Gregory of Nyssa
Gregory of Nyssa was born at Caesarea in what is now Turkey around the year 330, the child of an aristocratic Christian family. Unlike his elder brother Basil, he was academically undistinguished, but ultimately proved to be the most original of the group of the theologians known as the Cappadocian Fathers. He was introduced to the spiritual life by his elder sister Macrina who exercised a formative influence upon him, and with whom he maintained close bonds of friendship throughout his life. It was she who, after the death of their father, converted the household into a sort of monastery on one of the family estates. Gregory married a deeply spiritual woman, Theosebia, and at first refused ordination, choosing to pursue a secular career. He was ordained only later in life, and in 372 was chosen to be bishop of Nyssa. In the year 379 both his brother Basil and his sister Macrina died, and this deeply affected him; but out of this darkness emerged a profound spirituality. For Gregory, God is met not as an object to be understood, but as a mystery to be loved. He died in the year 394. EH
Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/3mmbr9nr
The Lord became my protector.
He brought me out to a place of freedom;
he saved me because he delighted in me. Psalm 18
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: Rob Johns ©
Tune: Sussex Carol https://tinyurl.com/2ffwkhs8
1 When heaven’s bright with mystery
and science searches nature’s art,
when all creation yearns for peace
and hope sinks deep in human hearts,
appear to us, O Holy Light,
lift from our eyes the shades of night.
2 When Herod barters power and lives
and Rachel’s weeping fills the night,
when suffering’s mask marks every face,
and Love’s a refugee in flight,
reveal to us your word of grace
and make us witness to your peace.
3 When fragile faith like desert wind
blows dry and empty, hope erased,
when withered grass and fading flower
proclaim again our day’s brief space,
breathe on the clay of our despair
and work a new creation there.
4 When heaven’s bright with mystery
and stars still lead an unknown way,
when love still lights a gentle path
where courts of power hold no sway,
there with the Magi let us kneel,
our gifts to share, God’s world to heal.
PSALMS
Psalm 44 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/4mebue34)
1 We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us :
what thou hast done in their time of old;
2 How thou hast driven out the heathen with thy hand,
and planted them in :
how thou hast destroyed the nations and cast them out.
3 For they gat not the land in possession through their own sword :
neither was it their own arm that helped them;
4 But thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance :
because thou hadst a favour unto them.
5 Thou art my King, O God :
send help unto Jacob.
6 Through thee will we overthrow our enemies :
and in thy Name will we tread them under, that rise up against us.
7 For I will not trust in my bow :
it is not my sword that shall help me;
8 But it is thou that savest us from our enemies :
and puttest them to confusion that hate us.
9 We make our boast of God all day long :
and will praise thy Name for ever.
10 But now thou art far off, and puttest us to confusion :
and goest not forth with our armies.
11 Thou makest us to turn our backs upon our enemies :
so that they which hate us spoil our goods.
12 Thou lettest us be eaten up like sheep :
and hast scattered us among the heathen.
13 Thou sellest thy people for nought :
and takest no money for them.
14 Thou makest us to be rebuked of our neighbours :
to be laughed to scorn, and had in derision of them
that are round about us.
15 Thou makest us to be a by-word among the heathen :
and that the people shake their heads at us.
16 My confusion is daily before me :
and the shame of my face hath covered me;
17 For the voice of the slanderer and blasphemer:
for the enemy and avenger.
18 And though all this be come upon us, yet do we not forget thee :
nor behave ourselves frowardly in thy covenant.
19 Our heart is not turned back :
neither our steps gone out of thy way;
20 No, not when thou hast smitten us into the place of dragons :
and covered us with the shadow of death.
21 If we have forgotten the Name of our God,
and holden up our hands to any strange god :
shall not God search it out? for he knoweth the very secrets of the heart.
22 For thy sake also are we killed all the day long :
and are counted as sheep appointed to be slain.
23 Up, Lord, why sleepest thou :
awake, and be not absent from us for ever.
