Antiphon 1
Ant. The earth is full of the mercy of the Lord, alleluia; *
by the word of the Lord, the heavens were established,
alleluia, alleluia.
V. Ring out your joy to the Lord, O you just; *
for praise is fitting for the upright.
Give thanks to the Lord upon the harp; *
with a ten-stringed lute sing him songs.
O sing him a song that is new; *
play skillfully, with shouts of joy. Psalm 33
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: George Ratcliff Woodward
Tune: Vruechten https://tinyurl.com/mzhd3mfd
1 This joyful Eastertide away with sin and sorrow!
My love, the crucified, hath sprung to life this morrow.
Refrain:
Had Christ, who once was slain,
ne’er burst his three-day prison,
our faith had been in vain.
But now hath Christ arisen,
arisen, arisen, arisen.
2 My flesh in hope shall rest and for a season slumber
till trumpets east to west shall wake the dead in number. [Refrain]
3 Death’s flood hath lost its chill since Jesus crossed the river.
Lover of souls, from ill my passing soul deliver. [Refrain]
PSALMS
Psalm 47 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/sk7c3h7)
1 Clap your hands together, all ye people *
O sing unto God with the voice of melody.
2 For the Lord is high, and to be feared *
he is the great King upon all the earth.
3 He shall subdue the people under us *
and the nations under our feet.
4 He shall choose out an heritage for us *
even the worship of Jacob, whom he loved.
5 God is gone up with a merry noise *
and the Lord with the sound of the trump.
6 O sing praises, sing praises unto our God *
O sing praises, sing praises unto our King.
7 For God is the King of all the earth *
sing ye praises with understanding.
8 God reigneth over the heathen *
God sitteth upon his holy seat.
9 The princes of the people are joined
unto the people of the God of Abraham *
for God, which is very high exalted,
doth defend the earth, as it were with a shield.
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 47 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-47.mp3)
1 Clap your hands, all you peoples; *
shout to God with a cry of joy.
2 For the LORD Most High is to be feared; *
he is the great King over all the earth.
3 He subdues the peoples under us, *
and the nations under our feet.
4 He chooses our inheritance for us, *
the pride of Jacob whom he loves.
5 God has gone up with a shout, *
the LORD with the sound of the ram’s-horn.
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises; *
sing praises to our King, sing praises.
7 For God is King of all the earth; *
sing praises with all your skill.
8 God reigns over the nations; *
God sits upon his holy throne.
9 The nobles of the peoples have gathered together *
with the people of the God of Abraham.
10 The rulers of the earth belong to God, *
and he is highly exalted.
| 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.
Psalm 48 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/rhcanfm)
1 Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised *
in the city of our God, even upon his holy hill.
2 The hill of Sion is a fair place, and the joy of the whole earth *
upon the north-side lieth the city of the great King;
God is well known in her palaces as a sure refuge.
3 For lo, the kings of the earth *
are gathered, and gone by together.
4 They marvelled to see such things *
they were astonished, and suddenly cast down.
5 Fear came there upon them, and sorrow *
as upon a woman in her travail.
6 Thou shalt break the ships of the sea *
through the east-wind.
7 Like as we have heard, so have we seen
in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God *
God upholdeth the same for ever.
8 We wait for thy loving-kindness, O God *
in the midst of thy temple.
9 O God, according to thy Name, so is thy praise unto the world’s end *
thy right hand is full of righteousness.
10 Let the mount Sion rejoice, and the daughter of Judah be glad *
because of thy judgements.
11 Walk about Sion, and go round about her *
and tell the towers thereof.
12 Mark well her bulwarks, set up her houses *
that ye may tell them that come after.
13 For this God is our God for ever and ever *
he shall be our guide unto death.
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 48 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-48.mp3)
1 Great is the LORD, and highly to be praised; *
in the city of our God is his holy hill.
2 Beautiful and lofty, the joy of all the earth, is the hill of Zion, *
the very center of the world and the city of the great King.
3 God is in her citadels; *
he is known to be her sure refuge.
4 Behold, the kings of the earth assembled *
and marched forward together.
5 They looked and were astounded; *
they retreated and fled in terror.
6 Trembling seized them there; *
they writhed like a woman in childbirth,
like ships of the sea when the east wind shatters them.
7 As we have heard, so have we seen,
in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God; *
God has established her for ever.
8 We have waited in silence on your loving-kindness, O God, *
in the midst of your temple.
9 Your praise, like your Name, O God, reaches to the world’s end; *
your right hand is full of justice.
10 Let Mount Zion be glad and the cities of Judah rejoice, *
because of your judgments.
11 Make the circuit of Zion; walk round about her; *
count the number of her towers.
12 Consider well her bulwarks; examine her strongholds; *
that you may tell those who come after.
