Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/3mjx3phc
I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
whoever follows me will not walk in darkness,
but will have the light of life. John 8
Praise to you, God of our salvation.
You come to our help and set us free.
May your strength be our shield
and your word, our lamp,
that we may serve you with pure hearts
and find deliverance in Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen. BCW
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: Isaac Watts
Tune: St Thomas https://tinyurl.com/55ar2spv
1 How beauteous are their feet,
who stand on Sion’s hill,
who bring salvation on their tongues
and words of peace reveal!
2 How happy are our ears
that hear this happy sound,
which kings and prophets waited for,
and sought, but never found!
3 How blessèd are our eyes
that see this heavenly light,
prophets and kings desired it long,
but died without the sight!
4 The Lord makes bare his arm
through all the earth abroad:
Let every nation now behold
their Saviour and their God.
PSALMS
Psalm 18
(Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/yx7qz95s)
1 I will love thee, O Lord, my strength;
the Lord is my stony rock, and my defence *
my Saviour, my God, and my might, in whom I will trust,
my buckler, the horn also of my salvation, and my refuge.
2 I will call upon the Lord, which is worthy to be praised *
so shall I be safe from mine enemies.
3 The sorrows of death compassed me *
and the overflowings of ungodliness made me afraid.
4 The pains of hell came about me *
the snares of death overtook me.
5 In my trouble I will call upon the Lord *
and complain unto my God.
6 So shall he hear my voice out of his holy temple *
and my complaint shall come before him,
it shall enter even into his ears.
7 The earth trembled and quaked *
the very foundations also of the hills shook,
and were removed, because he was wroth.
8 There went a smoke out in his presence *
and a consuming fire out of his mouth,
so that coals were kindled at it.
9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down *
and it was dark under his feet.
10 He rode upon the cherubims, and did fly *
he came flying upon the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his secret place *
his pavilion round about him with dark water,
and thick clouds to cover him.
12 At the brightness of his presence his clouds removed *
hail-stones, and coals of fire.
13 The Lord also thundered out of heaven,
and the Highest gave his thunder *
hail-stones, and coals of fire.
14 He sent out his arrows, and scattered them *
he cast forth lightnings, and destroyed them.
15 The springs of waters were seen,
and the foundations of the round world were discovered,
at thy chiding, O Lord *
at the blasting of the breath of thy displeasure.
16 He shall send down from on high to fetch me *
and shall take me out of many waters.
17 He shall deliver me from my strongest enemy,
and from them which hate me *
for they are too mighty for me.
18 They prevented me in the day of my trouble *
but the Lord was my upholder.
19 He brought me forth also into a place of liberty *
he brought me forth, even because he had a favour unto me.
20 The Lord shall reward me after my righteous dealing *
according to the cleanness of my hands shall he recompense me.
21 Because I have kept the ways of the Lord *
and have not forsaken my God, as the wicked doth.
22 For I have an eye unto all his laws *
and will not cast out his commandments from me.
23 I was also uncorrupt before him *
and eschewed mine own wickedness.
24 Therefore shall the Lord reward me after my righteous dealing *
and according unto the cleanness of my hands in his eye-sight.
25 With the holy thou shalt be holy *
and with a perfect man thou shalt be perfect.
26 With the clean thou shalt be clean *
and with the froward thou shalt learn frowardness.
27 For thou shalt save the people that are in adversity *
and shalt bring down the high looks of the proud.
28 Thou also shalt light my candle *
the Lord my God shall make my darkness to be light.
29 For in thee I shall discomfit an host of men *
and with the help of my God I shall leap over the wall.
30 The way of God is an undefiled way *
the word of the Lord also is tried in the fire;
he is the defender of all them that put their trust in him.
31 For who is God, but the Lord *
or who hath any strength, except our God?
32 It is God, that girdeth me with strength of war *
and maketh my way perfect.
33 He maketh my feet like harts’ feet *
and setteth me up on high.
34 He teacheth mine hands to fight *
and mine arms shall break even a bow of steel.
35 Thou hast given me the defence of thy salvation *
thy right hand also shall hold me up,
and thy loving correction shall make me great.
36 Thou shalt make room enough under me for to go *
that my footsteps shall not slide.
37 I will follow upon mine enemies, and overtake them *
neither will I turn again till I have destroyed them.
38 I will smite them, that they shall not be able to stand *
but fall under my feet.
39 Thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle *
thou shalt throw down mine enemies under me.
40 Thou hast made mine enemies also to turn their backs upon me *
and I shall destroy them that hate me.
41 They shall cry, but there shall be none to help them *
yea, even unto the Lord shall they cry, but he shall not hear them.
