Antiphon 1
Ant. Come, let us worship God * and bow down before the Lord;
let us shed tears before the Lord who made us,
for he is the Lord our God.
V. Come, let us ring out our joy to the Lord; *
hail the rock who saves us.
Let us come into his presence, giving thanks; *
let us hail him with a song of praise. Psalm 95
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: Herman G Stuempfle, Jr. ©
Tune: In Babilone http://tinyurl.com/3h9kswy5
1 Christ, we climb with you the mountain
where in solitude you pray.
There your garments white and glistening,
shine more brightly than the day.
Face aglow with God’s own glory,
you with ancient prophets talk,
taking counsel for the journey
toward the cross you now must walk.
2 Christ, stay with us on the mountain,
for our hearts beat fast with fear
while a mighty voice that, thundering,
brings God’s majesty too near:
“Know this man who stands before you
is the Christ, my Son, my own!
Listen, when you hear him call you,
‘Follow me, and me alone!’”
3 Jesus, send us to the valley
where the road through suffering leads.
There we meet your anguished people;
there your world from violence bleeds.
Give us courage, when we falter,
not to shrink from pain or loss.
Jesus, grant us, as we follow,
strength to bear with you the cross.
4 Christ, transfigured on the mountain,
Christ, who walked the earth to save!
Christ, the Son of God in glory,
Christ, who took the form of slave!
Help the church, your living body,
share with you love’s cost and pain;
till the world, restored, transfigured,
shines with God’s own light again!
PSALMS
Psalm 9 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/yczh7vnk)
1 I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, with my whole heart *
I will speak of all thy marvellous works.
2 I will be glad and rejoice in thee *
yea, my songs will I make of thy Name, O thou most Highest.
3 While mine enemies are driven back *
they shall fall and perish at thy presence.
4 For thou hast maintained my right and my cause *
thou art set in the throne that judgest right.
5 Thou hast rebuked the heathen, and destroyed the ungodly *
thou hast put out their name for ever and ever.
6 O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end *
even as the cities which thou hast destroyed;
their memorial is perished with them.
7 But the Lord shall endure for ever *
he hath also prepared his seat for judgement.
8 For he shall judge the world in righteousness *
and minister true judgement unto the people.
9 The Lord also will be a defence for the oppressed *
even a refuge in due time of trouble.
10 And they that know thy Name will put their trust in thee *
for thou, Lord, hast never failed them that seek thee.
11 O praise the Lord which dwelleth in Sion *
shew the people of his doings.
12 For, when he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them *
and forgetteth not the complaint of the poor.
13 Have mercy upon me, O Lord; consider the trouble
which I suffer of them that hate me *
thou that liftest me up from the gates of death.
14 That I may shew all thy praises
within the ports of the daughter of Sion *
I will rejoice in thy salvation.
15 The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made *
in the same net which they hid privily, is their foot taken.
16 The Lord is known to execute judgement *
the ungodly is trapped in the work of his own hands.
17 The wicked shall be turned into hell *
and all the people that forget God.
18 For the poor shall not alway be forgotten *
the patient abiding of the meek shall not perish for ever.
19 Up, Lord, and let not man have the upper hand *
let the heathen be judged in thy sight.
20 Put them in fear, O Lord *
that the heathen may know themselves to be but men.
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 10 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/yakosuxg)
1 Why standest thou so far off, O Lord *
and hidest thy face in the needful time of trouble?
2 The ungodly for his own lust doth persecute the poor *
let them be taken in the crafty wiliness that they have imagined.
3 For the ungodly hath made boast of his own heart’s desire *
and speaketh good of the covetous, whom God abhorreth.
4 The ungodly is so proud, that he careth not for God *
neither is God in all his thoughts.
5 His ways are alway grievous *
thy judgements are far above out of his sight,
and therefore defieth he all his enemies.
6 For he hath said in his heart, Tush, I shall never be cast down *
there shall no harm happen unto me.
7 His mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and fraud *
under his tongue is ungodliness and vanity.
8 He sitteth lurking in the thievish corners of the streets *
and privily in his lurking dens doth he murder the innocent;
his eyes are set against the poor.
