Oremus for Saturday, January 20, 2024

Agony in the Garden, Andrea Mantegna, c. 1460

Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/n8f3hdcf

All that you have done to us, O Lord,
you have done with true judgment,
for we have sinned against you
and not obeyed your commandments.
But give glory to your name
and deal with us according to the bounty of your mercy. Daniel 3

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: John Henry Newman
Tune: Gerontius http://tinyurl.com/48xr4ykf

1 PRAISE to the Holiest in the height,
And in the depth be praise:
In all His words most wonderful,
Most sure in all His ways.

2 O loving wisdom of our God!
When all was sin and shame,
A second Adam to the fight,
And to the rescue came.

3 O wisest love! that flesh and blood
Which did in Adam fail,
Should strive afresh against the foe,
Should strive and should prevail.

4 And that a higher gift than grace
Should flesh and blood refine,
God’s presence, and His very self
And essence all-divine.

5 O generous love! that He, who smote
In man for man the foe,
The double agony in man
For man should undergo.

6 And in the garden secretly,
And on the Cross on high,
Should teach his brethren, and inspire
To suffer and to die.

7 Praise to the Holiest in the height,
And in the depth be praise:
In ail His words most wonderful,
Most sure in all His ways.

PSALMS

Psalm 102 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/tru8yxv)
1  Hear my prayer, O Lord *
 and let my crying come unto thee.
2  Hide not thy face from me in the time of my trouble *
 incline thine ear unto me when I call; O hear me, and that right soon.
3  For my days are consumed away like smoke *
 and my bones are burnt up as it were a fire-brand.
4  My heart is smitten down, and withered like grass *
 so that I forget to eat my bread.
5  For the voice of my groaning *
 my bones will scarce cleave to my flesh.
6  I am become like a pelican in the wilderness *
 and like an owl that is in the desert.
7  I have watched, and am even as it were a sparrow *
 that sitteth alone upon the house-top.
8  Mine enemies revile me all the day long *
 and they that are mad upon me are sworn together against me.
9  For I have eaten ashes as it were bread *
 and mingled my drink with weeping;
10  And that because of thine indignation and wrath *
 for thou hast taken me up, and cast me down.
11  My days are gone like a shadow *
 and I am withered like grass.
12  But, thou, O Lord, shalt endure for ever *
 and thy remembrance throughout all generations.
13  Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Sion *
 for it is time that thou have mercy upon her, yea, the time is come.
14  And why? thy servants think upon her stones *
 and it pitieth them to see her in the dust.
15  The heathen shall fear thy Name, O Lord *
 and all the kings of the earth thy Majesty;
16  When the Lord shall build up Sion *
 and when his glory shall appear;
17  When he turneth him unto the prayer of the poor destitute *
 and despiseth not their desire.
18  This shall be written for those that come after *
 and the people which shall be born shall praise the Lord.
19  For he hath looked down from his sanctuary *
 out of the heaven did the Lord behold the earth;
20  That he might hear the mournings of such as are in captivity *
 and deliver the children appointed unto death;
21  That they may declare the Name of the Lord in Sion *
 and his worship at Jerusalem;
22  When the people are gathered together *
 and the kingdoms also, to serve the Lord.
23  He brought down my strength in my journey *
 and shortened my days.
24  But I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of mine age *
 as for thy years, they endure throughout all generations.
25  Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth *
 and the heavens are the work of thy hands.
26  They shall perish, but thou shalt endure *
 they all shall wax old as doth a garment;
27  And as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed *
 but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.
28  The children of thy servants shall continue *
 and their seed shall stand fast in thy sight.
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 103 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/wclpdz5)
1  Praise the Lord, O my soul *
 and all that is within me praise his holy Name.
2  Praise the Lord, O my soul *
 and forget not all his benefits;
3  Who forgiveth all thy sin *
 and healeth all thine infirmities;
4  Who saveth thy life from destruction *
 and crowneth thee with mercy and loving-kindness;
5  Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things *
 making thee young and lusty as an eagle.
6  The Lord executeth righteousness and judgement *
 for all them that are oppressed with wrong.
7  He shewed his ways unto Moses *
 his works unto the children of Israel.
8  The Lord is full of compassion and mercy *
 long-suffering, and of great goodness.
9  He will not alway be chiding *
 neither keepeth he his anger for ever.
10  He hath not dealt with us after our sins *
 nor rewarded us according to our wickednesses.
11  For look how high the heaven is in comparison of the earth *
 so great is his mercy also toward them that fear him.
12  Look how wide also the east is from the west *
 so far hath he set our sins from us.
13  Yea, like as a father pitieth his own children *
 even so is the Lord merciful unto them that fear him.
14  For he knoweth whereof we are made *
 he remembereth that we are but dust.
15  The days of man are but as grass *
 for he flourisheth as a flower of the field.
16  For as soon as the wind goeth over it, it is gone *
 and the place thereof shall know it no more.
17  But the merciful goodness of the Lord
endureth for ever and ever upon them that fear him *
 and his righteousness upon children’s children;
18  Even upon such as keep his covenant *
