Jan Hus
John Hus (1372-1415) was a Czech priest who became leader of the Czech reform movement, which called for a return to scripture and living out of the word of God in one’s life. As preacher at Bethlehem Chapel in Prague, he talked to the people in their native language. Hundreds gathered every day to hear his call for personal and institutional reform. Clerics he had offended had him exiled from Prague, but he continued his ministry through the written word. Hus took the radical step of appealing directly to Christ rather than to the hierarchy for the justification of his stance. When the Council of Constance opened in 1414, Hus traveled there hoping to clear his name of charges of heresy. He maintained that the charges against him were false or twisted versions of his teachings, and he could not recant opinions he had never held. Faced with an ultimatum to recant or die, Hus chose the latter. He was killed on this day in 1415. Hus’ rousing assertion “Truth will conquer!” is the motto of the Czech Republic today. HWHM, abbr.
Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/2ybp9ax5
Proclaim a joyful sound and let it be heard;
proclaim to the ends of the earth:
The Lord has freed his people, alleluia. Cf. Isaiah 48
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: Jan Hus; German version by Martin Luther; tr. unknown
Tune: Jesus Christus unser Heiland https://tinyurl.com/ekmzu3cp
1 Jesus Christ, our blessed Savior,
Turned away God’s wrath forever;
By His bitter grief and woe
He saved us from the evil Foe.
2 As His pledge of love undying
He, this precious food supplying,
Gives His body with the bread
And with the wine the blood He shed.
3 Whoso to this Board repaireth
May take heed how he prepareth;
For if he does not believe,
Then death for life he shall receive.
5 Thou shalt hold with faith unshaken
That this food is to be taken
By the sick who are distrest,
By hearts that long for peace and rest.
6 Christ says: “Come, all ye that labor,
And receive My grace and favor;
They who feel no want nor ill
Need no physician’s help nor skill.
7 “Useless were for thee My Passion
If thy works thy weal could fashion.
This feast is not spread for thee
If thine own savior thou wilt be.”
8 If thy heart this truth professes
And thy mouth thy sin confesses,
His dear guest thou here shalt be,
And Christ Himself shall banquet thee.
PSALMS
Psalm 35 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y8onefhr)
1 Plead thou my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with me *
and fight thou against them that fight against me.
2 Lay hand upon the shield and buckler *
and stand up to help me.
3 Bring forth the spear, and stop the way
against them that persecute me *
say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.
4 Let them be confounded, and put to shame, that seek after my soul *
let them be turned back, and brought to confusion,
that imagine mischief for me.
5 Let them be as the dust before the wind *
and the angel of the Lord scattering them.
6 Let their way be dark and slippery *
and let the angel of the Lord persecute them.
7 For they have privily laid their net to destroy me without a cause *
yea, even without a cause have they made a pit for my soul.
8 Let a sudden destruction come upon him unawares,
and his net, that he hath laid privily, catch himself *
that he may fall into his own mischief.
9 And, my soul, be joyful in the Lord *
it shall rejoice in his salvation.
10 All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto thee,
who deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him *
yea, the poor, and him that is in misery, from him that spoileth him?
11 False witnesses did rise up *
they laid to my charge things that I knew not.
12 They rewarded me evil for good *
to the great discomfort of my soul.
13 Nevertheless, when they were sick, I put on sackcloth,
and humbled my soul with fasting *
and my prayer shall turn into mine own bosom.
14 I behaved myself as though it had been my friend, or my brother *
I went heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother.
15 But in mine adversity they rejoiced,
and gathered themselves together *
yea, the very abjects came together against me unawares,
making mouths at me, and ceased not.
16 With the flatterers were busy mockers *
who gnashed upon me with their teeth.
17 Lord, how long wilt thou look upon this *
O deliver my soul from the calamities which they bring on me,
and my darling from the lions.
18 So will I give thee thanks in the great congregation *
I will praise thee among much people.
19 O let not them that are mine enemies triumph over me ungodly *
neither let them wink with their eyes that hate me without a cause.
20 And why? their communing is not for peace *
but they imagine deceitful words against them that are quiet in the land.
21 They gaped upon me with their mouths, and said *
Fie on thee, fie on thee, we saw it with our eyes.
22 This thou hast seen, O Lord *
hold not thy tongue then, go not far from me, O Lord.
23 Awake, and stand up to judge my quarrel *
avenge thou my cause, my God, and my Lord.
24 Judge me, O Lord my God, according to thy righteousness *
and let them not triumph over me.
25 Let them not say in their hearts, There, there, so would we have it *
neither let them say, We have devoured him.
26 Let them be put to confusion and shame together,
that rejoice at my trouble *
let them be clothed with rebuke and dishonour,
that boast themselves against me.
27 Let them be glad and rejoice, that favour my righteous dealing *
yea, let them say alway, Blessed be the Lord,
who hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
28 And as for my tongue, it shall be talking of thy righteousness *
and of thy praise all the day long.
