Oremus for Sunday, December 4, 2022

Antiphon ¹

Ant. You will turn toward us, O God, *
and restore our life again, and your people will rejoice in you.
Show us, Lord, your mercy and grant us your salva tion.
V. O Lord, you have favored your land, *
and brought back the captives of Jacob.
You forgave the guilt of your people, *
and covered all their sins.
You averted all your rage; *
you turned back the heat of your anger. Psalm 85

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: Charles Coffin; trans. John Chandler
Tune: Winchester New 

1 On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry
announces that the Lord is nigh;
awake and hearken, for he brings
glad tidings from the King of kings.

2 Then cleansed be every breast from sin;
make straight the way for God within;
prepare we in our hearts a home,
where such a mighty guest may come.

3 For thou art our salvation, Lord,
our refuge and our great reward;
without thy grace we waste away,
like flowers that wither and decay.

4 To heal the sick stretch out thine hand,
and bid the fallen sinner stand;
shine forth, and let thy light restore
earth’s own true loveliness once more.

5 All praise, eternal Son, to thee
whose advent sets thy people free,
whom with the Father we adore,
and Holy Ghost for evermore.

PSALMS

Psalm 22 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/tcvjnwc)
1 My God, my God, look upon me; why hast thou forsaken me *
and art so far from my health, and from the words of my complaint?
2 O my God, I cry in the day-time, but thou hearest not *
and in the night-season also I take no rest.
3 And thou continuest holy *
O thou worship of Israel.
4 Our fathers hoped in thee *
they trusted in thee, and thou didst deliver them.
5 They called upon thee, and were holpen *
they put their trust in thee, and were not confounded.
6 But as for me, I am a worm, and no man *
a very scorn of men, and the out-cast of the people.
7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn *
they shoot out their lips, and shake their heads, saying,
8 He trusted in God, that he would deliver him *
let him deliver him, if he will have him.
9 But thou art he that took me out of my mother’s womb *
thou wast my hope, when I hanged yet upon my mother’s breasts.
10 I have been left unto thee ever since I was born *
thou art my God even from my mother’s womb.
11 O go not from me, for trouble is hard at hand *
and there is none to help me.
12 Many oxen are come about me *
fat bulls of Basan close me in on every side.
13 They gape upon me with their mouths *
as it were a ramping and a roaring lion.
14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint *
my heart also in the midst of my body is even like melting wax.
15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue cleaveth to my gums *
and thou shalt bring me into the dust of death.
16 For many dogs are come about me *
and the council of the wicked layeth siege against me.
17 They pierced my hands and my feet; I may tell all my bones *
they stand staring and looking upon me.
18 They part my garments among them *
and cast lots upon my vesture.
19 But be not thou far from me, O Lord *
thou art my succour, haste thee to help me.
20 Deliver my soul from the sword *
my darling from the power of the dog.
21 Save me from the lion’s mouth *
thou hast heard me also from among the horns of the unicorns.
22 I will declare thy Name unto my brethren *
in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.
23 O praise the Lord, ye that fear him *
magnify him, all ye of the seed of Jacob,
and fear him, all ye seed of Israel;
24 For he hath not despised, nor abhorred,
the low estate of the poor *
he hath not hid his face from him,
but when he called unto him he heard him.
25 My praise is of thee in the great congregation *
my vows will I perform in the sight of them that fear him.
26 The poor shall eat, and be satisfied *
they that seek after the Lord shall praise him;
your heart shall live for ever.
27 All the ends of the world shall remember themselves,
and be turned unto the Lord *
and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before him.
28 For the kingdom is the Lord’s *
and he is the Governor among the people.
29 All such as be fat upon earth *
have eaten, and worshipped.
30 All they that go down into the dust shall kneel before him *
and no man hath quickened his own soul.
31 My seed shall serve him *
they shall be counted unto the Lord for a generation.
32 They shall come, and the heavens shall declare his righteousness *
unto a people that shall be born, whom the Lord hath made.
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 23 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/swfdhyk)
1  The Lord is my shepherd *
 therefore can I lack nothing.
2  He shall feed me in a green pasture *
 and lead me forth beside the waters of comfort.
3  He shall convert my soul *
 and bring me forth in the paths of righteousness, for his Name’s sake.
4  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil *
 for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff comfort me.
5  Thou shalt prepare a table before me against them that trouble me *
 thou hast anointed my head with oil, and my cup shall be full.
6  But thy loving-kindness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life *
 and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
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 22 (Plainsong: https://tinyurl.com/4ketce9t)
2 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
You are far from my plea and the cry of my distress.
3 O my God, I call by day and you give no reply;
I call by night and I find no peace.
4 Yet you, O God, are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Israel.
5 In you our fathers put their trust;
they trusted and you set them free.
6 When they cried to you, they escaped.
In you they trusted and never in vain.
7 But I am a worm and no man,
scorned by men, despised by the people.
8 All who see me deride me.
They curl their lips, they toss their heads.
9 “He trusted in the Lord, let him save him;
let him release him if this is his friend.”
10 Yes, it was you who took me from the womb,
entrusted me to my mother’s breast.
11 To you I was committed from my birth,
from my mother’s womb you have been my God.
12 Do not leave me alone in my distress;
Come close, there is none else to help.
13 Many bulls have surrounded me,
fierce bulls of Bashan close me in.
14 Against me they open wide their jaws,
like lions, rending and roaring.
15 Like water I am poured out,
disjointed are all my bones.
My heart has become like wax,
it is melted within my breast.
16 Parched as burnt clay is my throat,
my tongue cleaves to my jaws.
17 Many dogs have surrounded me,
a band of the wicked beset me.
They tear holes in my hands and my feet
16c and lay me in the dust of death.
18 I can count every one of my bones.
These people stare at me and gloat;
19 they divide my clothing among them.
They cast lots for my robe.
20 O Lord, do not leave me alone,
my strength, make haste to help me!
21 Rescue my soul from the sword,
my life from the grip of these dogs.
22 Save my life from the jaws of these lions,
my poor soul from the horns of these oxen.
23 I will tell of your name to my brethren
and praise you where they are assembled.
24 “You who fear the Lord give him praise;
all sons of Jacob, give him glory.
Revere him, Israel’s sons.
25 For he has never despised
nor scorned the poverty of the poor.
From him he has not hidden his face,
but he heard the poor man when he cried.”
26 You are my praise in the great assembly.
My vows I will pay before those who fear him.
27 The poor shall eat and shall have their fill.
They shall praise the Lord, those who seek him.
May their hearts live for ever and ever!
28 All the earth shall remember and return to the Lord,
all families of the nations worship before him;
29 for the kingdom is the Lord’s, he is ruler of the nations.
30 They shall worship him, all the mighty of the earth;
before him shall bow all who go down to the dust.
31 And my soul shall live for him, my children serve him.
They shall tell of the Lord to generations yet to come,
32 declare his faithfulness to peoples yet unborn:
“These things the Lord has done.”
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 23 (Plainsong: https://tinyurl.com/hvjzp9x5)
1 The Lord is my shepherd;
there is nothing I shall want.
2 Fresh and green are the pastures
where he gives me repose.
Near restful waters he leads me,
3 to revive my drooping spirit.
He guides me along the right path;
he is true to his name.
4 If I should walk in the valley of darkness
no evil would I fear.
You are there with your crook and your staff;
with these you give me comfort.
5 You have prepared a banquet for me
in the sight of my foes.
My head you have anointed with oil;
my cup is overflowing.
6 Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me
all the days of my life.
In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell
for ever and ever.
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

