Oremus for Saturday, October 28, 2023

Simon and Jude
Simon and Jude were named among the twelve apostles in the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. Simon is called ‘the Zealot’, probably because he belonged to a nationalist resistance movement opposing the Roman occupation forces. There is no indication in the gospels whether Simon moved from the Zealot party to be a follower of Christ or, on the other hand, if after the resurrection he became a supporter of that group, seeing it as a response to God’s call to proclaim the kingdom. Luke describes Jude as the son of James, while the Letter of Jude has him as the brother of James, neither of which negates the other. It seems he is the same person as Thaddæus, which may have been a last name. Owing to the similarity of his name to that of Judas Iscariot, Jude was rarely invoked in prayer and it seems likely that because of this, interceding through him was seen as a final resort when all else failed. He became known, therefore, as the patron saint of lost causes. The two apostles are joined together on this day because a church, which had recently acquired their relics, was dedicated to their memory in Rome in the seventh century. ^EH

Antiphon

Ant. My eyes are forever turned towards the Lord; *
for he shall release my feet from the snare; look upon
me and have mercy on me, for I am abandoned and destitute.
V. To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. *
I n you, O my God, I have trusted;
let me not be put to shame; *
let not my enemies exult over me.
Let none who hope in you be put to shame; *
but shamed are those who wantonly break faith. Psalm 25

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: The New English Hymnal, © 1985
Tune: Tantum ergo https://tinyurl.com/2swj5ncb

1 Lord of all the saints, we praise thee
For those two apostles blest,
Whom this day thy people honour,
Who on earth thy name confest:
Serving here the Christ who called them
They have gained the promised rest.

2 Unto heaven’s splendour raisèd,
There made perfect by thy grace,
They, by angel hosts surrounded,
Ever see their Father’s face,
Where the sons of exultation
Sound from all the ransomed race.

3 Simon, may thy zeal inflame us
Christ our Lord to serve with might;
Blessèd Jude, thou true disciple,
We thy faithfulness recite:
May God grant us grace to follow
Till, with thee, faith ends in light.

4 Glory be to God the Father,
Glory be to God the Son,
Glory be to God the Spirit,
Ever Three and even One,
One in love and one in splendour,
While unending ages run. Amen.

