Antiphon 1
Ant. One thing have I asked of the Lord,
this will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life.
V. The Lord is my light and my salvation; *
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life; *
whom should I dread? Psalm 27
Faithful God,
remember the covenant you made to your people of old,
as well as the one sealed by the blood of your Son.
Guard and guide those who look to you,
that we may proclaim your mercy in all the world;
through 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: Daniel March
Tune: Galilean https://tinyurl.com/3jsaayw7
1. Hark! the voice of Jesus calling,
“Who will go and work today?
Fields are white, the harvest waiting,
Who will bear the sheaves away?”
Loud and long the Master calls out,
Rich reward he offers free:
Who will answer, gladly saying,
“Here am I, send me, send me.”
2. If you cannot cross the ocean
And the foreign lands explore,
You can find the needy nearer,
You can help them at your door.
If you cannot give in thousands,
You can give the widow’s mite,
And the least you give for Jesus,
Will be precious in his sight.
3. If you cannot speak like angels,
If you cannot preach like Paul,
You can tell the love of Jesus,
You can say he died for all.
If you cannot rouse the wicked,
With the judgment’s dread alarms,
You may lead the little children,
To the Savior’s waiting arms.
4. Let none hear you idly saying,
“There is nothing I can do,”
While the lost of Earth are dying,
And the Master calls for you.
Take the task he gives you gladly;
Let his work your pleasure be.
Answer quickly when he’s calling,
“Here am I, send, send me.”
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: Numbers 27:15-23
Moses spoke to the Lord, saying, “Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint someone over the congregation who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of the Lord may not be like sheep without a shepherd.” So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay your hand upon him; have him stand before Eleazar the priest and all the congregation and commission him in their sight. You shall give him some of your authority, so that all the congregation of the Israelites may obey. But he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the decision of the Urim before the Lord; at his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he and all the Israelites with him, the whole congregation.” So Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation; he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the Lord had directed through Moses.
HYMN: Sylvia Dunstan ©
Tune: Langran https://tinyurl.com/yc85xwb4
1 Before you now, O God, your servants stand
in answer to your call and Christ’s command
to take the gospel with them everywhere,
till all creation knows your endless care.
2 With diligence and love they shall proclaim
your living Word breaks away our chains.
With reverence and with joy they’ll bless and give
the holy sacraments by which we live.
3 God, who are we that you still choose and bless,
guide, lead, and feed us through all wilderness?
Give them the strength to rise from every fall.
Confirm with burning hearts this answered call.
4 Arise, O God, in power and in might.
Lift up your countenance and give us light!
Your saints shall sing with joy what they profess.
Now clothe each one, O God, with righteousness.
READING: 1 Corinthians 4:1-7
Think of us in this way: as servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. I do not even judge myself. I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive commendation from God.
I have applied all this to Apollos and myself for your benefit, brothers and sisters, so that you may learn through us what “Not beyond what is written” means, so that none of you will be puffed up in favor of one against another. For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive?
HYMN: Somerset Lowry
Tune: Supplication https://tinyurl.com/3a2h8jzb
1 Son of God, eternal Saviour,
source of life and truth and grace,
Son of Man, whose birth incarnate
hallows all our human race,
thou, our Head, who, throned in glory,
for thine own dost ever plead,
fill us with thy love and pity;
heal our wrongs, and help our need.
2 As thou, Lord, hast lived for others,
so may we for others live;
freely have thy gifts been granted,
freely may thy servants give:
thine the gold and thine the silver,
thine the wealth of land and sea,
we but stewards of thy bounty,
held in solemn trust for thee.
3 Come, O Christ, and reign among us,
King of love, and Prince of peace;
hush the storm of strife and passion,
bid its cruel discords cease;
by thy patient years of toiling,
by thy silent hours of pain,
quench our fevered thirst of pleasure,
shame our selfish greed of gain.
4 Son of God, eternal Saviour,
source of life and truth and grace,
Son of Man, whose birth incarnate
hallows all our human race,
thou who prayedst, thou who willest,
that thy people should be one,
grant, O grant our hope’s fruition:
here on earth thy will be done.
READING: Matthew 9:35-10:8
Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.
These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not take a road leading to gentiles, and do not enter a Samaritan town, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Cure the sick; raise the dead; cleanse those with a skin disease; cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment.”
CANTICLE Luke 1:68-79
(John Harper, https://tinyurl.com/4wwy9fbs)
Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel,
who has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty Saviour,
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets God promised of old
to save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all that hate us,
To show mercy to our ancestors,
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath God swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
Free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
To give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of all their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
PRAYERS BCW2018
Let us pray for the needs of the church,
the whole human family,
and all the world, saying: Hear our prayer.
That churches of all traditions
may discover their unity in Christ
and exercise their gifts in service of all,
we pray to you, O God: Hear our prayer.
That the earth may be freed
from war, famine, and disease,
and the air, soil, and waters cleansed of poison,
we pray to you, O God: Hear our prayer.
That those who govern and maintain peace in every land
may exercise their powers in obedience to your commands,
we pray to you, O God: Hear our prayer.
That you will strengthen this nation to pursue just priorities
so that the races may be reconciled;
the young, educated; and the old, cared for;
the hungry, filled; and the homeless, housed;
and the sick, comforted and healed,
we pray to you, O God: Hear our prayer.
That you will preserve all who live and work
in this [city, town, village, community]
in peace and safety,
we pray to you, O God: Hear our prayer.
That you will comfort and empower
those who face any difficulty or trial:
the sick [especially N., N.],
the disabled, the poor, the oppressed,
those who grieve and those in prison,
we pray to you, O God: Hear our prayer.
That you will accept our thanksgiving
for all faithful servants of Christ now at rest,
who, with us, await a new heaven and a new earth,
your everlasting kingdom,
we pray to you, O God: Hear our prayer.
(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.
Tender shepherd
to the helpless and lost;
we praise you
for sharing your power
with a motley band
of stumbling friends:
may we who have received without payment
give without charge
and so bring your kingdom near;
through Jesus Christ, the Lord of the harvest. Amen. PIC
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.
ELW The Lord’s Prayer is from Setting Five in Evangelical Lutheran Worship.
BCW2018 Book of Common Worship, Presbyterian Church U.S.A., 2018
PIC Prayers for An Inclusive Church, Steven Shakespeare
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 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 