Oremus for Monday, November 7, 2022

Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/n3y7n23f

There is one thing I ask of the Lord, only this do I seek:
to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. Psalm 27

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: Elizabeth Cecilia Clephane
Tune: https://tinyurl.com/bdh9khr9

1 There were ninety and nine that safely lay
in the shelter of the fold,
but one was out on the hills away,
far off from the gates of gold —
away on the mountains wild and bare,
away from the tender Shepherd’s care,
away from the tender Shepherd’s care.

2 “Lord, thou hast here thy ninety and nine;
are they not enough for thee?”
But the Shepherd made answer:
“This of mine has wandered away from me,
and although the road be rough and steep,
I go to the desert to find my sheep,
I go to the desert to find my sheep.”

3 But none of the ransomed ever knew
how deep were the waters crossed;
nor how dark was the night that the Lord passed thro’
ere he found his sheep that was lost.
Out in the desert he heard its cry —
sick and helpless, and ready to die,
sick and helpless, and ready to die.

4 “Lord, whence are those blood-drops all the way
that mark out the mountain’s track?”
“They were shed for one who had gone astray
ere the Shepherd could bring him back.”
“Lord, whence are thy hands so rent and torn?”
“They’re pierced tonight by many a thorn,
they’re pierced tonight by many a thorn.”

5 But all thro’ the mountains, thunder-riv’n,
and up from the rocky steep,
there arose a glad cry to the gate of heav’n,
“Rejoice! I have found my sheep!”
And the angels echoed around the throne,
“Rejoice, for the Lord brings back his own!
Rejoice, for the Lord brings back his own!”

