Oremus for Wednesday, January 18, 2023

Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/sef7k9a6

O people of Sion, behold,
the Lord will come to save the nations,
and the Lord will make the glory of his voice heard
in the joy of your heart. Isaiah 30

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: Jane Borthwick
Tune: Ora et Labora https://tinyurl.com/2thspsjn

1 Come, labor on.
Who dares stand idle on the harvest plain
while all around us waves the golden grain?
And to each servant does the Master say,
“Go work today.”

2 Come, labor on.
Claim the high calling angels cannot share;
to young and old the gospel gladness bear.
Redeem the time; its hours too swiftly fly.
The night draws nigh.

3 Come, labor on.
Cast off all gloomy doubt and faithless fear!
No arm so weak but may do service here.
Though feeble agents, may we all fulfill
God’s righteous will.

4 Come, labor on.
No time for rest, till glows the western sky,
till the long shadows o’er our pathway lie,
and a glad sound comes with the setting sun,
“Well done, well done!”

PSALMS

Psalm 90 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/uzj6wj2)
1  Lord, thou hast been our refuge *
 from one generation to another.
2  Before the mountains were brought forth,
or ever the earth and the world were made *
 thou art God from everlasting, and world without end.
3  Thou turnest man to destruction *
 again thou sayest, Come again, ye children of men.
4  For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday *
 seeing that is past as a watch in the night.
5  As soon as thou scatterest them they are even as a sleep *
 and fade away suddenly like the grass.
6  In the morning it is green, and groweth up *
 but in the evening it is cut down, dried up, and withered.
7  For we consume away in thy displeasure *
 and are afraid at thy wrathful indignation.
8  Thou hast set our misdeeds before thee *
 and our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.
9  For when thou art angry all our days are gone *
 we bring our years to an end, as it were a tale that is told.
10  The days of our age are threescore years and ten;
and though men be so strong that they come to fourscore years *
 yet is their strength then but labour and sorrow;
so soon passeth it away, and we are gone.
11  But who regardeth the power of thy wrath *
 for even thereafter as a man feareth, so is thy displeasure.
12  So teach us to number our days *
 that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
13  Turn thee again, O Lord, at the last *
 and be gracious unto thy servants.
14  O satisfy us with thy mercy, and that soon *
 so shall we rejoice and be glad all the days of our life.
15  Comfort us again now after the time that thou hast plagued us *
 and for the years wherein we have suffered adversity.
16  Shew thy servants thy work *
 and their children thy glory.
17  And the glorious Majesty of the Lord our God be upon us *
 prosper thou the work of our hands upon us,
O prosper thou our handy-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 91 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/w5pwhvg)
1  Whoso dwelleth under the defence of the most High *
 shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2  I will say unto the Lord, Thou art my hope, and my strong hold *
 my God, in him will I trust.
3  For he shall deliver thee from the snare of the hunter *
 and from the noisome pestilence.
4  He shall defend thee under his wings,
and thou shalt be safe under his feathers *
 his faithfulness and truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5  Thou shalt not be afraid for any terror by night *
 nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6  For the pestilence that walketh in darkness *
 nor for the sickness that destroyeth in the noon-day.
7  A thousand shall fall beside thee, and ten thousand at thy right hand *
 but it shall not come nigh thee.
8  Yea, with thine eyes shalt thou behold *
 and see the reward of the ungodly.
9  For thou, Lord, art my hope *
 thou hast set thine house of defence very high.
10  There shall no evil happen unto thee *
 neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
11  For he shall give his angels charge over thee *
 to keep thee in all thy ways.
12  They shall bear thee in their hands *
 that thou hurt not thy foot against a stone.
13  Thou shalt go upon the lion and adder *
 the young lion and the dragon shalt thou tread under thy feet.
14  Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him *
 I will set him up, because he hath known my Name.
15  He shall call upon me, and I will hear him *
 yea, I am with him in trouble;
I will deliver him, and bring him to honour.
16  With long life will I satisfy him *
 and shew him my salvation.
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 92 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/v6sub7d)
1  It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord *
 and to sing praises unto thy Name, O most Highest;
