Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/aev9ty64
The sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest for her young:
by your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God.
Blessed are they who dwell in your house,
for ever singing your praise. Psalm 84
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: Patrick Prescod
Tune: https://tinyurl.com/462r4zp3
1 The right hand of God is writing in our land,
Writing with power and with love.
Our conflicts and our fears,
our triumphs and our tears
Are recorded by the right hand of God.
2 The right hand of God is pointing in our land,
Pointing the way we must go.
So clouded is the way,
so easily we stray,
But we’re guided by the right hand of God.
3 The right hand of God is striking in our land,
Striking out at envy, hate and greed.
Our selfishness and lust,
our pride and deeds unjust
Are destroyed by the right hand of God.
4 The right hand of God is lifting in our land,
Lifting the fallen one by one.
Each one is known by name,
and rescued now from shame
By the lifting of the right hand of God.
5 The right hand of God is healing in our land,
Healing broken bodies, minds and souls.
So wond’rous is its touch
with love that means so much,
When we’re healed by the right hand of God.
PSALMS
Psalm 98 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/ybagfe5m)
1 O sing unto the Lord a new song *
for he hath done marvellous things.
2 With his own right hand, and with his holy arm *
hath he gotten himself the victory.
3 The Lord declared his salvation *
his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen.
4 He hath remembered his mercy and truth toward the house of Israel *
and all the ends of the world have seen the salvation of our God.
5 Shew yourselves joyful unto the Lord, all ye lands *
sing, rejoice, and give thanks.
6 Praise the Lord upon the harp *
sing to the harp with a psalm of thanksgiving.
7 With trumpets also, and shawms *
O shew yourselves joyful before the Lord the King.
8 Let the sea make a noise, and all that therein is *
the round world, and they that dwell therein.
9 Let the floods clap their hands,
and let the hills be joyful together before the Lord *
for he is come to judge the earth.
10 With righteousness shall he judge the world *
and the people with equity.
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 99 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/ycxaq7mg)
1 The Lord is King, be the people never so impatient *
he sitteth between the cherubims, be the earth never so unquiet.
2 The Lord is great in Sion *
and high above all people.
3 They shall give thanks unto thy Name *
which is great, wonderful, and holy.
4 The king’s power loveth judgement; thou hast prepared equity *
thou hast executed judgement and righteousness in Jacob.
5 O magnify the Lord our God *
and fall down before his footstool, for he is holy.
6 Moses and Aaron among his priests,
and Samuel among such as call upon his Name *
these called upon the Lord, and he heard them.
7 He spake unto them out of the cloudy pillar *
for they kept his testimonies, and the law that he gave them.
8 Thou heardest them, O Lord our God *
thou forgavest them, O God, and punishedst their own inventions.
9 O magnify the Lord our God, and worship him upon his holy hill *
for the Lord our God is holy.
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 100 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/ycklx9gf)
1 O be joyful in the Lord, all ye lands *
serve the Lord with gladness, and come before his presence with a song.
2 Be ye sure that the Lord he is God *
it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
3 O go your way into his gates with thanksgiving,
and into his courts with praise *
be thankful unto him, and speak good of his Name.
4 For the Lord is gracious, his mercy is everlasting *
and his truth endureth from generation to generation.
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 101 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y7mv7duf)
1 My song shall be of mercy and judgement *
unto thee, O Lord, will I sing.
2 O let me have understanding *
in the way of godliness.
3 When wilt thou come unto me *
I will walk in my house with a perfect heart.
4 I will take no wicked thing in hand; I hate the sins of unfaithfulness *
there shall no such cleave unto me.
5 A froward heart shall depart from me *
I will not know a wicked person.
6 Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour *
him will I destroy.
7 Whoso hath also a proud look and high stomach *
I will not suffer him.
8 Mine eyes look upon such as are faithful in the land *
that they may dwell with me.
9 Whoso leadeth a godly life *
he shall be my servant.
10 There shall no deceitful person dwell in my house *
he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight.
11 I shall soon destroy all the ungodly that are in the land *
that I may root out all wicked doers from the city of the Lord.
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 98 (LSB Tone F: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-98-LSB.mp3)
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! For he has done marvelous things;
his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.
2 The Lord has made known his salvation;
he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
3 He has remembered his steadfast love
and faithfulness to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
4 Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth;
break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
5 Sing to the Lord with the lyre,
with the lyre and the sound of melody!
6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn;
make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord!.
7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it,
the world and those who dwell in it!
8 Let the rivers clap their hands;
let the hills sing for joy together before the Lord,
9 For he will judge the world with righteousness,
and the peoples with equity.
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 99 (LSB Tone F: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-99-LSB.mp3)
1 The Lord reigns; let the peoples tremble!
He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!
2 The Lord is great in Zion,
he is exalted over all the peoples.
3 Let them praise your great and awesome name!
Holy. is he!
4 The king in his might loves justice;
you have established equity;
you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.
5 Exalt the Lord our God, worship at His footstool!
Holy is he!
