Oremus for Monday, October 3, 2022

Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/3mjx3phc

I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
whoever follows me will not walk in darkness,
but will have the light of life. John 8

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: Bernard of Cluny; trans. John Mason Neale
Tune: Ewing https://tinyurl.com/2uhuf4xt

1 Jerusalem the golden,
with milk and honey blest,
beneath thy contemplation
sink heart and voice opprest.
I know not, O I know not
what joys await us there,
what radiancy of glory,
what bliss beyond compare.

2 They stand, those halls of Sion,
conjubilant with song,
and bright with many an angel,
and all the martyr throng;
the Prince is ever with them,
the daylight is serene,
the pastures of the blessèd
are decked in glorious sheen.

3 There is the throne of David;
and there, from care released,
the shout of them that triumph,
the song of them that feast;
and they, who with their leader
have conquered in the fight,
for ever and for ever
are clad in robes of white.

4 O sweet and blessèd country,
the home of God’s elect!
O sweet and blessèd country
that eager hearts expect!
Jesu, in mercy bring us
to that dear land of rest;
who art, with God the Father
and Spirit, ever blest.

PSALMS

Psalm 18
(Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/yx7qz95s)
1  I will love thee, O Lord, my strength;
the Lord is my stony rock, and my defence *
 my Saviour, my God, and my might, in whom I will trust,
my buckler, the horn also of my salvation, and my refuge.
2  I will call upon the Lord, which is worthy to be praised *
 so shall I be safe from mine enemies.
3  The sorrows of death compassed me *
 and the overflowings of ungodliness made me afraid.
4  The pains of hell came about me *
 the snares of death overtook me.
5  In my trouble I will call upon the Lord *
 and complain unto my God.
6  So shall he hear my voice out of his holy temple *
 and my complaint shall come before him,
it shall enter even into his ears.
7  The earth trembled and quaked *
 the very foundations also of the hills shook,
and were removed, because he was wroth.
8  There went a smoke out in his presence *
 and a consuming fire out of his mouth,
so that coals were kindled at it.
9  He bowed the heavens also, and came down *
 and it was dark under his feet.
10  He rode upon the cherubims, and did fly *
 he came flying upon the wings of the wind.
11  He made darkness his secret place *
 his pavilion round about him with dark water,
and thick clouds to cover him.
12  At the brightness of his presence his clouds removed *
 hail-stones, and coals of fire.
13  The Lord also thundered out of heaven,
and the Highest gave his thunder *
 hail-stones, and coals of fire.
14  He sent out his arrows, and scattered them *
 he cast forth lightnings, and destroyed them.
15  The springs of waters were seen,
and the foundations of the round world were discovered,
at thy chiding, O Lord *
 at the blasting of the breath of thy displeasure.
16  He shall send down from on high to fetch me *
 and shall take me out of many waters.
17  He shall deliver me from my strongest enemy,
and from them which hate me *
 for they are too mighty for me.
18  They prevented me in the day of my trouble *
 but the Lord was my upholder.
19  He brought me forth also into a place of liberty *
 he brought me forth, even because he had a favour unto me.
20  The Lord shall reward me after my righteous dealing *
 according to the cleanness of my hands shall he recompense me.
21  Because I have kept the ways of the Lord *
 and have not forsaken my God, as the wicked doth.
22  For I have an eye unto all his laws *
 and will not cast out his commandments from me.
23  I was also uncorrupt before him *
 and eschewed mine own wickedness.
24  Therefore shall the Lord reward me after my righteous dealing *
 and according unto the cleanness of my hands in his eye-sight.
25  With the holy thou shalt be holy *
 and with a perfect man thou shalt be perfect.
26  With the clean thou shalt be clean *
 and with the froward thou shalt learn frowardness.
27  For thou shalt save the people that are in adversity *
 and shalt bring down the high looks of the proud.
28  Thou also shalt light my candle *
 the Lord my God shall make my darkness to be light.
29  For in thee I shall discomfit an host of men *
 and with the help of my God I shall leap over the wall.
30  The way of God is an undefiled way *
 the word of the Lord also is tried in the fire;
he is the defender of all them that put their trust in him.
31  For who is God, but the Lord *
 or who hath any strength, except our God?
32  It is God, that girdeth me with strength of war *
 and maketh my way perfect.
33  He maketh my feet like harts’ feet *
 and setteth me up on high.
34  He teacheth mine hands to fight *
 and mine arms shall break even a bow of steel.
35  Thou hast given me the defence of thy salvation *
 thy right hand also shall hold me up,
and thy loving correction shall make me great.
36  Thou shalt make room enough under me for to go *
 that my footsteps shall not slide.
37  I will follow upon mine enemies, and overtake them *
 neither will I turn again till I have destroyed them.
38  I will smite them, that they shall not be able to stand *
 but fall under my feet.
39  Thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle *
 thou shalt throw down mine enemies under me.
40  Thou hast made mine enemies also to turn their backs upon me *
 and I shall destroy them that hate me.
41  They shall cry, but there shall be none to help them *
 yea, even unto the Lord shall they cry, but he shall not hear them.
