Antiphon1
Ant. Lord, I will be mindful of your justice alone; *
you have taught me, O God, from my youth; and so,
unto old age and gray hairs, O God, forsake me not.
V. In you, O Lord, I take refuge; *
let me never be put to shame.
In your justice, rescue me, free me; *
incline your ear to me and save me. Psalm 71
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: Johann Burchard Freystein; trans. Catherine Winkworth
Tune: Straf mich nicht https://tinyurl.com/yf8nyzjd
1 Rise, my soul, to watch and pray,
From thy sleep awaken;
Be not by the evil day
Unawares o’ertaken.
For the foe,
Well we know,
Oft his harvest reapeth
While the Christian sleepeth.
2 Watch against the devil’s snares
Lest asleep he find thee;
For indeed no pains he spares
To deceive and blind thee.
Satan’s prey
Oft are they
Who secure are sleeping
And no watch are keeping.
3 Watch! Let not the wicked world
With its pow’r defeat thee.
Watch lest with her pomp unfurled
She betray and cheat thee.
Watch and see
Lest there be
Faithless friends to charm thee,
Who but seek to harm thee.
4 Watch against thyself, my soul,
Lest with grace thou trifle;
Let not self thy thoughts control
Nor God’s mercy stifle.
Pride and sin
Lurk within
All thy hopes to scatter;
Heed not when they flatter.
5 But while watching, also pray
To the Lord unceasing.
He will free thee, be thy stay,
Strength and faith increasing.
O Lord, bless
In distress
And let nothing swerve me
From the will to serve thee.
PSALMS
Psalm 1 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/yaev8zrk)
1 Blessed is the man that hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly,
nor stood in the way of sinners *
and hath not sat in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord *
and in his law will he exercise himself day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the water-side *
that will bring forth his fruit in due season.
4 His leaf also shall not wither *
and look, whatsoever he doeth, it shall prosper.
5 As for the ungodly, it is not so with them *
but they are like the chaff, which the wind
scattereth away from the face of the earth.
6 Therefore the ungodly shall not be able to stand in the judgement *
neither the sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
7 But the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous *
and the way of the ungodly shall perish.
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 2 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/ya85zg8v)
1 Why do the heathen so furiously rage together *
and why do the people imagine a vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth stand up, and the rulers take counsel together *
against the Lord, and against his Anointed.
3 Let us break their bonds asunder *
and cast away their cords from us.
4 He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh them to scorn *
the Lord shall have them in derision.
5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath *
and vex them in his sore displeasure.
6 Yet have I set my King *
upon my holy hill of Sion.
7 I will preach the law, whereof the Lord hath said unto me *
Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.
8 Desire of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance *
and the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession.
9 Thou shalt bruise them with a rod of iron *
and break them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.
10 Be wise now therefore, O ye kings *
be learned, ye that are judges of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord in fear *
and rejoice unto him with reverence.
12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and so ye perish from the right way *
if his wrath be kindled, (yea, but a little,)
blessed are all they that put their trust in him.
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 3 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/yabg6jbn)
1 Lord, how are they increased that trouble me *
many are they that rise against me.
2 Many one there be that say of my soul *
There is no help for him in his God.
3 But thou, O Lord, art my defender *
thou art my worship, and the lifter up of my head.
4 I did call upon the Lord with my voice *
and he heard me out of his holy hill.
5 I laid me down and slept, and rose up again *
for the Lord sustained me.
6 I will not be afraid for ten thousands of the people *
that have set themselves against me round about.
7 Up, Lord, and help me, O my God *
for thou smitest all mine enemies upon the cheek-bone;
thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.
8 Salvation belongeth unto the Lord *
and thy blessing is upon thy people.
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 4 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y7jpb9m3)
1 Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness *
thou hast set me at liberty when I was in trouble;
have mercy upon me, and hearken unto my prayer.
2 O ye sons of men, how long will ye blaspheme mine honour *
and have such pleasure in vanity, and seek after leasing?
3 Know this also, that the Lord hath chosen to himself
the man that is godly *
when I call upon the Lord, he will hear me.
4 Stand in awe, and sin not *
commune with your own heart, and in your chamber, and be still.
5 Offer the sacrifice of righteousness *
and put your trust in the Lord.
6 There be many that say *
Who will shew us any good?
7 Lord, lift thou up *
the light of thy countenance upon us.
8 Thou hast put gladness in my heart *
since the time that their corn, and wine, and oil, increased.
9 I will lay me down in peace, and take my rest *
for it is thou, Lord, only, that makest me dwell in safety.
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 5 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/yd4gge8p)
1 Ponder my words, O Lord *
consider my meditation.
2 O hearken thou unto the voice of my calling, my King, and my God *
for unto thee will I make my prayer.
3 My voice shalt thou hear betimes, O Lord *
early in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.
