Dag Hammarskjöld
Dag Hammarskjold (1905 – 1961) was born into an influential Swedish family; his father was a former prime minister. He studied law and economics after which he was offered the post of Swedish ambassador to the United Nations. Hammarskjold then was elected Secretary General, an honored but difficult role he played for eight years. On September 18, 1961, he died in a plane crash in central Africa. Praise came from around the world for his wisdom, devotion to duty, and his relentless search for peace in a time when nuclear war seemed on the horizon.
Shortly after his death, a just completed manuscript was discovered in his apartment and published as Markings. The journal entries and commentary by Hammarskjold often revolve around religious matters such as faith, meaning, duty, loneliness, and pride. On these pages, he reveals “my negotiations with myself and with God.” 1
Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/292eca36
Your merciful love, O God,
we have received in the midst of your temple.
Your praise, O God, like your name,
reaches the ends of the earth;
your right hand is filled with saving justice. Psalm 48
I am the vessel.
The draft is God’s.
And God is the thirsty one. Amen. Hammarskjöld
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: Sy Miller and Jill Jackson
Tune: https://tinyurl.com/2kde6prj
Let there be peace on earth
and let it begin with me.
let there be peace on earth,
the peace that was meant to be.
With God as our Father,/With God our Creator,
brothers all are we;/we are family.
Let me walk with my brother/Let us walk with each other
in perfect harmony.
Let peace begin with me,
let this be the moment now.
With ev’ry step I take,
let this be my solemn vow:
To take each moment and live each moment
in peace eternally.
Let there be peace on earth,
and let it begin with me.
PSALMS
Psalm 90 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/uzj6wj2)
1 Lord, thou hast been our refuge *
from one generation to another.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth,
or ever the earth and the world were made *
thou art God from everlasting, and world without end.
3 Thou turnest man to destruction *
again thou sayest, Come again, ye children of men.
4 For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday *
seeing that is past as a watch in the night.
5 As soon as thou scatterest them they are even as a sleep *
and fade away suddenly like the grass.
6 In the morning it is green, and groweth up *
but in the evening it is cut down, dried up, and withered.
7 For we consume away in thy displeasure *
and are afraid at thy wrathful indignation.
8 Thou hast set our misdeeds before thee *
and our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.
9 For when thou art angry all our days are gone *
we bring our years to an end, as it were a tale that is told.
10 The days of our age are threescore years and ten;
and though men be so strong that they come to fourscore years *
yet is their strength then but labour and sorrow;
so soon passeth it away, and we are gone.
11 But who regardeth the power of thy wrath *
for even thereafter as a man feareth, so is thy displeasure.
12 So teach us to number our days *
that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
13 Turn thee again, O Lord, at the last *
and be gracious unto thy servants.
14 O satisfy us with thy mercy, and that soon *
so shall we rejoice and be glad all the days of our life.
15 Comfort us again now after the time that thou hast plagued us *
and for the years wherein we have suffered adversity.
16 Shew thy servants thy work *
and their children thy glory.
17 And the glorious Majesty of the Lord our God be upon us *
prosper thou the work of our hands upon us,
O prosper thou our handy-work.
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 91 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/w5pwhvg)
1 Whoso dwelleth under the defence of the most High *
shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say unto the Lord, Thou art my hope, and my strong hold *
my God, in him will I trust.
3 For he shall deliver thee from the snare of the hunter *
and from the noisome pestilence.
4 He shall defend thee under his wings,
and thou shalt be safe under his feathers *
his faithfulness and truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5 Thou shalt not be afraid for any terror by night *
nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6 For the pestilence that walketh in darkness *
nor for the sickness that destroyeth in the noon-day.
7 A thousand shall fall beside thee, and ten thousand at thy right hand *
but it shall not come nigh thee.
8 Yea, with thine eyes shalt thou behold *
and see the reward of the ungodly.
9 For thou, Lord, art my hope *
thou hast set thine house of defence very high.
10 There shall no evil happen unto thee *
neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee *
to keep thee in all thy ways.
12 They shall bear thee in their hands *
that thou hurt not thy foot against a stone.
13 Thou shalt go upon the lion and adder *
the young lion and the dragon shalt thou tread under thy feet.
14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him *
I will set him up, because he hath known my Name.
