Oremus for Sunday, June 6, 2021

A House Built on Rock, Peter Koenig, 2018,
https://www.pwkoenig.co.uk/

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/4221/

Antiphon1

O Lord, if you were to take into account our iniquities,
who would withstand the test?
But forgiveness abides with you, O God of Israel.
V. Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord; *
Lord, hear my voice!
O let your ears be attentive *
to the sound of my pleadings. Psalm 130

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: Herman G Stuempfle ©
Tune: Song of Praise

1 Voices raised to you we offer; 
Tune them, God, for songs of praise. 
Hearts and hands we bring in tribute 
For your gifts through all our days. 
Alleluia! Alleluia! 
Triune God, to you we sing!

2 All creation joins to praise you; 
Earth and sky your works display. 
Art and music, gifts you lend us, 
We return to you today. 
Alleluia! Alleluia! 
God, Creator, source of life!

3 Christ, the song of love incarnate, 
Touching earth with heaven’s grace. 
For your living, suff’ring, dying, 
For your rising, hear our praise! 
Alleluia! Alleluia! 
Christ, Redeemer, Lord of life!

4 Spirit, flaming through creation, 
Kindle faith within each heart. 
Lift our voices high in chorus; 
Through our hands your love impart. 
Alleluia! Alleluia! 
Spirit, Helper, breath of life!

5 How can any praise we offer 
Measure all the thanks we owe! 
Take our hearts and hands and voices—
Gifts of love we can bestow. 
Alleluia! Alleluia! 
Triune God, to you we sing!

PSALMS

Psalm 32 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/twtffy5)
1  Blessed is he whose unrighteousness is forgiven *
 and whose sin is covered.
2  Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth no sin *
 and in whose spirit there is no guile.
3  For while I held my tongue *
 my bones consumed away through my daily complaining.
4  For thy hand is heavy upon me day and night *
 and my moisture is like the drought in summer.
5  I will acknowledge my sin unto thee *
 and mine unrighteousness have I not hid.
6  I said, I will confess my sins unto the Lord *
 and so thou forgavest the wickedness of my sin.
7  For this shall every one that is godly make his prayer unto thee,
in a time when thou mayest be found *
 but in the great water-floods they shall not come nigh him.
8  Thou art a place to hide me in, thou shalt preserve me from trouble *
 thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance.
9  I will inform thee, and teach thee in the way wherein thou shalt go *
 and I will guide thee with mine eye.
10  Be ye not like to horse and mule, which have no understanding *
 whose mouths must be held with bit and bridle, lest they fall upon thee.
11  Great plagues remain for the ungodly *
 but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord,
mercy embraceth him on every side.
12  Be glad, O ye righteous, and rejoice in the Lord *
 and be joyful, all ye that are true of heart.
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 32 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-32.mp3)
1 Happy are they whose transgressions are forgiven, *
and whose sin is put away!
2 Happy are they to whom the LORD imputes no guilt, *
and in whose spirit there is no guile!
3 While I held my tongue, my bones withered away, *
because of my groaning all day long.
4 For your hand was heavy upon me day and night; *
my moisture was dried up as in the heat of summer.
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you, *
and did not conceal my guilt.
6 I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.” *
Then you forgave me the guilt of my sin.
7 Therefore all the faithful will make their prayers to you
in time of trouble; *
when the great waters overflow, they shall not reach them.
8 You are my hiding-place; you preserve me from trouble; *
you surround me with shouts of deliverance.
9 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way that you should go; *
I will guide you with my eye.
10 Do not be like horse or mule, which have no understanding; *
who must be fitted with bit and bridle,
or else they will not stay near you.”
11 Great are the tribulations of the wicked; *
but mercy embraces those who trust in the LORD.
12 Be glad, you righteous, and rejoice in the LORD; *
shout for joy, all who are true of heart.
| 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.