4 For thou art the God that hast no pleasure in wickedness *
neither shall any evil dwell with thee.
5 Such as be foolish shall not stand in thy sight *
for thou hatest all them that work vanity.
6 Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing *
the Lord will abhor both the blood-thirsty and deceitful man.
7 But as for me, I will come into thine house,
even upon the multitude of thy mercy *
and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.
8 Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness, because of mine enemies *
make thy way plain before my face.
9 For there is no faithfulness in his mouth *
their inward parts are very wickedness.
10 Their throat is an open sepulchre *
they flatter with their tongue.
11 Destroy thou them, O God;
let them perish through their own imaginations *
cast them out in the multitude of their ungodliness;
for they have rebelled against thee.
12 And let all them that put their trust in thee rejoice *
they shall ever be giving of thanks, because thou defendest them;
they that love thy Name shall be joyful in thee;
13 For thou, Lord, wilt give thy blessing unto the righteous *
and with thy favourable kindness wilt thou defend him as with a shield.
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 1 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-1.mp3)
1 Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked, *
nor lingered in the way of sinners,
nor sat in the seats of the scornful!
2 Their delight is in the law of the LORD, *
and they meditate on his law day and night.
3 They are like trees planted by streams of water,
bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither; *
everything they do shall prosper.
4 It is not so with the wicked; *
they are like chaff which the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked shall not stand upright when
judgment comes, *
nor the sinner in the council of the righteous.
6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, *
but the way of the wicked is doomed.
Psalm 2 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-2.mp3)
1 Why are the nations in an uproar? *
Why do the peoples mutter empty threats?
2 Why do the kings of the earth rise up in revolt,
and the princes plot together, *
against the LORD and against his Anointed?
3 “Let us break their yoke,” they say; *
“let us cast off their bonds from us.”
4 He whose throne is in heaven is laughing; *
the Lord has them in derision.
5 Then he speaks to them in his wrath, *
and his rage fills them with terror.
6 “I myself have set my king *
upon my holy hill of Zion.”
7 Let me announce the decree of the LORD: *
he said to me, “You are my Son;
this day have I begotten you.
8 Ask of me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance *
and the ends of the earth for your possession.
9 You shall crush them with an iron rod *
and shatter them like a piece of pottery.”
10 And now, you kings, be wise; *
be warned, you rulers of the earth.
11 Submit to the LORD with fear, *
and with trembling bow before him;
12 Lest he be angry and you perish; *
for his wrath is quickly kindled.
13 Happy are they all *
who take refuge in him!
Psalm 3 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-3.mp3)
1 LORD, how many adversaries I have! *
how many there are who rise up against me!
2 How many there are who say of me, *
“There is no help for him in his God.”
3 But you, O LORD, are a shield about me; *
you are my glory, the one who lifts up my head.
4 I call aloud upon the LORD, *
and he answers me from his holy hill;
5 I lie down and go to sleep; *
I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.
6 I do not fear the multitudes of people *
who set themselves against me all around.
7 Rise up, O LORD; set me free, O my God; *
surely, you will strike all my enemies across the face,
you will break the teeth of the wicked.
8 Deliverance belongs to the LORD. *
Your blessing be upon your people!
Psalm 4 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-4.mp3)
1 Answer me when I call, O God, defender of my cause; *
you set me free when I am hard-pressed;
have mercy on me and hear my prayer.
2 “You mortals, how long will you dishonor my glory; *
how long will you worship dumb idols
and run after false gods?”
3 Know that the LORD does wonders for the faithful; *
when I call upon the LORD, he will hear me.
4 Tremble, then, and do not sin; *
speak to your heart in silence upon your bed.
5 Offer the appointed sacrifices *
and put your trust in the LORD.
6 Many are saying,
“Oh, that we might see better times!” *
Lift up the light of your countenance upon us, O LORD.
7 You have put gladness in my heart, *
more than when grain and wine and oil increase.
8 I lie down in peace; at once I fall asleep; *
for only you, LORD, make me dwell in safety.
Psalm 5 (LSB Tone A: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-5-LSB.mp3)
1 Give ear to my words, O LORD;*
consider my groaning.
2 Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God,*
for to you do I pray.
3 O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice;*
in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.
4 For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;*
evil may not dwell with you.
5 The boastful shall not stand before your eyes;*
you hate all evildoers.
6 You destroy those who speak lies;*
the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
7 But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,
will enter your house.*
I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you.
8 Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies;*
make your way straight before me.
9 For there is no truth in their mouth;
their inmost self is destruction;*
their throat is an open grave;
they flatter with their tongue.
10 Make them bear their guilt, O God;
let them fall by their own counsels;*
because of the abundance of their transgressions
cast them out, for they have rebelled against you.
11 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
let them ever sing for joy,*
and spread your protection over them,
that those who love your name may exult in you.
