Justin Martyr
Justin was born of a pagan family at the beginning of the second century in Palestine. As a young man he explored many different philosophies before at the age of thirty embracing Christianity. He continued to wear the distinctive dress of a professional philosopher, and taught Christianity as a philosophy first at Ephesus, and later at Rome. He became an outstanding apologist for the Christian faith, and is honoured as the first Christian thinker to enter into serious dialogue with the other intellectual disciplines of his day, including Judaism. Justin always sought to reconcile the claims of faith and reason. It was at Rome in about 165 that he and some of his disciples were denounced as Christians, and beheaded. The authentic record of their martyrdom based on an official court report has survived. Traditionally, Justin is often surnamed ‘Martyr’ because of his two-fold witness to Christ, through his apologetic writings and his manner of death. EH
Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/nyarsbuj
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: Nicholaus von Zinzendorf
Tune: Bedford https://tinyurl.com/4r44kmbb
1 Glory to God, Whose witness-train,
Those heroes bold in faith,
Could smile on poverty and pain
And triumph e’en in death.
2 Scorned and reviled as was their Head,
When walking here below,
Thus in this evil world they led
A life of pain and woe.
3 God, Whom we serve, our God can save,
Can damp the scorching flame,
Can build an ark, or smooth a wave
For such as fear His Name.
4 If but His arm support us still,
Is but His joy our strength,
We shall ascend the rugged hill
And conquerors prove at length.
PSALMS
Psalm 6 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/yxx3vdzs)
1 O Lord, rebuke me not in thine indignation *
neither chasten me in thy displeasure.
2 Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak *
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are vexed.
3 My soul also is sore troubled *
but, Lord, how long wilt thou punish me?
4 Turn thee, O Lord, and deliver my soul *
O save me for thy mercy’s sake.
5 For in death no man remembereth thee *
and who will give thee thanks in the pit?
6 I am weary of my groaning; every night wash I my bed *
and water my couch with my tears.
7 My beauty is gone for very trouble *
and worn away because of all mine enemies.
8 Away from me, all ye that work vanity *
for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping.
9 The Lord hath heard my petition *
the Lord will receive my prayer.
10 All mine enemies shall be confounded, and sore vexed *
they shall be turned back, and put to shame suddenly.
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 7 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/u4vua9c)
1 O Lord my God, in thee have I put my trust *
save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me;
2 Lest he devour my soul, like a lion, and tear it in pieces *
while there is none to help.
3 O Lord my God, if I have done any such thing *
or if there be any wickedness in my hands;
4 If I have rewarded evil unto him that dealt friendly with me *
yea, I have delivered him that without any cause is mine enemy;
5 Then let mine enemy persecute my soul, and take me *
yea, let him tread my life down upon the earth,
and lay mine honour in the dust.
6 Stand up, O Lord, in thy wrath, and lift up thyself,
because of the indignation of mine enemies *
arise up for me in the judgement that thou hast commanded.
7 And so shall the congregation of the people come about thee *
for their sakes therefore lift up thyself again.
8 The Lord shall judge the people; give sentence with me, O Lord *
according to my righteousness,
and according to the innocency that is in me.
9 O let the wickedness of the ungodly come to an end *
but guide thou the just.
10 For the righteous God *
trieth the very hearts and reins.
11 My help cometh of God *
who preserveth them that are true of heart.
12 God is a righteous Judge, strong, and patient *
and God is provoked every day.
13 If a man will not turn, he will whet his sword *
he hath bent his bow, and made it ready.
14 He hath prepared for him the instruments of death *
he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors.
15 Behold, he travaileth with mischief *
he hath conceived sorrow, and brought forth ungodliness.
16 He hath graven and digged up a pit *
and is fallen himself into the destruction that he made for other.
17 For his travail shall come upon his own head *
and his wickedness shall fall on his own pate.
18 I will give thanks unto the Lord, according to his righteousness *
and I will praise the Name of the Lord most High.
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 8 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/vtzy6pg)
1 O Lord our Governor, how excellent is thy Name in all the world *
thou that has set thy glory above the heavens!
2 Out of the mouth of very babes and sucklings
hast thou ordained strength, because of thine enemies *
that thou mightest still the enemy, and the avenger.
3 For I will consider thy heavens, even the works of thy fingers *
the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained.
4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him *
and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
5 Thou madest him lower than the angels *
to crown him with glory and worship.
6 Thou makest him to have dominion of the works of thy hands *
and thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet;
7 All sheep and oxen *
yea, and the beasts of the field;
8 The fowls of the air, and the fishes of the sea *
and whatsoever walketh through the paths of the seas.
9 O Lord our Governor *
how excellent is thy Name in all the world!
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 6 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-6.mp3)
2 Lord, do not reprove me in your anger;
punish me not in your rage.
