Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/292eca36
Your merciful love, O God,
we have received in the midst of your temple.
Your praise, O God, like your name,
reaches the ends of the earth;
your right hand is filled with saving justice. Psalm 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: Shirley Erena Murray ©
Tune: Seachrist
1 God, give me time to learn the words I find so hard to say:
the loving words, forgiving words that take the sting away.
God, give me calm to ride the storm when waves of anger rise,
a moment when I grasp a truth my lesser self denies.
2 God, give me time to deal with words that threaten and destroy:
the easy words of politics that kill creation’s joy;
the speeches that proliferate economies of greed;
the thieves of children’s heritage, the poison in the seed.
3 God, give me time to meet your Word, transforming as I go
my little world, my larger world, by all I do and know;
encountering in others’ faith the wisdom and the grace
that Jesus Christ was born to bring, and gave a human face.
PSALMS
Psalm 86 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/vmvol2r)
1 Bow down thine ear, O Lord, and hear me *
for I am poor, and in misery.
2 Preserve thou my soul, for I am holy *
my God, save thy servant that putteth his trust in thee.
3 Be merciful unto me, O Lord *
for I will call daily upon thee.
4 Comfort the soul of thy servant *
for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
5 For thou, Lord, art good and gracious *
and of great mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
6 Give ear, Lord, unto my prayer *
and ponder the voice of my humble desires.
7 In the time of my trouble I will call upon thee *
for thou hearest me.
8 Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord *
there is not one that can do as thou doest.
9 All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship thee, O Lord *
and shall glorify thy Name.
10 For thou art great, and doest wondrous things *
thou art God alone.
11 Teach me thy way, O Lord, and I will walk in thy truth *
O knit my heart unto thee, that I may fear thy Name.
12 I will thank thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart *
and will praise thy Name for evermore.
13 For great is thy mercy toward me *
and thou hast delivered my soul from the nethermost hell.
14 O God, the proud are risen against me *
and the congregations of naughty men
have sought after my soul, and have not set thee before their eyes.
15 But thou, O Lord God, art full of compassion and mercy *
long-suffering, plenteous in goodness and truth.
16 O turn thee then unto me, and have mercy upon me *
give thy strength unto thy servant, and help the son of thine handmaid.
17 Shew some token upon me for good,
that they who hate me may see it, and be ashamed *
because thou, Lord, hast holpen me, and comforted me.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost,*
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 86 (LSB Tone B: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-86-LSB.mp3)
1 Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me,*
for I am poor and needy.
2 Preserve my life, for I am godly;*
save your servant, who trusts in you— you are my God.
3 Be gracious to me, O Lord,*
for to you do I cry all the day.
4 Gladden the soul of your servant,*
for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
5 For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,*
abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.
6 Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer;*
listen to my plea for grace.
7 In the day of my trouble I call upon you,*
for you answer me.
8 There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,*
nor are there any works like yours.
9 All the nations you have made
shall come and worship before you, O Lord,*
and shall glorify your name.
10 For you are great and do wondrous things;*
you alone are God.
11 Teach me your way, O LORD,
that I may walk in your truth;*
unite my heart to fear your name.
12 I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,*
and I will glorify your name forever.
13 For great is your steadfast love toward me;*
you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
14 O God, insolent men have risen up against me;
a band of ruthless men seek my life,*
and they do not set you before them.
15 But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,*
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me;*
give your strength to your servant,
and save the son of your maidservant.
17 Show me a sign of your favor,*
that those who hate me may see
and be put to shame because you, LORD,
have helped me and comforted me.
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 87 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/sjg229z)
1 Her foundations are upon the holy hills *
the Lord loveth the gates of Sion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
2 Very excellent things are spoken of thee *
thou city of God.
3 I will think upon Rahab and Babylon *
with them that know me.
4 Behold ye the Philistines also *
and they of Tyre, with the Morians; lo, there was he born.
5 And of Sion it shall be reported that he was born in her *
and the most High shall stablish her.
6 The Lord shall rehearse it when he writeth up the people *
that he was born there.
7 The singers also and trumpeters shall he rehearse *
All my fresh springs shall be 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 87 (Coptic Chant: https://tinyurl.com/4afp2bpa)
His foundations are in the holy mountains.
The Lord loves the gates of Zion,
more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
Glorious things have been spoken of you, O city of God.
I shall make mention of Raab and Babylon,
those who know me: behold the foreigners,
and Tyre, and the people of Ethiopia:
these were there.
“My mother Zion,” a man will say;
and a man was living in her:
and the Most High himself has founded her forever.
The Lord shall tell it in the writings of peoples and princes,
these who were in her.
The dwelling of all who rejoice is within you. ALLELUIA.
Psalm 88 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/tl4xkf)
1 O Lord God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee *
O let my prayer enter into thy presence, incline thine ear unto my calling.