42  I will beat them as small as the dust before the wind *
 I will cast them out as the clay in the streets.
43  Thou shalt deliver me from the strivings of the people *
 and thou shalt make me the head of the heathen.
44  A people whom I have not known *
 shall serve me.
45  As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me *
 but the strange children shall dissemble with me.
46  The strange children shall fail *
 and be afraid out of their prisons.
47  The Lord liveth, and blessed be my strong helper *
 and praised be the God of my salvation.
48  Even the God that seeth that I be avenged *
 and subdueth the people unto me.
49  It is he that delivereth me from my cruel enemies,
and setteth me up above mine adversaries *
 thou shalt rid me from the wicked man.
50  For this cause will I give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the Gentiles *
 and sing praises unto thy Name.
51  Great prosperity giveth he unto his King *
 and sheweth loving-kindness unto David his Anointed,
and unto his seed 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 18
(Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm%2018%20Duckett.mp3)
2 I love you, Lord, my strength,
3 my rock, my fortress, my savior.
My God is the rock where I take refuge;
my shield, my mighty help, my stronghold.
4 The Lord is worthy of all praise,
when I call I am saved from my foes.
5 The waves of death rose about me;
the torrents of destruction assailed me;
6 the snares of the grave entangled me;
the traps of death confronted me.
7 In my anguish I called to the Lord;
I cried to God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came to his ears.
8 Then the earth reeled and rocked;
the mountains were shaken to their base:
they reeled at his terrible anger.
9 Smoke came forth from his nostrils
and scorching fire from his mouth:
coals were set ablaze by its heat.
10 He lowered the heavens and came down,
a black cloud under his feet.
11 He came enthroned on the cherubim,
he flew on the wings of the wind.
12 He made the darkness his covering,
the dark waters of the clouds, his tent.
13 A brightness shone out before him
with hailstones and flashes of fire.
14 The Lord thundered in the heavens;
The Most High let his voice be heard.
15 He shot his arrows, scattered the foe,
flashed his lightnings and put them to flight.
16 The bed of the ocean was revealed;
the foundations of the world were laid bare
at the thunder of your threat, O Lord,
at the blast of the breath of your anger.
17 From on high he reached down and seized me;
he drew me forth from the mighty waters.
.18 he snatched me from my powerful foe,
from my enemies whose strength I could not match.
19 They assailed me in the day of my misfortune,
but the Lord was my support.
20 He brought me forth into freedom,
he saved me because he loved me.
21 He rewarded me because I was just,
repaid me, for my hands were clean,
22 for I have kept the way of the Lord,
and have not fallen away from my God.
23 For his judgments are all before me:
I have never neglected his commands.
24 I have always been upright before him;
I have kept myself from guilt.
25 He repaid me because I was just
and my hands were clean in his eyes.
26 You are loving with those who love you:
you show yourself perfect with the perfect.
27 With the sincere you show yourself sincere,
but the cunning you outdo in cunning.
28 For you save a humble people
but humble the eyes that are proud.
29 You, O Lord, are my lamp,
my God who lightens my darkness.
30 With you I can break through any barrier,
with my God I can scale any wall.
31 As for God, his ways are perfect;
the word of the Lord, purest gold.
He indeed is the shield
of all who make him their refuge.
32 For who is God but the Lord?
Who is a rock but our God?
33 the God who girds me with strength
and makes the path safe before me.
34 My feet you make swift as the deer’s;
you have made me stand firm on the heights.
35 You have trained my hands for battle
and my hands to bend the heavy bow.
36 You gave me your saving shield;
you upheld me, trained me with care.
37 You gave me freedom for my steps;
my feet have never slipped.
38 I pursued and overtook my foes,
never turning back till they were slain.
39 I smote them so they could not rise;
they fell beneath my feet.
40 You girded me with strength for battle;
you made my enemies fall beneath me,
41 you made my foes take flight;
those who hated me I destroyed.
42 They cried, but there was no one to save them;
they cried to the Lord, but in vain.
43 I crushed them fine as dust before the wind;
trod them down like dirt in the streets.
44 You saved me from the feuds of the people
and put me at the head of the nations.
People unknown to me served me:
45 when they heard of me they obeyed me.
Foreign nations came to me cringing:
46 foreign nations faded away.
They came trembling out of their strongholds.
47 Long life to the Lord, my rock!
Praised be the God who saves me,
48 the God who gives me redress
and subdues people under me.
49 You saved me from my furious foes.
You set me above my assailants.
You saved me from violent men,
50 so I will praise you, Lord, among the nations:
I will sing a psalm to your name.
51 He has given great victories to his king
and shown his love for his anointed,
for David and his sons for ever.
Glory 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 justice, in Jesus Christ you championed the weak
and befriended outcasts.
Through the shining light of his goodness
you expose hypocrisy.
Give us courage to follow his example,
that we may be faithful disciples
of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen. ^BCW

