Oremus for Sunday, January 19, 2025

The Marriage at Cana, Gerard David, 1500

Antiphon 1

Ant. Let all the earth worship you and praise you, O God;*
may it sing in praise of your name, O Most High.
V. Cry out with joy to God, all the earth; *
O sing to the glory of his name.
O render him glorious praise. *
Say to God, “How awesome your deeds! Psalm 66

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: Timothy Dudley-Smith ©
Tune: Stella https://tinyurl.com/yc5ubzv9

1 At Cana’s wedding, long ago,
they knew his presence by this sign,
a virtue none but Christ could show,
to turn their water into wine:
and still on us his blessing be
as in the days of Galilee.

2 What if the way be far to go
and life at times a weary load?
Yet may our hearts within us glow
as their on that Emmaus road:
the risen Christ become our guest,
with him to walk, in him to rest.

3 O Lord of all our life below,
O risen Lord of realms above,
eternal joy be ours to know,
united in the bond of love:
one in the faith, with one accord,
one with each other and the Lord.

 

PSALMS

Psalm 95 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/yx5ywz8t)
1  O come, let us sing unto the Lord *
 let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation.
2  Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving *
 and shew ourselves glad in him with psalms.
3  For the Lord is a great God *
 and a great King above all gods.
4  In his hand are all the corners of the earth *
 and the strength of the hills is his also.
5  The sea is his, and he made it *
 and his hands prepared the dry land.
6  O come, let us worship and fall down *
 and kneel before the Lord our Maker.
7  For he is the Lord our God *
 and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.
8  To-day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts *
 as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness;
9  When your fathers tempted me *
 proved me, and saw my works.
10  Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said *
 It is a people that do err in their hearts,
for they have not known my ways;
11  Unto whom I sware in my wrath *
 that they should not enter into my rest.
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 96 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/u9ylore)
1  O sing unto the Lord a new song *
 sing unto the Lord, all the whole earth.
2  Sing unto the Lord, and praise his Name *
 be telling of his salvation from day to day.
3  Declare his honour unto the heathen *
 and his wonders unto all people.
4  For the Lord is great, and cannot worthily be praised *
 he is more to be feared than all gods.
5  As for all the gods of the heathen, they are but idols *
 but it is the Lord that made the heavens.
6  Glory and worship are before him *
 power and honour are in his sanctuary.
7  Ascribe unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people *
 ascribe unto the Lord worship and power.
8  Ascribe unto the Lord the honour due unto his Name *
 bring presents, and come into his courts.
9  O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness *
 let the whole earth stand in awe of him.
10  Tell it out among the heathen that the Lord is King *
 and that it is he who hath made the round world
so fast that it cannot be moved;
and how that he shall judge the people righteously.
11  Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad *
 let the sea make a noise, and all that therein is.
12  Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it *
 then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice before the Lord.
13  For he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth *
 and with righteousness to judge the world,
and the people with his truth.
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 97 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/qm79zby)
1  The Lord is King, the earth may be glad thereof *
 yea, the multitude of the isles may be glad thereof.
2  Clouds and darkness are round about him *
 righteousness and judgement are the habitation of his seat.
3  There shall go a fire before him *
 and burn up his enemies on every side.
4  His lightnings gave shine unto the world *
 the earth saw it, and was afraid.
5  The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord *
 at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
6  The heavens have declared his righteousness *
 and all the people have seen his glory.
7  Confounded be all they that worship carved images,
and that delight in vain gods *
 worship him, all ye gods.
8  Sion heard of it, and rejoiced *
 and the daughters of Judah were glad, because of thy judgements, O Lord.
9  For thou, Lord, art higher than all that are in the earth *
 thou art exalted far above all gods.
10  O ye that love the Lord, see that ye hate the thing which is evil *
 the Lord preserveth the souls of his saints;
he shall deliver them from the hand of the ungodly.
11  There is sprung up a light for the righteous *
 and joyful gladness for such as are true-hearted.
12  Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous *
 and give thanks for a remembrance of his holiness.
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 95 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-95.mp3)
1 Come, let us sing to the LORD; *
let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving *
and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.
3 For the LORD is a great God, *
and a great King above all gods.
4 In his hand are the caverns of the earth, *
and the heights of the hills are his also.
5 The sea is his, for he made it, *
and his hands have molded the dry land.
6 Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, *
and kneel before the LORD our Maker.
7 For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. *
Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!
8 Harden not your hearts,
as your forebears did in the wilderness, *
at Meribah, and on that day at Massah,
when they tempted me.
9 They put me to the test, *
though they had seen my works.
10 Forty years long I detested that generation and said, *
“This people are wayward in their hearts;
they do not know my ways.”
11 So I swore in my wrath, *
“They shall not enter into my rest.”