9 For he lieth waiting secretly, even as a lion lurketh he in his den *
that he may ravish the poor.
10 He doth ravish the poor *
when he getteth him into his net.
11 He falleth down, and humbleth himself *
that the congregation of the poor may fall into the hands of his captains.
12 He hath said in his heart, Tush, God hath forgotten *
he hideth away his face, and he will never see it.
13 Arise, O Lord God, and lift up thine hand *
forget not the poor.
14 Wherefore should the wicked blaspheme God *
while he doth say in his heart, Tush, thou God carest not for it.
15 Surely thou hast seen it *
for thou beholdest ungodliness and wrong.
16 That thou mayest take the matter into thine hand *
the poor committeth himself unto thee;
for thou art the helper of the friendless.
17 Break thou the power of the ungodly and malicious *
take away his ungodliness, and thou shalt find none.
18 The Lord is King for ever and ever *
and the heathen are perished out of the land.
19 Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the poor *
thou preparest their heart, and thine ear hearkeneth thereto;
20 To help the fatherless and poor unto their right *
that the man of the earth be no more exalted against them.
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 11 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/yboxkznx)
1 In the Lord put I my trust *
how say ye then to my soul,
that she should flee as a bird unto the hill?
2 For lo, the ungodly bend their bow,
and make ready their arrows within the quiver *
that they may privily shoot at them which are true of heart.
3 For the foundations will be cast down *
and what hath the righteous done?
4 The Lord is in his holy temple *
the Lord’s seat is in heaven.
5 His eyes consider the poor *
and his eye-lids try the children of men.
6 The Lord alloweth the righteous *
but the ungodly, and him that delighteth in wickedness
doth his soul abhor.
7 Upon the ungodly he shall rain snares,
fire and brimstone, storm and tempest *
this shall be their portion to drink.
8 For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness *
his countenance will behold the thing that is just.
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.
Psalms 9&10 (sung as one)
(Mode I Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-9-10-MH.mp3)
2 I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;
I will recount all your wonders.
3 I will rejoice in you and be glad,
and sing psalms to your name, O Most High.
4 See how my enemies turn back,
how they stumble and perish before you.
5 You upheld the justice of my cause;
you sat enthroned, judging with justice.
6 You have checked the nations, destroyed the wicked;
you have wiped out their name for ever and ever.
7 The foe is destroyed, eternally ruined.
You uprooted their cities; their memory has perished.
8 But the Lord sits enthroned for ever.
He has set up his throne for judgment;
9 he will judge the world with justice,
he will judge the peoples with his truth.
10 For the oppressed let the Lord be a stronghold,
a stronghold in times of distress.
11 Those who know your name will trust you;
you will never forsake those who seek you.
12 Sing psalms to the Lord who dwells in Zion.
Proclaim his mighty works among the peoples,
13 for the Avenger of blood has remembered them,
has not forgotten the cry of the poor.
14 Have pity on me, Lord, see my sufferings,
you who save me from the gates of death;
15 that I may recount all your praise
at the gates of the city of Zion
and rejoice in your saving help.
16 The nations have fallen in the pit which they made,
their feet caught in the snare they laid.
17 The Lord has revealed himself, and given judgment.
The wicked are snared in the work of their own hands.
18 Let the wicked go down among the dead,
all the nations forgetful of God;
19 for the needy shall not always be forgotten
nor the hopes of the poor be in vain.
20 Arise, Lord, let men not prevail!
Let the nations be judged before you.
21 Lord, strike them with terror,
let the nations know they are but men.
Psalm 10 (continued)
1 Lord, why do you stand afar off
and hide yourself in times of distress?
2 The poor man is devoured by the pride of the wicked:
he is caught in the schemes that others have made.
3 For the wicked man boasts of his heart’s desires;
the covetous blasphemes and spurns the Lord.
4 In his pride the wicked says: “He will not punish.
There is no God.” Such are his thoughts.
5 His path is ever untroubled;
your judgment is far from his mind.
His enemies he regards with contempt.
6 He thinks: “Never shall I falter:
misfortune shall never be my lot.”