6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
Samuel also was among those who called upon his name.
They called to the Lord, and he answered them.
7 In the pillar of the cloud he spoke to them;
they kept his testimonies and the statute that he gave them.
8 O Lord our God, you answered them;
you were a forgiving God to them, but an avenger of their wrong-doing.
9 Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain;
for the Lord our God is holy!
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 100 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-100.mp3)
1 Be joyful in the LORD, all you lands; *
serve the LORD with gladness
and come before his presence with a song.
2 Know this: The LORD himself is God; *
he himself has made us, and we are his;
we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.
3 Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise; *
give thanks to him and call upon his Name.
4 For the LORD is good;
his mercy is everlasting; *
and his faithfulness endures from age to age.
Psalm 101 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-101.mp3)
1 I will sing of mercy and justice; *
to you, O LORD, will I sing praises.
2 I will strive to follow a blameless course;
oh, when will you come to me? *
I will walk with sincerity of heart within my house.
3 I will set no worthless thing before my eyes; *
I hate the doers of evil deeds;
they shall not remain with me.
4 A crooked heart shall be far from me; *
I will not know evil.
5 Those who in secret slander their neighbors I will destroy; *
those who have a haughty look and a proud
heart I cannot abide.
6 My eyes are upon the faithful in the land, that they may
dwell with me, *
and only those who lead a blameless life shall
be my servants.
7 Those who act deceitfully shall not dwell in my house, *
and those who tell lies shall not continue in my sight.
8 I will soon destroy all the wicked in the land, *
that I may root out all evildoers from the city of the LORD.
PRAYER
Holy God,
you are exalted over all the nations,
and just in all your ways.
Strengthen us to worship you with our deeds
and to proclaim your greatness with our lips,
for the glory of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. BCW
THE WORD OF GOD
Reading: Daniel 5:1-12
King Belshazzar threw a huge party for a thousand of his princes, and he drank a lot of wine in front of them. While he was under the wine’s influence, Belshazzar commanded that the gold and silver equipment that his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from Jerusalem’s temple be brought to the party so that the king, his princes, his consorts, and his secondary wives could drink wine out of them. So the gold equipment that had been carried out of the temple, God’s house in Jerusalem, was brought in; and the king, his princes, his consorts, and his secondary wives drank out of it. They drank a lot of wine; and they praised the gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.
Right then the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the king’s palace wall in the light of the lamp. The king saw the hand that wrote. The king’s mood changed immediately, and he was deeply disturbed. He felt weak, and his knees were shaking. The king yelled, calling for the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the diviners.
The king told these sages of Babylon: “Anyone who can read this writing and tell me its meaning will wear royal robes, will have a gold chain around his neck, and will rule the kingdom as third in command.”
Then all the king’s sages arrived, but they couldn’t read the writing or interpret it for the king. At that point King Belshazzar was really frightened. All the color drained from his face, and his princes were also very worried.
Upon hearing the commotion coming from the king and his princes, the queen entered the banqueting hall and declared, “Long live the king! Don’t be so disturbed. Don’t be so frightened. There is a man in your kingdom who has the breath of holy gods in him! When your father was alive, this man was shown to possess illumination, insight, and wisdom like the very wisdom of the gods. Your father King Nebuchadnezzar appointed this man as chief over the dream interpreters, enchanters, Chaldeans, and diviners. Yes, your father did this because this man—Daniel, the one the king named Belteshazzar—possesses an extraordinary spirit, knowledge, and insight into the meaning of dreams. He can explain ambiguities and resolve mysteries. Now in light of all that, summon Daniel! He will explain the meaning of this thing.”
HYMN: Psalm 115; para. Psalter, 1912, alt.
Tune: Old 112th https://tinyurl.com/4wv9yjub
1 Not unto us, O LORD of heaven,
but unto you be glory given;
in love and truth you do fulfill
the counsels of your sovereign will.
Though nations fail your power to own,
you are the King you reign alone.
2 The idol gods of heathen lands
are but the work of human hands:
they cannot see, they cannot speak,
their ears are deaf, their hands are weak.
Like them shall be all those who hold
to gods of silver and of gold.
3 O Israel, trust in God alone,
the LORD, whose grace and power are known;
to him your full allegiance yield,
and he will be your help and shield.
All those who fear him God will bless;
his saints have proved his faithfulness.
4 All you that fear him and adore,
the LORD increase you more and more;
both great and small who God confess,
you and your children he will bless.
You all are blest by him who made
the heavens and earth’s foundations laid.
5 The heavens are God’s since time began,
but he has given the earth to man.
The dead praise not the living God,
but we will sound his praise abroad.
Yes, we will ever bless his name;
O praise the LORD, his praise proclaim.
