Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/22vexxaw
Like the deer that yearns for running streams,
so my soul is yearning for you, my God;
my soul is thirsting for God, the living God. Psalm 42
By your Holy Spirit, O God,
give us hearts to love you,
minds to know you,
souls to bless you,
and strength to serve you;
through Jesus Christ our 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: St Dorothea https://tinyurl.com/4p3aky78
1. Lo! I come with joy to do
The Master’s blessed will;
Him in outward works pursue,
And serve his pleasure still.
Faithful to my Lord’s commands,
I still would choose the better part,
Serve with careful Martha’s hands
And Mary’s loving heart.
2. Careful without care I am,
Nor feel my happy toil;
Kept in peace by Jesus’ name,
Supported by his smile;
Joyful this my faith to show,
I find his service my reward;
Ev’ry work I do below,
I do it to the Lord.
3. Now, O Lord, in tender love
You all my burdens bear,
Lift my heart to things above,
And fix it ever there.
Calm on tumult’s wheel I sit,
‘Mid busy multitudes alone,
Sweetly waiting at your feet,
Till all your will be done.
4. Oh, that all might know the art
Of living thus to you!
Find their Heav’n begun below,
And here your glory view!
Walk in all the works prepared
By you to exercise their grace,
Till they gain their full reward
And see your glorious face!
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 (Gregorian Tone 6)
1 Do not fret because of the wicked;
do not envy those who do evil,
2 for they wither quickly like grass
and fade like the green of the fields.
3 Trust in the LoRD and do good;
then you will dwell in the land and find safe pasture.
4 Find your delight in the LORD,
who grants your heart’s desire.
5 Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him, and he will act,
6 and make your uprightness shine like the light,
the justice of your cause like the noon-day sun.
7 Be still before the Lo RD and wait in patience;
do not fret at the one who prospers,
the one who makes evil plots.
8 Calm your anger and forget your rage;
do not fret, it only leads to evil.
9 For those who do evil shall perish.
But those who hope in the LORD,
they shall inherit the land.
10 A little longer-and the wicked one is gone.
Look at his place: he is not there.
11 But the meek shall inherit the land
and delight in fullness of peace.
12 The wicked one plots against the just one
and gnashes his teeth against him;
13 but the LORD will laugh at the wicked,
for he sees that his day is at hand.
14 The wicked draw the sword, bend their bows,
to slaughter the poor and needy,
to slay those whose ways are upright.
15 Their sword shall pierce their own hearts,
and their bows shall be broken to pieces.
16 Better the few possessions of the upright,
than the abundant wealth of the wicked;
17 for the arms of the wicked shall be.broken,
and the LORD will support the upright.
18 The LoRo takes note of the days of the blameless;
their heritage will last forever.
19 They shall not be put to shame in evil days;
in time of famine they shall have their fill.
20 But all the wicked shall perish;
the enemies of the LORD shall be consumed.
They are like the beauty of the meadows;
they shall vanish, they shall vanish like smoke.
21 The wicked borrows and does not repay,
but the upright one is generous and gives.
22 Those blessed by him shall inherit the land,
but those cursed by him shall be cut off.
23 By the LORD are the steps made firm
of one in whose path he delights.
24 Though he stumble he shall never fall,
for the LORD will hold him by the hand.
25 I was young and now I am old,
but I have never seen the upright one forsaken
nor his children begging for bread.
26 All the day he is generous and lends,
and his children become a blessing.
27 Then turn away from evil and do good,
and you may abide forever;
28 for indeed, the LORD loves justice,
and will never forsake his faithful.
The unjust shall be wiped out forever,
and the descendants of the wicked cut off.
29 The upright shall inherit the land;
there they shall abide forever.
30 The mouth of the upright utters wisdom,
and his tongue tells forth what is just.
31 The law of his God is in his heart;
his steps shall be saved from stumbling.
32 The wicked keeps watch for the upright,
and seeks an occasion to destroy him.
33 The LORD will not leave him in his power,
nor let him be condemned when he is judged.
34 Then wait for the LORD, keep to his way.
He will exalt you to inherit the land,
and you will see the wicked cut off.
35 I have seen the wicked one triumphant,
towering like a cedar of Lebanon.
36 I passed by again; he was gone.
I searched; he was nowhere to be found.
37 Mark the blameless, observe the upright;
for the peaceful man a future lies in store,
38 but sinners shall all be destroyed,
the future of the wicked cut off.
39 But from the LORD comes the salvation of the upright,
their stronghold in time of distress.
40 The LORD helps them and rescues them,
rescues and saves them from the wicked:
because they take refuge in him.
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
READING: 1 Chronicles 11:1-9
All the Israelites gathered around David at Hebron. “We’re your own flesh and blood,” they said. “In the past, even when Saul ruled over us, you were the one who led Israel. The Lord your God told you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become a leader over my people Israel.’” So all of Israel’s elders came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them before the Lord. They anointed David to make him king over Israel, just as the Lord had promised through Samuel.
Then David and all Israel marched to Jerusalem, that is, Jebus, where the Jebusites lived. The people who lived in Jebus told David, “You’ll never get in here!”
But David captured the mountain fortress of Zion, which became David’s City. David had said, “The first one to kill a Jebusite will become commander in chief!” Joab, Zeruiah’s son, was the first to attack and so became commander in chief. David occupied the fortress, so it was renamed David’s City. He also built up the city on all sides, including its own foundations and the surrounding areas, while Joab restored the rest of the city. David grew increasingly powerful, and the Lord of heavenly forces was with him.