2  To tell of thy loving-kindness early in the morning *
 and of thy truth in the night-season;
3  Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the lute *
 upon a loud instrument, and upon the harp.
4  For thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy works *
 and I will rejoice in giving praise for the operations of thy hands.
5  O Lord, how glorious are thy works *
 thy thoughts are very deep.
6  An unwise man doth not well consider this *
 and a fool doth not understand it.
7  When the ungodly are green as the grass,
and when all the workers of wickedness do flourish *
 then shall they be destroyed for ever;
but thou, Lord, art the most Highest for evermore.
8  For lo, thine enemies, O Lord, lo, thine enemies shall perish *
 and all the workers of wickedness shall be destroyed.
9  But mine horn shall be exalted like the horn of an unicorn *
 for I am anointed with fresh oil.
10  Mine eye also shall see his lust of mine enemies *
 and mine ear shall hear his desire of the wicked that arise up against me.
11  The righteous shall flourish like a palm-tree *
 and shall spread abroad like a cedar in Libanus.
12  Such as are planted in the house of the Lord *
 shall flourish in the courts of the house of our God.
13  They also shall bring forth more fruit in their age *
 and shall be fat and well-liking.
14  That they may shew how true the Lord my strength is *
 and that there is no unrighteousness in him.
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 90 (LSB Tone G: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-90-LSB.mp3)
1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place*
 in all generations.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth,
or ever you had formed the earth and the world,*
 from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
3 You return man to dust*
 and say, “Return, O children of man!”
4 For a thousand years in your sight
are but as yesterday when it is past,*
 or as a watch in the night.
5 You sweep them away as with a flood;*
 they are like a dream,
 like grass that is renewed in the morning:
6 in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;*
 in the evening it fades and withers.
7 For we are brought to an end by your anger;*
 by your wrath we are dismayed.
8 You have set our iniquities before you,*
 our secret sins in the light of your presence.
9 For all our days pass away under your wrath;*
 we bring our years to an end like a sigh.
10 The years of our life are seventy,
or even by reason of strength eighty;*
 yet their span is but toil and trouble;
 they are soon gone, and we fly away.
11 Who considers the power of your anger,*
 and your wrath according to the fear of you?
12 So teach us to number our days*
 that we may get a heart of wisdom.
13 Return, O LORD! How long?*
 Have pity on your servants!
14 Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,*
 that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,*
 and for as many years as we have seen evil.
16 Let your work be shown to your servants,*
 and your glorious power to their children.
17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
and establish the work of our hands upon us;*
 yes, establish the work of our hands!
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 91 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-91.mp3)
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, *
abides under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 He shall say to the LORD,
“You are my refuge and my stronghold, *
my God in whom I put my trust.”
3 He shall deliver you from the snare of the hunter *
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He shall cover you with his pinions,
and you shall find refuge under his wings; *
his faithfulness shall be a shield and buckler.
5 You shall not be afraid of any terror by night, *
nor of the arrow that flies by day;
6 Of the plague that stalks in the darkness, *
nor of the sickness that lays waste at mid-day.
7 A thousand shall fall at your side
and ten thousand at your right hand, *
but it shall not come near you.
8 Your eyes have only to behold *
to see the reward of the wicked.
9 Because you have made the LORD your refuge, *
and the Most High your habitation,
10 There shall no evil happen to you, *
neither shall any plague come near your dwelling.
11 For he shall give his angels charge over you, *
to keep you in all your ways.
12 They shall bear you in their hands, *
lest you dash your foot against a stone.
13 You shall tread upon the lion and the adder; *
you shall trample the young lion and the serpent
 under your feet.
14 Because he is bound to me in love,
therefore will I deliver him; *
I will protect him, because he knows my Name.
15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him; *
I am with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and bring him to honor.
16 With long life will I satisfy him, *
and show him my salvation.

