Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/knfvtvew
Look to your covenant, O Lord,
and forget not the life of your poor ones for ever.
Arise, O God, and defend your cause,
and forget not the cries of those who seek you. Psalm 74
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: Brian Foley ©
Tune: All for Jesus https://tinyurl.com/5n6z2pbr
1 Holy Spirit, come, confirm us
in the truth that Christ makes known;
We have faith and understanding
through your helping gifts alone.
2 Holy Spirit, come, console us,
come as advocate to plead;
Loving Spirit stand beside us,
grant in Christ the help we need.
3 Holy Spirit, come, renew us,
come yourself to make us live;
Make us holy through your presence,
holy through the gifts you give.
4 Holy Spirit, come, fulfill us,
you the love of Three in One;
Bring our lives to full completion
through your work in us begun.
PSALMS
Psalm 53 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y6wzcn8t)
1 The foolish body hath said in his heart *
There is no God.
2 Corrupt are they, and become abominable in their wickedness *
there is none that doeth good.
3 God 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 also none that doeth good, no not one.
5 Are not they without understanding that work wickedness *
eating up my people as if they would eat bread?
they have not called upon God.
6 They were afraid where no fear was *
for God hath broken the bones of him that besieged thee;
thou hast put them to confusion, because God hath despised them.
7 O that the salvation were given unto Israel out of Sion *
O that the Lord would deliver his people out of captivity!
8 Then should Jacob rejoice *
and Israel should be right 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 54 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y73kppwg)
1 Save me, O God, for thy Name’s sake *
and avenge me in thy strength.
2 Hear my prayer, O God *
and hearken unto the words of my mouth.
3 For strangers are risen up against me *
and tyrants, which have not God before their eyes, seek after my soul.
4 Behold, God is my helper *
the Lord is with them that uphold my soul.
5 He shall reward evil unto mine enemies *
destroy thou them in thy truth.
6 An offering of a free heart will I give thee,
and praise thy Name, O Lord *
because it is so comfortable.
7 For he hath delivered me out of all my trouble *
and mine eye hath seen his desire upon mine enemies.
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 55 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/yb9gqlve)
1 Hear my prayer, O God *
and hide not thyself from my petition.
2 Take heed unto me, and hear me *
how I mourn in my prayer, and am vexed.
3 The enemy crieth so, and the ungodly cometh on so fast *
for they are minded to do me some mischief;
so maliciously are they set against me.
4 My heart is disquieted within me *
and the fear of death is fallen upon me.
5 Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me *
and an horrible dread hath overwhelmed me.
6 And I said, O that I had wings like a dove *
for then would I flee away, and be at rest.
7 Lo, then would I get me away far off *
and remain in the wilderness.
8 I would make haste to escape *
because of the stormy wind and tempest.
9 Destroy their tongues, O Lord, and divide them *
for I have spied unrighteousness and strife in the city.
10 Day and night they go about within the walls thereof *
mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it.
11 Wickedness is therein *
deceit and guile go not out of their streets.
12 For it is not an open enemy, that hath done me this dishonour *
for then I could have borne it.
13 Neither was it mine adversary, that did magnify himself against me *
for then peradventure I would have hid myself from him.
14 But it was even thou, my companion *
my guide, and mine own familiar friend.
15 We took sweet counsel together *
and walked in the house of God as friends.
16 Let death come hastily upon them,
and let them go down quick into hell *
for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them.
17 As for me, I will call upon God *
and the Lord shall save me.
18 In the evening, and morning, and at noon-day
will I pray, and that instantly *
and he shall hear my voice.
19 It is he that hath delivered my soul in peace
from the battle that was against me *
for there were many with me.
20 Yea, even God, that endureth for ever,
shall hear me, and bring them down *
for they will not turn, nor fear God.
21 He laid his hands upon such as be at peace with him *
and he brake his covenant.
22 The words of his mouth were softer than butter,
having war in his heart *
his words were smoother than oil, and yet be they very swords.
23 O cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall nourish thee *
and shall not suffer the righteous to fall for ever.
24 And as for them *
thou, O God, shalt bring them into the pit of destruction.
25 The blood-thirsty and deceitful men
shall not live out half their days *
nevertheless, my trust shall be in thee, O 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 53 (Jason Silver: https://tinyurl.com/5du7btts)
Fools say in their heart, ”˜There is no God.”
They are corrupt, and they do terrible deeds;
There is no one who does good.
God looks down from heaven on humankind
To see if there are any on earth who are wise,
Any who seek after God.
They have all gone astray, they are all alike perverse;
There is none who do good,
No, not one.
Have they no knowledge, these evil ones,
Who consume my people like
Like they eat bread,
And do not call upon the Lord?
Fools say in their heart, ”˜There is no God.”
They are corrupt, and they do terrible deeds;
There is no one who does good.
God looks down from heaven on humankind
To see if there are any on earth who are wise,
Any who seek after God.
