Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/n3y7n23f
There is one thing I ask of the Lord, only this do I seek:
to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. Psalm 27
Loving God,
glorious in giving and restoring life,
do not hide your face from your people
overcome with loneliness and fear.
Turn our weeping into dancing,
our despair into joy,
and raise us up with Christ,
that we may rejoice in your presence forever. 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: Herman G Stuempfle ©
Tune: Rutherford https://tinyurl.com/43rdx6ne
1 Cast down, O God, the idols
That hold us in their pow’r,
The empty gods we worship
When darkness has its hour.
We bow to other masters
And by their promise live.
Redeem our wayward passions;
Our rebel wills forgive.
2 In vain we search for meaning
Where transient joys abound,
And seek the soul’s contentment
Where peace cannot be found.
We wander, lost and homeless,
In endless, aimless quest,
Our hearts forever restless
Until in You they rest.
3 O God, we have our being
In You and You alone.
Recall us from our wand’rings;
Reclaim us as Your own.
Restore in us the image
Revealed in Christ, Your Word,
Till heart and will pay homage
To Him, our God and Lord.
PSALMS
Psalm 30 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/yce59yvo)
1 I will magnify thee, O Lord, for thou hast set me up *
and not made my foes to triumph over me.
2 O Lord my God, I cried unto thee *
and thou hast healed me.
3 Thou, Lord, hast brought my soul out of hell *
thou hast kept my life from them that go down to the pit.
4 Sing praises unto the Lord, O ye saints of his *
and give thanks unto him for a remembrance of his holiness.
5 For his wrath endureth but the twinkling of an eye,
and in his pleasure is life *
heaviness may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
6 And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be removed *
thou, Lord, of thy goodness hast made my hill so strong.
7 Thou didst turn thy face from me *
and I was troubled.
8 Then cried I unto thee, O Lord *
and gat me to my Lord right humbly.
9 What profit is there in my blood *
when I go down to the pit?
10 Shall the dust give thanks unto thee *
or shall it declare thy truth?
11 Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me *
Lord, be thou my helper.
12 Thou hast turned my heaviness into joy *
thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness.
13 Therefore shall every good man sing of thy praise without ceasing *
O my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.
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 31 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y869qwtz)
1 In thee, O Lord, have I put my trust *
let me never be put to confusion, deliver me in thy righteousness.
2 Bow down thine ear to me *
make haste to deliver me.
3 And be thou my strong rock, and house of defence *
that thou mayest save me.
4 For thou art my strong rock, and my castle *
be thou also my guide, and lead me for thy Name’s sake.
5 Draw me out of the net, that they have laid privily for me *
for thou art my strength.
6 Into thy hands I commend my spirit *
for thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, thou God of truth.
7 I have hated them that hold of superstitious vanities *
and my trust hath been in the Lord.
8 I will be glad, and rejoice in thy mercy *
for thou hast considered my trouble,
and hast known my soul in adversities.
9 Thou hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy *
but hast set my feet in a large room.
10 Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am in trouble *
and mine eye is consumed for very heaviness;
yea, my soul and my body.
11 For my life is waxen old with heaviness *
and my years with mourning.
12 My strength faileth me, because of mine iniquity *
and my bones are consumed.
13 I became a reproof among all mine enemies,
but especially among my neighbours *
and they of mine acquaintance were afraid of me;
and they that did see me without conveyed themselves from me.
14 I am clean forgotten, as a dead man out of mind *
I am become like a broken vessel.
15 For I have heard the blasphemy of the multitude *
and fear is on every side, while they conspire together against me,
and take their counsel to take away my life.
16 But my hope hath been in thee, O Lord *
I have said, Thou art my God.
17 My time is in thy hand; deliver me from the hand of mine enemies *
and from them that persecute me.
18 Shew thy servant the light of thy countenance *
and save me for thy mercy’s sake.
19 Let me not be confounded, O Lord, for I have called upon thee *
let the ungodly be put to confusion, and be put to silence in the grave.
20 Let the lying lips be put to silence *
which cruelly, disdainfully, and despitefully, speak against the righteous.
21 O how plentiful is thy goodness,
which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee *
and that thou hast prepared for them that put their trust in thee,
even before the sons of men!