24 Wherefore hidest thou thy face :
and forgettest our misery and trouble?
25 For our soul is brought low, even unto the dust :
our belly cleaveth unto the ground.
26 Arise, and help us :
and deliver us for thy mercy’s sake.
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 45 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/ybupe5te)
1 My heart is inditing of a good matter *
I speak of the things which I have made unto the King.
2 My tongue is the pen *
of a ready writer.
3 Thou art fairer than the children of men *
full of grace are thy lips, because God hath blessed thee for ever.
4 Gird thee with thy sword upon thy thigh, O thou most Mighty *
according to thy worship and renown.
5 Good luck have thou with thine honour *
ride on, because of the word of truth, of meekness,
and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things.
6 Thy arrows are very sharp,
and the people shall be subdued unto thee *
even in the midst among the King’s enemies.
7 Thy seat, O God, endureth for ever *
the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.
8 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity *
wherefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee
with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
9 All thy garments smell of myrrh, aloes, and cassia *
out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad.
10 Kings’ daughters were among thy honourable women *
upon thy right hand did stand the queen in a vesture of gold,
wrought about with divers colours.
11 Hearken, O daughter, and consider, incline thine ear *
forget also thine own people, and thy father’s house.
12 So shall the King have pleasure in thy beauty *
for he is thy Lord God, and worship thou him.
13 And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift *
like as the rich also among the people shall make their supplication before thee.
14 The King’s daughter is all glorious within *
her clothing is of wrought gold.
15 She shall be brought unto the King in raiment of needle-work *
the virgins that be her fellows shall bear her company,
and shall be brought unto thee.
16 With joy and gladness shall they be brought *
and shall enter into the King’s palace.
17 Instead of thy fathers thou shalt have children *
whom thou mayest make princes in all lands.
18 I will remember thy Name from one generation to another *
therefore shall the people give thanks unto thee, world without end.
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 46 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y7svqcl3)
1 God is our hope and strength *
a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore will we not fear, though the earth be moved *
and though the hills be carried into the midst of the sea.
3 Though the waters thereof rage and swell *
and though the mountains shake at the tempest of the same.
4 The rivers of the flood thereof shall make glad the city of God *
the holy place of the tabernacle of the most Highest.
5 God is in the midst of her, therefore shall she not be removed *
God shall help her, and that right early.
6 The heathen make much ado, and the kingdoms are moved *
but God hath shewed his voice, and the earth shall melt away.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us *
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
8 O come hither, and behold the works of the Lord *
what destruction he hath brought upon the earth.
9 He maketh wars to cease in all the world *
he breaketh the bow, and knappeth the spear in sunder,
and burneth the chariots in the fire.
10 Be still then, and know that I am God *
I will be exalted among the heathen, and I will be exalted in the earth.
11 The Lord of hosts is with us *
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
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 44 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-44-MH.mp3)
2 We heard with our own ears, O God,
our fathers have told us the story
of the things you did in their days,
you yourself, in days long ago.
3 To plant them you uprooted the nations;
to let them spread you laid peoples low.
4 No sword of their own won the land;
no arm of their own brought them victory.
It was your right hand, your arm
and the light of your face; for you loved them.
5 It is you, my king, my God,
who granted victories to Jacob.
6 Through you we beat down our foes;
in your name we trampled down our aggressors.
7 For it was not in my bow that I trusted
nor yet was I saved by my sword:
8 it was you who saved us from our foes,
it was you who put our foes to shame.
9 All day long our boast was in God
and we praised your name without ceasing.
10 Yet now you have rejected us, disgraced us;
you no longer go forth with our armies.
11 You make us retreat from the foe
and our enemies plunder us at will.
12 You make us like sheep for the slaughter
and scatter us among the nations.
13 You sell your own people for nothing
and make no profit by the sale.
14 You make us the taunt of our neighbors,
the laughing stock of all who are near.
15 Among the nations, you make us a byword,
among the peoples a thing of derision.