3 Have mercy on me, Lord, I have no strength;
Lord, heal me, my body is racked;
4 my soul is racked with pain.
But you, O Lord… how long?
5 Return, Lord, rescue my soul.
Save me in your merciful love;
6 for in death no one remembers you;
from the grave, who can give you praise?
7 I am exhausted with my groaning;
every night I drench my pillow with tears;
I bedew my bed with weeping.
8 My eye wastes away with grief;
I have grown old surrounded by my foes.
9 Leave me, all you who do evil;
for the Lord has heard my weeping.
10 The Lord has heard my plea;
The Lord will accept my prayer.
11 All my foes will retire in confusion,
foiled and suddenly confounded.
Glory be 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.
Psalm 7 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-7.mp3)
1 O LORD my God, I take refuge in you; *
save and deliver me from all who pursue me;
2 Lest like a lion they tear me in pieces *
and snatch me away with none to deliver me.
3 O LORD my God, if I have done these things: *
if there is any wickedness in my hands,
4 If I have repaid my friend with evil, *
or plundered him who without cause is my enemy;
5 Then let my enemy pursue and overtake me, *
trample my life into the ground,
and lay my honor in the dust.
6 Stand up, O LORD, in your wrath; *
rise up against the fury of my enemies.
7 Awake, O my God, decree justice; *
let the assembly of the peoples gather round you.
8 Be seated on your lofty throne, O Most High; *
O LORD, judge the nations.
9 Give judgment for me according to my
righteousness, O LORD, *
and according to my innocence, O Most High.
10 Let the malice of the wicked come to an end,
but establish the righteous; *
for you test the mind and heart, O righteous God.
11 God is my shield and defense; *
he is the savior of the true in heart.
12 God is a righteous judge; *
God sits in judgment every day.
13 If they will not repent, God will whet his sword; *
he will bend his bow and make it ready.
14 He has prepared his weapons of death; *
he makes his arrows shafts of fire.
15 Look at those who are in labor with wickedness, *
who conceive evil, and give birth to a lie.
16 They dig a pit and make it deep *
and fall into the hole that they have made.
17 Their malice turns back upon their own head; *
their violence falls on their own scalp.
18 I will bear witness that the LORD is righteous; *
I will praise the Name of the LORD Most High.
Psalm 8 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-8.mp3)
1 O LORD our Governor, *
how exalted is your Name in all the world!
2 Out of the mouths of infants and children *
your majesty is praised above the heavens.
3 You have set up a stronghold against your adversaries, *
to quell the enemy and the avenger.
4 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, *
the moon and the stars you have set in their courses,
5 What is man that you should be mindful of him? *
the son of man that you should seek him out?
6 You have made him but little lower than the angels; *
you adorn him with glory and honor;
7 You give him mastery over the works of your hands; *
you put all things under his feet:
8 All sheep and oxen, *
even the wild beasts of the field,
9 The birds of the air, the fish of the sea, *
and whatsoever walks in the paths of the sea.
10 O LORD our Governor, *
how exalted is your Name in all the world!
PRAYER
God of glory,
despite the majesty of your creation
you sought us out,
and through Christ
you crowned us with dignity and honor,
giving us dominion over your works.
Enable us so to care for the earth
that all creation may radiate the splendor
of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. BCW
THE WORD OF GOD
Some time later, both the wine steward and the baker for Egypt’s king offended their master, the king of Egypt. Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief wine steward and the chief baker, and he put them under arrest with the commander of the royal guard in the same jail where Joseph was imprisoned. The commander of the royal guard assigned Joseph to assist them. After they had been under arrest for some time, both of them—the wine steward and the baker for Egypt’s king who were imprisoned in the jail—had dreams one night, and each man’s dream had its own meaning. When Joseph met them in the morning, he saw that they were upset. He asked the officers of Pharaoh who were under arrest with him in his master’s house, “Why do you look so distressed today?” They answered, “We’ve both had dreams, but there’s no one to interpret them.” Joseph said to them, “Don’t interpretations belong to God? Describe your dreams to me.”
The chief wine steward described his dream to Joseph: “In my dream there was a vine right in front of me, and on the vine were three branches. When it budded, its blossoms appeared, and its clusters ripened into grapes. Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, so I took the grapes, crushed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and put the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.”
Joseph said to him, “This is the dream’s interpretation: The three branches are three days. After three days, Pharaoh will give you an audience and return you to your position. You will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just the way things were before when you were his wine steward. But please, remember me when you are doing well and be loyal to me. Put in a good word for me to Pharaoh, so he sets me free from this prison. I was stolen from the land of the Hebrews, and here too I’ve done nothing to be thrown into this dungeon.”
