The Martyrs of Uganda
On June 3, 1886, thirty-two young men, pages of the court of King Mwanga of Buganda, were burned to death at Namugongo for their refusal to renounce Christianity. In the following months many other Christians throughout the country died by fire or spear for their faith. These martyrdoms totally changed the dynamic of Christian growth in Uganda. The Namugongo martyrdoms produced a result entirely opposite to Mwanga’s intentions. The example of these martyrs, who walked to their death singing hymns and praying for their enemies, so inspired many of the bystanders that they began to seek instruction from the remaining Christians. Within a few years the original handful of converts had multiplied many times and spread far beyond the court. The martyrs had left the indelible impression that Christianity was truly African, not simply a white man’s religion. Most of the missionary work was carried out by Africans rather than by white missionaries, and Christianity spread steadily.
Renewed persecution of Christians by a Muslim military dictatorship in the 1970’s proved the vitality of the example of the Namugongo martyrs. Among the thousands of new martyrs, both Anglican and Roman Catholic, was Janani Luwum, Archbishop of the (Anglican) Church of Uganda, whose courageous ministry and death inspired not only his countrymen but also Christians throughout the world. HWHM
Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/5fdmknbz
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life; whom should I dread?
When those who do evil draw near, they stumble and fall. Psalm 27
Praise to you, God of our salvation.
You come to our help and set us free.
May your strength be our shield
and your word, our lamp,
that we may serve you with pure hearts
and find deliverance in Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen. BCW
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: Philip Doddridge
Tune: Belmont https://tinyurl.com/3hr6rsmx
1 Now let a true ambition rise,
And ardour fire our breasts,
To reign in worlds above the skies,
In heav’nly glories drest.
2 Behold Jehovah’s royal hand
A radiant crown display,
Whose gems with vivid lustre shine,
While sun and stars decay.
3 No more I seek for transient good,
Nor longer call it mine:
I spring to seize superior joys,
Immortal and divine.
4 Ye hearts, with youthful vigour warm,
The glorious prize pursue;
Nor shall ye want the goods of earth,
While heav’n is kept in view.
PSALMS
Psalm 18
(Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/yx7qz95s)
1 I will love thee, O Lord, my strength;
the Lord is my stony rock, and my defence *
my Saviour, my God, and my might, in whom I will trust,
my buckler, the horn also of my salvation, and my refuge.
2 I will call upon the Lord, which is worthy to be praised *
so shall I be safe from mine enemies.
3 The sorrows of death compassed me *
and the overflowings of ungodliness made me afraid.
4 The pains of hell came about me *
the snares of death overtook me.
5 In my trouble I will call upon the Lord *
and complain unto my God.
6 So shall he hear my voice out of his holy temple *
and my complaint shall come before him,
it shall enter even into his ears.
7 The earth trembled and quaked *
the very foundations also of the hills shook,
and were removed, because he was wroth.
8 There went a smoke out in his presence *
and a consuming fire out of his mouth,
so that coals were kindled at it.
9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down *
and it was dark under his feet.
10 He rode upon the cherubims, and did fly *
he came flying upon the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his secret place *
his pavilion round about him with dark water,
and thick clouds to cover him.
12 At the brightness of his presence his clouds removed *
hail-stones, and coals of fire.
13 The Lord also thundered out of heaven,
and the Highest gave his thunder *
hail-stones, and coals of fire.
14 He sent out his arrows, and scattered them *
he cast forth lightnings, and destroyed them.
15 The springs of waters were seen,
and the foundations of the round world were discovered,
at thy chiding, O Lord *
at the blasting of the breath of thy displeasure.
16 He shall send down from on high to fetch me *
and shall take me out of many waters.
17 He shall deliver me from my strongest enemy,
and from them which hate me *
for they are too mighty for me.
18 They prevented me in the day of my trouble *
but the Lord was my upholder.
19 He brought me forth also into a place of liberty *
he brought me forth, even because he had a favour unto me.
20 The Lord shall reward me after my righteous dealing *
according to the cleanness of my hands shall he recompense me.
21 Because I have kept the ways of the Lord *
and have not forsaken my God, as the wicked doth.
22 For I have an eye unto all his laws *
and will not cast out his commandments from me.
23 I was also uncorrupt before him *
and eschewed mine own wickedness.
