Oremus for Sunday, October 5, 2025

Antiphon ¹

Ant. All things are submitted to your will, O Lord, *
and no one can resist your decisions; you have made
all things, heaven and earth, and all that is contained under
the vault of the sky; you are the master of the universe.
V. Blessed are those whose way is blameless, *
who walk in the law of the Lord!
Blessed are those who keep his decrees! *
With all their hearts they seek him. Esther 13; Psalm 119

Lord God,
our light and our salvation,
grant that your servants
who seek your face in times of trouble
may see your goodness in the land of the living,
and that we may be set safely on the rock of our faith,
Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen. ^BCW2018

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: Charles Wesley
Tune: Mainzer https://tinyurl.com/j988knyn

1 Author of faith, eternal Word,
whose Spirit breathes the active flame;
faith, like its finisher and Lord,
today as yesterday the same:

2 To thee our humble hearts aspire,
and ask the gift unspeakable;
increase in us the kindled fire,
in us the work of faith fulfil.

3 By faith we know thee strong to save –
save us, a present Saviour thou!
Whate’er we hope, by faith we have,
future and past subsisting now.

4 The things unknown to feeble sense,
unseen by reason’s glimmering ray,
with strong, commanding evidence,
their heav’nly origin display.

5 Faith lends its realizing light,
the clouds disperse, the shadows fly;
the Invisible appears in sight,
and God is seen by mortal eye.