 and think upon his commandments to do them.
19  The Lord hath prepared his seat in heaven *
 and his kingdom ruleth over all.
20  O praise the Lord, ye angels of his, ye that excel in strength *
 ye that fulfil his commandment, and hearken unto the voice of his words.
21  O praise the Lord, all ye his hosts *
 ye servants of his that do his pleasure.
22  O speak good of the Lord, all ye works of his,
in all places of his dominion *
 praise thou the Lord, O my soul.
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 102 (LSB Tone I: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-102-LSB.mp3)
1 Hear my prayer, O LORD;*
 let my cry come to you!
2 Do not hide your face from me in the day of my distress!*
 Incline your ear to me;
 answer me speedily in the day when I call!
3 For my days pass away like smoke,*
 and my bones burn like a furnace.
4 My heart is struck down like grass and has withered;*
 I forget to eat my bread.
5 Because of my loud groaning*
 my bones cling to my flesh.
6 I am like a desert owl of the wilderness,*
 like an owl of the waste places;
7 I lie awake;*
 I am like a lonely sparrow on the housetop.
8 All the day my enemies taunt me;*
 those who deride me use my name for a curse.
9 For I eat ashes like bread*
 and mingle tears with my drink,
10 because of your indignation and anger;*
 for you have taken me up and thrown me down.
11 My days are like an evening shadow;*
 I wither away like grass.
12 But you, O LORD, are enthroned forever;*
 you are remembered throughout all generations.
13 You will arise and have pity on Zion;*
 it is the time to favor her; the appointed time has come.
14 For your servants hold her stones dear*
 and have pity on her dust.
15 Nations will fear the name of the LORD,*
 and all the kings of the earth will fear your glory.
16 For the LORD builds up Zion;*
 he appears in his glory;
17 he regards the prayer of the destitute*
 and does not despise their prayer.
18 Let this be recorded for a generation to come,*
 so that a people yet to be created may praise the LORD:
19 that he looked down from his holy height;*
 from heaven the LORD looked at the earth,
20 to hear the groans of the prisoners,*
 to set free those who were doomed to die,
21 that they may declare in Zion the name of the LORD,*
 and in Jerusalem his praise,
22 when peoples gather together,*
 and kingdoms, to worship the LORD.
23 He has broken my strength in midcourse;*
 he has shortened my days.
24 “O my God,” I say, “take me not away in the midst of my days—*
 you whose years endure throughout all generations!”
25 Of old you laid the foundation of the earth,*
 and the heavens are the work of your hands.
26 They will perish, but you will remain;*
 they will all wear out like a garment.
You will change them like a robe,
and they will pass away,*
27 but you are the same, and your years have no end.
28 The children of your servants shall dwell secure;*
 their offspring shall be established before you.
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 103 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-103.mp3)
1 Bless the LORD, O my soul, *
and all that is within me, bless his holy Name.
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, *
and forget not all his benefits.
3 He forgives all your sins *
and heals all your infirmities;
4 He redeems your life from the grave *
and crowns you with mercy and loving-kindness;
5 He satisfies you with good things, *
and your youth is renewed like an eagle’s.
6 The LORD executes righteousness *
and judgment for all who are oppressed.
7 He made his ways known to Moses *
and his works to the children of Israel.
8 The LORD is full of compassion and mercy, *
slow to anger and of great kindness.
9 He will not always accuse us, *
nor will he keep his anger for ever.
10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, *
nor rewarded us according to our wickedness.
11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, *
so is his mercy great upon those who fear him.
12 As far as the east is from the west, *
so far has he removed our sins from us.
13 As a father cares for his children, *
so does the LORD care for those who fear him.
14 For he himself knows whereof we are made; *
he remembers that we are but dust.
15 Our days are like the grass; *
we flourish like a flower of the field;
16 When the wind goes over it, it is gone, *
and its place shall know it no more.
17 But the merciful goodness of the LORD endures for ever
 on those who fear him, *
and his righteousness on children’s children;
18 On those who keep his covenant *
and remember his commandments and do them.
19 The LORD has set his throne in heaven, *
and his kingship has dominion over all.
20 Bless the LORD, you angels of his,
you mighty ones who do his bidding, *
and hearken to the voice of his word.
21 Bless the LORD, all you his hosts, *
you ministers of his who do his will.
22 Bless the LORD, all you works of his,
in all places of his dominion; *
bless the LORD, O my soul.

PRAYER

God of might and mercy,
you bring us to new life each day,
and nurture us in your tender love.
Keep us far from all sinfulness,
that our lives may be a blessing to you;
in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. BCW

THE WORD OF GOD

Cursed be the day that I was born.
    May the day my mother gave birth to me not be blessed.
Cursed be the one
    who delivered the news to my father,
        “You have a son!”—
        filling him with joy.
May the bearer of that news be like the cities
    that the Lord destroyed without mercy.
May he hear screams in the morning,
    and the battle cries at noon,
    because he didn’t kill me in the womb
        and let my mother become my grave,
        her womb pregnant forever.
Why was I ever born
    when all I see is suffering and misery,
        and my days are filled with shame?

