Oremus for Sunday, September 4, 2022

Antiphon 

Ant. You are righteous, O Lord, * and right is your judgment;
deal with this servant of yours according to your mercy.
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. 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: John Bowring
Tune: Rathbun https://tinyurl.com/5n77wn9r

1 In the cross of Christ I glory,
towering o’er the wrecks of time;
all the light of sacred story
gathers round its head sublime.

2 When the woes of life o’ertake me,
hopes deceive, and fears annoy,
never shall the cross forsake me.
Lo! it glows with peace and joy.

3 When the sun of bliss is beaming
light and love upon my way,
from the cross the radiance streaming
adds more luster to the day.

4 Bane and blessing, pain and pleasure,
by the cross are sanctified;
peace is there that knows no measure,
joys that through all time abide.

5 In the cross of Christ I glory,
towering o’er the wrecks of time;
all the light of sacred story
gathers round its head sublime.

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 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 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 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 (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 (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

God of all creation,
open our hearts
that Christ, the King of glory, may enter and rule our lives.
Give us clean hands and pure hearts,
that we may stand in your presence and receive your blessing
through the same, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ^BCW

THE WORD OF GOD

Reading: Deuteronomy 30:15-20

Look here! Today I’ve set before you life and what’s good versus death and what’s wrong. If you obey the Lord your God’s commandments that I’m commanding you right now by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments, his regulations, and his case laws, then you will live and thrive, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you refuse to listen, and so are misled, worshipping other gods and serving them, I’m telling you right now that you will definitely die. You will not prolong your life on the fertile land that you are crossing the Jordan River to enter and possess. I call heaven and earth as my witnesses against you right now: I have set life and death, blessing and curse before you. Now choose life—so that you and your descendants will live— by loving the Lord your God, by obeying his voice, and by clinging to him. That’s how you will survive and live long on the fertile land the Lord swore to give to your ancestors: to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

HYMN: Psalm 1; para. Psalter, 1912, alt.
Tune: Epworth https://tinyurl.com/fdcuvzyc

1 How blest are they who, fearing God,
from sin restrain their feet,
who will not with the wicked stand,
who shun the scorner’s seat.

2 How blest are they who make God’s law
their treasure and delight,
and meditate upon that word
with gladness day and night.

3 Their lives are nourished like a tree
set by the river’s side
its leaf is green, its fruit is sure:
so all their works abide.

4 The wicked, like the driven chaff,
are blown across the land;
they shall not gather with the just,
nor in the judgment stand.

5 The LORD will guard the righteous well,
their way to him is known;
the way of sinners, far from God,
shall surely be o’erthrown.

Reading: Philemon 1-21

From Paul, who is a prisoner for the cause of Christ Jesus, and our brother Timothy.

To Philemon our dearly loved coworker, Apphia our sister, Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church that meets in your house.

May the grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Philemon, I thank my God every time I mention you in my prayers because I’ve heard of your love and faithfulness, which you have both for the Lord Jesus and for all God’s people. I pray that your partnership in the faith might become effective by an understanding of all that is good among us in Christ. I have great joy and encouragement because of your love, since the hearts of God’s people are refreshed by your actions, my brother.

Therefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to command you to do the right thing, I would rather appeal to you through love. I, Paul—an old man, and now also a prisoner for Christ Jesus— appeal to you for my child Onesimus. I became his father in the faith during my time in prison. He was useless to you before, but now he is useful to both of us. I’m sending him back to you, which is like sending you my own heart. I considered keeping him with me so that he might serve me in your place during my time in prison because of the gospel. However, I didn’t want to do anything without your consent so that your act of kindness would occur willingly and not under pressure. Maybe this is the reason that Onesimus was separated from you for a while so that you might have him back forever— no longer as a slave but more than a slave—that is, as a dearly loved brother. He is especially a dearly loved brother to me. How much more can he become a brother to you, personally and spiritually in the Lord!

So, if you really consider me a partner, welcome Onesimus as if you were welcoming me. If he has harmed you in any way or owes you money, charge it to my account. I, Paul, will pay it back to you (I’m writing this with my own hand). Of course, I won’t mention that you owe me your life.

Yes, brother, I want this favor from you in the Lord! Refresh my heart in Christ. I’m writing to you, confident of your obedience and knowing that you will do more than what I ask. Also, one more thing—prepare a guest room for me. I hope that I will be released from prison to be with you because of your prayers.

