Oremus for Wednesday, September 28, 2022

Margery Kempe
Margery Kempe, who wrote the book bearing her name, and from which we attain most of our knowledge of her, was a mystic who experienced intense visions followed by a period of emotional disturbance, subsequent to which she went on pilgrimage to Canterbury. She later made pilgrimages to the Holy Land and to Santiago de Compostela and was encouraged in her efforts by Julian of Norwich. She describes these travels as well as her mystical experiences in the Book of Margery Kempe. In it, she describes long periods of consciousness of and communion with Jesus, experiences that developed in her deep compassion of the sins of humanity. ^HWHM

Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/4s87yty8

Remember your word to your servant, O Lord,
by which you have given me hope.
This is my comfort when I am brought low. 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: Daniel Bechtel ©
Tune: Austin

1 Like a mother who has borne us,
held us close in her delight,
fed us freely from her body,
God has called us into life.

2 Like a father who has taught us,
grasped our hand and been our guide,
lifted us and healed our sorrows,
God has walked with us in life.

3 Though as children we have wandered,
placed our trust in pow’r and might,
left behind our friends and fam’ly, 
God still calls us into life.

4 When we offer food and comfort,
grasp our neighbor’s hand in love,
tread the path of peace and justice,
God still walks with us in life.

PSALMS

Psalm 132 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/tv4ygfu)
1  Lord, remember David *
 and all his trouble;
2  How he sware unto the Lord *
 and vowed a vow unto the Almighty God of Jacob;
3  I will not come within the tabernacle of mine house *
 nor climb up into my bed;
4  I will not suffer mine eyes to sleep, nor mine eye-lids to slumber *
 neither the temples of my head to take any rest;
5  Until I find out a place for the temple of the Lord *
 an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.
6  Lo, we heard of the same at Ephrata *
 and found it in the wood.
7  We will go into his tabernacle *
 and fall low on our knees before his footstool.
8  Arise, O Lord, into thy resting-place *
 thou, and the ark of thy strength.
9  Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness *
 and let thy saints sing with joyfulness.
10  For thy servant David’s sake *
 turn not away the presence of thine Anointed.
11  The Lord hath made a faithful oath unto David *
 and he shall not shrink from it;
12  Of the fruit of thy body *
 shall I set upon thy seat.
13  If thy children will keep my covenant,
and my testimonies that I shall learn them *
 their children also shall sit upon thy seat for evermore.
14  For the Lord hath chosen Sion to be an habitation for himself *
 he hath longed for her.
15  This shall be my rest for ever *
 here will I dwell, for I have a delight therein.
16  I will bless her victuals with increase *
 and will satisfy her poor with bread.
17  I will deck her priests with health *
 and her saints shall rejoice and sing.
18  There shall I make the horn of David to flourish *
 I have ordained a lantern for mine Anointed.
19  As for his enemies, I shall clothe them with shame *
 but upon himself shall his crown flourish.
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 133 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/tlrm8lu)
1  Behold, how good and joyful a thing it is *
 brethren, to dwell together in unity !
2  It is like the precious ointment upon the head,
that ran down unto the beard *
 even unto Aaron’s beard, and went down to the skirts of his clothing.
3  Like as the dew of Hermon *
 which fell upon the hill of Sion.
4  For there the Lord promised his blessing *
 and life 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 134 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/v5kga57)
1  Behold now, praise the Lord *
 all ye servants of the Lord;
2  Ye that by night stand in the house of the Lord *
 even in the courts of the house of our God.
3  Lift up your hands in the sanctuary *
 and praise the Lord.
4  The Lord that made heaven and earth *
 give thee blessing out of Sion.
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 135 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/w3blm5w)
1  O praise the Lord, laud ye the Name of the Lord *
 praise it, O ye servants of the Lord;
2  Ye that stand in the house of the Lord *
 in the courts of the house of our God.
3  O praise the Lord, for the Lord is gracious *
 O sing praises unto his Name, for it is lovely.
4  For why? the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself *
 and Israel for his own possession.
5  For I know that the Lord is great *
 and that our Lord is above all gods.
6  Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth *
 and in the sea, and in all deep places.
7  He bringeth forth the clouds from the ends of the world *
 and sendeth forth lightnings with the rain,
bringing the winds out of his treasures.
