Charles Gore
Charles Gore was born in 1853 in Wimbledon and educated mainly at Oxford. He was ordained in 1876 and served in positions at Cuddeston and Pusey House, Oxford, both of which were focused upon theological education and the formation of clergy. While at Pusey House, Gore founded the Community of the Resurrection, a community for men that sought to combine the rich traditions of the religious life with a lively concern for the demands of ministry in the modern world. Gore, a prolific writer, was a principal progenitor of liberal Anglo-Catholicism in late nineteenth and early twentieth century Anglicanism. He was concerned to make available to the church the critical scholarship of the age, particularly with respect to the Bible. A second but no less important concern was to prick the conscience of the church and plead for its engagement in the work of social justice for all. Between 1902 and 1919, Gore served successively as bishop of the dioceses of Worcester, Birmingham, and Oxford. HWHM Many of his works can be read here: https://anglicanhistory.org/gore.
Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/9jxj8mak
The Lord is the strength of his people,
a saving refuge for the one he has anointed.
Save your people, Lord, and bless your heritage,
and govern them for ever. Psalm 28
Lord God,
you so tend the vine you planted
that now it extends its branches throughout the world.
Keep us in Christ as branches on the vine,
that, grafted firmly in your love,
we may show the whole world your great power
and bear the fruit of righteousness;
through 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: Fred Pratt Green ©
Tune: Christe sanctorum http://tinyurl.com/ymnx55n5
1 Christ is the world’s light, Christ and none other;
born in our darkness, he became our brother.
If we have seen him, we have seen the Father:
Glory to God on high!
2 Christ is the world’s peace, Christ and none other;
no one can serve him and despise another.
Who else unites us, one with God the Father?
Glory to God on high!
3 Christ is the world’s life, Christ and none other;
sold once for silver, murdered here, our brother.
He who redeemed us, reigns with God the Father:
Glory to God on high!
4 Give God the glory, God and none other;
give God the glory, Spirit, Son and Father;
give God the glory, God with us, our brother:
Glory to God on high!
PSALMS
Psalm 79 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/ssjuezl)
1 O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance *
thy holy temple have they defiled,
and made Jerusalem an heap of stones.
2 The dead bodies of thy servants have they given
to be meat unto the fowls of the air *
and the flesh of thy saints unto the beasts of the land.
3 Their blood have they shed like water on every side of Jerusalem *
and there was no man to bury them.
4 We are become an open shame to our enemies *
a very scorn and derision unto them that are round about us.
5 Lord, how long wilt thou be angry *
shall thy jealousy burn like fire for ever?
6 Pour out thine indignation upon the heathen
that have not known thee *
and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy Name.
7 For they have devoured Jacob *
and laid waste his dwelling-place.
8 O remember not our old sins, but have mercy upon us, and that soon *
for we are come to great misery.
9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy Name *
O deliver us, and be merciful unto our sins, for thy Name’s sake.
10 Wherefore do the heathen say *
Where is now their God?
11 O let the vengeance of thy servants’ blood that is shed *
be openly shewed upon the heathen in our sight.
12 O let the sorrowful sighing of the prisoners come before thee *
according to the greatness of thy power,
preserve thou those that are appointed to die.
13 And for the blasphemy
wherewith our neighbours have blasphemed thee *
reward thou them, O Lord, seven-fold into their bosom.
14 So we, that are thy people, and sheep of thy pasture,
shall give thee thanks for ever *
and will alway be shewing forth thy praise from generation to generation.
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 80 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/ry2whon)
1 Hear, O thou Shepherd of Israel,
thou that leadest Joseph like a sheep *
shew thyself also, thou that sittest upon the cherubims.
2 Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasses *
stir up thy strength, and come, and help us.
3 Turn us again, O God *
shew the light of thy countenance, and we shall be whole.
4 O Lord God of hosts *
how long wilt thou be angry with thy people that prayeth?
5 Thou feedest them with the bread of tears *
and givest them plenteousness of tears to drink.
6 Thou hast made us a very strife unto our neighbours *
and our enemies laugh us to scorn.
7 Turn us again, thou God of hosts *
shew the light of thy countenance, and we shall be whole.
8 Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt *
thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it.
9 Thou madest room for it *
and when it had taken root it filled the land.
10 The hills were covered with the shadow of it *
and the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedar-trees.
11 She stretched out her branches unto the sea *
and her boughs unto the river.
12 Why hast thou then broken down her hedge *
that all they that go by pluck off her grapes?
13 The wild boar out of the wood doth root it up *
and the wild beasts of the field devour it.