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 35 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-35-MH.mp3)
1 O Lord, plead my cause against my foes;
fight those who fight me.
2 Take up your buckler and shield;
arise to help me.
3 Take up the javelin and the spear
against those who pursue me.
O Lord, say to my soul:
“I am your salvation.”
4 Let those who seek my life
be shamed and disgraced.
Let those who plan evil against me
be routed in confusion.
5 Let them be like chaff before the wind;
let God’s angel scatter them.
6 Let their path be slippery and dark;
let God’s angel pursue them.
7 They have hidden a net for me wantonly;
they have dug a pit.
8 Let ruin fall upon them
and take them by surprise.
Let them be caught in the net they have hidden;
let them fall into their pit.
9 But my soul shall be joyful in the Lord
and rejoice in his salvation.
10 My whole being will say:
“Lord, who is like you
who rescue the weak from the strong
and the poor from the oppressor?”
11 Lying witnesses arise
and accuse me unjustly.
12 They repay me evil for good;
my soul is forlorn.
13 When they were sick I went into mourning,
afflicted with fasting.
My prayer was ever on my lips,
14 as for a brother, a friend.
I went as though mourning a mother,
bowed down with grief.
15 Now that I am in trouble they gather,
they gather and mock me.
They take me by surprise and strike me
and tear me to pieces.
16 They provoke me with mockery on mockery
and gnash their teeth.
17 O Lord, how long will you look on?
Come to my rescue!
Save my life from these raging beasts,
my soul from these lions.
18 I will thank you in the great assembly,
amid the throng I will praise you.
19 Do not let my lying foes
rejoice over me.
Do not let those who hate me unjustly
wink eyes at each other.
20 They wish no peace to the peaceful
who live in the land.
They make deceitful plots
21 and with mouths wide open
their cry against me is: “Yes!”
We saw you do it!”
22 O Lord, you have seen, do not be silent,
do not stand afar off!
23 Awake, stir to my defense,
to my cause, O God!
24 Vindicate me, Lord, in your justice,
do not let them rejoice.
25 Do not let them think: “Yes, we have won,
we have brought you to an end!”
26 Let them be shamed and brought to disgrace
who rejoice at my misfortune.
Let them be covered with shame and confusion
who raise themselves against me.
27 Let there be joy for those who love my cause.
Let them say without end:
“Great is the Lord who delights
in the peace of his servant.”
28 Then my tongue shall speak of your justice,
and all day long of your praise.
Psalm 36 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y82f3wv5)
1 My heart sheweth me the wickedness of the ungodly *
that there is no fear of God before his eyes.
2 For he flattereth himself in his own sight *
until his abominable sin be found out.
3 The words of his mouth are unrighteous, and full of deceit *
he hath left off to behave himself wisely, and to do good.
4 He imagineth mischief upon his bed,
and hath set himself in no good way *
neither doth he abhor any thing that is evil.
5 Thy mercy, O Lord, reacheth unto the heavens *
and thy faithfulness unto the clouds.
6 Thy righteousness standeth like the strong mountains *
thy judgements are like the great deep.
7 Thou, Lord, shalt save both man and beast;
How excellent is thy mercy, O God *
and the children of men shall put their trust
under the shadow of thy wings.
8 They shall be satisfied with the plenteousness of thy house *
and thou shalt give them drink of thy pleasures, as out of the river.
9 For with thee is the well of life *
and in thy light shall we see light.
10 O continue forth thy loving-kindness unto them that know thee *
and thy righteousness unto them that are true of heart.
11 O let not the foot of pride come against me *
and let not the hand of the ungodly cast me down.
12 There are they fallen, all that work wickedness *
they are cast down, and shall not be able to stand.
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 36 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-36.mp3)
1 There is a voice of rebellion deep in the heart of the wicked; *
there is no fear of God before his eyes.
2 He flatters himself in his own eyes *
that his hateful sin will not be found out.
3 The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful; *
he has left off acting wisely and doing good.
4 He thinks up wickedness upon his bed
and has set himself in no good way; *
he does not abhor that which is evil.
5 Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, *
and your faithfulness to the clouds.
6 Your righteousness is like the strong mountains,
your justice like the great deep; *
you save both man and beast, O LORD.
7 How priceless is your love, O God! *
your people take refuge under the
shadow of your wings.
8 They feast upon the abundance of your house; *
you give them drink from the river of your delights.
9 For with you is the well of life, *
and in your light we see light.
10 Continue your loving-kindness to those who know you, *
and your favor to those who are true of heart.
11 Let not the foot of the proud come near me, *
nor the hand of the wicked push me aside.
12 See how they are fallen, those who work wickedness! *
they are cast down and shall not be able to rise.
PRAYER
God our Maker,
you crown the humble with honor
and exalt the faithful who gather in your name.
