Oremus for Sunday, July 2, 2023

Mother Teresa Working with the Women of India

Antiphon 1

Ant. Lend your ear and make haste to rescue us.
V. In you, O Lord, I take refuge. *
Let me never be put to shame.
In your justice, set me free; *
incline your ear to me, and speedily rescue me.
Be a rock of refuge for me, *
a mighty stronghold to save me. Psalm 31

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: Richard Gillard ©
Tune: The Servant Song https://tinyurl.com/5xbxccn3

1 Brother, sister, let me serve you,
let me be as Christ to you;
pray that I may have the grace
to let you be my servant too.

2 We are pilgrims on a journey,
and companions on the road;
we are here to help each other
walk the mile and bear the load.

3 I will hold the Christ-light for you
in the night-time of your fear;
I will hold my hand out to you,
speak the peace you long to hear.

4 I will weep when you are weeping;
when you laugh, I’ll laugh with you;
I will share your joy and sorrow
till we’ve seen this journey through.

5 When we sing to God in heaven,
we shall find such harmony,
born of all we’ve known together
of Christ’s love and agony.

6 Brother, sister, let me serve you,
let me be as Christ to you;
pray that I may have the grace
to let you be my servant too.

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

Eternal God,
give us insight to discern your will for us,
to give up what harms us,
and to seek the perfection we are promised
in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. CW: Additional Collects

THE WORD OF GOD

 

Then the prophet Jeremiah responded to Hananiah in the presence of the priests and all the people who were standing in the Lord’s temple. The prophet Jeremiah said: “Indeed. May the Lord do just as you have said! May the Lord fulfill the words that you have prophesied and bring back from Babylon the equipment of the Lord’s temple and all the exiles to this place. However, listen closely to what I have to say to you and all the people: The prophets who came before you and me long ago prophesied war, disaster, and disease against many lands and great kingdoms. So the prophet who prophesies peace is recognized as one who is actually sent by the Lord only when that prophet’s message is fulfilled.”

HYMN: Psalm 89:1-18; para. Psalter Hymnal, 1987©
Tune: Genevan 89 https://tinyurl.com/yncxk8fr

1 Forever I will sing of your great love, O LORD,
to every changing age your faithfulness record.
I will declare how firm your steadfast love is founded,
established in the skies with faithfulness unbounded.
You promised David that his throne would last forever.
Your covenant with him no power on earth can sever.

2 The heavens praise, O LORD, your wonders day and night.
The angel hosts on high all tremble at your might.
Almighty God, your faithfulness stands round about you.
You rule the raging seas; no evil foes can rout you.
The heavens and earth are yours; your power is unbounded.
In faithfulness and might the whole wide world is founded.

3 Your faithfulness and righteousness forever stand.
Your justice and your love reach out to all the land.
You bathe in love and power the people who adore you.
Most blest are those, O LORD, who shout their praise before you,
who walk in paths of light, enjoying your protection;
their shield is Israel’s God, the God of all perfection.

Reading: Romans 6:12-23

So then, don’t let sin rule your body, so that you do what it wants. Don’t offer parts of your body to sin, to be used as weapons to do wrong. Instead, present yourselves to God as people who have been brought back to life from the dead, and offer all the parts of your body to God to be used as weapons to do right. Sin will have no power over you, because you aren’t under Law but under grace.

So what? Should we sin because we aren’t under Law but under grace? Absolutely not! Don’t you know that if you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, that you are slaves of the one whom you obey? That’s true whether you serve as slaves of sin, which leads to death, or as slaves of the kind of obedience that leads to righteousness. But thank God that although you used to be slaves of sin, you gave wholehearted obedience to the teaching that was handed down to you, which provides a pattern. Now that you have been set free from sin, you have become slaves of righteousness. (I’m speaking with ordinary metaphors because of your limitations.) Once, you offered the parts of your body to be used as slaves to impurity and to lawless behavior that leads to still more lawless behavior. Now, you should present the parts of your body as slaves to righteousness, which makes your lives holy. When you were slaves of sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What consequences did you get from doing things that you are now ashamed of? The outcome of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and become slaves to God, you have the consequence of a holy life, and the outcome is eternal life. The wages that sin pays are death, but God’s gift is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

HYMN: George Matheson
Tune: Leominster https://tinyurl.com/emr9vyym

1 Make me a captive, Lord,
And then I shall be free.
Force me to render up my sword
And I shall conqueror be.
I sink in life’s alarms
When by myself I stand;
Imprison me within thine arms,
And strong shall be my hand.

