Oremus for Sunday, February 26, 2023

Antiphon ¹

Ant. I will relate all your wondrous deeds.
I will be glad and rejoice in you;
I will sing to the honor of your name, O Most High.
Ps. But the Lord sits enthroned forever; *
he has set up his throne for judgment.
He will judge the world with justice; *
he will govern the peoples with equity. Psalm 9

Merciful God,
you pardon all who truly repent and turn to you.
We humbly confess our sins and ask your mercy.
We have not loved you with a pure heart,
nor have we loved our neighbor as ourselves.
We have not done justice, loved kindness,
or walked humbly with you, our God.
Have mercy on us, O God, in your loving-kindness.
In your great compassion,
cleanse us from our sin.
Create in us a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within us.
Do not cast us from your presence,
or take your Holy Spirit from us.
Restore to us the joy of your salvation
and sustain us with your bountiful Spirit. Amen. ^BCW

Music: https://tinyurl.com/ufxekitx

God, come to my assistance.
Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory 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.

HYMN: Claudia Frances Hernaman
Tune: St Flavian https://tinyurl.com/yx6hpssx

1. Lord, who throughout these forty days
for us didst fast and pray,
teach us with thee to mourn our sins
and close by thee to stay.

2. As thou with Satan didst contend
and didst the victory win,
O give us strength in thee to fight,
in thee to conquer sin.

3. As thou didst hunger bear and thirst,
so teach us, gracious Lord,
to die to self, and chiefly live
by thy most holy Word.

4. And through these days of penitence,
and through thy Passiontide,
yea, evermore, in life and death,
Jesus! with us abide.

5. Abide with us, that so, this life
of suffering overpast,
an Easter of unending joy
we may attain at last!

PSALMS

Psalm 119:145-176
(Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y74yj68g)

145  I call with my whole heart *
 hear me, O Lord, I will keep thy statutes.
146  Yea, even unto thee do I call *
 help me, and I shall keep thy testimonies.
147  Early in the morning do I cry unto thee *
 for in thy word is my trust.
148  Mine eyes prevent the night-watches *
 that I might be occupied in thy words.
149  Hear my voice, O Lord, according unto thy loving-kindness *
 quicken me, according as thou art wont.
150  They draw nigh that of malice persecute me *
 and are far from thy law.
151  Be thou nigh at hand, O Lord *
 for all thy commandments are true.
152  As concerning thy testimonies, I have known long since *
 that thou hast grounded them for ever.

153  O consider mine adversity, and deliver me *
 for I do not forget thy law.
154  Avenge thou my cause, and deliver me *
 quicken me, according to thy word.
155  Health is far from the ungodly *
 for they regard not thy statutes.
156  Great is thy mercy, O Lord *
 quicken me, as thou art wont.
157  Many there are that trouble me, and persecute me *
 yet do I not swerve from thy testimonies.
158  It grieveth me when I see the transgressors *
 because they keep not thy law.
159  Consider, O Lord, how I love thy commandments *
 O quicken me, according to thy loving-kindness.
160  Thy word is true from everlasting *
 all the judgements of thy righteousness endure for evermore.

161  Princes have persecuted me without a cause *
 but my heart standeth in awe of thy word.
162  I am as glad of thy word *
 as one that findeth great spoils.
163  As for lies, I hate and abhor them *
 but thy law do I love.
164  Seven times a day do I praise thee *
 because of thy righteous judgements.
165  Great is the peace that they have who love thy law *
 and they are not offended at it.
166  Lord, I have looked for thy saving health *
 and done after thy commandments.
167  My soul hath kept thy testimonies *
 and loved them exceedingly.
168  I have kept thy commandments and testimonies *
 for all my ways are before thee.

169  Let my complaint come before thee, O Lord *
 give me understanding according to thy word.
170  Let my supplication come before thee *
 deliver me, according to thy word.
171  My lips shall speak of thy praise *
 when thou hast taught me thy statutes.
172  Yea, my tongue shall sing of thy word *
 for all thy commandments are righteous.
173  Let thine hand help me *
 for I have chosen thy commandments.
174  I have longed for thy saving health, O Lord *
 and in thy law is my delight.
175  O let my soul live, and it shall praise thee *
 and thy judgements shall help me.
176  I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost *
 O seek thy servant, for I do not forget thy commandments.
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 119:145-176 (Karl Kohlhase:
http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-119-145-176-KH.mp3)

I cried with all my heart; answer me,
O LORD! I will keep your laws.
I cried to you; please rescue me,
and I shall keep your teachings.
I rise before dawn and cry for help;
I wait upon your words.
My eyes wait for the night watches,
to meditate on your word.
Hear my voice according to your love;
revive me, O LORD, by your judgments.
Those who love to do evil draw near;
they are far from your law.
but you also are near, O LORD,
and all your commandments are truth.
Your testimonies from of old,
I know you have founded forever.