When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said to Joseph, “It was the same for me. In my dream, there were three baskets of white bread on my head. In the basket on top there were baked goods for Pharaoh’s food, but birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.”
Joseph responded, “This is the dream’s interpretation: The three baskets are three days. After three days, Pharaoh will give you an audience and will hang you from a tree where birds will peck your flesh from you.”
The third day was Pharaoh’s birthday, and he gave a party for all of his servants. Before all of his servants, he gave an audience to the chief wine steward and the chief baker. He returned the chief wine steward to his position, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand. But the chief baker he hanged, just as Joseph had said would happen when he interpreted their dreams for them. But the chief wine steward didn’t remember Joseph; he forgot all about him.
The Spirit clearly says that in latter times some people will turn away from the faith. They will pay attention to spirits that deceive and to the teaching of demons. They will be controlled by the pretense of lying, and their own consciences will be seared. They will prohibit marriage and eating foods that God created—and he intended them to be accepted with thanksgiving by those who are faithful and have come to know the truth. Everything that has been created by God is good, and nothing that is received with thanksgiving should be rejected. These things are made holy by God’s word and prayer. If you point these things out to the believers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus who has been trained by the words of faith and the good teaching that you’ve carefully followed.
HYMN: William Cowper
Tune: Irish https://tinyurl.com/32d3b5p8
1 God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea
and rides upon the storm.
2 Deep in unfathomable mines
of never-failing skill;
He treasures up His bright designs,
and works His sov’reign will.
3 Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
the clouds ye so much dread
are big with mercy and shall break
in blessings on your head.
4 Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
but trust Him for His grace;
behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.
5 His purposes will ripen fast,
unfolding every hour;
the bud may have a bitter taste,
but sweet will be the flow’r.
6 Blind unbelief is sure to err,
and scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
and He will make it plain.
HYMN: Carl P Daw ©
Tune: St Flavian https://tinyurl.com/yx6hpssx
1 Beyond the beauty and the awe,
beyond the fear and dread,
we long, O God, to hear your word,
to taste your transformed bread.
2 Our lives feel torn between the world
whose needs are grimly real
and empty talk of peace and joy
with distant, vague appeal.
3 Oh, teach us how to hear your voice
despite the traffic’s din;
to keep the blasts of rancour out
and let your Spirit in.
4 In sound or silence, sight or smell,
may we some token find
that makes your living presence known
to body, soul, and mind.
5 Then help us live as Jesus taught,
as light and salt and yeast,
that others may be brought to share
your promise and your feast.
READING: Matthew 5:33-37
Jesus said, “Again you have heard that it was said to those who lived long ago: Don’t make a false solemn pledge, but you should follow through on what you have pledged to the Lord. But I say to you that you must not pledge at all. You must not pledge by heaven, because it’s God’s throne. You must not pledge by the earth, because it’s God’s footstool. You must not pledge by Jerusalem, because it’s the city of the great king. And you must not pledge by your head, because you can’t turn one hair white or black. Let your yes mean yes, and your no mean no. Anything more than this comes from the evil one.”
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.
PRAYERSPWC
Creator of the heavens, lead all peoples into a common life
of justice, faith and peace:
Giver of breath, hear our prayer.
Inspire all in authority to serve your people according to your holy will:
Giver of breath, hear our prayer.
Guide the growth and development of all children and young people:
Giver of breath, hear our prayer.
Deliver and keep the sick in your love:
Giver of breath, hear our prayer.
Support and keep steadfast all who for the sake of justice and truth
have been condemned to exile, prison, harsh treatment or hard labour:
Giver of breath, hear our prayer.
Direct our lives in the same spirit of service and sacrifice
as shown by the prophets, apostles, martyrs
and all who have borne witness to the gospel:
Giver of breath, hear our prayer.
(Karin Simmons: https://tinyurl.com/y7vwp7dd)
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.
Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
Almighty God,
you found your servant Justin
seeking the path of true wisdom
and made him a worthy witness
to the truth of your eternal Word.
Guide those who are wearied in their quest for peace
to the fount and spring of your mercy,
that their sorrows and doubts may be washed away
in the joy of knowing your Son Jesus Christ;
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen. FAS
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.
EH Exciting Holiness, Ed. Brother Tristram SSF © European Province of the Society of Saint Francis, 1997
FAS For All the Saints, Anglican Church of Canada.
WS2 The Worship Sourcebook, 2nd edition, © 2013, Faith Alive Christian Resources
The three main scripture readings are © 2011 Common English Bible.
The traditional version of the psalms are from The Book of Common Prayer (1662). The modern language versions of Psalm 7 and 8 are from The Book of Common Prayer (1979) and are sung by Ryland Angel. Psalm 6 is from The Grail Psalter and is from the Manual Hopper YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/manualhopper/featured
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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