12 For you bless the righteous, O LORD;*
you cover him with favor as with a shield.
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
You alone, O God, are holy and righteous,
and we praise you for protecting us in times of trial.
Keep us safe from all evil
and lead us in paths of justice
that we may know the joy of trusting Jesus Christ
our shield and defender. Amen. BCW
THE WORD OF GOD
Now, Israel, in light of all that, listen to the regulations and the case laws that I am teaching you to follow, so that you may live, enter, and possess the land that the Lord, your ancestors’ God, is giving to you. Don’t add anything to the word that I am commanding you, and don’t take anything away from it. Instead, keep the commands of the Lord your God that I am commanding all of you.
You saw with your own eyes what the Lord did concerning the Baal of Peor. The Lord your God destroyed everyone who followed the Baal of Peor, but all of you who stayed true to the Lord your God are alive today. So pay attention! I am teaching all of you the regulations and the case laws exactly as the Lord my God commanded me. You must do these in the land you are entering to possess. Keep them faithfully because that will show your wisdom and insight to the nations who will hear about all these regulations. They will say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and insightful people!” After all, is there any great nation that has gods as close to it as the Lord our God is close to us whenever we call to him? Or does any great nation have regulations and case laws as righteous as all this Instruction that I am setting before you today?
But be on guard and watch yourselves closely so that you don’t forget the things your eyes saw and so they never leave your mind as long as you live. Teach them to your children and your grandchildren. Remember that day when you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, when the Lord said to me: “Gather the people to me. I will declare my words to them so that they will learn to fear me every day of their lives on the fertile land, and teach their children to do the same.” Then you all came close and stood at the foot of the mountain. The mountain was blazing with fire up to the sky, with darkness, cloud, and thick smoke! The Lord spoke to you out of the very fire itself. You heard the sound of words, but you didn’t see any form. There was only a voice. The Lord declared his covenant to you, which he commanded you to do—the Ten Commandments—and wrote them on two stone tablets. At that time, the Lord commanded me to teach you all the regulations and the case laws that you must keep in the land that you are entering to possess.
HYMN: Isaac Watts
Tune: Federal Street https://tinyurl.com/2e7kyzjb
1 My dear Redeemer, and my Lord!
I read my duty in thy word;
But in thy life the law appears,
Drawn out in living characters.
2 Such was thy truth, and such thy zeal,
Such def’rence to thy Father’s will,
Thy love and meekness so divine,
I would transcribe and make them mine.
3 Cold mountains and the midnight air
Witness’d the fervor of thy pray’r:
The desert thy temptations knew,
Thy conflict, and thy vict’ry, too!
4 Be thou my pattern; let me bear
More of thy gracious image here;
Then God the judge shall own my name
Amongst the fol’wers of the Lamb.
So what are we going to say? Gentiles who weren’t striving for righteousness achieved righteousness, the righteousness that comes from faith. But though Israel was striving for a Law of righteousness, they didn’t arrive. Why? It’s because they didn’t go for it by faith but they went for it as if it could be reached by doing something. They have tripped over a stumbling block. As it is written:
Look! I’m putting a stumbling block in Zion,
which is a rock that offends people.
And the one who has faith in him will not be put to shame.
Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire is for Israel’s salvation. That’s my prayer to God for them. I can vouch for them: they are enthusiastic about God. However, it isn’t informed by knowledge. They don’t submit to God’s righteousness because they don’t understand his righteousness, and they try to establish their own righteousness. Christ is the goal of the Law, which leads to righteousness for all who have faith in God.
HYMN: Charles Wesley
Tune: Hereford https://tinyurl.com/2s4ebbnp
1 O thou who camest from above
the fire celestial to impart,
kindle a flame of sacred love
on the mean altar of my heart!
2 There let it for thy glory burn
with inextinguishable blaze,
and trembling to its source return
in humble prayer and fervent praise.
3 Jesus, confirm my heart’s desire
to work, and speak, and think for thee;
still let me guard the holy fire,
and still stir up the gift in me.
4 Ready for all thy perfect will,
my acts of faith and love repeat;
till death thy endless mercies seal,
and make the sacrifice complete.
The Pharisees and some legal experts from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus. They saw some of his disciples eating food with unclean hands. (They were eating without first ritually purifying their hands through washing. The Pharisees and all the Jews don’t eat without first washing their hands carefully. This is a way of observing the rules handed down by the elders. Upon returning from the marketplace, they don’t eat without first immersing themselves. They observe many other rules that have been handed down, such as the washing of cups, jugs, pans, and sleeping mats.) So the Pharisees and legal experts asked Jesus, “Why are your disciples not living according to the rules handed down by the elders but instead eat food with ritually unclean hands?”
