Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/mth545h5
God is in his holy place,
God who unites those who dwell in his house;
he himself gives might and strength to his people. Psalm 68
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: Margaret Cropper ©
Tune: Au clair de la lune https://tinyurl.com/2p856wky
1 Jesus’ hands were kind hands, doing good to all,
healing pain and sickness, blessing children small,
washing tired feet, and saving those who fall;
Jesus’ hands were kind hands, doing good to all.
2 Take my hands, Lord Jesus, let them work for you;
make them strong and gentle, kind in all I do;
let me watch you, Jesus, till I’m gentle too,
till my hands are kind hands, quick to work for you.
PSALMS
Psalm 110 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/wo7aol8)
1 The Lord said unto my Lord *
Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
2 The Lord shall send the rod of thy power out of Sion *
be thou ruler, even in the midst among thine enemies.
3 In the day of thy power shall the people offer thee
free-will offerings with an holy worship *
the dew of thy birth is of the womb of the morning.
4 The Lord sware, and will not repent *
Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedech.
5 The Lord upon thy right hand *
shall wound even kings in the day of his wrath.
6 He shall judge among the heathen; he shall fill the places with the dead bodies *
and smite in sunder the heads over divers countries.
7 He shall drink of the brook in the way *
therefore shall he lift up his head.
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 111 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/vddmean)
1 I will give thanks unto the Lord with my whole heart *
secretly among the faithful, and in the congregation.
2 The works of the Lord are great *
sought out of all them that have pleasure therein.
3 His work is worthy to be praised, and had in honour *
and his righteousness endureth for ever.
4 The merciful and gracious Lord hath so done his marvellous works *
that they ought to be had in remembrance.
5 He hath given meat unto them that fear him *
he shall ever be mindful of his covenant.
6 He hath shewed his people the power of his works *
that he may give them the heritage of the heathen.
7 The works of his hands are verity and judgement *
all his commandments are true.
8 They stand fast for ever and ever *
and are done in truth and equity.
9 He sent redemption unto his people *
he hath commanded his covenant for ever; holy and reverend is his Name.
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom *
a good understanding have all they that do thereafter;
the praise of it endureth for ever.
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 112 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/yxyhobau)
1 Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord *
he hath great delight in his commandments.
2 His seed shall be mighty upon earth *
the generation of the faithful shall be blessed.
3 Riches and plenteousness shall be in his house *
and his righteousness endureth for ever.
4 Unto the godly there ariseth up light in the darkness *
he is merciful, loving, and righteous.
5 A good man is merciful, and lendeth *
and will guide his words with discretion.
6 For he shall never be moved *
and the righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance.
7 He will not be afraid of any evil tidings *
for his heart standeth fast, and believeth in the Lord.
8 His heart is established, and will not shrink *
until he see his desire upon his enemies.
9 He hath dispersed abroad, and given to the poor *
and his righteousness remaineth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour.
10 The ungodly shall see it, and it shall grieve him *
he shall gnash with his teeth, and consume away;
the desire of the ungodly shall perish.
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 113 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/s3ye4cx)
1 Praise the Lord, ye servants *
O praise the Name of the Lord.
2 Blessed be the Name of the Lord *
from this time forth for evermore.
3 The Lord’s Name is praised *
from the rising up of the sun unto the going down of the same.
4 The Lord is high above all heathen *
and his glory above the heavens.
5 Who is like unto the Lord our God that hath his dwelling so high *
and yet humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and earth?
6 He taketh up the simple out of the dust *
and lifteth the poor out of the mire;
7 That he may set him with the princes *
even with the princes of his people.
8 He maketh the barren woman to keep house *
and to be a joyful mother of children.
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 110 (Liturgical Folk https://tinyurl.com/9mtt9js)
1 The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, *
until I make your enemies your footstool.”
2 The LORD will send the scepter of your power out of Zion, *
saying, “Rule over your enemies round about you.
3 Princely state has been yours from the day of your birth; *
in the beauty of holiness have I begotten you,
like dew from the womb of the morning.”
4 The LORD has sworn and he will not recant: *
“You are a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.”
5 The Lord who is at your right hand will smite kings
in the day of his wrath he will rule over the nations.
6 He will heap high the corpses; *
he will smash heads over the wide earth.
