Seattle
Chief Seattle commanded respect from tribesman and White settlers alike. His birthplace was the location now known as Blake Island, in Elliott Bay, near the site of the city of Seattle. Seattle was a respected chief, war leader, and orator. By the late 1700s the unfortunate combination of guns and epidemics had led to a series of tribal wars in the area of the Puget Sound. The subsequent addition of White settlers made the troubles of indigenous people greater. Over the years Chief Seattle led a number of successful raids, not as a warmonger, but out of self-defense. Chief Seattle became a Christian in 1838. That year a Roman Catholic priest baptized him and gave him the baptismal name Noah. The reason for this choice was Seattle’s enjoyment of the parallels between the flood stories of the Suquamish people and the Book of Genesis.
Chief Seattle gave up violence in 1847, when one of his sons died in a raid on another Indian village. Our saint then turned to diplomacy full-time. In the Treaty of Port Elliott (1855), tribes in the Puget Sound area exchanged 54,000 acres for hunting rights, fishing rights, education, health care, payments, and reservations. Violations of the treaty by some White settlers led to the Indian War (1855-1858). In 1856 Chief Seattle learned of a planned attack on the settlement of Seattle, named after him against his wishes. He helped the White settlers by sharing the information with them. He was done waging war. Chief Seattle, who frequently visited the settlement named after him and was at love and charity with his neighbors, died at the Port Madison Reservation on June 7, 1866. He was about 80 years old.1
Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/s8xhjts8
Within your will, O Lord, all things are established,
and there is none that can resist your will.
For you have made all things, the heaven and the earth,
and all that is held within the circle of heaven;
you are the Lord of all. Esther 4:17
Empowering God,
we pray that you will send your Holy Spirit
to move us to understanding;
to help us to believe the gospel;
to give us strength and wisdom to live by it. Amen. WS2
Music: https://tinyurl.com/mb6h9xfa
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall declare your praise.
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.
Alleluia, alleluia!
HYMN: Lloyd Stone and Georgia Harkness ©
Tune: Finlandia https://tinyurl.com/4kc97vmu
1 This is my song, Oh God of all the nations,
A song of peace for lands afar and mine.
This is my home, the country where my heart is;
Here are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine.
But other hearts in other lands are beating,
With hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.
2 My country’s skies are bluer than the ocean,
And sunlight beams on cloverleaf and pine.
But other lands have sunlight too, and clover,
And skies are everywhere as blue as mine.
Oh hear my song, oh God of all the nations,
A song of peace for their land and for mine.
3 This is my prayer, O Lord of all earth’s kingdoms:
Thy kingdom come; on earth thy will be done.
Let Christ be lifted up till all shall serve him,
And hearts united learn to live as one.
O hear my prayer, thou God of all the nations;
Myself I give thee; let thy will be done.
PSALMS
Psalm 37 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/tujglrg)
1 Fret not thyself because of the ungodly *
neither be thou envious against the evil doers.
2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass *
and be withered even as the green herb.
3 Put thou thy trust in the Lord, and be doing good *
dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
4 Delight thou in the Lord *
and he shall give thee thy heart’s desire.
5 Commit thy way unto the Lord, and put thy trust in him *
and he shall bring it to pass.
6 He shall make thy righteousness as clear as the light *
and thy just dealing as the noon-day.
7 Hold thee still in the Lord, and abide patiently upon him *
but grieve not thyself at him, whose way doth prosper,
against the man that doeth after evil counsels.
8 Leave off from wrath, and let go displeasure *
fret not thyself, else shalt thou be moved to do evil.
9 Wicked doers shall be rooted out *
and they that patiently abide the Lord, those shall inherit the land.
10 Yet a little while, and the ungodly shall be clean gone *
thou shalt look after his place, and he shall be away.
11 But the meek-spirited shall possess the earth *
and shall be refreshed in the multitude of peace.
12 The ungodly seeketh counsel against the just *
and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.
13 The Lord shall laugh him to scorn *
for he hath seen that his day is coming.
14 The ungodly have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow *
to cast down the poor and needy,
and to slay such as are of a right conversation.
