Oremus for February 21, 2026

*Jonah and the Gourd,* Martin Van Heemskerck, 1561

Within your will, O Lord, all things are established,
and there is none that can resist your will.
For you have made all things, the heaven and the earth,
and all that is held within the circle of heaven;
you are the Lord of all. Esther 4

Gracious God,
our sins are too heavy to carry,
too real to hide,
and too deep to undo.
Forgive what our lips tremble to name,
what our hearts can no longer bear,
and what has become for us
a consuming fire of judgment.
Set us free from a past that we cannot change;
open to us a future in which we can be changed;
and grant us grace
to grow more and more in your likeness and image;
through Jesus Christ, the light of the world. Amen. ^BCW

Music: https://tinyurl.com/ufxekitx

God, come to my assistance.
Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory 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.

HYMN: Mary Peters
Tune: Ar hyd y nos https://tinyurl.com/ye2yyh5s

1 Through the love of God our Saviour,
all will be well.
Free and changeless is his favour,
all, all is well.
Precious is the blood that healed us,
perfect is the grace that sealed us,
strong the hand stretched forth to shield us,
all must be well.

2 Though we pass through tribulation,
all will be well.
Ours is such a full salvation,
all, all is well.
Happy, still in God confiding,
fruitful, if in Christ abiding,
holy, through the Spirit’s guiding,
all must be well.

3 We expect a bright tomorrow,
all will be well.
Faith can sing through days of sorrow,
‘All, all is well.’
On our Father’s love relying,
Jesus every need supplying,
in our living, in our dying,
all must be well.

PSALMS

PSALMS

Psalm 106 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/yd2cn3x8)
1  O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is gracious *
and his mercy endureth for ever.
2  Who can express the noble acts of the Lord *
or shew forth all his praise?
3  Blessed are they that alway keep judgement *
and do righteousness.
4  Remember me, O Lord, according to the favour
that thou bearest unto thy people *
O visit me with thy salvation;
5  That I may see the felicity of thy chosen *
and rejoice in the gladness of thy people,
and give thanks with thine inheritance.
6  We have sinned with our fathers *
we have done amiss, and dealt wickedly.
7  Our fathers regarded not thy wonders in Egypt,
neither kept they thy great goodness in remembrance *
but were disobedient at the sea, even at the Red sea.
8  Nevertheless, he helped them for his Name’s sake *
that he might make his power to be known.
9  He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up *
so he led them through the deep, as through a wilderness.
10  And he saved them from the adversary’s hand *
and delivered them from the hand of the enemy.
11  As for those that troubled them, the waters overwhelmed them *
there was not one of them left.
12  Then believed they his words *
and sang praise unto him.
13  But within a while they forgat his works *
and would not abide his counsel.
14  But lust came upon them in the wilderness *
and they tempted God in the desert.
15  And he gave them their desire *
and sent leanness withal into their soul.
16  They angered Moses also in the tents *
and Aaron the saint of the Lord.
17  So the earth opened, and swallowed up Dathan *
and covered the congregation of Abiram.
18  And the fire was kindled in their company *
the flame burnt up the ungodly.
19  They made a calf in Horeb *
and worshipped the molten image.
20  Thus they turned their glory *
into the similitude of a calf that eateth hay.
21  And they forgat God their Saviour *
who had done so great things in Egypt;
22  Wondrous works in the land of Ham *
and fearful things by the Red sea.
23  So he said, he would have destroyed them,
had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the gap *
to turn away his wrathful indignation, lest he should destroy them.
24  Yea, they thought scorn of that pleasant land *
and gave no credence unto his word;
25  But murmured in their tents *
and hearkened not unto the voice of the Lord.
26  Then lift he up his hand against them *
to overthrow them in the wilderness;
27  To cast out their seed among the nations *
and to scatter them in the lands.
28  They joined themselves unto Baalpeor *
and ate the offerings of the dead.
29  Thus they provoked him to anger with their own inventions *
and the plague was great among them.
30  Then stood up Phinees and prayed *
and so the plague ceased.
31  And that was counted unto him for righteousness *
among all posterities for evermore.
32  They angered him also at the waters of strife *
so that he punished Moses for their sakes;
33  Because they provoked his spirit *
so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips.
34  Neither destroyed they the heathen *
as the Lord commanded them;
35  But were mingled among the heathen *
and learned their works.
36  Insomuch that they worshipped their idols,
which turned to their own decay *
yea, they offered their sons and their daughters unto devils;
37  And shed innocent blood,
even the blood of their sons and of their daughters *
whom they offered unto the idols of Canaan;
and the land was defiled with blood.
38  Thus were they stained with their own works *
and went a whoring with their own inventions.
39  Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against his people *
insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance.
40  And he gave them over into the hand of the heathen *
and they that hated them were lords over them.
41  Their enemies oppressed them *
and had them in subjection.
42  Many a time did he deliver them *
but they rebelled against him with their own inventions,
and were brought down in their wickedness.
43  Nevertheless, when he saw their adversity *
he heard their complaint.
44  He thought upon his covenant, and pitied them,
according unto the multitude of his mercies *
yea, he made all those that led them away captive to pity them.
45  Deliver us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the heathen *
that we may give thanks unto thy holy Name, and make our boast of thy praise.
46  Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting, and world without end *
and let all the people say, Amen.
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 106 (Old 22^nd https://tinyurl.com/4nja9dwy)
1 O praise the LORD, for He is good;
give thanks and bless His name;
His loving-kindness changes not,
from age to age the same.
What tongue can tell His mighty deeds,
His wondrous works and ways?
O who can show His glory forth,
or utter all His praise?

