Oremus for Sunday, February 12, 2023

Antiphon ¹

Ant. Come, let us worship God * and bow down before the Lord;
let us shed tears before the Lord who made us,
for he is the Lord our God.
V. Come, let us ring out our joy to the Lord; *
hail the rock who saves us.
Let us come into his presence, giving thanks; *
let us hail him with a song of praise. Psalm 95

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: George Matheson
Tune: https://tinyurl.com/33j3xytm

1 Gather us in, thou Love that fillest all!
Gather our rival faiths within thy fold!
Rend all our temple veils and bid them fall,
that we may know that thou hast been of old;
gather us in.

2 Gather us in: we worship only thee;
in varied names we stretch a common hand;
in diverse forms a common soul we see;
in many ships we seek one spirit-land;
gather us in.

3 Each sees one colour of thy rainbow light;
each looks upon one tint and calls it heaven;
thou art the fullness of our partial sight;
we are not perfect till we find the seven;
gather us in.

4 Some seek a Father in the heavens above,
some ask a human image to adore,
some crave a spirit vast as life and love;
within thy mansions we have all and more;
gather us in.

PSALMS

Psalm 65 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y9fmulwv)
1  Thou, O God, art praised in Sion *
 and unto thee shall the vow be performed in Jerusalem.
2  Thou that hearest the prayer *
 unto thee shall all flesh come.
3  My misdeeds prevail against me *
 O be thou merciful unto our sins.
4  Blessed is the man, whom thou choosest, and receivest unto thee *
 he shall dwell in thy court, and shall be satisfied
with the pleasures of thy house, even of thy holy temple.
5  Thou shalt shew us wonderful things in thy righteousness,
O God of our salvation *
 thou that art the hope of all the ends of the earth,
and of them that remain in the broad sea.
6  Who in his strength setteth fast the mountains *
 and is girded about with power.
7  Who stilleth the raging of the sea *
 and the noise of his waves, and the madness of the people.
8  They also that dwell in the uttermost parts of the earth shall be afraid at thy tokens *
 thou that makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to praise thee.
9  Thou visitest the earth, and blessest it *
 thou makest it very plenteous.
10  The river of God is full of water *
 thou preparest their corn, for so thou providest for the earth.
11  Thou waterest her furrows,
thou sendest rain into the little valleys thereof *
 thou makest it soft with the drops of rain, and blessest the increase of it.
12  Thou crownest the year with thy goodness *
 and thy clouds drop fatness.
13  They shall drop upon the dwellings of the wilderness *
 and the little hills shall rejoice on every side.
14  The folds shall be full of sheep *
 the valleys also shall stand so thick with corn,
that they shall laugh and sing.
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 66 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/ybnhonff)
1  O be joyful in God, all ye lands *
 sing praises unto the honour of his Name,
make his praise to be glorious.
2  Say unto God, O how wonderful art thou in thy works *
 through the greatness of thy power
shall thine enemies be found liars unto thee.
3  For all the world shall worship thee *
 sing of thee, and praise thy Name.
4  O come hither, and behold the works of God *
 how wonderful he is in his doing toward the children of men.
5  He turned the sea into dry land *
 so that they went through the water on foot; there did we rejoice thereof.
6  He ruleth with his power for ever; his eyes behold the people *
 and such as will not believe shall not be able to exalt themselves.
7  O praise our God, ye people *
 and make the voice of his praise to be heard;
8  Who holdeth our soul in life *
 and suffereth not our feet to slip.
9  For thou, O God, hast proved us *
 thou also hast tried us, like as silver is tried.
10  Thou broughtest us into the snare *
 and laidest trouble upon our loins.
11  Thou sufferedst men to ride over our heads *
 we went through fire and water,
and thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.
12  I will go into thine house with burnt-offerings *
 and will pay thee my vows, which I promised with my lips,
and spake with my mouth, when I was in trouble.
13  I will offer unto thee fat burnt-sacrifices, with the incense of rams *
 I will offer bullocks and goats.
14  O come hither, and hearken, all ye that fear God *
 and I will tell you what he hath done for my soul.
15  I called unto him with my mouth *
 and gave him praises with my tongue.
16  If I incline unto wickedness with mine heart *
 the Lord will not hear me.
17  But God hath heard me *
 and considered the voice of my prayer.
18  Praised be God who hath not cast out my prayer *
 nor turned his mercy from me.
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 67 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y7vuwqcm)
1  God be merciful unto us, and bless us *
 and shew us the light of his countenance, and be merciful unto us;
2  That thy way may be known upon earth *
 thy saving health among all nations.
3  Let the people praise thee, O God *
 yea, let all the people praise thee.
4  O let the nations rejoice and be glad *
 for thou shalt judge the folk righteously, and govern the nations upon earth.
5  Let the people praise thee, O God *
 let all the people praise thee.
6  Then shall the earth bring forth her increase *
 and God, even our own God, shall give us his blessing.
7  God shall bless us *
 and all the ends of the world shall fear 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 65 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-65.mp3)
1 You are to be praised, O God, in Zion; *
to you shall vows be performed in Jerusalem.
2 To you that hear prayer shall all flesh come, *
because of their transgressions.
3 Our sins are stronger than we are, *
but you will blot them out.
4 Happy are they whom you choose
and draw to your courts to dwell there! *
they will be satisfied by the beauty of your house,
by the holiness of your temple.
5 Awesome things will you show us in your righteousness,
O God of our salvation, *
O Hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the seas that are far away.
6 You make fast the mountains by your power; *
they are girded about with might.
7 You still the roaring of the seas, *
the roaring of their waves,
and the clamor of the peoples.
8 Those who dwell at the ends of the earth will tremble at your
 marvelous signs; *
you make the dawn and the dusk to sing for joy.
9 You visit the earth and water it abundantly;
you make it very plenteous; *
the river of God is full of water.
10 You prepare the grain, *
for so you provide for the earth.
11 You drench the furrows and smooth out the ridges; *
with heavy rain you soften the ground and bless its increase.
12 You crown the year with your goodness, *
and your paths overflow with plenty.
13 May the fields of the wilderness be rich for grazing, *
and the hills be clothed with joy.
14 May the meadows cover themselves with flocks,
and the valleys cloak themselves with grain; *
let them shout for joy and sing.

