Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/r5j8et73
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice.
Indeed, the Lord is near.
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: Charles Wesley
Tune: Hursley https://tinyurl.com/4qcrk65s
1 Come, sinners, to the gospel feast;
Let every soul be Jesus’ guest;
Ye need not one be left behind,
For God hath bidden all mankind.
2 Sent by my Lord, on you I call;
The invitation is to all;
Come, all the world! come, sinner, thou!
All things in Christ are ready now.
3 Come, all ye souls by sin oppressed,
Ye restless wanderers after rest;
Ye poor, and maimed, and halt, and blind,
In Christ a hearty welcome find.
4 My message as from God receive;
Ye all may come to Christ and live;
O let His love your hearts constrain,
Nor suffer Him to die in vain.
5 See Him set forth before your eyes,
That precious, bleeding sacrifice!
His offered benefits embrace,
And freely now be saved by grace!
PSALMS
Psalm 19 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/yd7jfjmy)
1 The heavens declare the glory of God *
and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
2 One day telleth another *
and one night certifieth another.
3 There is neither speech nor language *
but their voices are heard among them.
4 Their sound is gone out into all lands *
and their words into the ends of the world.
5 In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun *
which cometh forth as a bridegroom out of his chamber,
and rejoiceth as a giant to run his course.
6 It goeth forth from the uttermost part of the heaven,
and runneth about unto the end of it again *
and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.
7 The law of the Lord is an undefiled law, converting the soul *
the testimony of the Lord is sure, and giveth wisdom unto the simple.
8 The statutes of the Lord are right, and rejoice the heart *
the commandment of the Lord is pure, and giveth light unto the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, and endureth for ever *
the judgements of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold *
sweeter also than honey, and the honey-comb.
11 Moreover, by them is thy servant taught *
and in keeping of them there is great reward.
12 Who can tell how oft he offendeth *
O cleanse thou me from my secret faults.
13 Keep thy servant also from presumptuous sins,
lest they get the dominion over me *
so shall I be undefiled, and innocent from the great offence.
14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart *
be alway acceptable in thy sight,
15 O Lord *
my strength, and my redeemer.
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 19 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-19.mp3)
1 The heavens declare the glory of God, *
and the firmament shows his handiwork.
2 One day tells its tale to another, *
and one night imparts knowledge to another.
3 Although they have no words or language, *
and their voices are not heard,
4 Their sound has gone out into all lands, *
and their message to the ends of the world.
5 In the deep has he set a pavilion for the sun; *
it comes forth like a bridegroom out of his chamber;
it rejoices like a champion to run its course.
6 It goes forth from the uttermost edge of the heavens
and runs about to the end of it again; *
nothing is hidden from its burning heat.
7 The law of the LORD is perfect and revives the soul; *
the testimony of the LORD is sure and gives wisdom to the innocent.
8 The statutes of the LORD are just and rejoice the heart; *
the commandment of the LORD is clear and gives light to the eyes.
9 The fear of the LORD is clean and endures for ever; *
the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
more than much fine gold, *
sweeter far than honey, than honey in the comb.
11 By them also is your servant enlightened, *
and in keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can tell how often he offends? *
cleanse me from my secret faults.
13 Above all, keep your servant from presumptuous sins;
let them not get dominion over me; *
then shall I be whole and sound, and innocent of a great offense.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my
heart be acceptable in your sight, *
O LORD, my strength and my redeemer.
Psalm 20 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/ydbb8hr9)
1 The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble *
the Name of the God of Jacob defend thee ;
2 Send thee help from the sanctuary *
and strengthen thee out of Sion;
3 Remember all thy offerings *
and accept thy burnt-sacrifice;
4 Grant thee thy heart’s desire *
and fulfil all thy mind.
5 We will rejoice in thy salvation,
and triumph in the Name of the Lord our God *
the Lord perform all thy petitions.
6 Now know I, that the Lord helpeth his Anointed,
and will hear him from his holy heaven *
even with the wholesome strength of his right hand.
7 Some put their trust in chariots, and some in horses *
but we will remember the Name of the Lord our God.
