Oremus for Tuesday, August 30, 2022

Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/tebu693h

The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer;
my God is my saving strength. Psalm 18

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: Philip Doddridge
Tune: Dundee https://tinyurl.com/2p88ws4y

1 O God of Bethel, by whose hand
thy people still are fed,
who through this weary pilgrimage
hast all our fathers led;

2 Our vows, our prayers, we now present
before thy throne of grace;
God of our fathers, be the God
of their succeeding race.

3 Through each perplexing path of life
our wandering footsteps guide;
give us each day our daily bread,
and raiment fit provide.

4 O spread thy covering wings around
till all our wanderings cease,
and at our Father’s loved abode
our souls arrive in peace.

PSALMS

Psalm 144 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/tb977vw)
1  Blessed be the Lord my strength *
 who teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight;
2  My hope and my fortress, my castle and deliverer,
my defender in whom I trust *
 who subdueth my people that is under me.
3  Lord, what is man, that thou hast such respect unto him *
 or the son of man, that thou so regardest him?
4  Man is like a thing of nought *
 his time passeth away like a shadow.
5  Bow thy heavens, O Lord, and come down *
 touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
6  Cast forth thy lightning, and tear them *
 shoot out thine arrows, and consume them.
7  Send down thine hand from above *
 deliver me, and take me out of the great waters,
from the hand of strange children;
8  Whose mouth talketh of vanity *
 and their right hand is a right hand of wickedness.
9  I will sing a new song unto thee, O God *
 and sing praises unto thee upon a ten-stringed lute.
10  Thou hast given victory unto kings *
 and hast delivered David thy servant from the peril of the sword.
11  Save me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children *
 whose mouth talketh of vanity,
and their right hand is a right hand of iniquity.
12  That our sons may grow up as the young plants *
 and that our daughters may be as the polished corners of the temple.
13  That our garners may be full and plenteous
with all manner of store *
 that our sheep may bring forth
thousands and ten thousands in our streets.
14  That our oxen may be strong to labour, that there be no decay *
 no leading into captivity, and no complaining in our streets.
15  Happy are the people that are in such a case *
 yea, blessed are the people who have the Lord for their God.
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 145 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/ub6xy86)
1  I will magnify thee, O God, my King *
 and I will praise thy Name for ever and ever.
2  Every day will I give thanks unto thee *
 and praise thy Name for ever and ever.
3  Great is the Lord, and marvellous worthy to be praised *
 there is no end of his greatness.
4  One generation shall praise thy works unto another *
 and declare thy power.
5  As for me, I will be talking of thy worship *
 thy glory, thy praise, and wondrous works;
6  So that men shall speak of the might of thy marvellous acts *
 and I will also tell of thy greatness.
7  The memorial of thine abundant kindness shall be shewed *
 and men shall sing of thy righteousness.
8  The Lord is gracious, and merciful *
 long-suffering, and of great goodness.
9  The Lord is loving unto every man *
 and his mercy is over all his works.
10  All thy works praise thee, O Lord *
 and thy saints give thanks unto thee.
11  They shew the glory of thy kingdom *
 and talk of thy power;
12  That thy power, thy glory, and mightiness of thy kingdom *
 might be known unto men.
13  Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom *
 and thy dominion endureth throughout all ages.
14  The Lord upholdeth all such as fall *
 and lifteth up all those that are down.
15  The eyes of all wait upon thee, O Lord *
 and thou givest them their meat in due season.
16  Thou openest thine hand *
 and fillest all things living with plenteousness.
17  The Lord is righteous in all his ways *
 and holy in all his works.
18  The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him *
 yea, all such as call upon him faithfully.
19  He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him *
 he also will hear their cry, and will help them.
20  The Lord preserveth all them that love him *
 but scattereth abroad all the ungodly.
21  My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord *
 and let all flesh give thanks unto his holy Name for ever and ever.
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 146 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/rwxra4q)
1  Praise the Lord, O my soul; while I live will I praise the Lord *
 yea, as long as I have any being, I will sing praises unto my God.
2  O put not your trust in princes, nor in any child of man *
 for there is no help in them.
3  For when the breath of man goeth forth he shall turn again to his earth *
 and then all his thoughts perish.
4  Blessed is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help *
 and whose hope is in the Lord his God;
5  Who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that therein is *
 who keepeth his promise for ever.
6  Who helpeth them to right that suffer wrong *
 who feedeth the hungry.
7  The Lord looseth men out of prison *
 the Lord giveth sight to the blind.
8  The Lord helpeth them that are fallen *
 the Lord careth for the righteous.
9  The Lord careth for the strangers; he defendeth the fatherless and widow *
 as for the way of the ungodly, he turneth it upside down.
10  The Lord thy God, O Sion, shall be King for evermore *
 and throughout all generations.
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 144 (Charles Pettee: https://tinyurl.com/yda7ervv)
Blessed be the Lord, my rock,
who trains my hands for battle.
He is my loving God,
my shield in whom I take refuge. 