PSALMS

Psalm 27 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/tlahhq6)
1  The Lord is my light, and my salvation; whom then shall I fear *
 the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom then shall I be afraid?
2  When the wicked, even mine enemies, and my foes,
came upon me to eat up my flesh *
 they stumbled and fell.
3  Though an host of men were laid against me,
yet shall not my heart be afraid *
 and though there rose up war against me, yet will I put my trust in him.
4  One thing have I desired of the Lord, which I will require *
 even that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
to behold the fair beauty of the Lord, and to visit his temple.
5  For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his tabernacle *
 yea, in the secret place of his dwelling shall he hide me,
and set me up upon a rock of stone.
6  And now shall he lift up mine head *
 above mine enemies round about me.
7  Therefore will I offer in his dwelling an oblation with great gladness *
 I will sing, and speak praises unto the Lord.
8  Hearken unto my voice, O Lord, when I cry unto thee *
 have mercy upon me, and hear me.
9  My heart hath talked of thee, Seek ye my face *
 Thy face, Lord, will I seek.
10  O hide not thou thy face from me *
 nor cast thy servant away in displeasure.
11  Thou hast been my succour *
 leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.
12  When my father and my mother forsake me *
 the Lord taketh me up.
13  Teach me thy way, O Lord *
 and lead me in the right way, because of mine enemies.
14  Deliver me not over into the will of mine adversaries *
 for there are false witnesses risen up against me,
and such as speak wrong.
15  I should utterly have fainted *
 but that I believe verily to see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
16  O tarry thou the Lord’s leisure *
 be strong, and he shall comfort thine heart; and put thou thy trust in the Lord.
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 28 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/uxqzzoa)
1  Unto thee will I cry, O Lord my strength *
 think no scorn of me; lest, if thou make as though thou hearest not,
I become like them that go down into the pit.
2  Hear the voice of my humble petitions, when I cry unto thee *
 when I hold up my hands towards the mercy-seat of thy holy temple.
3  O pluck me not away, neither destroy me
with the ungodly and wicked doers *
 which speak friendly to their neighbours,
but imagine mischief in their hearts.
4  Reward them according to their deeds *
 and according to the wickedness of their own inventions.
5  Recompense them after the work of their hands *
 pay them that they have deserved.
6  For they regard not in their mind the works of the Lord,
nor the operation of his hands *
 therefore shall he break them down, and not build them up.
7  Praised be the Lord *
 for he hath heard the voice of my humble petitions.
8  The Lord is my strength, and my shield;
my heart hath trusted in him, and I am helped *
 therefore my heart danceth for joy, and in my song will I praise him.
9  The Lord is my strength *
 and he is the wholesome defence of his Anointed.
10  O save thy people, and give thy blessing unto thine inheritance *
 feed them, and set them up for ever.
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 29 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/rxm2ar6)
1  Bring unto the Lord, O ye mighty,
bring young rams unto the Lord *
 ascribe unto the Lord worship and strength.
2  Give the Lord the honour due unto his Name *
 worship the Lord with holy worship.
3  It is the Lord, that commandeth the waters *
 it is the glorious God, that maketh the thunder.
4  It is the Lord, that ruleth the sea;
the voice of the Lord is mighty in operation *
 the voice of the Lord is a glorious voice.
5  The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedar-trees *
 yea, the Lord breaketh the cedars of Libanus.
6  He maketh them also to skip like a calf *
 Libanus also, and Sirion, like a young unicorn.
7  The voice of the Lord divideth the flames of fire;
the voice of the Lord shaketh the wilderness *
 yea, the Lord shaketh the wilderness of Cades.
8  The voice of the Lord maketh the hinds to bring forth young,
and discovereth the thick bushes *
 in his temple doth every man speak of his honour.
9  The Lord sitteth above the water-flood *
 and the Lord remaineth a King for ever.
10  The Lord shall give strength unto his people *
 the Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace.
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 27 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-27.mp3)
1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom then shall I fear? *
the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom then shall I be afraid?
2 When evildoers came upon me to eat up my flesh, *
it was they, my foes and my adversaries, who stumbled and fell.
3 Though an army should encamp against me, *
yet my heart shall not be afraid;
4 And though war should rise up against me, *
yet will I put my trust in him.
5 One thing have I asked of the LORD; one thing I seek; *
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days  of my life;
6 To behold the fair beauty of the LORD *
and to seek him in his temple. 
7 For in the day of trouble he shall keep me safe  in his shelter; *
he shall hide me in the secrecy of his dwelling
and set me high upon a rock.
8 Even now he lifts up my head *
above my enemies round about me.
9 Therefore I will offer in his dwelling an oblation
with sounds of great gladness; *
I will sing and make music to the LORD.
10 Hearken to my voice, O LORD, when I call; *
have mercy on me and answer me.
11 You speak in my heart and say, “Seek my face.” *
Your face, LORD, will I seek.
12 Hide not your face from me, *
nor turn away your servant in displeasure.
13 You have been my helper; cast me not away; *
do not forsake me, O God of my salvation.
14 Though my father and my mother forsake me, *
the LORD will sustain me.
15 Show me your way, O LORD; *
lead me on a level path, because of my enemies.
16 Deliver me not into the hand of my adversaries, *
for false witnesses have risen up against me,
and also those who speak malice.
17 What if I had not believed
that I should see the goodness of the LORD *
in the land of the living! 
18 O tarry and await the LORD’S pleasure;
be strong, and he shall comfort your heart; *
wait patiently for the LORD.

Psalm 28 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-28.mp3)
1 O LORD, I call to you;
my Rock, do not be deaf to my cry; *
lest, if you do not hear me,
I become like those who go down to the Pit.
2 Hear the voice of my prayer when I cry out to you, *
when I lift up my hands to your holy of holies.
3 Do not snatch me away with the wicked or with the evildoers, *
who speak peaceably with their neighbors,
while strife is in their hearts.
4 Repay them according to their deeds, *
and according to the wickedness of their actions.
5 According to the work of their hands repay them, *
and give them their just deserts.
6 They have no understanding of the LORD’S doings,
nor of the works of his hands; *
therefore he will break them down and not  build them up.
7 Blessed is the LORD! *
for he has heard the voice of my prayer.
8 The LORD is my strength and my shield; *
my heart trusts in him, and I have been helped;
9 Therefore my heart dances for joy, *
and in my song will I praise him.
10 The LORD is the strength of his people, *
a safe refuge for his anointed.
11 Save your people and bless your inheritance; *
shepherd them and carry them for ever.