7 He will drink from the brook beside the road; *
therefore he will lift high his head.
The LORD has sworn and he will not recant: *
“You are a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.” (x2)
Psalm 111 (LSB https://tinyurl.com/m4wu4t4z)
Praise the LORD!
I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart,*
in the company of the upright, in the congregation.
Great are the works of the LORD,*
studied by all who delight in them.
Full of splendor and majesty is his work,*
and his righteousness endures forever.
He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered;*
the LORD is gracious and merciful.
He provides food for those who | fear him;*
he remembers his covenant forever.
He has shown his people the power of his works*
in giving them the inheritance of the nations.
The works of his hands are faithful and just;*
all his precepts are trustworthy;
they are established forever and ever,*
to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.
He sent redemption to his people;
he has commanded his covenant forever.*
Holy and awesome is his name!
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;*
all those who practice it have a good understanding.
His praise endures forever!
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 112 (Karl Kohlhase: https://tinyurl.com/u8nezcvs)
Hallelujah! How blessed is the man, who fears the LORD,
with great delight in His commandments.
His descendants will be mighty upon the earth;
the generation of the upright are blessed.
Wealth and riches are in his house,
his righteousness lasting forever.
Hallelujah! How blessed is the man, who fears the LORD,
with great delight in His commandments.
Light rises in the dark for the upright;
he is gracious, compassionate and righteous.
It is well with the man who lends graciously;
he will maintain his cause in judgment.
Hallelujah! How blessed is the man, who fears the LORD,
with great delight in His commandments.
For he will never be shaken;
the righteous are remembered forever.
He will not fear evil tidings;
his steadfast heart trusts in the LORD.
Hallelujah! How blessed is the man, who fears the LORD,
with great delight in His commandments.
His heart is upheld, he will not fear,
even when he looks on his enemies.
He’s donated freely unto the poor,
his righteousness lives forever.
Hallelujah! How blessed is the man, who fears the LORD,
with great delight in His commandments.
His horn will be exalted in honor;
the wicked will see and be vexed,
He’ll gnash his teeth and melt away;
the desire of the wicked will perish.
Hallelujah! How blessed is the man, who fears the LORD,
with great delight in His commandments.
Psalm 113 (Grail https://tinyurl.com/yterk33s)
Ant. Sing praise to our God, all his saints.
Praise, you servants of the LORD,
praise the name of the LORD!
May the name of the LORD be blest
both now and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its setting,
praised be the name of the LORD!
High above all nations is the LORD,
above the heavens his glory.
Who is like the LORD, our God,
who has risen on high to his throne,
yet stoops from the heights to look down
to look down upon heaven and earth?
From the dust he lifts up the lowly,
from the dung heap he raises the poor,
to set them in the company of princes,
yes, with the princes of his people.
To the childless wife he gives a home
and gladdens her heart with children.
Ant. Sing praise to our God, all his saints.
PRAYER
God our Maker,
you crown the humble with honor
and exalt the faithful who gather in your name.
Because you have favored us with life,
we dance before you in our joy
and praise you with unending song
for Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. BCW
THE WORD OF GOD
Reading: Job 31:1-23
Job continued:
I’ve made a covenant with my eyes;
how could I look at a virgin?
What is God’s portion for me from above,
the Almighty’s inheritance from on high?
Isn’t it disaster for the wicked,
destruction for workers of iniquity?
Doesn’t he see my ways,
count all my steps?
If I have walked with frauds
or my feet have hurried to deceit,
let him weigh me on accurate scales;
let God know my integrity.
If my step has turned from the way,
if my heart has followed my eyes
or a blemish has clung to my hands,
then let me sow and another reap;
let my offspring be uprooted.
If my heart has been drawn to a woman
and I have lurked at my neighbor’s door,
then may my wife grind for another
and others kneel over her;
for that’s a crime;
it’s a punishable offense;
indeed, it’s a fire that consumes to the underworld,
uprooting all my harvest.
If I’ve rejected the just cause of my male or female servant
when they contended with me,
what could I do when God rises;
when he requires an account, what could I answer?
Didn’t the one who made me in the belly make them;
didn’t the same one fashion us in the womb?
