Antiphon 1
Ant. All things are submitted to your will, O Lord, *
and no one can resist your de-cisions; you have made
all things, heaven and earth, and all that is contained under
the vault of the sky; you are the master of the universe.
V. Blessed are those whose way is blameless, *
who walk in the law of the Lord!
Blessed are those who keep his decrees! *
With all their hearts they seek him. Esther 13; Psalm 119
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: Anonymous, 1796
Tune: Austria https://tinyurl.com/3aan4twt
1 Praise the Lord! ye heav’ns adore him;
Praise him angels, in the height;
Sun and moon, rejoice before him;
Praise him, all ye stars of light.
Praise the Lord! for he has spoken;
Worlds his mighty voice obeyed;
Laws which never shall be broken
For their guidance he has made.
2 Praise the Lord! for he is glorious;
Never shall his promise fail;
God has made his saints victorious;
Sin and death shall not prevail.
Praise the God of our salvation!
Hosts on high his pow’r proclaim;
Heav’n, and earth, and all creation,
Laud and magnify his name.
3 Worship, honor, glory, blessing,
Lord, we offer unto thee;
Young and old, thy praise expressing,
In glad homage bend the knee.
All the saints in heav’n adore thee,
We would bow before thy throne;
As thine angels serve before thee,
So on earth thy will be done.
PSALMS
Psalm 18
(Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/yx7qz95s)
1 I will love thee, O Lord, my strength;
the Lord is my stony rock, and my defence *
my Saviour, my God, and my might, in whom I will trust,
my buckler, the horn also of my salvation, and my refuge.
2 I will call upon the Lord, which is worthy to be praised *
so shall I be safe from mine enemies.
3 The sorrows of death compassed me *
and the overflowings of ungodliness made me afraid.
4 The pains of hell came about me *
the snares of death overtook me.
5 In my trouble I will call upon the Lord *
and complain unto my God.
6 So shall he hear my voice out of his holy temple *
and my complaint shall come before him,
it shall enter even into his ears.
7 The earth trembled and quaked *
the very foundations also of the hills shook,
and were removed, because he was wroth.
8 There went a smoke out in his presence *
and a consuming fire out of his mouth,
so that coals were kindled at it.
9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down *
and it was dark under his feet.
10 He rode upon the cherubims, and did fly *
he came flying upon the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his secret place *
his pavilion round about him with dark water,
and thick clouds to cover him.
12 At the brightness of his presence his clouds removed *
hail-stones, and coals of fire.
13 The Lord also thundered out of heaven,
and the Highest gave his thunder *
hail-stones, and coals of fire.
14 He sent out his arrows, and scattered them *
he cast forth lightnings, and destroyed them.
15 The springs of waters were seen,
and the foundations of the round world were discovered,
at thy chiding, O Lord *
at the blasting of the breath of thy displeasure.
16 He shall send down from on high to fetch me *
and shall take me out of many waters.
17 He shall deliver me from my strongest enemy,
and from them which hate me *
for they are too mighty for me.
18 They prevented me in the day of my trouble *
but the Lord was my upholder.
19 He brought me forth also into a place of liberty *
he brought me forth, even because he had a favour unto me.
20 The Lord shall reward me after my righteous dealing *
according to the cleanness of my hands shall he recompense me.
21 Because I have kept the ways of the Lord *
and have not forsaken my God, as the wicked doth.
22 For I have an eye unto all his laws *
and will not cast out his commandments from me.
23 I was also uncorrupt before him *
and eschewed mine own wickedness.
24 Therefore shall the Lord reward me after my righteous dealing *
and according unto the cleanness of my hands in his eye-sight.
25 With the holy thou shalt be holy *
and with a perfect man thou shalt be perfect.
26 With the clean thou shalt be clean *
and with the froward thou shalt learn frowardness.
27 For thou shalt save the people that are in adversity *
and shalt bring down the high looks of the proud.
28 Thou also shalt light my candle *
the Lord my God shall make my darkness to be light.