2 The LORD will bless and prosper those–
yea, blest indeed are they–
whose ways are just, who constantly
His righteous law obey.
O LORD, remember me in grace,
let me salvation see;
the grace You show unto Your saints,
that grace reveal to me.

3 Let me behold Your people’s good
and in their joy rejoice;
with Your triumphant heritage
let me lift up my voice.
In evil we have gone astray,
and sinful is our race;
rebelliously our fathers walked
forgetful of Your grace.

4 Tho’ they rebelled, yet for their help
in saving strength He came
to make His pow’r almighty known
and glorify His name.
He brought them safely thro’ the sea
and overwhelmed their foes;
their faith was stirred, and for the time
their songs of praise arose.

5 Forgetful soon, they tempted God,
nor for His counsel cared;
He sent them leanness in their souls,
While they earth’s bounties shared.
Their God and Savior they forgot,
their helper and their stay,
but Moses sought the promised grace
and turned God’s wrath away.

6 But they despised the pleasant land,
the promised land of God,
and tempted Him to make them fall
and scattered them abroad.
Against His own inheritance
the LORD’s great wrath arose;
His chosen people He condemned
to serve their heathen foes.

7 Save us, O LORD, our gracious God,
from alien lands reclaim,
that we may triumph in Your praise
and bless Your holy name.
Blest be the Lord, our cov’nant God,
all praise to Him accord;
let all the people say, “Amen!”
Forever praise the LORD.

PRAYER

Holy God,
when our memories blot out your kindness
and we ignore your patient love,
remember us, re-make us,
and give us sinners
the rich inheritance of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ^CW:DP

THE WORD OF GOD

But Jonah thought this was utterly wrong, and he became angry. He prayed to the Lord, “Come on, Lord! Wasn’t this precisely my point when I was back in my own land? This is why I fled to Tarshish earlier! I know that you are a merciful and compassionate God, very patient, full of faithful love, and willing not to destroy. At this point, Lord, you may as well take my life from me, because it would be better for me to die than to live.”

The Lord responded, “Is your anger a good thing?” But Jonah went out from the city and sat down east of the city. There he made himself a hut and sat under it, in the shade, to see what would happen to the city.

Then the Lord God provided a shrub, and it grew up over Jonah, providing shade for his head and saving him from his misery. Jonah was very happy about the shrub. But God provided a worm the next day at dawn, and it attacked the shrub so that it died. Then as the sun rose God provided a dry east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah’s head so that he became faint. He begged that he might die, saying, “It’s better for me to die than to live.”

God said to Jonah, “Is your anger about the shrub a good thing?” Jonah said, “Yes, my anger is good—even to the point of death!” But the Lord said, “You ‘pitied’ the shrub, for which you didn’t work and which you didn’t raise; it grew in a night and perished in a night. Yet for my part, can’t I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than one hundred twenty thousand people who can’t tell their right hand from their left, and also many animals?”

HYMN: Julia C Cory
Tune: Kremser https://tinyurl.com/ywts2y83

1 We praise Thee, O God, our Redeemer, Creator,
In grateful devotion our tribute we bring;
We lay it before Thee, we kneel and adore Thee,
We bless Thy holy Name, glad praises we sing.

