Lydia
Lydia was Paul’s first European convert. She was a Gentile woman in Philippi who, like many others, was attracted to Judaism. As what the Jewish community called a “God-fearer” she was undoubtedly accorded respect by the Jewish community, but still would have been marginalized. Paul encountered her on a riverbank where she and a group of women had gathered for Sabbath prayers. Undoubtedly Paul preached his gospel of inclusiveness to them and Lydia “opened her heart” and, together with the whole household of which she was head, was baptized. Lydia was a prosperous cloth-merchant and a person of means. She was able to lodge Paul, Timothy, and other of his companions in her house, which Paul used as a local base of operations (Acts 16:11-40). HWHM
Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/555e7rrf
How great is the goodness, Lord,
that you keep for those who fear you. 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: Civilla D Martin
Tune: https://tinyurl.com/mrxcdffy
1 Why should I feel discouraged,
Why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely,
And long for heav’n and home;
When Jesus is my portion?
My constant Friend is He:
Refrain:
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.
I sing because I’m happy,
I sing because I’m free,
For His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.
2 “Let not your heart be troubled,”
His tender word I hear,
And resting on His goodness,
I lose my doubts and fears;
Though by the path He leadeth,
But one step I may see;
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me; [Refrain]
3 Whenever I am tempted,
Whenever clouds arise,
When songs give place to sighing,
When hope within me dies,
I draw the closer to Him,
From care He sets me free; [Refrain]
PSALMS
Psalm 12 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/sjldexv)
1 Help me, Lord, for there is not one godly man left *
for the faithful are minished from among the children of men.
2 They talk of vanity every one with his neighbour *
they do but flatter with their lips, and dissemble in their double heart.
3 The Lord shall root out all deceitful lips *
and the tongue that speaketh proud things;
4 Which have said, With our tongue will we prevail *
we are they that ought to speak, who is lord over us?
5 Now for the comfortless troubles’ sake of the needy *
and because of the deep sighing of the poor,
6 I will up, saith the Lord *
and will help every one from him that swelleth against him,
and will set him at rest.
7 The words of the Lord are pure words *
even as the silver, which from the earth is tried,
and purified seven times in the fire.
8 Thou shalt keep them, O Lord *
thou shalt preserve him from this generation for ever.
9 The ungodly walk on every side *
when they are exalted, the children of men are put to rebuke.
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 13 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/qpwp7bw)
1 How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord, for ever *
how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?
2 How long shall I seek counsel in my soul,
and be so vexed in my heart *
how long shall mine enemies triumph over me?
3 Consider, and hear me, O Lord my God *
lighten mine eyes, that I sleep not in death.
4 Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him *
for if I be cast down, they that trouble me will rejoice at it.
5 But my trust is in thy mercy *
and my heart is joyful in thy salvation.
6 I will sing of the Lord, because he hath dealt so lovingly with me *
yea, I will praise the Name of the Lord most Highest.
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 14 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/sgyfvnc)
1 The fool hath said in his heart *
There is no God.
2 They are corrupt, and become abominable in their doings *
there is none that doeth good, no not one.
3 The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men *
to see if there were any that would understand, and seek after God.
4 But they are all gone out of the way,
they are altogether become abominable *
there is none that doeth good, no not one.
5 Their throat is an open sepulchre,
with their tongues have they deceived *
the poison of asps is under their lips.
6 Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness *
their feet are swift to shed blood.
7 Destruction and unhappiness is in their ways,
and the way of peace have they not known *
there is no fear of God before their eyes.
8 Have they no knowledge, that they are all such workers of mischief *
eating up my people as it were bread, and call not upon the Lord?
9 There were they brought in great fear, even where no fear was *
for God is in the generation of the righteous.
10 As for you, ye have made a mock at the counsel of the poor *
because he putteth his trust in the Lord.
11 Who shall give salvation unto Israel out of Sion?
When the Lord turneth the captivity of his people *
then shall Jacob rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.
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 12 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-12-1.mp3)
1 Help me, LORD, for there is no godly one left; *
the faithful have vanished from among us.
2 Everyone speaks falsely with his neighbor; *
with a smooth tongue they speak from a double heart.