29 For in thee I shall discomfit an host of men *
and with the help of my God I shall leap over the wall.
30 The way of God is an undefiled way *
the word of the Lord also is tried in the fire;
he is the defender of all them that put their trust in him.
31 For who is God, but the Lord *
or who hath any strength, except our God?
32 It is God, that girdeth me with strength of war *
and maketh my way perfect.
33 He maketh my feet like harts’ feet *
and setteth me up on high.
34 He teacheth mine hands to fight *
and mine arms shall break even a bow of steel.
35 Thou hast given me the defence of thy salvation *
thy right hand also shall hold me up,
and thy loving correction shall make me great.
36 Thou shalt make room enough under me for to go *
that my footsteps shall not slide.
37 I will follow upon mine enemies, and overtake them *
neither will I turn again till I have destroyed them.
38 I will smite them, that they shall not be able to stand *
but fall under my feet.
39 Thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle *
thou shalt throw down mine enemies under me.
40 Thou hast made mine enemies also to turn their backs upon me *
and I shall destroy them that hate me.
41 They shall cry, but there shall be none to help them *
yea, even unto the Lord shall they cry, but he shall not hear them.
42 I will beat them as small as the dust before the wind *
I will cast them out as the clay in the streets.
43 Thou shalt deliver me from the strivings of the people *
and thou shalt make me the head of the heathen.
44 A people whom I have not known *
shall serve me.
45 As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me *
but the strange children shall dissemble with me.
46 The strange children shall fail *
and be afraid out of their prisons.
47 The Lord liveth, and blessed be my strong helper *
and praised be the God of my salvation.
48 Even the God that seeth that I be avenged *
and subdueth the people unto me.
49 It is he that delivereth me from my cruel enemies,
and setteth me up above mine adversaries *
thou shalt rid me from the wicked man.
50 For this cause will I give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the Gentiles *
and sing praises unto thy Name.
51 Great prosperity giveth he unto his King *
and sheweth loving-kindness unto David his Anointed,
and unto his seed for evermore.
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 18
(Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm%2018%20Duckett.mp3)
2 I love you, Lord, my strength,
3 my rock, my fortress, my savior.
My God is the rock where I take refuge;
my shield, my mighty help, my stronghold.
4 The Lord is worthy of all praise,
when I call I am saved from my foes.
5 The waves of death rose about me;
the torrents of destruction assailed me;
6 the snares of the grave entangled me;
the traps of death confronted me.
7 In my anguish I called to the Lord;
I cried to God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came to his ears.
8 Then the earth reeled and rocked;
the mountains were shaken to their base:
they reeled at his terrible anger.
9 Smoke came forth from his nostrils
and scorching fire from his mouth:
coals were set ablaze by its heat.
10 He lowered the heavens and came down,
a black cloud under his feet.
11 He came enthroned on the cherubim,
he flew on the wings of the wind.
12 He made the darkness his covering,
the dark waters of the clouds, his tent.
13 A brightness shone out before him
with hailstones and flashes of fire.
14 The Lord thundered in the heavens;
The Most High let his voice be heard.
15 He shot his arrows, scattered the foe,
flashed his lightnings and put them to flight.
16 The bed of the ocean was revealed;
the foundations of the world were laid bare
at the thunder of your threat, O Lord,
at the blast of the breath of your anger.
17 From on high he reached down and seized me;
he drew me forth from the mighty waters.
.18 he snatched me from my powerful foe,
from my enemies whose strength I could not match.
19 They assailed me in the day of my misfortune,
but the Lord was my support.
20 He brought me forth into freedom,
he saved me because he loved me.
21 He rewarded me because I was just,
repaid me, for my hands were clean,
22 for I have kept the way of the Lord,
and have not fallen away from my God.
23 For his judgments are all before me:
I have never neglected his commands.
24 I have always been upright before him;
I have kept myself from guilt.
25 He repaid me because I was just
and my hands were clean in his eyes.