8  He smote the first-born of Egypt *
 both of man and beast.
9  He hath sent tokens and wonders into the midst of thee,
O thou land of Egypt *
 upon Pharaoh, and all his servants.
10  He smote divers nations *
 and slew mighty kings;
11  Sehon king of the Amorites, and Og the king of Basan *
 and all the kingdoms of Canaan;
12  And gave their land to be an heritage *
 even an heritage unto Israel his people.
13  Thy Name, O Lord, endureth for ever *
 so doth thy memorial, O Lord, from one generation to another.
14  For the Lord will avenge his people *
 and be gracious unto his servants.
15  As for the images of the heathen, they are but silver and gold *
 the work of men’s hands.
16  They have mouths, and speak not *
 eyes have they, but they see not.
17  They have ears, and yet they hear not *
 neither is there any breath in their mouths.
18  They that make them are like unto them *
 and so are all they that put their trust in them.
19  Praise the Lord, ye house of Israel *
 praise the Lord, ye house of Aaron.
20  Praise the Lord, ye house of Levi *
 ye that fear the Lord, praise the Lord.
21  Praised be the Lord out of Sion *
 who dwelleth at Jerusalem.
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 132 (LSB Tone G: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-132-LSB.mp3)
1 Remember, O LORD, in David’s favor,*
 all the hardships he endured,
2 how he swore to the LORD*
 and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob,
3 “I will not enter my house*
 or get into my bed,
4 I will not give sleep to my eyes*
 or slumber to my eyelids,
5 until I find a place for the LORD,*
 a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
6 Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah;*
 we found it in the fields of Jaar.
7 “Let us go to his dwelling place;*
 let us worship at his footstool!”
8 Arise, O LORD, and go to your resting place,*
 you and the ark of your might.
9 Let your priests be clothed with righteousness,*
 and let your saints shout for joy.
10 For the sake of your servant David,*
 do not turn away the face of your anointed one.
11 The LORD swore to David a sure oath
from which he will not turn back:*
 “One of the sons of your body I will set on your throne.
12 If your sons keep my covenant and my testimonies that I shall teach them,*
 their sons also forever shall sit on your throne.”
13 For the LORD has chosen Zion;*
 he has desired it for his dwelling place:
14 “This is my resting place forever;*
 here I will dwell, for I have desired it.
15 I will abundantly bless her provisions;*
 I will satisfy her poor with bread.
16 Her priests I will clothe with salvation,*
 and her saints will shout for joy.
17 There I will make a horn to sprout for David;*
 I have prepared a lamp for my anointed.
18 His enemies I will clothe with shame,*
 but on him his crown will shine.”
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 133 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-133.mp3)
1 Oh, how good and pleasant it is, *
when brethren live together in unity!
2 It is like fine oil upon the head *
that runs down upon the beard,
3 Upon the beard of Aaron, *
and runs down upon the collar of his robe.
4 It is like the dew of Hermon *
that falls upon the hills of Zion.
5 For there the LORD has ordained the blessing: *
life for evermore.

Psalm 134 (LSB Tone D: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-134-LSB.mp3)
1 Come, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD,*
 who stand by night in the house of the LORD!
2 Lift up your hands to the holy place*
 and bless the LORD!
3 May the LORD bless you from Zion,*
 he who made heaven and earth!
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 135 (Jason Silver: https://tinyurl.com/x69vtdh3)
Praise the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord;
Give praise, O servants of the Lord,
You who stand in the house of the Lord,
In the courts of His temple.
Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
Sing to his name, for he is gracious.
For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself,
Israel as his own possession.

For I know that the Lord is great;
Our Lord is above all gods.
Whatever the Lord pleases, so he does,
In heaven and on earth, in the ocean deep.
It is He who makes clouds to rise
Makes lightning, wind, and rain
He struck down the firstborn of Egypt…
Against Pharaoh and his servants.

Praise the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord;
Give praise, O servants of the Lord,
You who stand in the house of the Lord,
In the courts of His temple.
Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
Sing to his name, for he is gracious.
For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself,
Israel as his own possession.

He struck down many nations and
Killed many kings and rulers
And gave their land as a heritage,
A heritage to God’s people, Israel.
Your name, Lord, endures for ever,
Your fame throughout all time.
The Lord will defend his people,
Have compassion on his servants.

