From steve.benner at oremus.org  Tue Jul  1 17:00:01 2008
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Tue,  1 Jul 2008 17:00:01 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:   2 July 2008
Message-ID: <20080701170001.1016C1E3815@justus2c.anglican.org>


*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Wednesday, July 2, 2008

O Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, Sovereign God, 
ruler of all hearts, 
you call us to obey you
and favor us with true freedom. 
Your Son calls us to leave behind all that hinders us,
that we may fix our eyes on him 
and steadfastly follow in the paths of your kingdom. 
For these and all your mercies, we praise you,
Blessed be God for ever!

An opening canticle may be sung. 

http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html

Psalm 62

For God alone my soul in silence waits;*
 from him comes my salvation.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,*
 my stronghold, so that I shall not be greatly shaken.
How long will you assail me to crush me,
   all of you together,*
 as if you were a leaning fence, a toppling wall?
They seek only to bring me down
   from my place of honour;*
 lies are their chief delight.
They bless with their lips,*
 but in their hearts they curse.
For God alone my soul in silence waits;*
 truly, my hope is in him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,*
 my stronghold, so that I shall not be shaken.
In God is my safety and my honour;*
 God is my strong rock and my refuge.
Put your trust in him always, O people,*
 pour out your hearts before him, for God is our refuge.
Those of high degree are but a fleeting breath,*
 even those of low estate cannot be trusted.
On the scales they are lighter than a breath,*
 all of them together.
Put no trust in extortion;
   in robbery take no empty pride;*
 though wealth increase, set not your heart upon it.
God has spoken once, twice have I heard it,*
 that power belongs to God.
Steadfast love is yours, O Lord,*
 for you repay everyone according to his deeds.

Psalm 63

O God, you are my God; eagerly I seek you;*
 my soul thirsts for you, my flesh faints for you,
   as in a barren and dry land where there is no water;
Therefore I have gazed upon you in your holy place,*
 that I might behold your power and your glory.
For your loving-kindness is better than life itself;*
 my lips shall give you praise.
So will I bless you as long as I live*
 and lift up my hands in your name.
My soul is content, as with marrow and fatness,*
 and my mouth praises you with joyful lips,
When I remember you upon my bed,*
 and meditate on you in the night watches.
For you have been my helper,*
 and under the shadow of your wings I will rejoice.
My soul clings to you;*
 your right hand holds me fast.

A Song of Judith (Judith 16.13-16)

I will sing a new song to my God,  
for you are great and glorious, 
truly strong and invincible. 
May your whole creation serve you,  
for you spoke and all things came to be. 
You sent forth your Spirit and they were formed,  
for no one can resist your voice. 
Mountains and seas are stirred to their depths;  
at your presence rocks shall melt like wax. 
But to those who fear you,  
you continue to show mercy. 
No sacrifice, however fragrant, can please you,  
but whoever fears the Lord 
shall stand in your sight for ever.

Psalm 147:13-end

Alleluia!
Worship the Lord, O Jerusalem;*
 praise your God, O Zion;
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;*
 he has blessed your children within you.
He has established peace on your borders;*
 he satisfies you with the finest wheat.
He sends out his command to the earth,*
 and his word runs very swiftly.
He gives snow like wool;*
 he scatters hoarfrost like ashes.
He scatters his hail like bread crumbs;*
 who can stand against his cold?
He sends forth his word and melts them;*
 he blows with his wind and the waters flow.
He declares his word to Jacob,*
 his statutes and his judgements to Israel.
He has not done so to any other nation;*
 to them he has not revealed his judgements.
   Alleluia!

FIRST READING [Daniel 2:36-45]:

Daniel said, 'This was the dream; now we will tell the king its interpretation. You, O
king, the king of kings to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the
power, the might, and the glory, into whose hand he has given human beings,
wherever they live, the wild animals of the field, and the birds of the air, and whom he
has established as ruler over them all you are the head of gold. After you shall arise
another kingdom inferior to yours, and yet a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule
over the whole earth. And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron; just as iron
crushes and smashes everything, it shall crush and shatter all these. As you saw the
feet and toes partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom;
but some of the strength of iron shall be in it, as you saw the iron mixed with the clay.
As the toes of the feet were part iron and part clay, so the kingdom shall be partly
strong and partly brittle. As you saw the iron mixed with clay, so will they mix with
one another in marriage, but they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with
clay. And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall
never be destroyed, nor shall this kingdom be left to another people. It shall crush all
these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand for ever; just as you saw
that a stone was cut from the mountain not by hands, and that it crushed the iron, the
bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. The great God has informed the king what
shall be hereafter. The dream is certain, and its interpretation trustworthy.'

HYMN 
Words:  Tobias Clausnitzer (1619-1684), 1667;
trans. Catherine Winkworth (1827-1878), 1858 
Tune: Liebster Jesu

http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/b/b134.html
Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus.             

Blessed Jesus, at thy word
we are gathered all to hear thee;
let our hearts and souls be stirred
now to seek and love and fear thee,
by thy teachings, true1 and holy,
drawn from earth to love thee solely.

All our knowledge, sense, and sight
lie in deepest darkness shrouded
till thy Spirit breaks our night
with the beams of truth unclouded.
thou alone to God canst win us;
thou must work all good within us.

Glorious Lord, thyself impart,
Light of Light, from God proceeding;
open thou our ears and heart,
help us by thy Spirit's pleading;
hear the cry thy church2 raises,
hear and bless our prayers and praises. 

SECOND READING [Acts 21:15-26]:

After these days we got ready and started to go up to Jerusalem. Some of the disciples
from Caesarea also came along and brought us to the house of Mnason of Cyprus, an
early disciple, with whom we were to stay.
When we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers welcomed us warmly. The next day Paul
went with us to visit James; and all the elders were present. After greeting them, he
related one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his
ministry. When they heard it, they praised God. Then they said to him, 'You see,
brother, how many thousands of believers there are among the Jews, and they are all
zealous for the law. They have been told about you that you teach all the Jews living
among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, and that you tell them not to circumcise their
children or observe the customs. What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that
you have come. So do what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow. Join
these men, go through the rite of purification with them, and pay for the shaving of
their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about
you, but that you yourself observe and guard the law. But as for the Gentiles who have
become believers, we have sent a letter with our judgement that they should abstain
from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and
from fornication.' Then Paul took the men, and the next day, having purified himself,
he entered the temple with them, making public the completion of the days of
purification when the sacrifice would be made for each of them. 

The Benedictus (Morning), 
the Magnificat (Evening), or 
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.

Prayer:
Bountiful God, you give us every good gift; 
hear us as we offer our prayers to you.

We pray for our family and friends
and for all who are dear to us,
that in following you and rejoicing in your mercy,
they may share in your joy for ever.
Bountiful God,
hear our prayer.

We pray for those who are worn by their work,
for older persons and for children,
that they may know you are the strength of the weak
and the refuge of the distressed.
Bountiful God,
hear our prayer.

We pray for all who follow Christ,
that they may grow in their sense of discipleship
and calling to proclaim the Good News to others.
Bountiful God,
hear our prayer.

We pray for all in the medical professions,
that they may work wisely to promote health,
knowing that you are source of all healing.
Bountiful God,
hear our prayer.

We pray for all who are persecuted 
for the sake of righteousness
and for all who are oppressed,
that they may gain the true liberation which comes from you alone.
Bountiful God,
hear our prayer.

Eternal Love,
our hearts are restless until they rest in you.
Let your glory shine on us,
that our lives may proclaim your goodness,
our work give you honour,
and our voices praise you forever;
for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.>
       
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.

- The Lord's Prayer

Help us so to know you that we may truly love you, 
so to love you that we may fully serve you, 
whose service is perfect freedom in Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The
Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.

The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.

The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of  the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.

The opening prayer and closing sentence are adapted from _Book of Common
Worship_, (c) 1993 Westminster / John Knox Press. 


From steve.benner at oremus.org  Wed Jul  2 17:00:00 2008
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Wed,  2 Jul 2008 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:   3 July 2008
Message-ID: <20080702170000.D9CF61E3995@justus2c.anglican.org>


*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Thursday, July 3, 2008
Saint Thomas the Apostle

O Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, almighty God,
for your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is truly risen from the dead.
We give you thanks for Thomas,
the one who admitted to his doubts,
and yet became a faithful witness to the resurrection
after touching the body of his Lord and his God.
For these and all your mercies, we praise you,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit:
Blessed be God for ever!

An opening canticle may be sung. 

http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html

Psalm 112

Alleluia!
   Happy are they who fear the Lord*
 and have great delight in his commandments!
Their descendants will be mighty in the land;*
 the generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches will be in their house,*
 and their righteousness will last for ever.
Light shines in the darkness for the upright;*
 the righteous are merciful and full of compassion.
It is good for them to be generous in lending*
 and to manage their affairs with justice.
For they will never be shaken;*
 the righteous will be kept in everlasting remembrance.
They will not be afraid of any evil rumours;*
 their heart is right;
   they put their trust in the Lord.
Their heart is established and will not shrink,*
 until they see their desire upon their enemies.
They have given freely to the poor,*
 and their righteousness stands fast for ever;
   they will hold up their head with honour.
The wicked will see it and be angry;
   they will gnash their teeth and pine away;*
 the desires of the wicked will perish.

Psalm 113

Alleluia!
   Give praise, you servants of the Lord;*
 praise the name of the Lord.
Let the name of the Lord be blessed,*
 from this time forth for evermore.
>From the rising of the sun to its going down*
 let the name of the Lord be praised.
The Lord is high above all nations,*
 and his glory above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God,
   who sits enthroned on high,*
 but stoops to behold the heavens and the earth?
He takes up the weak out of the dust*
 and lifts up the poor from the ashes.
He sets them with the princes,*
 with the princes of his people.
He makes the woman of a childless house*
 to be a joyful mother of children.

A Song of the Wilderness (Isaiah 35.1,2b-4a,4c-6,10)

The wilderness and the dry land shall rejoice,
the desert shall blossom and burst into song.

They shall see the glory of the Lord,
the majesty of our God.

Strengthen the weary hands,
and make firm the feeble knees.

Say to the anxious, 'Be strong, fear not,
your God is coming with judgement,
coming with judgement to save you.'

Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped;

Then shall the lame leap like a hart,
and the tongue of the dumb sing for joy.

For waters shall break forth in the wilderness,
and streams in the desert;

The ransomed of the Lord shall return with singing,
with everlasting joy upon their heads.

Joy and gladness shall be theirs,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Psalm 148

Alleluia!
   Praise the Lord from the heavens;*
 praise him in the heights.
Praise him, all you angels of his;*
 praise him, all his host.
Praise him, sun and moon;*
 praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, heaven of heavens,*
 and you waters above the heavens.
Let them praise the name of the Lord;*
 for he commanded and they were created.
He made them stand fast for ever and ever;*
 he gave them a law which shall not pass away.
Praise the Lord from the earth,*
 you sea-monsters and all deeps;
Fire and hail, snow and fog,*
 tempestuous wind, doing his will;
Mountains and all hills,*
 fruit trees and all cedars;
Wild beasts and all cattle,*
 creeping things and winged birds;
Kings of the earth and all peoples,*
 princes and all rulers of the world;
Young men and maidens,*
 old and young together.
Let them praise the name of the Lord,*
 for his name only is exalted,
   his splendour is over earth and heaven.
He has raised up strength for his people
   and praise for all his loyal servants,*
 the children of Israel, a people who are near him.
   Alleluia!

FIRST READING [Isaiah 43:8-13]:

Bring forth the people who are blind, yet have eyes,
   who are deaf, yet have ears!
Let all the nations gather together,
   and let the peoples assemble.
Who among them declared this,
   and foretold to us the former things?
Let them bring their witnesses to justify them,
   and let them hear and say, 'It is true.'
You are my witnesses, says the Lord,
   and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe me
   and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
   nor shall there be any after me.
I, I am the Lord,
   and besides me there is no saviour.
I declared and saved and proclaimed,
   when there was no strange god among you;
   and you are my witnesses, says the Lord.
I am God, and also henceforth I am He;
   there is no one who can deliver from my hand;
   I work and who can hinder it? 

HYMN 
Words: Henry Alford (1810-1871), alt.
Tune: St. Botolph

http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/w/w165.html
Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus.

We walk by faith, and not by sight;
no gracious words we hear from him
who spoke as none e'er spoke;
but we believe him near.

We may not touch his hands and side,
nor follow where he trod;
but in his promise we rejoice;
and cry, "My Lord and God!"

Help then, O Lord, our unbelief;
and may our faith abound,
to call on you when you are near,
and seek where you are found:

that, when our life of faith is done,
in realms of clearer light
we may behold you as you are,
with full and endless sight.

SECOND READING [1 Peter 1:3-9]:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has
given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from
the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in
heaven for you, who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a
salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, even if now for a
little while you have had to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your
faith being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire may be
found to result in praise and glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed. Although
you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you
believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving
the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 

The Benedictus (Morning), 
the Magnificat (Evening), or 
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.

Prayer:
Believing without seeing, 
we offer our prayers to God.

For the governments and nations of our world, 
that they might use all the resources at their disposal 
to feed their people.  
Hear us, O Lord. 

For the sick and dying,
that they might know joy in the midst of sorrow, 
and trust in the power of the resurrection.
Hear us, O Lord. 

For all children in our church families, 
that they might continue to witness to the love of Jesus Christ.
Hear us, O Lord. 

For all catechumens,
as they explore their unique ministries as servants of Christ, 
that they might be filled with wisdom and grace. 
Hear us, O Lord. 

For the Church,
that it may proclaim the faith to all who doubt.
Hear us, O Lord. 

For trust in you and delight in the abundance 
that already fills our lives.
Hear us, O Lord. 

Almighty and eternal God, 
who, for the firmer foundation of our faith, 
allowed your holy apostle Thomas 
to doubt the resurrection of your Son 
until word and sight convinced him: 
Grant to us, who have not seen, that we may also believe, 
and so confess Christ as our Lord and our God; 
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
       
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.

- The Lord's Prayer

Help us so to know you that we may truly love you, 
so to love you that we may fully serve you, 
whose service is perfect freedom in Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The
Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.

The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.

The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of  the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.

The opening prayer and closing sentence are adapted from _Book of Common
Worship_, (c) 1993 Westminster / John Knox Press. 


From steve.benner at oremus.org  Thu Jul  3 17:00:01 2008
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Thu,  3 Jul 2008 17:00:01 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:   4 July 2008
Message-ID: <20080703170001.CF3871E3F9A@justus2c.anglican.org>


*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Friday, July 4, 2008
[Independence Day, USA]

O Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, almighty God,
for you have created us in dignity and honor
and through Christ your Son
have given us the great gift of freedom.
You implant in us the desire for true liberty,
which is our dignity as your children
and the right of every people.
For these and all your mercies, we praise you,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit:
Blessed be God for ever!

An opening canticle may be sung. 

http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html

Psalm 24

The earth is the Lord's and all that is in it,*
 the world and all who dwell therein.
For it is he who founded it upon the seas*
 and made it firm upon the rivers of the deep.
'Who can ascend the hill of the Lord?*
 and who can stand in his holy place?'
'Those who have clean hands and a pure heart,*
 who have not pledged themselves to falsehood,
   nor sworn by what is a fraud.
'They shall receive a blessing from the Lord*
 and a just reward from the God of their salvation.'
Such is the generation of those who seek him,*
 of those who seek your face, O God of Jacob.
Lift up your heads, O gates;
   lift them high, O everlasting doors;*
 and the King of glory shall come in.
'Who is this King of glory?'*
 'The Lord, strong and mighty,
   the Lord, mighty in battle.'
Lift up your heads, O gates;
   lift them high, O everlasting doors;*
 and the King of glory shall come in.
'Who is he, this King of glory?'*
 'The Lord of hosts,
   he is the King of glory.'

Psalm 29

Ascribe to the Lord, you gods,*
 ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due to his name;*
 worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
The voice of the Lord is upon the waters;
   the God of glory thunders;*
 the Lord is upon the mighty waters.
The voice of the Lord is a powerful voice;*
 the voice of the Lord is a voice of splendour.
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedar trees;*
 the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon;
He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,*
 and Mount Hermon like a young wild ox.
The voice of the Lord splits the flames of fire;
   the voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;*
 the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord makes the oak trees writhe*
 and strips the forests bare.
And in the temple of the Lord*
 all are crying, 'Glory!'
The Lord sits enthroned above the flood;*
 the Lord sits enthroned as king for evermore.
The Lord shall give strength to his people;*
 the Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace.

A Song of God's Grace (Ephesians 1:3-10)

Blessed are you, 
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
for you have blest us in Christ Jesus
with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.

You chose us to be yours in Christ
before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy and blameless before you.

In love you destined us for adoption as your children,
through Jesus Christ,
according to the purpose of your will,

To the praise of your glorious grace,
which you freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

In you, we have redemption
through the blood of Christ,
the forgiveness of our sins,

According to the riches of your grace,
which you have lavished upon us.

You have made known to us, in all wisdom and insight,
the mystery of your will,

According to your purpose 
which you set forth in Christ,
as a plan for the fullness of time,

To unite all things in Christ,
things in heaven and things on earth.

Psalm 149

Alleluia!
   Sing to the Lord a new song;*
 sing his praise in the congregation of the faithful.
Let Israel rejoice in his maker;*
 let the children of Zion be joyful in their king.
Let them praise his name in the dance;*
 let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the Lord takes pleasure in his people*
 and adorns the poor with victory.
Let the faithful rejoice in triumph;*
 let them be joyful on their beds.
Let the praises of God be in their throat*
 and a two-edged sword in their hand;
To wreak vengeance on the nations*
 and punishment on the peoples;
To bind their kings in chains*
 and their nobles with links of iron;
To inflict on them the judgement decreed;*
 this is glory for all his faithful people.
   Alleluia!

FIRST READING [Ecclesiasticus 10:1-8,12-18]:

A wise magistrate educates his people,
   and the rule of an intelligent person is well ordered.
As the people's judge is, so are his officials;
   as the ruler of the city is, so are all its inhabitants.
An undisciplined king ruins his people,
   but a city becomes fit to live in through the understanding of its rulers.
The government of the earth is in the hand of the Lord,
   and over it he will raise up the right leader for the time.
Human success is in the hand of the Lord,
   and it is he who confers honour upon the lawgiver.

Do not get angry with your neighbour for every injury,
   and do not resort to acts of insolence.
Arrogance is hateful to the Lord and to mortals,
   and injustice is outrageous to both.
Sovereignty passes from nation to nation
   on account of injustice and insolence and wealth.
The beginning of human pride is to forsake the Lord;
   the heart has withdrawn from its Maker.
For the beginning of pride is sin,
   and the one who clings to it pours out abominations.
Therefore the Lord brings upon them unheard-of calamities,
   and destroys them completely.
The Lord overthrows the thrones of rulers,
   and enthrones the lowly in their place.
The Lord plucks up the roots of the nations,
   and plants the humble in their place.
The Lord lays waste the lands of the nations,
   and destroys them to the foundations of the earth.
He removes some of them and destroys them,
   and erases the memory of them from the earth.
Pride was not created for human beings,
   or violent anger for those born of women.

HYMN 
Words: Gilbert Keith Chesterton, 1906
Tune: King's Lynn
<a
href="http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/o/o174.html">http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/o
/o174.html
Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus.

O God of earth and altar,
bow down and hear our cry,
our earthly rulers falter,
our people drift and die;
the walls of gold entomb us,
the swords of scorn divide,
take not thy thunder from us,
but take away our pride.

>From all that terror teaches,
from lies of tongue and pen,
from all the easy speeches
that comfort cruel men,
from sale and profanation
of honor, and the sword,
from sleep and from damnation,
deliver us, good Lord!

Tie in a living tether
the prince and priest and thrall,
bind all our lives together,
smite us and save us all;
in ire and exultation
aflame with faith, and free,
lift up a living nation,
a single sword to thee.

SECOND READING [James 5:7-10]:

Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the
precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the
late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the
Lord is near. Beloved, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be
judged. See, the Judge is standing at the doors! As an example of suffering and
patience, beloved, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

The Benedictus (Morning), 
the Magnificat (Evening), or 
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.

Prayer:
Prayer [US]:
O Lord our Governor, 
bless the leaders of our land, 
that we may be a people at peace among ourselves 
and a blessing to other nations of the earth.
Lord, keep this nation under your care.

To the President and members of the Cabinet, 
to Governors of States, Mayors of Cities, 
and to all in administrative authority, 
grant wisdom and grace in the exercise of their duties.
Give grace to your servants, O Lord.

To Senators and Representatives, 
and those who make our laws in States, Cities, and Towns, 
give courage, wisdom, and foresight to provide 
for the needs of all our people, 
and to fulfill our obligations in the community of nations.
Give grace to your servants, O Lord.=

To the Judges and officers of our Courts 
give understanding and integrity, 
that human rights may be safeguarded and justice served.
Give grace to your servants, O Lord.

And finally, teach our people to rely on your strength 
and to accept their responsibilities to their fellow citizens, 
that they may elect trustworthy leaders 
and make wise decisions for the well-being of our society; 
that we may serve you faithfully in our generation
and honor your holy Name.
For yours is the kingdom, O Lord, 
and you are exalted as head above all. Amen.

Lord God Almighty, 
you have made all the peoples of the earth for your glory, 
to serve you in freedom and in peace: 
Give to the people of our country 
a zeal for justice and the strength of forbearance, 
that we may use our liberty in accordance with your gracious will; 
through Jesus Christ our Lord, 
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, 
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

- Go to the Lord's Prayer.

Prayer [Elsewhere]:
Beginning and End of all things,
we bless you for the present that is ever yielding
to your new heaven and new earth.

For all the means of grace,
we praise you, O Lord.

For every prompting of your Spirit
we praise you, O Lord.

We yield our cares to your unceasing mercy:
Attend the sick and the suffering,
In your mercy, Lord, hear us.

Touch the dying:
In your mercy, Lord, hear us.

Claim the newborn:
In your mercy, Lord, hear us.

Shelter the homeless:
In your mercy, Lord, hear us.

Sing in the fearful:
In your mercy, Lord, hear us.

Chasten the arrogant and powerful:
In your mercy, Lord, hear us.

Lift up the lowly:
In your mercy, Lord, hear us.

Center the Church,
In your mercy, Lord, hear us.

Grant peace to Jerusalem and every people:
In your mercy, Lord, hear us.

Shape our lives by the mystery 
of Christ crucified, risen and interceding for us:
In your mercy, Lord, hear us.

Almighty God, 
your Son Jesus Christ has taught us 
that what we do for the least of your children we do also for him: 
Give us the will to serve others as he was the servant of all, 
who gave up his life and died for us, 
but lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, 
one God, now and forever. Amen.
       
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.

- The Lord's Prayer

Help us so to know you that we may truly love you, 
so to love you that we may fully serve you, 
whose service is perfect freedom in Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The
Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.

The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.

The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of  the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.

The opening prayer of thanksgiving is adapted by Stephen Benner from
_We Give You Thanks and Praise: The Ambrosian Eucharistic
Prefaces_, translated by Alan Griffiths, (c) The Canterbury Press
Norwich, 1999.

The first intercession and collect are from The Book of Common
Prayer_ (1979), Charles Mortimer Guilbert, Custodian.

The second intercession is adapted from a prayer reprinted from _THE
DAILY OFFICE: A Book of Hours of Daily Prayer after the Use of the Order
of Saint Luke_, (c) 1997 by The Order of Saint Luke. Used by
permission.

The second collect is from _Book of Common Worship_, (c)
1993 Westminster / John Knox Press. 

The closing prayer uses a sentence from a prayer in _Opening Prayers:
Collects in Contemporary Language_. Canterbury Press, Norwich, 1999.


From steve.benner at oremus.org  Fri Jul  4 17:00:12 2008
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Fri,  4 Jul 2008 17:00:12 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:   5 July 2008
Message-ID: <20080704170012.D5F8F1E4113@justus2c.anglican.org>


*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Saturday, July 5, 2008

O Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, Sovereign God, 
ruler of all hearts, 
you call us to obey you
and favor us with true freedom. 
Your Son calls us to leave behind all that hinders us,
that we may fix our eyes on him 
and steadfastly follow in the paths of your kingdom. 
For these and all your mercies, we praise you,
Blessed be God for ever!

An opening canticle may be sung. 

http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html

Psalm 15

Lord, who may dwell in your tabernacle?*
 who may abide upon your holy hill?
Whoever leads a blameless life and does what is right,*
 who speaks the truth from his heart.
There is no guile upon his tongue;
   he does no evil to his friend;*
 he does not heap contempt upon his neighbour.
In his sight the wicked is rejected,*
 but he honours those who fear the Lord.
He has sworn to do no wrong*
 and does not take back his word.
He does not give his money in hope of gain,*
 nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.
Whoever does these things*
 shall never be overthrown.

Psalm 46

God is our refuge and strength,*
 a very present help in trouble;
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be moved,*
 and though the mountains be toppled
   into the depths of the sea;
Though its waters rage and foam,*
 and though the mountains tremble at its tumult.
The Lord of hosts is with us;*
 the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
There is a river whose streams
   make glad the city of God,*
 the holy habitation of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her;
   she shall not be overthrown;*
 God shall help her at the break of day.
The nations make much ado
   and the kingdoms are shaken;*
 God has spoken and the earth shall melt away.
The Lord of hosts is with us;*
 the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Come now and look upon the works of the Lord,*
 what awesome things he has done on earth.
It is he who makes war to cease in all the world;*
 he breaks the bow and shatters the spear
   and burns the shields with fire.
'Be still, then, and know that I am God;*
 I will be exalted among the nations;
   I will be exalted in the earth.'
The Lord of hosts is with us;*
 the God of Jacob is our stronghold.

A Song of the Righteous (Wisdom 3.1,2a,3b-8)

The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God  
and no torment will ever touch them. 
In the eyes of the foolish, they seem to have died;  
but they are at peace. 
For though, in the sight of others, they were punished,  
their hope is full of immortality. 
Having been disciplined a little, 
they will receive great good,  
because God tested them and found them worthy. 
Like gold in the furnace, God tried them  
and, like a sacrificial burnt offering, accepted them. 
In the time of their visitation, they will shine forth  
and will run like sparks through the stubble. 
They will govern nations and rule over peoples  
and God will reign over them for ever.

Psalm 150

Alleluia!
   Praise God in his holy temple;*
 praise him in the firmament of his power.
Praise him for his mighty acts;*
 praise him for his excellent greatness.
Praise him with the blast of the ram's-horn;*
 praise him with lyre and harp.
Praise him with timbrel and dance;*
 praise him with strings and pipe.
Praise him with resounding cymbals;*
 praise him with loud-clanging cymbals.
Let everything that has breath*
 praise the Lord.
   Alleluia!

FIRST READING [Daniel 3:19-end]:

Nebuchadnezzar was so filled with rage against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
that his face was distorted. He ordered the furnace to be heated up seven times more
than was customary, and ordered some of the strongest guards in his army to bind
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and to throw them into the furnace of blazing fire.
So the men were bound, still wearing their tunics, their trousers, their hats, and their
other garments, and they were thrown into the furnace of blazing fire. Because the
king's command was urgent and the furnace was so overheated, the raging flames
killed the men who lifted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. But the three men,
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down, bound, into the furnace of blazing
fire.
Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up quickly. He said to his
counsellors, 'Was it not three men that we threw bound into the fire?' They answered
the king, 'True, O king.' He replied, 'But I see four men unbound, walking in the
middle of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the fourth has the appearance of a god.'
Nebuchadnezzar then approached the door of the furnace of blazing fire and said,
'Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come
here!' So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. And the satraps,
the prefects, the governors, and the king's counsellors gathered together and saw that
the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men; the hair of their heads
was not singed, their tunics were not harmed, and not even the smell of fire came from
them. Nebuchadnezzar said, 'Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants who trusted in him. They
disobeyed the king's command and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and
worship any god except their own God. Therefore I make a decree: Any people,
nation, or language that utters blasphemy against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins; for there is no
other god who is able to deliver in this way.' Then the king promoted Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon. 

HYMN 
Words: Henry Ernest Nichol, 1896 
Tune: Message

http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/w/w204.html
Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus.             

We've a story to tell to the nations,
that shall turn their hearts to the right,
a story of truth and sweetness,
a story of peace and light,
a story of peace and light.
Refrain:
For the darkness shall turn to dawning,
and the dawning to noonday bright;
and Christ's great kingdom shall come on earth,
the kingdom of love and light.

We've a song to be sung to the nations,
that shall lift their hearts to the Lord,
a song that shall conquer evil
and shatter the spear and sword,
and shatter the spear and sword. Refrain

We've a message to give to the nations,
that the Lord who reigns up above
has sent us his Son to save us,
and show us that God is love,
and show us that God is love. Refrain

We've a Savior to show to the nations,
who the path of sorrow has trod,
that all of the world's great peoples
might come to the truth of God,
might come to the truth of God. Refrain 

SECOND READING [Acts 22:17-29]:

Paul said, 'After I had returned to Jerusalem and while I was praying in the temple, I
fell into a trance and saw Jesus saying to me, "Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly,
because they will not accept your testimony about me." And I said, "Lord, they
themselves know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believed in
you. And while the blood of your witness Stephen was shed, I myself was standing by,
approving and keeping the coats of those who killed him." Then he said to me, "Go,
for I will send you far away to the Gentiles." '
Up to this point they listened to him, but then they shouted, 'Away with such a fellow
from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live.' And while they were shouting,
throwing off their cloaks, and tossing dust into the air, the tribune directed that he was
to be brought into the barracks, and ordered him to be examined by flogging, to find
out the reason for this outcry against him. But when they had tied him up with thongs,
Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, 'Is it legal for you to flog a Roman
citizen who is uncondemned?' When the centurion heard that, he went to the tribune
and said to him, 'What are you about to do? This man is a Roman citizen.' The tribune
came and asked Paul, 'Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?' And he said, 'Yes.' The
tribune answered, 'It cost me a large sum of money to get my citizenship.' Paul said,
'But I was born a citizen.' Immediately those who were about to examine him drew
back from him; and the tribune also was afraid, for he realized that Paul was a Roman
citizen and that he had bound him. 

The Benedictus (Morning), 
the Magnificat (Evening), or 
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.

Prayer:
God of all time,
we bless you for the gift of this day
and for our hope in Christ Jesus.
In the midst of all that demands our attention,
free us to love you with all our hearts
and to love the world with your mercy and justice.

Let our love be genuine:
Kyrie eleison

Let our affections be tempered with holiness:
Kyrie eleison

Let our desires be shaped by the vision
of a new heaven and a new earth:
Kyrie eleison

Let our actions reflect the balance of love
for your reign in all things:
Kyrie eleison

Let our perceptions and feelings be ordered
by the hope we have in Christ:
Kyrie eleison

God of love,
teach us to walk blamelessly in your ways,
that our whole life may be established in you,
and that we may come to the place prepared for us
by your Son, Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen.
       
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.

- The Lord's Prayer

Help us so to know you that we may truly love you, 
so to love you that we may fully serve you, 
whose service is perfect freedom in Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The
Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.

The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.

The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of  the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.

The opening prayer and closing sentence are adapted from _Book of Common
Worship_, (c) 1993 Westminster / John Knox Press.

The intercession is reprinted from _THE DAILY OFFICE: A Book of Hours of
Daily Prayer after the Use of the Order of Saint Luke_, (c) 1997 by The Order
of Saint Luke. Used by permission.

