Coretta Scott King
Although best known for being the wife of famed civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Coretta Scott King created her own legacy in the movement to end injustice. She also worked to continue her husband’s legacy after his death. Coretta Scott was born in Marion, Alabama on April 27, 1927 and married Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1953 while a student at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. When Martin took a position as the pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, the church became a center for the civil rights movement. Throughout her marriage, King appeared side by side with her husband fighting against injustice, while also openly criticizing the movement’s exclusion of women. After her husband was assassinated on April 4th, 1968, King continued to support several issues, marching in a labor strike only days after his funeral. She openly expressed disdain for the Vietnam War and supported several women’s right causes. King died on January 30th, 2006 from complications due to ovarian cancer. Her funeral was attended by several presidents and heads of states who expressed their sadness in losing another prominent figure in the fight for equality.1
Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/78ujert8
Let the hearts that seek the Lord rejoice;
turn to the Lord and his strength;
constantly seek his face. Psalm 105
Eternal and everlasting God,
who art the Father of all mankind,
as we turn aside from the hurly-burly of everyday living,
may our hearts and souls, yea our very spirits,
be lifted upward to Thee,
for it is from Thee that all blessing cometh.
Keep us ever mindful of our dependence upon Thee,
for without Thee our efforts are but naught.
We pray for Thy divine guidance
as we travel the highways of life.
We pray for more courage.
We pray for more faith
and above all we pray for more love.
May we somehow come to understand
the true meaning of Thy love as revealed to us
in the life, death and resurrection
of Thy Son and our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ.
May the Cross ever remind us of Thy great love,
for greater love no man hath given.
This is our supreme example, O God.
May we be constrained to follow
in the name and spirit of Jesus, we pray. Amen. Coretta Scott King
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: Negro spiritual
Tune: https://tinyurl.com/43pysawe
1 Not my brother, not my sister, but it’s me, O Lord,
Standin’ in the need of prayer;
not my brother, not my sister, but it’s me, O Lord,
Standin’ in the need of prayer.
Refrain:
It’s me, it’s me, O Lord,
Standin’ in the need of prayer;
It’s me, it’s me, O Lord,
Standin’ in the need of prayer.
2 Not the preacher, not the deacon, but it’s me, O Lord,
Standin’ in the need of prayer
Not the preacher, not the deacon, but it’s me, O Lord,
Standin’ in the need of prayer. [Refrain]
3 Not my father, not my mother, but it’s me, O Lord,
Standin’ in the need of prayer;
Not my father, not my mother, but it’s me, O Lord,
Standin’ in the need of prayer. [Refrain]
4 Not the stranger, not my neighbor, but it’s me, O Lord,
Standin’ in the need of prayer;
Not the stranger, not my neighbor, but it’s me, O Lord,
Standin’ in the need of prayer. [Refrain]
PSALMS
Psalm 144 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/tb977vw)
1 Blessed be the Lord my strength *
who teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight;
2 My hope and my fortress, my castle and deliverer,
my defender in whom I trust *
who subdueth my people that is under me.
3 Lord, what is man, that thou hast such respect unto him *
or the son of man, that thou so regardest him?
4 Man is like a thing of nought *
his time passeth away like a shadow.
5 Bow thy heavens, O Lord, and come down *
touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
6 Cast forth thy lightning, and tear them *
shoot out thine arrows, and consume them.
7 Send down thine hand from above *
deliver me, and take me out of the great waters,
from the hand of strange children;
8 Whose mouth talketh of vanity *
and their right hand is a right hand of wickedness.
9 I will sing a new song unto thee, O God *
and sing praises unto thee upon a ten-stringed lute.
10 Thou hast given victory unto kings *
and hast delivered David thy servant from the peril of the sword.
11 Save me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children *
whose mouth talketh of vanity,
and their right hand is a right hand of iniquity.
12 That our sons may grow up as the young plants *
and that our daughters may be as the polished corners of the temple.
13 That our garners may be full and plenteous
with all manner of store *
that our sheep may bring forth
thousands and ten thousands in our streets.
14 That our oxen may be strong to labour, that there be no decay *
no leading into captivity, and no complaining in our streets.
15 Happy are the people that are in such a case *
yea, blessed are the people who have the Lord for their God.
