Antiphon 1
Ant. You will turn toward us, O God, *
and restore our life again, and your people will rejoice in you.
Show us, Lord, your mercy and grant us your salva tion.
V. O Lord, you have favored your land, *
and brought back the captives of Jacob.
You forgave the guilt of your people, *
and covered all their sins.
You averted all your rage; *
you turned back the heat of your anger. Psalm 85
God of grace,
ever faithful to your promises,
the earth rejoices in hope of our Savior’s coming
and looks forward with longing
to his return at the end of time.
Prepare our hearts to receive him when he comes,
for he is Lord forever and ever. 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: Carl P Daw ©
Tune: Aberystwyth https://tinyurl.com/9yda85u9
1 Wild and lone the prophet’s voice
echoes through the desert still,
calling us to make a choice,
bidding us to do God’s will:
“Turn from sin and be baptized;
cleanse your heart and mind and soul.
Quitting all the sins you prized,
yield your life to God’s control.
2 “Bear the fruit repentance sows:
lives of justice, truth, and love.
Trust no other claim than those;
set your heart on things above.
Soon the Lord will come in power,
burning clean the threshing floor:
then will flames the chaff devour;
wheat alone shall fill God’s store.”
3 With such preaching, stark and bold,
John proclaimed salvation near,
and his timeless warnings hold
words of hope to all who hear.
So we dare to journey on,
led by faith through ways untrod,
till we come at last like John
to behold the Lamb of God.
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: Malachi 3:1-6; 4:4-6
Look, I am sending my messenger who will clear the path before me;
suddenly the Lord whom you are seeking will come to his temple.
The messenger of the covenant in whom you take delight is coming,
says the Lord of heavenly forces.
Who can endure the day of his coming?
Who can withstand his appearance?
He is like the refiner’s fire or the cleaner’s soap.
He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver.
He will purify the Levites
and refine them like gold and silver.
They will belong to the Lord,
presenting a righteous offering.
The offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord
as in ancient days and in former years.
I will draw near to you for judgment.
I will be quick to testify against the sorcerers,
the adulterers, those swearing falsely,
against those who cheat the day laborers out of their wages
as well as oppress the widow and the orphan,
and against those who brush aside the foreigner and do not revere me,
says the Lord of heavenly forces.
I am the Lord, and I do not change;
and you, children of Jacob, have not perished.
Remember the Instruction from Moses, my servant,
to whom I gave Instruction and rules for all Israel at Horeb.
Look, I am sending Elijah the prophet to you,
before the great and terrifying day of the Lord arrives.
Turn the hearts of the parents to the children
and the hearts of the children to their parents.
Otherwise, I will come and strike the land with a curse.
HYMN: Charles Wesley
Tune: Cross of Jesus https://tinyurl.com/2mxv7nme
1. Come, thou long expected Jesus,
born to set thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us,
let us find our rest in thee.
2 Israel’s strength and consolation,
hope of all the earth thou art;
dear desire of every nation,
joy of every longing heart.
3 Born thy people to deliver,
born a child and yet a King,
born to reign in us forever,
now thy gracious kingdom bring.
4 By thine own eternal spirit
rule in all our hearts alone;
by thine all sufficient merit,
raise us to thy glorious throne.
READING: Romans 15:4-13
Whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction so that we could have hope through endurance and through the encouragement of the scriptures. May the God of endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude toward each other, similar to Christ Jesus’ attitude. That way you can glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ together with one voice.
So welcome each other, in the same way that Christ also welcomed you, for God’s glory. I’m saying that Christ became a servant of those who are circumcised for the sake of God’s truth, in order to confirm the promises given to the ancestors, and so that the Gentiles could glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Because of this I will confess you among the Gentiles, and I will sing praises to your name.” And again, it says, “Rejoice, Gentiles, with his people.” And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,
and all the people should sing his praises.” And again, Isaiah says, “There will be a root of Jesse, who will also rise to rule the Gentiles. The Gentiles will place their hope in him.”
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in faith so that you overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
HYMN: Paul Henkel
Tune: Deo Gracias https://tinyurl.com/4fanntxf
1 God’s faithful promises are sure,
Afford us life and vital pow’r;
Our aid, our comfort, trust and hope
In all afflictions bears us up.
2 This is the word by which we live,
What consolations will it give!
True peace and joy the humble mind
In these bless’d promises shall find.
3 No greater blessings can be known,
No greater mercies can be shown:
To understand that precious word,
Is to rejoice in Christ the Lord.
4 O! let us then with patience wait,
God’s promises are sure and great:
His gifts and graces from above
Will fill our hearts with joy and love.
5 We bless and praise the Saviour’s name,
By whom this great salvation came;
With all the nations sing his praise
And thank him for his saving grace.
READING: Matthew 3:1-12
In those days John the Baptist appeared in the desert of Judea announcing, “Change your hearts and lives! Here comes the kingdom of heaven!” He was the one of whom Isaiah the prophet spoke when he said:
The voice of one shouting in the wilderness,
“Prepare the way for the Lord;
make his paths straight.”
John wore clothes made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. He ate locusts and wild honey.
People from Jerusalem, throughout Judea, and all around the Jordan River came to him. As they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. Many Pharisees and Sadducees came to be baptized by John. He said to them, “You children of snakes! Who warned you to escape from the angry judgment that is coming soon? Produce fruit that shows you have changed your hearts and lives. And don’t even think about saying to yourselves, Abraham is our father. I tell you that God is able to raise up Abraham’s children from these stones. The ax is already at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be chopped down and tossed into the fire. I baptize with water those of you who have changed your hearts and lives. The one who is coming after me is stronger than I am. I’m not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. The shovel he uses to sift the wheat from the husks is in his hands. He will clean out his threshing area and bring the wheat into his barn. But he will burn the husks with a fire that can’t be put out.”
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 CW:TS
Watchful at all times,
let us pray for strength to stand with confidence
before our Maker and Redeemer.
That God may bring in his kingdom with justice and mercy,
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
That God may establish among the nations
his sceptre of righteousness,
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
That we may seek Christ in the Scriptures
and recognize him in the breaking of the bread,
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
That God may bind up the brokenhearted,
restore the sick
and raise up all who have fallen,
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
That the light of God’s coming may dawn
on all who live in darkness and the shadow of death,
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
That, with all the saints in light,
we may shine forth as lights for the world,
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
We commend ourselves and all for whom we pray
to the mercy and protection of our heavenly Father:
(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.
Merciful God,
you sent your messengers the prophets
to preach repentance
and prepare the way for our salvation.
Give us grace to heed their warnings
and forsake our sins,
that we may greet with joy
the coming of Jesus Christ our redeemer,
who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen. BCW2018
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
ELW The Lord’s Prayer is from Setting Five in Evangelical Lutheran Worship.
1 Adam Bartlett, Simple English Propers; audio from https://musicasacra.com/additional-publications/sep-practice-videos/ ©
CW:TS Common Worship: Times and Seasons, material from which is included here,
is copyright © The Archbishops’ Council 2006 and published by Church House Publishing
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 