42 I will beat them as small as the dust before the wind *
I will cast them out as the clay in the streets.
43 Thou shalt deliver me from the strivings of the people *
and thou shalt make me the head of the heathen.
44 A people whom I have not known *
shall serve me.
45 As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me *
but the strange children shall dissemble with me.
46 The strange children shall fail *
and be afraid out of their prisons.
47 The Lord liveth, and blessed be my strong helper *
and praised be the God of my salvation.
48 Even the God that seeth that I be avenged *
and subdueth the people unto me.
49 It is he that delivereth me from my cruel enemies,
and setteth me up above mine adversaries *
thou shalt rid me from the wicked man.
50 For this cause will I give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the Gentiles *
and sing praises unto thy Name.
51 Great prosperity giveth he unto his King *
and sheweth loving-kindness unto David his Anointed,
and unto his seed for evermore.
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 18 (Gregorian Tone 7a)
2 I love you, Lord, my strength;
3 O Lord, my rock, my fortress, my savior;
my God my rock where I take refuge;
my shield, my saving strength, my stronghold. †
4 I cry out, “O praised be the LORD!” *
and see, I am saved from my foes.
5 The waves of death rose about me; *
the torrents of destruction assailed me;
6 the snares of Sheol surrounded me; *
the traps of death confronted me.
7 In my anguish I called to the LORD; *
I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice; *
my cry to him reached his ears.
8 The earth then reeled and rocked; †
the mountains were shaken to their base; *
they quaked at his terrible anger.
9 Smoke came forth from his nostrils, †
and scorching fire from his mouth; *
from him were kindled live coals.
10 He bent the heavens and came down *
a black cloud was under his feet.
11 On a cherub, he rode and he flew; *
he soared on the wings of the wind.
12 He made the darkness his covering, *
the dark waters of the clouds, his tent.
13 A brightness shone out before him, *
with hailstones and flashes of fire.
14 The LORD then thundered in the heavens; †
the Most High let his voice be heard, *
with hail and coals of fire.
15 He shot his arrows, scattered the foe, *
flashed his lightnings, and put them to flight.
16 The bed of the ocean was revealed; *
the foundations of the world were laid bare
at your rebuke, O LORD, *
at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
17 From on high he reached down and seized me; *
he drew me forth from the mighty waters.
18 He saved me from my powerful foe, *
from my enemies, whose strength I could not match.
19 They assailed me in the day of my misfortune, *
but the LORD was my strong support.
20 He brought me out to a place of freedom; *
he saved me because he loved me.
21 The LORD rewarded me because I was righteous,*
repaid me, for my hands were clean,
22 for I have kept the ways of the LORD, *
and have not fallen away from my God.
23 For his judgments are all before me; *
his commands I have not cast aside.
24 I have been blameless before him; *
I have kept myself from guilt.
25 The LORD repaid me because I was righteous, *
and my hands were clean in his eyes.
26 With the faithful you show yourself faithful; *
with the blameless you show yourself blameless.
27 With the sincere you show yourself sincere, *
but the cunning you outdo in shrewdness;
28 for you save a lowly people, *
but bring low the eyes that are proud.
29 It is you who give light to my lamp; *
the LORD my God lightens my darkness.
30 With you I can crush the foe, *
with my God I can scale a wall.
31 As for God, his way is blameless; *
the word of the LORD is pure.
He indeed is the shield *
of all who trust in him.
32 For who is God but the LORD? *
Who is a rock but our God?
33 It is God who girds me with strength, *
and keeps my path free of blame.
34 My feet he makes swift as the deerʼs; *
he has made me stand firm on the heights.
35 He has trained my hands for battle, *
and my arms to bend the bronze bow.
36 You gave me your saving shield; †
with your right hand, you gave me support; *
you bent down to make me great.
37 You lengthened my steps beneath me; *
and my feet have never slipped.
38 I pursued and overtook my foes, *
never turning back till they were slain.
39 I struck them so they could not rise; *
they fell beneath my feet.
40 You girded me with strength for battle; *
you made my enemies fall beneath me.
41 You made my foes take flight; *
those who hated me I destroyed.
42 They cried out, but there was no one to save them, *
cried to the LORD, but he did not answer.
43 I crushed them fine as dust before the wind, *
trod them down like dirt in the streets.
44 From the feuds of the people you delivered me, *
and put me at the head of the nations.
45 People unknown to me served me:
when they heard of me, they obeyed me.
46 Foreign nations came to me cringing:
foreign nations faded away.
Trembling, they came forth from their strongholds.
47 The Lord lives, and blest be my Rock!
May the God of my salvation be exalted,
48 the God who gives me redress
and subdues the peoples under me.