The first collect is from _Daily Prayer_, copyright (c) The Scottish
Episcopal Church, 1998. Used with permission. 
http://www.scottishepiscopal.com


From steve.benner at oremus.org  Sat Jul  5 17:00:01 2008
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Sat,  5 Jul 2008 17:00:01 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:   6 July 2008
Message-ID: <20080705170001.104621E40A6@justus2c.anglican.org>


*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Sunday, July 6, 2008
The Eighth Sunday after Pentecost

O Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, Lord, our great God,
for the testimonies of the prophets we bless you.
For the statutes of the law we bless you.
For the gospel of Christ and the witness of the apostles
we bless you, glorious God.
You touch us with the Holy Spirit
and do not let us escape your Word
without being caught by its promises and powerful joy.
Blessed be God for ever!

An opening canticle may be sung. 

http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html

Psalm 50

The Lord, the God of gods, has spoken;*
 he has called the earth
   from the rising of the sun to its setting.
Out of Zion, perfect in its beauty,*
 God reveals himself in glory.
Our God will come and will not keep silence;*
 before him there is a consuming flame,
   and round about him a raging storm.
He calls the heavens and the earth from above*
 to witness the judgement of his people.
'Gather before me my loyal followers,*
 those who have made a covenant with me
   and sealed it with sacrifice.'
Let the heavens declare the rightness of his cause;*
 for God himself is judge.
Hear, O my people, and I will speak:
   'O Israel, I will bear witness against you;*
 for I am God, your God.
'I do not accuse you because of your sacrifices;*
 your offerings are always before me.
'I will take no bull-calf from your stalls,*
 nor he-goats out of your pens;
'For the beasts of the forest are mine,*
 the herds in their thousands upon the hills.
'I know every bird in the sky,*
 and the creatures of the fields are in my sight.
'If I were hungry, I would not tell you,*
 for the whole world is mine and all that is in it.
'Do you think I eat the flesh of bulls,*
 or drink the blood of goats?
'Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving*
 and make good your vows to the Most High.
'Call upon me in the day of trouble;*
 I will deliver you and you shall honour me.'
But to the wicked God says:*
 'Why do you recite my statutes,
   and take my covenant upon your lips;
'Since you refuse discipline,*
 and toss my words behind your back?
'When you see a thief, you make him your friend,*
 and you cast in your lot with adulterers.
'You have loosed your lips for evil,*
 and harnessed your tongue to a lie.
'You are always speaking evil of your brother*
 and slandering your own mother's son.
'These things you have done and I kept still,*
 and you thought that I am like you.
'I have made my accusation;*
 I have put my case in order before your eyes.
'Consider this well, you who forget God,*
 lest I rend you and there be none to deliver you.
'Whoever offers me the sacrifice of thanksgiving
   honours me;*
 but to those who keep in my way
   will I show the salvation of God.'

A Song of David (1 Chronicles 29.10b-13,14b)

Blessed are you, God of Israel, for ever and ever,  
for yours is the greatness, the power, 
the glory, the splendour and the majesty. 
Everything in heaven and on earth is yours;  
yours is the kingdom, O Lord, 
and you are exalted as head over all. 
Riches and honour come from you  
and you rule over all. 
In your hand are power and might;  
yours it is to give power and strength to all. 
And now we give you thanks, our God,  
and praise your glorious name. 
For all things come from you,  
and of your own have we given you.

Psalm 117

Alleluia!
Praise the Lord, all you nations;*
 laud him, all you peoples.
For his loving-kindness towards us is great,*
 and the faithfulness of the Lord endures for ever.
   Alleluia!

FIRST READING [Daniel 3:19-end]:

Nebuchadnezzar was so filled with rage against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
that his face was distorted. He ordered the furnace to be heated up seven times more
than was customary, and ordered some of the strongest guards in his army to bind
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and to throw them into the furnace of blazing fire.
So the men were bound, still wearing their tunics, their trousers, their hats, and their
other garments, and they were thrown into the furnace of blazing fire. Because the
king's command was urgent and the furnace was so overheated, the raging flames
killed the men who lifted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. But the three men,
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down, bound, into the furnace of blazing
fire.
Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up quickly. He said to his
counsellors, 'Was it not three men that we threw bound into the fire?' They answered
the king, 'True, O king.' He replied, 'But I see four men unbound, walking in the
middle of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the fourth has the appearance of a god.'
Nebuchadnezzar then approached the door of the furnace of blazing fire and said,
'Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come
here!' So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. And the satraps,
the prefects, the governors, and the king's counsellors gathered together and saw that
the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men; the hair of their heads
was not singed, their tunics were not harmed, and not even the smell of fire came from
them. Nebuchadnezzar said, 'Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants who trusted in him. They
disobeyed the king's command and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and
worship any god except their own God. Therefore I make a decree: Any people,
nation, or language that utters blasphemy against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins; for there is no
other god who is able to deliver in this way.' Then the king promoted Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon. 

HYMN 
Words: 
Tune: 

http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/t/t698.html
Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus.             

SECOND READING [Mark 8:1-21]:

In those days when there was again a great crowd without anything to eat, he called
his disciples and said to them, 'I have compassion for the crowd, because they have
been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them away hungry
to their homes, they will faint on the way and some of them have come from a great
distance.' His disciples replied, 'How can one feed these people with bread here in the
desert?' He asked them, 'How many loaves do you have?' They said, 'Seven.' Then he
ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground; and he took the seven loaves, and after
giving thanks he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute; and they
distributed them to the crowd. They had also a few small fish; and after blessing them,
he ordered that these too should be distributed. They ate and were filled; and they
took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. Now there were about four
thousand people. And he sent them away. And immediately he got into the boat with
his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.
The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, asking him for a sign from heaven,
to test him. And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, 'Why does this generation ask
for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.' And he left them,
and getting into the boat again, he went across to the other side.
Now the disciples had forgotten to bring any bread; and they had only one loaf with
them in the boat. And he cautioned them, saying, 'Watch out beware of the yeast of
the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.' They said to one another, 'It is because we have
no bread.' And becoming aware of it, Jesus said to them, 'Why are you talking about
having no bread? Do you still not perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened?
Do you have eyes, and fail to see? Do you have ears, and fail to hear? And do you not
remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full
of broken pieces did you collect?' They said to him, 'Twelve.' 'And the seven for the
four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?' And they said
to him, 'Seven.' Then he said to them, 'Do you not yet understand?' 

The Benedictus (Morning), 
the Magnificat (Evening), or 
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.

Prayer:
The Lord calls all those who are overburdened to come to him. So let us bring our
prayers to God.

We pray for the world leaders as they meet in Tokyo this week: may they be filled with
a true concern for the care of the world's environment, and the needs of its poorest
people.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for the people of Zimbabwe: may they may know peace, justice and freedom
from oppression in their land.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for doctors, nurses, health professionals and all who work with those who are
sick: may they be given the resources they need to fulfil their vocation of care.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for those who are vulnerable in our society, and especially all who suffer from
mental ill-health: may they find renewed purpose and meaning in their lives, and may
they know our support in times of need.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for the young people travelling to Australia this week in preparation for
World Youth Day: may this be for them a time of growth in faith and fellowship.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for those places throughout the world that are faced with violence and
conflict, especially for the peoples of the Holy Land, Iraq and Afghanistan, and for all
who are seeking to bring reconciliation: may they be led in the ways of peace and
justice.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, you are compassionate to all your creatures. We ask you to hear the
prayers that we offer through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Almighty God, 
your Son Jesus Christ has taught us 
that what we do for the least of your children 
we do also for him: 
Give us the will to serve others 
as he was the servant of all, 
who gave up his life and died for us, 
but lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, 
one God, now and forever.  Amen.
       
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.

- The Lord's Prayer

Prepare our hearts and lives
to be strengthened and changed by your Word,
revealed by your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The
Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.

The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.

The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of  the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.

The opening prayer and closing sentence are adapted from _The Worship
Soucerbook_.


From steve.benner at oremus.org  Sun Jul  6 17:00:18 2008
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Sun,  6 Jul 2008 17:00:18 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:   7 July 2008
Message-ID: <20080706170018.672F51E4015@justus2c.anglican.org>


*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Monday, July 7, 2008

O Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, Lord, our great God,
for the testimonies of the prophets we bless you.
For the statutes of the law we bless you.
For the gospel of Christ and the witness of the apostles
we bless you, glorious God.
You touch us with the Holy Spirit
and do not let us escape your Word
without being caught by its promises and powerful joy.
Blessed be God for ever!

An opening canticle may be sung. 

http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html

Psalm 73

Truly, God is good to Israel,*
 to those who are pure in heart.
But as for me, my feet had nearly slipped;*
 I had almost tripped and fallen;
Because I envied the proud*
 and saw the prosperity of the wicked:
For they suffer no pain,*
 and their bodies are sleek and sound;
In the misfortunes of others they have no share;*
 they are not afflicted as others are;
Therefore they wear their pride like a necklace*
 and wrap their violence about them like a cloak.
Their iniquity comes from gross minds,*
 and their hearts overflow with wicked thoughts.
They scoff and speak maliciously;*
 out of their haughtiness they plan oppression.
They set their mouths against the heavens,*
 and their evil speech runs through the world.
And so the people turn to them*
 and find in them no fault.
They say, 'How should God know?*
 is there knowledge in the Most High?'
So then, these are the wicked;*
 always at ease, they increase their wealth.
In vain have I kept my heart clean,*
 and washed my hands in innocence.
I have been afflicted all day long,*
 and punished every morning.
Had I gone on speaking this way,*
 I should have betrayed the generation of your children.
When I tried to understand these things,*
 it was too hard for me;
Until I entered the sanctuary of God*
 and discerned the end of the wicked.
Surely, you set them in slippery places;*
 you cast them down in ruin.
O how suddenly do they come to destruction,*
 come to an end and perish from terror!
Like a dream when one awakens, O Lord,*
 when you arise you will make their image vanish.
When my mind became embittered,*
 I was sorely wounded in my heart.
I was stupid and had no understanding;*
 I was like a brute beast in your presence.
Yet I am always with you;*
 you hold me by my right hand.
You will guide me by your counsel,*
 and afterwards receive me with glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you?*
 and having you I desire nothing upon earth.
Though my flesh and my heart should waste away,*
 God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever.
Truly, those who forsake you will perish;*
 you destroy all who are unfaithful.
But it is good for me to be near God;*
 I have made the Lord God my refuge.
I will speak of all your works*
 in the gates of the city of Zion.

A Song of the Blessed (Matthew 5.3-10)

Blessed are the poor in spirit,  
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 
Blessed are those who mourn,  
for they shall be comforted. 
Blessed are the meek,  
for they shall inherit the earth. 
Blessed are those who hunger 
and thirst after righteousness,  
for they shall be satisfied. 
Blessed are the merciful,  
for they shall obtain mercy. 
Blessed are the pure in heart,  
for they shall see God. 
Blessed are the peacemakers,  
for they shall be called children of God. 
Blessed are those who suffer persecution 
for righteousness' sake,  
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Rejoice and be glad 
for you are the light of the world, 
and great is your reward in heaven. 

Psalm 146

Alleluia!
   Praise the Lord, O my soul!*
 I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
   I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
Put not your trust in rulers,
   nor in any child of earth,*
 for there is no help in them.
When they breathe their last, they return to earth,*
 and in that day their thoughts perish.
Happy are they who have the God of Jacob
   for their help!*
 whose hope is in the Lord their God;
Who made heaven and earth, the seas,
   and all that is in them;*
 who keeps his promise for ever;
Who gives justice to those who are oppressed,*
 and food to those who hunger.
The Lord sets the prisoners free;
   the Lord opens the eyes of the blind;*
 the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
The Lord loves the righteous;
   the Lord cares for the stranger;*
 he sustains the orphan and widow,
   but frustrates the way of the wicked.
The Lord shall reign for ever,*
 your God, O Zion, throughout all generations.
   Alleluia!

FIRST READING [Daniel 4:4-5,10-18]:

I, Nebuchadnezzar, was living at ease in my home and prospering in my palace. I saw
a dream that frightened me; my fantasies in bed and the visions of my head terrified
me.
Upon my bed this is what I saw;
   there was a tree at the centre of the earth,
   and its height was great.
The tree grew great and strong,
   its top reached to heaven,
   and it was visible to the ends of the whole earth.
Its foliage was beautiful,
   its fruit abundant,
   and it provided food for all.
The animals of the field found shade under it,
   the birds of the air nested in its branches,
   and from it all living beings were fed.

 'I continued looking, in the visions of my head as I lay in bed, and there was a holy
watcher, coming down from heaven. He cried aloud and said:
"Cut down the tree and chop off its branches,
   strip off its foliage and scatter its fruit.
Let the animals flee from beneath it
   and the birds from its branches.
But leave its stump and roots in the ground,
   with a band of iron and bronze,
   in the tender grass of the field.
Let him be bathed with the dew of heaven,
   and let his lot be with the animals of the field
   in the grass of the earth.
Let his mind be changed from that of a human,
   and let the mind of an animal be given to him.
   And let seven times pass over him.
The sentence is rendered by decree of the watchers,
   the decision is given by order of the holy ones,
in order that all who live may know
   that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdom of mortals;
he gives it to whom he will
   and sets over it the lowliest of human beings."

'This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. Now you, Belteshazzar, declare
the interpretation, since all the wise men of my kingdom are unable to tell me the
interpretation. You are able, however, for you are endowed with a spirit of the holy
gods.'

HYMN 
Words:    Marnie Barrell, 1988 
Tune: Abbot's Leigh,  Ton-y-Botel, Nettleton, Blaenwern,  Hyfrydol

http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/barrell/mb16d.html
Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus.             

Great and deep the Spirit's purpose,
hidden now in mystery;
Nature bursts with joyful promise,
ripe with what is yet to be.
In a wealth of rich invention,
still the work of art unfolds -
barely have we seen, and faintly,
what God's great salvation holds.

Great and deep the Spirit's purpose
making Jesus seen and heard.
Every age of God's creation
grasps new meanings from the Word.
Show us, Holy Spirit, show us
your new work begun today;
eyes and ears and hearts are open,
teach us what to do and say.

Great and deep the Spirit's purpose
all God's children brought to birth,
freed from hunger, fear and evil
every corner of the earth.
And a million million voices
speak with joy the Saviour's name;
every face reflects his image,
never any two the same.

Great and deep the Spirit's purpose
nothing shall be left to chance.
All that lives will be united
in the everlasting dance.
All fulfilled and all perfected,
each uniquely loved and known,
Christ in glory unimagined
once for all receives his own. 

SECOND READING [Acts 22:30-23:11]:

Since he wanted to find out what Paul was being accused of by the Jews, the next day
he released him and ordered the chief priests and the entire council to meet. He
brought Paul down and had him stand before them.
While Paul was looking intently at the council he said, 'Brothers, up to this day I have
lived my life with a clear conscience before God.' Then the high priest Ananias
ordered those standing near him to strike him on the mouth. At this Paul said to him,
'God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting there to judge me
according to the law, and yet in violation of the law you order me to be struck?' Those
standing nearby said, 'Do you dare to insult God's high priest?' And Paul said, 'I did
not realize, brothers, that he was high priest; for it is written, "You shall not speak evil
of a leader of your people." '
When Paul noticed that some were Sadducees and others were Pharisees, he called out
in the council, 'Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am on trial concerning
the hope of the resurrection of the dead.' When he said this, a dissension began
between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. (The
Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, or angel, or spirit; but the Pharisees
acknowledge all three.) Then a great clamour arose, and certain scribes of the
Pharisees' group stood up and contended, 'We find nothing wrong with this man.
What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?' When the dissension became violent,
the tribune, fearing that they would tear Paul to pieces, ordered the soldiers to go
down, take him by force, and bring him into the barracks.
That night the Lord stood near him and said, 'Keep up your courage! For just as you
have testified for me in Jerusalem, so you must bear witness also in Rome.' 

The Benedictus (Morning), 
the Magnificat (Evening), or 
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.

Prayer:
Almighty God,
maker of all good things and Father of all;
you have shown us in Christ the purpose of your creation
and call us to be responsible in the world.

We pray for the world
all the nations....
our own country....
those in authority....
the peace of the world....
racial harmony....
those who maintain order....

We pray for the Church, especially

Almighty God, we give you thanks
for the order of created things
the resources of the earth
and the gift of human life....

for the continuing work of creation,
man's share in it,
and for creative vision and inventive skill....

for your faithfulness to man in patience and in love,
and for every human response of obedience
and humble achievement....

May we delight in your purpose
and work to bring all things to their true end;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Most High,
you know our faithlessness and our blindness
to the rewards of goodness.
Guide us with your counsel
and be the strength of our hearts,
that we may not fall 
but rejoice in the life of your eternal city;
through Jesus Christ our Mediator. Amen. 
       
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.

- The Lord's Prayer

Prepare our hearts and lives
to be strengthened and changed by your Word,
revealed by your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The
Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.

The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.

The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of  the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.

The opening prayer and closing sentence are adapted from _The Worship
Soucerbook_.


From steve.benner at oremus.org  Mon Jul  7 17:00:01 2008
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Mon,  7 Jul 2008 17:00:01 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:   8 July 2008
Message-ID: <20080707170001.461A81E4266@justus2c.anglican.org>


*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Tuesday, July 8, 2008

O Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, Lord, our great God,
for the testimonies of the prophets we bless you.
For the statutes of the law we bless you.
For the gospel of Christ and the witness of the apostles
we bless you, glorious God.
You touch us with the Holy Spirit
and do not let us escape your Word
without being caught by its promises and powerful joy.
Blessed be God for ever!

An opening canticle may be sung. 

http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html

Psalm 74 [CCP]

O God, why have you utterly cast us off?*
 why is your wrath so hot
   against the sheep of your pasture?
Remember your congregation that you purchased long ago,*
 the tribe you redeemed to be your inheritance,
   and Mount Zion where you dwell.
Turn your steps towards the endless ruins;*
 the enemy has laid waste everything in your sanctuary.
Your adversaries roared in your holy place;*
 they set up their banners as tokens of victory.
They were like men coming up with axes
   to a grove of trees;*
 they broke down all your carved work
   with hatchets and hammers.
They set fire to your holy place;*
 they defiled the dwelling-place of your name
   and razed it to the ground.
They said to themselves, 'Let us destroy them altogether.'*
 They burned down all the meeting-places of God
   in the land.
There are no signs for us to see;
   there is no prophet left;*
 there is not one among us who knows how long.
How long, O God, will the adversary scoff?*
 will the enemy blaspheme your name for ever?
Why do you draw back your hand?*
 why is your right hand hidden in your bosom?
Yet God is my king from ancient times,*
 victorious in the midst of the earth.
You divided the sea by your might*
 and shattered the heads of the dragons upon the waters;
You crushed the heads of Leviathan*
 and gave him to the people of the desert for food.
You split open spring and torrent;*
 you dried up ever-flowing rivers.
Yours is the day, yours also the night;*
 you established the moon and the sun.
You fixed all the boundaries of the earth;*
 you made both summer and winter.
Remember, O Lord, how the enemy scoffed,*
 how a foolish people despised your name.
Do not hand over the life of your dove to wild beasts;*
 never forget the lives of your poor.
Look upon your covenant;*
 the dark places of the earth are haunts of violence.
Let not the oppressed turn away ashamed;*
 let the poor and needy praise your name.
Arise, O God, maintain your cause;*
 remember how fools revile you all day long.
Forget not the clamour of your adversaries,*
 the unending tumult of those who rise up against you.

A Song of Peace (Isaiah 2.3-5)

Come, let us go up to the mountain of God,  
to the house of the God of Jacob; 
That God may teach us his ways,  
and that we may walk in his paths. 
For the law shall go out from Zion,  
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 
God shall judge between the nations,  
and shall mediate for many peoples. 
They shall beat their swords into ploughshares,  
and their spears into pruning hooks. 
Nation shall not lift up sword against nation,  
neither shall they learn war any more. 
O people of Jacob, come:  
let us walk in the light of the Lord. 

Psalm 147:1-12

Alleluia!
   How good it is to sing praises to our God!*
 how pleasant it is to honour him with praise!
The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem;*
 he gathers the exiles of Israel.
He heals the brokenhearted*
 and binds up their wounds.
He counts the number of the stars*
 and calls them all by their names.
Great is our Lord and mighty in power;*
 there is no limit to his wisdom.
The Lord lifts up the lowly,*
 but casts the wicked to the ground.
Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;*
 make music to our God upon the harp.
He covers the heavens with clouds*
 and prepares rain for the earth;
He makes grass to grow upon the mountains*
 and green plants to serve us all.
He provides food for flocks and herds*
 and for the young ravens when they cry.
He is not impressed by the might of a horse,*
 he has no pleasure in human strength;
But the Lord has pleasure in those who fear him,*
 in those who await his gracious favour.
 Alleluia!

FIRST READING [Daniel 4:19-27]:

Daniel, who was called Belteshazzar, was severely distressed for a while. His thoughts
terrified him. The king said, 'Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or the interpretation
terrify you.' Belteshazzar answered, 'My lord, may the dream be for those who hate
you, and its interpretation for your enemies! The tree that you saw, which grew great
and strong, so that its top reached to heaven and was visible to the end of the whole
earth, whose foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant, and which provided food for
all, under which animals of the field lived, and in whose branches the birds of the air
had nests  it is you, O king! You have grown great and strong. Your greatness has
increased and reaches to heaven, and your sovereignty to the ends of the earth. And
whereas the king saw a holy watcher coming down from heaven and saying, "Cut
down the tree and destroy it, but leave its stump and roots in the ground, with a band
of iron and bronze, in the grass of the field; and let him be bathed with the dew of
heaven, and let his lot be with the animals of the field, until seven times pass over
him"  this is the interpretation, O king, and it is a decree of the Most High that has
come upon my lord the king: You shall be driven away from human society, and your
dwelling shall be with the wild animals. You shall be made to eat grass like oxen, you
shall be bathed with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over you, until you
have learned that the Most High has sovereignty over the kingdom of mortals, and
gives it to whom he will. As it was commanded to leave the stump and roots of the
tree, your kingdom shall be re-established for you from the time that you learn that
Heaven is sovereign. Therefore, O king, may my counsel be acceptable to you: atone
for your sins with righteousness, and your iniquities with mercy to the oppressed, so
that your prosperity may be prolonged.' 

HYMN 
Words: John Marriott, 1813 
Tune: Moscow

http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/t/t640.html
Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus.             

Thou, whose almighty word
chaos and darkness heard,
and took their flight;
hear us, we humbly pray,
and, where the Gospel day
sheds not its glorious ray,
let there be light!

Thou who didst come to bring
on thy redeeming wing
healing and sight,
heal to the sick in mind,
sight to the in-ly blind,
now to all humankind,
let there be light!

Spirit of truth and love,
life-giving holy Dove,
speed forth thy flight!
Move on the waters' face
bearing the gifts of grace,
and, in earth's darkest place,
let there be light!

Holy and bless?d Three,
glorious Trinity,
Wisdom, Love, Might;
boundless as ocean's tide,
rolling in fullest pride,
through the world far and wide,
let there be light! 

SECOND READING [Acts 23:12-24]:

 In the morning the Jews joined in a conspiracy and bound themselves by an oath
neither to eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. There were more than forty who
joined in this conspiracy. They went to the chief priests and elders and said, 'We have
strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food until we have killed Paul. Now
then, you and the council must notify the tribune to bring him down to you, on the
pretext that you want to make a more thorough examination of his case. And we are
ready to do away with him before he arrives.'
Now the son of Paul's sister heard about the ambush; so he went and gained entrance
to the barracks and told Paul. Paul called one of the centurions and said, 'Take this
young man to the tribune, for he has something to report to him.' So he took him,
brought him to the tribune, and said, 'The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to
bring this young man to you; he has something to tell you.' The tribune took him by
the hand, drew him aside privately, and asked, 'What is it that you have to report to
me?' He answered, 'The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the
council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire more thoroughly into his case.
But do not be persuaded by them, for more than forty of their men are lying in ambush
for him. They have bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink until they kill
him. They are ready now and are waiting for your consent.' So the tribune dismissed
the young man, ordering him, 'Tell no one that you have informed me of this.'
Then he summoned two of the centurions and said, 'Get ready to leave by nine o'clock
tonight for Caesarea with two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred
spearmen. Also provide mounts for Paul to ride, and take him safely to Felix the
governor.' 

The Benedictus (Morning), 
the Magnificat (Evening), or 
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.

Prayer:
God our Father,
you gave your Son, Jesus Christ
to share our life on earth,
to grow in wisdom,
to toil with his hands,
and to make known the ways of your kingdom.

We pray for the community
those who work....
the unemployed....
those in education....
those in research....
those in communications....
those who maintain the life of the community....

God our Father, we give you thanks
for Christ's revelation of yourself,
his care for people,
and his joy in obedience....
for the value he gave to human labour,
the strength he promised us for service,
the call to follow in his way....
for all opportunities of work and of leisure,
all truth that we have learned,
and all discoveries that we have made....

Give us growing reverence for the truth,
and such wisdom in the use of knowledge
that your kingdom may be advanced
and your name glorified;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Righteous God, holy Redeemer,
renew your broken people with your Holy Spirit,
give them a vision of the coming dawn
and the courage to walk your narrow way,
that they may be a sign of hope to the needy
and proclaim the gracious name
of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
       
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.

- The Lord's Prayer

Prepare our hearts and lives
to be strengthened and changed by your Word,
revealed by your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The
Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.

The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.

The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of  the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.

The opening prayer and closing sentence are adapted from _The Worship
Soucerbook_.


From steve.benner at oremus.org  Tue Jul  8 17:00:00 2008
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Tue,  8 Jul 2008 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:   9 July 2008
Message-ID: <20080708170000.F17CA1E3F65@justus2c.anglican.org>


*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Wednesday, July 9, 2008

O Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, Lord, our great God,
for the testimonies of the prophets we bless you.
For the statutes of the law we bless you.
For the gospel of Christ and the witness of the apostles
we bless you, glorious God.
You touch us with the Holy Spirit
and do not let us escape your Word
without being caught by its promises and powerful joy.
Blessed be God for ever!

An opening canticle may be sung. 

http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html

Psalm 81

Sing with joy to God our strength*
 and raise a loud shout to the God of Jacob.
Raise a song and sound the timbrel,*
 the merry harp and the lyre.
Blow the ram's-horn at the new moon,*
 and at the full moon, the day of our feast.
For this is a statute for Israel,*
 a law of the God of Jacob.
He laid it as a solemn charge upon Joseph,*
 when he came out of the land of Egypt.
I heard an unfamiliar voice saying,*
 'I eased his shoulder from the burden;
   his hands were set free from bearing the load.'
You called on me in trouble and I saved you;*
 I answered you from the secret place of thunder
   and tested you at the waters of Meribah.
Hear, O my people, and I will admonish you:*
 O Israel, if you would but listen to me!
There shall be no strange god among you;*
 you shall not worship a foreign god.
I am the Lord your God,
   who brought you out of the land of Egypt and said,*
 'Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.'
And yet my people did not hear my voice,*
 and Israel would not obey me.
So I gave them over to the stubbornness
   of their hearts,*
 to follow their own devices.
O that my people would listen to me!*
 that Israel would walk in my ways!
I should soon subdue their enemies*
 and turn my hand against their foes.
Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him,*
 and their punishment would last for ever.
But Israel would I feed with the finest wheat*
 and satisfy him with honey from the rock.

A Song of the New Jerusalem (Isaiah 60.1-3,11a,18,19,14b)

Arise, shine out, for your light has come,  
the glory of the Lord is rising upon you. 
Though night still covers the earth,  
and darkness the peoples; 
Above you the Holy One arises,  
and above you God's glory appears. 
The nations will come to your light,  
and kings to your dawning brightness. 
Your gates will lie open continually,  
shut neither by day nor by night. 
The sound of violence shall be heard no longer in your land,  
or ruin and devastation within your borders. 
You will call your walls, Salvation,  
and your gates, Praise. 
No more will the sun give you daylight,  
nor moonlight shine upon you; 
But the Lord will be your everlasting light,  
your God will be your splendour. 
For you shall be called the city of God,  
the dwelling of the Holy One of Israel.

Psalm 147:13-end

Alleluia!
Worship the Lord, O Jerusalem;*
 praise your God, O Zion;
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;*
 he has blessed your children within you.
He has established peace on your borders;*
 he satisfies you with the finest wheat.
He sends out his command to the earth,*
 and his word runs very swiftly.
He gives snow like wool;*
 he scatters hoarfrost like ashes.
He scatters his hail like bread crumbs;*
 who can stand against his cold?
He sends forth his word and melts them;*
 he blows with his wind and the waters flow.
He declares his word to Jacob,*
 his statutes and his judgements to Israel.
He has not done so to any other nation;*
 to them he has not revealed his judgements.
   Alleluia!

FIRST READING [Daniel 4:28-end]:

All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. At the end of twelve months he was
walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, and the king said, 'Is this not
magnificent Babylon, which I have built as a royal capital by my mighty power and for
my glorious majesty?' While the words were still in the king's mouth, a voice came
from heaven: 'O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: The kingdom has
departed from you! You shall be driven away from human society, and your dwelling
shall be with the animals of the field. You shall be made to eat grass like oxen, and
seven times shall pass over you, until you have learned that the Most High has
sovereignty over the kingdom of mortals and gives it to whom he will.' Immediately
the sentence was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven away from human
society, ate grass like oxen, and his body was bathed with the dew of heaven, until his
hair grew as long as eagles' feathers and his nails became like birds' claws.

 When that period was over, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my
reason returned to me.
I blessed the Most High,
   and praised and honoured the one who lives for ever.
For his sovereignty is an everlasting sovereignty,
   and his kingdom endures from generation to generation.
All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,
   and he does what he wills with the host of heaven
   and the inhabitants of the earth.
There is no one who can stay his hand
   or say to him, 'What are you doing?'
At that time my reason returned to me; and my majesty and splendour were restored to
me for the glory of my kingdom. My counsellors and my lords sought me out, I was
re-established over my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me. Now I,
Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honour the King of heaven,
for all his works are truth,
   and his ways are justice;
and he is able to bring low
   those who walk in pride. 

HYMN 
Words:  Shirley Erena Murray, alt.   1992 by Hope Publishing Co Used with
permission.
Tune: Rhuddlan

http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/g/g203.html
Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus.             

God of freedom, God of justice,
God whose love is strong as death,
God who saw the dark of prison,
God who knew the price of faith:
touch our world of sad oppression
with your Spirit's healing breath.

Rid the earth of torture's terror,
God whose hands were nailed to wood;
hear the cries of pain and protest,
God who shed the tears and blood;
move in us the power of pity,
restless for the common good.

Make in us a captive conscience
quick to hear, to act, to plead;
make us truly sisters, brothers,
of whatever race or creed:
teach us to be fully human,
open to each other's need. 

SECOND READING [Acts 23:25-24:9]:

He wrote a letter to this effect:

'Claudius Lysias to his Excellency the governor Felix, greetings. This man was seized
by the Jews and was about to be killed by them, but when I had learned that he was a
Roman citizen, I came with the guard and rescued him. Since I wanted to know the
charge for which they accused him, I had him brought to their council. I found that he
was accused concerning questions of their law, but was charged with nothing
deserving death or imprisonment. When I was informed that there would be a plot
against the man, I sent him to you at once, ordering his accusers also to state before
you what they have against him.'

So the soldiers, according to their instructions, took Paul and brought him during the
night to Antipatris. The next day they let the horsemen go on with him, while they
returned to the barracks. When they came to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the
governor, they presented Paul also before him. On reading the letter, he asked what
province he belonged to, and when he learned that he was from Cilicia, he said, 'I will
give you a hearing when your accusers arrive.' Then he ordered that he be kept under
guard in Herod's headquarters.