26 You are loving with those who love you:
you show yourself perfect with the perfect.
27 With the sincere you show yourself sincere,
but the cunning you outdo in cunning.
28 For you save a humble people
but humble the eyes that are proud.
29 You, O Lord, are my lamp,
my God who lightens my darkness.
30 With you I can break through any barrier,
with my God I can scale any wall.
31 As for God, his ways are perfect;
the word of the Lord, purest gold.
He indeed is the shield
of all who make him their refuge.
32 For who is God but the Lord?
Who is a rock but our God?
33 the God who girds me with strength
and makes the path safe before me.
34 My feet you make swift as the deer’s;
you have made me stand firm on the heights.
35 You have trained my hands for battle
and my hands to bend the heavy bow.
36 You gave me your saving shield;
you upheld me, trained me with care.
37 You gave me freedom for my steps;
my feet have never slipped.
38 I pursued and overtook my foes,
never turning back till they were slain.
39 I smote them so they could not rise;
they fell beneath my feet.
40 You girded me with strength for battle;
you made my enemies fall beneath me,
41 you made my foes take flight;
those who hated me I destroyed.
42 They cried, but there was no one to save them;
they cried to the Lord, but in vain.
43 I crushed them fine as dust before the wind;
trod them down like dirt in the streets.
44 You saved me from the feuds of the people
and put me at the head of the nations.
People unknown to me served me:
45 when they heard of me they obeyed me.
Foreign nations came to me cringing:
46 foreign nations faded away.
They came trembling out of their strongholds.
47 Long life to the Lord, my rock!
Praised be the God who saves me,
48 the God who gives me redress
and subdues people under me.
49 You saved me from my furious foes.
You set me above my assailants.
You saved me from violent men,
50 so I will praise you, Lord, among the nations:
I will sing a psalm to your name.
51 He has given great victories to his king
and shown his love for his anointed,
for David and his sons for ever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be :
world without end. Amen.
PRAYER
Praise to you, God of our salvation.
You come to our help and set us free.
May your strength be our shield
and your word, our lamp,
that we may serve you with pure hearts
and find deliverance in Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen. BCW
THE WORD OF GOD
Reading: Job 1:1, 2:1-10
There was once a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. That man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.
One day the heavenly beings came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord. The Lord said to Satan, ‘Where have you come from?’ Satan answered the Lord, ‘From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.’ The Lord said to Satan, ‘Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil. He still persists in his integrity, although you incited me against him, to destroy him for no reason.’ Then Satan answered the Lord, ‘Skin for skin! All that people have they will give to save their lives. But stretch out your hand now and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.’ The Lord said to Satan, ‘Very well, he is in your power; only spare his life.’
So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and inflicted loathsome sores on Job from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. Job took a potsherd with which to scrape himself, and sat among the ashes.
Then his wife said to him, ‘Do you still persist in your integrity? Curse God, and die.’ But he said to her, ‘You speak as any foolish woman would speak. Shall we receive the good at the hand of God, and not receive the bad?’ In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
HYMN: Psalm 26; para. Marie J Post
Tune: Perry
1 LORD, speak for me, for I am yours;
and test my mind and heart.
I walk with steady trust in you,
nor from your ways depart.
2 Try me, O LORD, if I be true
and walk in righteousness.
Your love forever leads my way;
I trust your faithfulness.
3 I do not sit with those who cheat
the false who love pretense.
I do not follow where they go,
nor count them as my friends.
4 I wash my hands in innocence
and seek your altar, LORD,
and, singing there with thankful voice,
your mighty works record.
5 I love your house, O mighty LORD,
I love the holy place
where you in your great glory dwell;
you visit us in grace.
6 O do not sweep me down to death
with those who thirst for blood.
Their right hands overflow with bribes;
they turn away from good.
7 I walk in my integrity;
redeem me, LORD, in grace.
Securely now I stand, O LORD;
in worship I bring praise.
