Antiphon
Ant. The earth will be satisfied by the work of your hands, O Lord,
as you bring forth bread from the land
and wine to gladden the heart of man;
oil to make his face shine,
and bread to strengthen man’s heart.
V. Bless the Lord, O my soul! *
O Lord my God, how great you are,
clothed in majesty and honor, *
wrapped in light as with a robe! Psalm104
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: Suzanne Toolan ©
Tune: https://tinyurl.com/3ky7w63x
1 I am the Bread of life.
You who come to me shall not hunger,
and who believe in me shall not thirst.
No one can come to me
unless the Father beckons.
Refrain:
And I will raise you up,
and I will raise you up,
and I will raise you up
on the last day.
2 The bread that I will give
is my flesh for the life of the world,
and if you eat of this bread,
you shall live forever,
you shall live forever. [Refrain]
3 Unless you eat
of the flesh of the Son of Man
and drink of his blood,
and drink of his blood,
you shall not have life within you. [Refrain]
4 I am the resurrection,
I am the life.
If you believe in me,
even though you die,
you shall live forever. [Refrain]
5 Yes, Lord, I believe
that you are the Christ,
the Son of God,
who has come unto the world. [Refrain]
PSALMS
Psalm 108 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y9us7zs5)
1 O God, my heart is ready, my heart is ready *
I will sing and give praise with the best member that I have.
2 Awake, thou lute, and harp *
I myself will awake right early.
3 I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the people *
I will sing praises unto thee among the nations.
4 For thy mercy is greater than the heavens *
and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds.
5 Set up thyself, O God, above the heavens *
and thy glory above all the earth.
6 That thy beloved may be delivered *
let thy right hand save them, and hear thou me.
7 God hath spoken in his holiness *
I will rejoice therefore, and divide Sichem,
and mete out the valley of Succoth.
8 Gilead is mine, and Manasses is mine *
Ephraim also is the strength of my head.
9 Judah is my law-giver, Moab is my wash-pot *
over Edom will I cast out my shoe; upon Philistia will I triumph.
10 Who will lead me into the strong city *
and who will bring me into Edom?
11 Hast not thou forsaken us, O God *
and wilt not thou, O God, go forth with our hosts?
12 O help us against the enemy *
for vain is the help of man.
13 Through God we shall do great acts *
and it is he that shall tread down our enemies.
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 108 (Karl Kohlhase: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-108-KH.mp3)
My heart is ready, O God;
I will sing, sing praises with my glory.
Awake, awake, both harp and lyre;
I will awaken the dawn!
I’ll give thanks to you, O LORD, among the people,
and sing praises to you among the nations.
For your love is great above the heavens,
and your faithfulness unto the skies.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
and your glory above all the earth.
Let the one whom you love be delivered;
O save him by your right hand, and give answer.
Our God has spoken in his holiness:
“I’ll rejoice, and Shechem I will portion out
I will measure out Succoth’s Valley:
Gilead and Manasseh are mine.
Also Ephraim is the helmet of my head;
Judah’s my scepter, and Moab is my washbowl;
Over Edom I will throw my shoe;
o’er Philistia I will shout aloud.”
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
and your glory above all the earth.
Let the one whom you love be delivered;
O save him by your right hand, and give answer.
Who will bring me into a walled-in city?
And who will lead me into Edom?
Have you not, O God, rejected us?
Will you not lead our armies, O God?
Give us help against our oppressor,
for deliverance by man is in vain.
Through God we shall do valiantly;
it is he who will tread down our foes.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
and your glory above all the earth.
Let the one whom you love be delivered;
O save him by your right hand, and give answer.
O save him by your right hand,
please save him by your right hand, and give answer.
Psalm 109 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y9dslk3v)
1 Hold not thy tongue, O God of my praise *
for the mouth of the ungodly, yea,
the mouth of the deceitful is opened upon me.
2 And they have spoken against me with false tongues *
they compassed me about also with words of hatred,
and fought against me without a cause.
3 For the love that I had unto them, lo, they take now my contrary part *
but I give myself unto prayer.
4 Thus have they rewarded me evil for good *
and hatred for my good will.
5 Set thou an ungodly man to be ruler over him *
and let Satan stand at his right hand.
6 When sentence is given upon him, let him be condemned *
and let his prayer be turned into sin.
7 Let his days be few *
and let another take his office.
8 Let his children be fatherless *
and his wife a widow.
9 Let his children be vagabonds, and beg their bread *
let them seek it also out of desolate places.
10 Let the extortioner consume all that he hath *
and let the stranger spoil his labour.
11 Let there be no man to pity him *
nor to have compassion upon his fatherless children.
12 Let his posterity be destroyed *
and in the next generation let his name be clean put out.
13 Let the wickedness of his fathers be had
in remembrance in the sight of the Lord *
and let not the sin of his mother be done away.