7 His mouth is full of cursing, guile, oppression;
mischief and deceit are under his tongue.
8 He lies in wait among the reeds;
the innocent he murders in secret.
His eyes are on the watch for the helpless man.
9 He lurks in hiding like a lion in his lair;
he lurks in hiding to seize the poor;
he seizes the poor man and drags him away.
10 He crouches, preparing to spring,
and the helpless fall beneath such strength.
11 He thinks in his heart: “God forgets,
he hides his face, he does not see.”
12 Arise then, Lord, lift up your hand!
O God, do not forget the poor!
13 Why should the wicked spurn the Lord
and think in his heart: “God will not punish”?
14 But you have seen the trouble and sorrow,
you note it, you take it in hand.
The helpless trusts himself to you;
for you are the helper of the orphan.
15 Break the power of the wicked and the sinner!
Punish their wickedness till nothing remains!
16 The Lord is king for ever and ever.
The heathen shall perish from the land he rules.
17 Lord, you hear the prayer of the poor;
you strengthen their hearts; you turn your ear
18 to protect the rights of the orphan and oppressed:
so that mortal man may strike terror no more.
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 11 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-11.mp3)
1 In the LORD have I taken refuge; *
how then can you say to me,
“Fly away like a bird to the hilltop;
2 For see how the wicked bend the bow
and fit their arrows to the string, *
to shoot from ambush at the true of heart.
3 When the foundations are being destroyed, *
what can the righteous do?”
4 The LORD is in his holy temple; *
the LORD’S throne is in heaven.
5 His eyes behold the inhabited world; *
his piercing eye weighs our worth.
6 The LORD weighs the righteous as well as the wicked, *
but those who delight in violence he abhors.
7 Upon the wicked he shall rain coals of fire and
burning sulphur; *
a scorching wind shall be their lot.
8 For the LORD is righteous;
he delights in righteous deeds; *
and the just shall see his face.
PRAYER
Sovereign God,
you cut down trees that bear no fruit,
and prune fruitful trees that they may bear more.
Make us grow like rich olive trees in your kingdom,
firmly rooted in the power and mercy
of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. BCW
THE WORD OF GOD
Moses came down from Mount Sinai. As he came down from the mountain with the two covenant tablets in his hand, Moses didn’t realize that the skin of his face shone brightly because he had been talking with God. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw the skin of Moses’ face shining brightly, they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called them closer. So Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and Moses spoke with them. After that, all the Israelites came near as well, and Moses commanded them everything that the Lord had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. When Moses finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. Whenever Moses went into the Lord’s presence to speak with him, Moses would take the veil off until he came out again. When Moses came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, the Israelites would see that the skin of Moses’ face was shining brightly. So Moses would put the veil on his face again until the next time he went in to speak with the Lord.
HYMN: John Wesley
Tune: Old 25th https://tinyurl.com/ytsnwcd2
1 Give to the winds thy fears,
Hope, and be undismay’d,
God hears thy sighs, and counts thy tears,
God shall lift up thy head;
Thro’ waves, and clouds, and storms,
He gently clears thy way;
Wait thou his time, so shall this night
Soon end in joyous day.
2 Still heavy is thy heart,
Still sink thy spirits down;
Cast off the weight, let fear depart,
And ev’ry care be gone.
What tho’ thou rulest not,
Yet heav’n, and earth, and hell,
Proclaim God sitteth on the throne,
And ruleth all things well.
3 Leave to his sov’reign sway
To chuse and to command,
So shalt thou wond’ring own his way,
How wise, how strong his hand!
Far, far above thy thought
His counsel shall appear,
When fully he the work that wrought,
That caus’d thy needless fear.
4 Thou seest our weakness, Lord,
Our hearts are known to thee;
O lift thou up the sinking hand,
Confirm the feeble knee:
Let us in life, in death,
Thy stedfast truth declare,
And publish, with our latest breath
Thy love and guardian care.
