Philip the Evangelist
Philip, who has been traditionally referred to as a Deacon and an Evangelist, was one of seven honest men appointed, some sources say ordained, by the apostles to distribute bread and alms to the widows and the poor in Jerusalem. After the martyrdom of Stephen, Philip went to Samaria to preach the gospel. In his travels south to Gaza he encountered an Ethiopian eunuch, a servant of the Ethiopian queen, reading the Isaiah text on the Suffering Servant. They traveled together, and in the course of their journey the Ethiopian was converted and baptized by Philip. Subsequently, Philip traveled as a missionary from Ashdod northwards and settled in Caesarea. It was in Caesarea that he hosted St. Paul. HWHM
Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/4xhpruzx
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: Jesse Manibusan ©
Tune: https://tinyurl.com/um2685ze
All are welcome in this place
Behold Love’s amazing grace
All are welcome! All are welcome!
Bring your hopes, bring your dreams.
Mercy flows and love redeems!
All are welcome! All belong!
1. Welcome all the brokenhearted,
All who sorrow and despair.
You are not alone
For you are God’s own!
Together, we sing and we proclaim! (REFRAIN)
2. Welcome all who suffer violence
All who long for safety and for peace
You are not alone
For you are God’s own!
Together, we sing and we proclaim! (REFRAIN)
3. Welcome all who are forgotten,
Excluded and dignity denied.
You are not alone
For you are God’s own!
Together, we sing and we proclaim! (REFRAIN)
4. Welcome all who work for justice,
Bringing hope, charity, and peace.
You are not alone
For you are God’s own!
Together, we sing and we proclaim! (REFRAIN)
PSALMS
Psalm 59 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y7xjmm3n)
1 Deliver me from mine enemies, O God *
defend me from them that rise up against me.
2 O deliver me from the wicked doers *
and save me from the blood-thirsty men.
3 For lo, they lie waiting for my soul *
the mighty men are gathered against me,
without any offence or fault of me, O Lord.
4 They run and prepare themselves without my fault *
arise thou therefore to help me, and behold.
5 Stand up, O Lord God of hosts, thou God of Israel,
to visit all the heathen *
and be not merciful unto them that offend of malicious wickedness.
6 They go to and fro in the evening *
they grin like a dog, and run about through the city.
7 Behold, they speak with their mouth, and swords are in their lips *
for who doth hear?
8 But thou, O Lord, shalt have them in derision *
and thou shalt laugh all the heathen to scorn.
9 My strength will I ascribe unto thee *
for thou art the God of my refuge.
10 God sheweth me his goodness plenteously *
and God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies.
11 Slay them not, lest my people forget it *
but scatter them abroad among the people,
and put them down, O Lord, our defence.
12 For the sin of their mouth, and for the words of their lips,
they shall be taken in their pride *
and why? their preaching is of cursing and lies.
13 Consume them in thy wrath, consume them, that they may perish *
and know that it is God that ruleth in Jacob,
and unto the ends of the world.
14 And in the evening they will return *
grin like a dog, and will go about the city.
15 They will run here and there for meat *
and grudge if they be not satisfied.
16 As for me, I will sing of thy power,
and will praise thy mercy betimes in the morning *
for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble.
17 Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing *
for thou, O God, art my refuge, and my merciful 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 60 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/yaj9c4se)
1 O God, thou hast cast us out, and scattered us abroad *
thou hast also been displeased; O turn thee unto us again.
2 Thou hast moved the land, and divided it *
heal the sores thereof, for it shaketh.
3 Thou hast shewed thy people heavy things *
thou hast given us a drink of deadly wine.
4 Thou hast given a token for such as fear thee *
that they may triumph because of the truth.
5 Therefore were thy beloved delivered *
help me with thy right hand, and hear me.
6 God hath spoken in his holiness, I will rejoice, and divide Sichem *
and mete out the valley of Succoth.
7 Gilead is mine, and Manasses is mine *
Ephraim also is the strength of my head; Judah is my law-giver;
8 Moab is my wash-pot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe *
Philistia, be thou glad of me.
9 Who will lead me into the strong city *
who will bring me into Edom?
10 Hast not thou cast us out, O God *
wilt not thou, O God, go out with our hosts?