THE WORD OF GOD

Reading: Jeremiah 52:12-30

In the tenth day of the fifth month, which was the nineteenth year of Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuzaradan commander of the guard came to Jerusalem on behalf of his king. He burned down the Lord’s temple, the royal palace, all the houses of Jerusalem, and all the important buildings. The entire Babylonian army and the commander of the guard destroyed the walls surrounding Jerusalem. Nebuzaradan commander of the guard deported some of the poorest people, the rest of the people left in the city, a few skilled workers, and those who had joined the king of Babylon. But Nebuzaradan commander of the guard left some of the poor to tend the vineyards and till the land.

The Babylonians broke apart the bronze columns, the stands, and the bronze Sea in the Lord’s temple. They carried the bronze to Babylon. They took the pots, the shovels, the wick trimmers, the sprinkling bowls, the incense dishes, and all the bronze equipment used for the temple services. The commander of the guard took whatever gold or silver he could find as well: the small bowls, the fire pans, the sprinkling bowls, the pots, the lampstands, the basins, and the offering bowls. There was too much bronze to be weighed: two columns, the bronze Sea and the twelve bronze bulls that held it up, and the stands, all of which Solomon had made for the Lord’s temple. Each column was about twenty-seven feet high and eighteen feet around. They were hollow, but the bronze was about three inches thick. Each had a capital of bronze above it that towered seven and a half feet high, and each had an ornate design of bronze pomegranates around it. The second column was the same, also with pomegranates. There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides, a total of one hundred pomegranates around the ornate design.

The commander of the guard also took Seraiah the high priest, Zephaniah the deputy priest, and the three doorkeepers. From the city, he took a eunuch who was appointed over the army and the seven royal advisors who remained in the city. He also took the scribe of the commander of the army in charge of military conscription and sixty military personnel who were found in the city. Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. The king of Babylon struck them and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. And Judah went away from its land into exile.

This is the number of people whom Nebuchadnezzar deported: In the seventh year, 3,023 Judeans. In the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar, he took 832 people from Jerusalem. In the twenty-third year of Nebuchadnezzar, he dispatched Nebuzaradan commander of the guard, who deported 745 Judeans. Altogether, 4,600 were taken captive.

HYMN: Psalm 137; para. Calvin Seerveld ©
Tune: Llef https://tinyurl.com/yb7hu9nt

1 Babylon streams received our tears:
Zion, the holy city, gone.
Exiles, we cried beneath the trees.
Harps hung in silence many years.

2 Our captors laughed, “Perform your praise!
Merrily dance, Jerusalem!”
How could we chant the LORD God’s songs
while we were crushed by heathens’ ways?