Five days later the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and an attorney, a
certain Tertullus, and they reported their case against Paul to the governor. When Paul
had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying:

'Your Excellency, because of you we have long enjoyed peace, and reforms have been
made for this people because of your foresight. We welcome this in every way and
everywhere with utmost gratitude. But, to detain you no further, I beg you to hear us
briefly with your customary graciousness. We have, in fact, found this man a pestilent
fellow, an agitator among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the
sect of the Nazarenes. He even tried to profane the temple, and so we seized him. By
examining him yourself you will be able to learn from him concerning everything of
which we accuse him.'

 The Jews also joined in the charge by asserting that all this was true.

The Benedictus (Morning), 
the Magnificat (Evening), or 
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.

Prayer:
Holy Father,
you have reconciled us to yourself in Christ;
by your Spirit
you enable us to live as your children.

We pray for personal relationships
the home, and family life....
children deprived of home....
friends, relations and neighbours....
relationships in daily life and work....
those who are estranged....
ministries of care and healing...

Holy Father, we give you thanks
for the obedience of Christ fulfilled in the cross,
his bearing of the sin of the world,
his mercy for the world, which never fails....

for the joy of human love and friendship,
the lives to which our own are bound,
the gift of peace with you and each other....

for the communities in whose life we share
and all relationships
in which reconciliation may be known....

Help us to share in Christ's ministry
and to love and serve one another in peace;
through the same Jesus Christ our Lord,
who in the unity of the Spirit
is one with you for ever. Amen.

Father of mercy,
keep us joyful in your salvation
and faithful to your covenant;
and, as we journey to your kingdom,
ever feed us with the bread of life,
your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
       
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.

- The Lord's Prayer

Prepare our hearts and lives
to be strengthened and changed by your Word,
revealed by your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The
Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.

The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.

The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of  the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.

The opening prayer and closing sentence are adapted from _The Worship
Soucerbook_.


From steve.benner at oremus.org  Wed Jul  9 17:00:01 2008
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Wed,  9 Jul 2008 17:00:01 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:  10 July 2008
Message-ID: <20080709170001.0DAF51E3DEA@justus2c.anglican.org>


*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Thursday, July 10, 2008

O Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, Lord, our great God,
for the testimonies of the prophets we bless you.
For the statutes of the law we bless you.
For the gospel of Christ and the witness of the apostles
we bless you, glorious God.
You touch us with the Holy Spirit
and do not let us escape your Word
without being caught by its promises and powerful joy.
Blessed be God for ever!

An opening canticle may be sung. 

http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html

Psalm 89:1-9,11-14,18-21,24-29, 52

Your love, O Lord, for ever will I sing;*
 from age to age my mouth will proclaim your faithfulness.
For I am persuaded that your love is established for ever;*
 you have set your faithfulness firmly in the heavens.
'I have made a covenant with my chosen one;*
 I have sworn an oath to David my servant:
'"I will establish your line for ever,*
 and preserve your throne for all generations."'
The heavens bear witness to your wonders, O Lord,*
 and to your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones;
For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord?*
 who is like the Lord among the gods?
God is much to be feared in the council of the holy ones,*
 great and terrible to all those round about him.
Who is like you, Lord God of hosts?*
 O mighty Lord, your faithfulness is all around you.
You rule the raging of the sea*
 and still the surging of its waves.
Yours are the heavens; the earth also is yours;*
 you laid the foundations of the world
   and all that is in it.
You have made the north and the south;*
 Tabor and Hermon rejoice in your name.
You have a mighty arm;*
 strong is your hand and high is your right hand.
Righteousness and justice
   are the foundations of your throne;*
 love and truth go before your face.
Truly, the Lord is our ruler;*
 the Holy One of Israel is our king.
You spoke once in a vision
   and said to your faithful people:*
 'I have set the crown upon a warrior
   and have exalted one chosen out of the people.
'I have found David my servant;*
 with my holy oil have I anointed him.
'My hand will hold him fast*
 and my arm will make him strong.
'My faithfulness and love shall be with him,*
 and he shall be victorious through my name.
'I shall make his dominion extend*
 from the Great Sea to the River.
'He will say to me, "You are my Father,*
 my God and the rock of my salvation."
'I will make him my first-born*
 and higher than the kings of the earth.
'I will keep my love for him for ever,*
 and my covenant will stand firm for him.
'I will establish his line for ever*
 and his throne as the days of heaven.
Blessed be the Lord for evermore!*
 Amen, I say, Amen.

A Song of the Covenant (Isaiah 42.5-8a)

Thus says God, who created the heavens,  
who fashioned the earth and all that dwells in it; 
Who gives breath to the people upon it  
and spirit to those who walk in it, 
'I am the Lord and I have called you in righteousness,  
I have taken you by the hand and kept you; 
'I have given you as a covenant to the people,  
a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, 
'To bring out the captives from the dungeon,  
from the prison, those who sit in darkness. 
'I am the Lord, that is my name;  
my glory I give to no other.' 

Psalm 148

Alleluia!
   Praise the Lord from the heavens;*
 praise him in the heights.
Praise him, all you angels of his;*
 praise him, all his host.
Praise him, sun and moon;*
 praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, heaven of heavens,*
 and you waters above the heavens.
Let them praise the name of the Lord;*
 for he commanded and they were created.
He made them stand fast for ever and ever;*
 he gave them a law which shall not pass away.
Praise the Lord from the earth,*
 you sea-monsters and all deeps;
Fire and hail, snow and fog,*
 tempestuous wind, doing his will;
Mountains and all hills,*
 fruit trees and all cedars;
Wild beasts and all cattle,*
 creeping things and winged birds;
Kings of the earth and all peoples,*
 princes and all rulers of the world;
Young men and maidens,*
 old and young together.
Let them praise the name of the Lord,*
 for his name only is exalted,
   his splendour is over earth and heaven.
He has raised up strength for his people
   and praise for all his loyal servants,*
 the children of Israel, a people who are near him.
   Alleluia!

FIRST READING [Daniel 5:1-9]:

King Belshazzar made a great festival for a thousand of his lords, and he was drinking
wine in the presence of the thousand.
Under the influence of the wine, Belshazzar commanded that they bring in the vessels
of gold and silver that his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple in
Jerusalem, so that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink
from them. So they brought in the vessels of gold and silver that had been taken out of
the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords, his wives, and
his concubines drank from them. They drank the wine and praised the gods of gold
and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.
Immediately the fingers of a human hand appeared and began writing on the plaster of
the wall of the royal palace, next to the lampstand. The king was watching the hand as
it wrote. Then the king's face turned pale, and his thoughts terrified him. His limbs
gave way, and his knees knocked together. The king cried aloud to bring in the
enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the diviners; and the king said to the wise men of
Babylon, 'Whoever can read this writing and tell me its interpretation shall be clothed
in purple, have a chain of gold around his neck, and rank third in the kingdom.' Then
all the king's wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or tell the king the
interpretation. Then King Belshazzar became greatly terrified and his face turned pale,
and his lords were perplexed. 

HYMN 
Words:  Robert Bridges (1844-1930);
Tune: Michael

All my hope on God is founded;
he doth still my trust renew,
me through change and chance he guideth,
only good and only true.
God unknown,
he alone
calls my heart to be his own.

Pride of man and earthly glory,
sword and crown betray his trust;
what with care and toil he buildeth,
tower and temple fall to dust.
But God's power,
hour by hour,
is my temple and my tower.

God's great goodness aye endureth,
deep his wisdom, passing thought:
splendor, light and life attend him,
beauty springeth out of naught.
Evermore
from his store
newborn worlds rise and adore.

Daily doth the almighty Giver
bounteous gifts on us bestow;
his desire our soul delighteth,
pleasure leads us where we go.
Love doth stand
at his hand;
joy doth wait on his command.

Still from man to God eternal
sacrifice of praise be done,
high above all praises praising
for the gift of Christ, his Son.
Christ doth call
one and all:
ye who follow shall not fall. 

SECOND READING [Acts 24:10-23]:

When the governor motioned to him to speak, Paul replied:
'I cheerfully make my defence, knowing that for many years you have been a judge over
this nation. As you can find out, it is not more than twelve days since I went up to
worship in Jerusalem. They did not find me disputing with anyone in the temple or
stirring up a crowd either in the synagogues or throughout the city. Neither can they
prove to you the charge that they now bring against me. But this I admit to you, that
according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our ancestors,
believing everything laid down according to the law or written in the prophets. I have a
hope in God a hope that they themselves also accept that there will be a resurrection
of both the righteous and the unrighteous. Therefore I do my best always to have a clear
conscience towards God and all people. Now after some years I came to bring alms to
my nation and to offer sacrifices. While I was doing this, they found me in the temple,
completing the rite of purification, without any crowd or disturbance. But there were
some Jews from Asia they ought to be here before you to make an accusation, if they
have anything against me. Or let these men here tell what crime they had found when I
stood before the council, unless it was this one sentence that I called out while standing
before them, "It is about the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you
today." '
But Felix, who was rather well informed about the Way, adjourned the hearing with the
comment, 'When Lysias the tribune comes down, I will decide your case.' Then he
ordered the centurion to keep him in custody, but to let him have some liberty and not to
prevent any of his friends from taking care of his needs. 

The Benedictus (Morning), 
the Magnificat (Evening), or 
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.

Prayer:
Eternal God,
you have raised Jesus Christ from the dead
and exalted him to your right hand in glory,
and through him called your Church into being,
that your people might know you,
and that they might make your name known.

We pray for the church
the Church universal, and local, especially....
the unity of the Church....
the ministries of the Church....
the mission of the Church....
the renewal of the Church....
all Christians in this place....

Eternal God, we give you thanks

for the apostolic gospel committed to your Church,
the continuing presence and power of your Spirit,
the ministry of Word, Sacrament and Prayer....

for the divine mission in which we are called to share,
the will to unity and its fruit in common action,
the faithful witness of those who are true to Christ....

for all works of compassion
and every service that proclaims your love.

In peace and unity
may your people offer the unfailing sacrifice of praise,
and make your glory known;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lord,
strengthen us to bear the scorching fire of your love
so that you may find a home in our hearts
on the day of your coming. Amen.
       
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.

- The Lord's Prayer

Prepare our hearts and lives
to be strengthened and changed by your Word,
revealed by your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The
Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.

The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.

The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of  the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.

The opening prayer and closing sentence are adapted from _The Worship
Soucerbook_.


From steve.benner at oremus.org  Thu Jul 10 17:09:08 2008
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Thu, 10 Jul 2008 17:09:08 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:  11 July 2008
Message-ID: <20080710170908.D6C901E409D@justus2c.anglican.org>


*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Friday, July 11, 2008
Benedict of Nursia, Abbot of Monte Cassino, c.550

O Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, almighty and everlasting God,
for your servant Benedict,
the father of a great multitude of the just
and an outstanding teacher of love
for you and for our neighbor:
We thank you for the many gifts of the Holy Spirit,
which have led Benedict and other great teachers
to lead men and women to walk the path of salvation
under the guidance of Christ and the Gospel.
For this we revere you,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit:
Blessed be God for ever!

An opening canticle may be sung. 

http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html

Psalm 1

Happy are they who have not walked
   in the counsel of the wicked,*
 nor lingered in the way of sinners,
   nor sat in the seats of the scornful!
Their delight is in the law of the Lord,*
 and they meditate on his law day and night.
They are like trees planted by streams of water,
   bearing fruit in due season,
   with leaves that do not wither;*
 everything they do shall prosper.
It is not so with the wicked:*
 they are like chaff which the wind blows away;
Therefore the wicked shall not stand upright
   when judgement comes,*
 nor the sinner in the council of the righteous.
For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,*
 but the way of the wicked is doomed.

Psalm 15

Lord, who may dwell in your tabernacle?*
 who may abide upon your holy hill?
Whoever leads a blameless life and does what is right,*
 who speaks the truth from his heart.
There is no guile upon his tongue;
   he does no evil to his friend;*
 he does not heap contempt upon his neighbour.
In his sight the wicked is rejected,*
 but he honours those who fear the Lord.
He has sworn to do no wrong*
 and does not take back his word.
He does not give his money in hope of gain,*
 nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.
Whoever does these things*
 shall never be overthrown.

A Song of Pilgrimage (from Ecclesiasticus 51)

While I was still young,
I sought Wisdom openly in my prayer.

Before the temple I asked for her,
and I will search for her until the end.

>From the first blossom to the ripening grape,
my heart delighted in her.

My foot walked on the straight path,
from my youth I followed her steps.

I inclined my ear a little and received her,
I found for myself much instruction.

I made progress in Wisdom;
to the One who sent her,
I will give glory.

I directed my soul to Wisdom,
and in purity have I found her.

With her, I gained understanding from the first,
therefore will I never be forsaken.

My heart was stirred to seek her,
with my tongue will I sing God's praise.

Psalm 149

Alleluia!
   Sing to the Lord a new song;*
 sing his praise in the congregation of the faithful.
Let Israel rejoice in his maker;*
 let the children of Zion be joyful in their king.
Let them praise his name in the dance;*
 let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the Lord takes pleasure in his people*
 and adorns the poor with victory.
Let the faithful rejoice in triumph;*
 let them be joyful on their beds.
Let the praises of God be in their throat*
 and a two-edged sword in their hand;
To wreak vengeance on the nations*
 and punishment on the peoples;
To bind their kings in chains*
 and their nobles with links of iron;
To inflict on them the judgement decreed;*
 this is glory for all his faithful people.
   Alleluia!

FIRST READING [Wisdom 1:1-17]:

Love righteousness, you rulers of the earth,
think of the Lord in goodness
and seek him with sincerity of heart;
because he is found by those who do not put him to the test,
and manifests himself to those who do not distrust him.
For perverse thoughts separate people from God,
and when his power is tested, it exposes the foolish;
because wisdom will not enter a deceitful soul,
or dwell in a body enslaved to sin.
For a holy and disciplined spirit will flee from deceit,
and will leave foolish thoughts behind,
and will be ashamed at the approach of unrighteousness.

For wisdom is a kindly spirit,
but will not free blasphemers from the guilt of their words;
because God is witness of their inmost feelings,
and a true observer of their hearts, and a hearer of their tongues.
Because the spirit of the Lord has filled the world,
and that which holds all things together knows what is said.

HYMN 
Words: John Keble and William John Hall
Tune: Franconia
http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/b/b144.html
Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus.

Blest are the pure in heart,
for they shall see our God;
the secret of the Lord is theirs,
their soul is Christ's abode.

The Lord, who left the heavens
our life and peace to bring,
to dwell in lowliness with men,
their Pattern and their King;

still to the lowly soul
he doth himself impart
and for his dwelling and his throne
chooseth the pure in heart.

Lord, we thy presence seek;
may ours this blessing be;
give us a pure and lowly heart,
a temple meet for thee.

SECOND READING [Romans 12:1-13]:

I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your
bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual
worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of
your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God what is good and
acceptable and perfect.
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself
more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgement, each
according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have
many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many,
are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts
that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith;
ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver,
in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.
Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with
mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honour. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent
in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.
Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. 

The Benedictus (Morning), 
the Magnificat (Evening), or 
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.

Prayer:
We pray for the use of God's gifts to his Church, saying
Jesus, Lord of your Church:
in your mercy, hear us

God our Father,
you give us gifts that we may work together
in the service of your Son:
Bless those who lead,
that they may be firm in faith, 
yet humble before you.
We pray especially for the Order of Saint Benedict and 
all those who follow Benedict's wisdom in their daily lives.
Jesus, Lord of your Church:
in your mercy hear us.

Bless those who teach,
that they may increase our understanding,    
and be open to your word for them:
Jesus, Lord of your Church:
in your mercy hear us. 

Bless those who minister healing,
that they may bring wholeness to other, 
yet know your healing in themselves:
Jesus, Lord of your Church:
in your mercy hear us. 

Bless those through whom you speak,
that they may proclaim your word in power,
yet have their ears open to your gentle whisper:
Jesus, Lord of your Church:
in your mercy hear us. 

Bless those who work in your world today
that they may live for you, fulfil your purposes,
and seek your kingdom first
in the complexity of their daily lives.
Jesus, Lord of your Church:
in your mercy hear us. 

Bless those who feel they have no gifts and are not valued,
and those who are powerless by the world's standards,
that they may share their experience
of the work of your Spirit.
Jesus, Lord of your Church:
in your mercy hear us. 

Eternal God, 
who made Benedict to become a wise master 
in the school of your service
and a guide to many called into community
to follow the rule of Christ: 
grant that we may put your love before all else
and seek with joy the way of your commandments; 
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
       
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.

- The Lord's Prayer

Prepare our hearts and lives
to be strengthened and changed by your Word,
revealed by your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The
Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.

The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.

The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of  the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.

The opening prayer of thanksgiving is adapted by Stephen Benner from
_We Give You Thanks and Praise: The Ambrosian Eucharistic
Prefaces_, translated by Alan Griffiths, (c) The Canterbury Press
Norwich, 1999.

The intercession is adapted by Stephen Benner from a prayer in
_Patterns for Worship_, material from which is included in this
service is copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 1995.

The collect is from _Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the
Church of England_, material from which is included in this service is
copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2000.

The closing prayer uses a sentence from a prayer in _Opening Prayers:
Collects in Contemporary Language_. Canterbury Press, Norwich, 1999.

Benedict was born at Nursia (Norcia) in Umbria, Italy, around 480 AD. He
was sent to Rome for his studies, but was repelled by the dissolute life of most
of the populace, and withdrew to a solitary life at Subiaco. A group of monks
asked him to be their abbot, but some of them found his rule too strict, and he
returned alone to Subiaco. Again, other monks called him to be their abbot,
and he agreed, founding twelve communities over an interval of some years.
His chief founding was Monte Cassino, an abbey which stands to this day as
the mother house of the world-wide Benedictine order.
Totila the Goth visited Benedict, and was so awed by his presence that he fell
on his face before him. Benedict raised him from the ground and rebuked him
for his cruelty, telling him that it was time that his iniquities should cease.
Totila asked Benedict to remember him in his prayers and departed, to exhibit
from that time an astonishing clemency and chivalry in his treatment of
conquered peoples.
Benedict drew up a rule of life for monastics, a rule which he calls "a school of
the Lord's service, in which we hope to order nothing harsh or rigorous." The
Rule gives instructions for how the monastic community is to be organized,
and how the monks are to spend their time. An average day includes about
four hours to be spent in liturgical prayer (called the Divinum Officium -- the
Divine Office), five hours in spiritual reading and study, six hours of labor, one
hour for eating, and about eight hours for sleep. The Book of Psalms is to be
recited in its entirety every week as a part of the Office.
A Benedictine monk takes vows of "obedience, stability, and conversion of
life." That is, he vows to live in accordance with the Benedictine Rule, not to
leave his community without grave cause, and to seek to follow the teaching
and example of Christ in all things. Normal procedure today for a prospective
monk is to spend a week or more at the monastery as a visitor. He then applies
as a postulant, and agrees not to leave for six months without the consent of
the Abbot. (During that time, he may suspect that he has made a mistake, and
the abbot may say, "Yes, I think you have. Go in peace." Alternately, he may
say, "It is normal to have jitters at this stage. I urge you to stick it out a while
longer and see whether they go away." Many postulants leave before the six
months are up.) After six months, he may leave or become a novice, with vows
for one year. After the year, he may leave or take vows for three more years.
After three years, he may leave, take life vows, or take vows for a second three
years. After that, a third three years. After that, he must leave or take life vows
(fish or cut bait). Thus, he takes life vows after four and a half to ten and a half
years in the monastery. At any point in the proceedings at which he has the
option of leaving, the community has the option of dismissing him.
The effect of the monastic movement, both of the Benedictine order and of
similar orders that grew out of it, has been enormous. We owe the preservation
of the Holy Scriptures and other ancient writings in large measure to the
patience and diligence of monastic scribes. In purely secular terms, their
contribution was considerable. In Benedict's time, the chief source of power
was muscle, whether human or animal. Ancient scholars apparently did not
worry about labor-saving devices. The labor could always be done by oxen or
slaves. But monks were both scholars and workers. A monk, after spending a
few hours doing some laborious task by hand, was likely to think, "There must
be a better way of doing this." The result was the systematic development of
windmills and water wheels for grinding grain, sawing wood, pumping water,
and so on. The rotation of crops (including legumes) and other agricultural
advances were also originated or promoted by monastic farms. The monks, by
their example, taught the dignity of labor and the importance of order and
planning. [James Kiefer]

From steve.benner at oremus.org  Fri Jul 11 17:00:06 2008
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Fri, 11 Jul 2008 17:00:06 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:  12 July 2008
Message-ID: <20080711170006.44F5A1E3942@justus2c.anglican.org>


*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Saturday, July 12, 2008

O Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, Lord, our great God,
for the testimonies of the prophets we bless you.
For the statutes of the law we bless you.
For the gospel of Christ and the witness of the apostles
we bless you, glorious God.
You touch us with the Holy Spirit
and do not let us escape your Word
without being caught by its promises and powerful joy.
Blessed be God for ever!

An opening canticle may be sung. 

http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html

Psalm 96

Sing to the Lord a new song;*
 sing to the Lord, all the whole earth.
Sing to the Lord and bless his name;*
 proclaim the good news of his salvation from day to day.
Declare his glory among the nations*
 and his wonders among all peoples.
For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised;*
 he is more to be feared than all gods.
As for all the gods of the nations, they are but idols;*
 but it is the Lord who made the heavens.
O the majesty and magnificence of his presence!*
 O the power and the splendour of his sanctuary!
Ascribe to the Lord, you families of the peoples;*
 ascribe to the Lord honour and power.
Ascribe to the Lord the honour due to his name;*
 bring offerings and come into his courts.
Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness;*
 let the whole earth tremble before him.
Tell it out among the nations: 'The Lord is king!*
 he has made the world so firm that it cannot be moved;
   he will judge the peoples with equity.'
Let the heavens rejoice and let the earth be glad;
   let the sea thunder and all that is in it;*
 let the field be joyful and all that is therein.
Then shall all the trees of the wood shout for joy
   before the Lord when he comes,*
 when he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness*
 and the peoples with his truth.

Psalm 98

Sing to the Lord a new song,*
 for he has done marvellous things.
With his right hand and his holy arm*
 has he won for himself the victory.
The Lord has made known his victory;*
 his righteousness has he openly shown
   in the sight of the nations.
He remembers his mercy and faithfulness
   to the house of Israel,*
 and all the ends of the earth have seen
   the victory of our God.
Shout with joy to the Lord, all you lands;*
 lift up your voice, rejoice and sing.
Sing to the Lord with the harp,*
 with the harp and the voice of song.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn*
 shout with joy before the King, the Lord.
Let the sea make a noise and all that is in it,*
 the lands and those who dwell therein.
Let the rivers clap their hands,*
 and let the hills ring out with joy before the Lord,
   when he comes to judge the earth.
In righteousness shall he judge the world,*
 and the peoples with equity.

A Song of Jerusalem our Mother (Isaiah 66.10,11a,12a,12c,13a,14a,b)

'Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her,  
all you who love her,' says the Lord. 
'Rejoice with her in joy,  
all you who mourn over her, 
'That you may drink deeply with delight  
from her consoling breast.' 
For thus says our God,  
'You shall be nursed and carried on her arm. 
'As a mother comforts her children,  
so I will comfort you; 
'You shall see and your heart shall rejoice;  
you shall flourish like the grass of the fields.' 

Psalm 150

Alleluia!
   Praise God in his holy temple;*
 praise him in the firmament of his power.
Praise him for his mighty acts;*
 praise him for his excellent greatness.
Praise him with the blast of the ram's-horn;*
 praise him with lyre and harp.
Praise him with timbrel and dance;*
 praise him with strings and pipe.
Praise him with resounding cymbals;*
 praise him with loud-clanging cymbals.
Let everything that has breath*
 praise the Lord.
   Alleluia!

FIRST READING [Daniel 5:17-30]:

Daniel answered in the presence of the king, 'Let your gifts be for yourself, or give
your rewards to someone else! Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and let
him know the interpretation. O king, the Most High God gave your father
Nebuchadnezzar kingship, greatness, glory, and majesty. And because of the greatness
that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him.
He killed those he wanted to kill, kept alive those he wanted to keep alive, honoured
those he wanted to honour, and degraded those he wanted to degrade. But when his
heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he acted proudly, he was
deposed from his kingly throne, and his glory was stripped from him. He was driven
from human society, and his mind was made like that of an animal. His dwelling was
with the wild asses, he was fed grass like oxen, and his body was bathed with the dew
of heaven, until he learned that the Most High God has sovereignty over the kingdom
of mortals, and sets over it whomsoever he will. And you, Belshazzar his son, have not
humbled your heart, even though you knew all this! You have exalted yourself against
the Lord of heaven! The vessels of his temple have been brought in before you, and
you and your lords, your wives and your concubines have been drinking wine from
them. You have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone,
which do not see or hear or know; but the God in whose power is your very breath,
and to whom belong all your ways, you have not honoured.
'So from his presence the hand was sent and this writing was inscribed. And this is the
writing that was inscribed: mene, mene, tekel, and parsin. This is the interpretation of
the matter: mene, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an
end; tekel, you have been weighed on the scales and found wanting; peres, your
kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.'
Then Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel was clothed in purple, a chain of gold
was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made concerning him that he should
rank third in the kingdom.
That very night Belshazzar, the Chaldean king, was killed. 

HYMN 
Words: Georg Neumark (1621-1681);
Catherine Winkworth (1827-1878)
Tune: Wer nur den lieben Gott 

http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/i/i201.html
Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus.             

If thou but suffer God to guide thee
and hope in him through all thy ways,
he'll give thee strength, whate'er betide thee,
and bear thee through the evil days.
who trusts in God's unchanging love
builds on the rock that naught can move.

What can these anxious cares avail thee,
these never-ceasing moans and sighs?
What can it help if thou bewail thee
o'er each dark moment as it flies?
Our cross and trials do but press
the heavier for our bitterness.

Be patient and await his leisure
in cheerful hope, with heart content
To take whate'er thy Father's pleasure
and his discerning love hath sent,
Nor doubt our inmost wants are known
to him who chose us for his own.

God knows full well when times of gladness
shall be the needful thing for thee.
When he has tried thy soul with sadness
and from all guile has found thee free,
he comes to thee all unaware
and makes thee own his loving care.

Nor think amid the fiery trial
that God hath cast thee off unheard,
that he whose hopes meet no denial
must surely be of God preferred.
Time passes and much change doth bring
and sets a bound to everything.

All are alike before the highest;
'tis easy to our God, we know,
to raise thee up, though low thou liest,
to make the rich man poor and low.
True wonders still by him are wrought
who setteth up and brings to naught.

Sing, pray, and keep his ways unswerving,
perform thy duties faithfully,
and trust his word, though undeserving,
thou yet shalt find it true for thee.
God never yet forsook in need
the soul that trusted him indeed.

SECOND READING [Acts 25:13-end]:

After several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to
welcome Festus. Since they were staying there for several days, Festus laid Paul's case
before the king, saying, 'There is a man here who was left in prison by Felix. When I
was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me about him
and asked for a sentence against him. I told them that it was not the custom of the
Romans to hand over anyone before the accused had met the accusers face to face and
had been given an opportunity to make a defence against the charge. So when they
met here, I lost no time, but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered
the man to be brought. When the accusers stood up, they did not charge him with any
of the crimes that I was expecting. Instead they had certain points of disagreement
with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who had died, but whom
Paul asserted to be alive. Since I was at a loss how to investigate these questions, I
asked whether he wished to go to Jerusalem and be tried there on these charges. But
when Paul had appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of his Imperial Majesty,
I ordered him to be held until I could send him to the emperor.' Agrippa said to
Festus, 'I would like to hear the man myself.' 'Tomorrow', he said, 'you will hear
him.'
So on the next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp, and they entered the
audience hall with the military tribunes and the prominent men of the city. Then Festus
gave the order and Paul was brought in. And Festus said, 'King Agrippa and all here
present with us, you see this man about whom the whole Jewish community petitioned
me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer. But I
found that he had done nothing deserving death; and when he appealed to his Imperial
Majesty, I decided to send him. But I have nothing definite to write to our sovereign
about him. Therefore I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you,
King Agrippa, so that, after we have examined him, I may have something to write 
for it seems to me unreasonable to send a prisoner without indicating the charges
against him.' 

The Benedictus (Morning), 
the Magnificat (Evening), or 
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.

Prayer:
Eternal God,
you have declared in Christ
the completion of all your purpose of love.

We pray for those in need:
the tempted and despairing....
the sick and handicapped....
the aged...
and the dying....
the ministries of care and healing....
those who mourn....

Eternal God, we give thanks
for the triumphs of the gospel that herald your salvation
the signs of renewal that declare
the coming of your kingdom,
the human lives that reveal your work of grace....

for all those who have died in faith....

for the unceasing praise of the company of heaven,
the promise to those who mourn
that all tears shall be wiped away,
the pledge of death destroyed and victory won....

for our foretaste of eternal life
through baptism and eucharist,
our hope in the Spirit,
and the communion of saints....

May we live by faith, walk in hope and be renewed in love,
until the world reflects your glory
and you are all in all.
Even so, come Lord Jesus. Amen.

Lord God, whom we worship in the beauty of holiness,
receive our prayer;
as we tell out your salvation
and declare your glory to all nations,
that all the earth may see your righteous deeds
and glorify your holy name;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
       
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.

- The Lord's Prayer

Prepare our hearts and lives
to be strengthened and changed by your Word,
revealed by your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The
Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.

The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.

The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of  the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.

The opening prayer and closing sentence are adapted from _The Worship
Soucerbook_.


From steve.benner at oremus.org  Sat Jul 12 17:02:00 2008
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Sat, 12 Jul 2008 17:02:00 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:  13 July 2008
Message-ID: <20080712170200.DE1081E3F73@justus2c.anglican.org>


*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Sunday, July 13, 2008
The Ninth Sunday after Pentecost

O Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, Lord of all creation;
in your love you made us for yourself.
When we turned away you did not reject us,
but came to meet us in your Son.
You embraced us as your children
and welcomed us to sit and eat with you.
In Christ you shared our life
that we might live in him and he in us.
For these and all your mercies, we praise you:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:
Blessed be God for ever!

An opening canticle may be sung. 

http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html

Psalm 25

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul;
   my God, I put my trust in you;*
 let me not be humiliated,
   nor let my enemies triumph over me.
Let none who look to you be put to shame;*
 let the treacherous be disappointed in their schemes.
Show me your ways, O Lord,*
 and teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth and teach me,*
 for you are the God of my salvation;
   in you have I trusted all the day long.
Remember, O Lord, your compassion and love,*
 for they are from everlasting.
Remember not the sins of my youth
   and my transgressions;*
 remember me according to your love
   and for the sake of your goodness, O Lord.
Gracious and upright is the Lord;*
 therefore he teaches sinners in his way.
He guides the humble in doing right*
 and teaches his way to the lowly.
All the paths of the Lord are love and faithfulness*
 to those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.
For your name's sake, O Lord,*
 forgive my sin, for it is great.
Who are they who fear the Lord?*
 he will teach them the way that they should choose.
They shall dwell in prosperity,*
 and their offspring shall inherit the land.
The Lord is a friend to those who fear him*
 and will show them his covenant.
My eyes are ever looking to the Lord,*
 for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.
Turn to me and have pity on me,*
 for I am left alone and in misery.
The sorrows of my heart have increased;*
 bring me out of my troubles.
Look upon my adversity and misery*
 and forgive me all my sin.
Look upon my enemies, for they are many,*
 and they bear a violent hatred against me.
Protect my life and deliver me;*
 let me not be put to shame, for I have trusted in you.
Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,*
 for my hope has been in you.
Deliver Israel, O God,*
 out of all his troubles.