11 O be thou our help in trouble *
for vain is the help of man.
12 Through God will we do great acts *
for it is he that shall tread down our enemies.
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 61 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/ycmkl8hs)
1 Hear my crying, O God *
give ear unto my prayer.
2 From the ends of the earth will I call upon thee *
when my heart is in heaviness.
3 O set me up upon the rock that is higher than I *
for thou hast been my hope,
and a strong tower for me against the enemy.
4 I will dwell in thy tabernacle for ever *
and my trust shall be under the covering of thy wings.
5 For thou, O Lord, hast heard my desires *
and hast given an heritage unto those that fear thy Name.
6 Thou shalt grant the King a long life *
that his years may endure throughout all generations.
7 He shall dwell before God for ever *
O prepare thy loving mercy and faithfulness, that they may preserve him.
8 So will I alway sing praise unto thy Name *
that I may daily perform my vows.
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 59
(Karl Kohlhase: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-59-Kohlhase.mp3)
Deliver me from my enemies, O God;
protect me from those who rise up against me
Deliver me from those who work evil,
and save me from bloodthirsty men
See them lying there in wait for my life;
fierce men who are joining themselves against me
For no trespass or sin of mine, O LORD;
for no fault of mine they run and make ready
Refrain:
O my strength, I will sing praise to you,
for you, O God, are my fortress
Yes my God will meet me in his steadfast love,
and let me look with triumph on my foes
Arouse yourself, come to help, and see;
LORD God Hosts, God of Israel
And awake to punish all the nations;
spare none who make treacherous plans
Every evening they come howling like wolves,
prowling about through the city
There they are barking with their mouths,
snarling with their lips, “Who will hear us?” (Refrain)
Slay them not, lest my people forget;
make them totter and fall by your might, Lord our Shield
For the sin of their mouths, the words of their lips,
let them be thereby caught in their pride
For the cursing and the lies which they utter,
consume them in wrath ‘til they are no more
That men know that God rules o’er Jacob,
to the ends of the earth. Selah. (Refrain)
Every evening they come howling like wolves,
prowling about through the city
They roam about scavenging for food,
and growl when they don’t get their fill
But I will sing of your might, O Lord;
and of your steadfast love in the morning
For you have been a fortress to me,
and a refuge in the day of my distress (Refrain)
Psalm 60
(Karl Kohlhase: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-60-Kohlhase.mp3)
Refrain: With God we shall do valiantly;
He will trample down our enemies;
with God we shall do valiantly
You have rejected us, broken down our defenses;
You had been angry, Oh but now restore us
You made the earth quake and tear; heal it for it totters
Your people have suffered hardship,
the wine you gave us made us stagger
You set a banner for those who fear You,
to rally to it from the bow
That your beloved may be delivered,
Give victory by your right hand (Refrain)
For God has spoken from his sanctuary
“Gladly I divide Shechem, and portion out the Vale of Succoth
Gilead is mine; Manasseh, too, is mine
Ephraim is my helmet, and Judah is my scepter
Moab is my washbasin, upon Edom I cast my shoe
Over Philistia I shout in triumph (Refrain)
Who’ll bring me to the strong city, and lead me into Edom
If you, O God, reject us and will not go with our armies
O grant us your saving help, against the enemy
Because the help of man, is to no avail (Refrain x 2)
Psalm 61 (Coptic: https://tinyurl.com/453bkxwz)
Hear, O God, my petition;
attend to my prayer.
From the ends of the earth I have cried to you,
when my heart was in trouble:
You elevated me up on a rock, you guided me:
You became a hope, a tower of power
from the face of an enemy.
I shall dwell in your dwelling place forever;
I shall be sheltered under the shadow of Your wings.
For you, O God, have heard my prayers;
You have given an inheritance to those who fear your name.
Days upon days of the king,
You shall lengthen his years to all generations.
He shall endure forever before God.
As for his mercy and truth, who will be able to seek them out?
So I will sing to your name forever and ever,
that I may perform my vows day by day.
ALLELUIA.
