Oremus for Thursday, March 2, 2023

John Wesley
Born at Epworth Rectory in Lincolnshire, John Wesley was the son of an Anglican clergyman and a Puritan mother. He entered Holy Orders and, following a religious experience on this day in 1738, began an itinerant ministry which recognised no parish boundaries. This resulted, after his death, in the development of a world-wide Methodist Church. His spirituality involved an Arminian affirmation of grace, frequent communion and a disciplined corporate search for holiness. His open-air preaching, concern for education and for the poor, liturgical revision, organisation of local societies and training of preachers provided a firm basis for Christian growth and mission in England. He died on this day in 1791. ^EH

Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/ysz2pzj8

O sing a new song to the Lord;
sing to the Lord, all the earth.
In his presence are majesty and splendor,
strength and honor in his holy place. Psalm 96

Almighty God,
you love us, but we have not loved you.
You call, but we have not listened.
We walk away from neighbors in need,
wrapped in our own concerns.
We condone evil, prejudice, warfare, and greed.
God of grace, help us to admit our sin,
so that as you come to us in mercy,
we may repent, turn to you, and receive forgiveness;
through Jesus Christ our Redeemer. 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: Paul Gerhardt; trans. John Wesley
Tune: O dass ich tausend Zungen hätte https://tinyurl.com/9jexhj4

1 O draw me, Saviour, after Thee!
So shall I run and never tire.
With gracious words still comfort me;
Be Thou my Hope, my sole Desire.
Free me from every weight: nor fear
Nor sin can come, if Thou art here.

2 From all eternity, with love
Unchangeable, Thou hast me viewed.
Ere knew this beating heart to move,
Thy tender mercies me pursued.
Ever with me may they abide,
And close me in on every side.

3 Still let Thy Love point out my way;
How wondrous things Thy love hath wrought!
Still lead me, lest I go astray;
Direct my work, inspire my thought;
And if I fall, soon may I hear
Thy voice, and know that love is near.

4 In suffering be Thy love my peace,
In weakness be Thy love my power;
And when the storms of life shall cease,
Jesus, in that important hour,
In death as life be Thou my Guide,
And save me, Who for me hast died!