Psalm 33 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/qsa6l3x)
1  Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous *
 for it becometh well the just to be thankful.
2  Praise the Lord with harp *
 sing praises unto him with the lute, and instrument of ten strings.
3  Sing unto the Lord a new song *
 sing praises lustily unto him with a good courage.
4  For the word of the Lord is true *
 and all his works are faithful.
5  He loveth righteousness and judgement *
 the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
6  By the word of the Lord were the heavens made *
 and all the hosts of them by the breath of his mouth.
7  He gathereth the waters of the sea together, as it were upon an heap *
 and layeth up the deep, as in a treasure-house.
8  Let all the earth fear the Lord *
 stand in awe of him, all ye that dwell in the world.
9  For he spake, and it was done *
 he commanded, and it stood fast.
10  The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought *
 and maketh the devices of the people to be of none effect,
and casteth out the counsels of princes.
11  The counsel of the Lord shall endure for ever *
 and the thoughts of his heart from generation to generation.
12  Blessed are the people, whose God is the Lord Jehovah *
 and blessed are the folk, that he hath chosen to him to be his inheritance.
13  The Lord looked down from heaven,
and beheld all the children of men *
 from the habitation of his dwelling
he considereth all them that dwell on the earth.
14  He fashioneth all the hearts of them *
 and understandeth all their works.
15  There is no king that can be saved by the multitude of an host *
 neither is any mighty man delivered by much strength.
16  A horse is counted but a vain thing to save a man *
 neither shall he deliver any man by his great strength.
17  Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him *
 and upon them that put their trust in his mercy;
18  To deliver their soul from death *
 and to feed them in the time of dearth.
19  Our soul hath patiently tarried for the Lord *
 for he is our help, and our shield.
20  For our heart shall rejoice in him *
 because we have hoped in his holy Name.
21  Let thy merciful kindness, O Lord, be upon us *
 like as we do put our trust in thee.
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 33 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-33.mp3)
1 Rejoice in the LORD, you righteous; *
it is good for the just to sing praises.
2 Praise the LORD with the harp; *
play to him upon the psaltery and lyre.
3 Sing for him a new song; *
sound a fanfare with all your skill upon the trumpet.
4 For the word of the LORD is right, *
and all his works are sure.
5 He loves righteousness and justice; *
the loving-kindness of the LORD fills the whole earth.
6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, *
by the breath of his mouth all the heavenly hosts.
7 He gathers up the waters of the ocean as in a water-skin *
and stores up the depths of the sea.
8 Let all the earth fear the LORD; *
let all who dwell in the world stand in awe of him.
9 For he spoke, and it came to pass; *
he commanded, and it stood fast.
10 The LORD brings the will of the nations to naught; *
he thwarts the designs of the peoples.
11 But the LORD’S will stands fast for ever, *
and the designs of his heart from age to age.
12 Happy is the nation whose God is the LORD! *
happy the people he has chosen to be his own!
13 The LORD looks down from heaven, *
and beholds all the people in the world.
14 From where he sits enthroned he turns his gaze *
on all who dwell on the earth.
15 He fashions all the hearts of them *
and understands all their works.
16 There is no king that can be saved by a mighty army; *
a strong man is not delivered by his great strength.
17 The horse is a vain hope for deliverance; *
for all its strength it cannot save.
18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon those who fear him, *
on those who wait upon his love,
19 To pluck their lives from death, *
and to feed them in time of famine.
20 Our soul waits for the LORD; *
he is our help and our shield.
21 Indeed, our heart rejoices in him, *
for in his holy Name we put our trust.
22 Let your loving-kindness, O LORD, be upon us, *
as we have put our trust in you.
| 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.

PRAYER

Graciously hear us, Lord, for you alone we seek.
Quiet us with the peace which passes understanding,
and make us radiant with the knowledge of your goodness;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. BCW

THE WORD OF GOD

Reading: Genesis 3:8-15

They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, ‘Where are you?’ He said, ‘I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.’ He said, ‘Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?’ The man said, ‘The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.’ Then the Lord God said to the woman, ‘What is this that you have done?’ The woman said, ‘The serpent tricked me, and I ate.’ The Lord God said to the serpent,
‘Because you have done this,
   cursed are you among all animals
   and among all wild creatures;
upon your belly you shall go,
   and dust you shall eat
   all the days of your life.
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
   and between your offspring and hers;
he will strike your head,
   and you will strike his heel.’

HYMN: Psalm 130; para. Robert Swets ©
Tune: Genevan 130th

1 Out of the depths I cry, LORD.
O Lord, please hear my call.
Let your ears be attentive;
I beg for mercy, LORD.
If you marked our offenses,
O Lord, who then could stand?
But you grant us forgiveness;
therefore we stand in awe.

2 My hope is in the LORD’s word,
and for the Lord I wait
more eagerly than watchmen
yearn for the morning light.
Hope in the LORD, O people,
in his unfailing love.
With him is full redemption;
he will redeem his own.