HYMN: Richard Baxter
Tune: St Hugh https://tinyurl.com/3csrjvzx
1 Lord, it belongs not to my care
whether I die or live:
to love and serve thee is my share,
and this thy grace must give.
2 Christ leads me through no darker rooms
than he went through before;
he that into God’s kingdom comes
must enter by this door.
3 Come, Lord, when grace hath made me meet
thy blessed face to see;
for if thy work on earth be sweet,
what will thy glory be!
4 Then shall I end my sad complaints
and weary, sinful days,
and join with the triumphant saints
that sing my Saviour’s praise.
5 My knowledge of that life is small,
the eye of faith is dim;
but ’tis enough that Christ knows all,
and I shall be with him.
READING: Philippians 1:12-26
Brothers and sisters, I want you to know that the things that have happened to me have actually advanced the gospel. The whole Praetorian Guard and everyone else knows that I’m in prison for Christ. Most of the brothers and sisters have had more confidence through the Lord to speak the word boldly and bravely because of my jail time. Some certainly preach Christ with jealous and competitive motives, but others preach with good motives. They are motivated by love, because they know that I’m put here to give a defense of the gospel; the others preach Christ because of their selfish ambition. They are insincere, hoping to cause me more pain while I’m in prison.
What do I think about this? Just this: since Christ is proclaimed in every possible way, whether from dishonest or true motives, I’m glad and I’ll continue to be glad. I’m glad because I know that this will result in my release through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. It is my expectation and hope that I won’t be put to shame in anything. Rather, I hope with daring courage that Christ’s greatness will be seen in my body, now as always, whether I live or die. Because for me, living serves Christ and dying is even better. If I continue to live in this world, I get results from my work. But I don’t know what I prefer. I’m torn between the two because I want to leave this life and be with Christ, which is far better. However, it’s more important for me to stay in this world for your sake. I’m sure of this: I will stay alive and remain with all of you to help your progress and the joy of your faith, and to increase your pride in Christ Jesus through my presence when I visit you again.
HYMN: Frances Ridley Havergal
Tune: Hendon https://tinyurl.com/yk8fc35a
1 Take my life and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days;
let them flow in endless praise,
let them flow in endless praise.
2 Take my hands and let them move
at the impulse of thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
swift and beautiful for thee,
swift and beautiful for thee.
3 Take my voice and let me sing
always, only, for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
filled with messages from thee,
filled with messages from thee.
4 Take my silver and my gold;
not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
every power as thou shalt choose,
every power as thou shalt choose.
5 Take my will and make it thine;
it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart it is thine own;
it shall be thy royal throne,
it shall be thy royal throne.
6 Take my love; my Lord, I pour
at thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be
ever, only, all for thee,
ever, only, all for thee.
READING: Luke 10:38-42
While Jesus and his disciples were traveling, Jesus entered a village where a woman named Martha welcomed him as a guest. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his message. By contrast, Martha was preoccupied with getting everything ready for their meal. So Martha came to him and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to prepare the table all by myself? Tell her to help me.” The Lord answered, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things. One thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the better part. It won’t be taken away from her.”
CANTICLE Exodus 15:1-6, 11-13, 17-18
(BCP 2019/St Bernard Breviary)
I will sing to the Lord, for he is lofty and uplifted; *
the horse and its rider has he hurled into the sea.
The Lord is my strength and my refuge; *
the Lord has become my Savior.
This is my God and I will praise him, *
the God of my people and I will exalt him.
The Lord is a mighty warrior; *
The Lord is his Name.
The chariots of Pharaoh and his army has he hurled into the sea; *
the finest of those who bear armor
have been drowned in the Red Sea.
The fathomless deep has overwhelmed them; *
they sank into the depths like a stone.
Your right hand, O Lord, is glorious in might; *
your right hand, O Lord, has overthrown the enemy.
Who can be compared with you, O Lord, among the gods? *
Who is like you, glorious in holiness,
awesome in renown, and worker of wonders?
You stretched forth your right hand; *
the earth swallowed them up.
With your constant love you led the people you redeemed; *
you brought them in safety to your holy dwelling.
You will bring them in and plant them *
on the mount of your possession,
The resting-place you have made for yourself, O Lord, *
the sanctuary, O Lord, that your hand has established.
The Lord shall reign *
for ever and for ever.
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.
THE PRAYERS BCW
Eternal God,
we praise you for your mighty love
given in Christ’s sacrifice on the cross,
and the new life we have received by his resurrection.
Especially we thank you for
the presence of Christ in our weakness and suffering . . .
the ministry of Word and Sacrament . . .
all who work to help and heal . . .
sacrifices made for our benefit . . .
opportunities for our generous giving. . . .
God of grace,
let our concern for others reflect Christ’s self-giving love,
not only in our prayers, but also in our practice.
Especially we pray for
those subjected to tyranny and oppression . . .
wounded and injured people . . .
those who face death . . .
those who may be our enemies . . .
the church in Latin America. . . .
(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.
Ever-faithful God,
whose being is perfect righteousness:
reconcile us in your Son with the helpless and the needy,
with those we would ignore or oppress,
and with those we have called enemies,
that we may serve all people as your hands of love,
and sit at the feet of those
who need our compassionate care. Amen. 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.
RCLP Revised Common Lectionary Prayers. © 2002 Consultation on Common Texts admin. Augsburg Fortress.
ELW The Lord’s Prayer is from Setting Five in Evangelical Lutheran Worship.
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 from the Chants and Rants YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@chantsandrants per The Abbey Psalms and Canticles ©2010, 2018, 2020 The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, D.C. All rights reserved.
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 