A Song of Divine Love (1 Corinthians 13.4-13)

Love is patient and kind,  
love is not jealous or boastful, 
it is not arrogant or rude. 
Love does not insist on its own way,  
it is not angry or resentful. 
It does not rejoice in wrongdoing  
but rejoices in the truth. 
Love bears all things and believes all things;  
love hopes all things and endures all things. 
Love will never come to an end,  
but prophecy will vanish, 
tongues cease and knowledge pass away. 
Now we know only in part  
and we prophesy only in part, 
But when the perfect comes,  
the partial shall pass away. 
When I was a child, I spoke like a child,  
I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. 
But when I became mature,  
I put an end to childish ways. 
For now we see only puzzling reflections in a mirror,  
but then we will see face to face. 
Now I know only in part;  
then I shall know fully, 
even as I have been fully known. 
There are three things that last for ever, 
faith, hope and love,  
but the greatest of these is love.

Psalm 117

Alleluia!
Praise the Lord, all you nations;*
 laud him, all you peoples.
For his loving-kindness towards us is great,*
 and the faithfulness of the Lord endures for ever.
   Alleluia!

FIRST READING [Ecclesiasticus 6:22-end]:

For wisdom is like her name;
   she is not readily perceived by many.

Listen, my child, and accept my judgement;
   do not reject my counsel.
Put your feet into her fetters,
   and your neck into her collar.
Bend your shoulders and carry her,
   and do not fret under her bonds.
Come to her with all your soul,
   and keep her ways with all your might.
Search out and seek, and she will become known to you;
   and when you get hold of her, do not let her go.
For at last you will find the rest she gives,
   and she will be changed into joy for you.
Then her fetters will become for you a strong defence,
   and her collar a glorious robe.
Her yoke is a golden ornament,
   and her bonds a purple cord.
You will wear her like a glorious robe,
   and put her on like a splendid crown.

If you are willing, my child, you can be disciplined,
   and if you apply yourself you will become clever.
If you love to listen you will gain knowledge,
   and if you pay attention you will become wise.
Stand in the company of the elders.
   Who is wise? Attach yourself to such a one.
Be ready to listen to every godly discourse,
   and let no wise proverbs escape you.
If you see an intelligent person, rise early to visit him;
   let your foot wear out his doorstep.
Reflect on the statutes of the Lord,
   and meditate at all times on his commandments.
It is he who will give insight to your mind,
   and your desire for wisdom will be granted. 

HYMN 
Words: Words: Latin, sixth century;
trans. Gabriel Gillett, 1906
Tune: O invidenda martyrum

http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/o/o019.html
Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus.             

O boundless Wisdom, God most high,
O Maker of the earth and sky,
who bidd'st the parted waters flow
in heaven above, on earth below.

The streams on earth, the clouds in heaven,
by thee their ordered bounds were given,
lest 'neath the untempered fires of day
the parch?d soil should waste away.

E'en so on us who seek thy face
pour forth the waters of thy grace;
renew the fount of life within,
and quench the wasting fires of sin.

Let faith discern the eternal Light
beyond the darkness of the night,
and through the mists of falsehood see
the path of truth revealed by thee.

O Father, that we ask be done,
through Jesus Christ, thine only Son;
who, with the Holy Ghost and thee,
doth live and reign eternally.

SECOND READING [Luke 10:38-end]:

Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named
Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the
Lord's feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her
many tasks; so she came to him and asked, 'Lord, do you not care that my sister has
left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.' But the Lord answered
her, 'Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of
only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from
her.' 

The Benedictus (Morning), 
the Magnificat (Evening), or 
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.

Prayer:
The Lord provides for all his people. Let us bring our needs, and the needs of the
world, before God. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for the unity of Christians: may we work and pray together to proclaim the
Gospel and build up God's kingdom of justice, love and peace. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

We pray for those who are most vulnerable in our society: may they be given true
value, respect and care at every stage of life. Lord, in your mercy, hear our
prayer.

We pray for all seafarers, fisherfolk and port workers; for their families; for chaplains
and all who offer them pastoral care: may they be kept safe in their work, and have the
support that they need. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for the young people in Australia this week for World Youth Day with Pope
Benedict: may this be for them a time of growth in faith and fellowship. Lord, in your
mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for the people of Zimbabwe: may they may know peace, justice and freedom
from oppression in their land. Lord, in your mercy, hear our
prayer.

We pray for those parts of the world where there is division and conflict, especially for
the peoples of the Holy Land, Iraq and Afghanistan: may those who are divided by
race, religion or belief come together in peace and reconciliation. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

Almighty Father, you have given us so many good gifts. We ask your help as we seek
to use them according to your will. We make our prayers through your Son, Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.

Almighty God, 
you have taught us through Christ 
that love fulfills the law: 
May we love you with all our soul, 
all our mind, and all our strength, 
and may we love our neighbors as ourselves; 
through Jesus Christ our Lord, 
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, 
one God, now and forever. Amen.
       
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.

- The Lord's Prayer

You have opened to us the Scriptures, O Christ.
Abide with us, we pray,
that, blessed by your royal presence,
we may walk with you
all the days of our life,
and at its end behold you
in the glory of the eternal Trinity,
one God for ever and ever. Amen.

*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The
Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.

The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.

The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of  the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.

The opening prayer and closing sentence are adapted from _Common Worship:
Services and Prayers for the Church of England_, material from which is included in
this service is copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2000.

The petitions are gathered by Redemptorist Publications and are published each Friday on
their website: http://www.rpbooks.co.uk/page.php?page=prayers


From steve.benner at oremus.org  Sun Jul 13 17:00:01 2008
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Sun, 13 Jul 2008 17:00:01 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:  14 July 2008
Message-ID: <20080713170001.5F5831E4223@justus2c.anglican.org>


*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Monday, July 14, 2008
The Assize Sermon, John Keble, 1833

O Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, Lord of all creation;
in your love you made us for yourself.
When we turned away you did not reject us,
but came to meet us in your Son.
You embraced us as your children
and welcomed us to sit and eat with you.
In Christ you shared our life
that we might live in him and he in us.
For these and all your mercies, we praise you:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:
Blessed be God for ever!

An opening canticle may be sung. 

http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html

Psalm 116

I love the Lord,
   because he has heard the voice of my supplication,*
 because he has inclined his ear to me
   whenever I called upon him.
The cords of death entangled me;
   the grip of the grave took hold of me;*
 I came to grief and sorrow.
Then I called upon the name of the Lord:*
 'O Lord, I pray you, save my life.'
Gracious is the Lord and righteous;*
 our God is full of compassion.
The Lord watches over the innocent;*
 I was brought very low and he helped me.
Turn again to your rest, O my soul,*
 for the Lord has treated you well.
For you have rescued my life from death,*
 my eyes from tears and my feet from stumbling.
I will walk in the presence of the Lord*
 in the land of the living.
I believed, even when I said,
   'I have been brought very low.'*
 In my distress I said, 'No one can be trusted.'
How shall I repay the Lord*
 for all the good things he has done for me?
I will lift up the cup of salvation*
 and call upon the name of the Lord.
I will fulfil my vows to the Lord*
 in the presence of all his people.
Precious in the sight of the Lord*
 is the death of his servants.
O Lord, I am your servant;*
 I am your servant and the child of your handmaid;
   you have freed me from my bonds.
I will offer you the sacrifice of thanksgiving*
 and call upon the name of the Lord.
I will fulfil my vows to the Lord*
 in the presence of all his people.
In the courts of the Lord's house,*
 in the midst of you, O Jerusalem.
   Alleluia!

A Song of the Rock (Deuteronomy 32.1-12)

Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak;  
and let the earth hear the words of my mouth. 
May my teaching drop as the rain, 
my speech distil as the dew,  
as the gentle rain on the grass, 
and as the showers upon the meadow. 
For I will proclaim the name of the Lord.  
Ascribe greatness to our God! 
The Rock, his work is perfect; for all his ways are just:  
a faithful God without deceit, just and upright is he. 
His degenerate children have dealt corruptly with him;  
a perverse and crooked generation. 
Do you thus repay the Lord, you foolish and senseless people?  
Is not he your father, who created you, 
who made you and established you? 
Remember the days of old, consider the years long past;  
ask your father, and he will show you; 
your elders, and they will tell you. 
When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, 
when he divided the children of earth,  
he fixed the bounds of the peoples 
according to the number of the children of God. 
For the Lord's own portion is his people,  
Jacob his allotted heritage. 
He sustained him in a desert land, 
in the howling waste of the wilderness;  
he shielded him and cared for him; 
he kept him as the apple of his eye. 
As an eagle stirs up its nest, and hovers over its young,  
spreading out its wings, takes them, 
and bears them aloft on its pinions, 
So the Lord alone did guide him,  
and no foreign god was with him.

Psalm 146

Alleluia!
   Praise the Lord, O my soul!*
 I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
   I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
Put not your trust in rulers,
   nor in any child of earth,*
 for there is no help in them.
When they breathe their last, they return to earth,*
 and in that day their thoughts perish.
Happy are they who have the God of Jacob
   for their help!*
 whose hope is in the Lord their God;
Who made heaven and earth, the seas,
   and all that is in them;*
 who keeps his promise for ever;
Who gives justice to those who are oppressed,*
 and food to those who hunger.
The Lord sets the prisoners free;
   the Lord opens the eyes of the blind;*
 the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
The Lord loves the righteous;
   the Lord cares for the stranger;*
 he sustains the orphan and widow,
   but frustrates the way of the wicked.
The Lord shall reign for ever,*
 your God, O Zion, throughout all generations.
   Alleluia!

FIRST READING [Daniel 6:1-8]:

It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred and twenty satraps, stationed
throughout the whole kingdom, and over them three presidents, including Daniel; to
these the satraps gave account, so that the king might suffer no loss. Soon Daniel
distinguished himself above all the other presidents and satraps because an excellent
spirit was in him, and the king planned to appoint him over the whole kingdom. So the
presidents and the satraps tried to find grounds for complaint against Daniel in
connection with the kingdom. But they could find no grounds for complaint or any
corruption, because he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption could be found in
him. The men said, 'We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel
unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.'
So the presidents and satraps conspired and came to the king and said to him, 'O King
Darius, live for ever! All the presidents of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps,
the counsellors and the governors, are agreed that the king should establish an
ordinance and enforce an interdict, that whoever prays to anyone, divine or human, for
thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into a den of lions. Now, O king,
establish the interdict and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according
to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.' 

HYMN 
Words: Latin, seventh century; trans. John Mason Neale, 1851
Tune: Westminster Abbey   

http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/c/c063.html
Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus.

Christ is made the sure foundation,
Christ the head and cornerstone,
chosen of the Lord, and precious,
binding all the Church in one;
holy Zion's help for ever,
and her confidence alone.

All that dedicated city,
dearly loved of God on high,
in exultant jubilation
pours perpetual melody;
God the One in Three adoring
in glad hymns eternally.

To this temple, where we call thee,
come, O Lord of Hosts, today;
with thy wonted loving-kindness
hear thy servants as they pray,
and thy fullest benediction
shed within its walls alway.

Here vouchsafe to all thy servants
what they ask of thee of gain;
what they gain from thee, for ever
with the bless d to retain,
and hereafter in thy glory
evermore with thee to reign.

Laud and honor to the Father,
laud and honor to the Son,
laud and honor to the Spirit,
ever Three, and ever One,
consubstantial, co-eternal,
while unending ages run.

SECOND READING [Acts 26:1-23]:

Agrippa said to Paul, 'You have permission to speak for yourself.' Then Paul
stretched out his hand and began to defend himself:
'I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am to make my
defence today against all the accusations of the Jews, because you are especially
familiar with all the customs and controversies of the Jews; therefore I beg of you to
listen to me patiently.
'All the Jews know my way of life from my youth, a life spent from the beginning
among my own people and in Jerusalem. They have known for a long time, if they are
willing to testify, that I have belonged to the strictest sect of our religion and lived as a
Pharisee. And now I stand here on trial on account of my hope in the promise made by
God to our ancestors, a promise that our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly
worship day and night. It is for this hope, your Excellency, that I am accused by Jews!
Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?
'Indeed, I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things against the name of
Jesus of Nazareth. And that is what I did in Jerusalem; with authority received from
the chief priests, I not only locked up many of the saints in prison, but I also cast my
vote against them when they were being condemned to death. By punishing them often
in all the synagogues I tried to force them to blaspheme; and since I was so furiously
enraged at them, I pursued them even to foreign cities.
'With this in mind, I was travelling to Damascus with the authority and commission of
the chief priests, when at midday along the road, your Excellency, I saw a light from
heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and my companions. When we had
all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, "Saul,
Saul, why are you persecuting me? It hurts you to kick against the goads." I asked,
"Who are you, Lord?" The Lord answered, "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.
But get up and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to
appoint you to serve and testify to the things in which you have seen me and to those
in which I will appear to you. I will rescue you from your people and from the
Gentiles to whom I am sending you to open their eyes so that they may turn from
darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive
forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me."
'After that, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared
first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout the countryside of Judea,
and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God and do deeds
consistent with repentance. For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried
to kill me. To this day I have had help from God, and so I stand here, testifying to both
small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would take
place: that the Messiah must suffer, and that, by being the first to rise from the dead,
he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.' 

The Benedictus (Morning), 
the Magnificat (Evening), or 
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.

Prayer:
O God, Creator of all that is and is to be,
In this time of our need,
Hear us, good Lord.

O God the Son, restorer of all creation
In this time of our need,
Hear us, good Lord.

O God the Spirit, ground of all holiness,
In this time of our need,
Hear us, good Lord.

O Holy, Blessed and Glorious Trinity,
In this time of our need,
Hear us, good Lord.

Uphold and govern the Churches of the Anglican Communion;
direct them into love and truth;
and grant them that unity which is your will.
In this time of our need, 
Hear us, good Lord.

Give us such a sense of your love,
and such a vision of your purpose for all creation
that we may receive new understanding of your mercy
and, resisting schism, boldly proclaim the gospel.
In this time of our need,
Hear us, good Lord.

Enlighten your bishops with your special grace;
grant to them wisdom, knowledge and understanding;
empower them with such gifts of reconciliation and love
that, embracing difference and diversity,
our church may joyfully proclaim your word.
In this time of our need,
Hear us, good Lord.

Give us discerning and receptive minds;
where there is anger, grant reconciliation;
where there is prejudice, grant openness;
where there is fearfulness, give serenity;
where there is ambition, give humility.
In this time of our need,
Hear us, good Lord.

Endow us with clarity of thought,
generosity of mind, and charity of speech;
grant us gifts of patience and forbearance;
may we delight in the truth
and be surprised by the Spirit.
In this time of our need,
Hear us, good Lord.

Bring into the way of truth all who have erred
and are deceived.
Hear us, good Lord.

Strengthen those who stand; 
comfort and help the faint-hearted;
raise up the fallen;
and finally beat down all the powers of darkness.
Holy God,
Holy and strong,
Holy and immortal,
Have mercy upon us.

Heavenly Father,
you have called us
in the Body of your Son Jesus Christ
to continue his work of reconciliation
and reveal you to humankind.
Forgive us the sins that tear us apart;
give us the courage to overcome our fears
and to seek that unity
which is your gift and your will;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
you so established that wonderful mystery, the Church, 
that all nations might be brought into your fold, 
and your Spirit poured out upon all flesh:
We give thanks for those who call the Church 
to its tasks and renew its life,
such as your servant John Keble.
Raise up in our own day teachers and prophets inspired by your Spirit,
whose voices will give strength to your Church 
that the coming of your kingdom might be hastened; 
through Jesus Christ our Lord, 
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, 
one God, now and for ever. Amen. 
       
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.

- The Lord's Prayer

You have opened to us the Scriptures, O Christ.
Abide with us, we pray,
that, blessed by your royal presence,
we may walk with you
all the days of our life,
and at its end behold you
in the glory of the eternal Trinity,
one God for ever and ever. Amen.

*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The
Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.

The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.

The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of  the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.

The opening prayer and closing sentence are adapted from _Common Worship:
Services and Prayers for the Church of England_, material from which is included in
this service is copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2000.

Sunday, July 14th, Mr. Keble preached the Assize Sermon in the University Pulpit. It was
published under the title of 'National Apostasy.' I have ever considered and kept the day,
as the start of the religious movement of 1833." So wrote John Henry Newman as the
closing words of Part III of Apologia Pro Vita Sua.

The religious movement of which he spoke was the Oxford Movement, a stirring toward
reformation by the high church adherents of the Church of England which began with
Keble's sermon on this day, July 14, 1833. (High Church refers to those elements of ritual
and doctrine which hark back to the church's Roman Catholic roots.) The movement's
immediate cause was the attempted suppression by the British government of ten
bishoprics in Ireland, but the reform leaders were also disturbed by a general decay and
loss of moral fiber in the church. At issue also were the words of the creed, "I believe in
one holy catholic and apostolic church," which had been sorely lost by the rapid fission of
Protestantism into sects.
  
Keble declared that England had for centuries been acknowledged as a Christian nation.
Logically this meant that the nation was bound by the laws of Christ's church. If public
opinion was calling for action in defiance of those laws, the nation was apostate.

Oxford men of the highest caliber gathered around Keble and tried to form a plan of
action. Among these were two notable scholars, John Henry Newman and Richard Hurrell
Froude. In order to bolster its position, the high church movement sought a basis for
authority in the past of the church. They looked to creeds and apostolic succession as
outward manifestations of ancient authority. Some of the intellectuals who joined the
movement also took an interest in reviving the architectural styles and arts which had long
been associated with the faith. Newman and others sought a new level of spiritual life for
the church with Newman's preaching a sermon titled Holiness Necessary for Future
Blessedness.

The Oxford Movement began as an effort to reform the Church of England. It reached a
crisis in 1841 when Newman issued Tract 90 in his continuing series. This claimed that the
39 articles of the Church of England could be interpreted in a Catholic way. In the
resultant furor, he was forbidden as a churchman any longer to publish tracts. He resigned
his positions and, like Henry Manning and William Ward, became Roman Catholic. Keble,
Edward Pusey, and Charles Marriott remained in the Church of England and took
leadership of the movement.

The overall effect of the movement was to restore a higher level of spirituality among the
English clergy. It also forced a reexamination of the doctrinal and authoritative bases of
the church. [chi.gospelcom.net]


From steve.benner at oremus.org  Mon Jul 14 17:00:01 2008
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Mon, 14 Jul 2008 17:00:01 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:  15 July 2008
Message-ID: <20080714170001.A80101E4132@justus2c.anglican.org>


*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Tuesday, July 15, 2008

O Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, Lord of all creation;
in your love you made us for yourself.
When we turned away you did not reject us,
but came to meet us in your Son.
You embraced us as your children
and welcomed us to sit and eat with you.
In Christ you shared our life
that we might live in him and he in us.
For these and all your mercies, we praise you:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:
Blessed be God for ever!

An opening canticle may be sung. 

http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html

Psalm 118

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;*
 his mercy endures for ever.
Let Israel now proclaim,*
 'His mercy endures for ever.'
Let the house of Aaron now proclaim,*
 'His mercy endures for ever.'
Let those who fear the Lord now proclaim,*
 'His mercy endures for ever.'
I called to the Lord in my distress;*
 the Lord answered by setting me free.
The Lord is at my side, therefore I will not fear;*
 what can anyone do to me?
The Lord is at my side to help me;*
 I will triumph over those who hate me.
It is better to rely on the Lord*
 than to put any trust in flesh.
It is better to rely on the Lord*
 than to put any trust in rulers.
All the ungodly encompass me;*
 in the name of the Lord I will repel them.
They hem me in, they hem me in on every side;*
 in the name of the Lord I will repel them.
They swarm about me like bees;
   they blaze like a fire of thorns;*
 in the name of the Lord I will repel them.
I was pressed so hard that I almost fell,*
 but the Lord came to my help.
The Lord is my strength and my song,*
 and he has become my salvation.
There is a sound of exultation and victory*
 in the tents of the righteous:
'The right hand of the Lord has triumphed!*
 the right hand of the Lord is exalted!
   the right hand of the Lord has triumphed!'
I shall not die, but live,*
 and declare the works of the Lord.
The Lord has punished me sorely,*
 but he did not hand me over to death.
Open for me the gates of righteousness;*
 I will enter them; I will offer thanks to the Lord.
'This is the gate of the Lord;*
 whoever is righteous may enter.'
I will give thanks to you, for you answered me*
 and have become my salvation.
The same stone which the builders rejected*
 has become the chief corner-stone.
This is the Lord's doing,*
 and it is marvellous in our eyes.
On this day the Lord has acted;*
 we will rejoice and be glad in it.
Hosanna, Lord, hosanna!*
 Lord, send us now success.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord;*
 we bless you from the house of the Lord.
God is the Lord; he has shined upon us;*
 form a procession with branches
   up to the horns of the altar.
'You are my God and I will thank you;*
 you are my God and I will exalt you.'
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;*
 his mercy endures for ever.

A Song of God's Assembled (Hebrews 12.22-24a,28,29)

We have come before God's holy mountain,  
to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. 
We have come before countless angels making festival,  
before the assembly of the firstborn citizens of heaven. 
We have come before God, who is judge of all,  
before the spirits of the just made perfect. 
We have come before Jesus,  
the mediator of the new covenant. 
We are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken:  
so let us give thanks and offer to God acceptable worship, 
Full of reverence and awe;  
for our God is a consuming fire.

Psalm 147:1-12

Alleluia!
   How good it is to sing praises to our God!*
 how pleasant it is to honour him with praise!
The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem;*
 he gathers the exiles of Israel.
He heals the brokenhearted*
 and binds up their wounds.
He counts the number of the stars*
 and calls them all by their names.
Great is our Lord and mighty in power;*
 there is no limit to his wisdom.
The Lord lifts up the lowly,*
 but casts the wicked to the ground.
Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;*
 make music to our God upon the harp.
He covers the heavens with clouds*
 and prepares rain for the earth;
He makes grass to grow upon the mountains*
 and green plants to serve us all.
He provides food for flocks and herds*
 and for the young ravens when they cry.
He is not impressed by the might of a horse,*
 he has no pleasure in human strength;
But the Lord has pleasure in those who fear him,*
 in those who await his gracious favour.
 Alleluia!

FIRST READING [Daniel 6:9-15]:

Therefore King Darius signed the document and interdict.
Although Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he continued to go to his
house, which had windows in its upper room open towards Jerusalem, and to get
down on his knees three times a day to pray to his God and praise him, just as he had
done previously. The conspirators came and found Daniel praying and seeking mercy
before his God. Then they approached the king and said concerning the interdict, 'O
king! Did you not sign an interdict, that anyone who prays to anyone, divine or human,
within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be thrown into a den of lions?' The king
answered, 'The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and Persians,
which cannot be revoked.' Then they responded to the king, 'Daniel, one of the exiles
from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the interdict you have signed, but
he is saying his prayers three times a day.'
When the king heard the charge, he was very much distressed. He was determined to
save Daniel, and until the sun went down he made every effort to rescue him. Then the
conspirators came to the king and said to him, 'Know, O king, that it is a law of the
Medes and Persians that no interdict or ordinance that the king establishes can be
changed.'

HYMN 
Words: John Cawood, 1815
Tune: Albano

http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/a/a236.html
Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus.             

Almighty God, thy word is cast
like seed upon the ground,
now let the dew of heaven descend
and righteous fruits abound.

Let not the foe of Christ and man
this holy seed remove:
but give it root in every heart,
to bring forth fruits of love.

Let not the world's deceitful cares
the rising plant destroy,
but let it yield a hundred-fold
the fruits of peace and joy.

Oft as the precious seed is sown,
thy quickening grace bestow;
that all whose souls the truth receive
its saving power may know. 

SECOND READING [Acts 26:24-27:8]:

While Paul was making this defence, Festus exclaimed, 'You are out of your mind,
Paul! Too much learning is driving you insane!' But Paul said, 'I am not out of my
mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking the sober truth. Indeed the king knows
about these things, and to him I speak freely; for I am certain that none of these things
has escaped his notice, for this was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, do you believe
the prophets? I know that you believe.' Agrippa said to Paul, 'Are you so quickly
persuading me to become a Christian?' Paul replied, 'Whether quickly or not, I pray to
God that not only you but also all who are listening to me today might become such as
I am except for these chains.'
Then the king got up, and with him the governor and Bernice and those who had been
seated with them; and as they were leaving, they said to one another, 'This man is
doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment.' Agrippa said to Festus, 'This man
could have been set free if he had not appealed to the emperor.'
Then it was decided that we were to sail for Italy, they transferred Paul and some
other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan Cohort, named Julius. Embarking on a
ship of Adramyttium that was about to set sail to the ports along the coast of Asia, we
put to sea, accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica. The next
day we put in at Sidon; and Julius treated Paul kindly, and allowed him to go to his
friends to be cared for. Putting out to sea from there, we sailed under the lee of
Cyprus, because the winds were against us. After we had sailed across the sea that is
off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia. There the centurion found an
Alexandrian ship bound for Italy and put us on board. We sailed slowly for a number
of days and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, and as the wind was against us, we
sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone. Sailing past it with difficulty, we came to a
place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea. 

The Benedictus (Morning), 
the Magnificat (Evening), or 
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.

Prayer:
Merciful God,
you give us every good gift.
Hear our prayers which we now offer
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

We pray for your Church.
May our divisions be healed,
that we may go into the world proclaiming your Good News.
Lord, in your mercy:
hear our prayer.

We pray for the physical and spiritual well-being
of our family and friends,
that they may rejoice in your mercy and love
and share in your joy in your heavenly Kingdom.
Lord, in your mercy:
hear our prayer.

We pray for those who work,
especially those who are stressed or overwhelmed,
that they may know you are their refuge and strength.
Lord, in your mercy:
hear our prayer.

We pray for those who are persecuted
for fighting for justice and liberty,
that they may remember that you are the source
of all things just and free.
Lord, in your mercy:
hear our prayer.

Living Lord,
you have made this day your own
and called us out of darkness into your marvellous light;
open the gates of righteousness
that your pilgrim people may enter
and be built into a living temple
on the cornerstone of our salvation,
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
       
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.

- The Lord's Prayer

You have opened to us the Scriptures, O Christ.
Abide with us, we pray,
that, blessed by your royal presence,
we may walk with you
all the days of our life,
and at its end behold you
in the glory of the eternal Trinity,
one God for ever and ever. Amen.

*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The
Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.

The canticle and collect are from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.

The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of  the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.

The opening prayer and closing sentence are adapted from _Common Worship:
Services and Prayers for the Church of England_, material from which is included in
this service is copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2000.

The intercessions is (c) Stephen T. Benner.


From steve.benner at oremus.org  Tue Jul 15 17:00:01 2008
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Tue, 15 Jul 2008 17:00:01 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:  16 July 2008
Message-ID: <20080715170001.519151E4282@justus2c.anglican.org>


*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Wednesday, July 16, 2008

O Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, Lord of all creation;
in your love you made us for yourself.
When we turned away you did not reject us,
but came to meet us in your Son.
You embraced us as your children
and welcomed us to sit and eat with you.
In Christ you shared our life
that we might live in him and he in us.
For these and all your mercies, we praise you:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:
Blessed be God for ever!

An opening canticle may be sung. 

http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html

Psalm 119:97-112

O how I love your law!*
 all the day long it is in my mind.
Your commandment has made me wiser
   than my enemies,*
 and it is always with me.
I have more understanding than all my teachers,*
 for your decrees are my study.
I am wiser than the elders,*
 because I observe your commandments.
I restrain my feet from every evil way,*
 that I may keep your word.
I do not shrink from your judgements,*
 because you yourself have taught me.
How sweet are your words to my taste!*
 they are sweeter than honey to my mouth.
Through your commandments I gain understanding;*
 therefore I hate every lying way.
Your word is a lantern to my feet*
 and a light upon my path.
I have sworn and am determined*
 to keep your righteous judgements.
I am deeply troubled;*
 preserve my life, O Lord, according to your word.
Accept, O Lord, the willing tribute of my lips,*
 and teach me your judgements.
My life is always in my hand,*
 yet I do not forget your law.
The wicked have set a trap for me,*
 but I have not strayed from your commandments.
Your decrees are my inheritance for ever;*
 truly, they are the joy of my heart.
I have applied my heart to fulfil your statutes*
 for ever and to the end.

A Song of the Spirit (Revelation 22:12-14,16,17)

'Behold, I am coming soon', says the Lord, 
'and bringing my reward with me, . 
to give to everyone according to their deeds. 
'I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, . 
the beginning and the end.' 
Blessed are those who do God's commandments, 
that they may have the right to the tree of life, . 
and may enter into the city through the gates. 
'I, Jesus, have sent my angel to you, . 
with this testimony for all the churches. 
'I am the root and the offspring of David, . 
I am the bright morning star.' 
'Come!' say the Spirit and the Bride; . 
'Come!' let each hearer reply. 
Come forward, you who are thirsty, . 
let those who desire take the water of life as a gift. 

Psalm 147:13-end

Alleluia!
Worship the Lord, O Jerusalem;*
 praise your God, O Zion;
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;*
 he has blessed your children within you.
He has established peace on your borders;*
 he satisfies you with the finest wheat.
He sends out his command to the earth,*
 and his word runs very swiftly.
He gives snow like wool;*
 he scatters hoarfrost like ashes.
He scatters his hail like bread crumbs;*
 who can stand against his cold?
He sends forth his word and melts them;*
 he blows with his wind and the waters flow.
He declares his word to Jacob,*
 his statutes and his judgements to Israel.
He has not done so to any other nation;*
 to them he has not revealed his judgements.
   Alleluia!

FIRST READING [Daniel 6:16-23,25-27]:

Then the king gave the command, and Daniel was brought and thrown into the den of
lions. The king said to Daniel, 'May your God, whom you faithfully serve, deliver
you!' A stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it
with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, so that nothing might be changed
concerning Daniel. Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no
food was brought to him, and sleep fled from him.

Then, at break of day, the king got up and hurried to the den of lions. When he came
near the den where Daniel was, he cried out anxiously to Daniel, 'O Daniel, servant of
the living God, has your God whom you faithfully serve been able to deliver you from
the lions?' Daniel then said to the king, 'O king, live for ever! My God sent his angel
and shut the lions' mouths so that they would not hurt me, because I was found
blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no wrong.' Then the
king was exceedingly glad and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So
Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because
he had trusted in his God.

Then King Darius wrote to all peoples and nations of every language throughout the
whole world: 'May you have abundant prosperity! I make a decree, that in all my royal
dominion people should tremble and fear before the God of Daniel:
For he is the living God,
   enduring for ever.
His kingdom shall never be destroyed,
   and his dominion has no end.
He delivers and rescues,
   he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth;
for he has saved Daniel
   from the power of the lions.' 

HYMN 
Words: Thomas O. Chisholm (c) Hope Publishing Co. Used with permission.
Tune: Great is thy faithfulness

http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/g/g390.html
Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus.             

Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
there is no shadow of turning with thee;
thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not;
as thou hast been thou forever will be.
Refrain:
Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
all I have needed thy hand hath provided;
great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
sun, moon and stars in their courses above
join with all nature in manifold witness
to thy great faithfulness, mercy and love. Refrain

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside! Refrain

SECOND READING [Acts 27:9-26]:

Since much time had been lost and sailing was now dangerous, because even the Fast
had already gone by, Paul advised them, saying, 'Sirs, I can see that the voyage will be
with danger and much heavy loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our
lives.' But the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship
than to what Paul said. Since the harbour was not suitable for spending the winter, the
majority was in favour of putting to sea from there, on the chance that somehow they
could reach Phoenix, where they could spend the winter. It was a harbour of Crete,
facing south-west and north-west.
When a moderate south wind began to blow, they thought they could achieve their
purpose; so they weighed anchor and began to sail past Crete, close to the shore. But
soon a violent wind, called the northeaster, rushed down from Crete. Since the ship
was caught and could not be turned with its head to the wind, we gave way to it and
were driven. By running under the lee of a small island called Cauda we were scarcely
able to get the ship's boat under control. After hoisting it up they took measures to
undergird the ship; then, fearing that they would run on the Syrtis, they lowered the
sea-anchor and so were driven. We were being pounded by the storm so violently that
on the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard, and on the third day with
their own hands they threw the ship's tackle overboard. When neither sun nor stars
appeared for many days, and no small tempest raged, all hope of our being saved was
at last abandoned.
Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul then stood up among them and
said, 'Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and
thereby avoided this damage and loss. I urge you now to keep up your courage, for
there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For last night there stood
by me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, and he said, "Do
not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before the emperor; and indeed, God has granted
safety to all those who are sailing with you." So keep up your courage, men, for I have
faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. But we will have to run aground
on some island.' 