Epaphras, who is in prison with me for the cause of Christ Jesus, greets you, as well as my coworkers Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

HYMN: Marty Haugen ©
Tune: https://tinyurl.com/2s8zxktd

Refrain:
Eye has not seen, ear has not heard
what God has ready for those who love him;
Spirit of love, come, give us the mind of Jesus,
teach us the wisdom of God.

1 When pain and sorrow weigh us down,
be near to us, O Lord;
forgive the weakness of our faith,
and bear us up within your peaceful word. [Refrain]

2 Our lives are but a single breath,
we flower and we fade,
yet all our days are in your hands,
so we return in love what love has made. [Refrain]

3 To those who see with eyes of faith,
the Lord is ever near,
reflected in the faces of all the poor
and lowly of the world. [Refrain]

4 We sing a myst’ry from the past,
in halls where saints have trod,
yet ever new the music rings
to Jesus, Living Song of God. [Refrain]T

Reading: Luke 14:25-33

Large crowds were traveling with Jesus. Turning to them, he said, “Whoever comes to me and doesn’t hate father and mother, spouse and children, and brothers and sisters—yes, even one’s own life—cannot be my disciple. Whoever doesn’t carry their own cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

“If one of you wanted to build a tower, wouldn’t you first sit down and calculate the cost, to determine whether you have enough money to complete it? Otherwise, when you have laid the foundation but couldn’t finish the tower, all who see it will begin to belittle you. They will say, ‘Here’s the person who began construction and couldn’t complete it!’ Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down to consider whether his ten thousand soldiers could go up against the twenty thousand coming against him? And if he didn’t think he could win, he would send a representative to discuss terms of peace while his enemy was still a long way off. In the same way, none of you who are unwilling to give up all of your possessions can be my disciple.

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 strive to open our hearts to God each day and be vigilant against allowing anyone or anything to displace God as the center of our life

For the gift of Wisdom: that the Spirit of God will enlighten our minds and guide us in making loving and life-giving decisions each day

For courage: that God will strengthen us as we encounter our daily crosses so that we may give witness to Christ through living the paschal mystery and embracing our new life in Christ

For a renewal of creativity: that the Spirit of God will inspire us to use the many gifts that God has given us to bring forth new blessings and undreamed-of possibilities for our faith community and all the human family

For freedom of spirit: that God will unbind us from past hurts and failures so that we may be free to love, serve and be in relationship

For all who are suffering for their discipleship or who are imprisoned or persecuted for their faith: that God will heal their pain, strengthen their spirit, and make strong and effective their witness to Christ

For a deeper connection with all the people who are in our life: that we may see them with the love that God has for each of them and encourage them to live their life fully

For a true appreciation of all of our possessions: that we may accept them as gifts from God, use them to serve God and others, and never be possessed by them

For an end to terrorism: that all who feel trapped and burdened by life may seek new ways to address their pain and come to a new understanding of the dignity of human life

For all who have no food: that God will touch the hearts of those with abundance to share their bounty so that all may experience the reign of God

For all who are recovering from wildfires, hurricanes or other disasters: that God will ease their suffering, give them hope, and strengthen all who working to assist them

For all who are held in slavery or human trafficking: that God will break their bonds, heal them, and reconnect them with their loved ones

For refugees and those who have fled violence, particularly children:  that God will open the hearts of many to recognize them as sisters and brothers, help them find places of safety, and be welcomed into communities of faith

For preservation of our common home: that God will inspire leaders to develop policies and practices that will preserve the natural systems that God designed for the earth so that all may benefit from earth’s resources

For all living in the midst of violence and civil discord: that God will open opportunities for peaceful resolution to these conflicts, protect each person from harm, and bring forth justice in these communities

(Plainsong: https://tinyurl.com/ahnrtv59)^ELW

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.

Source of life and blessing,
of garden, orchard, field,
root us in obedience to you
and nourish us by your ever-flowing Spirit,
that, perceiving only the good we might do,
our lives may be fruitful,
our labor productive,
and our service useful,
in communion with Jesus, our brother. Amen. ^RCLP

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.

^ELW The Lord’s Prayer is from Setting Five in Evangelical Lutheran Worship.

^RCLP Revised Common Lectionary Prayers. © 2002 Consultation on Common Texts admin. Augsburg Fortress.

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

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

The traditional language psalms are from The Book of Common Prayer (1662). Psalms 24 and 26 are from The Grail Psalter and are from the Manual Hopper YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/manualhopper/featured. The modern version of Psalms 25 is from Lutheran Service Book and the Next to the Word of God YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkVRYL-MRebncw584Ql2xfg.

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.