Psalm 66
[Karl Kohlhase http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-66-Kohlhase.mp3)
Refrain:
Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth,
sing the glory of his name;
give unto him glorious praise

Say to God, “How awesome are your works,
Your pow’r is so great that your enemies cringe
All of the earth shall worship you;
They sing praises, sing praises to your name
Come and see what our God has done;
he is awesome in his deeds among men
He turned the sea into dry land;
men passed through the river on foot
There did we rejoice in him,
who rules by His might forever
Whose eyes keep watch o’er the nations,
so rebels may not exalt themselves [Refrain]

Bless our God, all you people,
let the sound of His praises be heard
For He has kept us among the living,
and has not allowed our feet to slip
O God, even though You have tried us,
You have tested like silver is tested
You have led us through fire and through water,
and brought us to the land of abundance
I will come into Your house,
with burnt offerings I will pay my vows
Those which my lips have spoken,
and my mouth promised You in the midst of troubles [Refrain]

Yes, I will offer unto You, burnt offerings of the fatlings
And with the smoke of sacrificial rams,
I’ll bring offerings of bulls and of goats
Come and hear, all you who fear God,
I will tell what He has done for me
I cried aloud unto Him;
He was highly praised with my tongue
Had I clung to sin in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened
But truly God has listened,
and has heard the sound of my prayer
Bless God who rejected not my prayer
nor removed His love from me [Refrain]

Psalm 67 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-67.mp3)
1 May God be merciful to us and bless us, *
show us the light of his countenance and come to us.
2 Let your ways be known upon earth, *
your saving health among all nations.
3 Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, *
for you judge the peoples with equity
and guide all the nations upon earth.
5 Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
6 The earth has brought forth her increase; *
may God, our own God, give us his blessing.
7 May God give us his blessing, *
and may all the ends of the earth stand in awe of him.