2 My heart is weak and poor
Until it master find;
It has no spring of action sure,
It varies with the wind.
It cannot freely move
Till thou hast wrought its chain;
Enslave it with thy matchless love,
And deathless it shall reign.

3 My pow’r is faint and low
Till I have learned to serve;
It lacks the needed fire to glow,
It lacks the breeze to nerve.
It cannot drive the world
Until itself be driv’n;
Its flag can only be unfurled
When thou shalt breathe from heav’n.

4 My will is not my own
Till thou hast made it thine;
If it would reach a monarch’s throne,
It must its crown resign.
It only stands unbent
Amid the clashing strife
When on thy bosom it has leant,
And found in thee its life.

Jesus said, “Those who receive you are also receiving me, and those who receive me are receiving the one who sent me. Those who receive a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. Those who receive a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. I assure you that everybody who gives even a cup of cold water to these little ones because they are my disciples will certainly be rewarded.”

CANTICLE Revelation 4:11, 5:9-10, 13
(Chant by Joe Cox: https://tinyurl.com/y499lmmp)

Ant. Splendor and honor and kingly power *
are yours by right, O Lord our God,
For you created everything that is, *
and by your will they were created and have their being;
And yours by right, O Lamb that was slain, *
for with your blood you have redeemed for God,
From every family, language, people, and nation, *
a kingdom of priests to serve our God.
And so, to him who sits upon the throne, *
and to Christ the Lamb,
Be worship and praise, dominion and splendor, *
for ever and for evermore. Ant.

THE PRAYERS Joe Milner

For the Church: that we who have died with Christ in baptism may recognize our dignity in being children of God and sisters and brothers to one another

For wisdom: that we may embrace the paradox that our effort to control life produces no results while surrendering to God will provide abundant life

For the grace of insight: that we may love our spouse and family as God loves them and be a source of encouragement toward a fuller response to all that God asks of them

For a spirit of hospitality: that we may welcome all who enter our lives as we would welcome Christ with great love and generously share our time and talents with them

For greater perseverance: that God will give strength and hope to all who suffer because they practice the values and principles of the Gospel and help them never to give up

For the grace to live the Gospel: that we may love God with our whole heart and strength and learn to love everyone in our lives as God loves them

For a reordering of our pursuits: that God will free us from idolatrous struggles for power, fame, social status, and possessions and help us find fulfillment in loving service and life-giving relationships

For all who have recently been baptized: that they may continue to die to their old way of life and experience God’s new life drawing them into greater virtue and compassion

For all who are called to prophetic ministry; that they may bring forth words of truth from their prayer and speak those words effectively so that the powerful will be disquieted and the poor and suffering will find hope

For all who are struggling with addictions, particularly with opioids: that God will free them, help them find the assistance they need, and restore them to their families

For an end to polemics in public discourse: that God will touch the hearts of public officials and help them to speak respectfully and truthfully in pursuing their programs and policies

For all youth: that God will guide them through the challenges and confusion of life and help them grow to the fullest potential

For care for our common home: that we may recognize God’s gift of the earth and its resources to us and work to preserve it so that all of earth’s inhabitants may be blessed by it

For all who are suffering: that God strengthen all who are facing the power of nature, guide all who are in difficult relationships, and give peace to all who are wrongly judged or misunderstood

For all who have died, particularly those who have served our nation: that they may live in the peace of God’s presence forever

(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.

Faithful God,
your love stands firm from generation to generation,
your mercy is always abundant.
Give us open and understanding hearts,
that having heard your word,
we may seek Christ’s presence in all whom we meet. Amen. RCLP

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.

RCLP Revised Common Lectionary Prayers. © 2002 Consultation on Common Texts admin. Augsburg Fortress.

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

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

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.

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