The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
The work of human hands.
They have mouths, but do not speak;
Have eyes, but do not see; have ears, but do not hear,
Those who make them, who trust them
Shall become like them!

O house of Israel, bless the Lord!
O house of Aaron, bless the Lord!
O house of Levi, bless the Lord!
O you that fear the Lord, bless the Lord!

Blessed be the Lord from Zion,
He who resides in Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord!

PRAYER

Creator of the universe,
from whom all things come,
to whom all things return,
give your people such unity of heart and mind,
that all the world may grow in the life of your eternal kingdom;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ^BCW

THE WORD OF GOD

Reading: Jeremiah 38:14-28

King Zedekiah ordered that the prophet Jeremiah be brought to him at the third entrance of the Lord’s temple, where the king said to Jeremiah, “I want to ask you something, and don’t hide anything from me.”

Jeremiah replied, “If I do, you’ll kill me! And if I tell you what to do, you won’t listen to me!”

So King Zedekiah swore to Jeremiah behind closed doors, “As the Lord lives, who has given us this life, I won’t put you to death and I won’t hand you over to those who seek to kill you.”

So Jeremiah said to Zedekiah: “The Lord of heavenly forces, the God of Israel, proclaims: If you surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, you and your family will live, and this city will not be burned down. If you don’t surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, the city will be handed over to the Babylonians, who will burn it down, and you won’t escape from them.”

King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I’m afraid that I will fall into the hands of the Judeans who have defected to the Babylonians, and they will torture me.”

“That won’t happen,” Jeremiah replied, “if you obey the Lord, whose message I bring. You will survive, and all will go well for you. But if you refuse to surrender, this is what the Lord has shown me: All the women left in the palace of the king of Judah will be led out to the officers of the king of Babylon. And they will say:

“All your wives and children will be led out to the Babylonians, and you yourself won’t escape from them. The king of Babylon will capture you, and this city will be burned down.”

Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “No one is to know about these matters or else you will die. If the officials find out that we met, and they come and say to you, ‘Tell us what you said to the king. Don’t hide anything from us; otherwise, we’ll kill you. So what did the king say to you?’ you should say to them, ‘I was begging the king not to send me back to the house of Jonathan to die there.’”

Then all the officials approached Jeremiah to question him. And he responded exactly as the king had instructed him. So they stopped interrogating him because the conversation between the king and Jeremiah hadn’t been overheard. Jeremiah remained in the prison quarters until Jerusalem was captured.

HYMN: Psalm 40; para. David Preston ©
Tune: Tallis’ Lamentation https://tinyurl.com/8x9fvvdw

1 In patient hope I sought the Lord;
he turned to me – my cry was heard;
he raised me from the miry pit,
on solid rock he set my feet.
He turned my cry to newborn song:
from heart and voice God’s praises sprang;
as many see such grace outpoured,
in fear they’ll turn and trust the Lord.

2 How happy those who put their trust
in God the Lord – not like the lost
that follow leaders blind and proud
who worship some pretended god.
So many wonders you have done,
what blessings still for us you plan,
O Lord – my God beyond compare! –
Too many are they to declare.

3 You have desired not sacrifice
but open ears to obey your voice;
‘I come,’ I answered, ‘at your call,
as written of me in the scroll.
I come your purpose to fulfil,
glad, O my God, to do your will;
obedience is my joyful part:
your law is stamped upon my heart.’

4 Now have your gathered people heard
your righteousness proclaimed, O Lord;
I have not failed to tell them of
your saving acts and steadfast love.
Lord, do not hold your mercies back:
so many storm clouds round me break;
my countless faults come crowding in,
my heart is overwhelmed by sin.

5 Be pleased, O Lord, to rescue me
from all who seek my life today;
let all who laugh at my distress
be put to flight in sheer disgrace.
May all whose hope on you is set
forever say: ‘The Lord is great!’
Yet poor, in need, to you I pray;
my God O hear, do not delay.