He replied, “Isaiah really knew what he was talking about when he prophesied about you hypocrites. He wrote,
This people honors me with their lips,
but their hearts are far away from me.
Their worship of me is empty
since they teach instructions that are human words.
You ignore God’s commandment while holding on to rules created by humans and handed down to you.” Jesus continued, “Clearly, you are experts at rejecting God’s commandment in order to establish these rules. Moses said, Honor your father and your mother, and The person who speaks against father or mother will certainly be put to death. But you say, ‘If you tell your father or mother, “Everything I’m expected to contribute to you is corban(that is, a gift I’m giving to God),” then you are no longer required to care for your father or mother.’ In this way you do away with God’s word in favor of the rules handed down to you, which you pass on to others. And you do a lot of other things just like that.”
Then Jesus called the crowd again and said, “Listen to me, all of you, and understand. Nothing outside of a person can enter and contaminate a person in God’s sight; rather, the things that come out of a person contaminate the person.”
After leaving the crowd, he entered a house where his disciples asked him about that riddle. He said to them, “Don’t you understand either? Don’t you know that nothing from the outside that enters a person has the power to contaminate? That’s because it doesn’t enter into the heart but into the stomach, and it goes out into the sewer.” By saying this, Jesus declared that no food could contaminate a person in God’s sight. “It’s what comes out of a person that contaminates someone in God’s sight,” he said. “It’s from the inside, from the human heart, that evil thoughts come: sexual sins, thefts, murders, adultery, greed, evil actions, deceit, unrestrained immorality, envy, insults, arrogance, and foolishness. All these evil things come from the inside and contaminate a person in God’s sight.”
CANTICLE Ephesians 1:3-10
(John Michael Talbot https://tinyurl.com/ya8y3kqs)
Ant. God chose us in his Son to be his beloved children.
Praised be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, *
who bestowed on us in Christ every spiritual blessing in the heavens.
God chose us in him before the world began, *
to be holy and blameless in his sight.
He predestined us to be his adopted children through Jesus Christ, *
such was his will and pleasure,
that all might praise the glorious favor
he has bestowed on us in his beloved.
In him and through his blood, we have been redeemed, *
and our sins forgiven, so immeasurably generous is God’s favor to us.
God has given us the wisdom to understand fully the mystery, *
the plan he was pleased to decree in Christ.
A plan to be carried out in Christ, in the fullness of time, *
to bring all things into one in him, in the heavens and on the earth
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.
THE PRAYERS Joe Milner
For the Church: that we may experience an ever deeper conversion of mind and heart as we allow God’s Word to instruct and free us
For a deepening of gratitude: that we may be grateful to God for every blessing and gift, and develop them fully for God’s glory
For the gift of spiritual freedom: that God will liberate us from the defenses of legalism and rationalism so that we may serve God wherever God calls us
For wisdom: that God will teach us how to live the virtues of the Christian life and manifest them in new ways in our contemporary society
For a greater knowledge of ourselves: that God will help us discern our motivations and make life-giving choices each day
For all who hand on the faith, particularly preachers, teachers, and parents: that they may share the faith clearly and convincingly, and lead others into an experience of God’s great love
For conversion from our hypocrisies: that we may recognize where we say one thing and live by another so that we may come to greater integrity and wholeness
For all who have experienced the evil of human hearts: that God will heal the pain of those who have experienced abuse, discrimination, or human trafficking and fill them with hope for the future
For all who have suffered from cover-ups or neglect by church leaders: that God will comfort and guide them, help their truth to be heard, and guide us in supporting them
For all who are suffering from natural disasters and for those assisting them: that God will calm the wildfires, help the people of Hait to recover, and sustain all who are helping them
For refugees and displaced persons, particularly those fleeing Afghanistan: that God will guide them to safety, protect them on their journeys, and help them find welcome in new communities
For greater respect for and stewardship of earth’s resources: that we may treasure the natural resources that God has given us and wisely use them for the good of the human family
For an end to the pandemic: that God will curtail the surge in the Covid virus, send healing to all who are ill, and give strength and courage to all medical personnel
For safety in schools: that God will watch over all schools, protect students from the Covid virus, violence, and bullying, and help all to grow in knowledge and self-awareness
For peace: that the Spirit will renew the dedication of those working for peace and help all to work together to defeat the common enemies of disease, ignorance, and poverty
(Plainsong Mode 2: https://tinyurl.com/yctqq8cf)DL
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.
O Father of lights,
from whose word of truth
we have been born as firstfruits of your creatures:
make us quick to listen and slow to speak,
that the word implanted in us
may take root to nourish all our living,
and that we may be blessed in our doing
and fruitful in action. 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 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 1-4 are from The Book of Common Prayer (1979) and are sung by Ryland Angel. Psalm 5 is from Lutheran Service Book and is from the Next to the Word of God YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkVRYL-MRebncw584Ql2xfg.
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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