See my trouble and rescue me,
for I will not forget your law.
Plead my cause and redeem me;
revive me by your word.
Salvation is far from the wicked,
for they do not seek your ways.
Great are your mercies, O LORD;
restore me by your decrees.
O how many who stand against me,
yet I will not leave your teachings.
I see treacherous ones whom I loathe,
who do not abide in your word.
Please consider how I love your precepts;
revive me, O LORD, by your love.
The sum of your word is truth,
all your righteous laws are eternal.

Princes hate me without reason,
but my heart is in awe of your words.
So I rejoice at your word,
as one who finds great spoil.
I hate and despise all falsehood,
but I love your law.
Seven times daily I praise you,
because of your righteous decrees.
Those who love your law have great peace,
and nothing can cause them to stumble.
LORD, I hope for your salvation,
and keeping your commands.
My soul keeps your testimonies,
exceedingly I love them.
Your precepts and teachings I’ll keep,
for all my ways are before you.

Let my cry reach you, O LORD;
help me understand by your word.
O let my prayer come before you;
deliver me by your word.
Let my lips flow with your praise,
for you teach me your statutes.
Let my tongue speak of your word,
for all your commandments are just.
Let your hand be ready to help,
for I have chosen your precepts.
O LORD, for your salvation I long,
your law also is my delight.
Let my soul live that it may praise you,
and let your judgements help me.
Seek your servant, a straying sheep,
let me not forget your commands.

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: Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7

The Lord God took the human and settled him in the garden of Eden to farm it and to take care of it. The Lord God commanded the human, “Eat your fill from all of the garden’s trees; but don’t eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, because on the day you eat from it, you will die!”

The snake was the most intelligent of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say that you shouldn’t eat from any tree in the garden?”

The woman said to the snake, “We may eat the fruit of the garden’s trees but not the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden. God said, ‘Don’t eat from it, and don’t touch it, or you will die.’”

The snake said to the woman, “You won’t die! God knows that on the day you eat from it, you will see clearly and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” The woman saw that the tree was beautiful with delicious food and that the tree would provide wisdom, so she took some of its fruit and ate it, and also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then they both saw clearly and knew that they were naked. So they sewed fig leaves together and made garments for themselves.

HYMN: Psalm 32; para. Psalter, 1912, alt.
Tune: Meirionydd https://tinyurl.com/j6wm2t5s

1 How blest are they whose trespass
has freely been forgiven,
whose sins are wholly covered
before the sight of heaven.
Blest they to whom the LORD God
does not impute their sin,
who have a guileless spirit,
whose heart is true within.

2 While I kept guilty silence,
my strength was spent with grief:
your hand was heavy on me;
my soul found no relief.
But when I owned my trespass
and did not hide my sin,
then you forgave my guilt, LORD,
restored my life within.

3 So let the godly seek you
in times when you are near;
no whelming floods shall reach them
or cause their hearts to fear.
O LORD, you are my refuge,
you are my hiding place,
and you surround me always
with songs of saving grace.

4 “I graciously will teach you
the way that you should go,
and, with my eye upon you,
help you my counsel know.
Then do not be unruly
or slow to understand;
be not perverse, but willing
to heed my wise command.”

5 The sorrows of the wicked
increase from year to year,
but those who trust the LORD God
know love instead of fear.
Then in the LORD be joyful,
in song lift up your voice;
be glad in God, you righteous:
rejoice, O saints, rejoice!

Reading: Romans 5:12-19

Just as through one human being sin came into the world, and death came through sin, so death has come to everyone, since everyone has sinned. Although sin was in the world, since there was no Law, it wasn’t taken into account until the Law came. But death ruled from Adam until Moses, even over those who didn’t sin in the same way Adam did—Adam was a type of the one who was coming.

But the free gift of Christ isn’t like Adam’s failure. If many people died through what one person did wrong, God’s grace is multiplied even more for many people with the gift—of the one person Jesus Christ—that comes through grace. The gift isn’t like the consequences of one person’s sin. The judgment that came from one person’s sin led to punishment, but the free gift that came out of many failures led to the verdict of acquittal. If death ruled because of one person’s failure, those who receive the multiplied grace and the gift of righteousness will even more certainly rule in life through the one person Jesus Christ.

So now the righteous requirements necessary for life are met for everyone through the righteous act of one person, just as judgment fell on everyone through the failure of one person. Many people were made righteous through the obedience of one person, just as many people were made sinners through the disobedience of one person.