Psalm 29 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-29.mp3)
1 Ascribe to the LORD, you gods, *
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his Name; *
worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
3 The voice of the LORD is upon the waters;
the God of glory thunders; *
the LORD is upon the mighty waters.
4 The voice of the LORD is a powerful voice; *
the voice of the LORD is a voice of splendor.
5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedar trees; *
the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon;
6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, *
and Mount Hermon like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the LORD splits the flames of fire;
the voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; *
the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
8 The voice of the LORD makes the oak trees writhe *
and strips the forests bare.
9 And in the temple of the LORD *
all are crying, “Glory!”
10 The LORD sits enthroned above the flood; *
the LORD sits enthroned as King for evermore.
11 The LORD shall give strength to his people; *
the LORD shall give his people the blessing of peace.

PRAYER

God of mystery and power,
open our eyes to the fire of your love,
and open our ears to the thunder of your justice,
that we may receive your gifts of blessing and peace,
to the glory of your name;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ^BCW

THE WORD OF GOD
READING: 1 Chronicles 29:1-2, 10-18
Then King David said to the whole assembly: My son Solomon, the one whom God chose, is too inexperienced for this great task, since this temple won’t be for humans but for the Lord God. Using every resource at my disposal, I’ve provided everything for my God’s temple: gold for gold objects, silver for silver objects, bronze for bronze objects, iron for iron objects, lumber for wooden objects, carnelian stones for settings, antimony, colorful stones, every kind of precious stone, and a large amount of marble.

Then David blessed the Lord before the whole assembly:
Blessed are you, Lord,
God of our ancestor Israel,
forever and always.
To you, Lord, belong greatness and power,
honor, splendor, and majesty,
because everything in heaven and on earth belongs to you.
Yours, Lord, is the kingship,
and you are honored as head of all.
You are the source of wealth and honor,
and you rule over all.
In your hand are strength and might,
and it is in your power to magnify and strengthen all.
And now, our God, we thank you
and praise your glorious name.
Who am I,
and who are my people,
that we should be able to offer so willingly?
Since everything comes from you,
we have given you that which comes from your own hand.
To be sure, we are like all our ancestors,
immigrants without permanent homes.
Our days are like a shadow on the ground,
and there’s no hope.

Lord, our God, all this abundance that we have provided to build you a temple for your holy name comes from your hand and belongs to you. Since I know, my God, that you examine the mind and take delight in honesty, I have freely given all these things with the highest of motives. And now I’ve been delighted to see your people here offering so willingly to you.

Lord, God of our ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, keep these thoughts in the mind of your people forever, and direct their hearts toward you.

HYMN: Henry Francis Lyte
Tune: Lauda Anima https://tinyurl.com/5amusfjd

1 Praise, my soul, the King of heaven,
to his feet thy tribute bring;
ransomed healed, restored, forgiven,
who like me his praise should sing?
Alleluia, alleluia,
praise the everlasting King.

2 Praise him for his grace and favour
to our fathers in distress;
praise him still the same for ever,
slow to chide and swift to bless:
Alleluia, alleluia,
glorious in his faithfulness.

3 Father-like, he tends and spares us,
well our feeble frame he knows;
in his hands he gently bears us,
rescues us from all our foes:
Alleluia, alleluia,
widely as his mercy flows.

4 Frail as summer’s flower we flourish;
blows the wind and it is gone;
but, while mortals rise and perish,
God endures unchanging on:
Alleluia, alleluia,
praise the high eternal One.

5 Angels, help us to adore him;
ye behold him face to face;
sun and moon bow down before him,
dwellers all in time and space:
Alleluia, alleluia,
praise with us the God of grace.

READING: 2 Thessalonians 1:1-5, 11-12
From Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy: To the church of the Thessalonians, which is in God our Father, and in the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace and peace to all of you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Brothers and sisters, we must always thank God for you. This is only right because your faithfulness is growing by leaps and bounds, and the love that all of you have for each other is increasing. That’s why we ourselves are bragging about you in God’s churches. We tell about your endurance and faithfulness in all the harassments and trouble that you have put up with. This shows that God’s judgment is right, and that you will be considered worthy of God’s kingdom for which you are suffering.