2 For my soul is full of trouble *
and my life draweth nigh unto hell.
3 I am counted as one of them that go down into the pit *
and I have been even as a man that hath no strength.
4 Free among the dead, like unto them that are wounded, and lie in the grave *
who are out of remembrance, and are cut away from thy hand.
5 Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit *
in a place of darkness, and in the deep.
6 Thine indignation lieth hard upon me *
and thou hast vexed me with all thy storms.
7 Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me *
and made me to be abhorred of them.
8 I am so fast in prison *
that I cannot get forth.
9 My sight faileth for very trouble *
Lord, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched forth my hands unto thee.
10 Dost thou shew wonders among the dead *
or shall the dead rise up again, and praise thee?
11 Shall thy loving-kindness be shewed in the grave *
or thy faithfulness in destruction?
12 Shall thy wondrous works be known in the dark *
and thy righteousness in the land where all things are forgotten?
13 Unto thee have I cried, O Lord *
and early shall my prayer come before thee.
14 Lord, why abhorrest thou my soul *
and hidest thou thy face from me?
15 I am in misery, and like unto him that is at the point to die *
even from my youth up thy terrors have I suffered with a troubled mind.
16 Thy wrathful displeasure goeth over me *
and the fear of thee hath undone me.
17 They came round about me daily like water *
and compassed me together on every side.
18 My lovers and friends hast thou put away from me *
and hid mine acquaintance out of my sight.
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 88 (Karl Kohlhase: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-88-KH.mp3)
O LORD, God of salvation,
I cry to you day and night
O let my prayer come before you;
incline your ear to my cry
My soul’s had its fill of trouble,
my life has reached Sheol
Like those who sink in a pit;
like men without any strength
O LORD, God of salvation,
I cry out to you day and night
Detached among the dead,
like slain ones lain in the grave
Like those remembered no more,
like those cut off from your hand
You placed me in the lowest pit,
in darkness down in the depths
Your anger rested upon me,
assailing me with all your waves.
O LORD, God of salvation,
I cry out to you day and night
Those known to me you made far off;
made like a loathsome thing
Restrained, I cannot go out;
my eye wears out from affliction
I call out to you every day, O LORD;
I stretch out my hands to you
For the dead will you work your wonders?
Will they rise to praise you? Selah
O LORD, God of salvation,
I cry out to you day and night
Will your love be told in the grave,
your faithfulness in Abaddon?
Will your wonders be known in the darkness?
Your right in the land of forgetfulness?
O LORD, to you I cry out for help,
in the morning my prayer comes to you
O LORD, why do you spurn my soul?
Why hide your face from me?
O LORD, God of salvation,
I cry out to you day and night
Impoverished and dying from childhood;
bearing dread, I am overwhelmed
Your anger has passed over me;
your terrors demolishing me
Surrounding like water all through the day;
completely encompassing me
Removing both loved one and friend,
until all I know is darkness
O LORD, God of salvation,
I cry out to you day and night
PRAYER
Eternal God,
in every time and place and circumstance your people call on you,
rejoicing in your love and cherishing your truth.
Hear the prayers of our hearts
that we may be protected from sin
and delivered from evil;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. BCW
THE WORD OF GOD
Reading: Nahum 1:1-13
An oracle concerning Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum of Elkosh.
A jealous and avenging God is the Lord,
the Lord is avenging and wrathful;
the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries
and rages against his enemies.
The Lord is slow to anger but great in power,
and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty.
His way is in whirlwind and storm,
and the clouds are the dust of his feet.
He rebukes the sea and makes it dry,
and he dries up all the rivers;
Bashan and Carmel wither,
and the bloom of Lebanon fades.
The mountains quake before him,
and the hills melt;
the earth heaves before him,
the world and all who live in it.
Who can stand before his indignation?
Who can endure the heat of his anger?
His wrath is poured out like fire,
and by him the rocks are broken in pieces.
The Lord is good,
a stronghold on a day of trouble;
he protects those who take refuge in him,
even in a rushing flood.
He will make a full end of his adversaries,
and will pursue his enemies into darkness.
Why do you plot against the Lord?
He will make an end;
no adversary will rise up twice.
Like thorns they are entangled,
like drunkards they are drunk;
they are consumed like dry straw.
From you one has gone out
who plots evil against the Lord,
one who counsels wickedness.
Thus says the Lord,
‘Though they are at full strength and many,
they will be cut off and pass away.
Though I have afflicted you,
I will afflict you no more.
And now I will break off his yoke from you
and snap the bonds that bind you.’
HYMN: Timothy Dudley-Smith ©
Tune: Gonfalon Royal https://tinyurl.com/3y7ebvy3
A righteous God in heaven reigns,
against his foes his arm is strong:
his throne the rule of right maintains,
his justice will avenge the wrong.
