Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/jfctmt5j
See, I have God for my help.
The Lord sustains my soul.
I will sacrifice to you with willing heart,
and praise your name, O Lord, for it is good. Psalm 54
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: Bradford Gray Webster ©
Tune: Welwyn https://tinyurl.com/43va975e
1 O Jesus Christ, may grateful hymns be rising,
in every city for your love and care;
inspire our worship, grant the glad surprising
that your blest Spirit rouses everywhere.
2 Grant us new courage, sacrificial, humble,
strong in your strength to venture and to dare;
to lift the fallen, guide the feet that stumble,
seek out the lonely and God’s mercy share.
3 Show us your Spirit, brooding o’er each city,
as you once wept above Jerusalem,
seeking to gather all in love and pity,
and healing those who touch your garment’s hem.
PSALMS
Psalm 106 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/yd2cn3x8)
1 O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is gracious *
and his mercy endureth for ever.
2 Who can express the noble acts of the Lord *
or shew forth all his praise?
3 Blessed are they that alway keep judgement *
and do righteousness.
4 Remember me, O Lord, according to the favour
that thou bearest unto thy people *
O visit me with thy salvation;
5 That I may see the felicity of thy chosen *
and rejoice in the gladness of thy people,
and give thanks with thine inheritance.
6 We have sinned with our fathers *
we have done amiss, and dealt wickedly.
7 Our fathers regarded not thy wonders in Egypt,
neither kept they thy great goodness in remembrance *
but were disobedient at the sea, even at the Red sea.
8 Nevertheless, he helped them for his Name’s sake *
that he might make his power to be known.
9 He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up *
so he led them through the deep, as through a wilderness.
10 And he saved them from the adversary’s hand *
and delivered them from the hand of the enemy.
11 As for those that troubled them, the waters overwhelmed them *
there was not one of them left.
12 Then believed they his words *
and sang praise unto him.
13 But within a while they forgat his works *
and would not abide his counsel.
14 But lust came upon them in the wilderness *
and they tempted God in the desert.
15 And he gave them their desire *
and sent leanness withal into their soul.
16 They angered Moses also in the tents *
and Aaron the saint of the Lord.
17 So the earth opened, and swallowed up Dathan *
and covered the congregation of Abiram.
18 And the fire was kindled in their company *
the flame burnt up the ungodly.
19 They made a calf in Horeb *
and worshipped the molten image.
20 Thus they turned their glory *
into the similitude of a calf that eateth hay.
21 And they forgat God their Saviour *
who had done so great things in Egypt;
22 Wondrous works in the land of Ham *
and fearful things by the Red sea.
23 So he said, he would have destroyed them,
had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the gap *
to turn away his wrathful indignation, lest he should destroy them.
24 Yea, they thought scorn of that pleasant land *
and gave no credence unto his word;
25 But murmured in their tents *
and hearkened not unto the voice of the Lord.
26 Then lift he up his hand against them *
to overthrow them in the wilderness;
27 To cast out their seed among the nations *
and to scatter them in the lands.
28 They joined themselves unto Baalpeor *
and ate the offerings of the dead.
29 Thus they provoked him to anger with their own inventions *
and the plague was great among them.
30 Then stood up Phinees and prayed *
and so the plague ceased.
31 And that was counted unto him for righteousness *
among all posterities for evermore.
32 They angered him also at the waters of strife *
so that he punished Moses for their sakes;
33 Because they provoked his spirit *
so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips.
34 Neither destroyed they the heathen *
as the Lord commanded them;
35 But were mingled among the heathen *
and learned their works.
36 Insomuch that they worshipped their idols,
which turned to their own decay *
yea, they offered their sons and their daughters unto devils;
37 And shed innocent blood,
even the blood of their sons and of their daughters *
whom they offered unto the idols of Canaan;
and the land was defiled with blood.
38 Thus were they stained with their own works *
and went a whoring with their own inventions.
39 Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against his people *
insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance.
40 And he gave them over into the hand of the heathen *
and they that hated them were lords over them.
41 Their enemies oppressed them *
and had them in subjection.
42 Many a time did he deliver them *
but they rebelled against him with their own inventions,
and were brought down in their wickedness.
43 Nevertheless, when he saw their adversity *
he heard their complaint.
44 He thought upon his covenant, and pitied them,
according unto the multitude of his mercies *
yea, he made all those that led them away captive to pity them.
45 Deliver us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the heathen *
that we may give thanks unto thy holy Name, and make our boast of thy praise.
46 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting, and world without end *
and let all the people say, Amen.
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 106 (Kohlhase: https://tinyurl.com/2nshc92b)
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love is everlasting.
Who’ll tell of the power of the LORD,
or show forth all of his praise?
How blessed are those who keep justice,
and righteousness at all times!