PSALMS

Psalm 136 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y7f3bagv)
1  O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is gracious *
 and his mercy endureth for ever.
2  O give thanks unto the God of all gods *
 for his mercy endureth for ever.
3  O thank the Lord of all lords *
 for his mercy endureth for ever.
4  Who only doeth great wonders *
 for his mercy endureth for ever.
5  Who by his excellent wisdom made the heavens *
 for his mercy endureth for ever.
6  Who laid out the earth above the waters *
 for his mercy endureth for ever.
7  Who hath made great lights *
 for his mercy endureth for ever;
8  The sun to rule the day *
 for his mercy endureth for ever;
9  The moon and the stars to govern the night *
 for his mercy endureth for ever.
10  Who smote Egypt with their first-born *
 for his mercy endureth for ever;
11  And brought out Israel from among them *
 for his mercy endureth for ever;
12  With a mighty hand, and stretched out arm *
 for his mercy endureth for ever.
13  Who divided the Red sea in two parts *
 for his mercy endureth for ever;
14  And made Israel to go through the midst of it *
 for his mercy endureth for ever.
15  But as for Pharaoh and his host, he overthrew them in the Red sea *
 for his mercy endureth for ever.
16  Who led his people through the wilderness *
 for his mercy endureth for ever.
17  Who smote great kings *
 for his mercy endureth for ever;
18  Yea, and slew mighty kings *
 for his mercy endureth for ever;
19  Sehon king of the Amorites *
 for his mercy endureth for ever;
20  And Og the king of Basan *
 for his mercy endureth for ever;
21  And gave away their land for an heritage *
 for his mercy endureth for ever;
22  Even for an heritage unto Israel his servant *
 for his mercy endureth for ever.
23  Who remembered us when we were in trouble *
 for his mercy endureth for ever;
24  And hath delivered us from our enemies *
 for his mercy endureth for ever.
25  Who giveth food to all flesh *
 for his mercy endureth for ever.
26  O give thanks unto the God of heaven *
 for his mercy endureth for ever.
27  O give thanks unto the Lord of lords *
 for his mercy endureth 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 137 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/yd8m98dk)
1  By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept *
 when we remembered thee, O Sion.
2  As for our harps, we hanged them up *
 upon the trees that are therein.
3  For they that led us away captive required of us then a song, and melody, in our heaviness *
 Sing us one of the songs of Sion.
4  How shall we sing the Lord’s song *
 in a strange land?
5  If I forget thee, O Jerusalem *
 let my right hand forget her cunning.
6  If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth *
 yea if I prefer not Jerusalem in my mirth.
7  Remember the children of Edom, O Lord, in the day of Jerusalem *
 how they said, Down with it, down with it, even to the ground.
8  O daughter of Babylon, wasted with misery *
 yea, happy shall he be that rewardeth thee, as thou hast served us.
9  Blessed shall he be that taketh thy children *
 and throweth them against the stones.
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 138 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y85o6fdm)
1  I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, with my whole heart *
 even before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.
2  I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy Name,
because of thy loving-kindness and truth *
 for thou hast magnified thy Name, and thy Word, above all things.
3  When I called upon thee, thou heardest me *
 and enduedst my soul with much strength.
4  All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O Lord *
 for they have heard the words of thy mouth.
5  Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the Lord *
 that great is the glory of the Lord.
6  For though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly *
 as for the proud, he beholdeth them afar off.
7  Though I walk in the midst of trouble, yet shalt thou refresh me *
 thou shalt stretch forth thy hand upon the furiousness of mine enemies,
and thy right hand shall save me.
8  The Lord shall make good his loving-kindness toward me *
 yea, thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever;
despise not then the works of thine own hands.
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 136 (LSB Tone J: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-136-LSB.mp3
1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,*
 for his steadfast love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods,*
 for his steadfast love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords,*
 for his steadfast love endures forever;
4 to him who alone does great wonders,*
for his steadfast love endures forever;
5 to him who by understanding made the heavens,*
 for his steadfast love endures forever;
6 to him who spread out the earth above the waters,*
 for his steadfast love endures forever;
7 to him who made the great lights,*
 for his steadfast love endures forever;
8 the sun to rule over the day,*
 for his steadfast love endures forever;
9 the moon and stars to rule over the night,*
 for his steadfast love endures forever;
10 to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,*
 for his steadfast love endures forever;
11 and brought Israel out from among them,*
 for his steadfast love endures forever;
12 with a strong hand and an outstretched arm,*
 for his steadfast love endures forever;
13 to him who divided the Red Sea in two,*
 for his steadfast love endures forever;
14 and made Israel pass through the midst of it,*
 for his steadfast love endures forever;
15 but overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea,*
 for his steadfast love endures forever;
16 to him who led his people through the wilderness,*
 for his steadfast love endures forever;
17 to him who struck down great kings,*
 for his steadfast love endures forever;
18 and killed mighty kings,*
 for his steadfast love endures forever;
19 Sihon, king of the Amorites,*
 for his steadfast love endures forever;
20 and Og, king of Bashan,*
 for his steadfast love endures forever;
21 and gave their land as a heritage,*
 for his steadfast love endures forever;
22 a heritage to Israel his servant,*
 for his steadfast love endures forever.
23 It is he who remembered us in our low estate,*
 for his steadfast love endures forever;
24 and rescued us from our foes,*
 for his steadfast love endures forever;
25 he who gives food to all flesh,*
 for his steadfast love endures forever.
26 Give thanks to the God of heaven,*
 for his steadfast love endures 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.

Psalm 137 (Liturgical Folk: https://tinyurl.com/2884yvfs)
1 By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept, *
when we remembered you, O Zion.
2 As for our harps, we hung them up *
on the trees in the midst of that land.
3 For those who led us away captive asked us for a song,
and our oppressors called for mirth: *
“Sing us one of the songs of Zion.”
4 How shall we sing the LORD’S song *
upon an alien soil?
5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem, *
let my right hand forget its skill.
6 Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth
if I do not remember you, *
if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy.
7 Remember the day of Jerusalem, O LORD,
against the people of Edom, *
who said, “Down with it! down with it!
even to the ground!”
8 O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, *
happy the one who pays you back
for what you have done to us!
9 Happy shall he be who takes your little ones, *
and dashes them against the rock!