He rides the whirlwind, storm and gale,
about his feet the lightnings play;
the seas are dry, the rivers fail,
the mountains melt like wax away.
His righteous indignations burn;
as fire and flame his wrath is poured:
in judgment swift the guilty learn
the day of vengeance of the Lord.
Our God is good! His mercy stands:
unwearied love is still the same.
We rest in his eternal hands
with all who trust his holy Name.
Behold, upon the mountain height
the herald’s cry awakes the morn!
The darkness flees before the light,
and our redemption’s day is born.
Reading: 2 Timothy 2:15-26
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth. Avoid profane chatter, for it will lead people into more and more impiety, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have swerved from the truth by claiming that the resurrection has already taken place. They are upsetting the faith of some. But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this inscription: ‘The Lord knows those who are his’, and, ‘Let everyone who calls on the name of the Lord turn away from wickedness.’
In a large house there are utensils not only of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for special use, some for ordinary. All who cleanse themselves of the things I have mentioned will become special utensils, dedicated and useful to the owner of the house, ready for every good work. Shun youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. Have nothing to do with stupid and senseless controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kindly to everyone, an apt teacher, patient, correcting opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant that they will repent and come to know the truth, and that they may escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.
HYMN: S Dryden Phelps
Tune: https://tinyurl.com/xymn2bew
1 Savior, Thy dying love
Thou gavest me,
Nor should I aught withhold,
Dear Lord, from Thee:
In love my soul would bow,
My heart fulfill its vow,
Some off’ring bring Thee now,
Something for Thee.
2 At the blest mercy seat,
Pleading for me,
My feeble faith looks up,
Jesus, to Thee:
Help me the cross to bear,
Thy wondrous love declare,
Some song to raise, or pray’r,
Something for Thee.
3 Give me a faithful heart,
Likeness to Thee,
That each departing day
Henceforth may see
Some work of love begun,
Some deed of kindness done,
Some wand’rer sought and won,
Something for Thee.
4 All that I am and have,
Thy gifts so free,
In joy, in grief, thro’ life,
Dear Lord, for Thee!
And when Thy face I see,
My ransom’d soul shall be,
Thro’ all eternity,
Something for Thee.
Reading: Luke 17:1-10
Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to anyone by whom they come! It would be better for you if a millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea than for you to cause one of these little ones to stumble. Be on your guard! If another disciple sins, you must rebuke the offender, and if there is repentance, you must forgive. And if the same person sins against you seven times a day, and turns back to you seven times and says, “I repent”, you must forgive.’
The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith!’ The Lord replied, ‘If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea”, and it would obey you.
‘Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from ploughing or tending sheep in the field, “Come here at once and take your place at the table”? Would you not rather say to him, “Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink”? Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, “We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!” ’
CANTICLE Isaiah 55:6-11
(Setting by Gregory Wilbur: https://tinyurl.com/yawmg8fp)
Seek ye the Lord while he may be found,
Call ye upon him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts:
And let him return unto the Lord,
and he will have mercy upon him;
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
As the heavens are higher than the earth,
My ways and thoughts are higher than yours.
And let him return unto the Lord,
and he will have mercy upon him;
and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.
For as the rain cometh down, and snow from heaven,
And maketh it bring forth and bud that it may give seed to sow,
that it may give bread to eat.
So shall my world be that goeth forth out of my mouth:
It shall not return unto me void,
but it shall accomplish that which I please it shall prosper
in the thing whereunto I sent it.
THE PRAYERS BCW
God of all mercies, we praise you that you have brought us to this new day, brightening
our lives with the dawn of promise and hope in Jesus Christ.
Especially we thank you for
the warmth of sunlight, the wetness of rain and snow, and all that nourishes the earth…
the presence and power of your Spirit . . .
the support and encouragement we receive from others . . .
those who provide for public safety and well-being . . .
the mission of the church around the world. . . .
Merciful God, strengthen us in prayer that we may lift up the brokenness of this
world for your healing, and share in the saving love of Jesus Christ.
Especially we pray for
those in positions of authority over others . . .
the lonely and forgotten . . .
children without families or homes . . .
agents of caring and relief . . .
the church in Asia and the Middle East. . . .
(Plainsong Mode 2: https://tinyurl.com/yctqq8cf)DL
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your Name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is 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.
God of all the ages,
you have revealed your grace
in our Savior, Jesus Christ.
As we wait patiently on your mercies,
strengthen us to live in your justice,
that with open hearts we may hear
and accomplish your will,
through Christ, who lights the way to life everlasting. 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.
DL © Daniel Lawson; used with permission.
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 versions of Psalm 86 is the version in Lutheran Service Book and is from the Next to the Word of God YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkVRYL-MRebncw584Ql2xfg. Psalm 87 is the version sung in the Coptic Orthodox Church. Psalm 88 is 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 