14 Turn thee again, thou God of hosts, look down from heaven *
behold, and visit this vine;
15 And the place of the vineyard that thy right hand hath planted *
and the branch that thou madest so strong for thyself.
16 It is burnt with fire, and cut down *
and they shall perish at the rebuke of thy countenance.
17 Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand *
and upon the son of man,
whom thou madest so strong for thine own self.
18 And so will not we go back from thee *
O let us live, and we shall call upon thy Name.
19 Turn us again, O Lord God of hosts *
shew the light of thy countenance, and we shall be whole.
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 81 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/tl45xkf)
1 Sing we merrily unto God our strength *
make a cheerful noise unto the God of Jacob.
2 Take the psalm, bring hither the tabret *
the merry harp with the lute.
3 Blow up the trumpet in the new-moon *
even in the time appointed, and upon our solemn feast-day.
4 For this was made a statute for Israel *
and a law of the God of Jacob.
5 This he ordained in Joseph for a testimony *
when he came out of the land of Egypt, and had heard a strange language.
6 I eased his shoulder from the burden *
and his hands were delivered from making the pots.
7 Thou calledst upon me in troubles, and I delivered thee *
and heard thee what time as the storm fell upon thee.
8 I proved thee also *
at the waters of strife.
9 Hear, O my people, and I will assure thee, O Israel *
if thou wilt hearken unto me,
10 There shall no strange god be in thee *
neither shalt thou worship any other god.
11 I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt *
open thy mouth wide, and I shall fill it.
12 But my people would not hear my voice *
and Israel would not obey me.
13 So I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lusts *
and let them follow their own imaginations.
14 O that my people would have hearkened unto me *
for if Israel had walked in my ways,
15 I should soon have put down their enemies *
and turned my hand against their adversaries.
16 The haters of the Lord should have been found liars *
but their time should have endured for ever.
17 He should have fed them also with the finest wheat-flour *
and with honey out of the stony rock should I have satisfied thee.
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 79 (Gregorian Tone VII.7)
1 O God, the nations have come into your inheritance; *
they have defiled your holy temple, and made
Jerusalem a heap of stones.
2 The dead bodies of your servants have they given
to be meat for the birds of the air, *
and the flesh of your saints to the beasts of the land.
3 Their blood have they shed
like water on every side of Jerusalem, *
and there was no one to bury them.
4 We have become a reproach to our enemies, *
an object of scorn and derision to those
who are round about us.
5 O Lord, how long will you be angry? *
Shall your jealousy burn like fire for ever?
6 Pour out your indignation
upon the nations that have not known you, *
and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon your Name.
7 For they have devoured Jacob *
and laid waste his dwelling place.
8 O remember not our past sins, but have mercy on us speedily, *
for we have come to great misery.
9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your Name; *
O deliver us and forgive our sins for your Name’s sake.
10 Why do the nations say, *
“Where now is their God?”
11 O let the vengeance of your servants’ blood that is shed *
be known in our sight among the nations.
12 O let the sorrowful sighing of the prisoners come before you; *
according to the greatness of your power,
preserve those who are condemned to die.
13 As for the blasphemy
by which our neighbors have blasphemed you, *
repay them, O Lord, seven-fold into their bosoms.
14 So we, who are your people and the sheep of your pasture,
shall give you thanks for ever, *
and will always be showing forth your praise
from generation to generation.
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.
Psalm 80 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-80.mp3)
1 Hear, O Shepherd of Israel, leading Joseph like a flock; *
shine forth, you that are enthroned upon the cherubim.
2 In the presence of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, *
stir up your strength and come to help us.
3 Restore us, O God of hosts; *
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.
4 O LORD God of hosts, *
how long will you be angered
despite the prayers of your people?
5 You have fed them with the bread of tears; *
you have given them bowls of tears to drink.
6 You have made us the derision of our neighbors, *
and our enemies laugh us to scorn.
7 Restore us, O God of hosts; *
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.
8 You have brought a vine out of Egypt; *
you cast out the nations and planted it.
9 You prepared the ground for it; *
it took root and filled the land.
10 The mountains were covered by its shadow *
and the towering cedar trees by its boughs.
11 You stretched out its tendrils to the Sea *
and its branches to the River.
12 Why have you broken down its wall, *
so that all who pass by pluck off its grapes?
13 The wild boar of the forest has ravaged it, *
and the beasts of the field have grazed upon it.
14 Turn now, O God of hosts, look down from heaven;
behold and tend this vine; *
preserve what your right hand has planted.
15 They burn it with fire like rubbish; *
at the rebuke of your countenance let them perish.