PRAYER
God of power,
deliver us from evil
and confirm our trust in you,
that at dusk we may sing of your justice
and at dawn exult in your mercy;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. BCW
THE WORD OF GOD
Reading: Daniel 2:1-16
In the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s rule, he had many dreams. The dreams made him anxious, but he kept sleeping. The king summoned the dream interpreters, enchanters, diviners, and Chaldeans to explain his dreams to him. They came and stood before the king.
Then the king said to them: “I had a dream, and I’m anxious to know its meaning.”
The Chaldeans answered the king in Aramaic: “Long live the king! Tell your servants the dream, and we will explain its meaning.”
The king answered the Chaldeans: “My decision is final: If you can’t tell me the dream and its meaning, you will be torn limb from limb, and your houses will be turned into trash dumps. But if you do explain the dream and its meaning, you’ll receive generous gifts and glorious honor from me. So explain to me the dream as well as its meaning.”
They answered him again: “The king must tell his servants the dream. We will then explain the meaning.”
The king replied: “Now I definitely know you are stalling for time, because you see that my decision is final and that if you can’t tell me the dream, your fate is certain. You’ve conspired to make false and lying speeches before me until the situation changes. Tell me the dream now! Then I’ll know you can explain its meaning to me.”
The Chaldeans answered the king: “No one on earth can do what the king is asking! No king or ruler, no matter how great, has ever asked such a thing of any dream interpreter, enchanter, or Chaldean. What the king is asking is impossible! No one could declare the dream to the king but the gods, who don’t live among mere humans.”
At this, the king exploded in a furious rage and ordered that all Babylon’s sages be wiped out. So the command went out: The sages were to be killed. Daniel and his friends too were hunted down; they were to be killed as well.
Then Daniel, with wisdom and sound judgment, responded to Arioch the king’s chief executioner, who had gone out to kill Babylon’s sages. He said to Arioch the king’s royal officer, “Why is the king’s command so unreasonable?” After Arioch explained the situation to Daniel, Daniel went and asked the king to give him some time so he could explain the dream’s meaning to him.
HYMN: Timothy Dudley-Smith ©
Tune: Marlborough Street https://tinyurl.com/48fd47xj
1 Beyond all mortal praise
God’s name be ever blest,
unsearchable his ways,
his glory manifest;
from his high throne
in power and might
by wisdom’s light
he rules alone.
2 Our times are in his hand
to whom all flesh is grass,
while as their Maker planned
the changing seasons pass.
He orders all:
before his eyes
earth’s empires rise,
her kingdoms fall.
3 He gives to humankind,
dividing as he will,
all powers of heart and mind,
of spirit, strength and skill:
nor dark nor night
but must lay bare
its secrets, where
he dwells in light.
4 To God the only Lord,
our fathers’ God, be praise;
his holy name adored
through everlasting days.
His mercies trace
in answered prayer,
in love and care,
and gifts of grace.
Reading: Acts 8:26-40
An angel from the Lord spoke to Philip, “At noon, take the road that leads from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a desert road.) So he did. Meanwhile, an Ethiopian man was on his way home from Jerusalem, where he had come to worship. He was a eunuch and an official responsible for the entire treasury of Candace. (Candace is the title given to the Ethiopian queen.) He was reading the prophet Isaiah while sitting in his carriage. The Spirit told Philip, “Approach this carriage and stay with it.”
Running up to the carriage, Philip heard the man reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, “Do you really understand what you are reading?”
The man replied, “Without someone to guide me, how could I?” Then he invited Philip to climb up and sit with him. This was the passage of scripture he was reading:
Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter
and like a lamb before its shearer is silent
so he didn’t open his mouth.
In his humiliation justice was taken away from him.
Who can tell the story of his descendants
because his life was taken from the earth?
The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, about whom does the prophet say this? Is he talking about himself or someone else?” Starting with that passage, Philip proclaimed the good news about Jesus to him. As they went down the road, they came to some water.
The eunuch said, “Look! Water! What would keep me from being baptized?” He ordered that the carriage halt. Both Philip and the eunuch went down to the water, where Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Lord’s Spirit suddenly took Philip away. The eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing. Philip found himself in Azotus. He traveled through that area, preaching the good news in all the cities until he reached Caesarea.
HYMN: John S.B. Monsell
Tune: Hermas 1 On our way rejoicing, As we homeward move,
Hearken to our praises, O Thou God of love!