16 All day long my disgrace is before me;
my face is covered with shame
17 at the voice of the taunter, the scoffer,
at the sight of the foe and avenger.
18 This befell us though we had not forgotten you,
though we had not been false to your covenant,
19 though we had not withdrawn our hearts;
though our feet had not strayed from your path.
20 Yet you have crushed us in a place of sorrows
and covered us with the shadow of death.
21 Had we forgotten the name of our God,
or stretched out our hands to another god
22 would not God have found this out,
he who knows the secrets of the heart?
23 It is for you that we face death all day long
and are counted as sheep for the slaughter.
24 Awake, O Lord, why do you sleep?
Arise, do not reject us for ever!
25 Why do you hide your face
and forget our oppression and misery?
26 For we are brought down low to the dust;
our body lies prostrate on the earth.
27 Stand up and come to our help!
Redeem us because of your love!
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 45 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-45.mp3)
1 My heart is stirring with a noble song;
let me recite what I have fashioned for the king; *
my tongue shall be the pen of a skilled writer.
2 You are the fairest of men; *
grace flows from your lips,
because God has blessed you for ever.
3 Strap your sword upon your thigh, O mighty warrior, *
in your pride and in your majesty.
4 Ride out and conquer in the cause of truth *
and for the sake of justice.
5 Your right hand will show you marvelous things; *
your arrows are very sharp, O mighty warrior.
6 The peoples are falling at your feet, *
and the king’s enemies are losing heart.
7 Your throne, O God, endures for ever and ever, *
a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom;
you love righteousness and hate iniquity.
8 Therefore God, your God, has anointed you *
with the oil of gladness above your fellows.
9 All your garments are fragrant with myrrh, aloes, and cassia, *
and the music of strings from ivory palaces makes you glad.
10 Kings’ daughters stand among the ladies of the court; *
on your right hand is the queen,
adorned with the gold of Ophir.
11 “Hear, O daughter; consider and listen closely; *
forget your people and your father’s house.
12 The king will have pleasure in your beauty; *
he is your master; therefore do him honor.
13 The people of Tyre are here with a gift; *
the rich among the people seek your favor.”
14 All glorious is the princess as she enters; *
her gown is cloth-of-gold.
15 In embroidered apparel she is brought to the king; *
after her the bridesmaids follow in procession.
16 With joy and gladness they are brought, *
and enter into the palace of the king.
17 “In place of fathers, O king, you shall have sons; *
you shall make them princes over all the earth.
18 I will make your name to be remembered
from one generation to another; *
therefore nations will praise you for ever and ever.”
Psalm 46 (LSB Tone C: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-46-LSB.mp3)
1 God is our refuge and strength,*
a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,*
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam,*
though the mountains tremble at its swelling.
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,*
the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;*
God will help her when morning dawns.
6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;*
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The LORD of hosts is with us;*
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
8 Come, behold the works of the LORD,*
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;*
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God.*
I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
11 The LORD of hosts is with us;*
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
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
Eternal God,
in every time and place and circumstance your people call on you,
rejoicing in your love and cherishing your truth.
Hear the prayers of our hearts
that we may be protected from sin
and delivered from evil;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. BCW
THE WORD OF GOD
Reading: Job 9:1,10:1-9,16-22
Job responded:
I loathe my life; I will let loose my complaint;
I will speak out of my own bitterness.
I will say to God, Don’t declare me guilty;
tell me what you are accusing me of doing.
Does it seem good to you that you oppress me,
that you reject the work of your hands
and cause the purpose of sinners to shine?
Do you have physical eyes;
do you see like a human?
Are your days like those of a human,
your years like years of a human,
that you search for my wrongdoing
and seek my sin?
You know that I’m not guilty,
yet no one delivers me from your power.
Your hands fashioned and made me;
yet you want to destroy me utterly.
Remember that you made me from clay,
and you will return me to dust.