2 We worship Thee, God of our fathers, we bless Thee;
Through life’s storm and tempest our Guide hast Thou been;
When perils overtake us, escape Thou wilt make us,
And with Thy help, O Lord, our battles we win.

3 With voices united our praises we offer,
To Thee, great Jehovah, glad anthems we raise;
Thy strong arm will guide us, our God is beside us,
To Thee, our great Redeemer, fore’er be praise.

READING: Romans 9:19-33
So you are going to say to me, “Then why does he still blame people? Who has ever resisted his will?” You are only a human being. Who do you think you are to talk back to God? Does the clay say to the potter, “Why did you make me like this?” Doesn’t the potter have the power over the clay to make one pot for special purposes and another for garbage from the same lump of clay? What if God very patiently puts up with pots made for wrath that were designed for destruction, because he wanted to show his wrath and to make his power known? What if he did this to make the wealth of his glory known toward pots made for mercy, which he prepared in advance for glory? We are the ones God has called. We don’t come only from the Jews but we also come from the Gentiles. As it says also in Hosea,

I will call “my people” those who aren’t my people, and the one who isn’t well loved, I will call “loved one.” And in the place where it was said to them, “You aren’t my people,” there they will be called “the living God’s children.”

But Isaiah cries out for Israel, Though the number of Israel’s children will be like the sand of the sea, only a remaining part will be saved, because the Lord does what he says completely and quickly.

As Isaiah prophesied, If the Lord of the heavenly forces had not left descendants for us, we would have been like Sodom, and we would have become like Gomorrah.

So what are we going to say? Gentiles who weren’t striving for righteousness achieved righteousness, the righteousness that comes from faith. But though Israel was striving for a Law of righteousness, they didn’t arrive. Why? It’s because they didn’t go for it by faith but they went for it as if it could be reached by doing something. They have tripped over a stumbling block. As it is written:

Look! I’m putting a stumbling block in Zion,
which is a rock that offends people.
And the one who has faith in him will not be put to shame.

HYMN: Adelaide A Pollard
Tune: https://tinyurl.com/25z u msb7

1 Have thine own way, Lord!
Have thine own way!
Thou art the potter,
I am the clay.
Mold me and make me
after thy will,
while I am waiting,
yielded and still.

2 Have thine own way, Lord!
Have thine own way!
Search me and try me,
Savior today!
Wash me just now, Lord,
wash me just now,
as in thy presence
humbly I bow.

3 Have thine own way, Lord!
Have thine own way!
Wounded and weary,
help me I pray!
Power, all power,
surely is thine!
Touch me and heal me,
Savior divine!

4 Have thine own way, Lord!
Have thine own way!
Hold o’er my being
absolute sway.
Fill with thy Spirit
till all shall see
Christ only, always,
living in me!

After leaving the region of Tyre, Jesus went through Sidon toward the Galilee Sea through the region of the Ten Cities. Some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly speak, and they begged him to place his hand on the man for healing. Jesus took him away from the crowd by himself and put his fingers in the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. Looking into heaven, Jesus sighed deeply and said, “Ephphatha,” which means, “Open up.” At once, his ears opened, his twisted tongue was released, and he began to speak clearly.

Jesus gave the people strict orders not to tell anyone. But the more he tried to silence them, the more eagerly they shared the news. People were overcome with wonder, saying, “He does everything well! He even makes the deaf to hear and gives speech to those who can’t speak.”

CANTICLE Isaiah 12:2-6

Surely, it is God who saves me; *
I will trust in him and not be afraid.
For the Lord is my stronghold and my sure defense, *
and he will be my Savior.
Therefore you shall draw water with rejoicing *
from the springs of salvation.
And on that day you shall say, *
Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his Name;
Make his deeds known among the peoples; *
see that they remember that his Name is exalted.
Sing the praises of the Lord, for he has done great things, *
and this is known in all the world.
Cry aloud, inhabitants of Zion, ring out your joy, *
for the great one in the midst of you is the Holy One of Israel.
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.

LITANY OF CONFESSION ^CW:TS

We pray to the Lord for courage to give up other things
and to give ourselves to him this Lent.

Give your Church the courage
to give up her preoccupation with herself
and to give more time to your mission in the world.