Because you have favored us with life,
we dance before you in our joy
and praise you with unending song
for Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. BCW
THE WORD OF GOD
Reading: 2 Samuel 2:1-11
After this David inquired of the Lord, ‘Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?’ The Lord said to him, ‘Go up.’ David said, ‘To which shall I go up?’ He said, ‘To Hebron.’ So David went up there, along with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. David brought up the men who were with him, every one with his household; and they settled in the towns of Hebron. Then the people of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah.
When they told David, ‘It was the people of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul’, David sent messengers to the people of Jabesh-gilead, and said to them, ‘May you be blessed by the Lord, because you showed this loyalty to Saul your lord, and buried him! Now may the Lord show steadfast love and faithfulness to you! And I too will reward you because you have done this thing. Therefore let your hands be strong, and be valiant; for Saul your lord is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.’
But Abner son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, had taken Ishbaal son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim. He made him king over Gilead, the Ashurites, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and over all Israel. Ishbaal, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned for two years. But the house of Judah followed David. The time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.
HYMN: Bernard of Clairvaux; trans. Edward Caswall
Tune: St Agnes https://tinyurl.com/8ffk6bk
1 Jesu, the very thought of thee
with sweetness fills the breast;
but sweeter far thy face to see,
and in thy presence rest.
2 No voice can sing, nor heart can frame,
nor can the memory find
a sweeter sound than Jesu’s name,
the Saviour of mankind.
3 O hope of every contrite heart,
O joy of all the meek,
to those who ask how kind thou art,
how good to those who seek!
4 But what to those who find? Ah, this
nor tongue nor pen can show;
the love of Jesus, what it is
none but his loved ones know.
5 Jesu, our only joy be thou,
as thou our prize wilt be;
in thee be all our glory now,
and through eternity.
Reading: Romans 12:1-8
I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgement, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.
HYMN: Mary D James
Tune: All for Jesus https://tinyurl.com/znk3fy4k
1 All for Jesus! All for Jesus!
All my being’s ransomed pow’rs,
all my thoughts and words and doings,
all my days and all my hours.
2 Let my hands perform his bidding,
let my feet run in his ways;
let my eyes see Jesus only,
let my lips speak forth his praise.
3 Worldlings prize their gems of beauty,
cling to gilded toys of dust,
boast of wealth and fame and pleasure;
only Jesus will I trust.
4 Since my eyes were fixed on Jesus,
I’ve lost sight of all beside;
so enchained my spirit’s vision,
looking at the Crucified.
5 O what wonder! How amazing!
Jesus, glorious King of kings,
deigns to call me his beloved,
lets me rest beneath his wings.
Reading: John 12:12-19
The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting,
‘Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord—
the King of Israel!’
Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it; as it is written:
‘Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion.
Look, your king is coming,
sitting on a donkey’s colt!’
His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written of him and had been done to him. So the crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to testify. It was also because they heard that he had performed this sign that the crowd went to meet him. The Pharisees then said to one another, ‘You see, you can do nothing. Look, the world has gone after him!’
CANTICLE Ephesians 1:3-10
(John Michael Talbot https://tinyurl.com/ya8y3kqs)
Ant. God chose us in his Son to be his beloved children.
Praised be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, *
who bestowed on us in Christ every spiritual blessing in the heavens.
God chose us in him before the world began, *
to be holy and blameless in his sight.
He predestined us to be his adopted children through Jesus Christ, *
such was his will and pleasure,
that all might praise the glorious favor
he has bestowed on us in his beloved.
In him and through his blood, we have been redeemed, *
and our sins forgiven, so immeasurably generous is God’s favor to us.
God has given us the wisdom to understand fully the mystery, *
the plan he was pleased to decree in Christ.
A plan to be carried out in Christ, in the fullness of time, *
to bring all things into one in him, in the heavens and on the earth
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 BCW
Give us your peace, O God, that we may rejoice in your goodness to us and to all
your children, and be thankful for your love revealed in Jesus Christ. Especially
we thank you for
people who reveal your truth and righteousness . . .
courage to be bold disciples . . .
those who show hospitality . . .
surprises that have blessed us . . .
the unity of the church of Jesus Christ. . . .
Give us your peace, O God, that we may be confident of your care for us and all
your children, as we remember the needs of others. Especially we pray for
friends and relatives who are far away . . .
neighbors in special need . . .
those who suffer hunger and thirst . . .
those who work at night while others sleep . . .
Episcopal and Methodist churches. . . .
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.
Faithful God, you gave John Hus the courage to confess your truth and recall your Church to the image of Christ: Enable us, inspired by his example, to bear witness against corruption and never cease to pray for our enemies, that we may prove faithful followers of our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. HWHM
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
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BCW Book of Common Worship, Presbyterian Church U.S.A., 1993.
HWHM Holy Women, Holy Men © 2010 The Church Pension Fund.
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 Psalm 35 is from The Grail Psalter and are from the Manual Hopper YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/manualhopper/featured. Psalm 36 is from The Book of Common Prayer (1979) and is sung 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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