15 He shall call upon me, and I will hear him *
yea, I am with him in trouble;
I will deliver him, and bring him to honour.
16 With long life will I satisfy him *
and shew him my salvation.
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 92 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/v6sub7d)
1 It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord *
and to sing praises unto thy Name, O most Highest;
2 To tell of thy loving-kindness early in the morning *
and of thy truth in the night-season;
3 Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the lute *
upon a loud instrument, and upon the harp.
4 For thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy works *
and I will rejoice in giving praise for the operations of thy hands.
5 O Lord, how glorious are thy works *
thy thoughts are very deep.
6 An unwise man doth not well consider this *
and a fool doth not understand it.
7 When the ungodly are green as the grass,
and when all the workers of wickedness do flourish *
then shall they be destroyed for ever;
but thou, Lord, art the most Highest for evermore.
8 For lo, thine enemies, O Lord, lo, thine enemies shall perish *
and all the workers of wickedness shall be destroyed.
9 But mine horn shall be exalted like the horn of an unicorn *
for I am anointed with fresh oil.
10 Mine eye also shall see his lust of mine enemies *
and mine ear shall hear his desire of the wicked that arise up against me.
11 The righteous shall flourish like a palm-tree *
and shall spread abroad like a cedar in Libanus.
12 Such as are planted in the house of the Lord *
shall flourish in the courts of the house of our God.
13 They also shall bring forth more fruit in their age *
and shall be fat and well-liking.
14 That they may shew how true the Lord my strength is *
and that there is no unrighteousness in him.
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 90 (LSB Tone G: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-90-LSB.mp3)
1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place*
in all generations.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth,
or ever you had formed the earth and the world,*
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
3 You return man to dust*
and say, “Return, O children of man!”
4 For a thousand years in your sight
are but as yesterday when it is past,*
or as a watch in the night.
5 You sweep them away as with a flood;*
they are like a dream,
like grass that is renewed in the morning:
6 in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;*
in the evening it fades and withers.
7 For we are brought to an end by your anger;*
by your wrath we are dismayed.
8 You have set our iniquities before you,*
our secret sins in the light of your presence.
9 For all our days pass away under your wrath;*
we bring our years to an end like a sigh.
10 The years of our life are seventy,
or even by reason of strength eighty;*
yet their span is but toil and trouble;
they are soon gone, and we fly away.
11 Who considers the power of your anger,*
and your wrath according to the fear of you?
12 So teach us to number our days*
that we may get a heart of wisdom.
13 Return, O LORD! How long?*
Have pity on your servants!
14 Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,*
that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,*
and for as many years as we have seen evil.
16 Let your work be shown to your servants,*
and your glorious power to their children.
17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
and establish the work of our hands upon us;*
yes, establish the work of our hands!
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 91 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-91.mp3)
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, *
abides under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 He shall say to the LORD,
“You are my refuge and my stronghold, *
my God in whom I put my trust.”
3 He shall deliver you from the snare of the hunter *
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He shall cover you with his pinions,
and you shall find refuge under his wings; *
his faithfulness shall be a shield and buckler.
5 You shall not be afraid of any terror by night, *
nor of the arrow that flies by day;
6 Of the plague that stalks in the darkness, *
nor of the sickness that lays waste at mid-day.
7 A thousand shall fall at your side
and ten thousand at your right hand, *
but it shall not come near you.
8 Your eyes have only to behold *
to see the reward of the wicked.
9 Because you have made the LORD your refuge, *
and the Most High your habitation,
10 There shall no evil happen to you, *
neither shall any plague come near your dwelling.
11 For he shall give his angels charge over you, *
to keep you in all your ways.
12 They shall bear you in their hands, *
lest you dash your foot against a stone.
13 You shall tread upon the lion and the adder; *
you shall trample the young lion and the serpent
under your feet.
14 Because he is bound to me in love,
therefore will I deliver him; *
I will protect him, because he knows my Name.
15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him; *
I am with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and bring him to honor.
16 With long life will I satisfy him, *
and show him my salvation.
Psalm 92 (LSB Tone D: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-92-LSB.mp3)
1 It is good to give thanks to the LORD,*
to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
2 to declare your steadfast love in the morning,*
and your faithfulness by night,
3 to the music of the lute and the harp,*
to the melody of the lyre.
4 For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your work;*
at the works of your hands I sing for joy.