PSALMS

Psalm 9 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/yczh7vnk)
1  I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, with my whole heart *
 I will speak of all thy marvellous works.
2  I will be glad and rejoice in thee *
 yea, my songs will I make of thy Name, O thou most Highest.
3  While mine enemies are driven back *
 they shall fall and perish at thy presence.
4  For thou hast maintained my right and my cause *
 thou art set in the throne that judgest right.
5  Thou hast rebuked the heathen, and destroyed the ungodly *
 thou hast put out their name for ever and ever.
6  O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end *
 even as the cities which thou hast destroyed;
their memorial is perished with them.
7  But the Lord shall endure for ever *
 he hath also prepared his seat for judgement.
8  For he shall judge the world in righteousness *
 and minister true judgement unto the people.
9  The Lord also will be a defence for the oppressed *
 even a refuge in due time of trouble.
10  And they that know thy Name will put their trust in thee *
 for thou, Lord, hast never failed them that seek thee.
11  O praise the Lord which dwelleth in Sion *
 shew the people of his doings.
12  For, when he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them *
 and forgetteth not the complaint of the poor.
13  Have mercy upon me, O Lord; consider the trouble
which I suffer of them that hate me *
 thou that liftest me up from the gates of death.
14  That I may shew all thy praises
within the ports of the daughter of Sion *
 I will rejoice in thy salvation.
15  The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made *
 in the same net which they hid privily, is their foot taken.
16  The Lord is known to execute judgement *
 the ungodly is trapped in the work of his own hands.
17  The wicked shall be turned into hell *
 and all the people that forget God.
18  For the poor shall not alway be forgotten *
 the patient abiding of the meek shall not perish for ever.
19  Up, Lord, and let not man have the upper hand *
 let the heathen be judged in thy sight.
20  Put them in fear, O Lord *
 that the heathen may know themselves to be but men.
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 10 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/yakosuxg)
1  Why standest thou so far off, O Lord *
 and hidest thy face in the needful time of trouble?
2  The ungodly for his own lust doth persecute the poor *
 let them be taken in the crafty wiliness that they have imagined.
3  For the ungodly hath made boast of his own heart’s desire *
 and speaketh good of the covetous, whom God abhorreth.
4  The ungodly is so proud, that he careth not for God *
 neither is God in all his thoughts.
5  His ways are alway grievous *
 thy judgements are far above out of his sight,
and therefore defieth he all his enemies.
6  For he hath said in his heart, Tush, I shall never be cast down *
 there shall no harm happen unto me.
7  His mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and fraud *
 under his tongue is ungodliness and vanity.
8  He sitteth lurking in the thievish corners of the streets *
 and privily in his lurking dens doth he murder the innocent;
his eyes are set against the poor.
9  For he lieth waiting secretly, even as a lion lurketh he in his den *
 that he may ravish the poor.
10  He doth ravish the poor *
 when he getteth him into his net.
11  He falleth down, and humbleth himself *
 that the congregation of the poor may fall into the hands of his captains.
12  He hath said in his heart, Tush, God hath forgotten *
 he hideth away his face, and he will never see it.
13  Arise, O Lord God, and lift up thine hand *
 forget not the poor.
14  Wherefore should the wicked blaspheme God *
 while he doth say in his heart, Tush, thou God carest not for it.
15  Surely thou hast seen it *
 for thou beholdest ungodliness and wrong.
16  That thou mayest take the matter into thine hand *
 the poor committeth himself unto thee;
for thou art the helper of the friendless.
17  Break thou the power of the ungodly and malicious *
 take away his ungodliness, and thou shalt find none.
18  The Lord is King for ever and ever *
 and the heathen are perished out of the land.
19  Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the poor *
 thou preparest their heart, and thine ear hearkeneth thereto;
20  To help the fatherless and poor unto their right *
 that the man of the earth be no more exalted against them.
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 11 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/yboxkznx)
1  In the Lord put I my trust *
 how say ye then to my soul,
that she should flee as a bird unto the hill?
2  For lo, the ungodly bend their bow,
and make ready their arrows within the quiver *
 that they may privily shoot at them which are true of heart.
3  For the foundations will be cast down *
 and what hath the righteous done?
4  The Lord is in his holy temple *
 the Lord’s seat is in heaven.
5  His eyes consider the poor *
 and his eye-lids try the children of men.
6  The Lord alloweth the righteous *
 but the ungodly, and him that delighteth in wickedness
doth his soul abhor.
7  Upon the ungodly he shall rain snares,
fire and brimstone, storm and tempest *
 this shall be their portion to drink.
8  For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness *
 his countenance will behold the thing that is just.
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.

Psalms 9&10 (sung as one)
(Mode I Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-9-10-MH.mp3)
2 I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;
I will recount all your wonders.
3 I will rejoice in you and be glad,
and sing psalms to your name, O Most High.
4 See how my enemies turn back,
how they stumble and perish before you.
5 You upheld the justice of my cause;
you sat enthroned, judging with justice.
6 You have checked the nations, destroyed the wicked;
you have wiped out their name for ever and ever.
7 The foe is destroyed, eternally ruined.
You uprooted their cities; their memory has perished.
8 But the Lord sits enthroned for ever.
He has set up his throne for judgment;
9 he will judge the world with justice,
he will judge the peoples with his truth.
10 For the oppressed let the Lord be a stronghold,
a stronghold in times of distress.
11 Those who know your name will trust you;
you will never forsake those who seek you.
12 Sing psalms to the Lord who dwells in Zion.
Proclaim his mighty works among the peoples,
13 for the Avenger of blood has remembered them,
has not forgotten the cry of the poor.
14 Have pity on me, Lord, see my sufferings,
you who save me from the gates of death;
15 that I may recount all your praise
at the gates of the city of Zion
and rejoice in your saving help.
16 The nations have fallen in the pit which they made,
their feet caught in the snare they laid.
17 The Lord has revealed himself, and given judgment.
The wicked are snared in the work of their own hands.
18 Let the wicked go down among the dead,
all the nations forgetful of God;
19 for the needy shall not always be forgotten
nor the hopes of the poor be in vain.
20 Arise, Lord, let men not prevail!
Let the nations be judged before you.
21 Lord, strike them with terror,
let the nations know they are but men.

