Antiphon 1
Ant. All things are submitted to your will, O Lord, *
and no one can resist your decisions; you have made
all things, heaven and earth, and all that is contained under
the vault of the sky; you are the master of the universe.
V. Blessed are those whose way is blameless, *
who walk in the law of the Lord!
Blessed are those who keep his decrees! *
With all their hearts they seek him. Esther 13; Psalm 119
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: Latin; trans. John Mason Neale
Tune: Westminster Abbey https://tinyurl.com/4786bbvp
1 Christ is made the sure foundation,
Christ the head and cornerstone,
chosen of the Lord, and precious,
binding all the Church in one;
holy Zion’s help for ever,
and her confidence alone.
2 All that dedicated city,
dearly loved of God on high,
in exultant jubilation
pours perpetual melody;
God the One in Three adoring
in glad hymns eternally.
3 To this temple, where we call thee,
come, O Lord of Hosts, today;
with thy wonted lovingkindness
hear thy servants as they pray,
and thy fullest benediction
shed within its walls alway.
4 Here vouchsafe to all thy servants
what they ask of thee to gain;
what they gain from thee, for ever
with the blessèd to retain,
and hereafter in thy glory
evermore with thee to reign.
PRAYER
Eternal God, source of everlasting light,
send forth your truth into our hearts,
and bring us into your presence with joy and gladness
in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen. BCW
THE WORD OF GOD
Let me sing for my loved one
a love song for his vineyard.
My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside.
He dug it,
cleared away its stones,
planted it with excellent vines,
built a tower inside it,
and dug out a wine vat in it.
He expected it to grow good grapes—
but it grew rotten grapes.
So now, you who live in Jerusalem, you people of Judah,
judge between me and my vineyard:
What more was there to do for my vineyard
that I haven’t done for it?
When I expected it to grow good grapes,
why did it grow rotten grapes?
Now let me tell you what I’m doing to my vineyard.
I’m removing its hedge,
so it will be destroyed.
I’m breaking down its walls,
so it will be trampled.
I’ll turn it into a ruin;
it won’t be pruned or hoed,
and thorns and thistles will grow up.
I will command the clouds not to rain on it.
The vineyard of the Lord of heavenly forces is the house of Israel,
and the people of Judah are the plantings in which God delighted.
God expected justice, but there was bloodshed;
righteousness, but there was a cry of distress!
HYMN: Psalm 80; para. Bert Polman ©
Tune: Yorkshire https://tinyurl.com/47z8f3pp
1 Hear us, O Shepherd of your chosen race;
you led us like a flock within your care.
From out the cherubim reveal your face;
before your people let your might appear.
Restore us, LORD, your saving power release;
make your face shine on us and give us peace.
2 How long, O LORD, will you disdain our prayer?
For you have fed us with the bread of tears.
Your holy anger brings us to despair;
the nations mock us with their scornful jeers.
Restore us, LORD, your saving power release;
make your face shine on us and give us peace.
3 You brought a vine from Egypt with your hand;
you drove the nations out to give it room.
It took deep root and spread throughout the land;
the hills were covered with its shade and bloom.
Under its branches mighty cedars hide;
it sent out shoots to sea and riverside.
4 Why have you broken down the vineyard wall
so that its grapes are eaten off the vine?
Boars from the forest root around it all;
its fruit is ravaged by the hungry swine.
Return to us, O LORD, with power divine;
look down from heaven on your chosen vine.
5 This vine, once planted with your own right hand,
now burns with fire; your people cry and moan.
Let your hand rest on those you cause to stand;
then we will call on your great name alone.
Restore us, LORD, your saving power release;
make your face shine on us and give us peace.
I have good reason to have this kind of confidence. If anyone else has reason to put their confidence in physical advantages, I have even more: I was circumcised on the eighth day. I am from the people of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin. I am a Hebrew of the Hebrews. With respect to observing the Law, I’m a Pharisee. With respect to devotion to the faith, I harassed the church. With respect to righteousness under the Law, I’m blameless.
These things were my assets, but I wrote them off as a loss for the sake of Christ. But even beyond that, I consider everything a loss in comparison with the superior value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have lost everything for him, but what I lost I think of as sewer trash, so that I might gain Christ and be found in him. In Christ I have a righteousness that is not my own and that does not come from the Law but rather from the faithfulness of Christ. It is the righteousness of God that is based on faith. The righteousness that I have comes from knowing Christ, the power of his resurrection, and the participation in his sufferings. It includes being conformed to his death so that I may perhaps reach the goal of the resurrection of the dead.
It’s not that I have already reached this goal or have already been perfected, but I pursue it, so that I may grab hold of it because Christ grabbed hold of me for just this purpose. Brothers and sisters, I myself don’t think I’ve reached it, but I do this one thing: I forget about the things behind me and reach out for the things ahead of me. The goal I pursue is the prize of God’s upward call in Christ Jesus.