3 Oh, that the LORD would cut off all smooth tongues, *
and close the lips that utter proud boasts!
4 Those who say, “With our tongue will we prevail; *
our lips are our own; who is lord over us?”
5 “Because the needy are oppressed,
and the poor cry out in misery, *
I will rise up,” says the LORD,
“and give them the help they long for.”
6 The words of the LORD are pure words, *
like silver refined from ore
and purified seven times in the fire.
7 O LORD, watch over us *
and save us from this generation for ever.
8 The wicked prowl on every side, *
and that which is worthless is highly prized by everyone.
Psalm 13 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-13.mp3)
1 How long, O LORD?
will you forget me for ever? *
how long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long shall I have perplexity in my mind,
and grief in my heart, day after day? *
how long shall my enemy triumph over me?
3 Look upon me and answer me, O LORD my God; *
give light to my eyes, lest I sleep in death;
4 Lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” *
and my foes rejoice that I have fallen.
5 But I put my trust in your mercy; *
my heart is joyful because of your saving help.
6 I will sing to the LORD, for he has dealt with me richly; *
I will praise the Name of the Lord Most High.
Psalm 14 (Plainsong:
http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-14-version-II-1.mp3)
1 The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” *
All are corrupt and commit abominable acts;
there is none who does any good.
2 The LORD looks down from heaven upon us all, *
to see if there is any who is wise,
if there is one who seeks after God.
3 Every one has proved faithless;
all alike have turned bad; *
there is none who does good; no, not one.
4 Have they no knowledge, all those evildoers *
who eat up my people like bread
and do not call upon the LORD?
5 See how they tremble with fear, *
because God is in the company of the righteous.
6 Their aim is to confound the plans of the afflicted, *
but the LORD is their refuge.
7 Oh, that Israel’s deliverance would come out of Zion! *
when the LORD restores the fortunes of his people,
Jacob will rejoice and Israel be glad.
PRAYER
God of justice, in Jesus Christ you championed the weak
and befriended outcasts.
Through the shining light of his goodness
you expose hypocrisy.
Give us courage to follow his example,
that we may be faithful disciples
of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen. BCW
THE WORD OF GOD
When Reuben returned to the cistern and found that Joseph wasn’t in it, he tore his clothes. Then he returned to his brothers and said, “The boy’s gone! And I—where can I go now?”
His brothers took Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a male goat, and dipped the robe in the blood. They took the long robe, brought it to their father, and said, “We found this. See if it’s your son’s robe or not.”
He recognized it and said, “It’s my son’s robe! A wild animal has devoured him. Joseph must have been torn to pieces!” Then Jacob tore his clothes, put a simple mourning cloth around his waist, and mourned for his son for many days. All of his sons and daughters got up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted, telling them, “I’ll go to my grave mourning for my son.” And Joseph’s father wept for him. Meanwhile the Midianites had sold Joseph to the Egyptians, to Potiphar, Pharaoh’s chief officer, commander of the royal guard.
HYMN: Kevin Nichols ©
Tune: Passion Chorale https://tinyurl.com/yc25fwe8
1 Our Father, we have wandered
And hidden from your face;
In foolishness have squandered
Your legacy of grace.
But now, in exile dwelling,
We rise with fear and shame,
As, distant but compelling,
We hear you call our name.
2 And now at length discerning
The evil that we do,
Behold us Lord, returning
With hope and trust to you.
In haste you come to meet us
And home rejoicing bring,
In gladness there to greet us
With calf and robe and ring.
3 O Lord of all the living,
Both banished and restored,
Compassionate, forgiving
And ever-caring Lord,
Grant now that our transgressing,
Our faithlessness may cease.
Stretch out your hand in blessing,
In pardon, and in peace.
We [Paul and his entourage] sailed from Troas straight for Samothrace and came to Neapolis the following day. From there we went to Philippi, a city of Macedonia’s first district and a Roman colony. We stayed in that city several days. On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the riverbank, where we thought there might be a place for prayer. We sat down and began to talk with the women who had gathered. One of those women was Lydia, a Gentile God-worshipper from the city of Thyatira, a dealer in purple cloth. As she listened, the Lord enabled her to embrace Paul’s message. Once she and her household were baptized, she urged, “Now that you have decided that I am a believer in the Lord, come and stay in my house.” And she persuaded us.