Psalm 10 (continued)
1 Lord, why do you stand afar off
and hide yourself in times of distress?
2 The poor man is devoured by the pride of the wicked:
he is caught in the schemes that others have made.
3 For the wicked man boasts of his heart’s desires;
the covetous blasphemes and spurns the Lord.
4 In his pride the wicked says: “He will not punish.
There is no God.” Such are his thoughts.
5 His path is ever untroubled;
your judgment is far from his mind.
His enemies he regards with contempt.
6 He thinks: “Never shall I falter:
misfortune shall never be my lot.”
7 His mouth is full of cursing, guile, oppression;
mischief and deceit are under his tongue.
8 He lies in wait among the reeds;
the innocent he murders in secret.
His eyes are on the watch for the helpless man.
9 He lurks in hiding like a lion in his lair;
he lurks in hiding to seize the poor;
he seizes the poor man and drags him away.
10 He crouches, preparing to spring,
and the helpless fall beneath such strength.
11 He thinks in his heart: “God forgets,
he hides his face, he does not see.”
12 Arise then, Lord, lift up your hand!
O God, do not forget the poor!
13 Why should the wicked spurn the Lord
and think in his heart: “God will not punish”?
14 But you have seen the trouble and sorrow,
you note it, you take it in hand.
The helpless trusts himself to you;
for you are the helper of the orphan.
15 Break the power of the wicked and the sinner!
Punish their wickedness till nothing remains!
16 The Lord is king for ever and ever.
The heathen shall perish from the land he rules.
17 Lord, you hear the prayer of the poor;
you strengthen their hearts; you turn your ear
18 to protect the rights of the orphan and oppressed:
so that mortal man may strike terror no more.
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 11 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-11.mp3)
1 In the LORD have I taken refuge; *
how then can you say to me,
“Fly away like a bird to the hilltop;
2 For see how the wicked bend the bow
and fit their arrows to the string, *
to shoot from ambush at the true of heart.
3 When the foundations are being destroyed, *
what can the righteous do?”
4 The LORD is in his holy temple; *
the LORD’S throne is in heaven.
5 His eyes behold the inhabited world; *
his piercing eye weighs our worth.
6 The LORD weighs the righteous as well as the wicked, *
but those who delight in violence he abhors.
7 Upon the wicked he shall rain coals of fire and
 burning sulphur; *
 a scorching wind shall be their lot.
8 For the LORD is righteous;
he delights in righteous deeds; *
and the just shall see his face.

PRAYER

Sovereign God,
you cut down trees that bear no fruit,
and prune fruitful trees that they may bear more.
Make us grow like rich olive trees in your kingdom,
firmly rooted in the power and mercy
of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ^BCW

THE WORD OF GOD

Reading: Job 4:1-6,12-21

Then Eliphaz, a native of Teman, responded:

Reading: 1 Corinthians 2:14-3:15

But people who are unspiritual don’t accept the things from God’s Spirit. They are foolishness to them and can’t be understood, because they can only be comprehended in a spiritual way. Spiritual people comprehend everything, but they themselves aren’t understood by anyone. Who has known the mind of the Lord, who will advise him? But we have the mind of Christ.

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.

I laid a foundation like a wise master builder according to God’s grace that was given to me, but someone else is building on top of it. Each person needs to pay attention to the way they build on it. No one can lay any other foundation besides the one that is already laid, which is Jesus Christ. So, whether someone builds on top of the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, grass, or hay, each one’s work will be clearly shown. The day will make it clear, because it will be revealed with fire—the fire will test the quality of each one’s work. If anyone’s work survives, they’ll get a reward. But if anyone’s work goes up in flames, they’ll lose it. However, they themselves will be saved as if they had gone through a fire.