O Lord, what is man that you care,
or the sons of man that you take notice?
They are just like a breath,
their days like a passing shadow.

Arch your heavens, O Lord, and come down!
Touch the mountains so that they smoke!
Make your lightning flash,
shoot your arrows, make the wicked fly!

Reach out your hand from on high,
set me free from the mighty waters,
from the hand of aliens,
whose mouths are full of lies.

I will sing a new song to you, O God;
on a ten-stringed harp I will praise you.
You who gives victory to kings,
saves us from the cruel sword.

May our sons in their youth
be like trees full grown,
our daughters like pillars for the palace;
may our barns be full with the harvest;

Our cattle heavy with young,
may there be no breach in the walls
no going into exile,
and no cry of distress in our streets!

Happy are the people so blessed
Happy are those whose God is the Lord!
Happy are the people so blessed
Happy are those whose God is the Lord!

Psalm 145 (BCW Tone: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-145-BCW.mp3)
1 I will exalt you, O God my King, *
and bless your Name for ever and ever.
2 Every day will I bless you *
and praise your Name for ever and ever.
3 Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; *
there is no end to his greatness.
4 One generation shall praise your works to another *
and shall declare your power.
5 I will ponder the glorious splendor of your majesty *
and all your marvelous works.
6 They shall speak of the might of your wondrous acts, *
and I will tell of your greatness.
7 They shall publish the remembrance of your great goodness; *
they shall sing of your righteous deeds.
8 The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, *
slow to anger and of great kindness.
9 The LORD is loving to everyone *
and his compassion is over all his works.
10 All your works praise you, O LORD, *
and your faithful servants bless you.
11 They make known the glory of your kingdom *
and speak of your power;
12 That the peoples may know of your power *
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; *
your dominion endures throughout all ages.
14 The LORD is faithful in all his words *
and merciful in all his deeds.
15 The LORD upholds all those who fall; *
he lifts up those who are bowed down.
16 The eyes of all wait upon you, O LORD, *
and you give them their food in due season.
17 You open wide your hand *
and satisfy the needs of every living creature.
18 The LORD is righteous in all his ways *
and loving in all his works.
19 The LORD is near to those who call upon him, *
to all who call upon him faithfully.
20 He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; *
he hears their cry and helps them.
21 The LORD preserves all those who love him, *
but he destroys all the wicked.
22 My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD; *
let all flesh bless his holy Name for ever and ever.

Psalm 146 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-146.mp3)
1 Hallelujah!
Praise the LORD, O my soul! *
I will praise the LORD as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
2 Put not your trust in rulers, nor in any child of earth, *
for there is no help in them.
3 When they breathe their last, they return to earth, *
and in that day their thoughts perish.
4 Happy are they who have the God of Jacob for their help! *
whose hope is in the LORD their God;
5 Who made heaven and earth, the seas, and all that is in them; *
who keeps his promise for ever;
6 Who gives justice to those who are oppressed, *
and food to those who hunger.
7 The LORD sets the prisoners free;
the LORD opens the eyes of the blind; *
the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down;
8 The LORD loves the righteous;
the LORD cares for the stranger; *
he sustains the orphan and widow,
but frustrates the way of the wicked.
9 The LORD shall reign for ever, *
your God, O Zion, throughout all generations.
Hallelujah!