READING: 2 Peter 1:16-21
We didn’t repeat crafty myths when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Quite the contrary, we witnessed his majesty with our own eyes. He received honor and glory from God the Father when a voice came to him from the magnificent glory, saying, “This is my dearly loved Son, with whom I am well-pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain. In addition, we have a most reliable prophetic word, and you would do well to pay attention to it, just as you would to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Most important, you must know that no prophecy of scripture represents the prophet’s own understanding of things, because no prophecy ever came by human will. Instead, men and women led by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
HYMN: Charles Wesley
Tune: Ratisbon https://tinyurl.com/3az5m3rz
1 Christ, whose glory fills the skies,
Christ, the true and only Light,
Sun of righteousness, arise,
triumph o’er the shade of night;
Day-spring from on high, be near;
Day-star, in my heart appear.
2 Dark and cheerless is the morn
unaccompanied by Thee;
joyless is the day’s return,
till Thy mercy’s beams I see,
till they inward light impart,
glad my eyes, and warm my heart.
3 Visit then this soul of mine,
pierce the gloom of sin and grief;
fill me, radiancy divine,
scatter all my unbelief;
more and more Thyself display,
shining to the perfect day.
About eight days after Jesus said these things, he took Peter, John, and James, and went up on a mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed and his clothes flashed white like lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, were talking with him. They were clothed with heavenly splendor and spoke about Jesus’ departure, which he would achieve in Jerusalem. Peter and those with him were almost overcome by sleep, but they managed to stay awake and saw his glory as well as the two men with him.
As the two men were about to leave Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it’s good that we’re here. We should construct three shrines: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—but he didn’t know what he was saying. Peter was still speaking when a cloud overshadowed them. As they entered the cloud, they were overcome with awe.
Then a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, my chosen one. Listen to him!” Even as the voice spoke, Jesus was found alone. They were speechless and at the time told no one what they had seen.
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 Joe Milner
For the Church: that the wisdom of God may enlighten our words and actions so that our deepest identity as children of God may be manifest
For the grace of discernment: that the Spirit will help us recognize what motivates us and inspire us to choose those actions that lead to fuller life
For freedom from self-deception: that God will heal our narrowness of mind and blindness to the truth proclaimed in the Gospel
For the grace to be single-hearted: that God will cleanse us of hypocrisy and help us to live fully what we profess
For a re-centering of our lives during the coming Lenten season: that God’s grace will guide us to love God more fully and to love our neighbors as we do ourselves so that we may live forever Christ’s new resurrected life
For refugees and displaced persons: that God will protect them from harm and mistreatment, guide them to places of safety, and help them find acceptance in new communities
For all who are burdened by lack of education: that God will open new doors for them to learn, help them recognize their gifts and find new ways to put them into practice for the good of others
For all catechumens who are preparing for the Rite of Election: that God will strengthen them, free their hearts to surrender more fully to God, and help them to grow in their discipleship
For all who are ill: that the Spirit will bring healing to all burdened with illness, restore them to their activities and responsibilities, and help them to be strengthened through the care and companionship of family and friends
For all struggling with addictions: that God will free them from all that holds them bound and help them find the resources that will help them restore their life
For a healing of the wounds of racism and discrimination: that God will heal those who have been wounded by racism and open new opportunities for them to share their gifts and enrich society
For greater stewardship of fresh water: that we may wisely use water and work to share this valuable resource with all who have limited access to it
For the safety of schools: that God will watch over and protect all young people in school, protect them from violence, and help them grow in knowledge and maturity
For Peace: that God will guide world leaders in diffusing international tensions and help them to work together to end famine, disease, and lack of educational opportunities
For all who have died: that they may share in Christ’s defeat of death and be clothed in the new life of the resurrection
(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 it is in heaven.
Give us today the bread of life;
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.
God of mercy,
who inspired John Wesley with zeal for your gospel:
grant to all people boldness to proclaim your word
and a heart ever to rejoice in singing your praises;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen. EH
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.
DL © Daniel Lawson; used with permission.
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
EH Exciting Holiness, Ed. Brother Tristram SSF © European Province of the Society of Saint Francis, 1997
The 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 9-10 is from The Grail Psalter and is from the Manual Hopper YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA7dFvm3xGcnay-IeuplWww. Psalm 11 is from The Book of Common Prayer (1979) and is 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 © 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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