Oremus for Saturday, November 12, 2022

Søren Aabye Kierkegaard
Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, on May 5, 1813, Kierkegaard became more influential after his lifetime than he was during it.  His father was Michael Pederson Kierkegaard (d. 1838), an erstwhile farmer who had moved to the capital city and became a prosperous wool merchant.  Michael was also a melancholy, puritanical who passed his disposition down to his guild-ridden son.  Søren, initially planning to become a minister in the state Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark, studied theology at the University of Copenhagen from 1830 to 1840. Living off inherited wealth, he focused on writing books and articles (often under pseudonyms) in the fields of theology, psychology, ethics, and philosophy.  
Although our saint never lost his faith in God, he came to condemn the state church as a mockery of Christianity, so he never pursued ordination. Kierkegaard had another objection to the Danish state church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark:  It made being a Christian too easy.  Challenges were inherent in the Christian pilgrimage of faith, our saint understood.  Did not Jesus command each person to take up his or her cross and follow Him?  The union of church and state in Denmark robbed the Danish state church of its authenticity and power, Kierkegaard argued. 
In the thought of Kierkegaard proof negated faith.  If one could prove the Incarnation, the existence of God, and the truth of Christianity, one would negate faith and replace it with evidence.  A leap of faith was necessary.  Absolute knowledge was neither rational nor possible, our saint insisted, contradicting Georg Hegel.  Kierkegaard also contradicted a raft of Greek philosophers who taught that people have the truth inside them and need merely to become conscious of that fact.  No, he wrote, both the truth and the ability to understand it come from outside–from God, to be precise. He died at age 42 in Copenhagen on November 11, 1855. ¹

Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/35jr9xdc

You must rejoice, my son,
for your brother was dead and has come to life;
he was lost and is found. Luke 15

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: Carl P Daw, Jr. ©
Tune: Lux prima https://tinyurl.com/2aa43vsz

1 Faith begins by letting go,
giving up what had seemed sure,
taking risks and pressing on,
though the way feels less secure:
pilgrimage both right and odd,
trusting all our life to God.

2 Faith endures by holding on,
keeping mem’ry’s roots alive
so that hope may bear its fruit;
promise-fed, our souls will thrive,
not through merit we possess
but by God’s great faithfulness.

3 Faith matures by reaching out,
stretching minds, enlarging hearts,
sharing struggles, living prayer,
binding up the broken parts;
till we find the commonplace
ripe with witness to God’s grace.