PRAYER

Blessed are those who put their trust in you, O God,
our sure rock and refuge.
Guard us from giving to any other
the allegiance which belongs only to you.
Shine upon us with the brightness of your light,
that we may love you with a pure heart
and praise you forever;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ^BCW

THE WORD OF GOD

Reading: 2 Kings 23:1-14

The king sent a message, and all of Judah’s and Jerusalem’s elders gathered before him. Then the king went up to the Lord’s temple, together with all the people of Judah and all the citizens of Jerusalem, the priests and the prophets, and all the people, young and old alike. There the king read out loud all the words of the covenant scroll that had been found in the Lord’s temple. The king stood beside the pillar and made a covenant with the Lord that he would follow the Lord by keeping his commandments, his laws, and his regulations with all his heart and all his being in order to fulfill the words of this covenant that were written in this scroll. All of the people accepted the covenant.

The king then commanded the high priest Hilkiah, the second-order priests, and the doorkeepers to remove from the Lord’s temple all the religious objects made for Baal, Asherah, and all the heavenly bodies. The king burned them outside Jerusalem in the Kidron fields and took the ashes to Bethel. He got rid of the pagan priests that the Judean kings had appointed to burn incense at the shrines in Judah’s cities and the areas around Jerusalem. He did the same to those who burned incense to Baal, to the sun, to the moon, to the constellations, and to all the heavenly bodies. He removed the Asherah image from the Lord’s temple, taking it to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem. There he burned it, ground it to dust, and threw the dust on the public graveyard. The king tore down the shrines for the consecrated workers that were in the Lord’s temple, where women made woven coverings for Asherah.

Then Josiah brought all the priests out of Judah’s cities. From Geba to Beer-sheba, he defiled the shrines where the priests had been burning incense. He also tore down the shrines at the gates at the entrance to the gate of Joshua the city’s governor, which were on the left as one entered the city gate. Although the priests of these shrines didn’t go up on the Lord’s altar in Jerusalem, they did eat unleavened bread with their fellow priests.

Josiah defiled the Topheth in the Ben-hinnom Valley so no one could burn their child alive in honor of the god Molech. He did away with the horses that Judah’s kings had dedicated to the sun. They were kept at the entrance to the Lord’s temple near a room in the annex that belonged to an official named Nathan-melech. Josiah set fire to the chariots that were dedicated to the sun. The king also tore down the altars that were on the roof of Ahaz’s upper story, which had been made by the Judean kings, and he did the same with the altars that Manasseh had built in the two courtyards of the Lord’s temple. He broke them up there and threw their dust into the Kidron Valley. The king then defiled the shrines facing Jerusalem, south of the Mountain of Destruction. Solomon the king of Israel had built these for Ashtoreth, the monstrous Sidonian god, for Chemosh, the monstrous Moabite god, and for Milcom, the detestable Ammonite god. He smashed the sacred pillars and cut down the sacred poles, filling the places where they had been with human bones.

HYMN: G.K. Chesterton
Tune: Kings Lynn https://tinyurl.com/rcurbsab

1 O God of earth and altar,
bow down and hear our cry,
our earthly rulers falter,
our people drift and die;
the walls of gold entomb us,
the swords of scorn divide,
take not thy thunder from us,
but take away our pride.

2 From all that terror teaches,
from lies of tongue and pen,
from all the easy speeches
that comfort cruel men,
from sale and profanation
of honour and the sword,
from sleep and from damnation,
deliver us, good Lord!

3 Tie in a living tether
the prince and priest and thrall,
bind all our lives together,
smite us and save us all;
in ire and exultation
aflame with faith, and free,
lift up a living nation,
a single sword to thee.

Reading: 1 Timothy 5:1-10

Don’t correct an older man, but encourage him like he’s your father; treat younger men like your brothers, treat older women like your mother, and treat younger women like your sisters with appropriate respect.

