Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/52jktxn4
To be near God is my happiness,
to place my hope in God the Lord. Psalm 73
God of grace,
you cause the sun to rise
and chase away the shadows of death.
Each day you promise resurrection,
that we may be born again to new life
and overcome all that would hurt or destroy.
Fill us with the Holy Spirit,
that we may be alive again
with the power and the peace of Jesus Christ,
our risen Lord. Amen. BCW
Music: https://tinyurl.com/mb6h9xfa
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall declare your praise.
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.
Alleluia, alleluia!
HYMN: William D Longstaff
Tune: https://tinyurl.com/5dftdfr
1 Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord;
abide in Him always, and feed on His word.
Make friends of God’s children, help those who are weak,
forgetting in nothing His blessing to seek.
2 Take time to be holy, the world rushes on;
spend much time in secret with Jesus alone.
By looking to Jesus, like Him thou shalt be;
thy friends in thy conduct His likeness shall see.
3 Take time to be holy, let Him be thy guide,
and run not before Him, whatever betide.
In joy or in sorrow, still follow the Lord,
and, looking to Jesus, still trust in His word.
4 Take time to be holy, be calm in thy soul,
each thought and each motive beneath His control.
Thus led by His Spirit to fountains of love,
thou soon shalt be fitted for service above.
PSALMS
Psalm 73 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/vztsodf)
1 Truly God is loving unto Israel *
even unto such as are of a clean heart.
2 Nevertheless, my feet were almost gone *
my treadings had well-nigh slipt.
3 And why? I was grieved at the wicked *
I do also see the ungodly in such prosperity.
4 For they are in no peril of death *
but are lusty and strong.
5 They come in no misfortune like other folk *
neither are they plagued like other men.
6 And this is the cause that they are so holden with pride *
and overwhelmed with cruelty.
7 Their eyes swell with fatness *
and they do even what they lust.
8 They corrupt other, and speak of wicked blasphemy *
their talking is against the most High.
9 For they stretch forth their mouth unto the heaven *
and their tongue goeth through the world.
10 Therefore fall the people unto them *
and thereout suck they no small advantage.
11 Tush, say they, how should God perceive it *
is there knowledge in the most High?
12 Lo, these are the ungodly, these prosper in the world,
and these have riches in possession *
and I said, Then have I cleansed my heart in vain,
and washed mine hands in innocency.
13 All the day long have I been punished *
and chastened every morning.
14 Yea, and I had almost said even as they *
but lo, then I should have condemned the generation of thy children.
15 Then thought I to understand this *
but it was too hard for me,
16 Until I went into the sanctuary of God *
then understood I the end of these men;
17 Namely, how thou dost set them in slippery places *
and castest them down, and destroyest them.
18 O how suddenly do they consume *
perish, and come to a fearful end!
19 Yea, even like as a dream when one awaketh *
so shalt thou make their image to vanish out of the city.
20 Thus my heart was grieved *
and it went even through my reins.
21 So foolish was I, and ignorant *
even as it were a beast before thee.
22 Nevertheless, I am alway by thee *
for thou hast holden me by my right hand.
23 Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel *
and after that receive me with glory.
24 Whom have I in heaven but thee *
and there is none upon earth that I desire in comparison of thee.
25 My flesh and my heart faileth *
but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.
26 For lo, they that forsake thee shall perish *
thou hast destroyed all them that commit fornication against thee.
27 But it is good for me to hold me fast by God, to put my trust in the Lord God *
and to speak of all thy works in the gates of the daughter of Sion.
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 74 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/r9v5c9y)
1 O God, wherefore art thou absent from us so long *
why is thy wrath so hot against the sheep of thy pasture?
2 O think upon thy congregation *
whom thou hast purchased, and redeemed of old.
3 Think upon the tribe of thine inheritance *
and mount Sion, wherein thou hast dwelt.
4 Lift up thy feet, that thou mayest utterly destroy every enemy *
which hath done evil in thy sanctuary.
5 Thine adversaries roar in the midst of thy congregations *
and set up their banners for tokens.
6 He that hewed timber afore out of the thick trees *
was known to bring it to an excellent work.
7 But now they break down all the carved work thereof *
with axes and hammers.
