Oremus for Wednesday, September 6, 2023

The Pharisee and the Tax Collector
From a Picture Bible
French (St. Omer), c.1190-1200

Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/n3y7n23f

There is one thing I ask of the Lord, only this do I seek:
to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. Psalm 27

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: Cornelius Elven
Tune: St Luke http://tinyurl.com/mxwprk42

1 With broken heart and contrite sigh
A trembling sinner, Lord, I cry:
Thy pardoning grace is rich and free
O God, be merciful to me.

2 I smite upon my troubled breast,
With deep and conscience guilt oppressed;
Christ and His cross my only plea:
O God, be merciful to me.

3 Far off I stand with tearful eyes,
Nor dare uplift them to the skies;
But Thou dost all my anguish see:
O God, be merciful to me.

4 Nor alms, nor deeds that I have done,
Can for a single sin atone;
To Calvary alone I flee:
O God, be merciful to me.

5 And when, redeemed from sin and hell,
With all the ransomed throng I dwell,
My raptured song shall ever be,
God has been merciful to me.

PSALMS

Psalm 30 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/yce59yvo)
1  I will magnify thee, O Lord, for thou hast set me up *
 and not made my foes to triumph over me.
2  O Lord my God, I cried unto thee *
 and thou hast healed me.
3  Thou, Lord, hast brought my soul out of hell *
 thou hast kept my life from them that go down to the pit.
4  Sing praises unto the Lord, O ye saints of his *
 and give thanks unto him for a remembrance of his holiness.
5  For his wrath endureth but the twinkling of an eye,
and in his pleasure is life *
 heaviness may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
6  And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be removed *
 thou, Lord, of thy goodness hast made my hill so strong.
7  Thou didst turn thy face from me *
 and I was troubled.
8  Then cried I unto thee, O Lord *
 and gat me to my Lord right humbly.
9  What profit is there in my blood *
 when I go down to the pit?
10  Shall the dust give thanks unto thee *
 or shall it declare thy truth?
11  Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me *
 Lord, be thou my helper.
12  Thou hast turned my heaviness into joy *
 thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness.
13  Therefore shall every good man sing of thy praise without ceasing *
 O my God, I will give thanks unto thee 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 31 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y869qwtz)
1  In thee, O Lord, have I put my trust *
 let me never be put to confusion, deliver me in thy righteousness.
2  Bow down thine ear to me *
 make haste to deliver me.
3  And be thou my strong rock, and house of defence *
 that thou mayest save me.
4  For thou art my strong rock, and my castle *
 be thou also my guide, and lead me for thy Name’s sake.
5  Draw me out of the net, that they have laid privily for me *
 for thou art my strength.
6  Into thy hands I commend my spirit *
 for thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, thou God of truth.
7  I have hated them that hold of superstitious vanities *
 and my trust hath been in the Lord.
8  I will be glad, and rejoice in thy mercy *
 for thou hast considered my trouble,
and hast known my soul in adversities.
9  Thou hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy *
 but hast set my feet in a large room.
10  Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am in trouble *
 and mine eye is consumed for very heaviness;
yea, my soul and my body.
11  For my life is waxen old with heaviness *
 and my years with mourning.
12  My strength faileth me, because of mine iniquity *
 and my bones are consumed.
13  I became a reproof among all mine enemies,
but especially among my neighbours *
 and they of mine acquaintance were afraid of me;
and they that did see me without conveyed themselves from me.
14  I am clean forgotten, as a dead man out of mind *
 I am become like a broken vessel.
15  For I have heard the blasphemy of the multitude *
 and fear is on every side, while they conspire together against me,
and take their counsel to take away my life.
16  But my hope hath been in thee, O Lord *
 I have said, Thou art my God.
17  My time is in thy hand; deliver me from the hand of mine enemies *
 and from them that persecute me.
18  Shew thy servant the light of thy countenance *
 and save me for thy mercy’s sake.
19  Let me not be confounded, O Lord, for I have called upon thee *
 let the ungodly be put to confusion, and be put to silence in the grave.
20  Let the lying lips be put to silence *
 which cruelly, disdainfully, and despitefully, speak against the righteous.
21  O how plentiful is thy goodness,
which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee *
 and that thou hast prepared for them that put their trust in thee,
even before the sons of men!
22  Thou shalt hide them privily by thine own presence
from the provoking of all men *
 thou shalt keep them secretly in thy tabernacle
from the strife of tongues.
23  Thanks be to the Lord *
 for he hath shewed me marvellous great kindness in a strong city.
24  And when I made haste, I said *
 I am cast out of the sight of thine eyes.
25  Nevertheless, thou heardest the voice of my prayer *
 when I cried unto thee.
26  O love the Lord, all ye his saints *
 for the Lord preserveth them that are faithful,
and plenteously rewardeth the proud doer.
27  Be strong, and he shall establish your heart *
 all ye that put your trust in the Lord.
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 30 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm_30.mp3)
1 I will exalt you, O LORD,
because you have lifted me up *
and have not let my enemies triumph over me.
2 O LORD my God, I cried out to you, *
and you restored me to health.
3 You brought me up, O LORD, from the dead; *
you restored my life as I was going down to the grave.
4 Sing to the LORD, you servants of his; *
give thanks for the remembrance of his holiness.
5 For his wrath endures but the twinkling of an eye, *
his favor for a lifetime.
6 Weeping may spend the night, *
but joy comes in the morning.
7 While I felt secure, I said,
I shall never be disturbed. *
You, LORD, with your favor, made me as strong as
 the mountains.”
8 Then you hid your face, *
and I was filled with fear.
9 I cried to you, O LORD; *
I pleaded with the Lord, saying,
10 “What profit is there in my blood, if I go down to the Pit? *
will the dust praise you or declare your faithfulness?
11 Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me; *
O LORD, be my helper.”
12 You have turned my wailing into dancing; *
you have put off my sack-cloth and clothed me with joy.
13 Therefore my heart sings to you without ceasing; *
O LORD my God, I will give you thanks for ever.