13 This God is our God for ever and ever; *
he shall be our guide for evermore.
| 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
Psalm 49 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/v8qpz99)
1 O hear ye this, all ye people *
ponder it with your ears, all ye that dwell in the world;
2 High and low, rich and poor *
one with another.
3 My mouth shall speak of wisdom *
and my heart shall muse of understanding.
4 I will incline mine ear to the parable *
and shew my dark speech upon the harp.
5 Wherefore should I fear in the days of wickedness *
and when the wickedness of my heels compasseth me round about?
6 There be some that put their trust in their goods *
and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches.
7 But no man may deliver his brother *
nor make agreement unto God for him;
8 For it cost more to redeem their souls *
so that he must let that alone for ever;
9 Yea, though he live long *
and see not the grave.
10 For he seeth that wise men also die, and perish together *
as well as the ignorant and foolish, and leave their riches for other.
11 And yet they think that their houses shall continue for ever *
and that their dwelling-places shall endure
from one generation to another;
and call the lands after their own names.
12 Nevertheless, man will not abide in honour *
seeing he may be compared unto the beasts that perish;
this is the way of them.
13 This is their foolishness *
and their posterity praise their saying.
14 They lie in the hell like sheep, death gnaweth upon them,
and the righteous shall have domination over them in the morning *
their beauty shall consume in the sepulchre out of their dwelling.
15 But God hath delivered my soul from the place of hell *
for he shall receive me.
16 Be not thou afraid, though one be made rich *
or if the glory of his house be increased ;
17 For he shall carry nothing away with him when he dieth *
neither shall his pomp follow him.
18 For while he lived, he counted himself an happy man *
and so long as thou doest well unto thyself,
men will speak good of thee.
19 He shall follow the generation of his fathers *
and shall never see light.
20 Man being in honour hath no understanding *
but is compared unto the beasts that perish.
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 49 (Setting by Karl Kohlhase https://tinyurl.com/6zxc3suh)
Hear this, all people, give ear, all who dwell on the earth;
Both the high and the low, both the rich and the poor
My mouth shall sound forth with wisdom,
the thoughts of my heart with understanding
I’ll incline my ear to a proverb,
and solve my riddle to the music of a harp
Why should I fear in times of trouble,
with all the sins of my foes all around me?
Men who trust in their wealth,
who boast in the surplus of their riches
No man can ransom his brother,
or give God the price of His life
For the ransom of his life is too costly,
that he should always live and never see the Pit
But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol
For since even wise men will die,
so the fool and the ignorant perish
Leaving their wealth all to others,
though they thought that their homes were forever
Their dwelling for all generations;
they called earthly lands by their names
But no man abides in his boasting;
like the beasts of the earth he shall die
But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol
This is the fate of the foolish,
and of all who approve of their words
As sheep that are led to Sheol,
with Death leading them as their shepherd
The upright shall reign in the morning,
while their form is consumed by Sheol
So they shall be left with no dwelling,
But God will ransom my soul
Yes God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol
Fret not for those who get rich,
though the wealth of his house is increasing
For he’ll carry nothing when he dies,
and his wealth will not go down with him
Though while he lived he blessed himself,
and was praised for all his success
He shall go to the place of his fathers,
who will never again see the light
But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol
Yes, God will ransom my soul and receive me
PRAYER
Giver of all wisdom,
deliver us from the folly of betraying our eternal birthright
for temporal gain.
Teach us to hold firmly to you
so that we may not treasure things,
but show the imperishable riches of your love
in Jesus Christ. Amen. BCW
THE WORD OF GOD
Reading: Daniel 2:1-23
In the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed such dreams that his spirit was troubled and his sleep left him. So the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be summoned to tell the king his dreams. When they came in and stood before the king, he said to them, ‘I have had such a dream that my spirit is troubled by the desire to understand it.’ The Chaldeans said to the king (in Aramaic), ‘O king, live for ever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will reveal the interpretation.’ The king answered the Chaldeans, ‘This is a public decree: if you do not tell me both the dream and its interpretation, you shall be torn limb from limb, and your houses shall be laid in ruins. But if you do tell me the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts and rewards and great honour. Therefore tell me the dream and its interpretation.’ They answered a second time, ‘Let the king first tell his servants the dream, then we can give its interpretation.’ The king answered, ‘I know with certainty that you are trying to gain time, because you see I have firmly decreed: if you do not tell me the dream, there is but one verdict for you. You have agreed to speak lying and misleading words to me until things take a turn. Therefore, tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can give me its interpretation.’ The Chaldeans answered the king, ‘There is no one on earth who can reveal what the king demands! In fact no king, however great and powerful, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or Chaldean. The thing that the king is asking is too difficult, and no one can reveal it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with mortals.’