We are constantly praying for you for this: that our God will make you worthy of his calling and accomplish every good desire and faithful work by his power. Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored by you, and you will be honored by him, consistent with the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

HYMN: attr. Ambrose; trans. Robert Seymour Bridges
Tune: Solemnis haec festivitas https://tinyurl.com/n5vprbwf

1 O splendour of God’s glory bright,
who bringest forth the light from Light,
O Light, of light the fountain-spring,
O Day, our days illumining;

2 Come, very Sun of truth and love
come in thy radiance from above,
and shed the Holy Spirit’s ray
on all we think or do to-day.

3 Teach us to work with all our might;
put Satan’s fierce assaults to flight;
turn all to good that seems most ill;
help us our calling to fulfil.

4 O joyful be the livelong day,
our thoughts as pure as morning ray,
our faith like noonday’s glowing height,
our souls undimmed by shades of night.

5 All praise to God the Father be,
all praise, eternal Son, to thee,
whom with the Spirit we adore
for ever and for evermore.

READING: Luke 17:1-10
Jesus said to his disciples, “Things that cause people to trip and fall into sin must happen, but how terrible it is for the person through whom they happen. It would be better for them to be thrown into a lake with a large stone hung around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to trip and fall into sin. Watch yourselves! If your brother or sister sins, warn them to stop. If they change their hearts and lives, forgive them. Even if someone sins against you seven times in one day and returns to you seven times and says, ‘I am changing my ways,’ you must forgive that person.”

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” The Lord replied, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

“Would any of you say to your servant, who had just come in from the field after plowing or tending sheep, ‘Come! Sit down for dinner’? Wouldn’t you say instead, ‘Fix my dinner. Put on the clothes of a table servant and wait on me while I eat and drink. After that, you can eat and drink’? You won’t thank the servant because the servant did what you asked, will you? In the same way, when you have done everything required of you, you should say, ‘We servants deserve no special praise. We have only done our duty.’”

CANTICLE Luke 1:68-79
(John Harper, https://tinyurl.com/4wwy9fbs)

Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel, 
who has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty Saviour, 
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets God promised of old 
to save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all that hate us,
To show mercy to our ancestors, 
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath God swore to our father Abraham: 
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
Free to worship him without fear, 
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, 
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
To give his people knowledge of salvation 
by the forgiveness of all their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God 
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, 
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.

PRAYERS ^BCW2018

Let us pray for the needs of the church,
the whole human family,
and all the world, saying: Hear our prayer.

That churches of all traditions
may discover their unity in Christ
and exercise their gifts in service of all,
we pray to you, O God: Hear our prayer.

That the earth may be freed
from war, famine, and disease,
and the air, soil, and waters cleansed of poison,
we pray to you, O God: Hear our prayer.

That those who govern and maintain peace in every land
may exercise their powers in obedience to your commands,
we pray to you, O God: Hear our prayer.

That you will strengthen this nation to pursue just priorities
so that the races may be reconciled;
the young, educated; and the old, cared for;
the hungry, filled; and the homeless, housed;
and the sick, comforted and healed,
we pray to you, O God: Hear our prayer.

That you will preserve all who live and work
in this [city, town, village, community]
in peace and safety,
we pray to you, O God: Hear our prayer.

That you will comfort and empower
those who face any difficulty or trial:
the sick [especially N., N.],
the disabled, the poor, the oppressed,
those who grieve and those in prison,
we pray to you, O God: Hear our prayer.

That you will accept our thanksgiving
for all faithful servants of Christ now at rest,
who, with us, await a new heaven and a new earth,
your everlasting kingdom,
we pray to you, O God: Hear our prayer.

(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 all the ages,
you have revealed your grace
in our Savior, Jesus Christ.
As we wait patiently on your mercies,
strengthen us to live in your justice,
that with open hearts we may hear
and accomplish your will,
through Christ, who lights the way to life everlasting. 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

---

^BCW Book of Common Worship, Presbyterian Church U.S.A., 1993.

^BCW2018 Book of Common Worship, Presbyterian Church U.S.A., 2018

^RCLP Revised Common Lectionary Prayers. © 2002 Consultation on Common Texts admin. Augsburg Fortress.

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

^DL © Daniel Lawson; used with permission.

The main scripture readings are © 2011 Common English Bible

The traditional version of the psalms is from The Book of Common Prayer (1662). The modern versions are 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.