3 So help us, God, you may destroy
our working hands if we deny
strike our mouths mute if we neglect
to make your city our chief joy.

4 Remember, LORD, the awful day
violent Edom cursed your folk:
“Babylon, break Jerusalem!
Raze to the ground, strip her away!

5 God give you evil for reward.
Blest be the one who brings your fall.
Babylon great your seed be smashed!
Vengeance shall come from God our LORD.

Reading: Hebrews 1:1-14

In the past, God spoke through the prophets to our ancestors in many times and many ways. In these final days, though, he spoke to us through a Son. God made his Son the heir of everything and created the world through him. The Son is the light of God’s glory and the imprint of God’s being. He maintains everything with his powerful message. After he carried out the cleansing of people from their sins, he sat down at the right side of the highest majesty. And the Son became so much greater than the other messengers, such as angels, that he received a more important title than theirs.

After all, when did God ever say to any of the angels:

Or, even,

But then, when he brought his firstborn into the world, he said,

He talks about the angels:

But he says to his Son,

And he says,

When has he ever said to any of the angels,

Aren’t all the angels ministering spirits who are sent to serve those who are going to inherit salvation?

HYMN: George Wallace Briggs ©
Tune: Rex Gloriae https://tinyurl.com/3varb5ap

1 God has spoken by the prophets,
spoken his unchanging Word,
each from age to age proclaiming
God, the one, the righteous Lord.
In the world’s despair and turmoil
one firm anchor holds us fast:
God is King, his throne eternal,
God the first and God the last.

2 God has spoken by Christ Jesus,
Christ, the everlasting Son,
brightness of the Father’s glory,
with the Father ever one;
spoken by the Word incarnate,
God from God, before time was;
Light from Light, to earth descending,
he reveals our God to us.

3 God is speaking by his Spirit,
speaking to our hearts again,
in the ageless Word declaring
his own message, now as then.
Thro’ the rise and fall of nations
one sure faith is standing fast:
God abides, his Word unchanging,
God the first and God the last.

Reading: Matthew 12:15-23

Jesus knew what they intended to do, so he went away from there. Large crowds followed him, and he healed them all. But he ordered them not to spread the word about him, so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled:

They brought to Jesus a demon-possessed man who was blind and unable to speak. Jesus healed him so that he could both speak and see. All the crowds were amazed and said, “This man couldn’t be the Son of David, could he?”

CANTICLE Isaiah 9; Isaiah 40:1-9; 1 John 1
(Dan Schutte: https://tinyurl.com/ybrvb259)

Awake from your slumber! Arise from your sleep!
A new day is dawning for all those who weep
The people in darkness have seen a great light
The Lord of our longing has conquered the night
Refrain:
Let us build the city of God
May our tears be turned into dancing!
For the Lord, our light and our love
Has turned the night into day!

We are sons of the morning; we are daughters of day
The One who has loved us has brightened our way. Refrain

God is light; in him there is no darkness
Let us walk in his light, his children, one and all. Refrain

O comfort my people; make gentle your words
Proclaim to my city the day of her birth. Refrain

THE PRAYERS ^BCW

God of glory, we praise you for your presence in our lives, and for all goodness
that you shower upon your children in Jesus Christ. Especially we thank you for
promises kept and hope for tomorrow . . .
the enjoyment of friends . . .
the wonders of your creation . . .
the love from our parents, our sisters and brothers, our spouses and children . . .
the pleasures of living. . . .

God of grace, we are one with all your children, for we are sisters and brothers
of Jesus Christ, and we offer our prayers for all whom we love.
Especially we pray for
those we too often forget . . .
people who have lost hope . . .
victims of tragedy and disaster . . .
those who suffer mental anguish . . .
ecumenical councils and church agencies. . . .

(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 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.

God, whose kingdom comes
impossibly near:
share with us the authority
that sets others free;
send us on the way
of challenge and conversion;
reveal to us the vision
of hatred falling from its throne
in summer lightning storms;
through Jesus Christ, who empowers us. 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

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^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 version of the psalms is from The Book of Common Prayer (1662). The modern version of the psalms is from The Book of Common Prayer (1979) and are sung 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.