HYMN: Charles Wesley
Tune: Orientis partibus https://tinyurl.com/2smk3wvv
1 Jesus comes with all his grace,
comes to save a fallen race,
object of our glorious hope,
Jesus comes to lift us up.
2 Let the living stones cry out,
every child of Abraham shout;
praise we all our lowly King,
give him thanks, rejoice and sing.
3 He has our salvation wrought,
he our captive souls has bought,
he has reconciled to God,
he has washed us in his blood.
4 We are now his lawful right,
walk as children of the light;
we shall soon obtain the grace,
pure in heart, to see his face.
5 We shall gain our calling’s prize;
after God we all shall rise,
filled with joy, and love, and peace,
perfected in holiness.
Jesus said, “Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a fence around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a tower. Then he rented it to tenant farmers and took a trip. When it was time for harvest, he sent his servants to the tenant farmers to collect his fruit. But the tenant farmers grabbed his servants. They beat some of them, and some of them they killed. Some of them they stoned to death.
“Again he sent other servants, more than the first group. They treated them in the same way. Finally he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.
“But when the tenant farmers saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come on, let’s kill him and we’ll have his inheritance.’ They grabbed him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
“When the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenant farmers?” They said, “He will totally destroy those wicked farmers and rent the vineyard to other tenant farmers who will give him the fruit when it’s ready.”
Jesus said to them, “Haven’t you ever read in the scriptures, The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. The Lord has done this, and it’s amazing in our eyes? Therefore, I tell you that God’s kingdom will be taken away from you and will be given to a people who produce its fruit. Whoever falls on this stone will be crushed. And the stone will crush the person it falls on.”
Now when the chief priests and the Pharisees heard the parable, they knew Jesus was talking about them. They were trying to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, who thought he was a prophet.
CANTICLE Isaiah 26:9-20
(Katie Tracy and Mark Ribera: https://tinyurl.com/y76wq85c)
In our distress we sought the Lord;
Poured out a whispered prayer
Cried out, seeking deliverance;
His mercy met us there
Empty idols have ruled over us;
These hardened hearts of stone
The Lord has brought salvation, sweet;
We rest in him alone
Refrain:
Trust in the Lord forevermore
He is our fortress strong
Souls, cling to this everlasting rock
to our salvation sure
May the wicked learn your power;
May they believe your truth
For your righteousness and justice;
Bring peace upon the earth Refrain
To you who dwell in dust, awake! Rise up and sing for joy!
The Lord will redeem you at last; And life shall be restored
THE PRAYERS Joe Milner
For the Church: that we may be a fruitful garden, producing a harvest rich of justice, compassion, mercy, and forgiveness
For all who have suffered rejection: that God will heal their wounds, fill them with hope and guide them into the acceptance of a community of faith
For all religious leaders: that God will free them selfish pursuits and help them recognize that their opportunities and authority are gifts from God for the good of those entrusted to their care
For a deeper relationship with God: that we may not be satisfied with simply using religious words and gestures but rather make the Gospel the source of all our words and deeds
For humility: that we may recognize what is truthful, just, honorable, and worthy of praise in ourselves and one another, and further the reign of God through them
For all who experience anxiety or live with fear: that the peace of God that surpasses all understanding may fill their minds and hearts
For all with mental illness, particularly those with depression: that God‘s healing love will free them and open new possibilities for them
For all who tend the fields and bring food to our tables: that God will strengthen them and protect them in their labors
For all who are struggling financially: that God will calm their fears and guide them to new opportunities to support themselves and to use their gifts
For all who are recovering from natural disasters: that God will give them the strength to face their challenges, speed the assistance that they need, and fill their hearts with peace
For better international co-operation: that nations will join together in addressing the crises that are impacting God’s creation and work to preserve our common home
For healing of injustice: that God will help us recognize systemic injustices and give courage to all who are working to change society
For civility in public life: that public discourse may focus on ideas and programs, and that the election speeches and materials will respect the dignity of each person
For all who have died: that they may eternally experience the peace of Christ that surpasses all understanding
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.
Holy God,
you love justice and hate oppression;
you call us to righteousness and not to exploitation.
Give us generous and loving hearts,
and eyes to see the splendor of your reign,
that we may live in truth and honor,
and praise you for the transformation of our lives,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. 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.
RCLP Revised Common Lectionary Prayers. © 2002 Consultation on Common Texts admin. Augsburg Fortress.
1 Adam Bartlett, Simple English Propers; audio from https://musicasacra.com/additional-publications/sep-practice-videos/ ©
The intercessions are by Joe Milner, liturgy.slu.edu
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 41 is from the The Book of Common Prayer (1979) and is sung by Ryland Angel. Psalms 42 and 43 are from The Grail Psalter and are from the manualhopper YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pwov5_qdAhY
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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