15 Their sword shall go through their own heart *
and their bow shall be broken.
16 A small thing that the righteous hath *
is better than great riches of the ungodly.
17 For the arms of the ungodly shall be broken *
and the Lord upholdeth the righteous.
18 The Lord knoweth the days of the godly *
and their inheritance shall endure for ever.
19 They shall not be confounded in the perilous time *
and in the days of dearth they shall have enough.
20 As for the ungodly, they shall perish;
and the enemies of the Lord shall consume as the fat of lambs *
yea, even as the smoke, shall they consume away.
21 The ungodly borroweth, and payeth not again *
but the righteous is merciful, and liberal.
22 Such as are blessed of God shall possess the land *
and they that are cursed of him shall be rooted out.
23 The Lord ordereth a good man’s going *
and maketh his way acceptable to himself.
24 Though he fall, he shall not be cast away *
for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.
25 I have been young, and now am old *
and yet saw I never the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging their bread.
26 The righteous is ever merciful, and lendeth *
and his seed is blessed.
27 Flee from evil, and do the thing that is good *
and dwell for evermore.
28 For the Lord loveth the thing that is right *
he forsaketh not his that be godly, but they are preserved for ever.
29 The unrighteous shall be punished *
as for the seed of the ungodly, it shall be rooted out.
30 The righteous shall inherit the land *
and dwell therein for ever.
31 The mouth of the righteous is exercised in wisdom *
and his tongue will be talking of judgement.
32 The law of his God is in his heart *
and his goings shall not slide.
33 The ungodly seeth the righteous *
and seeketh occasion to slay him.
34 The Lord will not leave him in his hand *
nor condemn him when he is judged.
35 Hope thou in the Lord, and keep his way,
and he shall promote thee, that thou shalt possess the land *
when the ungodly shall perish, thou shalt see it.
36 I myself have seen the ungodly in great power *
and flourishing like a green bay tree.
37 I went by, and lo, he was gone *
I sought him, but his place could no where be found.
38 Keep innocency, and take heed unto the thing that is right *
for that shall bring a man peace at the last.
39 As for the transgressors, they shall perish together *
and the end of the ungodly is, they shall be rooted out at the last.
40 But the salvation of the righteous cometh of the Lord *
who is also their strength in the time of trouble.
41 And the Lord shall stand by them, and save them *
he shall deliver them from the ungodly,
and shall save them, because they 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 37 (The Psalms Project: https://tinyurl.com/3pdyn7su)
Don’t worry about evildoers
Don’t be envious of those who do wrong
For they will soon fade like the grass
And they will wither like a flower without rain
Trust in the LORD and do good
Dwell in the land and feast on the truth
Delight yourself in Yahweh
And He will give you the desires of your heart
Commit your way to the LORD
Trust in Him, and He will act
He will bring your vindication like the dawn
And your justice like the noonday
Be still before the LORD and wait with expectation
Chorus:
Delight yourself in the LORD
And He’ll give you the desires of your heart
The desires of your heart (x2)
Don’t worry about those who prosper
Nor the one who carries out evil schemes
Refrain from anger and flee from wrath
And do not worry, for it only leads to sin
The wicked will be cut off
But those who wait for the LORD
Will inherit and receive the land
But in just a little while
The wicked will be no more
Though you look closely at his place, he won’t be there [Chorus]
O, the meek will inherit the land
And delight themselves in abundant peace (x2)
The wicked plots against the just
And gnashes his teeth at him
But the LORD laughs at the wicked
For He sees that his day is near
The wicked draw the sword
And bend their bow to bring down the poor
To slay those whose way is right
But their sword shall enter into their own heart
And their bow shall be broken
Better is the little that the righteous have
Than the riches of many wicked
For the arms of the wicked shall be broken
But the LORD upholds the just
And day by day the LORD watches over His saints
And their inheritance is forever
They will not be ashamed when the dark trials come
In the famine they will be fed (x2)
But the wicked will pass away
The enemies of the LORD are like the glory of the meadows
They’re here, then one day they’re gone
They vanish into nothingness, like smoke, they disappear
And no trace of them are left [Chorus]
The wicked borrow, but do not pay back
But the righteous give and give and give
Those blessed by God will receive the land
But those cursed by Him will be cut off
The steps of man are made sure
By the LORD when He delights in his way
Though he fall, he will not be ruined
For the LORD is the one who holds him up