PSALMS

Psalm 62 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y9slywgl)
1  My soul truly waiteth still upon God *
 for of him cometh my salvation.
2  He verily is my strength and my salvation *
 he is my defence, so that I shall not greatly fall.
3  How long will ye imagine mischief against every man *
 ye shall be slain all the sort of you;
yea, as a tottering wall shall ye be, and like a broken hedge.
4  Their device is only how to put him out whom God will exalt *
 their delight is in lies; they give good words with their mouth,
but curse with their heart.
5  Nevertheless, my soul, wait thou still upon God *
 for my hope is in him.
6  He truly is my strength and my salvation *
 he is my defence, so that I shall not fall.
7  In God is my health, and my glory *
 the rock of my might, and in God is my trust.
8  O put your trust in him alway, ye people *
 pour out your hearts before him, for God is our hope.
9  As for the children of men, they are but vanity *
 the children of men are deceitful upon the weights,
they are altogether lighter than vanity itself.
10  O trust not in wrong and robbery, give not yourselves unto vanity *
 if riches increase, set not your heart upon them.
11  God spake once, and twice I have also heard the same *
 that power belongeth unto God;
12  And that thou, Lord, art merciful *
 for thou rewardest every man according to his work.
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 63 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y7dmyzy2)
1  O God, thou art my God *
 early will I seek thee.
2  My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh also longeth after thee *
 in a barren and dry land where no water is.
3  Thus have I looked for thee in holiness *
 that I might behold thy power and glory.
4  For thy loving-kindness is better than the life itself *
 my lips shall praise thee.
5  As long as I live will I magnify thee on this manner *
 and lift up my hands in thy Name.
6  My soul shall be satisfied, even as it were with marrow and fatness *
 when my mouth praiseth thee with joyful lips.
7  Have I not remembered thee in my bed *
 and thought upon thee when I was waking?
8  Because thou hast been my helper *
 therefore under the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.
9  My soul hangeth upon thee *
 thy right hand hath upholden me.
10  These also that seek the hurt of my soul *
 they shall go under the earth.
11  Let them fall upon the edge of the sword *
 that they may be a portion for foxes.
12  But the King shall rejoice in God;
all they also that swear by him shall be commended *
 for the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.
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 64 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/ydc4zq6h)
1  Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer *
 preserve my life from fear of the enemy.
2  Hide me from the gathering together of the froward *
 and from the insurrection of wicked doers;
3  Who have whet their tongue like a sword *
 and shoot out their arrows, even bitter words;
4  That they may privily shoot at him that is perfect *
 suddenly do they hit him, and fear not.
5  They encourage themselves in mischief *
 and commune among themselves how they may lay snares,
and say, that no man shall see them.
6  They imagine wickedness, and practise it *
 that they keep secret among themselves,
every man in the deep of his heart.
7  But God shall suddenly shoot at them with a swift arrow *
 that they shall be wounded.
8  Yea, their own tongues shall make them fall *
 insomuch that whoso seeth them shall laugh them to scorn.
9  And all men that see it shall say, This hath God done *
 for they shall perceive that it is his work.
10  The righteous shall rejoice in the Lord, and put his trust in him *
 and all they that are true of heart shall be glad.
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 62 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-62.mp3)
1 For God alone my soul in silence waits; *
from him comes my salvation.
2 He alone is my rock and my salvation, *
my stronghold, so that I shall not be greatly shaken.
3 How long will you assail me to crush me,
all of you together, *
as if you were a leaning fence, a toppling wall?
4 They seek only to bring me down from my place of honor; *
lies are their chief delight.
5 They bless with their lips, *
but in their hearts they curse.
6 For God alone my soul in silence waits; *
truly, my hope is in him.
7 He alone is my rock and my salvation, *
my stronghold, so that I shall not be shaken.
8 In God is my safety and my honor; *
God is my strong rock and my refuge.
9 Put your trust in him always, O people, *
pour out your hearts before him, for God is our refuge.
10 Those of high degree are but a fleeting breath, *
even those of low estate cannot be trusted.
11 On the scales they are lighter than a breath, *
all of them together.
12 Put no trust in extortion;
in robbery take no empty pride; *
though wealth increase, set not your heart upon it.
13 God has spoken once, twice have I heard it, *
that power belongs to God.
14 Steadfast love is yours, O Lord, *
for you repay everyone according to his deeds.

Psalm 63 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-63-MH.mp3)
2 O God, you are my God, for you I long;
for you my soul is thirsting.
My body pines for you
like a dry, weary land without water.
3 So I gaze on you in the sanctuary
to see your strength and your glory.
4 For your love is better than life,
my lips will speak your praise.
5 So I will bless you all my life,
in your name I will lift up my hands.
6 My soul shall be filled as with a banquet,
my mouth shall praise you with joy.
7 On my bed I remember you.
On you I muse through the night
8 for your have been my help;
in the shadow of your wings I rejoice.
9 My soul clings to you;
your right hand holds me fast.
10 Those who seek to destroy my life
shall go down to the depths of the earth.
11 They shall be put into the power of the sword
and left as the prey of the jackals.
12 But the king shall rejoice in God;
(all that swear by him shall be blessed,)
for the mouth of liars shall be silenced.
Glory be 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.

Psalm 64 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-64-MH.mp3)
2 Hear my voice, O God, as I complain,
guard my life from dread of the foe.
3 Hide me from the band of the wicked,
from the throng of those who do evil.
4 They sharpen their tongues like swords;
they aim bitter words like arrows
5 to shoot at the innocent from ambush,
shooting suddenly and recklessly.
6 They scheme their evil course;
they conspire to lay secret snares.
They say: “Who will see us?
7 Who can search out our crimes?”
He will search who searches the mind
and knows the depths of the heart.
8 God has shot them with his arrow
and dealt them sudden wounds.
9 Their own tongue has brought them to ruin
and all who see them mock.
10 Then will all men fear;
they will tell what God has done.
They will understand God’s deeds.
11 The just will rejoice in the Lord
and fly to him for refuge.
All the upright hearts will glory.
Glory be 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

Lord God,
in a threatening world we look to you as our rock of hope.
Hear us as we pour out our hearts to you,
and give us your grace and protection;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ^BCW

THE WORD OF GOD

Reading: Isaiah 59:15b-21

Reading: James 2:14-26

My brothers and sisters, what good is it if people say they have faith but do nothing to show it? Claiming to have faith can’t save anyone, can it? Imagine a brother or sister who is naked and never has enough food to eat. What if one of you said, “Go in peace! Stay warm! Have a nice meal!”? What good is it if you don’t actually give them what their body needs? In the same way, faith is dead when it doesn’t result in faithful activity.