Reading: Hebrews 9:1-14
So then the first covenant had regulations for the priests’ service and the holy place on earth. They pitched the first tent called the holy place. It contained the lampstand, the table, and the loaves of bread presented to God. There was a tent behind the second curtain called the holy of holies. It had the gold altar for incense and the chest containing the covenant, which was covered with gold on all sides. In the chest there was a gold jar containing manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. Above the chest there were magnificent winged creatures casting their shadow over the seat of the chest, where sin is taken care of. Right now we can’t talk about these things in detail. When these things have been prepared in this way, priests enter the first tent all the time as they perform their service. But only the high priest enters the second tent once a year. He never does this without blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins the people committed in ignorance. With this, the Holy Spirit is showing that the way into the holy place hadn’t been revealed yet while the first tent was standing. This is a symbol for the present time. It shows that the gifts and sacrifices that are being offered can’t perfect the conscience of the one who is serving. These are superficial regulations that are only about food, drink, and various ritual ways to wash with water. They are regulations that have been imposed until the time of the new order.
But Christ has appeared as the high priest of the good things that have happened. He passed through the greater and more perfect meeting tent, which isn’t made by human hands (that is, it’s not a part of this world). He entered the holy of holies once for all by his own blood, not by the blood of goats or calves, securing our deliverance for all time. If the blood of goats and bulls and the sprinkled ashes of cows made spiritually contaminated people holy and clean, how much more will the blood of Jesus wash our consciences clean from dead works in order to serve the living God? He offered himself to God through the eternal Spirit as a sacrifice without any flaw.
HYMN: William Chatterton Dix
Tune: Alleluia (Wesley) https://tinyurl.com/2d8a2kks
1 Alleluia, sing to Jesus!
His the sceptre, his the throne;
alleluia, his the triumph,
his the victory alone:
hark, the songs of peaceful Sion
thunder like a mighty flood;
Jesus out of every nation
hath redeemed us by his blood.
2 Alleluia, bread of angels,
thou on earth our food, our stay;
alleluia, here the sinful
flee to thee from day to day:
Intercessor, Friend of sinners,
earth’s Redeemer, plead for me,
where the songs of all the sinless
sweep across the crystal sea.
3 Alleluia, not as orphans
are we left in sorrow now;
alleluia, he is near us,
faith believes, nor questions how:
though the cloud from sight received him,
when the forty days were o’er,
shall our hearts forget his promise,
‘I am with you evermore’?
Reading: Matthew 13:54-58
When Jesus came to his hometown, he taught the people in their synagogue. They were surprised and said, “Where did he get this wisdom? Where did he get the power to work miracles? Isn’t he the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother named Mary? Aren’t James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas his brothers? And his sisters, aren’t they here with us? Where did this man get all this?” They were repulsed by him and fell into sin. But Jesus said to them, “Prophets are honored everywhere except in their own hometowns and in their own households.” He was unable to do many miracles there because of their disbelief.
CANTICLE Colossians 1:12-20
(Chant by John Michael Talbot https://tinyurl.com/ya95yzto)
Ant. He is the first born of all creation,
in every way the primacy is his.
Let us give thanks to the Father
for having made you worthy
to share the lot of the saints in light.
He rescued us from the power of darkness
and brought us into the kingdom of his beloved Son.
Through him we have redemption,
the forgiveness of our sins.
He is the image of the invisible God,
the first-born of all creatures.
In him everything in heaven and on earth was created,
things visible and invisible.
All were created through him; all were created for him.
He is before all else that is.
In him everything continues in being.
It is he who is head of the body, the church!
He who is the beginning, the first-born of the dead,
so that primacy may be his in everything.
It pleased God to make absolute fullness reside in him
and, by means of him, to reconcile everything in his person,
both on earth and in the heavens,
making peace through the blood of his cross.
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 BCW
Eternal God, we rejoice today in the gift of life, which we have received
by your grace, and the new life you give in Jesus Christ.
Especially we thank you for
the love of our families . . .
the affection of our friends . . .
strength and abilities to serve your purpose today . . .
this community in which we live . . .
opportunities to give as we have received. . . .
God of grace, we offer our prayers for the needs of others and commit ourselves
to serve them even as we have been served in Jesus Christ. Especially we pray for
those closest to us, families, friends, neighbors . . .
refugees and homeless men, women and children . . .
the outcast and persecuted . . .
those from whom we are estranged . . .
the church in Africa. . . .
(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 it is 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.
Guardian of the weak,
through the teachings of your prophets
you have claimed our cities, towns, and homes
as temples of your presence and citadels of your justice.
Turn the places we live into strongholds of your grace,
that the most vulnerable
as well as the most powerful among us
may find peace in the security
that comes in the strong name of Jesus Christ. Amen. RCLP
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.
DL © Daniel Lawson; used with permission.
RCLP Revised Common Lectionary Prayers. © 2002 Consultation on Common Texts admin. Augsburg Fortress.
The main scripture readings are © 2011 Common English Bible.
The traditional-language psalms are from The Book of Common Prayer (1662). The modern versions of Psalms 100 and 101 are from The Book of Common Prayer (1979) and are chanted by Ryland Angel. The modern versions of Psalms 98 and 99 are from Lutheran Service Book and are from 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.
Oremus 