14 Let them alway be before the Lord *
that he may root out the memorial of them from off the earth;
15 And that, because his mind was not to do good *
but persecuted the poor helpless man,
that he might slay him that was vexed at the heart.
16 His delight was in cursing, and it shall happen unto him *
he loved not blessing, therefore shall it be far from him.
17 He clothed himself with cursing, like as with a raiment *
and it shall come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones.
18 Let it be unto him as the cloke that he hath upon him *
and as the girdle that he is alway girded withal.
19 Let it thus happen from the Lord unto mine enemies *
and to those that speak evil against my soul.
20 But deal thou with me, O Lord God, according unto thy Name *
for sweet is thy mercy.
21 O deliver me, for I am helpless and poor *
and my heart is wounded within me.
22 I go hence like the shadow that departeth *
and am driven away as the grasshopper.
23 My knees are weak through fasting *
my flesh is dried up for want of fatness.
24 I became also a reproach unto them *
they that looked upon me shaked their heads.
25 Help me, O Lord my God *
O save me according to thy mercy;
26 And they shall know, how that this is thy hand *
and that thou, Lord, hast done it.
27 Though they curse, yet bless thou *
and let them be confounded that rise up against me;
but let thy servant rejoice.
28 Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame *
and let them cover themselves with their own confusion,
as with a cloke.
29 As for me, I will give great thanks unto the Lord with my mouth *
and praise him among the multitude;
30 For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor *
to save his soul from unrighteous judges.
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 109 (Karl Kohlhase: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-109-KH.mp3)
The LORD is at the right hand of the poor,
to save him from the ones who judge his soul
O God of my praise, please do not be silent,
because the mouth of wickedness, and the mouth of deceit,
have opened up to speak against me,
with lying tongues and hateful words.
They have encompassed me round about,
they fight against me for no reason.
and for my love they accuse me,
and yet I am in prayer for them!
Repaying me with evil for my good,
and hatred in return for my love.
The LORD is at the right hand of the poor,
to save him from the ones who judge his soul
You set over him an evil one,
an accuser to stand at his right hand.
So he’ll come out guilty when he is judged,
his prayer is made an offense.
His days are few, another takes his office;
his sons are fatherless, his wife a widow.
His sons always roaming and begging,
and they will ever seek in barren places.
A creditor shall plunder all that he owns,
and strangers shall plunder all he worked for.
He’ll have not a one extending kindness,
nor any showing favor to his orphans.
The LORD is at the right hand of the poor,
to save him from the ones who judge his soul
For his posterity shall be cut off,
his name be erased in coming ages.
His fathers’ sins remembered by the LORD,
his mothers’ sins are not erased.
They are before the LORD continually,
so he will cut them off from earth’s memory.
For he did not remember to show kindness,
and he pursued the poor and the needy,
And those discouraged within their heart,
he sought them out so as to slay them.
He loves to curse and so it comes to him;
he hates to bless and so it is far from him.
The LORD is at the right hand of the poor,
to save him from the ones who judge his soul
For cursing he wears like a robe,
like water in his innards, oil within his bones.
His clothing with which he hides himself,
the belt with which he always binds himself.
The wage of my accusers from the LORD,
of those who speak against my soul for harm.
O LORD my Lord, deal kindly for your name’s sake;
your love is great, so please deliver me.
For I am poor and needy,
my heart has been pierced within me.
Departing as a shadow when it stretches out,
I have been swept away like a locust.
The LORD is at the right hand of the poor,
to save him from the ones who judge his soul
My knees become feeble from my fasting;
my flesh has been denied of its fatness.
I have become to them as a reproach;
and when they look at me they shake their head.
Please help me, O LORD my God;
and save me, according to your love.
O LORD, may they know it is from your hand;
that you are the one who has done this.
So let them curse while you bless;
they’ll rise to shame while Your servant sings.
My accusers put on shame and are covered,
their shame has become their robe.
I thank the LORD greatly with my mouth,
and in the midst of many I will praise Him,
The LORD is at the right hand of the poor,
to save him from the ones who judge his soul
PRAYER
O God,
your love is wider than all the universe
and your mercy greater than the heights of heaven.
When we are tempted to break faith with you,
put a new song of love on our lips,
that we may sing your praises to all nations on earth,
through your Son, our only hope and defense. Amen. BCW
THE WORD OF GOD
Reading: Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18
Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel; and they presented themselves before God. And Joshua said to all the people, ‘Now therefore revere the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.’
Then the people answered, ‘Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods; for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight. He protected us along all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed; and the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.’
HYMN: James E Moore, Jr. ©
Tune: https://tinyurl.com/9fvhz9d8
Refrain:
Taste and see, taste and see
the goodness of the Lord.
Oh, taste and see, taste and see
the goodness of the Lord, of the Lord.
1 I will bless the Lord at all times.
Praise shall always be on my lips;
my soul shall glory in the Lord;
for God has been so good to me. (Refrain)
2 Glorify the Lord with me.
Together let us all praise God’s name.