The Benedictus (Morning), 
the Magnificat (Evening), or 
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.

Prayer:
Bountiful God, you give us every good gift; 
hear us as we offer our prayers to you.

We pray for our family and friends
and for all who are dear to us,
that in following you and rejoicing in your mercy,
they may share in your joy for ever.
Bountiful God,
hear our prayer.

We pray for those who are worn by their work,
for older persons and for children,
that they may know you are the strength of the weak
and the refuge of the distressed.
Bountiful God,
hear our prayer.

We pray for all who follow Christ,
that they may grow in their sense of discipleship
and calling to proclaim the Good News to others.
We pray especially for the Diocese of 
Bountiful God,
hear our prayer.

We pray for all in the medical professions,
that they may work wisely to promote health,
knowing that you are source of all healing.
Bountiful God,
hear our prayer.

We pray for all who are persecuted 
for the sake of righteousness
and for all who are oppressed,
that they may gain the true liberation which comes from you alone.
Bountiful God,
hear our prayer.

Teach us, O Lord,
to serve you with patience,
to follow you with simplicity,
to reverence you with fear
and to love you with our whole heart;
that serving, following, reverencing and loving
we may behold you in the beauty of holiness
and rest in the presence of your glory,
now and forever. Amen.
       
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.

- The Lord's Prayer

You have opened to us the Scriptures, O Christ.
Abide with us, we pray,
that, blessed by your royal presence,
we may walk with you
all the days of our life,
and at its end behold you
in the glory of the eternal Trinity,
one God for ever and ever. Amen.

*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The
Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.

The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.

The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of  the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.

The opening prayer and closing sentence are adapted from _Common Worship:
Services and Prayers for the Church of England_, material from which is included in
this service is copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2000.

The intercession is by Stephen Benner and the collect is by Evelyn Underhill.


From steve.benner at oremus.org  Wed Jul 16 17:00:01 2008
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Wed, 16 Jul 2008 17:00:01 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:  17 July 2008
Message-ID: <20080716170001.D88661E4269@justus2c.anglican.org>


*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Thursday, July 17, 2008
William White, Bishop of Pennsylvania, 1836

O Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, Lord of all creation;
in your love you made us for yourself.
When we turned away you did not reject us,
but came to meet us in your Son.
You embraced us as your children
and welcomed us to sit and eat with you.
In Christ you shared our life
that we might live in him and he in us.
For these and all your mercies, we praise you:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:
Blessed be God for ever!

An opening canticle may be sung. 

http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html

Psalm 132

Lord, remember David*
 and all the hardships he endured;
How he swore an oath to the Lord*
 and vowed a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:
'I will not come under the roof of my house,*
 nor climb up into my bed;
'I will not allow my eyes to sleep,*
 nor let my eyelids slumber;
'Until I find a place for the Lord,*
 a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.'
'The Ark! We heard it was in Ephrathah;*
 we found it in the fields of Jearim.
'Let us go to God's dwelling place;*
 let us fall upon our knees before his footstool.'
Arise, O Lord, into your resting-place,*
 you and the ark of your strength.
Let your priests be clothed with righteousness;*
 let your faithful people sing with joy.
For your servant David's sake,*
 do not turn away the face of your anointed.
The Lord has sworn an oath to David;*
 in truth, he will not break it:
'A son, the fruit of your body*
 will I set upon your throne.
'If your children keep my covenant
   and my testimonies that I shall teach them,*
 their children will sit upon your throne for evermore.'
For the Lord has chosen Zion,*
 he has desired her for his habitation:
'This shall be my resting-place for ever;*
 here will I dwell, for I delight in her.
'I will surely bless her provisions,*
 and satisfy her poor with bread.
'I will clothe her priests with salvation,*
 and her faithful people will rejoice and sing.
'There will I make the horn of David flourish;*
 I have prepared a lamp for my anointed.
'As for his enemies, I will clothe them with shame;*
 but as for him, his crown will shine.'

Psalm 134

Behold now, bless the Lord,
   all you servants of the Lord,*
 you that stand by night in the house of the Lord.
Lift up your hands in the holy place
   and bless the Lord;*
 the Lord who made heaven and earth
   bless you out of Zion.

A Song of Faith (1 Peter 1.3-5,18,19,21)

Blessed be the God and Father  
of our Lord Jesus Christ! 
By his great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope  
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 
Into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled and unfading,  
kept in heaven for you, 
Who are being protected by the power of God through faith,  
for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 
You were ransomed from the futile ways of your ancestors  
not with perishable things like silver or gold 
But with the precious blood of Christ  
like that of a lamb without spot or stain. 
Through him you have confidence in God, 
who raised him from the dead and gave him glory,  
so that your faith and hope are set on God.

Psalm 148

Alleluia!
   Praise the Lord from the heavens;*
 praise him in the heights.
Praise him, all you angels of his;*
 praise him, all his host.
Praise him, sun and moon;*
 praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, heaven of heavens,*
 and you waters above the heavens.
Let them praise the name of the Lord;*
 for he commanded and they were created.
He made them stand fast for ever and ever;*
 he gave them a law which shall not pass away.
Praise the Lord from the earth,*
 you sea-monsters and all deeps;
Fire and hail, snow and fog,*
 tempestuous wind, doing his will;
Mountains and all hills,*
 fruit trees and all cedars;
Wild beasts and all cattle,*
 creeping things and winged birds;
Kings of the earth and all peoples,*
 princes and all rulers of the world;
Young men and maidens,*
 old and young together.
Let them praise the name of the Lord,*
 for his name only is exalted,
   his splendour is over earth and heaven.
He has raised up strength for his people
   and praise for all his loyal servants,*
 the children of Israel, a people who are near him.
   Alleluia!

FIRST READING [Esther 2:5-8,17-23]:

Now there was a Jew in the citadel of Susa whose name was Mordecai son of Jair son
of Shimei son of Kish, a Benjaminite. Kish had been carried away from Jerusalem
among the captives carried away with King Jeconiah of Judah, whom King
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had carried away. Mordecai had brought up Hadassah,
that is Esther, his cousin, for she had neither father nor mother; the girl was fair and
beautiful, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai adopted her as his own
daughter. So when the king's order and his edict were proclaimed, and when many
young women were gathered in the citadel of Susa in the custody of Hegai, Esther also
was taken into the king's palace and put in the custody of Hegai, who had charge of
the women. the king loved Esther more than all the other women; of all the virgins she
won his favour and devotion, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her
queen instead of Vashti. Then the king gave a great banquet to all his officials and
ministers 'Esther's banquet.' He also granted a holiday to the provinces, and gave
gifts with royal liberality.
When the virgins were being gathered together, Mordecai was sitting at the king's
gate. Now Esther had not revealed her kindred or her people, as Mordecai had
charged her; for Esther obeyed Mordecai just as when she was brought up by him. In
those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of
the king's eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, became angry and conspired to
assassinate King Ahasuerus. But the matter came to the knowledge of Mordecai, and
he told it to Queen Esther, and Esther told the king in the name of Mordecai. When
the affair was investigated and found to be so, both the men were hanged on the
gallows. It was recorded in the book of the annals in the presence of the king. 

HYMN 
Words: Fred Pratt Green (c) Hope Publishing Co. Used with permission.
Tune: Dunedin

http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/t/t089.html
Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus.             

The church of Christ in every age,
beset by change but Spirit-led,
must claim and test its heritage
and keep on rising from the dead.

Across the world, across the street,
the victims of injustice cry
for shelter and for bread to eat,
and never live until they die.

The let the servant church arise,
a caring church that longs to be
a partner in Christ's sacrifice,
and clothed in Christ's humanity.

For he alone, whose blood was shed,
can cure the fever in our blood,
and teach us how to share our bread
and feed the starving multitude.

We have no mission but to serve
in full obedience to our Lord:
to care for all, without reserve,
and spread his liberating word. 

SECOND READING [Acts 27:27-end]:

When the fourteenth night had come, as we were drifting across the sea of Adria,
about midnight the sailors suspected that they were nearing land. So they took
soundings and found twenty fathoms; a little farther on they took soundings again and
found fifteen fathoms. Fearing that we might run on the rocks, they let down four
anchors from the stern and prayed for day to come. But when the sailors tried to
escape from the ship and had lowered the boat into the sea, on the pretext of putting
out anchors from the bow, Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, 'Unless these
men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.' Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the
boat and set it adrift.
Just before daybreak, Paul urged all of them to take some food, saying, 'Today is the
fourteenth day that you have been in suspense and remaining without food, having
eaten nothing. Therefore I urge you to take some food, for it will help you survive; for
none of you will lose a hair from your heads.' After he had said this, he took bread;
and giving thanks to God in the presence of all, he broke it and began to eat. Then all
of them were encouraged and took food for themselves. (We were in all two hundred
and seventy-six persons in the ship.) After they had satisfied their hunger, they
lightened the ship by throwing the wheat into the sea.
In the morning they did not recognize the land, but they noticed a bay with a beach, on
which they planned to run the ship ashore, if they could. So they cast off the anchors
and left them in the sea. At the same time they loosened the ropes that tied the
steering-oars; then hoisting the foresail to the wind, they made for the beach. But
striking a reef, they ran the ship aground; the bow stuck and remained immovable, but
the stern was being broken up by the force of the waves. The soldiers' plan was to kill
the prisoners, so that none might swim away and escape; but the centurion, wishing to
save Paul, kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim
to jump overboard first and make for the land, and the rest to follow, some on planks
and others on pieces of the ship. And so it was that all were brought safely to land. 

The Benedictus (Morning), 
the Magnificat (Evening), or 
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.

Prayer:
God of the apostles and martyrs,
we thank you for the hope that is from the beginning.
We bless you for the good news of Jesus
crucified, risen, and interceding for us
until his coming again in glory.

We commend to your care
all who walk and weep in grief and regret.

We pray in hope of your mercy.

We commend to you
all who live far from your image.
We pray in hope of your salvation.

We commend Holy Church,
especially the Anglican Communion and its Bishops,
meeting this month at Lambeth.
We pray in hope of your glory.

We commend to your justice all peoples
who participate in oppression, strife and domination of others.
We pray in hope of your justice and peace.

We commend to you all who have died.
We pray in hope of your resurrection.

We commend to you our unfinished business.
We pray in hope of rest in you.

Heart of our own hearts, 
in these days we have been invited 
over the threshold of our fears 
and into the warmth of your love, 
we have been embraced by justice and mercy, 
as we travel may we remain forever in your love 
and follow in the steps of the one 
who shows us the Way to Life. Amen.
       
O Lord, 
in a time of turmoil and confusion 
you raised up your servant William White, 
and endowed him with wisdom, patience, 
and a reconciling temper, 
that he might lead your Church 
into ways of stability and peace: 
Hear our prayer, and give us wise and faithful leaders, 
that through their ministry 
your people may be blessed and your will be done; 
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
 
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.

- The Lord's Prayer

You have opened to us the Scriptures, O Christ.
Abide with us, we pray,
that, blessed by your royal presence,
we may walk with you
all the days of our life,
and at its end behold you
in the glory of the eternal Trinity,
one God for ever and ever. Amen.

*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The
Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.

The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.

The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of  the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.

The opening prayer and closing sentence are adapted from _Common Worship:
Services and Prayers for the Church of England_, material from which is included in
this service is copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2000.

The intercession is reprinted from _THE DAILY OFFICE: A Book of Hours of
Daily Prayer after the Use of the Order of Saint Luke_, (c) 1997 by The Order
of Saint Luke. Used by permission.

The first collect is from Inclusive Church, www.inclusivechurch.net

The second collect is from _The Proper for the Lesser Feasts and
Fasts_, 3rd edition, (c) 1980 The Church Pension Fund.

Before the American Revolution, there were no bishops in the colonies (partly
because the British government was reluctant to give the colonies the kind of
autonomy that this would have implied, and partly because many of the
colonists were violently opposed to their presence). After the Revolution, the
establishment of an American episcopate became imperative. Samuel Seabury
was the first American to be consecrated, in 1784 (see 14 Nov), and in 1787
William White and Samuel Provoost, having been elected to the bishoprics of
Pennsylvania and New York respectively, sailed to England and were
consecrated bishops on 14 February by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the
Archbishop of York, the Bishop of Bath and Wells, and the Bishop of
Peterborough.
William White was born in Philadelphia in 1747, went to England in 1770 to be
ordained deacon and priest, returned in 1772 and became first an assistant and
then the rector of the Church of Christ and Saint Peter in Philadelphia. He
served as Chaplain of the Continental Congress from 1777 to 1789, and then as
Chaplain of the Senate.
White was largely responsible for the Constitution of the Protestant Episcopal
Church in the United States of America. At his suggestion, the system of
church government was established more or less as we have it today. (What
follows is a rough draft. I welcome notes of correction and clarification.) Only
a bishop can ordain a deacon or priest, and only bishops (normally at least
three) can consecrate a bishop. When a bishop dies or retires, a new bishop is
elected by a convention in his diocese, in which clergy sit in the upper house
and lay delegates (elected by the vestries of the local congregations) sit in the
lower house, and a majority in each house is required to elect. (Afterwards, a
majority of bishops and a majority of Standing Committees (each diocese has
an elected Standing Committee) are required to confirm.) National business is
conducted by the General Convention, which meets every three years and
consists for voting purposes of three Houses: Bishops, Clerical Deputies, and
Lay Deputies. A majority of each is required to pass a measure. (All the
Deputies meet and debate together and are called the House of Deputies, but
Lay and Clerical Deputies vote separately whenever any deputy so requests--in
other words, whenever it might make a difference.) In all this, the Episcopal
Church undertakes to follow, as nearly as modern circumstances permit, the
government of the early church as attested back at least to the second and third
centuries. A section follows from White's writings on Church Government.
    The power of electing a superior order of ministers ought to be in the clergy
and laity together, they being both interested in the choice. In England, the
bishops are appointed by the civil authority, which was a usurpation of the
crown at the Norman conquest, but since confirmed by acts of parliament. The
primitive churches were generally supplied by popular elections; even in the
city of Rome, the privilege of electing the bishop continued with the people to
the tenth or eleventh century, and near those times there are resolves of
councils, that none should be promoted to ecclesiastical dignities, but by
election of the clergy and people. It cannot be denied that this right vested in
numerous bodies, occasioned great disorders; which it is expected will be
avoided, when the people shall exercise the right by representation.
    Let us next take a view of the grounds on which the authority of episcopacy
is asserted.
    The advocates for this form maintain, that there having been an episcopal
power originally lodged by Jesus Christ with his apostles, and by them
generally exercised in person, but sometimes by delegation (as in the instances
of Timothy and Titus) the same was conveyed by them before their decease to
one pastor in each church, which generally comprehended all the Christians in a
city and a convenient surrounding district. Thus were created the apostolic
successors, who on account of their settled residence are called bishops by
restraint; whereas the apostles themselves were bishops at large, exercising
episcopal power over all the churches, except in the case of St. James, who
from the beginning was bishop of Jerusalem. From this time the word
"episcopos," used in the New Testament indiscriminately with the word
"presbyteros" (particularly in the 20th chapter of the Acts where the same
persons are called "episcopoi" and "presbyteroi"), became appropriated to the
superior order of ministers. That the apostles were thus succeeded by an order
of ministers superior to pastors in general, episcopalians think they prove by
the testimonies of the ancient fathers, and from the improbability that so great
an innovation (as some conceive it) could have found general and peaceable
possession in the 2d or 3d century, when epicopacy is on both sides
acknowledged to have been prevalent. The argument is here concisely stated,
but (as is believed) impartially. 
White was Presiding Bishop of PECUSA at its first General Convention in
1789, and again from 1795 till his death on 17 July 1830. [James Kiefer]


From steve.benner at oremus.org  Thu Jul 17 17:00:02 2008
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:00:02 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:  18 July 2008
Message-ID: <20080717170002.1F7671E37DF@justus2c.anglican.org>


*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Friday, July 18, 2008

O Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, Lord of all creation;
in your love you made us for yourself.
When we turned away you did not reject us,
but came to meet us in your Son.
You embraced us as your children
and welcomed us to sit and eat with you.
In Christ you shared our life
that we might live in him and he in us.
For these and all your mercies, we praise you:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:
Blessed be God for ever!

An opening canticle may be sung. 

http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html

Psalm 138

I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with my whole heart;*
 before the gods I will sing your praise.
I will bow down towards your holy temple
   and praise your name,*
 because of your love and faithfulness;
For you have glorified your name*
 and your word above all things.
When I called, you answered me;*
 you increased my strength within me.
All the kings of the earth will praise you, O Lord,*
 when they have heard the words of your mouth.
They will sing of the ways of the Lord,*
 that great is the glory of the Lord.
Though the Lord be high, he cares for the lowly;*
 he perceives the haughty from afar.
Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
   you keep me safe;*
 you stretch forth your hand
   against the fury of my enemies;
   your right hand shall save me.
The Lord will make good his purpose for me;*
 O Lord, your love endures for ever;
   do not abandon the works of your hands.

A Song of Christ the Servant 1 Peter 2.21b-25 

Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example,  
that you should follow in his steps. 
He committed no sin, no guile was found on his lips,  
when he was reviled, he did not revile in turn. 
When he suffered, he did not threaten,  
but he trusted himself to God who judges justly. 
Christ himself bore our sins in his body on the tree,  
that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. 
By his wounds, you have been healed, 
for you were straying like sheep,  
but have now returned 
to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.

Psalm 149

Alleluia!
   Sing to the Lord a new song;*
 sing his praise in the congregation of the faithful.
Let Israel rejoice in his maker;*
 let the children of Zion be joyful in their king.
Let them praise his name in the dance;*
 let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the Lord takes pleasure in his people*
 and adorns the poor with victory.
Let the faithful rejoice in triumph;*
 let them be joyful on their beds.
Let the praises of God be in their throat*
 and a two-edged sword in their hand;
To wreak vengeance on the nations*
 and punishment on the peoples;
To bind their kings in chains*
 and their nobles with links of iron;
To inflict on them the judgement decreed;*
 this is glory for all his faithful people.
   Alleluia!

FIRST READING [Esther 3:1-12]:

After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite,
and advanced him and set his seat above all the officials who were with him. And all
the king's servants who were at the king's gate bowed down and did obeisance to
Haman; for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai did not bow
down or do obeisance. Then the king's servants who were at the king's gate said to
Mordecai, 'Why do you disobey the king's command?' When they spoke to him day
after day and he would not listen to them, they told Haman, in order to see whether
Mordecai's words would avail; for he had told them that he was a Jew. When Haman
saw that Mordecai did not bow down or do obeisance to him, Haman was infuriated.
But he thought it beneath him to lay hands on Mordecai alone. So, having been told
who Mordecai's people were, Haman plotted to destroy all the Jews, the people of
Mordecai, throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.

In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus,
they cast Pur which means 'the lot' before Haman for the day and for the month,
and the lot fell on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar.
Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, 'There is a certain people scattered and
separated among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are
different from those of every other people, and they do not keep the king's laws, so
that it is not appropriate for the king to tolerate them. If it pleases the king, let a
decree be issued for their destruction, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into
the hands of those who have charge of the king's business, so that they may put it into
the king's treasuries.' So the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to
Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. The king said to
Haman, 'The money is given to you, and the people as well, to do with them as it
seems good to you.'

Then the king's secretaries were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month,
and an edict, according to all that Haman commanded, was written to the king's
satraps and to the governors over all the provinces and to the officials of all the
peoples, to every province in its own script and every people in its own language; it
was written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king's ring. 

HYMN 
Words: John Masefield, 1911

Music: Lledrod

http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/o/o064.html
Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus.             

O Christ, who holds the open gate,
O Christ who drives the furrow straight,
O Christ, the plow, O Christ, the laughter
of holy white birds flying after.

Lo, all my heart's field red and torn,
and thou wilt bring the young green corn,
the young green corn divinely springing,
the young green corn for ever singing.

And when the field is fresh and fair
thy bless?d feet shall glitter there,
and we will walk the weeded field,
and tell the golden harvest's yield.

The corn that makes the holy bread
by which the soul of man is fed,
the holy bread, the food unpriced,
thy everlasting mercy, O Christ.

SECOND READING [Acts 28:1-15]:

After we had reached safety, we then learned that the island was called Malta. The
natives showed us unusual kindness. Since it had begun to rain and was cold, they
kindled a fire and welcomed all of us round it. Paul had gathered a bundle of
brushwood and was putting it on the fire, when a viper, driven out by the heat,
fastened itself on his hand. When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand,
they said to one another, 'This man must be a murderer; though he has escaped from
the sea, justice has not allowed him to live.' He, however, shook off the creature into
the fire and suffered no harm. They were expecting him to swell up or drop dead, but
after they had waited a long time and saw that nothing unusual had happened to him,
they changed their minds and began to say that he was a god.

Now in the neighbourhood of that place were lands belonging to the leading man of
the island, named Publius, who received us and entertained us hospitably for three
days. It so happened that the father of Publius lay sick in bed with fever and dysentery.
Paul visited him and cured him by praying and putting his hands on him. After this
happened, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases also came and were
cured. They bestowed many honours on us, and when we were about to sail, they put
on board all the provisions we needed.

Three months later we set sail on a ship that had wintered at the island, an Alexandrian
ship with the Twin Brothers as its figurehead. We put in at Syracuse and stayed there
for three days; then we weighed anchor and came to Rhegium. After one day there a
south wind sprang up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli. There we found
believers and were invited to stay with them for seven days. And so we came to Rome.
The believers from there, when they heard of us, came as far as the Forum of Appius
and Three Taverns to meet us. On seeing them, Paul thanked God and took courage. 

The Benedictus (Morning), 
the Magnificat (Evening), or 
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.

Prayer:
Beginning and End of all things,
we bless you for the present that is ever yielding
to your new heaven and new earth.

For all the means of grace,
we praise you, O Lord.

For every prompting of your Spirit
we praise you, O Lord.

We yield our cares to your unceasing mercy:
Attend the sick and the suffering,
In your mercy, Lord, hear us.

Touch the dying:
In your mercy, Lord, hear us.

Claim the newborn:
In your mercy, Lord, hear us.

Shelter the homeless:
In your mercy, Lord, hear us.

Sing in the fearful:
In your mercy, Lord, hear us.

Chasten the arrogant and powerful:
In your mercy, Lord, hear us.

Lift up the lowly:
In your mercy, Lord, hear us.

Center the Church
In your mercy, Lord, hear us.

Grant peace to Jerusalem and every people:
In your mercy, Lord, hear us.

Shape our lives by the mystery 
of Christ crucified, risen and interceding for us:
In your mercy, Lord, hear us.

Lord our God, supreme over all things,
we ask you to look upon the humble and lowly,
to put new strength into our souls
and to complete your purpose for us,
in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
       
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.

- The Lord's Prayer

You have opened to us the Scriptures, O Christ.
Abide with us, we pray,
that, blessed by your royal presence,
we may walk with you
all the days of our life,
and at its end behold you
in the glory of the eternal Trinity,
one God for ever and ever. Amen.

*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The
Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.

The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.

The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of  the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.

The opening prayer and closing sentence are adapted from _Common Worship:
Services and Prayers for the Church of England_, material from which is included in
this service is copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2000.


From steve.benner at oremus.org  Fri Jul 18 17:00:00 2008
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:  19 July 2008
Message-ID: <20080718170000.E6FC91E37B0@justus2c.anglican.org>


*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Saturday, July 19, 2008
Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa, and Macrina, Deaconess,
Teachers of the Faith, c.394 and c. 379

O Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, Lord of all creation;
in your love you made us for yourself.
When we turned away you did not reject us,
but came to meet us in your Son.
You embraced us as your children
and welcomed us to sit and eat with you.
In Christ you shared our life
that we might live in him and he in us.
For these and all your mercies, we praise you:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:
Blessed be God for ever!

An opening canticle may be sung. 

http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html

Psalm 92

It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord,*
 and to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
To tell of your loving-kindness early in the morning*
 and of your faithfulness in the night season;
On the psaltery and on the lyre*
 and to the melody of the harp.
For you have made me glad by your acts, O Lord;*
 and I shout for joy because of the works of your hands.
Lord, how great are your works!*
 your thoughts are very deep.
The dullard does not know,
   nor does the fool understand,*
 that though the wicked grow like weeds,
   and all the workers of iniquity flourish,
They flourish only to be destroyed for ever;*
 but you, O Lord, are exalted for evermore.
For lo, your enemies, O Lord,
   lo, your enemies shall perish,*
 and all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered.
But my horn you have exalted
   like the horns of wild bulls;*
 I am anointed with fresh oil.
My eyes also gloat over my enemies,*
 and my ears rejoice to hear the doom of the wicked
   who rise up against me.
The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree,*
 and shall spread abroad like a cedar of Lebanon.
Those who are planted in the house of the Lord*
 shall flourish in the courts of our God;
They shall still bear fruit in old age;*
 they shall be green and succulent;
That they may show how upright the Lord is,*
 my rock, in whom there is no fault.

A Song of the Redeemed (Revelation 7.9,10,14b-17)

Behold, a great multitude
which no one could number, 
>From every nation, 
from all tribes and peoples and tongues,
standing before the throne and the Lamb. 
They were clothed in white robes 
and had palms in their hands, 
and they cried with a loud voice, saying, 
'Salvation belongs to our God 
who sits on the throne,  
and to the Lamb.' 
These are they 
who have come out of the great tribulation, 
they have washed their robes 
and made them white in the blood of the Lamb; 
Therefore they stand before the throne of God,
whom they serve day and night within the temple. 
And the One who sits upon the throne . 
will shelter them with his presence. 
They shall never again feel hunger or thirst, . 
the sun shall not strike them, 
nor any scorching heat. 
For the Lamb at the heart of the throne 
will be their Shepherd, 
He will guide them to springs of living water, 
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. 

Psalm 150

Alleluia!
   Praise God in his holy temple;*
 praise him in the firmament of his power.
Praise him for his mighty acts;*
 praise him for his excellent greatness.
Praise him with the blast of the ram's-horn;*
 praise him with lyre and harp.
Praise him with timbrel and dance;*
 praise him with strings and pipe.
Praise him with resounding cymbals;*
 praise him with loud-clanging cymbals.
Let everything that has breath*
 praise the Lord.
   Alleluia!

FIRST READING [Esther 4:1, 5-17]:

When Mordecai learned all that had been done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on
sackcloth and ashes, and went through the city, wailing with a loud and bitter cry;
Then Esther called for Hathach, one of the king's eunuchs, who had been appointed to
attend her, and ordered him to go to Mordecai to learn what was happening and why.
Hathach went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king's
gate, and Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, and the exact sum of money
that Haman had promised to pay into the king's treasuries for the destruction of the
Jews. Mordecai also gave him a copy of the written decree issued in Susa for their
destruction, that he might show it to Esther, explain it to her, and charge her to go to
the king to make supplication to him and entreat him for her people.

Hathach went and told Esther what Mordecai had said. Then Esther spoke to Hathach
and gave him a message for Mordecai, saying, 'All the king's servants and the people
of the king's provinces know that if any man or woman goes to the king inside the
inner court without being called, there is but one law all alike are to be put to death.
Only if the king holds out the golden sceptre to someone, may that person live. I
myself have not been called to come in to the king for thirty days.' When they told
Mordecai what Esther had said, Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, 'Do not think
that in the king's palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you
keep silence at such a time as this, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from
another quarter, but you and your father's family will perish. Who knows? Perhaps
you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.' Then Esther said in reply
to Mordecai, 'Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my
behalf, and neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will also
fast as you do. After that I will go to the king, though it is against the law; and if I
perish, I perish.' Mordecai then went away and did everything as Esther had ordered
him. 

HYMN 
Words: Brian Wren, (c) Hope Publishing, Used with permission.
Tune: St. Petersburg

http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/g/g380.html
Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus.             

Great God, your love has called us here
as we, by love, for love were made.
Your living likeness still we bear,
though marred, dishonored, disobeyed.
We come, with all our heart and mind,
your call to hear, your love to find.

We come with self-inflicted pains
of broken trust and chosen wrong;
half-free, half-bound by inner chains;
by social forces swept along,
by powers and systems close confined;
yet seeking hope for humankind.

Great God, in Christ you call our name
and then receive us as your own
not through some merit, right, or claim,
but by your gracious love alone.
We strain to glimpse your mercy seat
and find you kneeling at our feet.

Then take the towel, and break the bread,
and humble us, and call us friends.
Suffer and serve till all are fed,
and show how grandly love intends
to work till all creation sings,
to fill all worlds, to crown all things.

Great God, in Christ you set us free,
your life to live, your joy to share.
Give your Spirit's liberty
to turn from guilt and dull despair
and offer all that faith can do
while love is making all things new. 

SECOND READING [Acts 28:16-end]:

When we came into Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with the soldier who
was guarding him.

Three days later he called together the local leaders of the Jews. When they had
assembled, he said to them, 'Brothers, though I had done nothing against our people
or the customs of our ancestors, yet I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to
the Romans. When they had examined me, the Romans wanted to release me, because
there was no reason for the death penalty in my case. But when the Jews objected, I
was compelled to appeal to the emperor even though I had no charge to bring
against my nation. For this reason therefore I have asked to see you and speak with
you, since it is for the sake of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.' They
replied, 'We have received no letters from Judea about you, and none of the brothers
coming here has reported or spoken anything evil about you. But we would like to
hear from you what you think, for with regard to this sect we know that everywhere it
is spoken against.'

After they had fixed a day to meet him, they came to him at his lodgings in great
numbers. From morning until evening he explained the matter to them, testifying to the
kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the law of Moses
and from the prophets. Some were convinced by what he had said, while others
refused to believe. So they disagreed with each other; and as they were leaving, Paul
made one further statement: 'The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your ancestors
through the prophet Isaiah,
"Go to this people and say,
You will indeed listen, but never understand,
   and you will indeed look, but never perceive.
For this people's heart has grown dull,
   and their ears are hard of hearing,
     and they have shut their eyes;
     so that they might not look with their eyes,
   and listen with their ears,
and understand with their heart and turn 
   and I would heal them."
Let it be known to you then that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles;
they will listen.'

He lived there for two whole years at his own expense and welcomed all who came to
him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with
all boldness and without hindrance. 

The Benedictus (Morning), 
the Magnificat (Evening), or 
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.

Prayer:
God of all time,
we bless you for the gift of this day
and for our hope in Christ Jesus.
In the midst of all that demands our attention,
free us to love you with all our hearts
and to love the world with your mercy and justice.

Let our love be genuine:
Kyrie eleison

Let our affections be tempered with holiness:
Kyrie eleison

Let our desires be shaped by the vision
of a new heaven and a new earth:
Kyrie eleison

Let our actions reflect the balance of love
for your reign in all things:
Kyrie eleison

Let our perceptions and feelings be ordered
by the hope we have in Christ:
Kyrie eleison

Our Father in heaven, 
give us those wings, 
that our mind may wing its way up
to the heights of the noble words your Son taught us:
Then we would leave behind the earth altogether
and traverse all the middle air; 
we would reach the beautiful ether, 
come to the stars and behold all their orderly array. 
But not even there would we stop short,
but, passing beyond them, would become a stranger 
to all that moves and changes, 
and apprehend the stable Nature, the immovable Power 
which exists in its own right, 
guiding and keeping in being all things, f
or all depend on the ineffable will of the Divine Wisdom. Amen.