16 Let your hand be upon the man of your right hand, *
and son of man you have made so strong for yourself.
17 And so will we never turn away from you; *
give us life, that we may call upon your Name.
18 Restore us, O LORD God of hosts; *
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.
Psalm 81 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-81.mp3)
1 Sing with joy to God our strength *
and raise a loud shout to the God of Jacob.
2 Raise a song and sound the timbrel, *
the merry harp, and the lyre.
3 Blow the ram’s-horn at the new moon, *
and at the full moon, the day of our feast.
4 For this is a statute for Israel, *
a law of the God of Jacob.
5 He laid it as a solemn charge upon Joseph, *
when he came out of the land of Egypt.
6 I heard an unfamiliar voice saying, *
“I eased his shoulder from the burden;
his hands were set free from bearing the load.”
7 You called on me in trouble, and I saved you; *
I answered you from the secret place of thunder
and tested you at the waters of Meribah.
8 Hear, O my people, and I will admonish you: *
O Israel, if you would but listen to me!
9 There shall be no strange god among you; *
you shall not worship a foreign god.
10 I am the LORD your God,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt and said, *
“Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.”
11 And yet my people did not hear my voice, *
and Israel would not obey me.
12 So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their hearts, *
to follow their own devices.
13 Oh, that my people would listen to me! *
that Israel would walk in my ways!
14 I should soon subdue their enemies *
and turn my hand against their foes.
15 Those who hate the LORD would cringe before him, *
and their punishment would last for ever.
16 But Israel would I feed with the finest wheat *
and satisfy him with honey from the rock.
PRAYER
God our strength,
you ease our burden
and set us free from bondage to death.
Help us listen always to your voice,
and satisfy our hearts with the finest bread,
food for this life and a foretaste of eternity:
your Son, Jesus Christ, the bread of life. Amen. BCW2018
THE WORD OF GOD
READING: Genesis 4:1-16
The man Adam knew his wife Eve intimately. She became pregnant and gave birth to Cain, and said, “I have given life to a man with the Lord’s help.” She gave birth a second time to Cain’s brother Abel. Abel cared for the flocks, and Cain farmed the fertile land.
Some time later, Cain presented an offering to the Lord from the land’s crops while Abel presented his flock’s oldest offspring with their fat. The Lord looked favorably on Abel and his sacrifice but didn’t look favorably on Cain and his sacrifice. Cain became very angry and looked resentful. The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why do you look so resentful? If you do the right thing, won’t you be accepted? But if you don’t do the right thing, sin will be waiting at the door ready to strike! It will entice you, but you must rule over it.”
Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” When they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
The Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” Cain said, “I don’t know. Am I my brother’s guardian?”
The Lord said, “What did you do? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground. You are now cursed from the ground that opened its mouth to take your brother’s blood from your hand. When you farm the fertile land, it will no longer grow anything for you, and you will become a roving nomad on the earth.”
Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is more than I can bear. Now that you’ve driven me away from the fertile land and I am hidden from your presence, I’m about to become a roving nomad on the earth, and anyone who finds me will kill me.”
The Lord said to him, “It won’t happen; anyone who kills Cain will be paid back seven times.” The Lord put a sign on Cain so that no one who found him would assault him. Cain left the Lord’s presence, and he settled down in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
HYMN: Graham Kendrick
Tune: https://tinyurl.com/4ezckb6x
1 Restore, O Lord, the honour of your name!
In works of sovereign power
come shake the earth again,
that all may see, and come with reverent fear
to the living God,
whose kingdom shall outlast the years.
2 Restore, O Lord, in all the earth your fame,
and in our time revive
the church that bears your name,
and in your anger, Lord, remember mercy,
O living God,
whose mercy shall outlast the years.
3 Bend us, O Lord, where we are hard and cold,
in your refiner’s fire;
come purify the gold:
though suffering comes, and evil crouches near,
still our living God
is reigning, he is reigning here.
4 Restore, O Lord, the honour of your name!
In works of sovereign power
come shake the earth again,
that all may see, and come with reverent fear
to the living God,
whose kingdom shall outlast the years.
READING: Galatians 3:1-14
You irrational Galatians! Who put a spell on you? Jesus Christ was put on display as crucified before your eyes! I just want to know this from you: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the Law or by believing what you heard? Are you so irrational? After you started with the Spirit, are you now finishing up with your own human effort? Did you experience so much for nothing? I wonder if it really was for nothing. So does the one providing you with the Spirit and working miracles among you do this by you doing the works of the Law or by you believing what you heard?
