Oremus for May 28, 2026

Joseph Accused by Potiphar’s Wife, Rembrandt, 1655

Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/228vra7b

Come to me, all who labor and are burdened,
and I will refresh you, says the Lord. Matthew 11

Lord God, where two or three gather in your name,
you promise to be with them.
Look upon your family gathered in your name,
and graciously pour out your blessings upon us;
for the sake of 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: Timothy Dudley-Smith ©
Tune: Bridegroom https://shorturl.at/lFvqZ

1. Not for tongues of Heaven’s angels,
Not for wisdom to discern,
Not for faith that masters mountains,
For this better gift we yearn:
May love be ours, O Lord.

2. Love is humble, love is gentle,
Love is tender, true, and kind;
Love is gracious, ever patient,
Generous of heart and mind:
May love be ours, O Lord.

3. Never jealous, never selfish,
Love will not rejoice in wrong;
Never boastful nor resentful,
Love believes and suffers long:
May love be ours, O Lord.

4. In the day this world is fading,
Faith and hope will play their part,
But when Christ is seen in glory,
Love shall reign in every heart:
May love be ours, O Lord.

PSALMS

Psalm 132 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/tv4ygfu)
1  Lord, remember David *
 and all his trouble;
2  How he sware unto the Lord *
 and vowed a vow unto the Almighty God of Jacob;
3  I will not come within the tabernacle of mine house *
 nor climb up into my bed;
4  I will not suffer mine eyes to sleep, nor mine eye-lids to slumber *
 neither the temples of my head to take any rest;
5  Until I find out a place for the temple of the Lord *
 an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.
6  Lo, we heard of the same at Ephrata *
 and found it in the wood.
7  We will go into his tabernacle *
 and fall low on our knees before his footstool.
8  Arise, O Lord, into thy resting-place *
 thou, and the ark of thy strength.
9  Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness *
 and let thy saints sing with joyfulness.
10  For thy servant David’s sake *
 turn not away the presence of thine Anointed.
11  The Lord hath made a faithful oath unto David *
 and he shall not shrink from it;
12  Of the fruit of thy body *
 shall I set upon thy seat.
13  If thy children will keep my covenant,
and my testimonies that I shall learn them *
 their children also shall sit upon thy seat for evermore.
14  For the Lord hath chosen Sion to be an habitation for himself *
 he hath longed for her.
15  This shall be my rest for ever *
 here will I dwell, for I have a delight therein.
16  I will bless her victuals with increase *
 and will satisfy her poor with bread.
17  I will deck her priests with health *
 and her saints shall rejoice and sing.
18  There shall I make the horn of David to flourish *
 I have ordained a lantern for mine Anointed.
19  As for his enemies, I shall clothe them with shame *
 but upon himself shall his crown flourish.
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 133 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/tlrm8lu)
1  Behold, how good and joyful a thing it is *
 brethren, to dwell together in unity !
2  It is like the precious ointment upon the head,
that ran down unto the beard *
 even unto Aaron’s beard, and went down to the skirts of his clothing.
3  Like as the dew of Hermon *
 which fell upon the hill of Sion.
4  For there the Lord promised his blessing *
 and life for evermore.
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 134 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/v5kga57)
1  Behold now, praise the Lord *
 all ye servants of the Lord;
2  Ye that by night stand in the house of the Lord *
 even in the courts of the house of our God.
3  Lift up your hands in the sanctuary *
 and praise the Lord.
4  The Lord that made heaven and earth *
 give thee blessing out 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 135 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/w3blm5w)
1  O praise the Lord, laud ye the Name of the Lord *
 praise it, O ye servants of the Lord;
2  Ye that stand in the house of the Lord *
 in the courts of the house of our God.
3  O praise the Lord, for the Lord is gracious *
 O sing praises unto his Name, for it is lovely.
4  For why? the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself *
 and Israel for his own possession.
5  For I know that the Lord is great *
 and that our Lord is above all gods.
6  Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth *
 and in the sea, and in all deep places.
7  He bringeth forth the clouds from the ends of the world *
 and sendeth forth lightnings with the rain,
bringing the winds out of his treasures.
8  He smote the first-born of Egypt *
 both of man and beast.
9  He hath sent tokens and wonders into the midst of thee,
O thou land of Egypt *
 upon Pharaoh, and all his servants.
10  He smote divers nations *
 and slew mighty kings;
11  Sehon king of the Amorites, and Og the king of Basan *
 and all the kingdoms of Canaan;
12  And gave their land to be an heritage *
 even an heritage unto Israel his people.
13  Thy Name, O Lord, endureth for ever *
 so doth thy memorial, O Lord, from one generation to another.
14  For the Lord will avenge his people *
 and be gracious unto his servants.
15  As for the images of the heathen, they are but silver and gold *
 the work of men’s hands.
16  They have mouths, and speak not *
 eyes have they, but they see not.
17  They have ears, and yet they hear not *
 neither is there any breath in their mouths.
18  They that make them are like unto them *
 and so are all they that put their trust in them.
19  Praise the Lord, ye house of Israel *
 praise the Lord, ye house of Aaron.
20  Praise the Lord, ye house of Levi *
 ye that fear the Lord, praise the Lord.
21  Praised be the Lord out of Sion *
 who dwelleth at Jerusalem.
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 132 (LSB Tone G: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-132-LSB.mp3)
1 Remember, O LORD, in David’s favor,*
 all the hardships he endured,
2 how he swore to the LORD*
 and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob,
3 “I will not enter my house*
 or get into my bed,
4 I will not give sleep to my eyes*
 or slumber to my eyelids,
5 until I find a place for the LORD,*
 a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
6 Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah;*
 we found it in the fields of Jaar.
7 “Let us go to his dwelling place;*
 let us worship at his footstool!”
8 Arise, O LORD, and go to your resting place,*
 you and the ark of your might.
9 Let your priests be clothed with righteousness,*
 and let your saints shout for joy.
10 For the sake of your servant David,*
 do not turn away the face of your anointed one.
11 The LORD swore to David a sure oath
from which he will not turn back:*
 “One of the sons of your body I will set on your throne.
12 If your sons keep my covenant and my testimonies that I shall teach them,*
 their sons also forever shall sit on your throne.”
13 For the LORD has chosen Zion;*
 he has desired it for his dwelling place:
14 “This is my resting place forever;*
 here I will dwell, for I have desired it.
15 I will abundantly bless her provisions;*
 I will satisfy her poor with bread.
16 Her priests I will clothe with salvation,*
 and her saints will shout for joy.
17 There I will make a horn to sprout for David;*
 I have prepared a lamp for my anointed.
18 His enemies I will clothe with shame,*
 but on him his crown will shine.”
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.