Psalm 138 (LSB Tone C https://tinyurl.com/8ca427za)
1 I give you thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart;*
 before the gods I sing your praise
2 I bow down toward your holy temple
and give thanks to your name
for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,*
 for you have exalted above all things
 your name and your word.
3 On the day I called, you answered me;*
 my strength of soul you increased.
4 All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O LORD,*
 for they have heard the words of your mouth,
5 and they shall sing of the ways of the LORD,*
 for great is the glory of the LORD.
6 For though the LORD is high, he regards the lowly,*
 but the haughty he knows from afar.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life;*
 you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
and your right hand delivers me.
8 The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;*
 your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever.
 Do not forsake the work of your hands.
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.

PRAYER

God of everlasting love,
through your Word you made all things
in heaven and on earth;
you have opened to us the path from death to life.
Listen to the song of the universe,
the hymn of resurrection sung by your church,
and give us your blessing;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ^BCW

THE WORD OF GOD

READING: Numbers 24:1-13

Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless the Israelites, so he didn’t go as the other times to seek omens. Instead, he turned toward the desert. Balaam looked up and saw Israel camping by tribes. Then God’s spirit came on him. He raised his voice and made his address:

Balak was angry with Balaam. He pounded his fists. Balak said to Balaam, “I summoned you to curse my enemies, but now you’ve given a blessing these three times. Now get out of here and go home. I told you I’d greatly honor you, but the Lord has denied you any honor.”

Balaam said to Balak, “Didn’t I tell your messengers, whom you sent to me, ‘If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I wouldn’t be able to break the Lord’s command for good or ill by my own will. I’ll say whatever the Lord says’?”

HYMN: Philip P Bliss
Tune: https://tinyurl.com/33njutk2

1 Sing them over again to me,
Wonderful words of life;
Let me more of their beauty see,
Wonderful words of life;
Words of life and beauty
Teach me faith and duty.

Refrain:
Beautiful words, wonderful words,
Wonderful words of life;
Beautiful words, wonderful words,
Wonderful words of life.

2 Christ, the blessed one, gives to all
Wonderful words of life;
Sinner, list to the loving call,
Wonderful words of life;
All so freely given,
Wooing us to heaven. [Refrain]

3 Sweetly echo the gospel call,
Wonderful words of life;
Offer pardon and peace to all,
Wonderful words of life;
Jesus, only Savior,
Sanctify forever. [Refrain]

READING: Jude 1–4,17–25

Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James,

To those who are called, who are beloved in God the Father and kept safe for Jesus Christ:

May mercy, peace, and love be yours in abundance.

Beloved, while eagerly preparing to write to you about the salvation we share, I find it necessary to write and appeal to you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. For certain intruders have stolen in among you, people who long ago were designated for this condemnation as ungodly, who pervert the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

But you, beloved, must remember the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; for they said to you, ‘In the last time there will be scoffers, indulging their own ungodly lusts.’ It is these worldly people, devoid of the Spirit, who are causing divisions. But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God; look forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on some who are wavering; save others by snatching them out of the fire; and have mercy on still others with fear, hating even the tunic defiled by their bodies.

Now to him who is able to keep you from falling, and to make you stand without blemish in the presence of his glory with rejoicing, to the only God our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority, before all time and now and for ever. Amen.

HYMN: Edward Hayes Plumptre
Tune: Thornbury https://tinyurl.com/5ymum9x9

1 Thy hand, O God, has guided
thy flock, from age to age;
the wondrous tale is written,
full clear, on every page;
our fathers owned thy goodness,
and we their deeds record;
and both of this bear witness:
one Church, one faith, one Lord.

2 Thy heralds brought glad tidings
to greatest, as to least;
they bade men rise, and hasten
to share the great King’s feast;
and this was all their teaching,
in every deed and word,
to all alike proclaiming
one Church, one faith, one Lord.

3 When shadows thick were falling,
and all seemed sunk in night,
thou, Lord, didst send thy servants,
thy chosen sons of light.
On them and on thy people
thy plenteous grace was poured,
and this was still their message:
one church, one faith one Lord.