HYMN: Martin Luther; trans. Catherine Winkworth
Tune: Aus tiefer Not http://tinyurl.com/2p9b5wjx

1 Out of the depths I cry to Thee,
Lord, hear my lamentation;
Bend down Thy gracious ear to me,
And grant my supplication;
For if Thou fix Thy searching eye
On all sin and iniquity,
Who, Lord, can stand before Thee?

2 But love and grace with Thee prevail,
O God, our sins forgiving;
The best and holiest deeds must fail
Of all before Thee living;
Before Thee none can boasting stand,
But all must fear Thy strict demand,
And live alone by mercy.

3 My hope I rest then on the Lord,
And build not on my merit;
My heart shall trust His gracious Word,
His goodness stays my spirit.
His precious Word assureth me
He will my Joy and Comfort be;
This is my firm reliance.

4 And though it tarry till the night
And till the morn appeareth,
My heart still trusteth in His might,
It doubteth not, nor feareth.
Do thus, O ye of Israel’s seed,
Ye of the Spirit born indeed,
Wait for your God’s appearing.

5 Though great our sins and sore our woes,
His grace much more aboundeth;
His helping love no limit knows,
Our utmost need it soundeth,
Our Shepherd is the Lord, and He
At last shall set his Israel free
From all their sin and sorrow.

So we are ambassadors who represent Christ. God is negotiating with you through us. We beg you as Christ’s representatives, “Be reconciled to God!” God caused the one who didn’t know sin to be sin for our sake so that through him we could become the righteousness of God. Since we work together with him, we are also begging you not to receive the grace of God in vain. He says, I listened to you at the right time, and I helped you on the day of salvation. Look, now is the right time! Look, now is the day of salvation!

HYMN: Horatio Gates Spafford
Tune: Ville de Havre http://tinyurl.com/2p953ymt

1 When peace like a river attendeth my way,
when sorrows like sea billows roll;
whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,
“It is well, it is well with my soul.”

Refrain (may be sung after final stanza only):
It is well with my soul;
it is well, it is well with my soul.

2 Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
let this blest assurance control:
that Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
and has shed his own blood for my soul. Refrain

3 My sin oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
my sin, not in part, but the whole,
is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more;
praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul! Refrain

4 O Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
the clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
the trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend;
even so, it is well with my soul. Refrain

Jesus and his disciples came to a place called Gethsemane. Jesus said to them, “Sit here while I pray.” He took Peter, James, and John along with him. He began to feel despair and was anxious. He said to them, “I’m very sad. It’s as if I’m dying. Stay here and keep alert.” Then he went a short distance farther and fell to the ground. He prayed that, if possible, he might be spared the time of suffering. He said, “Abba, Father, for you all things are possible. Take this cup of suffering away from me. However—not what I want but what you want.”

He came and found them sleeping. He said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Couldn’t you stay alert for one hour? Stay alert and pray so that you won’t give in to temptation. The spirit is eager, but the flesh is weak.”

Again, he left them and prayed, repeating the same words. And, again, when he came back, he found them sleeping, for they couldn’t keep their eyes open, and they didn’t know how to respond to him. He came a third time and said to them, “Will you sleep and rest all night? That’s enough! The time has come for the Human One to be betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up! Let’s go! Look, here comes my betrayer.”

CANTICLE Deuteronomy 32:1-12
(Luke Brawner https://tinyurl.com/ybe98e62)

Give ear, O Heaven, and I will speak
Let the earth hear the words of my mouth
May my song fall soft like gentle rains
Upon the tender grass

Refrain:
(I will) proclaim the name of the Lord
(I will) ascribe greatness to our God
(I will) proclaim the name of the Lord
(I will) ascribe greatness to our God, greatness to our God

His work is perfect, his ways are just
without iniquity.
The Rock, a God of faithfulness
upright and just is he. Refrain
Rejoice with him, O heavens
Bow down to him, all gods
for he alone is worthy of your praise.
Rejoice with him, O heavens
Bow down to him, all gods
for he alone is worthy of your praise
for he alone is worthy of your praise.

Proclaim the name of the Lord.
O ascribe greatness to our God.
Proclaim the name of the Lord.
Ascribe greatness to our God, greatness to our God.

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. . . .

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.

Life-giver, Pain-bearer, Love-maker,
day by day you sustain the weary with your word
and gently encourage us to place our trust in you.
Awaken us to the suffering of those around us;
save us from hiding in denials or taunts that deepen the hurt;
give us grace to share one another’s burdens in humble service. 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.

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 102 is from Lutheran Service Book, Concordia Publishing House, and is from the Next to the Word of God YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkVRYL-MRebncw584Ql2xfg. Psalm 103 is from The Book of Common Prayer (1979) and are sung by Ryland Angel.

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 © 2024 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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