Lord of eternity, creator of all things,
in your Son Jesus Christ you open for us 
the way to resurrection
that we may enjoy your bountiful goodness:
may we who celebrate your servants Gregory and Macrina
press onwards in faith to your boundless love
and ever wonder at the miracle of your presence among us;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
       
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.

- The Lord's Prayer

You have opened to us the Scriptures, O Christ.
Abide with us, we pray,
that, blessed by your royal presence,
we may walk with you
all the days of our life,
and at its end behold you
in the glory of the eternal Trinity,
one God for ever and ever. Amen.

*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The
Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.

The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.

The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of  the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.

The opening prayer and closing sentence are adapted from _Common Worship:
Services and Prayers for the Church of England_, material from which is included in
this service is copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2000.

The intercession is reprinted from _THE DAILY OFFICE: A Book of Hours of
Daily Prayer after the Use of the Order of Saint Luke_, (c) 1997 by The Order
of Saint Luke. Used by permission.

The first collect is adapted from a sermon on the Lord's Prayer by Gregory.

The second collect is from _Common Worship: Services and Prayers for
the Church of England_, material from which is included in this service is
copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2000.

Basil the Great is remembered as the founder of Eastern monasticism. All
Eastern Orthodox monks are Basilian monks and follow a variation of the
monastic rule that he outlined. However, it is often overlooked that the
community of monks organized by Basil was preceded and inspired by a
community of nuns organized by his sister, Macrina.
Macrina the Elder lived in the days of the Emperor Diocletian, who made a
determined effort to destroy the Christian faith. She and her husband fled into
hiding, and survived into the time of Constantine. One of their sons, Basil the
Elder, and his wife Emmelia, had several distinguished sons, including Basil the
Great (14 June), Gregory of Nyssa (9 March), Peter of Sebastea, Naucratios,
and Dios of Antioch.
Their oldest offspring, however, was their daughter Macrina (called Macrina
the Younger to distinguish her from her grandmother). She was betrothed at
the age of twelve, after the custom of the day, but when her fiance died, she
determined to devote her life to prayer and contemplation and to works of
charity. After the death of her father, she and her mother formed a community
of women who shared her goals. She often brought poor and hungry women
home to be fed, clothed, nursed, or otherwise taken care of, and many
eventually joined the community, as did many women of means.
After the death of their parents, Macrina was chiefly responsible for the
upbringing of her ten younger brothers. When they were disposed to be
conceited about their intellectual accomplishments, she deflated them with
affectionate but pointed jibes. Her example encouraged some of them to
pursue the monastic ideal, and to found monastic communities for men. (Dios
founded one of the most celebrated monasteries in Constantinople.) Three of
them (Basil, Gregory, Peter) became bishops, and all of them were leading
contenders for the faith of Nicea against the Arians.
Gregory, in his Life of Macrina, records his last visit with her, and her farewell
speech and her prayers and teachings about the resurrection.
Gregory of Nyssa, his brother Basil the Great (14 June), and Basil's best friend
Gregory of Nazianzus (9 May), are known collectively as the Cappadocian
Fathers. They were a major force in the triumph of the Athanasian position at
the Council of Constantinople in 381. Gregory of Nyssa tends to be
overshadowed by the other two.
Gregory of Nyssa was born in Caesarea, the capital of Cappadocia (central
Turkey) in about 334, the younger brother of Basil the Great and of Macrina
(19 July), and of several other distinguished persons. As a youth, he was at
best a lukewarm Christian. However, when he was twenty, some of the relics
of the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste (10 March) were transferred to a chapel near
his home, and their presence made a deep impression on him, confronting him
with the fact that to acknowledge God at all is to acknowledge His right to
demand a total commitment. Gregory became an active and fervent Christian.
He considered the priesthood, decided it was not for him, became a
professional orator like his father, married, and settled down to the life of a
Christian layman. However, his brother Basil and his friend Gregory of
Nazianzus persuaded him to reconsider, and he became a priest in about 362.
His brother Basil, who had become archbishop of Caesarea in 370, was
engaged in a struggle with the Arian Emperor Valens, who was trying to stamp
out belief in the deity of Christ. Basil desperately needed the votes and support
of Athanasian bishops, and he maneuvered his friend Gregory into the
bishopric of Sasima, and (in about 371) his brother Gregory into the bishopric
of Nyssa, a small town about ten miles from Caesarea. Neither one wanted to
be a bishop, neither was suited to be a bishop, and both were furious with
Basil.) Gregory did not get along well with his flock, was falsely accused of
embezzling church funds, fled the scene in about 376, and did not return until
after the death of Valens about two years later.
In 379, Basil died, having lived to see the death of Valens and the end of the
persecution. Shortly thereafter, Macrina died. Gregory was with her in the last
few days of her life. Afterwards, he took to writing sermons and treatises on
theology and philosophy. His philosophy was a form of Christian Platonism. In
his approach to the Scriptures, he was heavily influenced by Origen, and his
writings on the Trinity and the Incarnation build on and develop insights found
in germ in the writings of his brother Basil. But he is chiefly remembered as a
writer on the spiritual life, on the contemplation of God, not only in private
prayer and meditation, but in corporate worship and in the sacramental life of
the Church.
His treatise On The Making of Man deals with God as Creator, and with the
world as a good thing, as something that God takes delight in, and that ought
to delight us. His Great Catechism is esteemed as a work of systematic
theology. His Commentary on the Song of Songs is a work of contemplative,
devotional, mystical theology. [James Kiefer, abridged]

From steve.benner at oremus.org  Sat Jul 19 17:00:00 2008
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Sat, 19 Jul 2008 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:  20 July 2008
Message-ID: <20080719170000.BB4841E3F5D@justus2c.anglican.org>


*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Sunday, July 20, 2008
The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost

O Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, O God,
the source and end of all things:
in the resurrection of Christ
you reveal the first fruits of the Spirit,
the pledge of things to come.
For these and all your mercies, we praise you:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:
Blessed be God for ever!

An opening canticle may be sung. 

http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html

Psalm 119:9-24

How shall the young cleanse their way?*
 By keeping to your words.
With my whole heart I seek you;*
 let me not stray from your commandments.
I treasure your promise in my heart,*
 that I may not sin against you.
Blessed are you, O Lord;*
 instruct me in your statutes.
With my lips will I recite*
 all the judgements of your mouth.
I have taken greater delight in the way of your decrees*
 than in all manner of riches.
I will meditate on your commandments*
 and give attention to your ways.
My delight is in your statutes;*
 I will not forget your word.

Deal bountifully with your servant,*
 that I may live and keep your word.
Open my eyes, that I may see*
 the wonders of your law.
I am a stranger here on earth;*
 do not hide your commandments from me.
My soul is consumed at all times*
 with longing for your judgements.
You have rebuked the insolent;*
 cursed are they who stray from your commandments!
Turn from me shame and rebuke,*
 for I have kept your decrees.
Even though rulers sit and plot against me,*
 I will meditate on your statutes.
For your decrees are my delight,*
 and they are my counsellors.

A Song of the Lamb (Revelation 19.1b,2a,5b,6b,7,9b)

Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, . 
whose judgements are true and just. 
Praise our God, all you his servants, . 
all who fear him, both small and great. 
The Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns: . 
let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory. 
For the marriage of the Lamb has come . 
and his bride has made herself ready. 
Blessed are those who are invited . 
to the wedding banquet of the Lamb.

Psalm 117

Alleluia!
Praise the Lord, all you nations;*
 laud him, all you peoples.
For his loving-kindness towards us is great,*
 and the faithfulness of the Lord endures for ever.
   Alleluia!

FIRST READING [Proverbs 4:1-4,20-27]:

Listen, children, to a father's instruction,
   and be attentive, that you may gain insight;
for I give you good precepts:
   do not forsake my teaching.
When I was a son with my father,
   tender, and my mother's favourite,
he taught me, and said to me,
'Let your heart hold fast my words;
   keep my commandments, and live.
My child, be attentive to my words;
   incline your ear to my sayings.
Do not let them escape from your sight;
   keep them within your heart.
For they are life to those who find them,
   and healing to all their flesh.
Keep your heart with all vigilance,
   for from it flow the springs of life.
Put away from you crooked speech,
   and put devious talk far from you.
Let your eyes look directly forwards,
   and your gaze be straight before you.
Keep straight the path of your feet,
   and all your ways will be sure.
Do not swerve to the right or to the left;
   turn your foot away from evil. 

HYMN 
Words: John Samuel Bewley Monsell, Jr., 1860 
Tune: Pentecost

http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/f/f155.html
Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus.             

Fight the good fight with all thy might,
Christ is thy strength and Christ thy right;
lay hold on life, and it shall be
thy joy and crown eternally.

Run the straight race, through God's good grace,
lift up thine eyes and seek his face;
life with its way before us lies,
Christ is the path and Christ the prize.

Cast care aside, lean on thy Guide;
his boundless mercy will provide;
trust, and thy trusting soul shall prove
Christ is its life and Christ its love.

Faint not nor fear, his arms are near;
he changeth not, and thou art dear;
only believe, and thou shalt see
that Christ is all in all to thee. 

SECOND READING [Hebrews 12:1-13]:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay
aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance
the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith,
who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its
shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.
Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may
not grow weary or lose heart. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to
the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten the exhortation that
addresses you as children 
'My child, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
   or lose heart when you are punished by him;
for the Lord disciplines those whom he loves,
   and chastises every child whom he accepts.'
Endure trials for the sake of discipline. God is treating you as children; for what child
is there whom a parent does not discipline? If you do not have that discipline in which
all children share, then you are illegitimate and not his children. Moreover, we had
human parents to discipline us, and we respected them. Should we not be even more
willing to be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short
time as seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, in order that we may
share his holiness. Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the
time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been
trained by it.

Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight
paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be
healed. 

The Benedictus (Morning), 
the Magnificat (Evening), or 
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.

Prayer:
Let us bring our prayers to the God of mercy and compassion.

We pray for the young people gathered in Australia for World Youth Day with Pope
Benedict: may they be given inspiration for their lives, and a deepening of faith and
fellowship.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for the unity of Christians, remembering especially the bishops of the
Anglican Communion meeting at Canterbury: may all Christian people work and pray
together to proclaim the Gospel and build up God's kingdom of justice, love and
peace.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for all teachers and students during their summer holidays: may this be for
them a time of refreshment and renewal.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for the peoples of Darfur who know no joy; where the world's leaders look
the other way, and the fighting, raping and pillaging continue unabated.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for the peoples of the Holy Land, and for all who are seeking to bring peace
in that region: may those who are divided by race, religion or belief be brought
together in reconciliation.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, you know everything that is in our hearts, and send your Spirit to
help us to pray. We ask you to hear our prayers, which we make in the power of the
Holy Spirit, through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Eternal God, 
you draw near to us in Christ 
and make yourself our guest: 
Amid the cares of our daily lives, 
make us attentive to your voice and alert to your presence, 
that we may treasure your word above all else. 
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, 
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, 
God forever and ever. Amen.
       
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.

- The Lord's Prayer

Enrich us abundantly with your grace, O Lord,
that, firm in faith, secure in hope, and constant in love,
we may keep your commandments with watchful care. Amen.

*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The
Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.

The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.

The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of  the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.

The opening prayer and closing sentence are adapted from prayers by Alan Griffiths..

The petitions are gathered by Redemptorist Publications and are published each Friday on
their website: http://www.rpbooks.co.uk/page.php?page=prayers

The collect is from _Book of Common Worship_, (c) 1993 Westminster /
John Knox Press. 


From steve.benner at oremus.org  Sun Jul 20 17:00:00 2008
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Sun, 20 Jul 2008 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:  21 July 2008
Message-ID: <20080720170000.D0F3F1E3FD9@justus2c.anglican.org>


*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Monday, July 21, 2008

O Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, O God,
the source and end of all things:
in the resurrection of Christ
you reveal the first fruits of the Spirit,
the pledge of things to come.
For these and all your mercies, we praise you:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:
Blessed be God for ever!

An opening canticle may be sung. 

http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html

Psalm 4

Answer me when I call, O God, defender of my cause;*
 you set me free when I am hard-pressed;
   have mercy on me and hear my prayer.
'You mortals, how long will you dishonour my glory;*
 how long will you worship dumb idols
   and run after false gods?'
Know that the Lord does wonders for the faithful;*
 when I call upon the Lord, he will hear me.
Tremble, then, and do not sin;*
 speak to your heart in silence upon your bed.
Offer the appointed sacrifices*
 and put your trust in the Lord.
Many are saying,
'O that we might see better times!'*
 Lift up the light of your countenance upon us, O Lord.
You have put gladness in my heart,*
 more than when grain and wine and oil increase.
I lie down in peace; at once I fall asleep;*
 for only you, Lord, make me dwell in safety.

Psalm 8

O Lord our governor,*
 how exalted is your name in all the world!
Out of the mouths of infants and children*
 your majesty is praised above the heavens.
You have set up a stronghold against your adversaries,*
 to quell the enemy and the avenger.
When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers,*
 the moon and the stars you have set in their courses,
What are mortals, that you should be mindful of them?*
 mere human beings, that you should seek them out?
You have made them little lower than the angels;*
 you adorn them with glory and honour.
You give them mastery over the works of your hands;*
 and put all things under their feet,
All sheep and oxen,*
 even the wild beasts of the field,
The birds of the air, the fish of the sea,*
 and whatsoever walks in the paths of the sea.
O Lord our governor,*
 how exalted is your name in all the world!

A Song of Deliverance (Isaiah 12.2-6)

'Behold, God is my salvation;  
I will trust and will not be afraid; 
'For the Lord God is my strength and my song,  
and has become my salvation.' 
With joy you will draw water  
from the wells of salvation. 
On that day you will say,  
'Give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name; 
'Make known his deeds among the nations,  
proclaim that his name is exalted. 
'Sing God's praises, who has triumphed gloriously;  
let this be known in all the world. 
'Shout and sing for joy, you that dwell in Zion,  
for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.'

Psalm 146

Alleluia!
   Praise the Lord, O my soul!*
 I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
   I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
Put not your trust in rulers,
   nor in any child of earth,*
 for there is no help in them.
When they breathe their last, they return to earth,*
 and in that day their thoughts perish.
Happy are they who have the God of Jacob
   for their help!*
 whose hope is in the Lord their God;
Who made heaven and earth, the seas,
   and all that is in them;*
 who keeps his promise for ever;
Who gives justice to those who are oppressed,*
 and food to those who hunger.
The Lord sets the prisoners free;
   the Lord opens the eyes of the blind;*
 the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
The Lord loves the righteous;
   the Lord cares for the stranger;*
 he sustains the orphan and widow,
   but frustrates the way of the wicked.
The Lord shall reign for ever,*
 your God, O Zion, throughout all generations.
   Alleluia!

FIRST READING [Esther 5]:

On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the
king's palace, opposite the king's hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne inside
the palace opposite the entrance to the palace. As soon as the king saw Queen Esther
standing in the court, she won his favour and he held out to her the golden sceptre that
was in his hand. Then Esther approached and touched the top of the sceptre. The king
said to her, 'What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you,
even to the half of my kingdom.' Then Esther said, 'If it pleases the king, let the king
and Haman come today to a banquet that I have prepared for the king.' Then the king
said, 'Bring Haman quickly, so that we may do as Esther desires.' So the king and
Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared. While they were drinking wine,
the king said to Esther, 'What is your petition? It shall be granted you. And what is
your request? Even to the half of my kingdom, it shall be fulfilled.' Then Esther said,
'This is my petition and request: If I have won the king's favour, and if it pleases the
king to grant my petition and fulfil my request, let the king and Haman come
tomorrow to the banquet that I will prepare for them, and then I will do as the king
has said.'
Haman went out that day happy and in good spirits. But when Haman saw Mordecai
in the king's gate, and observed that he neither rose nor trembled before him, he was
infuriated with Mordecai; nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home.
Then he sent and called for his friends and his wife Zeresh, and Haman recounted to
them the splendour of his riches, the number of his sons, all the promotions with which
the king had honoured him, and how he had advanced him above the officials and the
ministers of the king. Haman added, 'Even Queen Esther let no one but myself come
with the king to the banquet that she prepared. Tomorrow also I am invited by her,
together with the king. Yet all this does me no good so long as I see the Jew Mordecai
sitting at the king's gate.' Then his wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, 'Let a
gallows fifty cubits high be made, and in the morning tell the king to have Mordecai
hanged on it; then go with the king to the banquet in good spirits.' This advice pleased
Haman, and he had the gallows made. 

HYMN 
Words: William Boyd Carpenter (1841-1918)
Music: St. Petersburg 

http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/b/b046.html
Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus.             

Before thy throne, O God, we kneel:
give us a conscience quick to feel,
a ready mind to understand
the meaning of thy chastening hand;
whate'er the pain and shame may be,
bring us, O Father, nearer thee.

Search out our hearts and make us true;
help us to give to all their due.
>From love of pleasure, lust of gold,
from sins which make the heart grow cold,
wean us and train us with thy rod;
teach us to know our faults, O God.

For sins of heedless word and deed,
for pride ambitions to succeed,
for crafty trade and subtle snare
to catch the simple unaware,
for lives bereft of purpose high,
forgive, forgive, O Lord, we cry.

Let the fierce fires which burn and try,
our inmost spirits purify:
consume the ill; purge out the shame;
O God, be with us in the flame;
a newborn people may we rise,
more pure, more true, more nobly wise.

SECOND READING [Romans 1:1-17]:

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,
which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, the gospel
concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was
declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by
resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received
grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for
the sake of his name, including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,

To all God's beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints: Grace to you and peace
from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is
proclaimed throughout the world. For God, whom I serve with my spirit by
announcing the gospel of his Son, is my witness that without ceasing I remember you
always in my prayers, asking that by God's will I may somehow at last succeed in
coming to you. For I am longing to see you so that I may share with you some
spiritual gift to strengthen you  or rather so that we may be mutually encouraged by
each other's faith, both yours and mine. I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that
I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that
I may reap some harvest among you as I have among the rest of the Gentiles. I am a
debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish   hence
my eagerness to proclaim the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone
who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God
is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, 'The one who is righteous will live
by faith.'

The Benedictus (Morning), 
the Magnificat (Evening), or 
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.

Prayer:
We praise you, God our creator, for your handiwork in
shaping and sustaining your wondrous creation. Especially
we thank you for
     the miracle of life and the wonder of living...
                         (We thank you, Lord.)
     particular blessings coming to us in this day...
     the resources of the earth...
     gifts of creative vision and skillful craft...
     the treasure stored in every human life...

We dare to pray for others, God our Savior, claiming your
love in Jesus Christ for the whole world, committing
ourselves to care for those around us in his name.
Especially we pray for
     those who work for the benefit of others... 
                         (Lord, hear our prayer.)
     those who cannot work today...
     those who teach and those who learn...
     people who are poor...
     the Church in Europe...

We bless you, Master of the heavens,
for the order which enfolds all things
and that this universe should find its meaning
in a Son of Man through whom and for whom all is made,
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

All-loving God,
your Son said that it is by our love
that the world will recognise us as his disciples.
Help our bishops to love one another,
even when they disagree passionately.
And may their conversation be a witness to their faith in Christ,
your Son, our Lord. Amen.
       
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.

- The Lord's Prayer

Enrich us abundantly with your grace, O Lord,
that, firm in faith, secure in hope, and constant in love,
we may keep your commandments with watchful care. Amen.

*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The
Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.

The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.

The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of  the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.

The opening prayer and closing sentence are adapted from prayers by Alan Griffiths..


From steve.benner at oremus.org  Mon Jul 21 17:00:01 2008
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:00:01 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:  22 July 2008
Message-ID: <20080721170001.3C3B31E3992@justus2c.anglican.org>


*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Saint Mary Magdalene

O Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, gentle and tender God,
for your saint Mary Magdalen,
whom you gave the courage to love
and follow your Son to the cross.
Seeking her Teacher after his death,
so great was her longing
that you made her the first 
to behold him, risen from the dead,
and the first to announce
that the Lord had risen to new and glorious life.
For this example of faith and hope,
we praise you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit:
Blessed be God for ever! 

An opening canticle may be sung. 

http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html

Psalm 86

Bow down your ear, O Lord, and answer me,*
 for I am poor and in misery.
Keep watch over my life, for I am faithful;*
 save your servant who trusts in you.
Be merciful to me, O Lord, for you are my God;*
 I call upon you all the day long.
Gladden the soul of your servant,*
 for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,*
 and great is your love towards all who call upon you.
Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer,*
 and attend to the voice of my supplications.
In the time of my trouble I will call upon you,*
 for you will answer me.
Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord,*
 nor anything like your works.
All nations you have made
   will come and worship you, O Lord,*
 and glorify your name.
For you are great; you do wondrous things;*
 and you alone are God.
Teach me your way, O Lord,
   and I will walk in your truth;*
 knit my heart to you that I may fear your name.
I will thank you, O Lord my God, with all my heart,*
 and glorify your name for evermore.
For great is your love towards me;*
 you have delivered me from the nethermost Pit.
The arrogant rise up against me, O God,
   and a violent band seeks my life;*
 they have not set you before their eyes.
But you, O Lord, are gracious and full of compassion,*
 slow to anger and full of kindness and truth.
Turn to me and have mercy upon me;*
 give your strength to your servant;
   and save the child of your handmaid.
Show me a sign of your favour,
   so that those who hate me may see it and be ashamed;*
 because you, O Lord, have helped me and comforted me.

A Song of God's Love (1 John 4:7-11,12b)
Beloved, let us love one another,
for love is of God;
everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

Whoever does not love does not know God,
for God is love.

In this the love of God was revealed among us,
that God sent his only Son into the world,
so that we might live through him.

In this is love,
not that we loved God but that he loved us,
and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins.

Beloved, since God loved us so much,
we ought also to love one another.

For if we love one another, God abides in us,
and God's love will be perfected in us.

Psalm 147:1-12

Alleluia!
   How good it is to sing praises to our God!*
 how pleasant it is to honour him with praise!
The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem;*
 he gathers the exiles of Israel.
He heals the brokenhearted*
 and binds up their wounds.
He counts the number of the stars*
 and calls them all by their names.
Great is our Lord and mighty in power;*
 there is no limit to his wisdom.
The Lord lifts up the lowly,*
 but casts the wicked to the ground.
Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;*
 make music to our God upon the harp.
He covers the heavens with clouds*
 and prepares rain for the earth;
He makes grass to grow upon the mountains*
 and green plants to serve us all.
He provides food for flocks and herds*
 and for the young ravens when they cry.
He is not impressed by the might of a horse,*
 he has no pleasure in human strength;
But the Lord has pleasure in those who fear him,*
 in those who await his gracious favour.
 Alleluia!

FIRST READING [Song of Solomon 3:1-4]:

Upon my bed at night
   I sought him whom my soul loves;
I sought him, but found him not;
   I called him, but he gave no answer.
'I will rise now and go about the city,
   in the streets and in the squares;
I will seek him whom my soul loves.'
   I sought him, but found him not.
The sentinels found me,
   as they went about in the city.
'Have you seen him whom my soul loves?'
Scarcely had I passed them,
   when I found him whom my soul loves.
I held him, and would not let him go
   until I brought him into my mother's house,
   and into the chamber of her that conceived me. 

HYMN 
Words: Latin; trans. Elizabeth Rundle Charles (1828-1896), alt.
Tune: W zlobie lezy

http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/l/l136.html
Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus.

Lift your voice rejoicing, Mary,
Christ has risen from the tomb;
on the cross a suffering victim,
now as victor he is come.
Whom your tears in death were mourning,
welcome with your smiles returning.
Let your alleluias rise!

Raise your weary eyelids, Mary,
see him living evermore;
see his countenance how gracious,
see the wounds for you he bore.
All the glory of the morning
pales before those wounds redeeming.
Let your alleluias rise!

Life is yours for ever, Mary,
for your light is come once more
and the strength of death is broken;
now your songs of joy outpour.
Ended now the night of sorrow,
love has brought the blessed morrow.
Let your alleluias rise.

SECOND READING [John 20:1-2,11-18]:

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still
dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the
stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went
to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus
loved, and said to them, 'They have taken the Lord out of
the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid
him.'
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she
bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels
in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying,
one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to
her, 'Woman, why are you weeping?' She said to them,
'They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where
they have laid him.' When she had said this, she turned
round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know
that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, 'Woman, why are you
weeping? For whom are you looking?' Supposing him to be
the gardener, she said to him, 'Sir, if you have carried
him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will
take him away.' Jesus said to her, 'Mary!' She turned and
said to him in Hebrew, 'Rabbouni!' (which means Teacher).
Jesus said to her, 'Do not hold on to me, because I have
not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and
say to them, "I am ascending to my Father and your
Father, to my God and your God." ' Mary Magdalene went
and announced to the disciples, 'I have seen the Lord';
and she told them that he had said these things to her. 

The Benedictus (Morning), 
the Magnificat (Evening), or 
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.

Prayer:
Almighty and merciful God, we give you thanks
that Mary Magdalene found healing in her encounter
with the risen Christ.

Give wholeness and peace to all those in need: the sick,
the unloved and the forgotten, the poor and the hungry,
the dying and the bereaved. 

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Grant us the persistent faith of Mary Magdalen
and the surprised belief of Peter and John:

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Guide all your baptized people who struggle to know
and to do your will in the kingdoms of this world,
that by their lives we may show forth the new life in
Christ to all nation.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Send your grace on your Church, that it may live the great commission: 
proclaiming the gospel in community, Eucharist, and servanthood ministry.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Almighty God, 
whose blessed Son restored Mary Magdalene
to health of body and of mind, 
and called her to be a witness of his resurrection: 
Mercifully grant that by your grace
we may be healed from all our infirmities 
and know you in the power of his unending life; 
who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, 
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
       
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.

- The Lord's Prayer

Enrich us abundantly with your grace, O Lord,
that, firm in faith, secure in hope, and constant in love,
we may keep your commandments with watchful care. Amen.

*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The
Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.

The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.

The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of  the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.

The opening prayer of thanksgiving is adapted by Stephen Benner from
_We Give You Thanks and Praise: The Ambrosian Eucharistic
Prefaces_, translated by Alan Griffiths, (c) The Canterbury Press
Norwich, 1999.

The closing prayer uses a sentence from a prayer in _Opening Prayers:
Collects in Contemporary Language_. Canterbury Press, Norwich, 1999.

Mary Magdalene is mentioned in the Gospels as being among the women of
Galilee who followed Jesus and His disciples, and who was present at His
Crucifixion and Burial, and who went to the tomb on Easter Sunday to annoint
His body. She was the first to see the Risen Lord, and to announce His
Resurrection to the apostles. Accordingly, she is referred to in early Christian
writings as "the apostle to the apostles."

Mary Magdalene, Mary of Bethany (sister of Martha and Lazarus), and the
unnamed penitent woman who annointed Jesus's feet (Luke 7:36-48) are
sometimes supposed to be the same woman. From this, plus the statement that
Jesus had cast seven demons out of her (Luke 8:2), has risen the tradition that
she had been a prostitute before she met Jesus.

Because of the assumption that Mary Magdalene had been a spectacular sinner,
and also perhaps because she is described as weeping at the tomb of Jesus on
the Resurrection morning, she is often portrayed in art as weeping, or with
eyes red from having wept. From this appearance we derive the English word
"maudlin", meaning "effusively or tearfully sentimental." There is a Magdalen
College at Oxford, and a Magdalene College at Cambridge (different spelling),
both pronounced "Maudlin." [James Kiefer]


From steve.benner at oremus.org  Tue Jul 22 17:00:00 2008
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:  23 July 2008
Message-ID: <20080722170000.C337E1E3DB2@justus2c.anglican.org>


*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Wednesday, July 23, 2008

O Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, O God,
the source and end of all things:
in the resurrection of Christ
you reveal the first fruits of the Spirit,
the pledge of things to come.
For these and all your mercies, we praise you:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:
Blessed be God for ever!

An opening canticle may be sung. 

http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html

Psalm 19

The heavens declare the glory of God,*
 and the firmament shows his handiwork.
One day tells its tale to another,*
 and one night imparts knowledge to another.
Although they have no words or language,*
 and their voices are not heard,
Their sound has gone out into all lands,*
 and their message to the ends of the world.
In the deep has he set a pavilion for the sun;*
 it comes forth like a bridegroom out of his chamber;
   it rejoices like a champion to run its course.
It goes forth from the uttermost edge of the heavens
   and runs about to the end of it again;*
 nothing is hidden from its burning heat.
The law of the Lord is perfect
   and revives the soul;*
 the testimony of the Lord is sure
   and gives wisdom to the innocent.
The statutes of the Lord are just
   and rejoice the heart;*
 the commandment of the Lord is clear
   and gives light to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is clean
   and endures for ever;*
 the judgements of the Lord are true
   and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
   more than much fine gold,*
 sweeter far than honey,
   than honey in the comb.
By them also is your servant enlightened,*
 and in keeping them there is great reward.
Who can tell how often he offends?*
 Cleanse me from my secret faults.
Above all, keep your servant from presumptuous sins;
   let them not get dominion over me;*
 then shall I be whole and sound,
   and innocent of a great offence.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
   be acceptable in your sight,*
 O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd;*
 I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures*
 and leads me beside still waters.
He revives my soul*
 and guides me along right pathways for his name's sake.
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
   I shall fear no evil;*
 for you are with me;
   your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You spread a table before me
   in the presence of those who trouble me;*
 you have anointed my head with oil,
   and my cup is running over.
Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me
   all the days of my life,*
 and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

A Song of the Word of the Lord (Isaiah 55.6-11)

Seek the Lord while he may be found,  
call upon him while he is near; 
Let the wicked abandon their ways,  
and the unrighteous their thoughts; 
Return to the Lord, who will have mercy;  
to our God, who will richly pardon. 
'For my thoughts are not your thoughts,  
neither are your ways my ways,' says the Lord. 
'For as the heavens are higher than the earth,  
so are my ways higher than your ways 
and my thoughts than your thoughts. 
'As the rain and the snow come down from above,  
and return not again but water the earth, 
'Bringing forth life and giving growth,  
seed for sowing and bread to eat, 
'So is my word that goes forth from my mouth;  
it will not return to me fruitless, 
'But it will accomplish that which I purpose,  
and succeed in the task I gave it.'

Psalm 147:13-end

Alleluia!
Worship the Lord, O Jerusalem;*
 praise your God, O Zion;
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;*
 he has blessed your children within you.
He has established peace on your borders;*
 he satisfies you with the finest wheat.
He sends out his command to the earth,*
 and his word runs very swiftly.
He gives snow like wool;*
 he scatters hoarfrost like ashes.
He scatters his hail like bread crumbs;*
 who can stand against his cold?
He sends forth his word and melts them;*
 he blows with his wind and the waters flow.
He declares his word to Jacob,*
 his statutes and his judgements to Israel.
He has not done so to any other nation;*
 to them he has not revealed his judgements.
   Alleluia!