4 Through many a day of darkness,
through many a scene of strife,
the faithful few fought bravely,
to guard the nation’s life.
Their Gospel of redemption,
sin pardoned, man restored,
was all in this enfolded:
one Church, one faith, one Lord.

5 And we, shall we be faithless?
Shall hearts fail, hands hang down?
Shall we evade the conflict,
and cast away our crown?
Not so: in God’s deep counsels
some better thing is stored;
we will maintain, unflinching,
one church, one faith, one Lord.

6 Thy mercy will not fail us,
nor leave thy work undone;
with thy right hand to help us,
the victory shall be won;
and then, by men and angels,
thy name shall be adored,
and this shall be their anthem:
one Church, one faith, one Lord.

READING: Mark 4:1-9

Jesus began to teach beside the lake again. Such a large crowd gathered that he climbed into a boat there on the lake. He sat in the boat while the whole crowd was nearby on the shore. He said many things to them in parables. While teaching them, he said, “Listen to this! A farmer went out to scatter seed. As he was scattering seed, some fell on the path; and the birds came and ate it. Other seed fell on rocky ground where the soil was shallow. They sprouted immediately because the soil wasn’t deep. When the sun came up, it scorched the plants; and they dried up because they had no roots. Other seed fell among thorny plants. The thorny plants grew and choked the seeds, and they produced nothing. Other seed fell into good soil and bore fruit. Upon growing and increasing, the seed produced in one case a yield of thirty to one, in another case a yield of sixty to one, and in another case a yield of one hundred to one.” He said, “Whoever has ears to listen should pay attention!”

CANTICLE Te Deum
(Chant by Joe Cox: https://tinyurl.com/ybzyundx)

We praise thee, O God; we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.
All the earth doth worship thee, the Father everlasting.
To thee all Angels cry aloud,
the Heavens and all the Powers therein.
To thee Cherubim and Seraphim continually do cry:
    Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabaoth;
    Heaven and earth are full of the majesty of thy glory.
The glorious company of the apostles praise thee.
The goodly fellowship of the prophets praise thee.
The noble army of martyrs praise thee.
The holy Church throughout all the world
                              doth acknowledge thee,
    the Father, of an infinite majesty,
    thine adorable, true, and only Son,
    also the Holy Ghost the Comforter.

Thou art the King of glory, O Christ.
Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.
When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man,
thou didst humble thyself to be born of a Virgin.
When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death,
thou didst open the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
Thou sittest at the right hand of God, in the glory of the Father.
We believe that thou shalt come to be our judge.
    We therefore pray thee, help thy servants,
    whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood.
    Make them to be numbered with thy saints,
    in glory everlasting.

THE PRAYERS ^BCW

We give you our praise and thanks, O God, for all gifts of love we have received
from you, and for your persistent mercy in Jesus Christ.
Especially we thank you for
work we have accomplished pleasing to you . . .
the faithful witness of Christian people . . .
the example of righteousness we see in parents and teachers . . .
the innocence and openness we see in children . . .
all works of Christian compassion. . . .

We give you our cares and concerns, O God, because we know you are kind and
care for your children in every circumstance. Especially we pray for
those who struggle with doubt and despair . . .
people afflicted with disease . . .
those called to special ministries . . .
people neglected or abused . . .
Baptist, Disciples of Christ, and other free churches. . . .

(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.

Lover of the hidden,
hope of the lost cause;
you called Simon and Jude
to share the work of witness
and to spend their life
without honour or glory:
we thank you for all the saints
whose lives are unknown
but whose faith moved mountains
and soared on Spirit’s wings;
through Jesus Christ, whose name is salvation. Amen. ^PIC

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

---

^BCW Book of Common Worship, Presbyterian Church U.S.A., 1993.

^EH Exciting Holiness, Ed. Brother Tristram SSF © European Province of the Society of Saint Francis, 1997

^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 versions of Psalms 136 and 138 are in the version used in Lutheran Service Book: Pew Edition Concordia Publishing House, and are from the Next to the Word of God YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkVRYL-MRebncw584Ql2xfg. Psalm 137 is in the version from The Book of Common Prayer (1979) and is performed by Liturgical Folk https://www.liturgicalfolk.com/.

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.