God of mystery and power,
open our eyes to the fire of your love,
and open our ears to the thunder of your justice,
that we may receive your gifts of blessing and peace,
to the glory of your name;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ^BCW

THE WORD OF GOD

On that day, the root of Jesse will stand as a signal to the peoples. The nations will seek him out, and his dwelling will be glorious.

HYMN: John Brownlie
Tune: St Stephen 1 The King shall come when morning dawns
and light triumphant breaks,
when beauty gilds the eastern hills,
and life to joy awakes.

2 Not as of old a little child
to bear, and fight, and die,
but crowned with glory like the sun
that lights the morning sky.

3 O brighter than the rising morn
when He, victorious, rose
and left the lonesome place of death,
despite the rage of foes.

4 O brighter than that glorious morn
shall this fair morning be,
when Christ, our King, in beauty comes,
and we His face shall see.

5 The King shall come when morning dawns,
and earth’s dark night is past;
O haste the rising of that morn,
the day that aye shall last.

6 And let the endless bliss begin,
by weary saints foretold,
when right shall triumph over wrong,
and truth shall be extolled.

7 The King shall come when morning dawns,
and light and beauty brings;
“Hail, Christ the Lord!” Thy people pray,
come quickly, King of kings!

Reading: Romans 15:4-13

Whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction so that we could have hope through endurance and through the encouragement of the scriptures. May the God of endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude toward each other, similar to Christ Jesus’ attitude. That way you can glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ together with one voice.

So welcome each other, in the same way that Christ also welcomed you, for God’s glory. I’m saying that Christ became a servant of those who are circumcised for the sake of God’s truth, in order to confirm the promises given to the ancestors, and so that the Gentiles could glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, Because of this I will confess you among the Gentiles, and I will sing praises to your name. And again, it says, Rejoice, Gentiles, with his people. And again, Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,  and all the people should sing his praises. And again, Isaiah says, There will be a root of Jesse, who will also rise to rule the Gentiles. The Gentiles will place their hope in him. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in faith so that you overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

HYMN: Georgia Harkness
Tune: Donne secours https://tinyurl.com/2p8jfs4n

1 Hope of the world, thou Christ of great compassion,
speak to our fearful hearts by conflict rent.
Save us, thy people, from consuming passion,
who by our own false hopes and aims are spent.

2 Hope of the world, God’s gift from highest heaven,
bringing to hungry souls the bread of life,
still let thy Spirit unto us be given
to heal earth’s wounds and end her bitter strife.

3 Hope of the world, afoot on dusty highways,
showing to wand’ring souls the path of light;
walk thou beside us, lest the tempting byways
lure us away from thee to endless night.