FIRST READING [Esther 6]:

That night the king could not sleep, and he gave orders to bring the book of records,
the annals, and they were read to the king. It was found written how Mordecai had
told about Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's eunuchs, who guarded the
threshold, and who had conspired to assassinate King Ahasuerus. Then the king said,
'What honour or distinction has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?' The king's
servants who attended him said, 'Nothing has been done for him.' The king said, 'Who
is in the court?' Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the king's palace to
speak to the king about having Mordecai hanged on the gallows that he had prepared
for him. So the king's servants told him, 'Haman is there, standing in the court.' The
king said, 'Let him come in.' So Haman came in, and the king said to him, 'What shall
be done for the man whom the king wishes to honour?' Haman said to himself, 'Whom
would the king wish to honour more than me?' So Haman said to the king, 'For the
man whom the king wishes to honour, let royal robes be brought, which the king has
worn, and a horse that the king has ridden, with a royal crown on its head. Let the
robes and the horse be handed over to one of the king's most noble officials; let him
robe the man whom the king wishes to honour, and let him conduct the man on
horseback through the open square of the city, proclaiming before him: "Thus shall it
be done for the man whom the king wishes to honour." ' Then the king said to Haman,
'Quickly, take the robes and the horse, as you have said, and do so to the Jew
Mordecai who sits at the king's gate. Leave out nothing that you have mentioned.' So
Haman took the robes and the horse and robed Mordecai and led him riding through
the open square of the city, proclaiming, 'Thus shall it be done for the man whom the
king wishes to honour.'
Then Mordecai returned to the king's gate, but Haman hurried to his house, mourning
and with his head covered. When Haman told his wife Zeresh and all his friends
everything that had happened to him, his advisers and his wife Zeresh said to him, 'If
Mordecai, before whom your downfall has begun, is of the Jewish people, you will not
prevail against him, but will surely fall before him.'
While they were still talking with him, the king's eunuchs arrived and hurried Haman
off to the banquet that Esther had prepared. 

HYMN 
Words: Henry Alford, 1844
Music: St. George's Windsor  

http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/c/c349.html
Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus.             

Come, ye thankful people, come,
raise the song of harvest home;
all is safely gathered in,
ere the winter storms begin.
God our Maker doth provide
for our wants to be supplied;
come to God's own temple, come,
raise the song of harvest home.

All the world is God's own field,
fruit as praise to God we yield;
wheat and tares together sown
are to joy or sorrow grown.
First the blade and then the ear,
then the full corn shall appear;
Lord of harvest, grant that we
wholesome grain and pure may be.

For the Lord our God shall come,
and shall take the harvest home;
from the field shall in that day
all offenses purge away,
give his angels charge at last
in the fire the tares to cast;
but the fruitful ears to store
in the garner evermore.

Even so, Lord, quickly come,
to thy final harvest home;
gather thou thy people in,
free from sorrow, free from sin,
there, forever purified,
in thy presence to abide;
come, with all thine angels come,
raise the glorious harvest home.

SECOND READING [Romans 2:17-end]:

But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast of your relation to God
and know his will and determine what is best because you are instructed in the law,
and if you are sure that you are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in
darkness, a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the
embodiment of knowledge and truth, you, then, that teach others, will you not teach
yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? You that forbid adultery, do
you commit adultery? You that abhor idols, do you rob temples? You that boast in the
law, do you dishonour God by breaking the law? For, as it is written, 'The name of
God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.'
Circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law; but if you break the law, your
circumcision has become uncircumcision. So, if those who are uncircumcised keep the
requirements of the law, will not their uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?
Then those who are physically uncircumcised but keep the law will condemn you that
have the written code and circumcision but break the law. For a person is not a Jew
who is one outwardly, nor is true circumcision something external and physical.
Rather, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly, and real circumcision is a matter of the
heart it is spiritual and not literal. Such a person receives praise not from others but
from God. 

The Benedictus (Morning), 
the Magnificat (Evening), or 
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.

Prayer:
God of all mercies, we praise you that you have brought
us to this 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...
                           (We thank you, Lord.)
     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
the saving love of Jesus Christ. Especially we pray for
     those in positions of authority over others...
                           (Lord, hear our prayer.)
     the lonely and forgotten...
     children without family or homes...
     agents of caring and relief...
     the church in Asia and the Middle East...

Gracious Creator of heaven and earth,
your Word has come among us
as the true Sun of Righteousness,
and the Good News of his birth
has gone out to the ends of the world:
Open our eyes to the light of your law,
that we may be freed from sin
and serve you without reproach
for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Light and our Life. Amen.
       
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.

- The Lord's Prayer

Enrich us abundantly with your grace, O Lord,
that, firm in faith, secure in hope, and constant in love,
we may keep your commandments with watchful care. Amen.

*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The
Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.

The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.

The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of  the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.

The opening prayer and closing sentence are adapted from prayers by Alan Griffiths..

The intercession is from _Book of Common Worship_, (c) 1993
Westminster / John Knox Press.

The first collect is from _Daily Prayer_, copyright (c) The Scottish
Episcopal Church, 1998. Used with permission. 
http://www.scottishepiscopal.com


From steve.benner at oremus.org  Wed Jul 23 18:50:19 2008
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:50:19 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:  24 July 2008
Message-ID: <20080723185019.A69C91E3E49@justus2c.anglican.org>


*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Thursday, July 24, 2008
Thomas a Kempis, Priest, 1471

O Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, O God,
the source and end of all things:
in the resurrection of Christ
you reveal the first fruits of the Spirit,
the pledge of things to come.
For these and all your mercies, we praise you:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:
Blessed be God for ever!

An opening canticle may be sung. 

http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html

Psalm 21:1-7,14

The king rejoices in your strength, O Lord;*
 how greatly he exults in your victory!
You have given him his heart's desire;*
 you have not denied him the request of his lips.
For you meet him with blessings of prosperity,*
 and set a crown of fine gold upon his head.
He asked you for life and you gave it to him;*
 length of days, for ever and ever.
His honour is great, because of your victory;*
 splendour and majesty have you bestowed upon him.
For you will give him everlasting felicity*
 and will make him glad with the joy of your presence.
For the king puts his trust in the Lord;*
 because of the loving-kindness of the Most High,
   he will not fall.
Be exalted, O Lord, in your might;*
 we will sing and praise your power.

Psalm 24

The earth is the Lord's and all that is in it,*
 the world and all who dwell therein.
For it is he who founded it upon the seas*
 and made it firm upon the rivers of the deep.
'Who can ascend the hill of the Lord?*
 and who can stand in his holy place?'
'Those who have clean hands and a pure heart,*
 who have not pledged themselves to falsehood,
   nor sworn by what is a fraud.
'They shall receive a blessing from the Lord*
 and a just reward from the God of their salvation.'
Such is the generation of those who seek him,*
 of those who seek your face, O God of Jacob.
Lift up your heads, O gates;
   lift them high, O everlasting doors;*
 and the King of glory shall come in.
'Who is this King of glory?'*
 'The Lord, strong and mighty,
   the Lord, mighty in battle.'
Lift up your heads, O gates;
   lift them high, O everlasting doors;*
 and the King of glory shall come in.
'Who is he, this King of glory?'*
 'The Lord of hosts,
   he is the King of glory.'

Great and Wonderful (Revelation 15.3,4)

Great and wonderful are your deeds, . 
Lord God the Almighty. 
Just and true are your ways, . 
O ruler of the nations. 
Who shall not revere and praise your name, O Lord? . 
for you alone are holy. 
All nations shall come and worship in your presence: . 
for your just dealings have been revealed.

Psalm 148

Alleluia!
   Praise the Lord from the heavens;*
 praise him in the heights.
Praise him, all you angels of his;*
 praise him, all his host.
Praise him, sun and moon;*
 praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, heaven of heavens,*
 and you waters above the heavens.
Let them praise the name of the Lord;*
 for he commanded and they were created.
He made them stand fast for ever and ever;*
 he gave them a law which shall not pass away.
Praise the Lord from the earth,*
 you sea-monsters and all deeps;
Fire and hail, snow and fog,*
 tempestuous wind, doing his will;
Mountains and all hills,*
 fruit trees and all cedars;
Wild beasts and all cattle,*
 creeping things and winged birds;
Kings of the earth and all peoples,*
 princes and all rulers of the world;
Young men and maidens,*
 old and young together.
Let them praise the name of the Lord,*
 for his name only is exalted,
   his splendour is over earth and heaven.
He has raised up strength for his people
   and praise for all his loyal servants,*
 the children of Israel, a people who are near him.
   Alleluia!

FIRST READING [Esther 7]:

So the king and Haman went in to feast with Queen Esther. On the second day, as they
were drinking wine, the king again said to Esther, 'What is your petition, Queen
Esther? It shall be granted you. And what is your request? Even to the half of my
kingdom, it shall be fulfilled.' Then Queen Esther answered, 'If I have won your
favour, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me that is my
petition and the lives of my people that is my request. For we have been sold, I and
my people, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. If we had been sold
merely as slaves, men and women, I would have held my peace; but no enemy can
compensate for this damage to the king.' Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther,
'Who is he, and where is he, who has presumed to do this?' Esther said, 'A foe and
enemy, this wicked Haman!' Then Haman was terrified before the king and the queen.
The king rose from the feast in wrath and went into the palace garden, but Haman
stayed to beg his life from Queen Esther, for he saw that the king had determined to
destroy him. When the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet hall,
Haman had thrown himself on the couch where Esther was reclining; and the king said,
'Will he even assault the queen in my presence, in my own house?' As the words left
the mouth of the king, they covered Haman's face. Then Harbona, one of the eunuchs
in attendance on the king, said, 'Look, the very gallows that Haman has prepared for
Mordecai, whose word saved the king, stands at Haman's house, fifty cubits high.'
And the king said, 'Hang him on that.' So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he
had prepared for Mordecai. Then the anger of the king abated. 

HYMN 
Words:  attributed to Thomas   Kempis (1379-1471);
trans. John Mason Neale
Tune: Lewes     

http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/i/i199.html
Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus.

If there be that skills to reckon
all the number of the blest,
he perchance can weigh the gladness
of the everlasting rest,
which, their earthly exile finished,
they by merit have possessed.

Through the vale of lamentation
happily and safely past,
now the years of their affliction
in their memory they recast,
and the end of all perfection
they can contemplate at last.

There the gifts of each and single
all in common right possess;
there each member hath his portion
in the Body's blessedness;
so that he, the least in merits,
share the guerdon none the less.

In a glass through types and riddles
dwelling here, we see alone;
then serenely, purely, clearly,
we shall know as we are known,
fixing our enlightened vision
on the glory of the throne.

There the Trinity of persons
unbeclouded shall we see;
there the Unity of essence
perfectly revealed shall be;
while we hail the threefold Godhead
and the simple Unity.

Wherefore man, take heart and courage,
whatso'er thy present pain;
such untold reward through suffering
thou may'st merit to attain:
and for ever in his glory
with the Light of light to reign.

SECOND READING [Romans 3:1-20]:

Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? Much, in
every way. For in the first place the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God.
What if some were unfaithful? Will their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God?
By no means! Although everyone is a liar, let God be proved true, as it is
written,
'So that you may be justified in your words,
   and prevail in your judging.'
But if our injustice serves to confirm the justice of God, what should we say? That
God is unjust to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) By no means! For then
how could God judge the world? But if through my falsehood God's truthfulness
abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? And why not say (as
some people slander us by saying that we say), 'Let us do evil so that good may
come'? Their condemnation is deserved!

 What then? Are we any better off? No, not at all; for we have already charged that all,
both Jews and Greeks, are under the power of sin, as it is written:
'There is no one who is righteous, not even one;
   there is no one who has understanding,
     there is no one who seeks God.
All have turned aside, together they have become worthless;
   there is no one who shows kindness,
     there is not even one.'
'Their throats are opened graves;
   they use their tongues to deceive.'
'The venom of vipers is under their lips.'
   'Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.'
'Their feet are swift to shed blood;
   ruin and misery are in their paths,
and the way of peace they have not known.'
   'There is no fear of God before their eyes.'

 Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law,
so that every mouth may be silenced, and the whole world may be held accountable to
God. For 'no human being will be justified in his sight' by deeds prescribed by the law,
for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.

The Benedictus (Morning), 
the Magnificat (Evening), or 
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.

Prayer:
Loving God, as the rising sun chases away the night, so
you have scattered the power of death in the rising of
Jesus Christ, and you bring us all blessings in him.
Especially we thank you for
     the community of faith in our church...
                (We thank you, Lord.)
     those with whom we work or share common concerns...
     the diversity of your children...
     indications of your love at work in the world...
     those who work for reconciliation...

Mighty God, with the dawn of your love you reveal your
victory over all that would destroy or harm, and you
brighten the lives of all who need you. Especially we pray
for
     families suffering separation...
                (Lord, hear our prayer)
     people different from ourselves...
     those isolated by sickness or sorrow...
     the victims of violence or warfare...
     the church in the Pacific region...

Give us, O Lord, steadfast hearts that cannot be dragged down by false loves; give us
courageous hearts that cannot be worn down by trouble; give us righteous hearts that
cannot be sidetracked by unholy or unworthy goals. Give to us also, our Lord and
God, understanding to know you, diligence to look for you, wisdom to recognize you,
and a faithfulness that will bring us to see you face to face. Amen.

Holy God, 
you have nourished and strengthened your Church 
by the inspired writings 
of your servant Thomas   Kempis: 
Grant that we may learn from him 
to know what is necessary to be known, 
to love what is to be loved, 
to praise what highly pleases you, 
and always to seek to know and follow your will;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen. 
       
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.

- The Lord's Prayer

Enrich us abundantly with your grace, O Lord,
that, firm in faith, secure in hope, and constant in love,
we may keep your commandments with watchful care. Amen.

*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The
Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.

The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.

The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of  the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.

The opening prayer and closing sentence are adapted from prayers by Alan Griffiths..

The first collect is by Thomas a Kempis.

Thomas Hammerken (or Hammerlein -- both mean "little hammer") was born at Kempen
(hence the "A Kempis") in the duchy of Cleves in Germany around 1380. He was educated
by a religious order called the Brethren of the Common Life, and in due course joined the
order, was ordained a priest, became sub-prior of his house (in the low Countries), and
died 25 July 1471 (his feast is observed a day early to avoid conflict with that of James
bar-Zebedee the Apostle).
Thomas is known almost entirely for composing or compiling a manual of spiritual advice
known as The Imitation of Christ, in which he urges the reader to seek to follow the
example of Jesus Christ and to be conformed in all things to His will. [James Kiefer]

From steve.benner at oremus.org  Thu Jul 24 17:00:20 2008
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:00:20 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:  25 July 2008
Message-ID: <20080724170020.5628C1E33BC@justus2c.anglican.org>


*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Friday, July 25, 2008
Saint James the Apostle

O Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, God of love,
for you have established our paths
and proclaimed the truth of your love and salvation
through your holy Church,
giving us that which is more precious than anything
we could ever experience or dare to imagine.
For these and all your mercies, we praise you,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit:
Blessed be God for ever!

An opening canticle may be sung. 

http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html

Psalm 33

Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous;*
 it is good for the just to sing praises.
Praise the Lord with the harp;*
 play to him upon the psaltery and lyre.
Sing for him a new song;*
 sound a fanfare with all your skill upon the trumpet.
For the word of the Lord is right,*
 and all his works are sure.
He loves righteousness and justice;*
 the loving-kindness of the Lord fills the whole earth.
By the word of the Lord were the heavens made,*
 by the breath of his mouth all the heavenly hosts.
He gathers up the waters of the ocean
   as in a water-skin*
 and stores up the depths of the sea.
Let all the earth fear the Lord;*
 let all who dwell in the world stand in awe of him.
For he spoke and it came to pass;*
 he commanded and it stood fast.
The Lord brings the will of the nations to naught;*
 he thwarts the designs of the peoples.
But the Lord's will stands fast for ever,*
 and the designs of his heart from age to age.
Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord!*
 happy the people he has chosen to be his own!
The Lord looks down from heaven,*
 and beholds all the people in the world.
>From where he sits enthroned he turns his gaze*
 on all who dwell on the earth.
He fashions all the hearts of them*
 and understands all their works.
There is no king that can be saved by a mighty army;*
 the strong are not delivered by great strength.nbsp;
The horse is a vain hope for deliverance;*
 for all its strength it cannot save.
Behold, the eye of the Lord
   is upon those who fear him,*
 on those who wait upon his love,
To pluck their lives from death,*
 and to feed them in time of famine.
Our soul waits for the Lord;*
 he is our help and our shield.
Indeed, our heart rejoices in him,*
 for in his holy name we put our trust.
Let your loving-kindness, O Lord, be upon us,*
 as we have put our trust in you.

A Song of Ezekiel (Ezekiel 36:24-26,28b)

I will take you from the nations,
and gather you from all the countries.

I will sprinkle clean water upon you,
and you shall be clean from all your impurities.

A new heart I will give you,
and put a new spirit within you,

And I will remove from your body the heart of stone
and give you a heart of flesh.

You shall be my people,
and I will be your God.

Psalm 149

Alleluia!
   Sing to the Lord a new song;*
 sing his praise in the congregation of the faithful.
Let Israel rejoice in his maker;*
 let the children of Zion be joyful in their king.
Let them praise his name in the dance;*
 let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the Lord takes pleasure in his people*
 and adorns the poor with victory.
Let the faithful rejoice in triumph;*
 let them be joyful on their beds.
Let the praises of God be in their throat*
 and a two-edged sword in their hand;
To wreak vengeance on the nations*
 and punishment on the peoples;
To bind their kings in chains*
 and their nobles with links of iron;
To inflict on them the judgement decreed;*
 this is glory for all his faithful people.
   Alleluia!

FIRST READING [Jeremiah 26:8-15]:

When Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak
to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him,
saying, 'You shall die! Why have you prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying,
"This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, without inhabitant"?'
And all the people gathered around Jeremiah in the house of the Lord.
When the officials of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king's house to
the house of the Lord and took their seat in the entry of the New Gate of the house of
the Lord. Then the priests and the prophets said to the officials and to all the people,
'This man deserves the sentence of death because he has prophesied against this city,
as you have heard with your own ears.'
Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and all the people, saying, 'It is the Lord who
sent me to prophesy against this house and this city all the words you have heard. Now
therefore amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the Lord your
God, and the Lord will change his mind about the disaster that he has pronounced
against you. But as for me, here I am in your hands. Do with me as seems good and
right to you. Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will be bringing
innocent blood upon yourselves and upon this city and its inhabitants, for in truth the
Lord sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears.' 

HYMN 
Words: Scottish Paraphrase, 1745;
as altered in the Hymnal of 1826 
Tune: St. Fulbert, St. Flavian

<a href="http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/l/l205.html"http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/l/l205.html
Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus.

Lo! what a cloud of witnesses
encompass us around!
Men once like us with suffering tried,
but now with glory crowned.

Let us, with zeal like theirs inspired,
strive in the Christian race;
and, freed from every weight of sin,
their holy footsteps trace.

Behold a Witness nobler still,
who trod affliction's path:
Jesus, the author, finisher,
rewarder of our faith.

He, for the joy before him set,
and moved by pitying love,
endured the cross, despised the shame,
and now he reigns above.

Thither, forgetting things behind,
press we to God's right hand;
there, with the Savior and his saints,
triumphantly to stand. 

SECOND READING [Matthew 10:16-32]:

Jesus said, 'See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise
as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of them, for they will hand you over to
councils and flog you in their synagogues; and you will be dragged before governors
and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles. When they hand you
over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you
are to say will be given to you at that time; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit
of your Father speaking through you. Brother will betray brother to death, and a father
his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; and you
will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be
saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next; for truly I tell you, you
will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
'A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master; it is enough for the
disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master. If they have called the
master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his
household!
'So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and
nothing secret that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the
light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. Do not fear those
who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul
and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall
to the ground unperceived by your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all
counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.
'Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge
before my Father in heaven.'

The Benedictus (Morning), 
the Magnificat (Evening), or 
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.

Prayer:
Let us pray to God, 
whose word was entrusted to the Apostles
and has spread to all the world.

Empower your Church
to proclaim the saving message of Jesus Christ.
Lord of mercy,
spread your word.

Give us courage and strength
to spread the Gospel in places
where it has not been preached.
Lord of mercy,
spread your word.

Bless us in our personal lives
that we may live fully according to Jesus' example.
Lord of mercy,
spread your word.

Open our eyes to your Word in the Holy Scriptures
that we find new paths of understanding.
Lord of mercy,
spread your word.

Remember, in your mercy, those who have gone before
marked with the sign of faith and led by the Gospel.
Lord of mercy,
spread your word.

O gracious God, 
whose apostle James left his father 
and all that he had, 
and without delay obeyed the call 
of your Son Jesus Christ: 
Pour out upon the leaders of your Church 
the same spirit of self-denying service 
by which alone they may have true authority 
among your people; 
through Jesus Christ our Lord, 
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, 
one God, now and forever. Amen.
       
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.

- The Lord's Prayer

Enrich us abundantly with your grace, O Lord,
that, firm in faith, secure in hope, and constant in love,
we may keep your commandments with watchful care. Amen.

*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The
Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.

The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.

The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of  the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.

The opening prayer of thanksgiving is by Stephen Benner and is loosely based
on a prayer by Leslie Brandt.

The collect is from _A Prayer Book for Australia_. (c) 1995,
The Anglican Church of Australia Trust Corporation.

The intercession is by Stephen Benner, and is based loosely on a prayer by
Raymond Chapman in _Leading Intercessions_, (c) 2000,
Canterbury Press.

The closing prayer uses a sentence from a prayer in _Opening Prayers:
Collects in Contemporary Language_. Canterbury Press, Norwich, 1999.

James the son of Zebedee and his brother John were among the twelve
disciples of Our Lord. They, together with Peter, were privileged to behold the
Transfiguration , to witness the healing of Peter's mother-in-law (P 1:29) and
the raising of the daughter of Jairus, and to be called aside to watch and pray
with Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane on the night before His death.
James and John were apparently from a higher social level than the average
fisherman. Their father could afford hired servants, and John (assuming him to
be identical with the "beloved disciple") had connections with the high priest.
Jesus nicknamed the two brothers "sons of thunder", perhaps meaning that
they were headstrong, hot-tempered, and impulsive; and so they seem to be in
two incidents reported in the Gospels. On one occasion, Jesus and the disciples
were refused the hospitality of a Samaritan village, and James and John
proposed to call down fire from heaven on the offenders. On another occasion
, they asked Jesus for a special place of honor in the Kingdom, and were told
that the place of honor is the place of suffering.
Finally, about AD 42, shortly before Passover (Acts 12), James was beheaded
by order of King Herod Agrippa I, grandson of Herod the Great (who tried to
kill the infant Jesus--Matthew 2), nephew of Herod Antipas (who killed John
the Baptist--Mark 6--and examined Jesus on Good Friday--Luke 23), and
father of Herod Agrippa II (who heard the defence of Paul before Festus--Acts
25). James was the first of the Twelve to suffer martyrdom, and the only one of
the Twelve whose death is recorded in the New Testament.
James is often called James Major (= greater or elder) to distinguish him from
other New Testament persons called James. Tradition has it that he made a
missionary journey to Spain, and that after his death his body was taken to
Spain and buried there. at Compostela. His supposed burial place there was a
major site of pilgrimage in the Middle Ages. [James Kiefer, abridged]

From steve.benner at oremus.org  Fri Jul 25 17:00:01 2008
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Fri, 25 Jul 2008 17:00:01 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:  26 July 2008
Message-ID: <20080725170001.C7EC31E38DD@justus2c.anglican.org>


*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Saturday, July 26, 2008
The Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary

O Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, O God,
the source and end of all things:
in the resurrection of Christ
you reveal the first fruits of the Spirit,
the pledge of things to come.
For these and all your mercies, we praise you:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:
Blessed be God for ever!

An opening canticle may be sung. 

http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html

Psalm 84

How dear to me is your dwelling, O Lord of hosts!*
 My soul has a desire and longing
   for the courts of the Lord;
   my heart and my flesh rejoice in the living God.
The sparrow has found her a house
   and the swallow a nest
   where she may lay her young;*
 by the side of your altars, O Lord of hosts,
   my King and my God.
Happy are they who dwell in your house!*
 they will always be praising you.
Happy are the people whose strength is in you!*
 whose hearts are set on the pilgrims' way.
Those who go through the desolate valley
   will find it a place of springs,*
 for the early rains have covered it with pools of water.
They will climb from height to height,*
 and the God of gods will reveal himself in Zion.
Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;*
 hearken, O God of Jacob.
Behold our defender, O God;*
 and look upon the face of your anointed.
For one day in your courts
   is better than a thousand in my own room,*
 and to stand at the threshold of the house of my God
   than to dwell in the tents of the wicked.
For the Lord God is both sun and shield;*
 he will give grace and glory;
No good thing will the Lord withhold*
 from those who walk with integrity.
O Lord of hosts,*
 happy are they who put their trust in you!

A Song of God's Love (1 John 4.7-11,12b)

Beloved, let us love one another, 
for love is of God;  
everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 
Whoever does not love does not know God,  
for God is love. 
In this the love of God was revealed among us,  
that God sent his only Son into the world, 
so that we might live through him. 
In this is love, 
not that we loved God but that he loved us,  
and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins. 
Beloved, since God loved us so much,  
we ought also to love one another. 
For if we love one another, God abides in us,  
and God's love will be perfected in us.  

Psalm 150

Alleluia!
   Praise God in his holy temple;*
 praise him in the firmament of his power.
Praise him for his mighty acts;*
 praise him for his excellent greatness.
Praise him with the blast of the ram's-horn;*
 praise him with lyre and harp.
Praise him with timbrel and dance;*
 praise him with strings and pipe.
Praise him with resounding cymbals;*
 praise him with loud-clanging cymbals.
Let everything that has breath*
 praise the Lord.
   Alleluia!

FIRST READING [Micah 3:1-8]:

Listen, you heads of Jacob
   and rulers of the house of Israel!
Should you not know justice? 
   you who hate the good and love the evil,
who tear the skin off my people,
   and the flesh off their bones;
who eat the flesh of my people,
   flay their skin off them,
break their bones in pieces,
   and chop them up like meat in a kettle,
   like flesh in a cauldron.

Then they will cry to the Lord,
   but he will not answer them;
he will hide his face from them at that time,
   because they have acted wickedly.

Thus says the Lord concerning the prophets
   who lead my people astray,
who cry 'Peace'
   when they have something to eat,
but declare war against those
   who put nothing into their mouths.
Therefore it shall be night to you, without vision,
   and darkness to you, without revelation.
The sun shall go down upon the prophets,
   and the day shall be black over them;
the seers shall be disgraced,
   and the diviners put to shame;
they shall all cover their lips,
   for there is no answer from God.
But as for me, I am filled with power,
   with the spirit of the Lord,
   and with justice and might,
to declare to Jacob his transgression
   and to Israel his sin. 

HYMN 
Words: James Weldon Johnson, 1899
Tune: Lift every voice and sing

http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/l/l117.html
Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus.

Lift every voice and sing
till earth and heaven ring,
ring with the harmonies of liberty.
Let our rejoicing rise
high as the listening skies;
let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us;
sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;
facing the rising sun
of our new day begun,
let us march on, till victory is won.

Stony the road we trod,
bitter the chastening rod,
felt in the days when hope unborn had died;
yet, with a steady beat,
have not our weary feet
come to the place for which our parents sighed?
We have come over a way that with tears have been watered;
we have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered,
out from the gloomy past,
till now we stand at last
where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.

God of our weary years,
God of our silent tears,
thou who hast brought us thus far on the way;
thou who hast by thy might led us into the light;
keep us for ever in the path, we pray.
Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met thee;
lest, our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget thee;
shadowed beneath thy hand
may we for ever stand,
true to our God, true to our native land.

SECOND READING [Romans 4:1-12]:

What then are we to say was gained by Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh?
For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not
before God. For what does the scripture say? 'Abraham believed God, and it was
reckoned to him as righteousness.' Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as
a gift but as something due. But to one who without works trusts him who justifies the
ungodly, such faith is reckoned as righteousness. So also David speaks of the
blessedness of those to whom God reckons righteousness irrespective of works:
'Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven,
   and whose sins are covered;
blessed is the one against whom the Lord will not reckon sin.'

Is this blessedness, then, pronounced only on the circumcised, or also on the
uncircumcised? We say, 'Faith was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness.' How then
was it reckoned to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not
after, but before he was circumcised. He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of
the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose
was to make him the ancestor of all who believe without being circumcised and who
thus have righteousness reckoned to them, and likewise the ancestor of the
circumcised who are not only circumcised but who also follow the example of the faith
that our ancestor Abraham had before he was circumcised. 

The Benedictus (Morning), 
the Magnificat (Evening), or 
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.

Prayer:
Great and wonderful God, we praise and thank you for the
gift of renewal in Jesus Christ. Especially we thank you
for
     opportunities for rest and recreation...
                         (We thank you, Lord.)
     the regenerating gifts of the Holy Spirit...
     activities shared by young and old...
     fun and laughter...
     every service that proclaims your love...

You make all things new, O God, and we offer our prayers
for the renewal of the whole world and the healing of its
wounds. Especially we pray for
     those who have no leisure...
                         (Lord, hear our prayer.)
     people enslaved by addictions...
     those who entertain and enlighten...
     those confronted with temptation...
     the church in North America...

God of pilgrims,
teach us to recognize your dwelling place
in the love, generosity, and support of those
with whom we share our journey,
and help us to worship you
in our response to those who need our care;
for all the world is your temple
and every human heart is a sign of your presence,
made known to us in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lord God of Israel,
who bestowed such grace on Anne and Joachim
that their daughter Mary grew up obedient to your word
and made ready to be the mother of your Son:
help us to commit ourselves in all things to your keeping
and grant us the salvation you promised to your people;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
       
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.

- The Lord's Prayer

Enrich us abundantly with your grace, O Lord,
that, firm in faith, secure in hope, and constant in love,
we may keep your commandments with watchful care. Amen.

*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The
Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.

The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.

The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of  the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.

The opening prayer and closing sentence are adapted from prayers by Alan Griffiths..

The Scriptures tell us nothing about the parents of the Virgin Mother, not even their
names. An early but unreliable document, known as the Proto-Gospel (or
Proto-Evangelion) of James, calls them Ann and Joachim, by which names they are
customarily known. Our only real information about them, however, is an inference from
the kind of daughter they reared. [James Kiefer]

From steve.benner at oremus.org  Sat Jul 26 17:00:00 2008
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Sat, 26 Jul 2008 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:  27 July 2008
Message-ID: <20080726170000.DCFC81E3802@justus2c.anglican.org>


*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Sunday, July 27, 2008
The Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost

O Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, O God,
you are our greatest treasure
and the source of our greatest joy:
Your Spirit continues to form us in the likeness of Christ,
that we may know the freedom of your children
and the assurance that nothing in creation
can separate us from your love,
most fully known in Jesus Christ our Lord.
For these and all your mercies, we praise you:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:
Blessed be God for ever!

An opening canticle may be sung. 

http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html

Psalm 15

Lord, who may dwell in your tabernacle?*
 who may abide upon your holy hill?
Whoever leads a blameless life and does what is right,*
 who speaks the truth from his heart.
There is no guile upon his tongue;
   he does no evil to his friend;*
 he does not heap contempt upon his neighbour.
In his sight the wicked is rejected,*
 but he honours those who fear the Lord.
He has sworn to do no wrong*
 and does not take back his word.
He does not give his money in hope of gain,*
 nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.
Whoever does these things*
 shall never be overthrown.

Psalm 46

God is our refuge and strength,*
 a very present help in trouble;
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be moved,*
 and though the mountains be toppled
   into the depths of the sea;
Though its waters rage and foam,*
 and though the mountains tremble at its tumult.
The Lord of hosts is with us;*
 the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
There is a river whose streams
   make glad the city of God,*
 the holy habitation of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her;
   she shall not be overthrown;*
 God shall help her at the break of day.
The nations make much ado
   and the kingdoms are shaken;*
 God has spoken and the earth shall melt away.
The Lord of hosts is with us;*
 the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Come now and look upon the works of the Lord,*
 what awesome things he has done on earth.
It is he who makes war to cease in all the world;*
 he breaks the bow and shatters the spear
   and burns the shields with fire.
'Be still, then, and know that I am God;*
 I will be exalted among the nations;
   I will be exalted in the earth.'
The Lord of hosts is with us;*
 the God of Jacob is our stronghold.