Take care of widows who are truly needy. But if a particular widow has children or grandchildren, they should first learn to respect their own family and repay their parents, because this pleases God. A widow who is truly needy and all alone puts her hope in God and keeps on going with requests and prayers, night and day. But a widow who tries to live a life of luxury is dead even while she is alive. Teach these things so that the families will be without fault. But if someone doesn’t provide for their own family, and especially for a member of their household, they have denied the faith. They are worse than those who have no faith.

Put a widow on the list who is older than 60 years old and who was faithful to her husband. She should have a reputation for doing good: raising children, providing hospitality to strangers, washing the feet of the saints, helping those in distress, and dedicating herself to every kind of good thing.

HYMN: Fred Kaan ©
Tune: Stuttgart https://tinyurl.com/2p8u68r8

1 God of Eve and God of Mary,
God of love and mother earth,
Thank you for the ones who with us
Shared their life and gave us birth.

2 As you came to earth in Jesus,
So you come to us today;
You are present in the caring
That prepares us for life’s way.

3 Thank you, that the Church, our Mother,
Gives us bread and fills our cup,
And the comfort of the Spirit
Warms our hearts and lifts us up.

4 Thank you for belonging shelter,
Bonds of friendship, ties of blood,
And for those who have no children,
Yet are parents under God.

5 God of Eve and God of Mary,
Christ our brother, human son,
Spirit, caring like a mother,
Take our love and make us one.

Reading: Matthew 6:1-4

Jesus said, “Be careful that you don’t practice your religion in front of people to draw their attention. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

“Whenever you give to the poor, don’t blow your trumpet as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets so that they may get praise from people. I assure you, that’s the only reward they’ll get. But when you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing so that you may give to the poor in secret. Your Father who sees what you do in secret will reward you.”

CANTICLE Luke 1:68-79
(Steve Angrisano: https://tinyurl.com/y7w6y7qh)

Through his holy prophets,
he promised from of old
to save us from who would harm us.
His mercy he would show,
rememb’ring his holy word.
Refrain:
Blessed be the Lord,
for he has raised up for us a mighty savior.
Our God has set us free,
fulfilling the promise to save his people.

You, my child,
have been chosen a prophet of the Lord,
proclaiming his forgiveness,
salvation to make known,
preparing the way of God. Refrain

In his tender compassion,
the dawn now breaks on high
to shine on those in the darkness:
a light unto our feet
into the way of peace. Refrain

THE PRAYERS ^BCW

We rejoice in your generous goodness, O God, and celebrate your lavish gifts to
us this day, for you have shown your love in giving Jesus Christ for the salvation
of the world. Especially we give thanks for
the labors of those who have served us today . . .
friends with whom we have shared . . .
those whom we love and have loved us . . .
opportunities for our work to help others . . .
all beauty that delights us. . . .

Gracious God, we know you are close to all in need, and by our prayers for others
we come closer to you. We are bold to claim for others your promises of new
life in Jesus Christ, as we claim them for ourselves. Especially we pray for
those in dangerous occupations . . .
physicians and nurses . . .
those who are ill or confined to nursing homes . . .
those who mourn . . .
the Roman Catholic Church. . . .

(Traditional chant: https://tinyurl.com/ydzx5jdp)

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And 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.]

Mystery of Goodness,
by whose gaze
we are called into being and held in life:
teach us
the secrecy of prayer
which seeks no reward;
the generosity of love
which forgets itself;
the gift of a treasure
uncountable and unconsumed;
through Jesus Christ, the Son of the Wilderness. Amen. ^PIC

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.

^PIC Prayers for An Inclusive Church. Steven Shakespeare © 2008 Canterbury Press.

The three main scripture readings are © 2011 Common English Bible.

The traditional language psalms are from The Book of Common Prayer (1662). The modern language version of Psalm 144 is by Charles Pettee https://www.charlespettee.com/ and was transcribed by me. Let me know of any inaccuracies. Psalms 145 are from The Book of Common Prayer (1979). Psalm 145 is a Book of Common Worship tone and was sourced from the PCUSA website https://www.presbyterianmission.org/ministries/worship/service-lords-day/service-lords-day-psalm/chant-psalms/. Psalm 146 is chanted 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 © 2022 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.