8 They have set fire upon thy holy places *
and have defiled the dwelling-place of thy Name, even unto the ground.
9 Yea, they said in their hearts, Let us make havock of them altogether *
thus have they burnt up all the houses of God in the land.
10 We see not our tokens, there is not one prophet more *
no, not one is there among us, that understandeth any more.
11 O God, how long shall the adversary do this dishonour *
how long shall the enemy blaspheme thy Name, for ever?
12 Why withdrawest thou thy hand *
why pluckest thou not thy right hand out of thy bosom
to consume the enemy?
13 For God is my King of old *
the help that is done upon earth he doeth it himself.
14 Thou didst divide the sea through thy power *
thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters.
15 Thou smotest the heads of Leviathan in pieces *
and gavest him to be meat for the people in the wilderness.
16 Thou broughtest out fountains and waters out of the hard rocks *
thou driedst up mighty waters.
17 The day is thine, and the night is thine *
thou hast prepared the light and the sun.
18 Thou hast set all the borders of the earth *
thou hast made summer and winter.
19 Remember this, O Lord, how the enemy hath rebuked *
and how the foolish people hath blasphemed thy Name.
20 O deliver not the soul of thy turtle-dove unto the multitude of the enemies *
and forget not the congregation of the poor for ever.
21 Look upon the covenant *
for all the earth is full of darkness, and cruel habitations.
22 O let not the simple go away ashamed *
but let the poor and needy give praise unto thy Name.
23 Arise, O God, maintain thine own cause *
remember how the foolish man blasphemeth thee daily.
24 Forget not the voice of thine enemies *
the presumption of them that hate thee increaseth ever more and more.
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 73 (Plainsong Tone V.3)
1 Truly, God is loving to Israel, *
even to those who have a clean heart.
2 Nevertheless, my feet had almost stumbled; *
my steps had nearly slipped.
3 For I was envious of the proud *
when I saw the ungodly in such prosperity.
4 For they are in no fear of death, *
but their bodies are healthy and strong.
5 They come to no misfortune like other folk, *
neither are they afflicted like others.
6 Therefore they wear pride as a necklace, *
and they wrap themselves with violence as with a garment.
7 Their eyes swell with greed, *
and their hearts overflow with wicked thoughts.
8 Their talk is malice and mockery; *
they have proud looks, and tyrannous words are on their lips.
9 For they set their mouth against the heavens, *
and their evil speech spreads through the world.
10 Therefore the people turn to them, *
and find no fault in them.
11 They say, “How should God perceive it? *
Is there knowledge in the Most High?”
12 Behold, these are the ungodly; *
they prosper in their ways, and they have riches in possession.
13 I said, “Surely in vain have I cleansed my heart *
and washed my hands in innocence.”
14 All the day long have I been afflicted, *
and chastened every morning.
15 Indeed, had I spoken as they do, *
then would I have betrayed the generation of your children.
16 When I sought to understand this, *
it was too hard for me,
17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God; *
then I understood their end.
18 Surely, you set them in slippery places, *
and cast them down, and destroy them.
19 Oh, how suddenly are they consumed; *
they perish and come to a fearful end.
20 Indeed, like a dream when one awakens, *
so shall you make their image vanish out of the city.
21 Thus my heart was grieved, *
and I was wounded within;
22 So foolish was I, and ignorant, *
as if I were a beast before you.
23 Nevertheless, I am always with you, *
for you hold me by my right hand.
24 You shall guide me with your counsel, *
and after that receive me with glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you? *
And there is no one on earth whom I desire
in comparison with you.
26 Though my flesh and my heart fail me, *
God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.
27 For behold, those who forsake you shall perish; *
you destroy all those who are unfaithful to you.
28 But it is good for me to hold fast to God,
to put my trust in the Lord God, *
and to speak of all your works in the gates of the city of Zion.
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 74 (Plainsong Tone V.3)
1 O God, why have you utterly cast us off? *
Why is your wrath so hot against the
sheep of your pasture?
2 O think upon your congregation *
whom you have purchased and redeemed of old.
3 Think upon the tribe of your inheritance, *
and Mount Zion, where you have dwelt.