8 They are brought down, and fallen *
but we are risen, and stand upright.
9 Save, Lord, and hear us, O King of heaven *
when we call upon 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 20 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-20.mp3)
1 May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble, *
the Name of the God of Jacob defend you;
2 Send you help from his holy place *
and strengthen you out of Zion;
3 Remember all your offerings *
and accept your burnt sacrifice;
4 Grant you your heart’s desire *
and prosper all your plans.
5 We will shout for joy at your victory
and triumph in the Name of our God; *
may the LORD grant all your requests.
6 Now I know that the LORD gives victory to his anointed; *
he will answer him out of his holy heaven,
with the victorious strength of his right hand.
7 Some put their trust in chariots and some in horses, *
but we will call upon the Name of the LORD our God.
8 They collapse and fall down, *
but we will arise and stand upright.
9 O LORD, give victory to the king *
and answer us when we call.
Psalm 21 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/yccrfx9l)
1 The King shall rejoice in thy strength, O Lord *
exceeding glad shall he be of thy salvation.
2 Thou hast given him his heart’s desire *
and hast not denied him the request of his lips.
3 For thou shalt prevent him with the blessings of goodness *
and shalt set a crown of pure gold upon his head.
4 He asked life of thee, and thou gavest him a long life *
even for ever and ever.
5 His honour is great in thy salvation *
glory and great worship shalt thou lay upon him.
6 For thou shalt give him everlasting felicity *
and make him glad with the joy of thy countenance.
7 And why? because the King putteth his trust in the Lord *
and in the mercy of the most Highest he shall not miscarry.
8 All thine enemies shall feel thine hand *
thy right hand shall find out them that hate thee.
9 Thou shalt make them like a fiery oven in time of thy wrath *
the Lord shall destroy them in his displeasure,
and the fire shall consume them.
10 Their fruit shalt thou root out of the earth *
and their seed from among the children of men.
11 For they intended mischief against thee *
and imagined such a device as they are not able to perform.
12 Therefore shalt thou put them to flight *
and the strings of thy bow shalt thou make ready
against the face of them.
13 Be thou exalted, Lord, in thine own strength *
so will we sing, and praise thy power.
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 21 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-21-MH.mp3)
2 O Lord, your strength gives joy to the King; how your saving help makes him glad!
3 You have granted him his heart’s desire;
you have not refused the prayer of his lips.
4 You came to meet him with the blessings of success,
you have set on his head a crown of pure gold.
5 He asked you for life and this you have given,
days that will last from age to age.
6 Your saving help has given him glory.
You have laid upon him majesty and splendor,
7 you have granted your blessings to him forever.
You have made him rejoice with the joy of your presence.
8 The king has put his trust in the Lord:
through the mercy of the Most High he shall stand firm.
9 His hand will seek and find all his foes,
his right hand find out those that hate him.
10 You will burn them like a blazing furnace
on the day when you appear.
And the Lord will destroy them in his anger;
fire will swallow them up.
11 You will wipe out their race from the earth
and their children from the sons of men.
12 Though they plan evil against you,
though they plot, they shall not prevail.
13 For you will force them to retreat;
at them you will aim with your bow.
14 O Lord, arise in your strength;
we shall sing and praise your power.
Glory be 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
Lord Jesus, gentle and humble of heart,
you promised your kingdom to those who are like children.
Never let pride reign in our hearts.
In compassion embrace all who willingly bear your gentle yoke
now and forever. Amen. BCW
THE WORD OF GOD
Reading: Job 39:1-30
The Lord continued his response:
‘Do you know when the mountain goats give birth?
Do you observe the calving of the deer?
Can you number the months that they fulfil,
and do you know the time when they give birth,
when they crouch to give birth to their offspring,
and are delivered of their young?
Their young ones become strong, they grow up in the open;
they go forth, and do not return to them.
‘Who has let the wild ass go free?
Who has loosed the bonds of the swift ass,
to which I have given the steppe for its home,
the salt land for its dwelling-place?
It scorns the tumult of the city;
it does not hear the shouts of the driver.
It ranges the mountains as its pasture,
and it searches after every green thing.