HYMN: Rusty Edwards ©
Tune: Nettleton https://tinyurl.com/y4b6x4uz

1 Praise the one who breaks the darkness
with a liberating light;
praise the one who frees the pris’ners,
turning blindness into sight.
Praise the one who preached the gospel,
healing ev’ry dread disease,
calming storms and feeding thousands
with the Father’s word of peace.

2 Praise the one who blessed the children
with a strong yet gentle word;
praise the one who drove out demons
with a piercing, two-edged sword.
Praise the one who brings cool water
to the desert’s burning sand;
from this well comes living water,
quenching thirst in ev’ry land.

3 Let us praise the Word incarnate,
Christ, who suffered in our place;
Jesus died and rose victorious
that we may know God by grace.
Let us sing for joy and gladness,
seeing what our God has done;
let us praise the true Redeemer,
praise the one who makes us one.

Reading: Matthew 4:1-11

Then the Spirit led Jesus up into the wilderness so that the devil might tempt him. After Jesus had fasted for forty days and forty nights, he was starving. The tempter came to him and said, “Since you are God’s Son, command these stones to become bread.” Jesus replied, “It’s written, People won’t live only by bread, but by every word spoken by God.”

After that the devil brought him into the holy city and stood him at the highest point of the temple. He said to him, “Since you are God’s Son, throw yourself down; for it is written, I will command my angels concerning you, and they will take you up in their hands so that you won’t hit your foot on a stone.” Jesus replied, “Again it’s written, Don’t test the Lord your God.”

Then the devil brought him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. He said, “I’ll give you all these if you bow down and worship me.” Jesus responded, “Go away, Satan, because it’s written,You will worship the Lord your God and serve only him.” The devil left him, and angels came and took care of him.

CANTICLE Revelation 11:17-18; 12:10b-12a
(Chant by John Michael Talbot: https://tinyurl.com/ycrn2d4f)

Ant. The Father has given Christ all power, honor, and kingship,
All people will obey him.
We praise you, the Lord God Almighty,
who is and who was.
You have assumed your great power,
you have begun your reign.
the nations have raged in anger,
but then came your day of wrath
and the moment to judge the dead:
the time to reward your servants the prophets
and the holy ones who revere you,
the great and the small alike.
Now have salvation and power come,
the reign of our god and the authority
of his anointed one,
for the accuser of our brothers is cast out,
who night and day accused them before God.
They defeated him by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
love for life did not deter them from death.
So rejoice, you heavens,
and you that dwell therein!
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 ^{Joe Milner}

For the Church: that the Spirit will deepen our identity as daughters and sons of God, inspire us on our Lenten journey, and help us to live as faithful disciples

For one another: that the prayer, fasting, and almsgiving of Lent may bring forth a new springtime of faith in our lives

For the grace of conversion: that the Spirit will help us to recognize our dependence upon God and free us from our pride which seeks to convince us that we can save ourselves

For all believers: that we may grow in our relationship with God by frequent reflection on the Word of God and reception of the Bread of Life

For all who have been chosen for the Easter sacraments: that God will draw them closer and help them to turn toward all that is holy and good

For all who are alienated from the Church: that God will touch their hearts and lead them to a renewal of faith and a reconnection with the community of faith

For all who struggle with attraction to wealth, power, and control: that God will free their hearts and guide them to a life of faith and trust

For those who struggle with addiction: that the Spirit of God will help them recognize the harm that follows from addictive behavior and give them the strength to make life- giving choices

For all who must fast every day: that our fasting may make us more aware of the homeless, refugees, and those recovering from natural disasters and our hearts more generous toward them

For our legislators: that the Spirit will lead them to new insights concerning the poor and powerless as they prepare budgets and reorganize programs

For deeper respect for the world which God created: that we may recognize the land, water, and air as God’s gifts to all the human family and be good stewards of them

For all who have experienced abuse: that God will heal their pain, refresh their spirits, and free them from fear

For all victims of gun violence: that God will heal their physical and emotional wounds, give eternal rest to those who have died, and inspire us with new ways to end violence in our society

For all who are homebound: that they may experience God’s presence in their prayer, in their family members, and in the visits from members of their faith community

For greater respect for all human life: that we may honor God’s gift of life, promote the dignity of each person, and work to end capital punishment

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 trackless desert,
whose Son walked untamed
in league with beasts and spirits,
whose kingdom is not distant
but breaking in among us:
give us time and space
to find a new identity
to let go of control
and walk the pilgrim way;
through Jesus Christ, the good news of salvation. 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.

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

The three 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 119 is by Karl Kohlhase http://www.k4communications.com/karl/index.html

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.