Reading: Galatians 5:16-26

I say be guided by the Spirit and you won’t carry out your selfish desires. A person’s selfish desires are set against the Spirit, and the Spirit is set against one’s selfish desires. They are opposed to each other, so you shouldn’t do whatever you want to do. But if you are being led by the Spirit, you aren’t under the Law. The actions that are produced by selfish motives are obvious, since they include sexual immorality, moral corruption, doing whatever feels good, idolatry, drug use and casting spells, hate, fighting, obsession, losing your temper, competitive opposition, conflict, selfishness, group rivalry, jealousy, drunkenness, partying, and other things like that. I warn you as I have already warned you, that those who do these kinds of things won’t inherit God’s kingdom.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against things like this. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the self with its passions and its desires.

If we live by the Spirit, let’s follow the Spirit. Let’s not become arrogant, make each other angry, or be jealous of each other.

HYMN: Jan Struther ©
Tune: Slane https://tinyurl.com/2p9bakxv

1 Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy,
whose trust, ever childlike, no cares could destroy,
be there at our waking, and give us, we pray,
your bliss in our hearts, Lord, at the break of the day.

2 Lord of all eagerness, Lord of all faith,
whose strong hands were skilled at the plane and the lathe,
be there at our labours, and give us, we pray,
your strength in our hearts, Lord, at the noon of the day.

3 Lord of all kindliness, Lord of all grace,
your hands swift to welcome, your arms to embrace,
be there at our homing, and give us, we pray,
your love in our hearts, Lord, at the eve of the day.

4 Lord of all gentleness, Lord of all calm,
whose voice is contentment, whose presence is balm,
be there at our sleeping, and give us, we pray,
your peace in our hearts, Lord, at the end of the day.

Reading: Matthew 11:16-24

Jesus said, “To what will I compare this generation? It is like a child sitting in the marketplaces calling out to others, ‘We played the flute for you and you didn’t dance. We sang a funeral song and you didn’t mourn.’ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ Yet the Human One came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunk, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved to be right by her works.”

Then he began to scold the cities where he had done his greatest miracles because they didn’t change their hearts and lives. “How terrible it will be for you, Chorazin! How terrible it will be for you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles done among you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have changed their hearts and lives and put on funeral clothes and ashes a long time ago. But I say to you that Tyre and Sidon will be better off on Judgment Day than you. And you, Capernaum, will you be honored by being raised up to heaven? No, you will be thrown down to the place of the dead. After all, if the miracles that were done among you had been done in Sodom, it would still be here today. But I say to you that it will be better for the land of Sodom on the Judgment Day than it will be for you.”

CANTICLE Isaiah 12:2-6
(Uptown Worship Band: https://tinyurl.com/y8q877og)

Refrain:
Surely, it is God who saves;
I will and not be afraid.
For the Lord is my sure defense,
and he will be my Savior.

Therefore you shall draw water
and rejoice from the salvation spring.
On that day you shall say,
give thanks to the Lord and call upon his Name. Refrain

Make his deeds known among the people;
they remember his Name on high.
Sing praise to the Lord, for he has done great things,
and this is known in all the world. Refrain

Cry aloud, O Zion, ring out your joy,
for the great one in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
Glory to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

THE PRAYERS ^BCW

Eternal God, we thank you for being with us today, and for every sign of your
truth and love in Jesus Christ. Especially we thank you for
the gift of peace in Christ . . .
reconciliation in our relationships . . .
each new insight into your love . . .
energy and courage to share your love . . .
the ministries of the church. . . .

Gracious God, we remember in our own hearts the needs of others, that we may
reach up to claim your love for them, and reach out to give your love in the name
of Christ. Especially we pray for
racial harmony and justice . . .
those imprisoned . . .
strangers we have met today . . .
friends who are bereaved . . .
Orthodox and Coptic churches. . . .

Setting: Sanford Dole https://tinyurl.com/y7ldq7h5

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your Name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as 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.

Gracious God, we give you thanks for the life and work of Margery Kempe, who, passing through the cloud of unknowing, beheld your glory. Help us, after her example, to see you more clearly and love you more dearly, in the Name of Jesus Christ our Savior; who with
you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. ^HWHM

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.

^HWHM Holy Women, Holy Men © Church Publishing, Inc.

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 versions of Psalms 132 and 134 are in the version used in Lutheran Service Book: Pew Edition Concordia Publishing House, and are from the Next to the Word of God YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkVRYL-MRebncw584Ql2xfg. Psalm 133 is from The Book of Common Prayer (1979) and is sung by Ryland Angel. Psalm 135 is by Jason Silver https://jasonsilver.com/.

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.