‘Is the wild ox willing to serve you?
Will it spend the night at your crib?
Can you tie it in the furrow with ropes,
or will it harrow the valleys after you?
Will you depend on it because its strength is great,
and will you hand over your labour to it?
Do you have faith in it that it will return,
and bring your grain to your threshing-floor?
‘The ostrich’s wings flap wildly,
though its pinions lack plumage.
For it leaves its eggs to the earth,
and lets them be warmed on the ground,
forgetting that a foot may crush them,
and that a wild animal may trample them.
It deals cruelly with its young, as if they were not its own;
though its labour should be in vain, yet it has no fear;
because God has made it forget wisdom,
and given it no share in understanding.
When it spreads its plumes aloft,
it laughs at the horse and its rider.
‘Do you give the horse its might?
Do you clothe its neck with mane?
Do you make it leap like the locust?
Its majestic snorting is terrible.
It paws violently, exults mightily;
it goes out to meet the weapons.
It laughs at fear, and is not dismayed;
it does not turn back from the sword.
Upon it rattle the quiver,
the flashing spear, and the javelin.
With fierceness and rage it swallows the ground;
it cannot stand still at the sound of the trumpet.
When the trumpet sounds, it says “Aha!”
From a distance it smells the battle,
the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.
‘Is it by your wisdom that the hawk soars,
and spreads its wings towards the south?
Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up
and makes its nest on high?
It lives on the rock and makes its home
in the fastness of the rocky crag.
From there it spies the prey;
its eyes see it from far away.
Its young ones suck up blood;
and where the slain are, there it is.’
HYMN: Matt Redman
Tune: https://tinyurl.com/4wrcc2v7
Refrain:
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
Oh, my soul worships your holy name.
Sing like never before, O my soul;
I’ll worship your holy name.
1 The sun comes up, it’s a new day dawning;
it’s time to sing your song again.
Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me,
let me be singing when the evening comes. [Refrain]
2 You’re rich in love, and you’re slow to anger.
Your name is great and your heart is kind.
For all your goodness, I will keep on singing
ten thousand reasons for my heart to find. [Refrain]
3 And on that day when my strength is failing,
the end draws near, and my time has come,
still, my soul will sing your praise unending
ten thousand years and then forever more! [Refrain]
Reading: 1 Timothy 3:1-7
The saying is sure: whoever aspires to the office of bishop desires a noble task. Now a bishop must be above reproach, married only once, temperate, sensible, respectable, hospitable, an apt teacher, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, and not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, keeping his children submissive and respectful in every way— for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how can he take care of God’s church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may be puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace and the snare of the devil.
HYMN: Thomas Benson Pollock
Tune: Hervey’s Litany https://tinyurl.com/33uhmu3a
1 Jesus, with your church abide;
be our Savior, Lord, and Guide,
while on earth our faith is tried:
Lord, our Savior, hear us.
2 May we guide the poor and blind,
seek the lost until we find
and the brokenhearted bind:
Lord, our Savior, hear us.
3 May our lamp of truth be bright;
may we bear aloft its light
through the realms of sinful night:
Lord, our Savior, hear us.
4 Pardon us for work undone,
pardon us for fields unwon,
bless the work we have begun:
Lord, our Savior, hear us.
5 May we holy triumphs win,
overthrow the hosts of sin,
gather all the nations in:
Lord, our Savior, hear us.
Reading: Luke 14:1, 7-11
On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely. When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honour, he told them a parable. ‘When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honour, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, “Give this person your place”, and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, “Friend, move up higher”; then you will be honoured in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.’
(Karin Simmons: https://tinyurl.com/y7vwp7dd)
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.
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.
Almighty God,
in your goodness, you provide for the needy.
Remove from your people the pride of place
and the pursuit of power that mocks humility.
Open our hearts in generosity and justice
to the neglected and lonely,
that in showing esteem for others,
we may honor and please you
through Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit. 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.
The 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 versions of Psalm 19 and 20 are from The Book of Common Prayer (1979) and are sung by Ryland Angel. Psalm 21 is from The Grail Psalter 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 