Psalm 96 (LSB Tone K: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-96-LSB.mp3)
1 Oh sing to the LORD a new song;*
 sing to the LORD, all the earth!
2 Sing to the LORD, bless his name;*
 tell of his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations,*
 his marvelous works among all the peoples!
4 For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;*
 he is to be feared above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,*
 but the LORD made the heavens.
6 Splendor and majesty are before him;*
 strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
7 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples,*
 ascribe to the LORD glory and strength!
8 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;*
 bring an offering, and come into his courts!
9 Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness;*
 tremble before him, all the earth!
10 Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns!
Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved;*
 he will judge the peoples with equity.”
11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;*
 let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
12 let the field exult, and everything in it!
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
13 before the LORD, for he comes,*
 for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness,*
 and the peoples in his faithfulness.
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 97 (LSB Tone H: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-97-LSB.mp3)
1 The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice;*
 let the many coast lands be glad!
2 Clouds and thick darkness are all around him;*
 righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
3 Fire goes before him*
 and burns up his adversaries all around.
4 His lightnings light up the world;*
 the earth sees and trembles.
5 The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,*
 before the Lord of all the earth.
6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness,*
 and all the peoples see his glory.
7 All worshipers of images are put to shame,
who make their boast in worthless idols;*
 worship him, all you gods!
8 Zion hears and is glad,
and the daughters of Judah rejoice,*
 because of your judgments, O LORD.
9 For you, O LORD, are most high over all the earth;*
 you are exalted far above all gods.
10 O you who love the LORD, hate evil!*
 He preserves the lives of his saints;
 he delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
11 Light is sown for the righteous,*
 and joy for the upright in heart.
12 Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous,*
 and give thanks to his holy name!
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

O God,
you clothe the sky with light, and ocean depths with darkness.
You work your mighty wonders among us.
Claim us for your purposes,
that we may be among those who see your glory and give you praise,
for you live and reign, now and forever.  Amen. BCW

THE WORD OF GOD

The Lord’s word to Jeremiah concerning the droughts:

The rich send their servants for water,
    but the wells run dry.
They return with empty jars,
    ashamed, bewildered, and in despair.
Because the ground is cracked due to lack of rain,
    the farmers too are ashamed;
    they cover their heads.

Even though our sins testify against us,
    help us, Lord, for your name’s sake.
We have turned away from you
    and sinned against you time and again.
You are the hope of Israel,
    its savior in times of trouble.
Why are you like a stranger in the land,
    like a tourist spending only the night?
Why are you like one taken by surprise,
    like a warrior unable to act?
Yet you are in our midst, Lord;
    we are called by your name.
    Don’t give up on us.

HYMN: Joachim Lange; trans. John Wesley
Tune: Pater omnium https://tinyurl.com/4b42rchh

1 O God, what offering shall I give
To thee, the Lord of earth and skies?
My spirit, soul and flesh receive,
A holy, living sacrifice;
Small as it is, ‘tis all my store,
More shouldst thou have if I had more.

2 Now, O my God, thou hast my soul,
No longer mine, but thine I am;
Guard thou thine own, possess it whole,
Cheer it with hope, with love inflame;
Thou hast my spirit, there display
Thy glory to the perfect day.

3 Thou hast my flesh, thy hallowed shrine,
Devoted solely to thy will;
Here let thy light for ever shine,
This house still let thy presence fill;
O Source of life, live, dwell and move
In me, till all my life be love!

4 Send down thy likeness from above,
And let this my adorning be;
Clothe me with wisdom, patience, love,
With lowliness and purity,
Than gold and pearls more precious far,
And brighter than the morning star.

5 Lord, arm me with thy Spirit’s might,
Since I am called by thy great name;
In thee let all my thoughts unite,
Of all my works be thou the aim;
Thy love attend me all my days,
And my sole business be thy praise.

When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I didn’t come preaching God’s secrets to you like I was an expert in speech or wisdom. I had made up my mind not to think about anything while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and to preach him as crucified. I stood in front of you with weakness, fear, and a lot of shaking. My message and my preaching weren’t presented with convincing wise words but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power. I did this so that your faith might not depend on the wisdom of people but on the power of God.