5 How great are your works, O LORD!*
Your thoughts are very deep!
6 The stupid man cannot know;
the fool cannot understand this:*
7 that though the wicked sprout like grass
and all evildoers flourish,
they are doomed to destruction forever;
8 but you, O LORD,*
are on high forever.
9 For behold, your enemies, O LORD,
for behold, your enemies shall perish;*
all evildoers shall be scattered.
10 But you have exalted my horn
like that of the wild ox;*
you have poured over me fresh oil.
11 My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies;*
my ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants.
12 The righteous flourish like the palm tree*
and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13 They are planted in the house of the LORD;*
they flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They still bear fruit in old age;*
they are ever full of sap and green,
15 to declare that the LORD is upright;*
he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.
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.
PRAYER
Almighty God, you have made us in your image
and crowned us with honor and glory.
Shape us by your Word and fill us with your Spirit
so that we may live as your beloved children
and proclaim your saving love to our life’s end;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. BCW2018
THE WORD OF GOD
READING: 1 Samuel 9
There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish son of Abiel son of Zeror son of Becorath son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite, a man of wealth. He had a son whose name was Saul, a handsome young man. There was not a man among the Israelites more handsome than he; he stood head and shoulders above everyone else.
Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, had strayed. So Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the young men with you; go and look for the donkeys.” He passed through the hill country of Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they did not find them. And they passed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then he passed through the land of Benjamin, but they did not find them.
When they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to the young man who was with him, “Let us turn back, or my father will stop worrying about the donkeys and worry about us.” But he said to him, “There is a man of God in this town; he is a man held in honor. Whatever he says always comes true. Let us go there now; perhaps he will tell us about the journey on which we have set out.” Then Saul replied to the young man, “But if we go, what can we bring the man? For the bread in our sacks is gone, and there is no present to bring to the man of God. What have we?” The young man answered Saul again, “Here, I have with me a quarter shekel of silver; I will give it to the man of God, to tell us our way.” (Formerly in Israel, anyone who went to inquire of God would say, “Come, let us go to the seer,” for the one who is now called a prophet was formerly called a seer.) Saul said to the young man, “Good; come, let us go.” So they went to the town where the man of God was.
As they went up the hill to the town, they met some young women coming out to draw water and said to them, “Is the seer here?” They answered, “Yes, there he is just ahead of you. Hurry; he has come just now to the town because the people have a sacrifice today at the shrine. As soon as you enter the town, you will meet him before he goes up to the shrine to eat. For the people will not eat until he comes, since he must bless the sacrifice; afterward those eat who are invited. Now go up, for you will meet him immediately.” So they went up to the town. As they were entering the town, they saw Samuel coming out toward them on his way up to the shrine.
Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed to Samuel: “Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be ruler over my people Israel. He shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines, for I have seen the suffering of my people, because their outcry has come to me.” When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him, “Here is the man of whom I spoke to you. He it is who shall rule over my people.” Then Saul approached Samuel inside the gate and said, “Tell me, please, where is the house of the seer?” Samuel answered Saul, “I am the seer; go up before me to the shrine, for today you shall eat with me, and in the morning I will let you go and will tell you all that is on your mind. As for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, give no further thought to them, for they have been found. And on whom is all Israel’s desire fixed, if not on you and on all your ancestral house?” Saul answered, “I am only a Benjaminite, from the least of the tribes of Israel, and my family is the humblest of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin. Why then have you spoken to me in this way?”
Then Samuel took Saul and the young man and brought them into the hall and gave them a place at the head of those who had been invited, of whom there were about thirty. And Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the portion I gave you, the one I asked you to put aside.” The cook took up the upper thigh and set it before Saul. Samuel said, “See, what was reserved is set before you. Eat, for it was kept for you for this appointed time, so that you might eat with the guests.”
So Saul ate with Samuel that day. When they came down from the shrine into the town, a bed was spread for Saul on the roof, and he lay down to sleep. Then at the break of dawn Samuel called to Saul upon the roof, “Get up, so that I may send you on your way.” Saul got up, and both he and Samuel went out into the street.
As they were going down to the outskirts of the town, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the young man to go on before us, and when he has passed on, stop here yourself for a while, that I may make known to you the word of God.”
HYMN: Psalm 103; para. Psalter, 1912
Tune: Tallis’ Ordinal https://tinyurl.com/46cdakxr
1 The tender love a father has
for all his children dear,
such love the Lord bestows on them
who worship him in fear.