49 You saved me from my furious foes;
you set me above my assailants;
you saved me from the violent man.
50 So I will praise you, Lord, among the nations:
to your name will I sing a psalm.
51 The Lord gives great victories to his king
and shows merciful love for his anointed,
for David and his seed for ever.
PRAYER
O God,
our stronghold and our salvation,
in Christ you draw near to us with compassion.
Give us such strength of love
that we may reach out to our neighbor
without counting the cost;
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen. BCW2018
THE WORD OF GOD
READING: 1 Samuel 25:23-44
When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and fell facedown before him, bowing low to the ground. She fell at his feet and said, “Put the blame on me, my master! But please let me, your servant, speak to you directly. Please listen to what your servant has to say. Please, my master, pay no attention to this despicable man Nabal. He’s exactly what his name says he is! His name means fool, and he is foolish! But I myself, your servant, didn’t see the young men that you, my master, sent. I pledge, my master, as surely as the Lord lives and as you live, that the Lord has held you back from bloodshed and taking vengeance into your own hands! But now let your enemies and those who seek to harm my master be exactly like Nabal! Here is a gift, which your servant has brought to my master. Please let it be given to the young men who follow you, my master. Please forgive any offense by your servant. The Lord will definitely make an enduring dynasty for my master because my master fights the Lord’s battles, and nothing evil will be found in you throughout your lifetime. If someone chases after you and tries to kill you, my master, then your life will be bound up securely in the bundle of life by the Lord your God, but he will fling away your enemies’ lives as from the pouch of a sling. When the Lord has done for my master all the good things he has promised you, and has installed you as Israel’s leader, don’t let this be a blot or burden on my master’s conscience, that you shed blood needlessly or that my master took vengeance into his own hands. When the Lord has done good things for my master, please remember your servant.”
David said to Abigail, “Bless the Lord God of Israel, who sent you to meet me today! And bless you and your good judgment for preventing me from shedding blood and taking vengeance into my own hands today! Otherwise, as surely as the Lord God of Israel lives—the one who kept me from hurting you—if you hadn’t come quickly and met up with me, there wouldn’t be one single one who urinates on a wall left come morning.” Then David accepted everything she had brought for him. “Return home in peace,” he told her. “Be assured that I’ve heard your request and have agreed to it.”
When Abigail got back home to Nabal, he was throwing a party fit for a king in his house. Nabal was in a great mood and very drunk, so Abigail didn’t tell him anything until daybreak. In the morning, when Nabal was sober, his wife told him everything. Nabal’s heart failed inside him, and he became like a stone. About ten days later, the Lord struck Nabal, and he died.
When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Bless the Lord, who has rendered a verdict regarding Nabal’s insult to me and who kept me, his servant, from doing something evil! The Lord has brought Nabal’s evil down on his own head.” Then David sent word to Abigail, saying that he would take her as his wife.
When David’s servants reached Abigail at Carmel, they said to her, “David has sent us to you so you can become his wife.” She bowed low to the ground and said, “I am your servant, ready to serve and wash the feet of my master’s helpers.” Then Abigail got up quickly and rode on her donkey, with five of her young women going with her. She followed David’s messengers and became his wife.
David also married Ahinoam from Jezreel, so both of them were his wives. But Saul had given his daughter Michal, David’s wife, to Palti, Laish’s son, from Gallim.
HYMN: Michael Perry ©
Tune: Rockingham https://tinyurl.com/bd8tnp9r
1 Commit your way to God the Lord:
your cause will shine as bright as fire;
delight to do God’s holy word
and you shall find what you desire.
2 Be still before the Lord and wait,
and do not fret when wrong succeeds;
refrain from anger, turn from hate,
for God will punish evil deeds.
3 Salvation comes from God alone:
the faithful know their help is sure;
to heaven, all our needs are known,
and in God’s strength we are secure.
4 Commit your way to God the Lord;
to peace and truth and grace aspire;
then mercy shall be your reward;
God’s promises, your heart’s desire.
READING: 2 Corinthians 12:11-21
I’ve become a fool! You made me do it. Actually, I should have been commended by you. I’m not inferior to the super-apostles in any way, even though I’m a nonentity. The signs of an apostle were performed among you with continuous endurance through signs, wonders, and miracles. How were you treated worse than the other churches, except that I myself wasn’t a financial burden on you? Forgive me for this wrong!
Look, I’m ready to visit you a third time, and I won’t be a burden on you. I don’t want your things; I want you. It isn’t the children’s responsibility to save up for their parents but parents for children. I will very gladly spend and be spent for your sake. If I love you more, will you love me less?