Psalm 31 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-31-MH.mp3)
2 In you, O Lord, I take refuge.
Let me never be put to shame. In your justice, set me free,
3 hear me and speedily rescue me.
Be a rock of refuge for me, a mighty stronghold to save me,
4 for you are my rock, my stronghold.
For your name’s sake, lead me and guide me.
5 Release me from the snares they have hidden
for you are my refuge, Lord.
6 Into your hands I commend my spirit.
It is you who will redeem me, Lord.
7 O God of truth, you detest
those who worship false and empty gods.
8 As for me, I trust in the Lord:
let me be glad and rejoice in your love.
You who have seen my affliction
and taken heed of my soul’s distress,
9 have not handed me over to the enemy,
but set my feet at large.
10 Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in distress.
Tears have wasted my eyes, my throat and my heart.
11 For my life is spent with sorrow and my years with sighs.
Affliction has broken down my strength
and my bones waste away.
12 In the face of all my foes I am a reproach,
an object of scorn to my neighbors
and of fear to my friends.
Those who see me in the street run far away from me.
13 I am like a dead man, forgotten,
like a thing thrown away.
14 I have heard the slander of the crowd,
fear is all around me,
as they plot together against me,
as they plan to take my life.
15 But as for me, I trust in you, Lord;
I say: “You are my God.
16 My life is in your hands, deliver me
from the hands of those who hate me.
17 Let your face shine on your servant.
Save me in your love.
18 Let me not be put to shame for I call you,
let the wicked be shamed!
Let them be silenced in the grave,
19 let lying lips be dumb,
that speak haughtily against the just
with pride and contempt.”
20 How great is the goodness, Lord,
that you keep for those who fear you,
that you show to those who trust you
in the sight of men.
21 You hide them in the shelter of your presence
from the plotting of men;
you keep them safe within your tent
from disputing tongues.
22 Blessed be the Lord who has shown me
the wonders of his love
in a fortified city.
23 “I am far removed from your sight”
I said in my alarm.
Yet you heard the voice of my plea
when I cried for help.
24 Love the Lord, all you saints.
He guards his faithful
but the Lord will repay to the full
those who act with pride.
25 Be strong, let your heart take courage,
all who hope in the Lord.
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.

PRAYER

Loving God,
glorious in giving and restoring life,
do not hide your face from your people overcome with loneliness and fear.
Turn our weeping into dancing,
our despair into joy,
and raise us up with Christ,
that we may rejoice in your presence forever. Amen. BCW

THE WORD OF GOD

The Lord said to Moses: Dedicate to me all your oldest children. Each first offspring from any Israelite womb belongs to me, whether human or animal.

Moses said to the people, “Remember this day which is the day that you came out of Egypt, out of the place you were slaves, because the Lord acted with power to bring you out of there. No leavened bread may be eaten. Today, in the month of Abib, you are going to leave. The Lord will bring you to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. It is the land that the Lord promised your ancestors to give to you, a land full of milk and honey. You should perform this ritual in this month. You must eat unleavened bread for seven days. The seventh day is a festival to the Lord. Only unleavened bread should be eaten for seven days. No leavened bread and no yeast should be seen among you in your whole country. You should explain to your child on that day, ‘It’s because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’

“It will be a sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead so that you will often discuss the Lord’s Instruction, for the Lord brought you out of Egypt with great power. So you should follow this regulation at its appointed time every year.”

HYMN: William Williams; trans. Peter Williams
Tune: Cwm Rhondda http://tinyurl.com/24znc8hj

1 Guide me, O thou great Redeemer,
pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but thou art mighty;
hold me with thy powerful hand:
Bread of heaven,
feed me now and evermore.