24 Therefore shall the Lord reward me after my righteous dealing *
and according unto the cleanness of my hands in his eye-sight.
25 With the holy thou shalt be holy *
and with a perfect man thou shalt be perfect.
26 With the clean thou shalt be clean *
and with the froward thou shalt learn frowardness.
27 For thou shalt save the people that are in adversity *
and shalt bring down the high looks of the proud.
28 Thou also shalt light my candle *
the Lord my God shall make my darkness to be light.
29 For in thee I shall discomfit an host of men *
and with the help of my God I shall leap over the wall.
30 The way of God is an undefiled way *
the word of the Lord also is tried in the fire;
he is the defender of all them that put their trust in him.
31 For who is God, but the Lord *
or who hath any strength, except our God?
32 It is God, that girdeth me with strength of war *
and maketh my way perfect.
33 He maketh my feet like harts’ feet *
and setteth me up on high.
34 He teacheth mine hands to fight *
and mine arms shall break even a bow of steel.
35 Thou hast given me the defence of thy salvation *
thy right hand also shall hold me up,
and thy loving correction shall make me great.
36 Thou shalt make room enough under me for to go *
that my footsteps shall not slide.
37 I will follow upon mine enemies, and overtake them *
neither will I turn again till I have destroyed them.
38 I will smite them, that they shall not be able to stand *
but fall under my feet.
39 Thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle *
thou shalt throw down mine enemies under me.
40 Thou hast made mine enemies also to turn their backs upon me *
and I shall destroy them that hate me.
41 They shall cry, but there shall be none to help them *
yea, even unto the Lord shall they cry, but he shall not hear them.
42 I will beat them as small as the dust before the wind *
I will cast them out as the clay in the streets.
43 Thou shalt deliver me from the strivings of the people *
and thou shalt make me the head of the heathen.
44 A people whom I have not known *
shall serve me.
45 As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me *
but the strange children shall dissemble with me.
46 The strange children shall fail *
and be afraid out of their prisons.
47 The Lord liveth, and blessed be my strong helper *
and praised be the God of my salvation.
48 Even the God that seeth that I be avenged *
and subdueth the people unto me.
49 It is he that delivereth me from my cruel enemies,
and setteth me up above mine adversaries *
thou shalt rid me from the wicked man.
50 For this cause will I give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the Gentiles *
and sing praises unto thy Name.
51 Great prosperity giveth he unto his King *
and sheweth loving-kindness unto David his Anointed,
and unto his seed 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 18 (Gregorian Tone 7a)
2 I love you, Lord, my strength;
3 O Lord, my rock, my fortress, my savior;
my God my rock where I take refuge;
my shield, my saving strength, my stronghold. †
4 I cry out, “O praised be the LORD!” *
and see, I am saved from my foes.
5 The waves of death rose about me; *
the torrents of destruction assailed me;
6 the snares of Sheol surrounded me; *
the traps of death confronted me.
7 In my anguish I called to the LORD; *
I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice; *
my cry to him reached his ears.
8 The earth then reeled and rocked; †
the mountains were shaken to their base; *
they quaked at his terrible anger.
9 Smoke came forth from his nostrils, †
and scorching fire from his mouth; *
from him were kindled live coals.
10 He bent the heavens and came down *
a black cloud was under his feet.
11 On a cherub, he rode and he flew; *
he soared on the wings of the wind.
12 He made the darkness his covering, *
the dark waters of the clouds, his tent.
13 A brightness shone out before him, *
with hailstones and flashes of fire.
14 The LORD then thundered in the heavens; †
the Most High let his voice be heard, *
with hail and coals of fire.
15 He shot his arrows, scattered the foe, *
flashed his lightnings, and put them to flight.
16 The bed of the ocean was revealed; *
the foundations of the world were laid bare
at your rebuke, O LORD, *
at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
17 From on high he reached down and seized me; *
he drew me forth from the mighty waters.
18 He saved me from my powerful foe, *
from my enemies, whose strength I could not match.
19 They assailed me in the day of my misfortune, *
but the LORD was my strong support.
20 He brought me out to a place of freedom; *
he saved me because he loved me.
21 The LORD rewarded me because I was righteous,*
repaid me, for my hands were clean,
22 for I have kept the ways of the LORD, *
and have not fallen away from my God.
23 For his judgments are all before me; *
his commands I have not cast aside.