Reading: 2 Corinthians 4:13—5:1

But just as we have the same spirit of faith that is in accordance with scripture—‘I believed, and so I spoke’—we also believe, and so we speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will bring us with you into his presence. Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.

For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

HYMN: Thomas Troeger ©
Tune: King’s Lynn https://tinyurl.com/fm3vxazf

1 If Christ is charged with madness,
It’s madness that’s divine,
A visionary gladness 
This world cannot confine,
The madness of conceiving
What no one else can see,
Then acting and believing
So it will come to be.

2 Thus when Christ seized and plundered
The demons’ dark domain,
His friends and foes both wondered
If he were not insane.
They charged his soul was riven,
His heart and mind possessed
By forces he had driven
From those who were distressed.

3 Christ spoke to all this ranting,
A vivid, lucid word,
A parable supplanting
The charges he had heard.
“A house that is divided,
A kingdom, soul, or land
With raging wars inside it
Cannot survive and stand.”

4 Despite his deft explaining,
Christ still appeared distraught
To guardians maintaining
Accepted bounds of thought.
The force of faith in action
Seems madness to each age
And often the reaction
Is fear disguised as rage.

5 Yet earth needs heaven’s madness
To seize with grace and bind
The guilt, the hurt, the sadness,
The fear and hate that blind.
Intrude, O Christ, impassioned
With madness that’s divine
Upon the world we’ve fashioned,
And give it your design.

Reading: Mark 3:20-35

The crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, ‘He has gone out of his mind.’ And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, ‘He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons.’ And he called them to him, and spoke to them in parables, ‘How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come. But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered.

‘Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin’— for they had said, ‘He has an unclean spirit.’

Then his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to him and called him. A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, ‘Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you.’ And he replied, ‘Who are my mother and my brothers?’ And looking at those who sat around him, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.’

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.

Prayers Joe Milner

For the Church, many members but yet one body: that we may grow in unity and love as we manifest Christ’s saving love in the world

For renewal of our identity: that through our reception of the Body and Blood of Christ, we may be empowered to be the Body of Christ and sustained along our journey until we receive our promised inheritance 

For courage to lay down our lives like Christ: that through our sharing in the Eucharist, we may be strengthened to give ourselves in loving service to all those to whom we are committed and to those who are in need

For grateful hearts: that we may grow in our awareness of all God’s blessings and make use of all the opportunities that we have to use them

For strength of spirit: that we may embrace the sufferings and challenges of life with courage and allow God to lead us through them to new life

For a greater sharing in the Christian mission: that sent forth from the Eucharist, we may extend Christ’s work and compassion into our families, neighborhoods, and workplaces each day

For all who are unable to share in the Eucharist, particularly those who are being persecuted for the faith: that the Word of God and the love of fellow Christians may bring them strength and support

For all who are hungry, particularly refugees and those displaced by violence: that God will provide them with food for their bodies and friendship for their spirits

For all priests: that they may be renewed by Christ, show God’s compassion to those in need, and lead the church in giving praise and thanks to God

For all Eucharistic ministers, particularly those who bring communion to the sick: that they will grow ever closer to Christ and be signs of God’s love to those with whom they share the sacrament

For all who are approaching death: that they may draw strength from the Body and Blood of Christ and find the fulfillment of their faith in Christ at the eternal heavenly banquet

For the protection of the fresh waters of the earth: that God will guide us in keeping the waters free from chemicals and other pollutants so that the human family and all God’s creatures may have safe water for drinking

For all who are suffering: that God help the unemployed to find work, open resources to the homeless, protect run away children, and free those experiencing abuse

For Christian Unity: that God will heal the wounds and mistrust between Christians, help them work together for God’s glory, and speed the day when all can share the Body of Christ

For healing: that God will curtain the Covid virus, restore the sick, break the cycle of violence in our cities, and remove the divisions in the human family

(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.]


God of judgment and mercy,
when we hide ourselves in shame,
you seek us out in love.
Grant us the fullness of your forgiveness,
that as one people, united by your grace,
we may stand with Christ against the powers of evil. 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.

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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.

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 traditional language psalms are from The Book of Common Prayer (1662). The modern language psalms are from The Book of Common Prayer (1979) and are chanted by Ryland Angel. 

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 © 2021 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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