22 Thou shalt hide them privily by thine own presence
from the provoking of all men *
thou shalt keep them secretly in thy tabernacle
from the strife of tongues.
23 Thanks be to the Lord *
for he hath shewed me marvellous great kindness in a strong city.
24 And when I made haste, I said *
I am cast out of the sight of thine eyes.
25 Nevertheless, thou heardest the voice of my prayer *
when I cried unto thee.
26 O love the Lord, all ye his saints *
for the Lord preserveth them that are faithful,
and plenteously rewardeth the proud doer.
27 Be strong, and he shall establish your heart *
all ye that put your trust in the Lord.
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 30 (Gregorian Tone VI)
1 I will magnify you, O Lord, for you have lifted me up, *
and have not let my foes triumph over me.
2 O Lord my God, I cried unto you, *
and you have made me whole.
3 You, Lord, have brought my soul out of the Grave; *
you have saved my life from among those
who go down to the Pit.
4 Sing praises unto the Lord, O you saints of his, *
and give thanks unto him for the remembrance of his holiness.
5 For his wrath endures but the twinkling of an eye,
his pleasure for a lifetime; *
heaviness may endure for a night,
but joy comes in the morning.
6 In my prosperity I said, “I shall never be moved; *
you, Lord, of your goodness, have made my hill so strong.”
7 You turned your face from me, *
and I was distressed.
8 Then I cried unto you, O Lord, *
and came to my Lord most humbly.
9 What profit is there in my bloodshed, *
if I go down into the Pit?
10 Shall the dust give thanks unto you? *
Or shall it declare your faithfulness?
11 Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me. *
O Lord, be my helper.
12 You have turned my lamentation into dancing; *
you have put off my sackcloth and girded me with gladness.
13 Therefore shall my heart sing of your praise without ceasing. *
O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto you for ever.
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 31 (Gregorian Tone VI)
1 In you, O Lord, have I put my trust; *
let me never be put to confusion;
deliver me in your righteousness.
2 Bow down your ear to me, *
make haste to deliver me,
3 And be my strong rock and house of defense, *
that you may save me.
4 For you are my strong rock and my castle; *
be also my guide, and lead me for your Name’s sake.
5 Draw me out of the net that they have laid secretly for me, *
for you are my strength.
6 Into your hands I commend my spirit, *
for you have redeemed me, O Lord, O God of truth.
7 I have hated those who hold to worthless vanities, *
and my trust has been in the Lord.
8 I will be glad and rejoice in your mercy, *
for you have considered my trouble,
and have known my soul in adversities.
9 You have not shut me up in the hand of the enemy, *
but have set my feet where they may walk at liberty.
10 Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am in trouble; *
my eye is consumed with heaviness,
and also my soul and my body.
11 For my life has grown old with heaviness, *
and my years with mourning.
12 My strength fails me because of my iniquity, *
and my bones are consumed.
13 I have become a reproof among all my enemies,
but especially among my neighbors; *
my acquaintances are afraid of me, and those who see
me in the street shrink from me.
14 I am utterly forgotten, as a dead man, out of mind; *
I have become like a broken vessel.
15 For I have heard the whispering of the multitude,
and fear is on every side, *
while they conspire together against me and take their
counsel to take away my life.
16 But my hope has been in you, O Lord; *
I have said, “You are my God.”
17 My time is in your hand; *
deliver me from the hand of my enemies,
and from those who persecute me.
18 Show your servant the light of your countenance, *
and save me for your mercy’s sake.
19 Let me not be confounded, O Lord,
for I have called upon you; *
let the ungodly be put to confusion,
and be put to silence in the grave.
20 Let the lying lips be put to silence, *
which cruelly, disdainfully, and despitefully
speak against the righteous.
21 Oh, how plentiful is your goodness,
which you have laid up for those who fear you, *
and which you have prepared
for those who put their trust in you,
even before the children of men!
22 You hide them in the secret place of your presence
from those who conspire against them; *
you keep them in your refuge from the strife of tongues.
23 Thanks be to the Lord, *
for he has shown me marvellously great kindness in a strong city.