PRAYER

Blessed are you, God of hope;
you restore the fallen
and rebuild the broken walls.
Teach us the song of thanksgiving,
for you are the strength of your people;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ^BCW

THE WORD OF GOD

Reading: Deuteronomy 30:15-20

Look here! Today I’ve set before you life and what’s good versus death and what’s wrong. If you obey the Lord your God’s commandments that I’m commanding you right now by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments, his regulations, and his case laws, then you will live and thrive, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you refuse to listen, and so are misled, worshipping other gods and serving them, I’m telling you right now that you will definitely die. You will not prolong your life on the fertile land that you are crossing the Jordan River to enter and possess. I call heaven and earth as my witnesses against you right now: I have set life and death, blessing and curse before you. Now choose life—so that you and your descendants will live— by loving the Lord your God, by obeying his voice, and by clinging to him. That’s how you will survive and live long on the fertile land the Lord swore to give to your ancestors: to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

HYMN: Psalm 119:1-24; para. Clarence Walhout ©
Tune: Genevan 119 https://tinyurl.com/2bzht8y7

1 Blessed are those who heed the law of God,
who seek to do no evil or injustice.
They are the LORD’s who walk in all his ways.
O help us, LORD, to follow your commandments.
With upright hearts we strive to do your will.
Forsake us not; we want to learn your precepts.

2 How can the youthful keep their actions pure?
By taking care to honor all your statutes.
I will not wander from the ways of God.
With all my heart I seek your truth and justice.
I always keep your word within my heart;
I meditate upon your perfect goodness.

3 Open my eyes that I may see your law.
Your faithful truths are all that I delight in;
O do not hide them from my sight, O God.
I do but wander if you do not guide me;
my soul is longing for your righteousness.
LORD, be my counselor and patient teacher.

Reading: 1 Corinthians 3:1-9

Brothers and sisters, I couldn’t talk to you like spiritual people but like unspiritual people, like babies in Christ. I gave you milk to drink instead of solid food, because you weren’t up to it yet. Now you are still not up to it because you are still unspiritual. When jealousy and fighting exist between you, aren’t you unspiritual and living by human standards? When someone says, “I belong to Paul,” and someone else says, “I belong to Apollos,” aren’t you acting like people without the Spirit? After all, what is Apollos? What is Paul? They are servants who helped you to believe. Each one had a role given to them by the Lord: I planted, Apollos watered, but God made it grow. Because of this, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but the only one who is anything is God who makes it grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together, but each one will receive their own reward for their own labor. We are God’s coworkers, and you are God’s field, God’s building.

HYMN: Charles Wesley
Tune: St John https://tinyurl.com/44n3wtwu

1 Let earth and Heaven agree,
Angels and men be joined,
To celebrate with me
The Saviour of mankind;
To adore the all-atoning Lamb,
And bless the sound of Jesus’ name.

2 Jesus, transporting sound,
The joy of earth and Heaven;
No other help is found,
No other name is given
By which we can salvation have;
But Jesus came the world to save.

3 His name the sinner hears,
And is from sin set free;
‘Tis music in his ears,
‘Tis life and victory!
New songs do now his lips employ,
And dances his glad heart for joy.

4 O unexampled love!
O all-redeeming grace!
How swiftly didst thou move
To save a fallen race:
What shall I do to make it known
What thou for all mankind hast done?

5 O for a trumpet voice
On all the world to call,
To bid their hearts rejoice
In him who died for all!
For all my Lord was crucified,
For all, for all my Saviour died.

Reading: Matthew 5:21-37

Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said to those who lived long ago, Don’t commit murder, and all who commit murder will be in danger of judgment. But I say to you that everyone who is angry with their brother or sister will be in danger of judgment. If they say to their brother or sister, ‘You idiot,’ they will be in danger of being condemned by the governing council. And if they say, ‘You fool,’ they will be in danger of fiery hell. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift at the altar and go. First make things right with your brother or sister and then come back and offer your gift. Be sure to make friends quickly with your opponents while you are with them on the way to court. Otherwise, they will haul you before the judge, the judge will turn you over to the officer of the court, and you will be thrown into prison. I say to you in all seriousness that you won’t get out of there until you’ve paid the very last penny.