Someone might claim, “You have faith and I have action.” But how can I see your faith apart from your actions? Instead, I’ll show you my faith by putting it into practice in faithful action. It’s good that you believe that God is one. Ha! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble with fear. Are you so slow? Do you need to be shown that faith without actions has no value at all? What about Abraham, our father? Wasn’t he shown to be righteous through his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? See, his faith was at work along with his actions. In fact, his faith was made complete by his faithful actions. So the scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God, and God regarded him as righteous. What is more, Abraham was called God’s friend. So you see that a person is shown to be righteous through faithful actions and not through faith alone. In the same way, wasn’t Rahab the prostitute shown to be righteous when she received the messengers as her guests and then sent them on by another road? As the lifeless body is dead, so faith without actions is dead.

HYMN: Isaac Watts
Tune: Wareham https://tinyurl.com/2s42k945

1 So let our lips and lives express
The holy Gospel we profess;
So let our walks and virtues shine,
To prove the doctrine all divine.

2 Thus shall we best proclaim abroad
The honor of our Saviour God;
When the salvation reigns within,
And grace subdues the pow’r of sin.

3 Our flesh and sense must be denied;
Passion and envy, lust and pride;
While justice, temp’rance, truth and love
Our inward piety approve.

4 Religion bears our spirits up,
While we expect that blessed hope,
The bright appearance of the Lord,
And faith stands leaning on His Word.

5 That sacred stream, Thy holy Word,
That all our raging fear controls:
Sweet peace Thy promises afford,
And give new strength to fainting souls.

Reading: Matthew 19:16-22

A man approached him and said, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to have eternal life?” Jesus said, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There’s only one who is good. If you want to enter eternal life, keep the commandments.” The man said, “Which ones?” Then Jesus said, “Don’t commit murder. Don’t commit adultery. Don’t steal. Don’t give false testimony. Honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as you love yourself.” The young man replied, “I’ve kept all these. What am I still missing?” Jesus said, “If you want to be complete, go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor. Then you will have treasure in heaven. And come follow me.” But when the young man heard this, he went away saddened, because he had many possessions.

CANTICLE 1 Peter 2:21-24
(Chant by John Michael Talbot: https://tinyurl.com/y94v9fvt)

Ant. If we share fully in the sufferings of Christ,
through Christ we shall know the fullness of his consolation.

Christ suffered for you,
and left you an example
to have you follow in his footsteps.
He did no wrong;
no deceit was found in his mouth.
When he was insulted,
he returned no insult.
When he was made to suffer,
he did not counter with threats.
Instead he delivered himself up
to the One who judges justly.
In his own body
he brought your sins to the cross,
so that all of us, dead to sin,
could live in accord with God’s will.
By his wounds you were healed.

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 ^PWC

God who restores us, may your people be true and faithful servants of Christ.
Source of life, hear our prayer.
Bring those who are drawing near to the light of faith to true knowledge of you.
Source of life, hear our prayer.
Give our families and friends joy and satisfaction in all that they do.
Source of life, hear our prayer.
Comfort and sustain those who are lonely, sick, hungry, persecuted or ignored.
Source of life, hear our prayer.
Help us to contribute to the true growth and well-being of our country.
Source of life, hear our prayer.
Empower the whole human family to live together in justice and peace.
Source of life, hear our prayer.

(Plainsong: https://tinyurl.com/ahnrtv59)^ELW

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.

Great Companion, You have loved us first.
May we never forget that You are love,
So that this sure conviction might triumph in our hearts
Over the whirling of the world,
Over the inquietude of the soul,
Over the anxiety for the future,
Over the fright of the past,
Over the distress of the moment.
May this conviction discipline our soul
So that our hearts might remain faithful and sincere
In the love which we bear to all those we love as ourselves. Amen. ^Kierkegaard

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.

^ELW The Lord’s Prayer is from Setting Five in Evangelical Lutheran Worship.

^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.

¹ Kenneth Taylor, https://neatnik2009.wordpress.com/2018/08/07/feast-of-soren-kierkegaard-september-8/

The three main scripture readings are © 2011 Common English Bible.

The traditional language psalms are from The Book of Common Prayer (1662). The modern version of Psalm 62 is from Book of Common Prayer (1979) and is sung by Ryland Angel. Psalms 63 and 64 are from The Grail Psalter and are from the Manual Hopper YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/manualhopper/featured.

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.