I have been young, and now and am old
I haven’t seen His saints disowned
Nor seen His children begging for a scrap of bread
Always he is gracious and giving
And his children are a blessing for generations
Turn yourself away from evil and do good
And you will dwell forever
For Yahweh loves justice, He will not forsake His saints
They’re preserved forever
But the seed of the wicked shall not prosper
The righteous will receive the land
And they will dwell upon it forever and ever
Their inheritance is forever
The mouth of the righteous pours out wisdom
His tongue declares justice
The law of his God is in his heart
His steps do not slip
They do not slip, They will not slip
They do not slip, They will not slip
The wicked watch for the righteous
And seek a way to take him down
But the LORD will not abandon him to his power
Nor let him be condemned when he is brought to trial
No, the Lord will deliver him
Wait for the LORD
Keep His way and He will exalt you
To inherit the land and you will look on
When the wicked are cut off
I have seen a wicked, ruthless man
Prospering like a laurel tree
But he passed away, and was no more
When I looked for him, he could not be seen
Mark the blameless and behold the just
There’s a future for the man of peace
But the wicked soon will be destroyed
His future suddenly will cease
The salvation of the saints
Is from the LORD, their stronghold
In the time of trouble, He rescues them
Because they trust in Him alone (x2)
PRAYER
God our strength,
give us the humility to trust in your loving care,
and the patience to be faithful in seeking your kingdom,
that we may come to share in the inheritance of your saints;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen. BCW
THE WORD OF GOD
Then the Lord became passionate about this land, and had pity on his people.
The Lord responded to the people:
See, I am sending you
the corn, new wine, and fresh oil,
and you will be fully satisfied by it;
and I will no longer make you
a disgrace among the nations.
Don’t fear, fertile land;
rejoice and be glad,
for the Lord is about to do great things!
Don’t be afraid, animals of the field,
for the meadows of the wilderness will turn green;
the tree will bear its fruit;
the fig tree and grapevine will give their full yield.
Children of Zion,
rejoice and be glad in the Lord your God,
because he will give you the early rain as a sign of righteousness;
he will pour down abundant rain for you,
the early and the late rain, as before.
The threshing floors will be full of grain;
the vats will overflow with new wine and fresh oil.
I will repay you for the years
that the cutting locust,
the swarming locust, the hopping locust, and the devouring locust have eaten—
my great army, which I sent against you.
You will eat abundantly and be satisfied,
and you will praise the name of the Lord your God,
who has done wonders for you;
and my people will never again be put to shame.
You will know that I am in the midst of Israel,
and that I am the Lord your God—no other exists;
never again will my people be put to shame.
After that I will pour out my spirit upon everyone;
your sons and your daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
and your young men will see visions.
HYMN: Edwin Hatch
Tune: Trentham https://tinyurl.com/5n8stmms
1 Breathe on me, Breath of God,
fill me with life anew,
that I may love what thou dost love,
and do what thou wouldst do.
2 Breathe on me, Breath of God,
until my heart is pure;
until with thee I will one will,
to do and to endure.
3 Breathe on me, Breath of God,
till I am wholly thine;
until this earthly part of me
glows with thy fire divine.
4 Breathe on me, Breath of God:
so shall I never die,
but live with thee the perfect life
of thine eternity.
Then they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, which is near Jerusalem—a sabbath day’s journey away. When they entered the city, they went to the upstairs room where they were staying. Peter, John, James, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James, Alphaeus’ son; Simon the zealot; and Judas, James’ son— all were united in their devotion to prayer, along with some women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
During this time, the family of believers was a company of about one hundred twenty persons. Peter stood among them and said, “Brothers and sisters, the scripture that the Holy Spirit announced beforehand through David had to be fulfilled. This was the scripture concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus. This happened even though he was one of us and received a share of this ministry.” (In fact, he bought a field with the payment he received for his injustice. Falling headfirst, he burst open in the middle and all his intestines spilled out. This became known to everyone living in Jerusalem, so they called that field in their own language Hakeldama, or “Field of Blood.”) “It is written in the Psalms scroll,
Let his home become deserted and let there be no one living in it;
and
Give his position of leadership to another.