24 I have been blameless before him; *
I have kept myself from guilt.
25 The LORD repaid me because I was righteous, *
and my hands were clean in his eyes.
26 With the faithful you show yourself faithful; *
with the blameless you show yourself blameless.
27 With the sincere you show yourself sincere, *
but the cunning you outdo in shrewdness;
28 for you save a lowly people, *
but bring low the eyes that are proud.
29 It is you who give light to my lamp; *
the LORD my God lightens my darkness.
30 With you I can crush the foe, *
with my God I can scale a wall.
31 As for God, his way is blameless; *
the word of the LORD is pure.
He indeed is the shield *
of all who trust in him.
32 For who is God but the LORD? *
Who is a rock but our God?
33 It is God who girds me with strength, *
and keeps my path free of blame.
34 My feet he makes swift as the deerʼs; *
he has made me stand firm on the heights.
35 He has trained my hands for battle, *
and my arms to bend the bronze bow.
36 You gave me your saving shield; †
with your right hand, you gave me support; *
you bent down to make me great.
37 You lengthened my steps beneath me; *
and my feet have never slipped.
38 I pursued and overtook my foes, *
never turning back till they were slain.
39 I struck them so they could not rise; *
they fell beneath my feet.
40 You girded me with strength for battle; *
you made my enemies fall beneath me.
41 You made my foes take flight; *
those who hated me I destroyed.
42 They cried out, but there was no one to save them, *
cried to the LORD, but he did not answer.
43 I crushed them fine as dust before the wind, *
trod them down like dirt in the streets.
44 From the feuds of the people you delivered me, *
and put me at the head of the nations.
45 People unknown to me served me:
when they heard of me, they obeyed me.
46 Foreign nations came to me cringing:
foreign nations faded away.
Trembling, they came forth from their strongholds.
47 The Lord lives, and blest be my Rock!
May the God of my salvation be exalted,
48 the God who gives me redress
and subdues the peoples under me.
49 You saved me from my furious foes;
you set me above my assailants;
you saved me from the violent man.
50 So I will praise you, Lord, among the nations:
to your name will I sing a psalm.
51 The Lord gives great victories to his king
and shows merciful love for his anointed,
for David and his seed for ever.
PRAYER
O God,
our stronghold and our salvation,
in Christ you draw near to us with compassion.
Give us such strength of love
that we may reach out to our neighbor
without counting the cost;
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen. BCW2018
THE WORD OF GOD
READING: Genesis 41:37-57
The proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants. Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find anyone else like this, one in whom is the spirit of God?” So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command; only with regard to the throne will I be greater than you.” And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” Removing his signet ring from his hand, Pharaoh put it on Joseph’s hand; he arrayed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. He had him ride in the chariot of his second-in-command, and they cried out in front of him, “Bow the knee!” Thus he set him over all the land of Egypt. Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no one shall lift up hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-paneah, and he gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, as his wife. Thus Joseph gained authority over the land of Egypt.
Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt. During the seven plenteous years the earth produced abundantly. He gathered up all the food of the seven years when there was plenty in the land of Egypt and stored up food in the cities; he stored up in every city the food from the fields around it. So Joseph stored up grain in such abundance—like the sand of the sea—that he stopped measuring it; it was beyond measure.
Before the years of famine came, Joseph had two sons, whom Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, bore to him. Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s house.” The second he named Ephraim, “For God has made me fruitful in the land of my misfortunes.”
The seven years of plenty that prevailed in the land of Egypt came to an end, and the seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in every country, but throughout the land of Egypt there was bread. When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph; what he says to you, do.” And since the famine had spread over all the land, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. Moreover, all the world came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine became severe throughout the world.
HYMN: Olive W Spannaus ©
Tune: Melrose https://tinyurl.com/3tmm8acd
1 Lord of all nations, grant me grace
To love all people, ev’ry race,
And in each person help me view
My kindred, loved, redeemed by you.
2 Break down the wall that would divide
Your children, Lord, on ev’ry side.
My neighbors’ good let me pursue;
Bind them to me and all to you.
3 Forgive me, Lord, where I have erred
By loveless act and thoughtless word.
Make me to see the wrong I do
Will hurt my neighbor, Lord, and you.
4 Give me your courage, Lord, to speak
Whenever strong oppress the weak.