There they shall be in great fear, as has not been seen before.
God will scatter their bones, put them to shame,
God has rejected them. They pray that deliverance comes
It comes for Israel, it comes from Zion!
When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people,
Jacob will rejoice; Israel will be glad.
When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people,
Jacob will rejoice; Israel will be glad.
Psalm 54 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-54-1.mp3)
1 Save me, O God, by your Name; *
in your might, defend my cause.
2 Hear my prayer, O God; *
give ear to the words of my mouth.
3 For the arrogant have risen up against me,
and the ruthless have sought my life, *
those who have no regard for God.
4 Behold, God is my helper; *
it is the Lord who sustains my life.
5 Render evil to those who spy on me; *
in your faithfulness, destroy them.
6 I will offer you a freewill sacrifice *
and praise your Name, O LORD, for it is good.
7 For you have rescued me from every trouble, *
and my eye has seen the ruin of my foes.
| Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
| as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Psalm 55 (Plainsong: https://tinyurl.com/jdshas8c)
2 O God, listen to my prayer,
do not hide from my pleading,
3 attend to me and reply;
with my cares, I cannot rest.
4 I tremble at the shouts of the foe,
at the cries of the wicked;
for they bring down evil upon me.
They assail me with fury.
5 My heart is stricken within me,
death’s terror is on me,
6 trembling and fear fall upon me
and horror overwhelms me.
7 O that I had wings like a dove
to fly away and be at rest.
8 So I would escape far away
and take refuge in the desert.
9 I would hasten to find a shelter
from the raging wind,
from the destructive storm, O Lord,
10 and from their plotting tongues.
For I can see nothing
but violence and strife in the city.
11 Night and day they patrol
high on the city walls.
It is full of wickedness and evil;
12 it is full of sin.
Its streets are never free
from tyranny and deceit.
13 If this had been done by an enemy
I could bear his taunts.
If a rival had risen against me,
I could hide from him.
14 But it is you, my own companion,
my intimate friend!
15 (How close was the friendship between us.)
We talked together in harmony
in the house of God.
16 May death fall suddenly upon them!
Let them go to the grave;
for wickedness dwells in their homes
and deep in their hearts.
17 As for me, I will cry to God
and the Lord will save me.
18 Evening, morning and at noon
I will cry and lament.
19 He will deliver my soul in peace
in the attack against me;
for those who fight me are many,
18c but he hears my voice.
20 God will hear and will humble them,
the eternal judge;
for they will not amend their ways.
They have no fear of God.
21 The traitor has turned against his friends;
he has broken his word.
22 His speech is softer than butter,
but war is in his heart,
His words are smoother than oil,
but they are naked swords.
23 Entrust your cares to the Lord
and he will support you.
He will never allow
the just man to stumble.
24 But you, O God, will bring them down
to the pit of death.
Deceitful and bloodthirsty men
shall not live half their days.
O Lord, I will trust in you.
Glory 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
Giver of all wisdom,
deliver us from the folly of betraying our eternal birthright
for temporal gain.
Teach us to hold firmly to you
so that we may not treasure things,
but show the imperishable riches of your love
in Jesus Christ. Amen. BCW
THE WORD OF GOD
READING: Numbers 11:16-32
The Lord said to Moses, “Gather before me seventy men from Israel’s elders, whom you know as elders and officers of the people. Take them to the meeting tent, and let them stand there with you. Then I’ll descend and speak with you there. I’ll take some of the spirit that is on you and place it on them. Then they will carry the burden of the people with you so that you won’t bear it alone. To the people you will say, ‘Make yourselves holy for tomorrow; then you will eat meat, for you’ve cried in the Lord’s hearing, “Who will give us meat to eat? It was better for us in Egypt.” The Lord will give you meat, and you will eat. You won’t eat for just one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, but for a whole month until it comes out of your nostrils and nauseates you. You’ve rejected the Lord who’s been with you and you have cried before him, saying, “Why did we leave Egypt?” ’”
Moses said, “The people I’m with are six hundred thousand on foot and you’re saying, ‘I will give them meat, and they will eat for a month.’ Can flocks and herds be found and slaughtered for them? Or can all the fish in the sea be found and caught for them?”
The Lord said to Moses, “Is the Lord’s power too weak? Now you will see whether my word will come true for you or not.”
So Moses went out and told the people the Lord’s words. He assembled seventy men from the people’s elders and placed them around the tent. The Lord descended in a cloud, spoke to him, and took some of the spirit that was on him and placed it on the seventy elders. When the spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but only this once. Two men had remained in the camp, one named Eldad and the second named Medad, and the spirit rested on them. They were among those registered, but they hadn’t gone out to the tent, so they prophesied in the camp. A young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.”
Joshua, Nun’s son and Moses’ assistant since his youth, responded, “My master Moses, stop them!” Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? If only all the Lord’s people were prophets with the Lord placing his spirit on them!”