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 145 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/ub6xy86)
1 I will magnify thee, O God, my King *
and I will praise thy Name for ever and ever.
2 Every day will I give thanks unto thee *
and praise thy Name for ever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord, and marvellous worthy to be praised *
there is no end of his greatness.
4 One generation shall praise thy works unto another *
and declare thy power.
5 As for me, I will be talking of thy worship *
thy glory, thy praise, and wondrous works;
6 So that men shall speak of the might of thy marvellous acts *
and I will also tell of thy greatness.
7 The memorial of thine abundant kindness shall be shewed *
and men shall sing of thy righteousness.
8 The Lord is gracious, and merciful *
long-suffering, and of great goodness.
9 The Lord is loving unto every man *
and his mercy is over all his works.
10 All thy works praise thee, O Lord *
and thy saints give thanks unto thee.
11 They shew the glory of thy kingdom *
and talk of thy power;
12 That thy power, thy glory, and mightiness of thy kingdom *
might be known unto men.
13 Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom *
and thy dominion endureth throughout all ages.
14 The Lord upholdeth all such as fall *
and lifteth up all those that are down.
15 The eyes of all wait upon thee, O Lord *
and thou givest them their meat in due season.
16 Thou openest thine hand *
and fillest all things living with plenteousness.
17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways *
and holy in all his works.
18 The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him *
yea, all such as call upon him faithfully.
19 He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him *
he also will hear their cry, and will help them.
20 The Lord preserveth all them that love him *
but scattereth abroad all the ungodly.
21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord *
and let all flesh give thanks unto his holy Name for ever and 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 146 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/rwxra4q)
1 Praise the Lord, O my soul; while I live will I praise the Lord *
yea, as long as I have any being, I will sing praises unto my God.
2 O put not your trust in princes, nor in any child of man *
for there is no help in them.
3 For when the breath of man goeth forth he shall turn again to his earth *
and then all his thoughts perish.
4 Blessed is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help *
and whose hope is in the Lord his God;
5 Who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that therein is *
who keepeth his promise for ever.
6 Who helpeth them to right that suffer wrong *
who feedeth the hungry.
7 The Lord looseth men out of prison *
the Lord giveth sight to the blind.
8 The Lord helpeth them that are fallen *
the Lord careth for the righteous.
9 The Lord careth for the strangers; he defendeth the fatherless and widow *
as for the way of the ungodly, he turneth it upside down.
10 The Lord thy God, O Sion, shall be King for evermore *
and throughout all generations.
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 144 (Gregorian Tone IV.2)
1 Blessèd be the Lord my strength, *
who teaches my hands to war and my fingers to fight,
2 My hope and my fortress, my stronghold and deliverer,
my defender in whom I trust, *
who subdues the peoples under me.
3 O Lord, what is man, that you have shown such respect to him, *
or the son of man, that you so regard him?
4 Man is like a thing of nought; *
his time passes away like a shadow.
5 Bow your heavens, O Lord, and come down; *
touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
6 Cast forth your lightning and scatter them; *
shoot out your arrows and consume them.
7 Send down your hand from above; *
deliver me, and take me out of the great waters,
from the hand of strangers,
8 Whose mouth talks of vain things, *
and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
9 I will sing a new song unto you, O God, *
and sing praises unto you upon a ten-stringed lute.
10 You have given victory to kings, *
and have delivered David your servant
from the peril of the sword.
11 Save me, and deliver me from the hand of strangers, *
whose mouth talks of vain things,
and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood;
12 That our sons may grow up as young plants, *
and that our daughters may be as the
polished corners of the temple,
13 That our storehouses may be full and plenteous with
all manner of grain, *
that our sheep may bring forth thousands
and ten thousands in our fields,
14 That our oxen may be strong to labor, that there be no decay, *
no leading into captivity, and no outcry in our streets.
15 Happy are the people of whom this is so; *
indeed, blessèd are the people
who have the Lord for their God.
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 145 (Gregorian Tone IV.2)
1 I will magnify you, O God my King, *
and I will praise your Name for ever and ever.
2 Every day will I give thanks to you, *
and praise your Name for ever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord, and most worthy to be praised; *
there is no end of his greatness.