HYMN: Johann Joseph Winkler; trans. John Wesley
Tune: Samson https://tinyurl.com/24kk88r5

1 Shall I for fear of feeble man,
The Spirit’s course in me restrain?
Or undismayed in deed and word,
Be a true witness for the Lord?

2 My life, my blood, I here present,
If for Thy truth they may be spent,
Fulfill Thy sovereign counsel, Lord;
Thy will be done, Thy name adored.

3 Give of Thy strength, O God of pow’r,
Then let winds blow, or thunders roar,
Thy faithful witness will I be:
‘Tis fixed, I can do all through Thee.

Reading: John 8:31-41a

Jesus said to the Jews who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teaching. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They responded, “We are Abraham’s children; we’ve never been anyone’s slaves. How can you say that we will be set free?”

Jesus answered, “I assure you that everyone who sins is a slave to sin. A slave isn’t a permanent member of the household, but a son is. Therefore, if the Son makes you free, you really will be free. I know that you are Abraham’s children, yet you want to kill me because you don’t welcome my teaching. I’m telling you what I’ve seen when I am with the Father, but you are doing what you’ve heard from your father.” They replied, “Our father is Abraham.” Jesus responded, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do Abraham’s works. Instead, you want to kill me, though I am the one who has spoken the truth I heard from God. Abraham didn’t do this. You are doing your father’s works.”

CANTICLE Prayer of Manasseh
(Setting by Joe Cox https://tinyurl.com/4hqmx4jh)

Ant. Your merciful promise is beyond all measure; *
    it surpasses all that our minds can fathom.
O Lord and Ruler of the hosts of heaven, *
    God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
    and of all their righteous offspring:
You made the heavens and the earth, *
    with all their vast array.
All things quake with fear at your presence; *
    they tremble because of your power.
But your merciful promise is beyond all measure; *
    it surpasses all that our minds can fathom.
O Lord, you are full of compassion, *
    long-suffering, and abounding in mercy.
You hold back your hand; *
    you do not punish as we deserve.
In your great goodness, Lord,
you have promised forgiveness to sinners, *
    that they may repent of their sin and be saved.
And now, O Lord, I bend the knee of my heart, *
    and make my appeal, sure of your gracious goodness.
I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned, *
    and I know my wickedness only too well.
Therefore I make this prayer to you: *
    Forgive me, Lord, forgive me.
Do not let me perish in my sin, *
    nor condemn me to the depths of the earth.
For you, O Lord, are the God of those who repent, *
    and in me you will show forth your goodness.
Unworthy as I am, you will save me,
in accordance with your great mercy, *
    and I will praise you without ceasing all the days of my life.
For all the powers of heaven sing your praises, *
    and yours is the glory to ages of ages. Amen.

THE PRAYERS ^WS2

God of new birth,
we praise you for being the giver of life and the victor over death,
for the evidence of new life we see in creation . . .
for our baptism, a sign of our union with Christ
in his death and resurrection . . .
for the promise of the coming kingdom . . .

God of new birth,
we acknowledge that all of life is sustained by you, so we pray
for creation and its care . . .
for the nations of the world, especially . . .
for our nation and those in authority . . .
for this community and its leaders . . .
for the church universal, its mission, and those who minister . . .
for our local church and its ministry . . .
for persons with particular needs . . .
We pray all these things in the name of the triune God,
the giver and sustainer of life. Amen.

(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.

God of mercy,
who inspired John Wesley with zeal for your gospel:
grant to all people boldness to proclaim your word
and a heart ever to rejoice in singing your praises;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen. ^EH

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.

^DL © Daniel Lawson; used with permission.

^WS2 The Worship Sourcebook, 2nd edition, © 2013, Faith Alive Christian Resources

^EH Exciting Holiness, Ed. Brother Tristram SSF © European Province of the Society of Saint Francis, 1997

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 9-10 is from The Grail Psalter and is from the Manual Hopper YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA7dFvm3xGcnay-IeuplWww. Psalm 11 is from The Book of Common Prayer (1979) and is sung 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.