the righteous give and give and give
Those blessed by God will receive the land
But those cursed by Him will be cut off
The steps of man are made sure
By the LORD when He delights in his way
Though he fall, he will not be ruined
For the LORD is the one who holds him up
I have been young, and now and am old
I haven’t seen His saints disowned
Nor seen His children begging for a scrap of bread
Always he is gracious and giving
And his children are a blessing for generations

Turn yourself away from evil and do good
And you will dwell forever
For Yahweh loves justice, He will not forsake His saints
They’re preserved forever
But the seed of the wicked shall not prosper
The righteous will receive the land
And they will dwell upon it forever and ever
Their inheritance is forever
The mouth of the righteous pours out wisdom
His tongue declares justice
The law of his God is in his heart
His steps do not slip
They do not slip, They will not slip
They do not slip, They will not slip

The wicked watch for the righteous
And seek a way to take him down
But the LORD will not abandon him to his power
Nor let him be condemned when he is brought to trial
No, the Lord will deliver him
Wait for the LORD
Keep His way and He will exalt you
To inherit the land and you will look on
When the wicked are cut off

I have seen a wicked, ruthless man
Prospering like a laurel tree
But he passed away, and was no more
When I looked for him, he could not be seen
Mark the blameless and behold the just
There’s a future for the man of peace
But the wicked soon will be destroyed
His future suddenly will cease

The salvation of the saints
Is from the LORD, their stronghold
In the time of trouble, He rescues them
Because they trust in Him alone (x2)

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: Song of Solomon 3:1-11

Upon my bed at night
   I sought him whom my soul loves;
I sought him, but found him not;
   I called him, but he gave no answer.
‘I will rise now and go about the city,
   in the streets and in the squares;
I will seek him whom my soul loves.’
   I sought him, but found him not.
The sentinels found me,
   as they went about in the city.
‘Have you seen him whom my soul loves?’
Scarcely had I passed them,
   when I found him whom my soul loves.
I held him, and would not let him go
   until I brought him into my mother’s house,
   and into the chamber of her that conceived me.
I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
   by the gazelles or the wild does:
do not stir up or awaken love
   until it is ready!

What is that coming up from the wilderness,
   like a column of smoke,
perfumed with myrrh and frankincense,
   with all the fragrant powders of the merchant?
Look, it is the litter of Solomon!
Around it are sixty mighty men
   of the mighty men of Israel,
all equipped with swords
   and expert in war,
each with his sword at his thigh
   because of alarms by night.
King Solomon made himself a palanquin
   from the wood of Lebanon.
He made its posts of silver,
   its back of gold, its seat of purple;
its interior was inlaid with love.
   Daughters of Jerusalem,
   come out.
Look, O daughters of Zion,
   at King Solomon,
at the crown with which his mother crowned him
   on the day of his wedding,
   on the day of the gladness of his heart.

HYMN: Charles Wesley
Tune: Cornwall https://tinyurl.com/5kenzfru

1 O love divine, how sweet thou art!
When shall I find my longing heart
all taken up by thee?
I thirst, I faint, I die to prove
the greatness of redeeming love,
the love of Christ to me.

2 Stronger his love than death or hell;
its riches are unsearchable:
the first-born sons of light
desire in vain its depth to see;
they cannot reach the mystery,
the length and breadth and height.

3 God only knows the love of God;
O that it now were shed abroad
in this poor stony heart!
For love I sigh, for love I pine;
this only portion, Lord, be mine,
be mine this better part.

4 For ever would I take my seat
with Mary at the Master’s feet:
be this my happy choice;
my only care, delight, and bliss,
my joy, my heaven on earth, be this,
to hear the Bridegroom’s voice!

5 Thy only love do I require,
nothing on earth beneath desire,
nothing in heaven above:
let earth and heaven, and all things go,
give me thine only love to know,
give me thine only love.

Reading: Acts 10:34-43

Then Peter began to speak to them: ‘I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all. That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.’

HYMN: Fred Pratt Green ©
Tune: Abbot’s Leigh https://tinyurl.com/7kx6zndw

1 God is here! As we his people
Meet to offer praise and prayer,
May we find in fuller measure
What it is in Christ we share.
Here, as in the world around us,
All our varied skills and arts
Wait the coming of his Spirit
Into open minds and hearts.

2 Here are symbols to remind us
Of our lifelong need of grace;
Here are table, font, and pulpit;
Here the cross has central place.
Here in honesty of preaching,
Here in silence, as in speech,
Here, in newness and renewal,
God the Spirit comes to each.

3 Here our children find a welcome
In the Shepherd’s flock and fold;
Here, as bread and wine are taken,
Christ sustains us as of old.
Here the servants of the Servant
Seek in worship to explore
What it means in daily living
To believe and to adore.

4 Lord of all, of Church and kingdom,
In an age of change and doubt,
Keep us faithful to the Gospel;
Help us work your purpose out.
Here, in this day’s dedication,
All we have to give, receive;
We, who cannot live without you,
We adore you! We believe!

Reading: Luke 24:36-49

While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. He said to them, ‘Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.’ And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, ‘Have you anything here to eat?’ They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their presence.

Then he said to them, ‘These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.’ Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.’

CANTICLE Revelation 11:17-18; 12:10b-12a
(Chant by John Michael Talbot: https://tinyurl.com/ycrn2d4f)

Ant. The Father has given Christ all power, honor, and kingship,
All people will obey him.
We praise you, the Lord God Almighty,
who is and who was.
You have assumed your great power,
you have begun your reign.
the nations have raged in anger,
but then came your day of wrath
and the moment to judge the dead:
the time to reward your servants the prophets
and the holy ones who revere you,
the great and the small alike.
Now have salvation and power come,
the reign of our god and the authority
of his anointed one,
for the accuser of our brothers is cast out,
who night and day accused them before God.
They defeated him by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
love for life did not deter them from death.
So rejoice, you heavens,
and you that dwell therein!
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

God of life,
we rejoice in the resurrection of your Son,
his defeat over death, and his gift of new life.
We praise you for the reflections of that new life
in creation . . .
in nations and governments around the world . . .
in the ministry of the church universal . . .
in our community as it . . .
in the sacrifice of those who serve . . .
in our new life in Christ . . .

To you as the giver of new life and renewed hope
we bring our prayers
for creation and its care . . .
for the nations of the world . . .
for our nation and its leaders . . .
for this community and those who are in authority . . .
for the church universal as it works on your behalf . . .
for this local church in its ministry . . .
for persons with particular needs . . .
We pray all this in your name, the Lord and giver of life. Amen.

(Plainsong: https://tinyurl.com/ahnrtv59)ELW

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.

O God, at this evening hour,
the risen Christ revealed himself to his disciples
in the breaking of bread.
Feed us with the bread of life
and break open our hearts,
that we may know him
not only in the good news of the scriptures,
but risen in the midst of your pilgrim people. Amen. RCLP

https://tinyurl.com/rkxkpmc
Go in peace, alleluia, alleluia!
Thanks be to God, alleluia, alleluia!

Glory to God whose power, working in us,
can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine:
Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church,
and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen.    Ephesians 3:20,21


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.

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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

ELW The Lord’s Prayer is from Setting Five in Evangelical Lutheran Worship.

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 traditional language psalms are from The Book of Common Prayer (1662). The modern language psalm is in a version by Shane Heilman of The Psalms Project https://www.thepsalmsproject.com/

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.

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