If I have denied what the poor wanted,
made a widow’s eyes tired,
eaten my morsel alone,
and not shared any with an orphan
(for from my youth I raised the orphan as a father,
and from my mother’s womb I led the widow);
if I ever saw someone dying without clothes, the needy naked;
if they haven’t blessed me fervently,
or if they weren’t warmed by the wool from my sheep;
if I have lifted my hand against the orphans,
when I saw that I had help in the city gate—
may my arm fall from my shoulder,
my forearm be broken at the elbow—
for God’s calamity is terror to me;
I couldn’t endure his splendor.
HYMN: Dietrich Bonhoeffer; trans. Church Hymnary 4
Tune: Valor https://tinyurl.com/4py4v3fn
1 We turn to God when we are sorely pressed;
we pray for help, and ask for peace and bread;
we seek release from illness, guilt, and death:
all people do, in faith or unbelief.
2 We turn to God when he is sorely pressed,
and find him poor, scorned, withut roof and bread,
bowed under weight of weakness, sin, and death:
faith stands by God in his dark hour of grief.
3 God turns to us when we are sorely pressed,
and feeds our souls and bodies with his bread;
for one and all Christ gives himself in death:
through his forgiveness sin will find relief.
Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:12-26
Christ is just like the human body—a body is a unit and has many parts; and all the parts of the body are one body, even though there are many. We were all baptized by one Spirit into one body, whether Jew or Greek, or slave or free, and we all were given one Spirit to drink. Certainly the body isn’t one part but many. If the foot says, “I’m not part of the body because I’m not a hand,” does that mean it’s not part of the body? If the ear says, “I’m not part of the body because I’m not an eye,” does that mean it’s not part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, what would happen to the hearing? And if the whole body were an ear, what would happen to the sense of smell? But as it is, God has placed each one of the parts in the body just like he wanted. If all were one and the same body part, what would happen to the body? But as it is, there are many parts but one body. So the eye can’t say to the hand, “I don’t need you,” or in turn, the head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.” Instead, the parts of the body that people think are the weakest are the most necessary. The parts of the body that we think are less honorable are the ones we honor the most. The private parts of our body that aren’t presentable are the ones that are given the most dignity. The parts of our body that are presentable don’t need this. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the part with less honor so that there won’t be division in the body and so the parts might have mutual concern for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part gets the glory, all the parts celebrate with it.
HYMN: John Fawcett
Tune: Dennis https://tinyurl.com/yc69rtt2
1 Blest be the tie that binds
our hearts in Christian love;
the fellowship of kindred minds
is like to that above.
2 Before our Father’s throne
we pour our ardent prayers;
our fears, our hopes, our aims are one,
our comforts and our cares.
3 We share our mutual woes,
our mutual burdens bear,
and often for each other flows
the sympathizing tear.
4 When we are called to part,
it gives us inward pain;
but we shall still be joined in heart,
and hope to meet again.
5 This glorious hope revives
our courage by the way;
while each in expectation lives
and waits to see the day.
6 From sorrow, toil, and pain,
and sin, we shall be free;
and perfect love and friendship reign
through all eternity.
Reading: John 13:16-20
Jesus said, “I assure you, servants aren’t greater than their master, nor are those who are sent greater than the one who sent them. Since you know these things, you will be happy if you do them. I’m not speaking about all of you. I know those whom I’ve chosen. But this is to fulfill the scripture, The one who eats my bread has turned against me.
“I’m telling you this now, before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I Am. I assure you that whoever receives someone I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”
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.
Randy Ferris https://tinyurl.com/4kf3fjje
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your Name,
your kingdom come,
let heaven’s will be done here on earth.
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 and the power and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen.
Lover of the vineyard
and host of the wedding feast:
inflame our longing
to drink of your delights;
when life runs dry,
call us to your table
that we might be
transformed,
intoxicated,
wholly yours;
through Jesus Christ, the vinedresser. 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
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BCW Book of Common Worship, Presbyterian Church U.S.A., 1993.
WS2 The Worship Sourcebook, 2nd edition, © 2013, Faith Alive Christian Resources
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). The contemporary version of Psalm 110 is from The Book of Common Prayer (1979); Psalm 111 is from Lutheran Service Book; Psalm 112 is in the version sung by Karl Kohlhase; and Psalm 113 is from The Grail Psalms.
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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