2 The Lord remembers we are dust,
and all our frailty knows;
man’s days are like the tender grass,
and as the flow’r he grows.
3 The flow’r is withered by the wind
that smites with blighting breath;
so man is quickly swept away
before the blast of death.
4 Unchanging is the love of God,
from age to age the same,
displayed to all who do his will
and reverence his name.
5 Those who his gracious cov’nant keep
the Lord will ever bless;
their children’s children shall rejoice
to see his righteousness.
READING: 2 Corinthians 4:7-12
But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. We are afflicted in every way but not crushed, perplexed but not driven to despair, persecuted but not forsaken, struck down but not destroyed, always carrying around in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. For we who are living are always being handed over to death for Jesus’s sake, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us but life in you.
HYMN: Charles Wesley
Tune: Ratisbon https://tinyurl.com/jm5fy49d
1 Christ, whose glory fills the skies,
Christ, the true, the only light,
Sun of Righteousness, arise,
triumph o’er the shades of night;
Dayspring from on high, be near;
Daystar, in my heart appear.
2 Dark and cheerless is the morn
unaccompanied by thee;
joyless is the day’s return,
till thy mercy’s beams I see,
till they inward light impart,
glad my eyes, and warm my heart.
3 Visit then this soul of mine,
pierce the gloom of sin and grief;
fill me, radiancy divine,
scatter all my unbelief;
more and more thyself display,
shining to the perfect day.
READING: Luke 8:1-15
Soon afterward he went on through one town and village after another, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who ministered to them out of their own resources.
When a large crowd was gathering, as people were coming to him from town after town, he said in a parable: “A sower went out to sow his seed, and as he sowed some fell on a path and was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on rock, and as it grew up it withered for lack of moisture. Some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. Some fell into good soil, and when it grew it produced a hundredfold.” As he said this, he called out, “If you have ears to hear, then hear!”
Then his disciples asked him what this parable meant. He said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but to others I speak in parables, so that ‘looking they may not perceive and hearing they may not understand.’
“Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The ones on the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. The ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe only for a while and in a time of testing fall away. As for what fell among the thorns, these are the ones who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. But as for that in the good soil, these are the ones who, when they hear the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart and bear fruit with endurance.”
CANTICLE Revelation 15:3-4
(BCP 2019/St Bernard Breviary)
O ruler of the universe, Lord God,
great deeds are they that you have done, *
surpassing human understanding.
Your ways are ways of righteousness and truth, *
O King of all the ages.
Who can fail to do you homage, Lord,
and sing the praises of your Name? *
For you only are the Holy One.
All nations will draw near and fall down before you, *
because your just and holy works have been revealed.
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.
THE PRAYERS BCW
We give you our praise and thanks, O God,
for all gifts of love we have received from you,
and for your persistent mercy in Jesus Christ.
Especially we thank you for
work we have accomplished pleasing to you . . .
the faithful witness of Christian people . . .
the example of righteousness we see in parents and teachers . . .
the innocence and openness we see in children . . .
all works of Christian compassion. . . .
We give you our cares and concerns, O God,
because we know you are kind
and care for your children in every circumstance.
Especially we pray for
those who struggle with doubt and despair . . .
people afflicted with disease . . .
those called to special ministries . . .
people neglected or abused . . .
(Karin Simmons: https://tinyurl.com/y7vwp7dd)
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.
Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
Almighty God, who exalted your humble Christ as King of Kings and Lord of Lords: Kindle within the hearts of the leaders of this world a yearning for peace with justice, as you did within your servant Dag Hammarskjöld, and, following his good example, ever guide our feet into the way of peace; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. 2
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
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.
1 https://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/practices/naming-the-days/view/23953/dag-hammarskjold-day
2 dailyoffice.wordpress.com/2019/09/18/evening-prayer-9-18-19-dag-hammarskjold-diplomat-peacemaker-1961/
The traditional language psalms are from The Book of Common Prayer (1662). The modern language version of Psalm 91 is from The Book of Common Prayer (1979) and is sung by Ryland Angel. Psalms 90 and 92 are from Lutheran Service Book, Concordia Publishing House, and are from the Next to the Word of God YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkVRYL-MRebncw584Ql2xfg. The canticle 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 