“Therefore, we must select one of those who have accompanied us during the whole time the Lord Jesus lived among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when Jesus was taken from us. This person must become along with us a witness to his resurrection.” So they nominated two: Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias.
They prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s deepest thoughts and desires. Show us clearly which one you have chosen from among these two to take the place of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas turned away to go to his own place.” When they cast lots, the lot fell on Matthias. He was added to the eleven apostles.
HYMN: Carl P Daw ©
Tune: Bridegroom https://tinyurl.com/yc2wyb84
1 Like the murmur of the dove’s song,
like the challenge of her flight,
like the vigor of the wind’s rush,
like the new flame’s eager might:
come, Holy Spirit, come.
2 To the members of Christ’s body,
to the branches of the Vine,
to the church in faith assembled,
to her midst as gift and sign:
come, Holy Spirit, come.
3 With the healing of division,
with the ceaseless voice of prayer,
with the pow’r to love and witness,
with the peace beyond compare:
come, Holy Spirit, come.
Jesus said, “And I tell you: Ask and you will receive. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened to you. Everyone who asks, receives. Whoever seeks, finds. To everyone who knocks, the door is opened. Which father among you would give a snake to your child if the child asked for a fish? If a child asked for an egg, what father would give the child a scorpion? If you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”
CANTICLE Isaiah 12:2-6
(Uptown Worship Band: https://tinyurl.com/y8q877og)
Refrain:
Surely, it is God who saves;
I will and not be afraid.
For the Lord is my sure defense,
and he will be my Savior.
Therefore you shall draw water
and rejoice from the salvation spring.
On that day you shall say,
give thanks to the Lord and call upon his Name. Refrain
Make his deeds known among the people;
they remember his Name on high.
Sing praise to the Lord, for he has done great things,
and this is known in all the world. Refrain
Cry aloud, O Zion, ring out your joy,
for the great one in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
Glory to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
THE PRAYERS WS2
Holy Spirit, Creator,
at the beginning you hovered over the waters;
you breathe life into all creatures.
Come into us, Holy Spirit.
Holy Spirit, Comforter,
by you we are born again as children of God;
you make us living temples of your presence;
you pray within us with prayers too deep for words.
Come into us, Holy Spirit.
Holy Spirit, Lord and giver of life,
you are light, you bring us light;
you are goodness and the source of all goodness.
Come into us, Holy Spirit.
Holy Spirit, breath of life,
you sanctify and breathe life into the whole body of the church;
you dwell in each one of its members,
and you will one day give new life to our mortal bodies.
Come into us, Holy Spirit. Amen.
(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.
O God,
who made us part of the earth
and earth a part of us,
help us to learn from the example of Seattle
that you are not a commodity
to be owned or traded
and that we are only part of the web of life
that you have woven for us;
through Jesus Christ, who shows us the way. Amen. STB
https://tinyurl.com/rkxkpmc
Go in peace, alleluia, alleluia!
Thanks be to God, alleluia, alleluia!
Glory to God whose power, working in us,
can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine:
Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church,
and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20,21
Donation to Support This Ministry
Since 1993, Oremus has been done on a volunteer basis. If you are able, please consider supporting this work at the PayPal link below. For software reasons, I’ve set the value at $10.00, but feel free to change it. Thank you.
$10.00
BCW Book of Common Worship, Presbyterian Church U.S.A., 1993.
WS2 The Worship Sourcebook, 2nd edition, © 2013, Faith Alive Christian Resources
ELW The Lord’s Prayer is from Setting Five in Evangelical Lutheran Worship.
STB © 2021 Stephen T. Benner
1 Kenneth Taylor, abridged https://neatnik2009.wordpress.com/category/june-7/
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 psalm is in a version by Shane Heilman of The Psalms Project https://www.thepsalmsproject.com/
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.
Oremus 