Reading: Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12
Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
Now God did not subject the coming world, about which we are speaking, to angels. But someone has testified somewhere,
‘What are human beings that you are mindful of them,
or mortals, that you care for them?
You have made them for a little while lower than the angels;
you have crowned them with glory and honour,
subjecting all things under their feet.’
Now in subjecting all things to them, God left nothing outside their control. As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to them, but we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honour because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, saying,
‘I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters,
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.’
HYMN: Brian Wren ©
Tune: O Waly Waly https://tinyurl.com/ynu5hfdz
1 When love is found and hope comes home,
sing and be glad that two are one.
When love explodes and fills the sky,
praise God and share our Maker’s joy.
2 When love has flower’d in trust and care
build both each day that love may dare
to reach beyond home’s warmth and light,
to serve and strive for truth and right.
3 When love is tried as loved ones change,
hold still to hope though all seems strange,
till ease returns and love grows wise
through list’ning ears and opened eyes.
4 When love is torn and trust betrayed,
pray strength to love till torments fade,
till lovers keep no score of wrong,
but hear through pain love’s Easter song.
5 Praise God for love, praise God for life,
in age or youth, in calm or strife.
Lift up your hearts! Let love be fed
through death and life in broken bread.
Reading: Mark 10:2-16
Some Pharisees came, and to test him they asked, ‘Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?’ He answered them, ‘What did Moses command you?’ They said, ‘Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her.’ But Jesus said to them, ‘Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you. But from the beginning of creation, “God made them male and female.” “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.’
Then in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. He said to them, ‘Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.’
People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.’ And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.
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 Joe Milner
For the Church: that we may be a sign of communion between God and humanity and a means of reconciliation amongst all people
For the grace of fidelity: that we may each be faithful to our promises and commitments, to spouses, children, parents, communities, and friends
For openness: that we may grow in our awareness of our need for God and others as we face our challenges and grow toward wholeness
For all married or engaged couples: that they may recognize Christ in each other, grow into true oneness of life, and bring God’s love to others
For all who are in lonely or troubled marriages: that they may find support in the Christian community and receive strength and courage to work to renew their relationships
For healing of the tension and conflicts between women and men in our society: that God will lead us to a new appreciation of each other and help us to give witness to God’s plan of women and men complimenting one another as we work together
For all children: that they may be warmly welcomed into families and supported as they grow and develop into the persons God calls them to be
For the grace to receive the kingdom of God as a little child: that the Spirit will open our hearts to receive God’s love and God’s gift of new life in the Spirit
For all who have experienced divorce: that God will heal their pain, renew their sense of self, and help them find support and understanding in our community
For greater respect for human life: that all human life will be respected as God’s gift and a blessing to humanity
For all who are struggling with thoughts of suicide: that the Holy Spirit will calm their hearts, help them know that they are loved, and help them to reach out to someone
For the work of the United Nations: that their conversations will promote peace and cooperation, develop shared understandings of the challenges that exist, and give them the courage to confront the evils that plague the human family
For all who are suffering: that God will heal the sick, free those caught in addiction, restore those who have experienced abuse, comfort the grieving, and send relief to those entrapped by poverty
For all healthcare workers: that God will renew their strength and restore their energy that they may continue to care for the sick and be signs of hope for them
For leaders of government: that God will give them wisdom and courage to address the crucial issues of society and to work together to address the common good
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.
Sovereign God,
you make us for each other,
to live in loving community
as friends, sons and daughters,
sisters and brothers, wives and husband,
partners and companions.
Teach us to choose love
that is committed and devoted;
teach us like little children
to wonder and to trust,
that our loving may reflect the image of Christ. 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
BCW Book of Common Worship, Presbyterian Church U.S.A., 1993.
BCP79 The Book of Common Prayer (1979), The Episcopal Church
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
2 Eric Wyse, Lord’s Prayer, ©; audio from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_a40ME7aVk
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 psalm texts are from The Book of Common Prayer (1662). The contemporary psalm text is from The Grail Psalms and is from the Manual Hopper YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/manualhopper/featured
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 