I could boast like a lion, and you would hunt me;
you would do awesome things to me again.
You continue to send your witnesses against me
and increase your anger toward me,
a swift army against me.
Why did you let me emerge from the womb?
I wish I had died without any eye seeing me.
Then I would be just as if I hadn’t existed,
taken from the belly to the grave.
Aren’t my few days coming to an end?
Look away from me so I can brighten up a little
before I go and don’t return
to a land of deepest darkness,
a land whose light is like gloom,
utter darkness and confusion,
such that light shines like gloom.
HYMN: Albert F Bayly ©
Tune: Highwood https://tinyurl.com/2p8thxz8
1 O Lord of every shining constellation
that wheels in splendour through the midnight sky,
grant us your Spirit’s true illumination
to read the secrets of your work on high.
2 You, Lord, have made the atom’s hidden forces,
your laws its mighty energies fulfil;
teach us, to whom you give such rich resources,
in all we use, to serve your holy will.
3 O Life, awaking life in cell and tissue,
from flower to bird, from beast to brain of man;
help us to trace, from birth to final issue,
the sure unfolding of your age-long plan.
4 You, Lord, have stamped your image on your creatures,
and, though they mar that image, love them still;
lift up our eyes to Christ, that in his features
we may discern the beauty of your will.
5 Great Lord of nature, shaping and renewing,
you made us more than nature’s sons to be;
you help us tread, with grace our souls enduing,
the road to life and immortality.
Reading: 1 Corinthians 6:12-30
I have the freedom to do anything, but not everything is helpful. I have the freedom to do anything, but I won’t be controlled by anything. Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, and yet God will do away with both. The body isn’t for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body. God has raised the Lord and will raise us through his power. Don’t you know that your bodies are parts of Christ? So then, should I take parts of Christ and make them a part of someone who is sleeping around? No way! Don’t you know that anyone who is joined to someone who is sleeping around is one body with that person? The scripture says, The two will become one flesh. The one who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him. Avoid sexual immorality! Every sin that a person can do is committed outside the body, except those who engage in sexual immorality commit sin against their own bodies. Or don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you? Don’t you know that you have the Holy Spirit from God, and you don’t belong to yourselves? You have been bought and paid for, so honor God with your body.
HYMN: Randy Scruggs ©
Tune: https://tinyurl.com/3hrdrsxz
pure and holy, tried and true.
a living sanctuary for you.
the heart and soul of every man.
Who gives me strength, with Thine own hand.
Purify me from within.
Reading: John 10:1-10
Jesus said, “I assure you that whoever doesn’t enter into the sheep pen through the gate but climbs over the wall is a thief and an outlaw. The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The guard at the gate opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. Whenever he has gathered all of his sheep, he goes before them and they follow him, because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger but will run away because they don’t know the stranger’s voice.” Those who heard Jesus use this analogy didn’t understand what he was saying.
So Jesus spoke again, “I assure you that I am the gate of the sheep. All who came before me were thieves and outlaws, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief enters only to steal, kill, and destroy. I came so that they could have life—indeed, so that they could live life to the fullest.
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.
Lord of eternity, creator of all things,
in your Son Jesus Christ
you open for us the way to resurrection
that we may enjoy your bountiful goodness:
may we who celebrate your servant Gregory
press onwards in faith to your boundless love
and ever wonder at the miracle of your presence among us;
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
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BCW Book of Common Worship, Presbyterian Church U.S.A., 1993.
DL © Daniel Lawson; used with permission.
EH Exciting Holiness, Ed. Brother Tristram SSF © European Province of the Society of Saint Francis, 1997
WS2 The Worship Sourcebook, 2nd edition, © 2013, Faith Alive Christian Resources
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 44 is from The Grail Psalter and is from the Manual Hopper YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA7dFvm3xGcnay-IeuplWww. Psalm 45 is from The Book of Common Prayer (1979) and is sung by Ryland Angel. Psalm 46 is the version in Lutheran Service Book and is 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.
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