PSALMS

Psalm 35 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y8onefhr)
1  Plead thou my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with me *
 and fight thou against them that fight against me.
2  Lay hand upon the shield and buckler *
 and stand up to help me.
3  Bring forth the spear, and stop the way
against them that persecute me *
 say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.
4  Let them be confounded, and put to shame, that seek after my soul *
 let them be turned back, and brought to confusion,
that imagine mischief for me.
5  Let them be as the dust before the wind *
 and the angel of the Lord scattering them.
6  Let their way be dark and slippery *
 and let the angel of the Lord persecute them.
7  For they have privily laid their net to destroy me without a cause *
 yea, even without a cause have they made a pit for my soul.
8  Let a sudden destruction come upon him unawares,
and his net, that he hath laid privily, catch himself *
 that he may fall into his own mischief.
9  And, my soul, be joyful in the Lord *
 it shall rejoice in his salvation.
10  All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto thee,
who deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him *
 yea, the poor, and him that is in misery, from him that spoileth him?
11  False witnesses did rise up *
 they laid to my charge things that I knew not.
12  They rewarded me evil for good *
 to the great discomfort of my soul.
13  Nevertheless, when they were sick, I put on sackcloth,
and humbled my soul with fasting *
 and my prayer shall turn into mine own bosom.
14  I behaved myself as though it had been my friend, or my brother *
 I went heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother.
15  But in mine adversity they rejoiced,
and gathered themselves together *
 yea, the very abjects came together against me unawares,
making mouths at me, and ceased not.
16  With the flatterers were busy mockers *
 who gnashed upon me with their teeth.
17  Lord, how long wilt thou look upon this *
 O deliver my soul from the calamities which they bring on me,
and my darling from the lions.
18  So will I give thee thanks in the great congregation *
 I will praise thee among much people.
19  O let not them that are mine enemies triumph over me ungodly *
 neither let them wink with their eyes that hate me without a cause.
20  And why? their communing is not for peace *
 but they imagine deceitful words against them that are quiet in the land.
21  They gaped upon me with their mouths, and said *
 Fie on thee, fie on thee, we saw it with our eyes.
22  This thou hast seen, O Lord *
 hold not thy tongue then, go not far from me, O Lord.
23  Awake, and stand up to judge my quarrel *
 avenge thou my cause, my God, and my Lord.
24  Judge me, O Lord my God, according to thy righteousness *
 and let them not triumph over me.
25  Let them not say in their hearts, There, there, so would we have it *
 neither let them say, We have devoured him.
26  Let them be put to confusion and shame together,
that rejoice at my trouble *
 let them be clothed with rebuke and dishonour,
that boast themselves against me.
27  Let them be glad and rejoice, that favour my righteous dealing *
 yea, let them say alway, Blessed be the Lord,
who hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
28  And as for my tongue, it shall be talking of thy righteousness *
 and of thy praise all the day long.
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 36 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y82f3wv5)
1  My heart sheweth me the wickedness of the ungodly *
 that there is no fear of God before his eyes.
2  For he flattereth himself in his own sight *
 until his abominable sin be found out.
3  The words of his mouth are unrighteous, and full of deceit *
 he hath left off to behave himself wisely, and to do good.
4  He imagineth mischief upon his bed,
and hath set himself in no good way *
 neither doth he abhor any thing that is evil.
5  Thy mercy, O Lord, reacheth unto the heavens *
 and thy faithfulness unto the clouds.
6  Thy righteousness standeth like the strong mountains *
 thy judgements are like the great deep.
7  Thou, Lord, shalt save both man and beast;
How excellent is thy mercy, O God *
 and the children of men shall put their trust
under the shadow of thy wings.
8  They shall be satisfied with the plenteousness of thy house *
 and thou shalt give them drink of thy pleasures, as out of the river.
9  For with thee is the well of life *
 and in thy light shall we see light.
10  O continue forth thy loving-kindness unto them that know thee *
 and thy righteousness unto them that are true of heart.
11  O let not the foot of pride come against me *
 and let not the hand of the ungodly cast me down.
12  There are they fallen, all that work wickedness *
 they are cast down, and shall not be able to stand.
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 35 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-35-MH.mp3)
1 O Lord, plead my cause against my foes;
fight those who fight me.
2 Take up your buckler and shield;
arise to help me.
3 Take up the javelin and the spear
against those who pursue me.
O Lord, say to my soul:
“I am your salvation.”
4 Let those who seek my life
be shamed and disgraced.
Let those who plan evil against me
be routed in confusion.
5 Let them be like chaff before the wind;
let God’s angel scatter them.
6 Let their path be slippery and dark;
let God’s angel pursue them.
7 They have hidden a net for me wantonly;
they have dug a pit.
8 Let ruin fall upon them
and take them by surprise.
Let them be caught in the net they have hidden;
let them fall into their pit.
9 But my soul shall be joyful in the Lord
and rejoice in his salvation.
10 My whole being will say:
“Lord, who is like you
who rescue the weak from the strong
and the poor from the oppressor?”
11 Lying witnesses arise
and accuse me unjustly.
12 They repay me evil for good;
my soul is forlorn.
13 When they were sick I went into mourning,
afflicted with fasting.
My prayer was ever on my lips,
14 as for a brother, a friend.
I went as though mourning a mother,
bowed down with grief.
15 Now that I am in trouble they gather,
they gather and mock me.
They take me by surprise and strike me
and tear me to pieces.
16 They provoke me with mockery on mockery
and gnash their teeth.
17 O Lord, how long will you look on?
Come to my rescue!
Save my life from these raging beasts,
my soul from these lions.
18 I will thank you in the great assembly,
amid the throng I will praise you.
19 Do not let my lying foes
rejoice over me.
Do not let those who hate me unjustly
wink eyes at each other.
20 They wish no peace to the peaceful
who live in the land.
They make deceitful plots
21 and with mouths wide open
their cry against me is: “Yes!”
We saw you do it!”
22 O Lord, you have seen, do not be silent,
do not stand afar off!
23 Awake, stir to my defense,
to my cause, O God!
24 Vindicate me, Lord, in your justice,
do not let them rejoice.
25 Do not let them think: “Yes, we have won,
we have brought you to an end!”
26 Let them be shamed and brought to disgrace
who rejoice at my misfortune.
Let them be covered with shame and confusion
who raise themselves against me.
27 Let there be joy for those who love my cause.
Let them say without end:
“Great is the Lord who delights
in the peace of his servant.”
28 Then my tongue shall speak of your justice,
and all day long of your praise.

Psalm 36 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-36.mp3)
1 There is a voice of rebellion deep in the heart of the wicked; *
there is no fear of God before his eyes.
2 He flatters himself in his own eyes *
that his hateful sin will not be found out.
3 The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful; *
he has left off acting wisely and doing good.
4 He thinks up wickedness upon his bed
and has set himself in no good way; *
he does not abhor that which is evil.
5 Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, *
and your faithfulness to the clouds.
6 Your righteousness is like the strong mountains,
your justice like the great deep; *
you save both man and beast, O LORD.
7 How priceless is your love, O God! *
your people take refuge under the
 shadow of your wings.
8 They feast upon the abundance of your house; *
you give them drink from the river of your delights.
9 For with you is the well of life, *
and in your light we see light.
10 Continue your loving-kindness to those who know you, *
and your favor to those who are true of heart.
11 Let not the foot of the proud come near me, *
nor the hand of the wicked push me aside.
12 See how they are fallen, those who work wickedness! *
they are cast down and shall not be able to rise.