24 But when I was afraid, I said in my haste, *
“I am cast out of the sight of your eyes.”
25 Nevertheless, you heard the voice of my prayer *
when I cried unto you.
26 O love the Lord, all you his saints, *
for the Lord preserves those who are faithful,
and plenteously repays the proud.
27 Be strong, and he shall establish your heart, *
all you that put your trust in 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
O Lord our God,
our times are in your hand.
You saved your chosen one, Jesus Christ,
when he commended himself to you.
Let your face shine on all who suffer persecution,
and give our hearts courage to confront evil.
Lead us and guide us through all our weary years,
that we may praise you for the wonders of your love;
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen. BCW2018
THE WORD OF GOD
READING: 2 Kings 23:1-30
Then the king directed that all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem should be gathered to him. The king went up to the house of the Lord, and with him went all the people of Judah, all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests, the prophets, and all the people, both small and great; he read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant that had been found in the house of the Lord. The king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the Lord, to follow the Lord, keeping his commandments, his decrees, and his statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. All the people joined in the covenant.
The king commanded the high priest Hilkiah, the priests of the second order, and the guardians of the threshold to bring out of the temple of the Lord all the vessels made for Baal, for Asherah, and for all the host of heaven; he burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron and carried their ashes to Bethel. He deposed the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah had ordained to make offerings in the high places at the cities of Judah and around Jerusalem, those also who made offerings to Baal, to the sun, the moon, the constellations, and all the host of the heavens. He brought out the image of Asherah from the house of the Lord, outside Jerusalem, to the Wadi Kidron, burned it at the Wadi Kidron, beat it to dust, and threw the dust of it upon the graves of the common people. He broke down the houses of the illicit priests who were in the house of the Lord, where the women did weaving for Asherah. He brought all the priests out of the towns of Judah and defiled the high places where the priests had made offerings, from Geba to Beer-sheba; he broke down the high places of the gates that were at the entrance of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were on the left at the gate of the city. The priests of the high places, however, did not come up to the altar of the Lord in Jerusalem but ate unleavened bread among their kindred. He defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of Ben-hinnom, so that no one would make a son or a daughter pass through fire as an offering to Molech. He removed the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun at the entrance to the house of the Lord, by the chamber of the eunuch Nathan-melech, which was in the precincts; then he burned the chariots of the sun with fire. The altars on the roof of the upper chamber of Ahaz that the kings of Judah had made and the altars that Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the Lord he pulled down from there and broke in pieces and threw the rubble into the Wadi Kidron. The king defiled the high places that were east of Jerusalem, to the south of the Mount of Destruction, which King Solomon of Israel had built for Astarte the abomination of the Sidonians, for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. He broke the pillars in pieces, cut down the sacred poles, and covered the sites with human bones.
Moreover, the altar at Bethel, the high place erected by Jeroboam son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin—he pulled down that altar along with the high place. He burned the high place, crushing it to dust; he also burned the sacred pole. As Josiah turned, he saw the tombs there on the mount, and he sent and took the bones out of the tombs and burned them on the altar and defiled it, according to the word of the Lord that the man of God proclaimed when Jeroboam stood by the altar at the festival; he turned and looked up at the tomb of the man of God who had proclaimed these things. Then he said, “What is that monument that I see?” The people of the city told him, “It is the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and proclaimed these things that you have done against the altar at Bethel.” He said, “Let him rest; let no one move his bones.” So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet who came out of Samaria. Moreover, Josiah removed all the shrines of the high places that were in the towns of Samaria that kings of Israel had made, provoking the Lord to anger; he did to them just as he had done at Bethel. He slaughtered on the altars all the priests of the high places who were there and burned human bones on them. Then he returned to Jerusalem.
The king commanded all the people, “Keep the Passover to the Lord your God as prescribed in this book of the covenant.” No such Passover had been kept since the days of the judges who judged Israel, even during all the days of the kings of Israel and of the kings of Judah, but in the eighteenth year of King Josiah this Passover was kept to the Lord in Jerusalem.
Moreover, Josiah put away the mediums, wizards, teraphim, idols, and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, so that he established the words of the law that were written in the book that the priest Hilkiah had found in the house of the Lord. Before him there was no king like him who turned to the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses, nor did any like him arise after him.