2 Open now the crystal fountain
whence the healing stream doth flow;
let the fiery cloudy pillar
lead me all my journey through:
strong deliverer,
be thou still my strength and shield.

3 When I tread the verge of Jordan,
bid my anxious fears subside;
death of death, and hell’s destruction,
land me safe on Canaan’s side:
songs and praises
I will ever give to thee.

So I decided that, for my own sake, I wouldn’t visit you again while I was upset. If I make you sad, who will be there to make me glad when you are sad because of me?

That’s why I wrote this very thing to you, so that when I came I wouldn’t be made sad by the ones who ought to make me happy. I have confidence in you, that my happiness means your happiness. I wrote to you in tears, with a very troubled and anxious heart. I didn’t write to make you sad but so you would know the overwhelming love that I have for you.

But if someone has made anyone sad, that person hasn’t hurt me but all of you to some degree (not to exaggerate). The punishment handed out by the majority is enough for this person. This is why you should try your best to forgive and to comfort this person now instead, so that this person isn’t overwhelmed by too much sorrow. So I encourage you to show your love for this person.

This is another reason why I wrote you. I wanted to test you and see if you are obedient in everything. If you forgive anyone for anything, I do too. And whatever I’ve forgiven (if I’ve forgiven anything), I did it for you in the presence of Christ. This is so that we won’t be taken advantage of by Satan, because we are well aware of his schemes.

HYMN: latin; trans. John Mason Neale
Tune: Conditor alme siderum http://tinyurl.com/yduk6mfm

1 Creator of the starry height,
thy people’s everlasting light,
Jesu, redeemer of us all,
hear thou thy servants when they call.

2 Thou, sorrowing at the helpless cry
of all creation doomed to die,
didst come to save our fallen race
by healing gifts of heavenly grace.

3 When earth was near its evening hour,
thou didst, in love’s redeeming power,
like bridegroom from his chamber, come
forth from a virgin-mother’s womb.

4 At thy great name, exalted now,
all knees in lowly homage bow;
all things in heaven and earth adore,
and own thee King for evermore.

5 To thee, O Holy One, we pray,
our judge in that tremendous day,
ward off, while yet we dwell below,
the weapons of our crafty foe.

6 To God the Father, God the Son,
and God the Spirit, Three in One,
praise, honour, might, and glory be
from age to age eternally.

Jesus told this parable to certain people who had convinced themselves that they were righteous and who looked on everyone else with disgust: “Two people went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed about himself with these words, ‘God, I thank you that I’m not like everyone else—crooks, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week. I give a tenth of everything I receive.’ But the tax collector stood at a distance. He wouldn’t even lift his eyes to look toward heaven. Rather, he struck his chest and said, ‘God, show mercy to me, a sinner.’ I tell you, this person went down to his home justified rather than the Pharisee. All who lift themselves up will be brought low, and those who make themselves low will be lifted up.”

CANTICLE Isaiah 60
(Uptown Worship Band: https://tinyurl.com/yb6c8bhv)

Arise and shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has dawned upon you.
For behold, darkness covers the land;
and deep gloom enshrouds the people.
But over you the Lord will rise,
and his glory will appear upon you.
Nations will stream to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawning.
Your gates will always be open;
by day or night they’ll never be closed.
They will call you the City of the Lord,
the Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
And violence will be no more,
no need for the sun or the moonlight,
the Lord will be your light,
and your God will be your glory.
Glory to the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

THE PRAYERS PWC, alt.

Show us your mercy, O God;
and grant us your salvation.
Ruler of all, guide our leaders;
and teach their counsellors wisdom.
Let your bishops, priests and deacons be clothed with righteousness;
let your faithful people sing with joy.
Let your ways be known upon earth;
your saving health among all nations.
Give your people the blessing of peace;
and may all the earth be filled with your glory.
Create in us clean hearts, O God,
and renew a right spirit within us.

Setting by Eric Wyse:2

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.

O God,
the strength of those who humbly confess their sin
and place their hope in you,
save us from vain displays of righteousness,
and give us grace to keep faith
with the true humility of our Lord Jesus Christ. 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.

PWC PRAY WITHOUT CEASING: Morning and Evening Prayer for the Seasons of the Church Year Prepared by The Rev’d Dr Richard Geoffrey Leggett on behalf of The Liturgy Task Force of the Anglican Church of Canada, May 2016.

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

Eric Wyse, Lord’s Prayer, ©; audio from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_a40ME7aVk

The three 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 30 is from The Book of Common Prayer (1979) and is sung by Ryland Angel. Psalm 31 is from The Grail Psalter and are from the Manual Hopper YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/manualhopper/featured.

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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