Psalm 133 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-133.mp3)
1 Oh, how good and pleasant it is, *
when brethren live together in unity!
2 It is like fine oil upon the head *
that runs down upon the beard,
3 Upon the beard of Aaron, *
and runs down upon the collar of his robe.
4 It is like the dew of Hermon *
that falls upon the hills of Zion.
5 For there the LORD has ordained the blessing: *
life for evermore.

Psalm 134 (LSB Tone D: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-134-LSB.mp3)
1 Come, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD,*
 who stand by night in the house of the LORD!
2 Lift up your hands to the holy place*
 and bless the LORD!
3 May the LORD bless you from Zion,*
 he who made heaven and earth!
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.

Psalm 135 (Gregorian Tone VIII.1)

1 O praise the Lord. Praise the Name of the Lord; *
offer praise, you servants of the Lord,
2 You who stand in the house of the Lord, *
in the courts of the house of our God.
3 O praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; *
sing praises unto his Name, for it is lovely.
4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself *
and Israel for his own possession.
5 For I know that the Lord is great, *
and that our Lord is above all gods.
6 Whatsoever the Lord pleases he does, in heaven and on earth, *
in the seas and in all the deep places.
7 He brings forth clouds from the ends of the earth *
and sends forth lightning with the rain,
bringing the wind out of his treasuries.
8 It was he who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, *
both of man and beast.
9 He sent signs and wonders into the midst of you,
O land of Egypt, *
against Pharaoh and all his servants.
10 He smote many nations, *
and slew mighty kings:
11 Sihon king of the Amorites, and Og the king of Bashan, *
and all the kingdoms of Canaan.
12 And he gave their land to be an inheritance, *
an inheritance for Israel his people.
13 Your Name, O Lord, endures for ever; *
so does your renown, O Lord, from one generation to another.
14 For the Lord will avenge his people *
and have compassion upon his servants.
15 As for the idols of the nations, they are but silver and gold, *
the work of human hands.
16 They have mouths, but they speak not; *
eyes have they, but they see not;
17 They have ears, and yet they hear not, *
neither is there any breath in their mouths.
18 Those who make them are like them, *
and so are all who put their trust in them.
19 Praise the Lord, O house of Israel; *
praise the Lord, O house of Aaron.
20 Praise the Lord, O house of Levi; *
you who fear the Lord, praise the Lord.
21 Praised be the Lord from Zion, *
who dwells in Jerusalem. Praise the Lord.
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

Creator of the universe,
from whom all things come,
to whom all things return,
give your people such unity of heart and mind,
that all the world may grow in the life of your eternal kingdom;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. BCW

THE WORD OF GOD
READING: Genesis 39:1-10
Now Joseph was taken down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there. The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man; he was in the house of his Egyptian master. His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to prosper in his hands. So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him; he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had. From the time that he made him overseer in his house and over all that he had, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had, in house and field. So he left all that he had in Joseph’s charge, and with him there he had no concern for anything but the food that he ate.

Now Joseph was handsome and good-looking. And after a time his master’s wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, “Lie with me.” But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, with me here, my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my hand. He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except yourself, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” And although she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not consent to lie beside her or to be with her.