What we say is wisdom to people who are mature. It isn’t a wisdom that comes from the present day or from today’s leaders who are being reduced to nothing. We talk about God’s wisdom, which has been hidden as a secret. God determined this wisdom in advance, before time began, for our glory. It is a wisdom that none of the present-day rulers have understood, because if they did understand it, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory! But this is precisely what is written: God has prepared things for those who love him that no eye has seen, or ear has heard, or that haven’t crossed the mind of any human being. God has revealed these things to us through the Spirit. The Spirit searches everything, including the depths of God.

HYMN: Charles Wesley
Tune: Evan https://tinyurl.com/mwx66yu8

1 Blest be the dear uniting love
That will not let us part;
Our bodies may far off remove,
We still are one in heart.

2 Joined in one spirit to our Head;
Where He appoints we go;
And still in Jesus’ footsteps tread,
And show His praise below.

3 O may we ever walk in Him,
And nothing know beside,
Nothing desire nothing esteem,
But Jesus crucified!

4 Closer and closer let us cleave
To His beloved embrace;
Expect His fulness to receive,
And grace to answer grace.

5 Partakers of the Savior’s grace,
The same in mind and heart.
Nor joy, nor grief, nor time, nor place,
Nor life, nor death can part.

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the celebration. When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They don’t have any wine.” Jesus replied, “Woman, what does that have to do with me? My time hasn’t come yet.” His mother told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Nearby were six stone water jars used for the Jewish cleansing ritual, each able to hold about twenty or thirty gallons.

Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water,” and they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Now draw some from them and take it to the headwaiter,” and they did. The headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine. He didn’t know where it came from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew.

The headwaiter called the groom and said, “Everyone serves the good wine first. They bring out the second-rate wine only when the guests are drinking freely. You kept the good wine until now.” This was the first miraculous sign that Jesus did in Cana of Galilee. He revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.

After this, Jesus and his mother, his brothers, and his disciples went down to Capernaum and stayed there for a few days.

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 inspired Mary’s words, we may become better disciples by doing all that God asks of us

For a greater recognition of the Spirit’s gifts: that we utilize the gifts that we have been given and encourage one another to build up the Body of Christ and to serve those who are in need

For a spirit of gratitude: that we may appreciate the abundance of God’s generosity toward us and rely upon God who never tires of providing for us

For deepening of our relationship with God: that we may grow in intimacy with God, the source of our life, through prayer, reflection, and service

For all couples: that they may be channels of God’s love to one another and signs of God’s presence in society

For all engaged and newly married couples: that they may invite Jesus to be part of their relationship and grow in their love and commitment to each other

For the unity of all Christians: that God will heal the wounds in the body of Christ and help us to give common witness to God through prayer and acts of loving compassion

For healing of the divisions within the human family: that racism, sexism, and prejudice may cease and that each person may be welcomed with dignity and respect

For all who work for social and racial justice in our society: that they may faithfully give witness to the Good News that all people are daughters and sons of God

For an end to violence in families, amongst neighbors, and in our city streets: that God will turn hearts from violence and help all people to work together to build the City of God

For all who are ill: that God will bring healing to all who are sick, protect the human family from the spread of the virus, and give strength to all healthcare workers

For all who are recovering from natural disasters: that God will protect them, help them rebuild their lives, and touch the hearts of many to assist them

For our country: that God will heal the divisions and animosity that exists, help leaders to work together to address the issues of those who are suffering, and help us to better listen to one another

For peace: that God will turn hearts from warfare and violence and help the human family address the needs for food, medicine, and education

(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,
through signs of grace you reveal your glory to all the world.
Open our eyes to the hidden and surprising wonders you perform,
that we may believe with our minds
and trust in our hearts
that you alone are Lord of all creation.
Though Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit, we pray. Amen. FWWC

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.

FWWC Feasting on the Word Worship Companion © Westminster John Knox Press

1 Adam Bartlett, Simple English Propers; audio from https://musicasacra.com/additional-publications/sep-practice-videos/ ©

The intercession is by Joe Milner http://liturgy.slu.edu

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 95 is from The Book of Common Prayer (1979) and is sung by Ryland Angel. Psalms 96 and 97 are from Lutheran Service Book, Concordia Publishing House, and are 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 © 2025 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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