Moses and Israel’s elders were assembled in the camp. A wind from the Lord blew up and brought quails from the sea. It let them fall by the camp, about a day’s journey all around the camp and about three feet deep on the ground. Then the people arose and gathered the quail all that day, all night, and all the next day. The least collected was ten homers, and they laid them out around the camp.
HYMN: Latin; trans. Edward Caswall
Tune: Veni Sancte Spiritus https://tinyurl.com/5fd4tbc5
1 Come, thou Holy Spirit, come,
and from thy celestial home
shed a ray of light divine;
come, thou Father of the poor,
come, thou source of all our store,
come, within our hearts to shine.
2 Thou of comforters the best,
thou the soul’s most welcome guest,
sweet refreshment here below;
in our labour rest most sweet,
grateful coolness in the heat,
solace in the midst of woe.
3 O most blessèd Light divine,
shine within these hearts of thine,
and our inmost being fill;
where thou art not, man hath naught,
nothing good in deed or thought,
nothing free from taint of ill.
4 Heal our wounds; our strength renew;
on our dryness pour thy dew;
wash the stains of guilt away;
bend the stubborn heart and will;
melt the frozen, warm the chill;
guide the steps that go astray.
5 On the faithful, who adore
and confess thee, evermore
in thy sevenfold gifts descend:
Give them virtue’s sure reward,
give them thy salvation, Lord,
give them joys that never end.
So what are we going to say? Are we going to find that Abraham is our ancestor on the basis of genealogy? Because if Abraham was made righteous because of his actions, he would have had a reason to brag, but not in front of God. What does the scripture say? Abraham had faith in God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. Workers’ salaries aren’t credited to them on the basis of an employer’s grace but rather on the basis of what they deserve. But faith is credited as righteousness to those who don’t work, because they have faith in God who makes the ungodly righteous. In the same way, David also pronounces a blessing on the person to whom God credits righteousness apart from actions:
Happy are those whose actions outside the Law are forgiven,
and whose sins are covered.
Happy are those whose sin isn’t counted against them by the Lord.
HYMN: James Allen, alt. Walter Shirley
Tune: Batty https://tinyurl.com/bdhdc2hw
1 Sweet the moments, rich in blessing,
Which before the Cross we spend;
Life and health and peace possessing
From the sinner’s dying Friend.
2 Here we rest in wonder, viewing
All our sins on Jesus laid;
Here we see redemption flowing
From the sacrifice he made. A-men.
3 Here we find the dawn of heaven,
While upon the Cross we gaze;
See our trespasses forgiven,
And our songs of triumph raise.
4 Lord, in ceaseless contemplation
Fix our hearts and eyes on thee,
Till we taste thy full salvation,
And unveiled thy glories see.
Jesus said, “If I hadn’t come and spoken to the people of this world, they wouldn’t be sinners. But now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me also hates the Father. If I hadn’t done works among them that no one else had done, they wouldn’t be sinners. But now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. This fulfills the word written in their Law, They hated me without a reason.
“When the Companion comes, whom I will send from the Father—the Spirit of Truth who proceeds from the Father—he will testify about me. You will testify too, because you have been with me from the beginning.”
CANTICLE Luke 1:46-55
(Cyprian Consiglio: https://tinyurl.com/y6vrp28t)
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
and my spirit finds its joy in God my Savior.
For God has looked with favor on this lowly servant
and from this day forth all ages call me blest.
The Mighty One has done great things for me,
and from age to age God’s Name is ever holy.
Great mercy God has always shown to those who fear the Lord,
whose right arm defeats the proud in their conceit.
Our God has cast the mighty from their thrones,
and then in their place are lifted up the lowly.
The hungry ones are given everything they need to live,
while the rich are sent away with empty hands.
The Lord has helped his servant Israel,
by remembering the promise of his mercy,
the promise that was spoken to our father Abraham
and the promise to his children forevermore.
THE PRAYERS PWC
That this day may be holy, good and peaceful:
we pray to you, O Lord.
That your holy angels may lead us in the paths of peace and goodwill:
we pray to you, O Lord.
That we may be pardoned and forgiven our sins and offences:
we pray to you, O Lord.
That there may be peace in your Church and for the whole world:
we pray to you, O Lord.
That we may bound together by your Holy Spirit,
in communion with [N and] all your saints,
entrusting one another and all our life to Christ:
we pray to you, O Lord.
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.
Creator Spirit and Giver of life,
make the dry, bleached bones of our lives
live and breathe and grow again
as you did of old.
Pour out your Spirit upon the whole creation.
Come in rushing wind and flashing fire
to turn the sin and sorrow within us
into faith, power, and delight. 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.
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 Psalms 47 and 48 is from the The Book of Common Prayer (1979) and is sung by Ryland Angel. Psalm 49 is the version sung by Karl Kohlhase, http://www.k4communications.com/karl/index.html
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 © 2022 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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