HYMN: Joachim Neander; trans. Catherine Winkworth
Tune: Lobe den Herren https://shorturl.at/LxPNN

1 Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation;
O my soul, praise him, for he is thy health and salvation:
all ye who hear,
now to his temple draw near,
joining in glad adoration.

2 Praise to the Lord, who o’er all things so wondrously reigneth,
shieldeth thee gently from harm, or when fainting sustaineth:
hast thou not seen
how thy heart’s wishes have been
granted in what he ordaineth?

3 Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee;
surely his goodness and mercy shall daily attend thee:
ponder anew
what the Almighty can do,
if to the end he befriend thee.

4 Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before him!
Let the Amen
sound from his people again:
gladly for aye we adore him!

READING: Romans 14:1-13
Welcome those who are weak in faith but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions. Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables. Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgment on those who eat, for God has welcomed them. Who are you to pass judgment on slaves of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds. Those who observe the day, observe it for the Lord. Also those who eat, eat for the Lord, since they give thanks to God, while those who abstain, abstain for the Lord and give thanks to God.

For we do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God.” So then, each one of us will be held accountable.

Let us therefore no longer pass judgment on one another, but resolve instead never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother or sister.

HYMN: Harry Harbaugh
Tune: St Ethelwald https://shorturl.at/nFV0z

1 Jesus, I live to Thee,
The loveliest and best;
My life in Thee, Thy life in me,
In Thy blest love I rest.

2 Jesus, I die to Thee,
Whenever death shall come;
To die in Thee is life to me,
In my eternal home.

3 Whether to live or die,
I know not which is best;
To live in Thee is bliss to me,
To die is endless rest.

4 Living or dying, Lord,
I ask but to be Thine;
My life in Thee, Thy life in me,
Makes heaven forever mine.

READING: Matthew 5:21-26
Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder,’ and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment, and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council, and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire. So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.”

CANTICLE Revelation 19:1-7
(Mount St. Mary’s Seminary https://tinyurl.com/57f9sztd)
Ant. Praise God, all you who serve him,
both great and small, alleluia.
Alleluia.
Salvation, glory, and power to our God: alleluia.
his judgments are honest and true.
Alleluia, alleluia.
Alleluia.
Sing praise to our God, all you his servants, alleluia.
all who worship him reverently, great and small.
Alleluia, alleluia.
Alleluia.
The Lord our all-powerful God is King; alleluia.
Let us rejoice, sing praise, and give him glory.
Alleluia, alleluia.
Alleluia.
The wedding feast of the Lamb has begun, alleluia.
and his bride is prepared to welcome him.
Alleluia, alleluia.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, alleluia.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Alleluia, alleluia.
Ant. Praise God, all you who serve him,
both great and small, alleluia.

THE PRAYERS COS
Gracious God,
rejoicing in your blessings,
trusting in your loving care for all,
we bring you our prayers for the world.

We pray for the created world:
for those who rebuild
where things have been destroyed;
for those who fight hunger, poverty, and disease;
for those who have power
to bring change for the better and to renew hope.                         
In the life of our world
your kingdom come, O Lord.

We pray for our country:
for those who frame our laws
and shape our common life;
for those who keep the peace
and administer justice;
for those who teach,
those who heal,
all who serve the community.                  
In the life of our land
your kingdom come, O Lord.

We pray for people in need:
those for whom life is a bitter struggle;
those whose lives are clouded
by death or loss,
by pain or disability,
by discouragement or fear,
by shame or rejection.
In the lives of those in need
your kingdom come, O Lord.

We pray for those
in the circle of friendship and love around us:
children and parents;
sisters and brothers;
friends and neighbours;                              
and for those especially in our thoughts today.                               
In the lives of those we love
your kingdom come, O Lord.

We pray for the Church
in its stand with the poor,
in its love for the outcast and the ashamed,
in its service to the sick and the neglected,
in its proclamation of the Gospel,
in this land, in this place.                            
In the life of your Church
your kingdom come, O Lord.

Setting: Sanford Dole https://tinyurl.com/y7ldq7h5

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your Name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as 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.

Holy God, you gather the whole universe
into your radiant presence
and continually reveal your Son as our Savior.
Bring healing to all wounds,
make whole all that is broken,
speak truth to all illusion,
and shed light in every darkness,
that all creation will see your glory and know your Christ. Amen. RCLP

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

RCLP Revised Common Lectionary Prayers. © 2002 Consultation on Common Texts admin. Augsburg Fortress.

COS Common Order, © 1994 Church of Scotland

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 language psalms are from The Book of Common Prayer (1662). The modern language versions of Psalms 132 and 134 are in the version used in Lutheran Service Book: Pew Edition Concordia Publishing House, and are from the Next to the Word of God YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkVRYL-MRebncw584Ql2xfg. Psalm 133 is from The Book of Common Prayer (1979) and is sung by Ryland Angel. Psalm 135 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.

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