“You have heard that it was said, Don’t commit adultery. But I say to you that every man who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery in his heart. And if your right eye causes you to fall into sin, tear it out and throw it away. It’s better that you lose a part of your body than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to fall into sin, chop it off and throw it away. It’s better that you lose a part of your body than that your whole body go into hell.

“It was said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a divorce certificate.’ But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife except for sexual unfaithfulness forces her to commit adultery. And whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

“Again you have heard that it was said to those who lived long ago: Don’t make a false solemn pledge, but you should follow through on what you have pledged to the Lord. But I say to you that you must not pledge at all. You must not pledge by heaven, because it’s God’s throne. You must not pledge by the earth, because it’s God’s footstool. You must not pledge by Jerusalem, because it’s the city of the great king. And you must not pledge by your head, because you can’t turn one hair white or black. Let your yes mean yes, and your no mean no. Anything more than this comes from the evil one.”

CANTICLE Exodus 15
(John Schiavone: https://tinyurl.com/ybknobsb)

Ant. I will sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.

I will sing to the Lord, for he is gloriously triumphant;
horse and chariot he has cast into the sea.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
He is my God, I praise him;
the God of my father, I extol him. Ant.

The Lord is a warrior, LORD is his name!
Pharaoh’s chariots and army he hurled into the sea;
the elite of his officers were submerged in the Red Sea. Ant.

The flood waters covered them,
they sank into the depths like a stone.
Your right hand, O Lord, magnificent in power,
your right hand, O Lord, has shattered the enemy. Ant.

You brought in the people you redeemed
and planted them on the mountain of your inheritance—
the place where you made your seat, O Lord,
the sanctuary, Lord, which your hands established.
The Lord shall reign forever and ever. Ant.

THE PRAYERS ^{Joe Milner}

For the Church: that we may persistently seek greater holiness and never be satisfied with merely fulfilling the letter of the law

For moral theologians and ethicists: that the Spirit will lead them to a deeper understanding of the wisdom of God so that they can share the values that will lead believers to live the Gospel more faithfully

For the gift of courage: that God will strengthen us as we make difficult moral decisions and empower us to put the values of the teachings of Jesus into practice

For fuller honesty: that God will help us to speak and act truthfully in every situation and activity in our lives

For a spirit of reverence: that we may recognize our need for God, seek to serve God each day, and never use God to achieve our agenda

For all who are struggling with moral decisions: that the Spirit of God will inspire them with wisdom, help them to recognize the greatest good in their options, and connect them with a supportive community

For insight: that God will help us to recognize the attitudes and situations that draw us away from God, give us strength to face them, and guide us in redirecting our choices and actions

For all who struggle with anger: that God will give them the strength to direct it in productive ways and not allow it to become violent or self-destructive

For all who have suffered violence: that God will heal their painful memories and that the Spirit will free them to live life fully

For all who have experienced divorce: that God will heal their pain, renew their self- worth, and help them to draw strength from the community of faith

For all who experienced abuse: that God will heal their deepest self, guide them in living life each day, and protect them from further harm

For the grace to let go of hurts and wounds: that God will free our minds and hearts from the pain of what others have done to us and help us forgive and pray for them

For all who are recovering from disasters: that God will give them strength, renew their spirits, and help them find the resources that they need to rebuild their lives

For healing: that God will heal the sick, give hope to those preparing for surgery, comfort the parents of sick children, and strengthen all who care for the sick

For peace: that God will bring an end to violence in Ukraine, in workplaces, in our city streets, and within families and help all to find ways to resolve differences in life-giving ways

(Traditional chant: https://tinyurl.com/ydzx5jdp)

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And 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.]

Living One,
in whose freedom
creation was born as gift:
free us from the need
to possess, define and silence others
that we might rejoice
in the strangeness of your beauty
revealed in flesh and blood;
through Jesus Christ, our reconciliation. 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.

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

The intercession is by Joe Milner http://liturgy.slu.edu

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

The main scripture readings are © 2011 Common English Bible.

The traditional language psalms are from The Book of Common Prayer (1662). Psalm 69 is in the version sung by Karl Kohlhase http://www.k4communications.com/karl/index.html. Psalm 70 is from The Book of Common Prayer (1979) and is chanted 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 © 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.