I called the Lord, who answered me;
from all my troubles I was set free. (Refrain)
3 Worship the Lord, all you people.
You’ll want for nothing if you ask.
Taste and see that the Lord is good;
in God we need put all our trust. (Refrain)
Reading: Ephesians 6:10-20
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armour of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armour of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak.
HYMN: Irish; trans. Mary E Byrne; versified: Eleanor Hull
Tune: Slane https://tinyurl.com/pr6ahacr
1 Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart,
be all else but naught to me, save that thou art;
be thou my best thought in the day and the night,
both waking and sleeping, thy presence my light.
2 Be thou my wisdom, be thou my true word,
be thou ever with me, and I with thee, Lord;
be thou my great Father, and I thy true son;
be thou in me dwelling, and I with thee one.
3 Be thou my breastplate, my sword for the fight;
be thou my whole armour, be thou my true might;
be thou my soul’s shelter, be thou my strong tower:
O raise thou me heavenward, great Power of my power.
4 Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise:
be thou mine inheritance now and always;
be thou and thou only the first in my heart;
O Sovereign of heaven, my treasure thou art.
5 High King of heaven, thou heaven’s bright Sun,
O grant me its joys after victory is won;
great Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
still be thou my vision, O Ruler of all.
Reading: John 6:56-69
Jesus continued, ‘Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live for ever.’ He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum.
When many of his disciples heard it, they said, ‘This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?’ But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, ‘Does this offend you? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But among you there are some who do not believe.’ For Jesus knew from the first who were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would betray him. And he said, ‘For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father.’
Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. So Jesus asked the twelve, ‘Do you also wish to go away?’ Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.’
CANTICLE Revelation 4:11, 5:9-10, 13
(Chant by Joe Cox: https://tinyurl.com/y499lmmp)
Ant. Splendor and honor and kingly power *
are yours by right, O Lord our God,
For you created everything that is, *
and by your will they were created and have their being;
And yours by right, O Lamb that was slain, *
for with your blood you have redeemed for God,
From every family, language, people, and nation, *
a kingdom of priests to serve our God.
And so, to him who sits upon the throne, *
and to Christ the Lamb,
Be worship and praise, dominion and splendor, *
for ever and for evermore. Ant.
PRAYERS Joe Milner
For the Church: that we will find nourishment and sustenance in Christ, the Bread of Life, for our daily journey and the fulfillment for all the hungers and yearnings of our hearts
For the ability to imitate Christ: that we may put on the mind and heart of Christ and be empowered to show compassion and forgiveness to others
For the grace to encounter Christ: that we may recognize Christ in each person that we meet and show them dignity and respect
For the grace to forgive: that, having experienced God’s generous forgiveness to us, we may be free to forgive all who have wronged us
For a new vision of our life journey: that we may be open to the vision God holds for us and that we may be free to rely upon God as we encounter trials, struggles, and doubts
For a transformation of our minds and hearts: that the Holy Spirit will free us from all bitterness and anger and guide us in living as children of God each day
For all who have been wounded by the anger and malice of others: that God will heal their hearts, renew their spirits, and free them to live life fully
For healing of racism: that the Holy Spirit will open us to the prejudice and discrimination that exists within us and in the society around us so that we may promote greater justice and understanding
For strength to fulfill our responsibilities: that renewed by Word of God, we may lay down our lives in sacrificial love to those to whom we are committed and for those who have been entrusted to our care
For those who have been evicted from their homes or who are facing eviction: that God will move leaders to act to protect them and free up the needed resources for their safe shelter and food
For greater respect for human life: that God will move hearts from seeking revenge and guide us towar ending the death penalty
For an end to nuclear proliferation: that God will show us the true destructive power of nuclear weapons and inspire us to protect the earth for future generations
For relief from the Covid virus: that God will guide researchers to a better understanding of the virus so that the human family may be protected and that the sick may be restored to wholeness
For relief from wildfires and drought: that God will help all who are fighting the wildfires, give strength to those who have evacuated, and send rain to relieve the areas suffering from drought
For all who have died: that they may share in the fullness of eternal life to which the Bread of Life introduced them
For the people of Afghanistan: that God will preserve them from bloodshed, open passage ways for those who have cooperated with western nations, and fill hearts with hope in their darkest moments
For the people of Haiti: that God will protect them from further harm, give them strength, and open the hearts of many to assist them
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.
Gracious God,
although we once were strangers,
you receive us as friends
and draw us home to you.
Set your living bread before us
that, feasting around your table,
we may be strengthened to continue the work
to which your Son commissioned us. 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
The intercession is by Joe Milner, http://liturgy.slu.edu
BCW Book of Common Worship, Presbyterian Church U.S.A., 1993.
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 Gospel of John is from Common English Bible © 2011 Common English Bible
The traditional language psalms are from The Book of Common Prayer (1662). The modern language versions of Psalms 108 and 109 are in 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 © 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.
Oremus 