Psalm 92 (LSB Tone D: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-92-LSB.mp3)
1 It is good to give thanks to the LORD,*
 to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
2 to declare your steadfast love in the morning,*
 and your faithfulness by night,
3 to the music of the lute and the harp,*
 to the melody of the lyre.
4 For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your work;*
 at the works of your hands I sing for joy.
5 How great are your works, O LORD!*
 Your thoughts are very deep!
6 The stupid man cannot know;
the fool cannot understand this:*
7 that though the wicked sprout like grass
and all evildoers flourish,
 they are doomed to destruction forever;
8 but you, O LORD,*
 are on high forever.
9 For behold, your enemies, O LORD,
for behold, your enemies shall perish;*
 all evildoers shall be scattered.
10 But you have exalted my horn
like that of the wild ox;*
 you have poured over me fresh oil.
11 My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies;*
 my ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants.
12 The righteous flourish like the palm tree*
 and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13 They are planted in the house of the LORD;*
 they flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They still bear fruit in old age;*
 they are ever full of sap and green,
15 to declare that the LORD is upright;*
 he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.
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.

PRAYER

Creator God,
you have planted your Word in our hearts
that you might harvest forth justice.
So root us in your love,
that we may always flourish,
yielding all the fruits of the Spirit
from youth to old age;
through Christ our Lord. Amen. ^BCW

THE WORD OF GOD

Reading: Haggai 2:10-19

On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month in the second year of Darius, the Lord’s word came to Haggai the prophet:

Reading: Hebrews 6:1-8

So let’s press on to maturity, by moving on from the basics about Christ’s word. Let’s not lay a foundation of turning away from dead works, of faith in God, of teaching about ritual ways to wash with water, laying on of hands, the resurrection from the dead, and eternal judgment—all over again. We’re going to press on, if God allows it.

Because it’s impossible to restore people to changed hearts and lives who turn away once they have seen the light, tasted the heavenly gift, become partners with the Holy Spirit, and tasted God’s good word and the powers of the coming age. They are crucifying God’s Son all over again and exposing him to public shame. The ground receives a blessing from God when it drinks up the rain that regularly comes and falls on it and yields a useful crop for those people for whom it is being farmed. But if it produces thorns and thistles, it’s useless and close to being cursed. It ends up being burned.

HYMN: Samuel Stennett
Tune: Ortonville https://tinyurl.com/2e25tyrm

1 Majestic sweetness sits enthroned
upon the Savior’s brow;
His head with radiant glories crowned,
His lips with grace o’erflow,
His lips with grace o’erflow.

2 No mortal can with Him compare,
among the sons of men;
fairer is He than all the fair
who fill the heav’nly train,
who fill the heav’nly train.

3 He saw me plunged in deep distress,
and flew to my relief;
for me He bore the shameful cross,
and carried all my grief,
and carried all my grief.

4 To Him I owe my life and breath,
and all the joys I have;
He makes me triumph over death,
and saves me from the grave,
and saves me from the grave.

Reading: John 4:31-42

In the meantime the disciples spoke to Jesus, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” Jesus said to them, “I have food to eat that you don’t know about.” The disciples asked each other, “Has someone brought him food?” Jesus said to them, “I am fed by doing the will of the one who sent me and by completing his work. Don’t you have a saying, ‘Four more months and then it’s time for harvest’? Look, I tell you: open your eyes and notice that the fields are already ripe for the harvest. Those who harvest are receiving their pay and gathering fruit for eternal life so that those who sow and those who harvest can celebrate together. This is a true saying, that one sows and another harvests. I have sent you to harvest what you didn’t work hard for; others worked hard, and you will share in their hard work.”

Many Samaritans in that city believed in Jesus because of the woman’s word when she testified, “He told me everything I’ve ever done.” So when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. Many more believed because of his word, and they said to the woman, “We no longer believe because of what you said, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this one is truly the savior of the world.”

CANTICLE Isaiah 12:2-6
(Uptown Worship Band: https://tinyurl.com/y8q877og)

Refrain:
Surely, it is God who saves;
I will and not be afraid.
For the Lord is my sure defense,
and he will be my Savior.

Therefore you shall draw water
and rejoice from the salvation spring.
On that day you shall say,
give thanks to the Lord and call upon his Name. Refrain

Make his deeds known among the people;
they remember his Name on high.
Sing praise to the Lord, for he has done great things,
and this is known in all the world. Refrain

Cry aloud, O Zion, ring out your joy,
for the great one in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
Glory to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

THE PRAYERS ^BCW

Eternal God, we thank you for being with us today, and for every sign of your
truth and love in Jesus Christ. Especially we thank you for
the gift of peace in Christ . . .
reconciliation in our relationships . . .
each new insight into your love . . .
energy and courage to share your love . . .
the ministries of the church. . . .

Gracious God, we remember in our own hearts the needs of others, that we may
reach up to claim your love for them, and reach out to give your love in the name
of Christ. Especially we pray for
racial harmony and justice . . .
those imprisoned . . .
strangers we have met today . . .
friends who are bereaved . . .
Orthodox and Coptic churches. . . .

(Karin Simmons: https://tinyurl.com/y7vwp7dd)

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.
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.

Glorious God,
your generosity floods the world with goodness
and you shower creation with abundance.
Awaken in us a hunger for food to satisfy both body and heart,
that in the miracle of being fed
we may be empowered to feed the hungry in Jesus’ name. 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.

^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 language version of Psalm 91 is from The Book of Common Prayer (1979) and is sung by Ryland Angel. Psalms 90 and 92 are from Lutheran Service Book, Concordia Publishing House, 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 © 2023 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.