We all know that I didn’t place a burden on you, but in spite of that you think I’m a con artist who fooled you with a trick. I haven’t taken advantage of you through any of the people I sent to you, have I? I strongly encouraged Titus to go to you and sent the brother with him. Titus didn’t take advantage of you, did he? Didn’t we live by the same Spirit? Didn’t we walk in the same footsteps?
Have you been thinking up to now that we are defending ourselves to you? Actually, we are speaking in the sight of God and in Christ. Dear friends, everything is meant to build you up. I’m afraid that maybe when I come you will be different from the way I want you to be, and that I’ll be different from the way you want me to be. I’m afraid that there might be fighting, obsession, losing your temper, competitive opposition, backstabbing, gossip, conceit, and disorderly conduct. I’m afraid that when I come again, my God may embarrass me in front of you. I might have to go into mourning over all the people who have sinned before and haven’t changed their hearts and lives from what they used to practice: moral corruption, sexual immorality, and doing whatever feels good.
HYMN: Horatius Bonar
Tune: Song 34 https://tinyurl.com/bdetyud5
1 Go, labor on; spend, and be spent,
thy joy to do the Father’s will;
it is the way the Master went;
should not the servant tread it still?
2 Go, labor on; ’tis not for naught;
thine earthly loss is heav’nly gain;
men heed thee, love thee, praise thee not;
the Master praises- what are men?
3 Go, labor on; enough while here
if He shall praise thee, if He deign
thy willing heart to mark and cheer;
no toil for Him shall be in vain.
4 Go, labor on while it is day:
the world’s dark night is hast’ning on.
Speed, speed thy work, cast sloth away;
It is not thus that souls are won.
5 Toil on, faint not, keep watch and pray;
be wise the erring soul to win;
go forth into the world’s highway,
compel the wand’rer to come in.
6 Toil on, and in thy toil rejoice;
for toil comes rest, for exile home;
soon shalt thou hear the Bridegroom’s voice,
the midnight peal, “Behold, I come.”
READING: Luke 10:13-16
Jesus said, “How terrible it will be for you, Chorazin. How terrible it will be for you, Bethsaida. If the miracles done among you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have changed their hearts and lives long ago. They would have sat around in funeral clothes and ashes. But Tyre and Sidon will be better off at the judgment than you. And you, Capernaum, will you be honored by being raised up to heaven? No, you will be cast down to the place of the dead. Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. Whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”
CANTICLE Colossians 1:12-20
(Chant by John Michael Talbot https://tinyurl.com/ya95yzto)
Ant. He is the first born of all creation,
in every way the primacy is his.
Let us give thanks to the Father
for having made you worthy
to share the lot of the saints in light.
He rescued us from the power of darkness
and brought us into the kingdom of his beloved Son.
Through him we have redemption,
the forgiveness of our sins.
He is the image of the invisible God,
the first-born of all creatures.
In him everything in heaven and on earth was created,
things visible and invisible.
All were created through him; all were created for him.
He is before all else that is.
In him everything continues in being.
It is he who is head of the body, the church!
He who is the beginning, the first-born of the dead,
so that primacy may be his in everything.
It pleased God to make absolute fullness reside in him
and, by means of him, to reconcile everything in his person,
both on earth and in the heavens,
making peace through the blood of his cross.
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 BCW
God of all mercies,
we praise you that you have brought us to this new day,
brightening our lives with the dawn
of promise and hope in Jesus Christ.
Especially we thank you for
the warmth of sunlight,
the wetness of rain and snow,
and all that nourishes the earth…
the presence and power of your Spirit . . .
the support and encouragement we receive from others . . .
those who provide for public safety and well-being . . .
the mission of the church around the world. . . .
Merciful God,
strengthen us in prayer
that we may lift up the brokenness of this world for your healing,
and share in the saving love of Jesus Christ.
Especially we pray for
those in positions of authority over others . . .
the lonely and forgotten . . .
children without families or homes . . .
agents of caring and relief . . .
the church in Asia and the Middle East….
Setting by Eric Wyse:2
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,
apart from you nothing is true, nothing is holy.
Deliver us from evil
and strengthen us when we are weak,
so that all who believe in Christ
may rejoice in his glory now and forever. Amen. BCW
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
BCW Book of Common Worship, Presbyterian Church U.S.A., 1993.
BCW2018 Book of Common Worship, Presbyterian Church U.S.A., 2018
2 Eric Wyse, Lord’s Prayer, ©; audio from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_a40ME7aVk
The three main scripture readings are © 2011 Common English Bible.
The traditional psalm texts are from The Book of Common Prayer (1662). The contemporary psalm text is from The Abbey Psalter as recorded for the Chants and Rants YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@chantsandrants
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 