4 One generation shall praise your works to another, *
and shall declare your power.
5 As for me, I will be talking of the glorious
splendor of your majesty, *
and of all your wondrous works.
6 They shall speak of the might of your marvelous acts, *
and I also will tell of your greatness.
7 The remembrance of your abundant
goodness shall they proclaim, *
and they shall sing of your righteousness.
8 The Lord is gracious and merciful, *
long-suffering, and of great kindness.
9 The Lord is loving to everyone, *
and his mercy is over all his works.
10 All your works praise you, O Lord, *
and your faithful servants give thanks to you.
11 They speak of the glory of your kingdom *
and talk of your power,
12 That your power may be known to the children of men, *
even the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, *
and your dominion endures throughout all ages.
14 The Lord upholds all those who fall *
and lifts up all those who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all wait upon you, O Lord, *
and you give them their food in due season.
16 You open wide your hand, *
and fill all things living with plenteousness.
17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways *
and merciful in all his works.
18 The Lord is near to all those who call upon him, *
to all who call upon him faithfully.
19 He will fulfill the desire of those who fear him; *
he also will hear their cry and will help them.
20 The Lord preserves all those who love him, *
but he will destroy all the ungodly.
21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord; *
and let all flesh give thanks unto his holy Name
for ever and 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.
Psalm 146 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-146.mp3)
1 Hallelujah!
Praise the LORD, O my soul! *
I will praise the LORD as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
2 Put not your trust in rulers, nor in any child of earth, *
for there is no help in them.
3 When they breathe their last, they return to earth, *
and in that day their thoughts perish.
4 Happy are they who have the God of Jacob for their help! *
whose hope is in the LORD their God;
5 Who made heaven and earth, the seas, and all that is in them; *
who keeps his promise for ever;
6 Who gives justice to those who are oppressed, *
and food to those who hunger.
7 The LORD sets the prisoners free;
the LORD opens the eyes of the blind; *
the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down;
8 The LORD loves the righteous;
the LORD cares for the stranger; *
he sustains the orphan and widow,
but frustrates the way of the wicked.
9 The LORD shall reign for ever, *
your God, O Zion, throughout all generations.
Hallelujah!
PRAYER
Blessed are those who put their trust in you, O God,
our sure rock and refuge.
Guard us from giving to any other
the allegiance which belongs only to you.
Shine upon us with the brightness of your light,
that we may love you with a pure heart
and praise you forever;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. BCW
THE WORD OF GOD
READING: Genesis 17:1-14
When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am El Shaddai. Walk with me and be trustworthy. I will make a covenant between us and I will give you many, many descendants.” Abram fell on his face, and God said to him, “But me, my covenant is with you; you will be the ancestor of many nations. And because I have made you the ancestor of many nations, your name will no longer be Abram but Abraham. I will make you very fertile. I will produce nations from you, and kings will come from you. I will set up my covenant with you and your descendants after you in every generation as an enduring covenant. I will be your God and your descendants’ God after you. I will give you and your descendants the land in which you are immigrants, the whole land of Canaan, as an enduring possession. And I will be their God.”
God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants in every generation. This is my covenant that you and your descendants must keep: Circumcise every male. You must circumcise the flesh of your foreskins, and it will be a symbol of the covenant between us. On the eighth day after birth, every male in every generation must be circumcised, including those who are not your own children: those born in your household and those purchased with silver from foreigners. Be sure you circumcise those born in your household and those purchased with your silver. Your flesh will embody my covenant as an enduring covenant. Any uncircumcised male whose flesh of his foreskin remains uncircumcised will be cut off from his people. He has broken my covenant.”
HYMN: Mary Fawler Maude
Tune: Newington https://tinyurl.com/3mhk7wm2
1 Thine for ever! God of love,
hear us from thy throne above;
thine for ever may we be
here and in eternity.
2 Thine for ever! Lord of life,
shield us through our earthly strife;
thou the Life, the Truth, the Way,
guide us to the realms of day.
3 Thine for ever! O how blest
they who find in thee their rest!
Saviour, guardian, heavenly friend,
O defend us to the end.
4 Thine for ever! Shepherd, keep
us thy frail and trembling sheep;
safe alone beneath thy care,
let us all thy goodness share.