Is there grief or sadness? Thine it cannot be!
Is our sky beclouded? Clouds are not from Thee!
2 If with honest-hearted love for God and man,
Day by day Thou find us doing what we can,
Thou Who giv’st the seed-time wilt give large increase,
Crown the head with blessings, fill the heart with peace.
3 On our way rejoicing gladly let us go;
Conquered hath our Leader, vanquished is our foe!
Christ without, our safety, Christ within, our joy;
Who, if we be faithful, can our hope destroy?
4 Unto God the Father joyful songs we sing;
Unto God the Saviour thankful hearts we bring;
Unto God the Spirit bow we and adore,
On our way rejoicing now and evermore!
Reading: Matthew 13:10-17
Jesus’ disciples came and said to him, “Why do you use parables when you speak to the crowds?”
Jesus replied, “Because they haven’t received the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but you have. For those who have will receive more and they will have more than enough. But as for those who don’t have, even the little they have will be taken away from them. This is why I speak to the crowds in parables: although they see, they don’t really see; and although they hear, they don’t really hear or understand. What Isaiah prophesied has become completely true for them:
You will hear, to be sure, but never understand;
and you will certainly see but never recognize what you are seeing.
For this people’s senses have become calloused,
and they’ve become hard of hearing,
and they’ve shut their eyes
so that they won’t see with their eyes
or hear with their ears
or understand with their minds,
and change their hearts and lives that I may heal them.
“Happy are your eyes because they see. Happy are your ears because they hear. I assure you that many prophets and righteous people wanted to see what you see and hear what you hear, but they didn’t.”
CANTICLE Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55)
(Andrew Rottner: https://tinyurl.com/ybqv7yxk)
He who is mighty, has shown great strength to me
And his mercy is for those who fear his holy name
And he has shown strength with his arm and his law
And he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He who is mighty has brought the wicked shame
And his anger is for those who curse his holy name
And he has shown rage with the mighty in their thrones
And he has lifted the low into his glorious home
O my soul magnifies the Lord,
Yes my soul magnifies the Lord.
He who is mighty has not forgotten me
And his helping is for those to serve his holy name
He has shown remembrance with his servant Israel
And he spoke the promise from which all my doubts dispel
O my soul magnifies the Lord,
Yes my soul magnifies the Lord.
O my soul magnifies the Lord,
Yes my soul magnifies the Lord.
THE PRAYERS PWC
O God of our salvation, guard and direct your church
in the way of unity, service and praise.
God our strength, hear our prayer.
Give to all nations an awareness of the unity of the human family.
God our strength, hear our prayer.
Cleanse our hearts of prejudice and selfishness,
and inspire us to hunger and thirst for what is right.
God our strength, hear our prayer.
Teach us to use your creation for your greater praise
so that all may share the good things you provide.
God our strength, hear our prayer.
Strengthen all who give their energy or skill
for the healing of those who are sick in body or in mind.
God our strength, hear our prayer.
Set free all who are bound by fear and despair.
God our strength, hear our prayer.
Grant a peaceful end and eternal rest to all who are dying
and your comfort to those who mourn.
God our strength, hear our prayer.
(Traditional chant: http://oremus.org/chant/LP-1940.mp3)
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.
Holy God, no one is excluded from your love, and your truth transforms the minds of all who seek you: As your servant Philip was led to embrace the fullness of your salvation and to bring the stranger to Baptism, so give us all the grace to be heralds of the Gospel, proclaiming your love in Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for 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
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BCW Book of Common Worship, Presbyterian Church U.S.A., 1993.
PWC PRAY WITHOUT CEASING: Morning and Evening Prayer for the Seasons of the Church Year Prepared by The Rev’d Dr Richard Geoffrey Leggett on behalf of The Liturgy Task Force of the Anglican Church of Canada, May 2016.
HWHM Holy Women, Holy Men © 2010 The Church Pension Fund.
The three main scripture readings are © 2011 Common English Bible.
The traditional language psalms are from The Book of Common Prayer (1662). Psalms 59 and 60 are in the versions sung by Karl Kohlhase https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpnf6eoqQUh2xZ3_4C7dmiA; Psalm 61 is the version sung in the Coptic Orthodox Church.
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.
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