Understand that in the same way that Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness, those who believe are the children of Abraham. But when it saw ahead of time that God would make the Gentiles righteous on the basis of faith, scripture preached the gospel in advance to Abraham: All the Gentiles will be blessed in you. Therefore, those who believe are blessed together with Abraham who believed.
All those who rely on the works of the Law are under a curse, because it is written, Everyone is cursed who does not keep on doing all the things that have been written in the Law scroll. But since no one is made righteous by the Law as far as God is concerned, it is clear that the righteous one will live on the basis of faith. The Law isn’t based on faith; rather, the one doing these things will live by them. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse for us—because it is written, Everyone who is hung on a tree is cursed. He redeemed us so that the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, and that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
HYMN: Matthias Loy
Tune: Erhalt uns, Herr https://tinyurl.com/4khspef9
1 The Law of God is good and wise
And sets His will before our eyes;
Shows us the way of righteousness
And dooms to death when we transgress.
2 Its light of holiness imparts
The knowledge of our sinful hearts,
That we may see our lost estate
And seek deliv’rance ere too late.
3 To those who help in Christ have found
And would in works of love abound,
It shows what deeds are His delight
And should be done as good and right.
4 When men the offered help disdain
And dead in sin and woe remain,
Its terror in their ear resounds
And keeps their wickedness in bounds.
5 The law is good, but since the fall
Its holiness condemns us all:
It dooms us for our sins to die
And has no pow’r to justify.
6 To Jesus we for refuge flee,
Who from the curse has set us free,
And humbly worship at His throne,
Saved by His grace thro’ faith alone.
READING: John 2:1-12
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the celebration. When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They don’t have any wine.”
Jesus replied, “Woman, what does that have to do with me? My time hasn’t come yet.”
His mother told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Nearby were six stone water jars used for the Jewish cleansing ritual, each able to hold about twenty or thirty gallons.
Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water,” and they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Now draw some from them and take it to the headwaiter,” and they did. The headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine. He didn’t know where it came from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew.
The headwaiter called the groom and said, “Everyone serves the good wine first. They bring out the second-rate wine only when the guests are drinking freely. You kept the good wine until now.” This was the first miraculous sign that Jesus did in Cana of Galilee. He revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.
After this, Jesus and his mother, his brothers, and his disciples went down to Capernaum and stayed there for a few days.
CANTICLE Jeremiah 31:10-14
Hear the word of the Lord, O nations,
proclaim it on distant coasts, and say:
He who scattered Israel, now gathers them together,
he guards them as a shepherd his flock.
The Lord shall ransom Jacob,
he shall redeem him from the hand of his conqueror.
Shouting, they shall mount the heights of Zion,
they shall come streaming to the Lord’s blessings:
The grain, the wine, and the oil,
the sheep and the oxen;
They themselves shall be like watered gardens,
never again shall they languish.
Then the virgins shall make merry and dance,
and young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning into joy,
I will console and gladden them after their sorrows.
I will lavish choice portions upon the priests,
and my people shall be filled with my blessings,
says the Lord.
THE PRAYERS BCW
Eternal God,
we thank you for being with us today,
and for every sign of your truth and love in Jesus Christ.
Especially we thank you for
the gift of peace in Christ . . .
reconciliation in our relationships . . .
each new insight into your love . . .
energy and courage to share your love . . .
the ministries of the church. . . .
Gracious God,
we remember in our own hearts the needs of others,
that we may reach up to claim your love for them,
and reach out to give your love in the name of Christ.
Especially we pray for
racial harmony and justice . . .
those imprisoned . . .
strangers we have met today . . .
friends who are bereaved . . .
(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 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, our heavenly Father,
who raised up your faithful servant Charles Gore
to work for the renewal of community life in your Church
and to feed your flock:
Grant that we, following his example,
may call for perennial renewal in your Church
through conscious union with Christ,
witnessing to the social justice
that marks the reign of our Savior Jesus,
who is the light of the world;
and who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen. HWHM, alt.
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
HWHM Holy Women, Holy Men © Church Publishing, Inc.
The scripture readings are © 2011 Common English Bible.
The traditional language psalms are from The Book of Common Prayer (1662). The modern language versions of Psalms 80 and 81 are from The Book of Common Prayer (1979) and is sung by Ryland Angel. Psalm 79 is from Book of Common Prayer (2019) as recorded for the St Bernard Breviary https://www.bernardbreviary.com/chant-helps. The canticle is from Liturgy of the Hours as sung for Sing the Hours https://www.youtube.com/c/SingtheHours.
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 © 2026 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 