Still the Lord did not turn from the fierceness of his great wrath by which his anger was kindled against Judah because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked him. The Lord said, “I will remove Judah also out of my sight, as I have removed Israel, and I will reject this city that I have chosen, Jerusalem, and the house of which I said, ‘My name shall be there.’ ”
Now the rest of the acts of Josiah and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Judah? In his days Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt went up to the king of Assyria to the River Euphrates. King Josiah went to meet him, but when Pharaoh Neco met him at Megiddo, he killed him. His servants carried him dead in a chariot from Megiddo, brought him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own tomb. The people of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah, anointed him, and made him king in place of his father.
HYMN: Charles Wesley
Tune: Kingsfold https://tinyurl.com/ynrvf638
1 Come, let us use the grace divine,
and all with one accord,
in a perpetual cov’nant join
ourselves to Christ the Lord;
give up ourselves, through Jesus’ pow’r,
His name to glorify;
and promise, in this sacred hour,
for God to live and die.
2 The cov’nant we this moment make
be ever kept in mind;
we will no more our God forsake,
or cast these words behind.
We never will throw off the fear
of God who hears our vow;
and if Thou art well pleased to hear,
come down and meet us now.
3 Thee, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
let all our hearts receive;
present with Thy celestial host
the peaceful answer give;
to each covenant the blood apply
which takes our sins away,
and register our names on high
and keep us to that day!
READING: 2 Timothy 3:10-17
Now you have observed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions, and my sufferings, the things that happened to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. Indeed, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. But wicked people and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have known sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the person of God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.
HYMN: Christopher M Idle ©
Tune: Stuttgart https://tinyurl.com/2s4kujdw
1 Lord, you sometimes speak in wonders
unmistakable and clear;
mighty signs to prove your presence,
overcoming doubt and fear
2 Lord, you sometimes speak in whispers,
still and small and scarcely heard;
only those who want to listen
catch the all-important word.
3 Lord, you sometimes speak in silence,
through our loud and noisy day:
we can know and trust you better
when we quietly wait and pray.
4 Lord, you often speak in Scripture,
words that summon from the page,
shown and taught us by your Spirit
with fresh light for every age.
5 Lord, you always speak in Jesus,
always new yet still the same;
teach us now more of our Saviour;
make our lives display his Name.
READING: Luke 16:1-13
Then Jesus said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was squandering his property. So he summoned him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Give me an accounting of your management because you cannot be my manager any longer.’ Then the manager said to himself, ‘What will I do, now that my master is taking the position away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do so that, when I am dismissed as manager, people may welcome me into their homes.’ So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He answered, ‘A hundred jugs of olive oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it fifty.’ Then he asked another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He replied, ‘A hundred containers of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill and make it eighty.’ And his master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly, for the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone they may welcome you into the eternal homes.
“Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much, and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. If, then, you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? No slave 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.”
CANTICLE Revelation 15:3-4
(Chant by Joe Cox: https://tinyurl.com/yb3kd863)
Ant. All nations will draw near and fall down before you, *
because your just and holy works have been revealed.
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 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. Ant.
THE PRAYERS BCW
Eternal God,
we rejoice this day in the gift of life,
which we have received by your grace,
and the new life you give in Jesus Christ.
Especially we thank you for
the love of our families . . .
the affection of our friends . . .
strength and abilities to serve your purpose today . . .
this community in which we live . . .
opportunities to give as we have received. . . .
God of grace,
we offer our prayers for the needs of others
and commit ourselves to serve them
even as we have been served in Jesus Christ.
Especially we pray for
those closest to us, families, friends, neighbors . . .
refugees and homeless men, women and children . . .
the outcast and persecuted . . .
those from whom we are estranged . . .
the church in Africa. . . .
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,
you call us to embrace
both you and the children of this world
with unconditional love.
Give us grace to discern
what your love demands of us,
that, being faithful in things both great and small,
we may serve you with an undivided heart.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.
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 language psalms are from The Book of Common Prayer (1662). The modern language version of Psalms 30 and 31 are from Book of Common Prayer 2019 and come from 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.