Because of this the king flew into a violent rage and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed. The decree was issued, and the wise men were about to be executed; and they looked for Daniel and his companions, to execute them. Then Daniel responded with prudence and discretion to Arioch, the king’s chief executioner, who had gone out to execute the wise men of Babylon; he asked Arioch, the royal official, ‘Why is the decree of the king so urgent?’ Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. So Daniel went in and requested that the king give him time and he would tell the king the interpretation.
Then Daniel went to his home and informed his companions, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, and told them to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions with the rest of the wise men of Babylon might not perish. Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night, and Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
Daniel said:
‘Blessed be the name of God from age to age,
for wisdom and power are his.
He changes times and seasons,
deposes kings and sets up kings;
he gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to those who have understanding.
He reveals deep and hidden things;
he knows what is in the darkness,
and light dwells with him.
To you, O God of my ancestors,
I give thanks and praise,
for you have given me wisdom and power,
and have now revealed to me what we asked of you,
for you have revealed to us what the king ordered.’
HYMN: William Cowper
Tune: Dundee https://tinyurl.com/nb3kkzys
1 God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform.
He plants his footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.
2 You fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds you so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.
3 His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding ev’ry hour.
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flow’r.
4 Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan his work in vain.
God is his own interpreter,
And he will make it plain.
Reading: Acts 4:23-31
After they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. When they heard it, they raised their voices together to God and said, ‘Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth, the sea, and everything in them, it is you who said by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant:
“Why did the Gentiles rage,
and the peoples imagine vain things?
The kings of the earth took their stand,
and the rulers have gathered together
against the Lord and against his Messiah.”
For in this city, in fact, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. And now, Lord, look at their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.’ When they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness.
HYMN: Harry Emerson Fosdick
Tune: Cwm Rhondda https://tinyurl.com/v5rr8t5y
1 God of grace and God of glory,
on thy people pour thy pow’r.
Crown thine ancient church’s story,
bring its bud to glorious flow’r.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
for the facing of this hour,
for the facing of this hour.
2 Lo! the hosts of evil round us
scorn thy Christ, assail his ways!
From the fears that long have bound us,
free our hearts to faith and praise.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
for the living of these days,
for the living of these days.
3 Cure thy children’s warring madness;
bend our pride to thy control;
shame our wanton, selfish gladness,
rich in things and poor in soul.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
lest we miss thy kingdom’s goal,
lest we miss thy kingdom’s goal.
4 Save us from weak resignation
to the evils we deplore.
Let the search for thy salvation
be our glory evermore.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
serving thee whom we adore,
serving thee whom we adore.
Reading: John 20:1-10
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.’ Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went towards the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes.
CANTICLE Exodus 15
(John Schiavone: https://tinyurl.com/ybknobsb)
Ant. I will sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.
I will sing to the Lord, for he is gloriously triumphant;
horse and chariot he has cast into the sea.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
He is my God, I praise him;
the God of my father, I extol him. Ant.
The Lord is a warrior, LORD is his name!
Pharaoh’s chariots and army he hurled into the sea;
the elite of his officers were submerged in the Red Sea. Ant.
The flood waters covered them,
they sank into the depths like a stone.
Your right hand, O Lord, magnificent in power,
your right hand, O Lord, has shattered the enemy. Ant.
You brought in the people you redeemed
and planted them on the mountain of your inheritance—
the place where you made your seat, O Lord,
the sanctuary, Lord, which your hands established.
The Lord shall reign forever and ever. Ant.
THE PRAYERS ACC
May we live as those who believe in the triumph of the cross.
Redeemer of Israel, hear our prayer.
May all people receive the good news of Christ’s victory.
Redeemer of Israel, hear our prayer.
May those born to new life in the waters of baptism
know the power of Christ’s resurrection.
Redeemer of Israel, hear our prayer.
May those who suffer pain and anguish
find healing and peace in the compassion of Christ.
Redeemer of Israel, hear our prayer.
May we be united in Christ’s undying love
with all who have passed through the gates of death.
Redeemer of Israel, hear our prayer.
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 grace and glory,
whether we are weak or strong,
old or young,
struggling or flourishing,
help us to see Jesus, our risen Lord.
Give us joy in the knowledge that
your Spirit unites us with Jesus,
helps us cross over from death to life,
and strengthens us to live an Easter life
both now and forever.
We pray through Jesus Christ, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit. Amen. WS2
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
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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.
ACC PRAY WITHOUT CEASING: Morning and Evening Prayer for the Seasons of the Church Year Prepared by The Rev’d Dr Richard Geoffrey Leggett on behalf of The Liturgy Task Force of the Anglican Church of Canada, May 2016.
WS2 The Worship Sourcebook, 2nd edition, © 2013, Faith Alive Christian Resources
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 version of Psalms 47 and 48 is from the The Book of Common Prayer (1979) and is sung by Ryland Angel. Psalm 49 is the version sung by Karl Kohlhase, http://www.k4communications.com/karl/index.html
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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