4 Draw near and behold how all is made desolate *
and how the enemy has destroyed all that is in your sanctuary.
5 Your adversaries roar in the midst of your holy place *
and set up their banners as tokens of victory.
6 Like hewers of timber in a thicket of trees, *
so have they broken down all the carved work with
axes and hammers.
7 They have set fire to your holy place *
and have defiled the dwelling place of your Name,
even to the ground.
8 They said in their hearts,
“Let us make havoc of them altogether.” *
Thus have they burnt up all the houses of God in the land.
9 We do not see any signs; there is not one prophet anymore; *
there is no one who knows how long
these things shall continue.
10 O God, how long shall the adversary do this dishonor? *
How long shall the enemy blaspheme your Name, for ever?
11 Why do you withdraw your hand? *
Why do you not take your right hand out of your bosom
to consume the enemy?
12 For God is my King of old; *
he is the one bringing help upon the earth.
13 You divided the sea through your power; *
you broke the heads of the dragons in the waters.
14 You smote the heads of Leviathan in pieces *
and gave him to be food for the people in the wilderness.
15 You brought fountains and waters out of the hard rocks, *
and you dried up mighty waters.
16 The day is yours, and the night is yours; *
you have prepared the light and the sun.
17 You have set all the borders of the earth; *
you have made summer and winter.
18 Remember this, O Lord, how the enemy scoffed, *
and how the foolish people have blasphemed your Name.
19 Deliver not the soul of your turtledove to the wild beasts, *
and forget not for ever the lives of your poor.
20 Look upon your covenant, *
for the dark places of the earth are full of violence.
21 Let not the oppressed go away ashamed, *
but let the poor and needy give praise to your Name.
22 Arise, O God, maintain your own cause; *
remember how the foolish one blasphemes you daily.
23 Forget not the voice of your enemies, *
nor the tumult of those who hate you,
which increases ever more and more.
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.
PRAYER
God our strength,
you give honor to the pure in heart
and uphold all who trust in you.
Deliver us from chasing after this world’s illusions
that we may follow instead
the imperishable truth of your Word
in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. BCW
THE WORD OF GOD
READING: Isaiah 41:13-20
For I, the Lord your God,
hold your right hand;
it is I who say to you, “Do not fear,
I will help you.”
Do not fear, you worm Jacob,
you maggot Israel!
I will help you, says the Lord;
your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
I will make of you a threshing sledge,
sharp, new, and having teeth;
you shall thresh the mountains and crush them,
and you shall make the hills like chaff.
You shall winnow them, and the wind shall carry them away,
and the tempest shall scatter them.
Then you shall rejoice in the Lord;
in the Holy One of Israel you shall glory.
When the poor and needy seek water,
and there is none,
and their tongue is parched with thirst,
I the Lord will answer them,
I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
I will open rivers on the bare heights
and fountains in the midst of the valleys;
I will make the wilderness a pool of water
and the dry land springs of water.
I will put in the wilderness the cedar,
the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive;
I will set in the desert the cypress,
the plane and the pine together,
so that all may see and know,
all may consider and understand,
that the hand of the Lord has done this,
the Holy One of Israel has created it.
HYMN: Doris Akers ©
Tune: https://tinyurl.com/35cfurtj
Refrain:
Lead me, guide me, along the way,
for if you lead me, I cannot stray.
Lord, let me walk each day with thee.
Lead me, O Lord, lead me.
1 I am weak and I need thy strength and pow’r
to help me over my weakest hour.
Help me through the darkness thy face to see.
Lead me, O Lord, lead me. [Refrain]
2 Help me tread in the paths of righteousness.
Be my aid when Satan and sin oppress.
I am putting all my trust in thee.
Lead me, O Lord, lead me. [Refrain]
3 I am lost if you take your hand from me.
I am blind without thy light to see.
Lord, just always let me thy servant be.
Lead me, O Lord, lead me. [Refrain]
READING: 1 Peter 1:13-2:3
Therefore prepare your minds for action; discipline yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when he is revealed. Like obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires that you formerly had in ignorance. Instead, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct, for it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
If you invoke as Father the one who judges impartially according to each person’s work, live in fear during the time of your exile. You know that you were ransomed from the futile conduct inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. He was destined before the foundation of the world but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake. Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your trust and hope are in God.
Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual affection, love one another deeply from the heart. You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God. For
“All flesh is like grass
and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
and the flower falls,
but the word of the Lord endures forever.”
That word is the good news that was announced to you.
Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
HYMN: Johann Franck; trans. Catherine Winkworth
Tune: Jesu meine Freude https://tinyurl.com/3pzh683r
1 Jesu, priceless treasure,
source of purest pleasure,
truest friend to me;
ah! how long in anguish
shall my spirit languish
yearning, Lord, for thee?
Thine I am,
O spotless Lamb,
I will suffer
naught to hide thee,
naught I ask beside thee.
2 In thine arms I rest me,
foes who would molest me
cannot reach me here.
Though the earth be shaking,
every heart be quaking,
Jesus calms my fear;
lightnings flash
and thunders crash;
yet, though sin
and hell assail me,
Jesus will not fail me.
3 Satan, I defy thee;
death, I now decry thee;
fear, I bid thee cease.
World, thou shalt not harm me
nor thy threats alarm me
while I sing of peace.
God’s great power
guards every hour;
earth and all
its depths adore him,
silent bow before him.
4 Hence with earthly treasure!
Thou art all my pleasure,
Jesus, all my choice.
Hence, thou empty glory!
naught to me thy story,
told with tempting voice.
Pain or loss,
or shame or cross,
shall not from
my Saviour move me,
since he deigns to love me.
5 Hence, all fear and sadness!
For the Lord of gladness,
Jesus, enters in;
they who love the Father,
though the storms may gather,
still have peace within;
yea, whate’er
I here must bear,
thou art still
my purest pleasure,
Jesu, priceless treasure!
READING: John 5:1-18
After this there was a festival of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Beth-zatha, which has five porticoes. In these lay many ill, blind, lame, and paralyzed people. One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” The ill man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am making my way someone else steps down ahead of me.” Jesus said to him, “Stand up, take your mat and walk.” At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk.
Now that day was a Sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who had been cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.” But he answered them, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your mat and walk.’ ” They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take it up and walk’?” Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had disappeared in the crowd that was there. Later Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you have been made well! Do not sin any more, so that nothing worse happens to you.” The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. Therefore the Jews started persecuting Jesus, because he was doing such things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, “My Father is still working, and I also am working.” For this reason the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because he was not only breaking the Sabbath but was also calling God his own Father, thereby making himself equal to God.
CANTICLE Revelation 4:11, 5:9-10, 13
(Chant by Joe Cox: https://tinyurl.com/y499lmmp)
Ant. Splendor and honor and kingly power *
are yours by right, O Lord our God,
For you created everything that is, *
and by your will they were created and have their being;
And yours by right, O Lamb that was slain, *
for with your blood you have redeemed for God,
From every family, language, people, and nation, *
a kingdom of priests to serve our God.
And so, to him who sits upon the throne, *
and to Christ the Lamb,
Be worship and praise, dominion and splendor, *
for ever and for evermore. Ant.
THE PRAYERS CWC
O Good Shepherd, your world is hurting.
As people flee their homes
because of violence and poverty, we pray:
Make us your instruments.
As governments and corporations
grow in power and wealth, we pray:
Make us your instruments.
As some of your beloved sheep
grow in despair and hopelessness, we pray:
Make us your instruments.
As your children are persecuted
in places near and far, we pray:
Make us your instruments.
Make us your instruments, O God,
so that we may bring your message of hope
and proclaim your loving name
to every household in this world. Amen.
(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.
Living God,
for whom no door is closed,
no heart is locked,
draw us beyond our doubts,
till we see your Christ
and touch his wounds
where they bleed in others.
This we ask through Christ our Savior,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen. BCW
https://tinyurl.com/rkxkpmc
Go in peace, alleluia, alleluia!
Thanks be to God, alleluia, alleluia!
Glory to God whose power, working in us,
can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine:
Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church,
and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20,21
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.
The main scripture readings are from the New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
The traditional version of psalms are from The Book of Common Prayer (1662). The modern version is from Book of Common Prayer (2019) as recorded for the St Bernard Breviary https://www.bernardbreviary.com/chant-helps
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 