5 Thine for ever! Thou our guide,
all our wants by thee supplied,
all our sins by thee forgiven,
lead us, Lord, from earth to heaven.
READING: Romans 2:1-11
So every single one of you who judge others is without any excuse. You condemn yourself when you judge another person because the one who is judging is doing the same things. We know that God’s judgment agrees with the truth, and his judgment is against those who do these kinds of things. If you judge those who do these kinds of things while you do the same things yourself, think about this: Do you believe that you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you have contempt for the riches of God’s generosity, tolerance, and patience? Don’t you realize that God’s kindness is supposed to lead you to change your heart and life? You are storing up wrath for yourself because of your stubbornness and your heart that refuses to change. God’s just judgment will be revealed on the day of wrath. God will repay everyone based on their works. On the one hand, he will give eternal life to those who look for glory, honor, and immortality based on their patient good work. But on the other hand, there will be wrath and anger for those who obey wickedness instead of the truth because they are acting out of selfishness and disobedience. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. But there will be glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does what is good, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. God does not have favorites.
HYMN: John Oxenham
Tune: Denbigh https://tinyurl.com/265vhyuk
1 O God, within whose sight
All men have equal right
To worship Thee,
Break every bar that holds
Thy flock in diverse folds;
Thy will from none withholds
Full liberty.
2 Lord, set Thy churches free
From foolish rivalry.
Lord, make all free!
Let all past bitterness
Now and forever cease,
And all our souls possess
Thy charity.
READING: Matthew 5:27-30
Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, Don’t commit adultery. But I say to you that every man who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery in his heart. And if your right eye causes you to fall into sin, tear it out and throw it away. It’s better that you lose a part of your body than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to fall into sin, chop it off and throw it away. It’s better that you lose a part of your body than that your whole body go into hell.”
CANTICLE Isaiah 66:10-14a
(Sing the Hours)
Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad because of her,
all you who love her;
exult, exult with her,
all you who were mourning over her!
Oh, that you may suck fully
of the milk of her comfort,
that you may nurse with delight
at her abundant breasts!
For thus says the Lord:
Lo, I will spread prosperity over her like a river,
and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing torrent.
As nurslings, you shall be carried in her arms,
and fondled in her lap;
as a mother comforts her son,
so will I comfort you;
in Jerusalem you shall find your comfort.
When you see this, your heart shall rejoice,
and your bodies flourish like the grass.
THE PRAYERS CO94, alt.
Almighty God,
we pray for those
locked in circumstances beyond their control,
restrained by oppressors,
and seeing no end to their captivity.
May they discover hope
buried in deepest suffering;
through Jesus Christ,
who shared the weakness and despair
of human life,
yet gave even death a new outcome
and brought resurrection from a closed tomb. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for the Church,
set in the world
to show how people belong together
and how your gifts are given to be shared.
Grant that, as we feel
for the rejection and voicelessness of others,
we may meet Christ in them
and bear witness to his transforming love.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for the communities
in which we live and work;
for people under stress
and unable to deal with their difficulties;
for those who seek comfort
in ways which bring no help;
for all who are fearful.
Give us grace to show by our concern and actions
how each is loved and valued by you.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We remember those now hidden from us
but at home with you.
We give thanks especially
for those who have strengthened our weak faith,
built up our trust in you,
and by their life have drawn us
into the life of Christ
who died in weakness and reigns in glory. Amen.
(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.
Eternal and ever-gracious God, you blessed your servant Coretta Scott King with exceptional grace and courage to discern and speak the truth: Grant that, following her example, we may know you and recognize that we are all your children, brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ, who teaches us to love one another; 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.
HWHM Holy Women, Holy Men © 2010 The Church Pension Fund.
COS Common Order, © 1994 Church of Scotland
DL © Daniel Lawson; used with permission.
1 https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/coretta-scott-king
The main scripture readings are © 2011 Common English Bible.
The traditional language psalms are from The Book of Common Prayer (1662). Psalms 144 and 145 are from Book of Common Prayer (2019) as recorded for the St Bernard Breviary https://www.bernardbreviary.com/chant-helps. Psalm 146 is chanted by Ryland Angel. The canticle is from Liturgy of the Hours as recorded for the Sing the Hours YouTube channel 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 