Remember me, LORD, in your favor;
and visit me with your salvation.
Let me see your chosen ones prosper,
and glory with your inheritance.
We’ve erred like our fathers, committing sin;
so poorly we have behaved.
In Egypt they misunderstood your signs;
your graces they scorned at the sea.
But for your name’s sake you saved them,
to make your power known.
Rebuking the Red Sea he dried it up,
led through the deep as a wilderness.
Saved them from the hand of hostile ones,
redeemed from the hand of their foe.
The waters returned to drown their foes;
not one among them was left.
Therefore they trusted his words;
and they sang out his praise.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
However, they quickly forgot his works;
they did not wait for his counsel,
their cravings were strong in the wilderness,
they tested their God in the desert.
He gave to them as they desired,
along with a wasting disease.
The camp envied Moses and Aaron,
the holy ones of the LORD.
Earth opened and swallowed up Dathan,
engulfing the clan of Abiram.
A fire broke out in their company;
the flame consumed the wicked.
They then made a calf in Horeb,
and worshiped a molten image.
So they exchanged their glory,
for the image of an ox that eats grass.
Forgetting their God and Savior,
who did great things in Egypt;
his signs in the land of Ham,
and marvels at the Red Sea.
He said that he would destroy them,
had Moses not stood in the gap,
to turn away his anger, from destroying them.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Then they despised the pleasant land;
they did not trust in his word,
but grumbled there within their tents,
not heeding the voice of the LORD.
Therefore he swore unto them,
he’d cast them down in the desert,
and cast their seed among nations,
to scatter them throughout the lands.
They joined themselves to Baal-peor,
and ate what was offered the dead.
Provoking his anger by their deeds,
a plague broke out among them.
Then Phinehas stood up and intervened,
thereby the plague was stopped.
Reckoned to him as righteousness,
to all generations forever.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
At Meribah’s waters they angered him,
thus making it hard for Moses;
for when they rejected the Spirit,
he rashly spoke with his lips.
They did not destroy the nations,
as ordered by the LORD,
but with the nations they mingled,
and learned of all their ways.
They started to serve their idols,
becoming a snare unto them.
For even their sons they sacrificed,
and gave their daughters to demons.
They shed the innocent blood,
of their daughters and of their sons;
gave them to the idols of Canaan.
polluting the land with their blood.
Becoming unclean in their dealings,
in deed they played the harlot.
The LORD’s anger burned at his people,
detesting his own inheritance.
He gave them into the nations’ hands,
those hating them became their rulers.
Their enemies also oppressed them,
subduing them under their power.
He often would save and counsel them;
rebellious they sank in their sin;
but he still considered their troubles,
whenever he heard their cry;
for them he remembered his covenant,
he turned from the depths of his love.
He made them as objects of pity,
in the presence of their captors.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Save us, O LORD our God,
regather us from all the nations;
to give thanks to your holy name,
and glory in your praise.
Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
forever and forever;
let the people say, “Amen.”
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
PRAYER
Merciful God,
remembering your covenant,
you graciously pardoned those who rebelled against you.
Grant that, where sin abounds,
grace may abound more;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.Amen. BCW
THE WORD OF GOD
Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom: “This is what your brother Israel says: ‘You know all the adversity that has happened to us. How our ancestors went down to Egypt and lived in Egypt for a long time. The Egyptians oppressed us as they had our ancestors, and we cried out to the Lord. He heard our voice, sent a messenger, and brought us out of Egypt. Now here we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your border. Please let us cross through your land. We won’t pass through any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will walk on the King’s Highway and not turn to the right or to the left until we have crossed your border.’”
Edom said to him, “You won’t cross through, or I will come out against you with a sword.” The Israelites said to him, “We’ll go up by the road. If we drink from your water, either we or our livestock, we’ll pay for it. It’s a small matter. We would only ask to cross on foot.” But he said, “You won’t cross.” Then Edom came out against them with a powerful army and a strong hand. Edom refused to allow Israel to cross his border. And Israel turned away from him. They marched from Kadesh.
The entire Israelite community came to Mount Hor. The Lord said to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor on the border of the land of Edom: Aaron will join his ancestors, for he may not enter the land that I’ve given to the Israelites, because you rebelled against my command at the waters of Meribah. Take Aaron and his son Eleazar, and bring them up Mount Hor. Strip Aaron of his clothes and put them on Eleazar his son. Then Aaron will die there.
Moses did as the Lord commanded. They went up Mount Hor in the sight of the entire community. Moses stripped Aaron of his clothes and put them on Eleazar his son. Aaron died there at the top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar descended from the mountain. When the entire community saw that Aaron had died, the entire household of Israel wept thirty days for Aaron.
HYMN: Evelyn Atwater Cummins
Tune: Laramie https://tinyurl.com/2s3kahu7
1 I know not where the road will lead
I follow day by day,
or where it ends: I only know
I walk the King’s highway.