HYMN: Ruth C Duck ©
Tune: Wild Mountain Thyme https://tinyurl.com/339cbchn
Refrain:
Spirit, open my heart
to the joy and pain of living.
As you love, may I love,
in receiving and in giving;
Spirit, open my heart.
1 God, replace my stony heart
with a heart that’s kind and tender.
All my coldness and fear
to your grace I now surrender. [Refrain]
2 Write your love upon my heart
as my law, my goal, my story.
In each thought, word, and deed,
may my living bring you glory. [Refrain]
3 May I weep with those who weep,
share the joy of friend and neighbor.
As I live from day to day,
love will be my finest labor. [Refrain]
When a crowd of thousands upon thousands had gathered so that they were crushing each other, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples: “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees—I mean, the mismatch between their hearts and lives. Nothing is hidden that won’t be revealed, and nothing is secret that won’t be brought out into the open. Therefore, whatever you have said in the darkness will be heard in the light, and whatever you have whispered in the rooms deep inside the house will be announced from the rooftops.
“I tell you, my friends, don’t be terrified by those who can kill the body but after that can do nothing more. I’ll show you whom you should fear: fear the one who, after you have been killed, has the authority to throw you into hell. Indeed, I tell you, that’s the one you should fear. Aren’t five sparrows sold for two small coins?[a] Yet not one of them is overlooked by God. Even the hairs on your head are all counted. Don’t be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows.
“I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before humans, the Human One[b] will acknowledge before God’s angels. But the one who rejects me before others will be rejected before God’s angels. Anyone who speaks a word against the Human One[c] will be forgiven, but whoever insults the Holy Spirit won’t be forgiven. When they bring you before the synagogues, rulers, and authorities, don’t worry about how to defend yourself or what you should say. The Holy Spirit will tell you at that very moment what you must say.”
CANTICLE Luke 1:68-79
(Steve Angrisano: https://tinyurl.com/y7w6y7qh)
Through his holy prophets,
he promised from of old
to save us from who would harm us.
His mercy he would show,
rememb’ring his holy word.
Refrain:
Blessed be the Lord,
for he has raised up for us a mighty savior.
Our God has set us free,
fulfilling the promise to save his people.
You, my child,
have been chosen a prophet of the Lord,
proclaiming his forgiveness,
salvation to make known,
preparing the way of God. Refrain
In his tender compassion,
the dawn now breaks on high
to shine on those in the darkness:
a light unto our feet
into the way of peace. Refrain
THE PRAYERS BCW
We rejoice in your generous goodness, O God, and celebrate your lavish gifts to
us this day, for you have shown your love in giving Jesus Christ for the salvation
of the world. Especially we give thanks for
the labors of those who have served us today . . .
friends with whom we have shared . . .
those whom we love and have loved us . . .
opportunities for our work to help others . . .
all beauty that delights us. . . .
Gracious God, we know you are close to all in need, and by our prayers for others
we come closer to you. We are bold to claim for others your promises of new
life in Jesus Christ, as we claim them for ourselves. Especially we pray for
those in dangerous occupations . . .
physicians and nurses . . .
those who are ill or confined to nursing homes . . .
those who mourn . . .
the Roman Catholic Church. . . .
(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 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.
Filled with your Holy Spirit, gracious God, your earliest disciples served you with the gifts each had been given. Inspire us today that, like Lydia, we may build up your Church with our gifts in hospitality, charity and bold witness to the Gospel of Christ; who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. HWHM, alt.
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
Donation to Support This Ministry
Since 1993, Oremus has been done on a volunteer basis. If you are able, please consider supporting this work at the PayPal link below. For software reasons, I’ve set the value at $10.00, but feel free to change it. Thank you.
$10.00
BCW Book of Common Worship, Presbyterian Church U.S.A., 1993.
HWHM Holy Women, Holy Men © 2010 The Church Pension Fund.
The three main scripture readings are © 2011 Common English Bible
The traditional version of the psalms is from The Book of Common Prayer (1662). The modern version of the psalms is from The Book of Common Prayer (1979) and are 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.
Oremus 