PRAYER

Loving God,
glorious in giving and restoring life,
do not hide your face from your people overcome with loneliness and fear.
Turn our weeping into dancing,
our despair into joy,
and raise us up with Christ,
that we may rejoice in your presence forever. Amen. ^BCW

THE WORD OF GOD

Reading: Isaiah 56:1-8

Reading: James 1:1-11

From James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. To the twelve tribes who are scattered outside the land of Israel. Greetings!

My brothers and sisters, think of the various tests you encounter as occasions for joy. After all, you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. Let this endurance complete its work so that you may be fully mature, complete, and lacking in nothing. But anyone who needs wisdom should ask God, whose very nature is to give to everyone without a second thought, without keeping score. Wisdom will certainly be given to those who ask. Whoever asks shouldn’t hesitate. They should ask in faith, without doubting. Whoever doubts is like the surf of the sea, tossed and turned by the wind. People like that should never imagine that they will receive anything from the Lord. They are double-minded, unstable in all their ways.

Brothers and sisters who are poor should find satisfaction in their high status. Those who are wealthy should find satisfaction in their low status, because they will die off like wildflowers. The sun rises with its scorching heat and dries up the grass so that its flowers fall and its beauty is lost. Just like that, in the midst of their daily lives, the wealthy will waste away.

HYMN: Harry Emerson Fosdick
Tune: Cwm Rhondda https://tinyurl.com/sk6bzy68

1 God of grace and God of glory,
on thy people pour thy power;
now fulfil thy church’s story;
bring her bud to glorious flower.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
for the facing of this hour.

2 Lo, the hosts of evil round us
scorn thy Christ, assail his ways;
from the fears that long have bound us
free our hearts to faith and praise.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
for the living of these days.

3 Cure thy children’s warring madness,
bend our pride to thy control;
shame our wanton selfish gladness,
rich in goods and poor in soul.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
lest we miss thy kingdom’s goal.

4 Set our feet on lofty places,
gird our lives that they may be
armoured with all Christlike graces
in the fight till all be free.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
that we fail not earth nor thee.

Reading: Matthew 18:10-14

Jesus said, “Be careful that you don’t look down on one of these little ones. I say to you that their angels in heaven are always looking into the face of my Father who is in heaven. What do you think? If someone had one hundred sheep and one of them wandered off, wouldn’t he leave the ninety-nine on the hillsides and go in search for the one that wandered off? If he finds it, I assure you that he is happier about having that one sheep than about the ninety-nine who didn’t wander off. In the same way, my Father who is in heaven doesn’t want to lose one of these little ones.”

CANTICLE Luke 1:46-55
(Cyprian Consiglio: https://tinyurl.com/y6vrp28t)

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
and my spirit finds its joy in God my Savior.
For God has looked with favor on this lowly servant
and from this day forth all ages call me blest.

The Mighty One has done great things for me,
and from age to age God’s Name is ever holy.
Great mercy God has always shown to those who fear the Lord,
whose right arm defeats the proud in their conceit.

Our God has cast the mighty from their thrones,
and then in their place are lifted up the lowly.
The hungry ones are given everything they need to live,
while the rich are sent away with empty hands.

The Lord has helped his servant Israel,
by remembering the promise of his mercy,
the promise that was spoken to our father Abraham
and the promise to his children forevermore.

THE PRAYERS ^PWC

That this day may be holy, good and peaceful:
we pray to you, O Lord.
That your holy angels may lead us in the paths of peace and goodwill:
we pray to you, O Lord.
That we may be pardoned and forgiven our sins and offences:
we pray to you, O Lord.
That there may be peace in your Church and for the whole world:
we pray to you, O Lord.
That we may bound together by your Holy Spirit,
in communion with [N and] all your saints,
entrusting one another and all our life to Christ:
we pray to you, O Lord.

Setting by Eric Wyse:²

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 of the dirtied hands,
the wandering feet;
you seek out the lost
before ever they turn to you:
take us with you
into the abandoned places
to find a new community
outside our fortress walls;
through Jesus Christ, the Searching One. 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

---

^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.

^PIC Prayers for An Inclusive Church. Steven Shakespeare © 2008 Canterbury Press.

² Eric Wyse, Lord’s Prayer, ©; audio from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_a40ME7aVk

The three main scripture readings are from the The New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Edition, The New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The reading from John is © 2012 Common English Bible.

The traditional language psalms are from The Book of Common Prayer (1662). The modern language version of Psalm 35 is from The Grail Psalter and are from the Manual Hopper YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/manualhopper/featured. Psalm 36 is from The Book of Common Prayer (1979) and is 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.