I know not if the way is long,
and no one else can say;
but rough or smooth, up hill or down,
I walk the King’s highway.
2 And some I love have reached the end,
but some with me may stay,
their faith and hope still guiding me:
I walk the King’s highway.
The way is truth, the way is love,
for light and strength I pray,
and through the years of life, to God
I walk the King’s highway.
3 The countless hosts lead on before,
I must not fear nor stray;
with them, the pilgrims of the faith,
I walk the King’s highway.
Through light and dark the road leads on
till dawns the endless day,
when I shall know why in this life
I walk the King’s highway.
We know that God works all things together for good for the ones who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose. We know this because God knew them in advance, and he decided in advance that they would be conformed to the image of his Son. That way his Son would be the first of many brothers and sisters. Those who God decided in advance would be conformed to his Son, he also called. Those whom he called, he also made righteous. Those whom he made righteous, he also glorified.
So what are we going to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He didn’t spare his own Son but gave him up for us all. Won’t he also freely give us all things with him?
Who will bring a charge against God’s elect people? It is God who acquits them. Who is going to convict them? It is Christ Jesus who died, even more, who was raised, and who also is at God’s right side. It is Christ Jesus who also pleads our case for us.
Who will separate us from Christ’s love? Will we be separated by trouble, or distress, or harassment, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,
We are being put to death all day long for your sake.
We are treated like sheep for slaughter.
But in all these things we win a sweeping victory through the one who loved us. I’m convinced that nothing can separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus our Lord: not death or life, not angels or rulers, not present things or future things, not powers or height or depth, or any other thing that is created.
HYMN: Mary Peters
Tune: Southgate https://tinyurl.com/4uahcj6j
1 Through the love of God our Saviour,
all will be well.
Free and changeless is his favour,
all, all is well.
Precious is the blood that healed us,
perfect is the grace that sealed us,
strong the hand stretched forth to shield us,
all must be well.
2 Though we pass through tribulation,
all will be well.
Ours is such a full salvation,
all, all is well.
Happy, still in God confiding,
fruitful, if in Christ abiding,
holy, through the Spirit’s guiding,
all must be well.
3 We expect a bright tomorrow,
all will be well.
Faith can sing through days of sorrow,
‘All, all is well.’
On our Father’s love relying,
Jesus every need supplying,
in our living, in our dying,
all must be well.
Jesus went out beside the lake again. The whole crowd came to him, and he began to teach them. As he continued along, he saw Levi, Alphaeus’ son, sitting at a kiosk for collecting taxes. Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” Levi got up and followed him.
Jesus sat down to eat at Levi’s house. Many tax collectors and sinners were eating with Jesus and his disciples. Indeed, many of them had become his followers. When some of the legal experts from among the Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples, “Why is he eating with sinners and tax collectors?”
When Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor, but sick people do. I didn’t come to call righteous people, but sinners.”
CANTICLE Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55)
(Setting in Lutheran Service Book: https://tinyurl.com/ybb7ajjj)
Refrain:
My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior;
my soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior.
1. For he has regarded
the lowliness of his handmaiden.
For behold, from this day
all generations will call me blessed.
For the Mighty One has done great things to me,
and holy is his name;
And his mercy is on those who fear him
from generation to generation. Refrain
2. He has shown strength with his arm;
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones
and has exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent empty away.
He has helped his servant Israel in remembrance of his mercy
as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever.
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. Refrain
THE PRAYERS BCW
Loving God, as the rising sun chases away the night, so you have scattered the
power of death in the rising of Jesus Christ, and you bring us all blessings in him.
Especially we thank you for
the community of faith in our church . . .
those with whom we work or share common concerns . . .
the diversity of your children . . .
indications of your love at work in the world . . .
those who work for reconciliation. . . .
Mighty God, with the dawn of your love you reveal your victory over all that would
destroy or harm, and you brighten the lives of all who need you.
Especially we pray for
families suffering separation . . .
people different from ourselves . . .
those isolated by sickness or sorrow . . .
the victims of violence or warfare . . .
the church in the Pacific region. . . .
(Plainsong: https://tinyurl.com/ahnrtv59)ELW
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 gather the whole universe
into your radiant presence
and continually reveal your Son as our Savior.
Bring healing to all wounds,
make whole all that is broken,
speak truth to all illusion,
and shed light in every darkness,
that all creation will see your glory and know your 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.
ELW The Lord’s Prayer is from Setting Five in Evangelical Lutheran Worship.
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 psalms are in the version sung by Karl Kohlhase http://www.k4communications.com/karl/index.html
RCLP Revised Common Lectionary Prayers. © 2002 Consultation on Common Texts admin. Augsburg Fortress.
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 