And should I be a victim, too,
Help me forgive, rememb’ring you.
5 With your own love may I be filled
And by your Holy Spirit willed,
That all I touch, whate’er I do,
May be divinely touched by you.
READING: Romans 15:22-32
This is the reason that I have so often been hindered from coming to you. But now, with no further place for me in these regions, I desire, as I have for many years, to come to you when I go to Spain. For I do hope to see you on my journey and to be sent on by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a little while. At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem in a ministry to the saints, for Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to share their resources with the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. They were pleased to do this, and indeed they owe it to them, for if the gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material things. So, when I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected, I will set out by way of you to Spain, and I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.
I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in earnest prayer to God on my behalf, that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea and that my ministry to Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company.
HYMN: Georgia Harkness ©
Tune: Donne Secours https://tinyurl.com/4wxba4sm
1 Hope of the world, thou Christ of great compassion,
speak to our fearful hearts by conflict rent.
Save us, thy people, from consuming passion,
who by our own false hopes and aims are spent.
2 Hope of the world, God’s gift from highest heaven,
bringing to hungry souls the bread of life,
still let thy Spirit unto us be given
to heal earth’s wounds and end her bitter strife.
3 Hope of the world, afoot on dusty highways,
showing to wand’ring souls the path of light;
walk thou beside us, lest the tempting byways
lure us away from thee to endless night.
4 Hope of the world, who by thy cross didst save us
from death and dark despair, from sin and guilt;
we render back the love thy mercy gave us;
take thou our lives, and use them as thou wilt.
5 Hope of the world, O Christ o’er death victorious,
who by this sign didst conquer grief and pain,
we would be faithful to thy gospel glorious:
Thou art our Lord! Thou dost forever reign!
READING: Matthew 6:19-34
Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
“The eye is the lamp of the body. So if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If, then, the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
“No one can serve two masters, for a slave will either hate the one and love the other or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For it is the gentiles who seek all these things, and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
“So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”
CANTICLE Colossians 1:12-20
(Chant by John Michael Talbot https://tinyurl.com/ya95yzto)
Ant. He is the first born of all creation,
in every way the primacy is his.
Let us give thanks to the Father
for having made you worthy
to share the lot of the saints in light.
He rescued us from the power of darkness
and brought us into the kingdom of his beloved Son.
Through him we have redemption,
the forgiveness of our sins.
He is the image of the invisible God,
the first-born of all creatures.
In him everything in heaven and on earth was created,
things visible and invisible.
All were created through him; all were created for him.
He is before all else that is.
In him everything continues in being.
It is he who is head of the body, the church!
He who is the beginning, the first-born of the dead,
so that primacy may be his in everything.
It pleased God to make absolute fullness reside in him
and, by means of him, to reconcile everything in his person,
both on earth and in the heavens,
making peace through the blood of his cross.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
THE PRAYERS BCW
God of all mercies,
we praise you that you have brought us to this new day,
brightening our lives with the dawn
of promise and hope in Jesus Christ.
Especially we thank you for
the warmth of sunlight,
the wetness of rain and snow,
and all that nourishes the earth…
the presence and power of your Spirit . . .
the support and encouragement we receive from others . . .
those who provide for public safety and well-being . . .
the mission of the church around the world. . . .
Merciful God,
strengthen us in prayer
that we may lift up the brokenness of this world for your healing,
and share in the saving love of Jesus Christ.
Especially we pray for
those in positions of authority over others . . .
the lonely and forgotten . . .
children without families or homes . . .
agents of caring and relief . . .
the church in Asia and the Middle East….
Setting by Eric Wyse:2
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,
by the blood of Christian martyrs
you planted in the heart of Uganda
the seed of a strong and living Church,
and you confirmed its growth under the hand of tyranny
by the witness of your servant Janani Luwum.
May we who cherish their remembrance before you
be valiant in our witness against the terrors of unjust rulers
and remain steadfast in the love by which you bind us to yourself;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen. FAS
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 © Church Publishing, Inc.
FAS For All the Saints, Anglican Church of Canada.
2 Eric Wyse, Lord’s Prayer, ©; audio from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_a40ME7aVk
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 psalm texts are from The Book of Common Prayer (1662). The contemporary psalm text is from The Abbey Psalter as recorded for the Chants and Rants YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@chantsandrants
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 