4 Hope of the world, who by thy cross didst save us
from death and dark despair, from sin and guilt;
we render back the love thy mercy gave us;
take thou our lives, and use them as thou wilt.

5 Hope of the world, O Christ o’er death victorious,
who by this sign didst conquer grief and pain,
we would be faithful to thy gospel glorious:
Thou art our Lord! Thou dost forever reign!

Reading: Matthew 3:1-12

In those days John the Baptist appeared in the desert of Judea announcing, “Change your hearts and lives! Here comes the kingdom of heaven!” He was the one of whom Isaiah the prophet spoke when he said:

John wore clothes made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. He ate locusts and wild honey.

People from Jerusalem, throughout Judea, and all around the Jordan River came to him. As they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. Many Pharisees and Sadducees came to be baptized by John. He said to them, “You children of snakes! Who warned you to escape from the angry judgment that is coming soon? Produce fruit that shows you have changed your hearts and lives. And don’t even think about saying to yourselves, Abraham is our father. I tell you that God is able to raise up Abraham’s children from these stones. The ax is already at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be chopped down and tossed into the fire. I baptize with water those of you who have changed your hearts and lives. The one who is coming after me is stronger than I am. I’m not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. The shovel he uses to sift the wheat from the husks is in his hands. He will clean out his threshing area and bring the wheat into his barn. But he will burn the husks with a fire that can’t be put out.”

CANTICLE: Luke 1:68-79
(Consiglio: https://tinyurl.com/ya8y3kqs)

Ant. Blest be the Lord God of Israel; *
who has come to his people and set them free.

God has raiséd up a Savior strong and proud,
born of his servant David.
And through holy prophets God has promised from of old,
to save us from all our foes, from the hands of all who hate us. Ant.

God promised to show mercy to our ancestors
to remember the covenant.
This was the oath sworn to father Abraham,
to set us free from our enemies’ hands,
free to worship God without fear, *
holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life. Ant.

You, little child, are the prophet of the Lord,
you will go before the Lord to prepare the way,
To give the people knowledge of salvation
by forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high breaks upon us,
to shine on us who dwell in the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet on the way of peace. Ant.

THE PRAYERS ^{Joe Milner}

For the Church: that through our baptism with Spirit and fire, we may courageously live the Gospel and be instruments for the transformation for the world

For renewal of our minds and hearts: that the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, of Counsel and Strength, and of Knowledge and Reverence will transform us more and more into children of the light

For greater awareness: that the Spirit will help us recognize the many roots that have nourished and helped our faith to blossom so that we may continue to deepen our discipleship and bear abundant fruit

For the grace of repentance: that God will lead us to the silence of the desert where we can listen to the One who is our source of life and our hope for the future

For a spirit of hospitality: that we may welcome one another as Christ has welcomed us, as sisters and brothers, children of God

For the prophets in our day, for those who call us to face the truth, live the truth, and speak the truth to one another: that the Spirit of God will strengthen them, inspire their words and deeds, and guide them in presenting a convincing message to hungry hearts

For conversion of our deepest selves: that God will help us to look honestly at our lives, guide our process of disengaging from the old and cooperating with God’s saving action so that we may live and act in new ways

For the renewal of all of creation: that God will heal the divisions amongst peoples and the wounds within nature so that God’s plan for the earth may flower and that we may benefit from the blessings of creation

For the transformation of society: that leaders may recognize the root causes of evil, poverty, racism, and abuse so that new and constructive efforts may produce a just and life-giving society

For students as they complete the semester: that God will give them clarity of mind and thought as they express their knowledge and insights in papers and on examinations

For all who are ill: that the coming of Christ will bring healing, freedom from addiction, and courage to live life fully each day

For all who are preparing for confirmation: that God will open their hearts to the gifts of the Spirit and help further the mission of the church in their service of others

For an end to violence in our cities and families: that the Spirit of God will transform hearts, help people to recognize the dignity of each person, and disrupt the plans of those who seek to injure or kill others

For the advancement of justice: that God will inspire us with a new understanding of God’s justice and help us to show through deeds of compassion that with God, all things are possible

For an end to discrimination: that God will open minds and hearts, end the marginalization of people, particularly those in the LGBTQ community, and help us to work together to show God’s mercy and compassion in our world

(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.

Laboring God,
with axe and winnowing fork
you clear a holy space
where hurt and destruction have no place,
and a little child holds sway.
Clear our lives of hatred and despair,
sow seeds of joy and peace,
that shoots of hope may spring forth
and we may live in harmony
with one another. 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

---

^BCW Book of Common Worship, Presbyterian Church U.S.A., 1993.

¹ Adam Bartlett, Simple English Propers; audio from https://musicasacra.com/additional-publications/sep-practice-videos/ ©

^RCLP Revised Common Lectionary Prayers. © 2002 Consultation on Common Texts admin. Augsburg Fortress.

The intercessions are by Joe Milner http://liturgy.slu.edu

^DL © Daniel Lawson; used with permission.

The 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 Grail Psalter and the recordings are linked to 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.