A Song of the New Creation (Isaiah 43.15,16,18,19,20c,21)

'I am the Lord, your Holy One,  
the Creator of Israel, your King.' 
Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea,  
a path in the mighty waters, 
'Remember not the former things,  
nor consider the things of old. 
'Behold, I am doing a new thing;  
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? 
'I will make a way in the wilderness 
and rivers in the desert,  
to give drink to my chosen people, 
'The people whom I formed for myself,  
that they might declare my praise.' 

Psalm 117

Alleluia!
Praise the Lord, all you nations;*
 laud him, all you peoples.
For his loving-kindness towards us is great,*
 and the faithfulness of the Lord endures for ever.
   Alleluia!

FIRST READING [Isaiah 44:1-8,21-23]:

But now hear, O Jacob my servant,
   Israel whom I have chosen!
Thus says the Lord who made you,
   who formed you in the womb and will help you:
Do not fear, O Jacob my servant,
   Jeshurun whom I have chosen.
For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
   and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour my spirit upon your descendants,
   and my blessing on your offspring.
They shall spring up like a green tamarisk,
   like willows by flowing streams.
This one will say, 'I am the Lord's',
   another will be called by the name of Jacob,
yet another will write on the hand, 'The Lord's',
   and adopt the name of Israel.

Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel
   and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts:
I am the first and I am the last;
   besides me there is no god.
Who is like me? Let them proclaim it,
   let them declare and set it forth before me.
Who has announced from of old the things to come?
   Let them tell us what is yet to be.
Do not fear, or be afraid;
   have I not told you from of old and declared it?
   You are my witnesses!
Is there any god besides me?
   There is no other rock; I know not one.

Remember these things, O Jacob,
   and Israel, for you are my servant;
I formed you, you are my servant;
   O Israel, you will not be forgotten by me.
I have swept away your transgressions like a cloud,
   and your sins like mist;
return to me, for I have redeemed you.

Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done it;
   shout, O depths of the earth;
break forth into singing, O mountains,
   O forest, and every tree in it!
For the Lord has redeemed Jacob,
   and will be glorified in Israel. 

HYMN 
Words: Edward Denny, 1842
Music: Dunfermline 

http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/l/l144.html
Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus.             

Light of the lonely pilgrim's heart,
Star of the coming day,
arise, and with thy morning beams
chase all our griefs away.

Come, bless?d Lord, bid every shore
and answering island sing
the praises of thy royal Name,
and own thee as their King.

Bid the whole earth, responsive now
to the bright world above,
break forth in rapturous strains of joy
in memory of thy love.

Lord, Lord, thy fair creation groans,
the air, the earth, the sea,
in unison with all our hearts,
and calls aloud for thee.

Come, then, with all thy quickening power
with one awakening smile,
and bid the serpent's trail no more
thy beauteous realms defile.

Thine was the cross, with all its fruits,
of grace and peace divine;
be thine the crown of glory now,
the palm of victory thine.

SECOND READING [Romans 12:1-9]:

I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your
bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual
worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of
your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God what is good and
acceptable and perfect.
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself
more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgement, each
according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have
many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many,
are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts
that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith;
ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver,
in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness. Let love be
genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good

The Benedictus (Morning), 
the Magnificat (Evening), or 
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.

Prayer:
Let us pray to God our Father, who has called us to be true images of his Son.

We pray for the unity of Christians, remembering especially the bishops of the
Anglican Communion as they meet at Canterbury: may all Christian people work and
pray together to proclaim the Gospel and build up God's kingdom of justice, love and
peace.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for those throughout the world who live in poverty, and especially for the
people of East Africa facing drought and famine, and for the aid agencies seeking to
bring them relief: may they be given the resources that they need to live and to thrive.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for the people of Zimbabwe, and for the continuing negotiations over the
future of their country: may their land know justice, peace and freedom from
oppression.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for the peoples of the Middle East, and for all who are seeking to bring peace
in that region: may those who are divided by race, religion or nationality be brought
together in reconciliation.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for the people of Serbia: that they may see true justice done for all their
peoples, and experience the healing of the wounds of the past.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, you offer to all who seek you the priceless treasure of your kingdom.
We ask you to hear our prayers, which we make through your Son, Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.

O God, the fount of wisdom, 
you have revealed to us in Christ 
the hidden treasure and the pearl of great price: 
Grant us your Spirit's gift of discernment, 
that, in the midst of the things of this world, 
we may learn to value the priceless worth of your kingdom, 
and be ready to renounce all else 
for the sake of the precious gift you offer. 
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord, 
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, 
one God, now and forever. Amen.
       
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.

- The Lord's Prayer

May we instructed by your heavenly law, O Lord,
that we may embrace the example of your Son
and show it forth in deeds and works of love. Amen.

*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The
Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.

The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.

The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of  the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.

The opening prayer and closing sentence are adapted from prayers by Alan Griffiths..

The collect is from _A Prayer Book for Australia_. (c) 1995, The Anglican
Church of Australia Trust Corporation.

The petitions are gathered by Redemptorist Publications and are published each Friday on
their website: http://www.rpbooks.co.uk/page.php?page=prayers


From steve.benner at oremus.org  Sun Jul 27 17:00:01 2008
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2008 17:00:01 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:  28 July 2008
Message-ID: <20080727170001.3BCF41E40A1@justus2c.anglican.org>


*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Monday, July 28, 2008
Brooke Foss Westcott, Bishop of Durham, Teacher of the Faith, 1901

O Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, O God,
you are our greatest treasure
and the source of our greatest joy:
Your Spirit continues to form us in the likeness of Christ,
that we may know the freedom of your children
and the assurance that nothing in creation
can separate us from your love,
most fully known in Jesus Christ our Lord.
For these and all your mercies, we praise you:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:
Blessed be God for ever!

An opening canticle may be sung. 

http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html

Psalm 37:1-24

Do not fret yourself because of evildoers;*
 do not be jealous of those who do wrong.
For they shall soon wither like the grass,*
 and like the green grass fade away.
Put your trust in the Lord and do good;*
 dwell in the land and feed on its riches.
Take delight in the Lord,*
 and he shall give you your heart's desire.
Commit your way to the Lord
   and put your trust in him,*
 and he will bring it to pass.
He will make your righteousness as clear as the light*
 and your just dealing as the noonday.
Be still before the Lord*
 and wait patiently for him.
Do not fret yourself over the one who prospers,*
 the one who succeeds in evil schemes.
Refrain from anger, leave rage alone;*
 do not fret yourself; it leads only to evil.
For evildoers shall be cut off,*
 but those who wait upon the Lord
   shall possess the land.
In a little while the wicked shall be no more;*
 you shall search out their place,
   but they will not be there.
But the lowly shall possess the land;*
 they will delight in abundance of peace.
The wicked plot against the righteous*
 and gnash at them with their teeth.
The Lord laughs at the wicked,*
 because he sees that their day will come.
The wicked draw their sword and bend their bow
   to strike down the poor and needy,*
 to slaughter those who are upright in their ways.
Their sword shall go through their own heart,*
 and their bow shall be broken.
The little that the righteous have*
 is better than great riches of the wicked.
For the power of the wicked shall be broken,*
 but the Lord upholds the righteous.
The Lord cares for the lives of the godly,*
 and their inheritance shall last for ever.
They shall not be ashamed in bad times,*
 and in days of famine they shall have enough.
As for the wicked, they shall perish,*
 and the enemies of the Lord,
   like the glory of the meadows, shall vanish;
   they shall vanish like smoke.
The wicked borrow and do not repay,*
 but the righteous are generous in giving.
Those who are blessed by God shall possess the land,*
 but those who are cursed by him shall be destroyed.
Our steps are directed by the Lord;*
 he strengthens those in whose way he delights.

A Song of God's Grace (Ephesians 1.3-10) 

Blessed are you, 
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,  
for you have blest us in Christ Jesus 
with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. 
You chose us to be yours in Christ 
before the foundation of the world,  
that we should be holy and blameless before you. 
In love you destined us for adoption as your children, 
through Jesus Christ,  
according to the purpose of your will, 
To the praise of your glorious grace,  
which you freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 
In you, we have redemption 
through the blood of Christ,  
the forgiveness of our sins, 
According to the riches of your grace,  
which you have lavished upon us. 
You have made known to us, in all wisdom and insight,  
the mystery of your will, 
According to your purpose 
which you set forth in Christ,  
as a plan for the fullness of time, 
To unite all things in Christ,  
things in heaven and things on earth.

Psalm 146

Alleluia!
   Praise the Lord, O my soul!*
 I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
   I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
Put not your trust in rulers,
   nor in any child of earth,*
 for there is no help in them.
When they breathe their last, they return to earth,*
 and in that day their thoughts perish.
Happy are they who have the God of Jacob
   for their help!*
 whose hope is in the Lord their God;
Who made heaven and earth, the seas,
   and all that is in them;*
 who keeps his promise for ever;
Who gives justice to those who are oppressed,*
 and food to those who hunger.
The Lord sets the prisoners free;
   the Lord opens the eyes of the blind;*
 the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
The Lord loves the righteous;
   the Lord cares for the stranger;*
 he sustains the orphan and widow,
   but frustrates the way of the wicked.
The Lord shall reign for ever,*
 your God, O Zion, throughout all generations.
   Alleluia!

FIRST READING [Micah 4:1-8]:

In days to come
   the mountain of the Lord's house
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
   and shall be raised up above the hills.
Peoples shall stream to it,
   and many nations shall come and say:
'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
   to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
   and that we may walk in his paths.'
For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
   and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between many peoples,
   and shall arbitrate between strong nations far away;
they shall beat their swords into ploughshares,
   and their spears into pruning-hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
   neither shall they learn war any more;
but they shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees,
   and no one shall make them afraid;
   for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.

For all the peoples walk,
   each in the name of its god,
but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God
   for ever and ever.

On that day, says the Lord,
   I will assemble the lame
and gather those who have been driven away,
   and those whom I have afflicted.
The lame I will make the remnant,
   and those who were cast off, a strong nation;
and the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion
   now and for evermore.

And you, O tower of the flock,
   hill of daughter Zion,
to you it shall come,
   the former dominion shall come,
   the sovereignty of daughter Jerusalem. 

HYMN 
Words:  Scottish Paraphrases, 1781 
Tune: Bishopthorpe, Glasgow

http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/b/b074.html
Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus.             

Behold! the mountain of the Lord
in latter days shall rise
on mountain tops above the hills,
and draw the wondering eyes.

To this the joyful nations round,
all tribes and tongues, shall flow;
up to the hill of God, they'll say,
and to his house we'll go.

The beam that shines from Zion hill
shall lighten every land;
the King who reigns in Salem's towers
shall all the world command.

Among the nations he shall judge;
his judgments truth shall guide;
his scepter shall protect the just,
and quell the sinner's pride.

No strife shall vex Messiah's reign
or mar the peaceful years;
to plowshares men shall beat their swords,
to pruning-hooks their spears.

No longer hosts, encountering hosts,
shall crowds of slain deplore;
they hang the trumpet in the hall,
and study war no more.

Come then, O come, from every land
to worship at his shrine;
and, walking in the light of God,
with holy beauties shine. 

SECOND READING [Romans 4:13-end]:

For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his
descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. If it is the
adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For
the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation.
For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be
guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those
who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, as it is written, 'I have
made you the father of many nations') in the presence of the God in whom he
believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.
Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become 'the father of many nations',
according to what was said, 'So numerous shall your descendants be.' He did not
weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was already as good as dead
(for he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of
Sarah's womb. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he
grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, being fully convinced that God was
able to do what he had promised. Therefore his faith 'was reckoned to him as
righteousness.' Now the words, 'it was reckoned to him', were written not for his sake
alone, but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him who raised Jesus
our Lord from the dead, who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was
raised for our justification. 

The Benedictus (Morning), 
the Magnificat (Evening), or 
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.

Prayer:
All-seeing, all-loving God,
you behold the human family as one.
You regard each of us as loved, redeemed, a temple of your Spirit.
Beholding you, we respond in thanks and praise as one Church.

Renew the Church in a dynamic sense of your grace.
Renew us, O Lord.

Work in us a continuing conversion:
Renew us, O Lord.

Give all your disciples eyes to see you in the ordinary:
Renew us, O Lord.

Lift the heavy hands of oppression
from the poor, the abused and the exploited:
Renew us, O Lord.

Kindle in the suffering and desperate
the warmth of your nearness and consolation:
Renew us, O Lord.

Stir up in us attention to the Spirit breathing within us:
Renew us, O Lord.

Blessed and holy God,
ever merciful and forgiving:
may we turn from what is evil
and do what is good in your sight,
that we might be saved by the cross
of your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.
       
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.

- The Lord's Prayer

May we instructed by your heavenly law, O Lord,
that we may embrace the example of your Son
and show it forth in deeds and works of love. Amen.

*******************************************************
The psalms and collect are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray),
(c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.

The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.

The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of  the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.

The opening prayer and closing sentence are adapted from prayers by Alan Griffiths..

The intercession is reprinted from _THE DAILY OFFICE: A Book of Hours of
Daily Prayer after the Use of the Order of Saint Luke_, (c) 1997 by The Order
of Saint Luke. Used by permission.


From steve.benner at oremus.org  Mon Jul 28 17:00:01 2008
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2008 17:00:01 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:  29 July 2008
Message-ID: <20080728170001.276641E41A0@justus2c.anglican.org>


*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Mary, Martha and Lazarus, Companions of Our Lord

O Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, O God,
you are our greatest treasure
and the source of our greatest joy:
Your Spirit continues to form us in the likeness of Christ,
that we may know the freedom of your children
and the assurance that nothing in creation
can separate us from your love,
most fully known in Jesus Christ our Lord.
For these and all your mercies, we praise you:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:
Blessed be God for ever!

An opening canticle may be sung. 

http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html

Psalm 37:26-end

I have been young and now I am old,*
 but never have I seen the righteous forsaken,
   or their children begging bread.
The righteous are always generous in their lending,*
 and their children shall be a blessing.
Turn from evil and do good,*
 and dwell in the land for ever.
For the Lord loves justice;*
 he does not forsake his faithful ones.
They shall be kept safe for ever,*
 but the offspring of the wicked shall be destroyed.
The righteous shall possess the land*
 and dwell in it for ever.
The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,*
 and their tongue speaks what is right.
The law of their God is in their heart,*
 and their footsteps shall not falter.
The wicked spy on the righteous*
 and seek occasion to kill them.
The Lord will not abandon them to their hand,*
 nor let them be found guilty when brought to trial.
Wait upon the Lord and keep his way;*
 he will raise you up to possess the land,
   and when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.
I have seen the wicked in their arrogance,*
 flourishing like a tree in full leaf.
I went by and, behold, they were not there;*
 I searched for them, but they could not be found.
Mark those who are honest; observe the upright;*
 for there is a future for the peaceable.
Transgressors shall be destroyed, one and all;*
 the future of the wicked is cut off.
But the deliverance of the righteous
   comes from the Lord;*
 he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
The Lord will help them and rescue them;*
 he will rescue them from the wicked and deliver them,
   because they seek refuge in him.

A Song of the Messiah (Isaiah 9.2,3b,4a,6,7)

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;  
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, 
upon them the light has dawned. 
You have increased their joy and given them great gladness;  
they rejoiced before you as with joy at the harvest. 
For you have shattered the yoke that burdened them;  
the collar that lay heavy on their shoulders. 
For to us a child is born and to us a son is given,  
and the government will be upon his shoulder. 
And his name will be called: Wonderful Counsellor; 
the Mighty God;  
the Everlasting Father; the Prince of Peace. 
Of the increase of his government and of peace  
there will be no end, 
Upon the throne of David and over his kingdom,  
to establish and uphold it with justice and righteousness. 
>From this time forth and for evermore;  
the zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Psalm 147:1-12

Alleluia!
   How good it is to sing praises to our God!*
 how pleasant it is to honour him with praise!
The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem;*
 he gathers the exiles of Israel.
He heals the brokenhearted*
 and binds up their wounds.
He counts the number of the stars*
 and calls them all by their names.
Great is our Lord and mighty in power;*
 there is no limit to his wisdom.
The Lord lifts up the lowly,*
 but casts the wicked to the ground.
Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;*
 make music to our God upon the harp.
He covers the heavens with clouds*
 and prepares rain for the earth;
He makes grass to grow upon the mountains*
 and green plants to serve us all.
He provides food for flocks and herds*
 and for the young ravens when they cry.
He is not impressed by the might of a horse,*
 he has no pleasure in human strength;
But the Lord has pleasure in those who fear him,*
 in those who await his gracious favour.
 Alleluia!

FIRST READING [Micah 4:9-5:1]:

Now why do you cry aloud?
   Is there no king in you?
Has your counsellor perished,
   that pangs have seized you like a woman in labour?
Writhe and groan, O daughter Zion,
   like a woman in labour;
for now you shall go forth from the city
   and camp in the open country;
   you shall go to Babylon.
There you shall be rescued,
   there the Lord will redeem you
   from the hands of your enemies.

Now many nations
   are assembled against you,
saying, 'Let her be profaned,
   and let our eyes gaze upon Zion.'
But they do not know
   the thoughts of the Lord;
they do not understand his plan,
   that he has gathered them as sheaves to the threshing-floor.
Arise and thresh,
   O daughter Zion,
for I will make your horn iron
   and your hoofs bronze;
you shall beat in pieces many peoples,
   and shall devote their gain to the Lord,
   their wealth to the Lord of the whole earth.

Now you are walled around with a wall;
   siege is laid against us;
with a rod they strike the ruler of Israel
   upon the cheek. 

HYMN 
Words: Hardwicke Drummond Rawnsley (1850-1920)
Tune: Song 18

http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/l/l350.html
Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus.

Lord Jesus, who at Lazarus' tomb
to weeping friends from death's dark womb
didst bring new joy to life,
grant to the friends who stand forlorn
a vision of that larger morn
where peace has conquered strife.

May we behold across the bar
the dear immortals as they are,
empowered in act and will,
with purer eyes to see their King,
with fuller hearts his praise to sing,
with strength to help us still.

Not fettered now by fleshly bond,
but tireless in the great beyond,
and growing day by day.
Can we not make their gladness ours,
and share their thoughts, their added powers,
and follow as we pray?

O Holy Ghost, the strength and guide
of those who to this earth have died,
but live more near to God,
give us thy grace to follow on,
till we with them the crown have won
who duty's paths have trod.

SECOND READING [Romans 5]:

Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord
Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand;
and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also
boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance
produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us,
because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has
been given to us.
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed,
rarely will anyone die for a righteous person though perhaps for a good person
someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we
still were sinners Christ died for us. Much more surely then, now that we have been
justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God. For if
while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son,
much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. But more than
that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have
now received reconciliation.
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death came through
sin, and so death spread to all because all have sinned  sin was indeed in the world
before the law, but sin is not reckoned when there is no law. Yet death exercised
dominion from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sins were not like the
transgression of Adam, who is a type of the one who was to come.
But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died through the one man's
trespass, much more surely have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of the
one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for the many. And the free gift is not like the effect of
the one man's sin. For the judgement following one trespass brought condemnation,
but the free gift following many trespasses brings justification. If, because of the one
man's trespass, death exercised dominion through that one, much more surely will
those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness exercise
dominion in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
Therefore just as one man's trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man's act of
righteousness leads to justification and life for all. For just as by the one man's
disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many
will be made righteous. But law came in, with the result that the trespass multiplied;
but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, just as sin exercised
dominion in death, so grace might also exercise dominion through justification leading
to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

The Benedictus (Morning), 
the Magnificat (Evening), or 
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.

Prayer:
We seek you daily, O Father,
and you are there daily to be found.

Wherever we seek you,
at home, at work, on the highway,
you are there, O Lord.

Whatever we do,
eating and drinking,
writing or working,
readings, meditating or praying,
you are there, O Lord.

If we are oppressed,
you defend us, O Lord.

If we hunger,
you feed us, O Lord.

Whatever we need,
you give us, O Lord.

Blessed and holy God,
ever merciful and forgiving:
may we turn from what is evil
and do what is good in your sight,
that we might be saved by the cross
of your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.

God our Father,
whose Son enjoyed the love of his friends
Mary, Martha and Lazarus,
in learning, argument and hospitality:
may we so rejoice in your love
that the world may come to know
the depths of your wisdom,
the wonder of your compassion,
and your power to bring life out of death;
through the merits of Jesus Christ, 
our friend and brother,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
       
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.

- The Lord's Prayer

May we instructed by your heavenly law, O Lord,
that we may embrace the example of your Son
and show it forth in deeds and works of love. Amen.

*******************************************************
The psalms and first collect are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_
(Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.

The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.

The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of  the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.

The opening prayer and closing sentence are adapted from prayers by Alan Griffiths..

The intercession is by Stephen Benner.

The second collect is from _Common Worship: Services and Prayers for
the Church of England_, material from which is included in this service is
copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2000.

Mary and Martha lived with their brother Lazarus at Bethany, a village not far
from Jerusalem. They are mentioned in several episodes in the Gospels.
On one occasion, when Jesus and His disciples were their guests (Luke
10:38-42), Mary sat at Jesus' feet and listened to Him while her sister Martha
busied herself with preparing food and waiting on the guests, and when Martha
complained, Jesus said that Mary had chosen the better part.
When Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, had died, Jesus came to
Bethany. Martha, upon being told that He was approaching, went out to meet
Him, while Mary sat still in the house until He sent for her. It was to Martha
that Jesus said: "I am the Resurrection and the Life." (John 11:1-44)
Again, about a week before the crucifixion, as Jesus reclined at table, Mary
poured a flask of expensive perfume over Jesus' feet. Mary was criticized for
wasting what might have been sold to raise money for the poor, and again
Jesus spoke on her behalf. (John 12:1-8)
On the basis of these incidents, many Christian writers have seen Mary as
representing Contemplation (prayer and devotion), and Martha as representing
Action (good works, helping others); or love of God and love of neighbor
respectively.

From steve.benner at oremus.org  Tue Jul 29 17:00:01 2008
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2008 17:00:01 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:  30 July 2008
Message-ID: <20080729170001.42DC81E3B2D@justus2c.anglican.org>


*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Wednesday, July 30, 2008
William Wilberforce, Social Reformer, 1833

O Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, O God,
you are our greatest treasure
and the source of our greatest joy:
Your Spirit continues to form us in the likeness of Christ,
that we may know the freedom of your children
and the assurance that nothing in creation
can separate us from your love,
most fully known in Jesus Christ our Lord.
For these and all your mercies, we praise you:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:
Blessed be God for ever!

An opening canticle may be sung. 

http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html

Psalm 39

I said, 'I will keep watch upon my ways,*
 so that I do not offend with my tongue.
'I will put a muzzle on my mouth*
 while the wicked are in my presence.'
So I held my tongue and said nothing;*
 I refrained from rash words;
   but my pain became unbearable.
My heart was hot within me;
   while I pondered, the fire burst into flame;*
 I spoke out with my tongue:
Lord, let me know my end and the number of my days,*
 so that I may know how short my life is.
You have given me a mere handful of days,
   and my lifetime is as nothing in your sight;*
 truly, even those who stand erect are but a puff of wind.
We walk about like a shadow
   and in vain we are in turmoil;*
 we heap up riches and cannot tell who will gather them.
And now, what is my hope?*
 O Lord, my hope is in you.
Deliver me from all my transgressions*
 and do not make me the taunt of the fool.
I fell silent and did not open my mouth,*
 for surely it was you that did it.
Take your affliction from me;*
 I am worn down by the blows of your hand.
With rebukes for sin you punish us;
   like a moth you eat away all that is dear to us;*
 truly, everyone is but a puff of wind.
Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry;*
 hold not your peace at my tears.
For I am but a sojourner with you,*
 a wayfarer, as all my forebears were.
Turn your gaze from me, that I may be glad again,*
 before I go my way and am no more.

A Song of Praise (Revelation 4.11; 5.9b,10)

You are worthy, our Lord and God,  
to receive glory and honour and power. 
For you have created all things,  
and by your will they have their being. 
You are worthy, O Lamb, for you were slain,  
and by your blood you ransomed for God 
saints from every tribe and language and nation. 
You have made them to be a kingdom and priests 
serving our God,  
and they will reign with you on earth.

Psalm 147:13-end

Alleluia!
Worship the Lord, O Jerusalem;*
 praise your God, O Zion;
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;*
 he has blessed your children within you.
He has established peace on your borders;*
 he satisfies you with the finest wheat.
He sends out his command to the earth,*
 and his word runs very swiftly.
He gives snow like wool;*
 he scatters hoarfrost like ashes.
He scatters his hail like bread crumbs;*
 who can stand against his cold?
He sends forth his word and melts them;*
 he blows with his wind and the waters flow.
He declares his word to Jacob,*
 his statutes and his judgements to Israel.
He has not done so to any other nation;*
 to them he has not revealed his judgements.
   Alleluia!

FIRST READING [Micah 6:1-8]:

Hear what the Lord says:
   Rise, plead your case before the mountains,
   and let the hills hear your voice.
Hear, you mountains, the controversy of the Lord,
   and you enduring foundations of the earth;
for the Lord has a controversy with his people,
   and he will contend with Israel.

'O my people, what have I done to you?
   In what have I wearied you? Answer me!
For I brought you up from the land of Egypt,
   and redeemed you from the house of slavery;
and I sent before you Moses,
   Aaron, and Miriam.
O my people, remember now what King Balak of Moab devised,
   what Balaam son of Beor answered him,
and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal,
   that you may know the saving acts of the Lord.'

'With what shall I come before the Lord,
   and bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings,
   with calves a year old?
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
   with tens of thousands of rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
   the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?'
He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
   and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
   and to walk humbly with your God? 

HYMN 
Words: 
Tune: 

http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/t/t698.html
Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus.             

SECOND READING [Romans 6]:

What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound?
By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it? Do you not know that all
of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ
was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness
of life.
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with
him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him so that
the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. For
whoever has died is freed from sin. But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we
will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die
again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death he died, he died to sin, once
for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead
to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Therefore, do not let sin exercise dominion in your mortal bodies, to make you obey
their passions. No longer present your members to sin as instruments of wickedness,
but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and
present your members to God as instruments of righteousness. For sin will have no
dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
What then? Should we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no
means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves,
you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of
obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that you, having once
been slaves of sin, have become obedient from the heart to the form of teaching to
which you were entrusted, and that you, having been set free from sin, have become
slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms because of your natural
limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to
greater and greater iniquity, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness
for sanctification.
When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. So what
advantage did you then get from the things of which you now are ashamed? The end
of those things is death. But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to
God, the advantage you get is sanctification. The end is eternal life. For the wages of
sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

The Benedictus (Morning), 
the Magnificat (Evening), or 
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.

Prayer:
Under your holy wings, you gather us, O God,
and you shelter us by your grace.

Together in faith communities, 
you call us share your love and mercy.
Gather us in, O God.

We give you thanks for all that gives shape to life in community:
devotion to apostolic teaching,
sharing in fellowship around your Word and Table,
continuous prayer for the world and the Church.
Gather us in, O God.

Save your Church from formless piety.
Gather us in, O God.

Help families and the leaders of households to pattern faith.
Gather us in, O God.

Choose and renew our leaders for disciple-making.
Gather us in, O God.

Uphold those who seek peace with justice.
Gather us in, O God.

Give light to all who strive to discern what is right.
Gather us in, O God.

Comfort the dying.
Gather us in, O God.

Heal the broken and suffering.
Gather us in, O God.

God our hope,
when we are troubled by fear and uncertainty,
teach us to commit our lives to your care
and to go forward on our pilgrimage,
trusting in the knowledge of your love and forgiveness;
through Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen.

God our deliverer, 
who sent your Son Jesus Christ 
to set your people free from the slavery of sin: 
grant that, as your servant William Wilberforce 
toiled against the sin of slavery,
so we may bring compassion to all
and work for the freedom of all the children of God;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
       
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.

- The Lord's Prayer

May we instructed by your heavenly law, O Lord,
that we may embrace the example of your Son
and show it forth in deeds and works of love. Amen.

*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The
Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.

The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.

The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of  the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.

The opening prayer and closing sentence are adapted from prayers by Alan Griffiths..

The intercession is reprinted from _THE DAILY OFFICE: A Book of Hours of
Daily Prayer after the Use of the Order of Saint Luke_, (c) 1997 by The Order
of Saint Luke. Used by permission.

The first collect is from _Daily Prayer_, copyright (c) The Scottish
Episcopal Church, 1998. Used with permission. 
http://www.scottishepiscopal.com

The second collect is from _Common Worship: Services and Prayers for
the Church of England_, material from which is included in this service is
copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2000.

William Wilberforce was born in 1759 and served in Parliament from 1780 to
1825. A turning point in his religious life was a tour of Europe. In the luggage
of a travelling companion he saw a copy of William Law's book, A Serious Call
to a Devout and Holy Life. He asked his friend, "What is this?" and received
the answer, "One of the best books ever written." The two of them agreed to
read it together on the journey, and Wilberforce embarked on a lifelong
program of setting aside Sundays and an interval each morning on arising for
prayer and religious reading. He considered his options, including the clergy,
and was persuaded by Christian friends that his calling was to serve God
through politics. He was a major supporter of programs for popular education,
overseas missions, parliamentary reform, and religious liberty. He is best
known, however, for his untiring commitment to the abolition of slavery and
the slave trade. He introduced his first anti-slavery motion in the House of
Commons in 1788, in a three-and-a-half hour oration that concluded: "Sir,
when we think of eternity and the future consequence of all human conduct,
what is there in this life that shall make any man contradict the dictates of his
conscience, the principles of justice and the law of God!"
The motion was defeated. Wilberforce brought it up again every year for
eighteen years, until the slave trade was finally abolished on 25 March 1806.
He continued the campaign against slavery itself, and the bill for the abolition
of all slavery in British territories passed its crucial vote just four days before
his death on 29 July 1833. A year later, on 31 July 1834, 800,000 slaves,
chiefly in the British West Indies, were set free. [James Kiefer]


From steve.benner at oremus.org  Wed Jul 30 17:00:01 2008
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Wed, 30 Jul 2008 17:00:01 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:  31 July 2008
Message-ID: <20080730170001.827D01E3A89@justus2c.anglican.org>


*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Thursday, July 31, 2008
Joseph of Arimathea

O Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, O God,
you are our greatest treasure
and the source of our greatest joy:
Your Spirit continues to form us in the likeness of Christ,
that we may know the freedom of your children
and the assurance that nothing in creation
can separate us from your love,
most fully known in Jesus Christ our Lord.
For these and all your mercies, we praise you:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:
Blessed be God for ever!

An opening canticle may be sung. 

http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html

Psalm 50

The Lord, the God of gods, has spoken;*
 he has called the earth
   from the rising of the sun to its setting.
Out of Zion, perfect in its beauty,*
 God reveals himself in glory.
Our God will come and will not keep silence;*
 before him there is a consuming flame,
   and round about him a raging storm.
He calls the heavens and the earth from above*
 to witness the judgement of his people.
'Gather before me my loyal followers,*
 those who have made a covenant with me
   and sealed it with sacrifice.'
Let the heavens declare the rightness of his cause;*
 for God himself is judge.
Hear, O my people, and I will speak:
   'O Israel, I will bear witness against you;*
 for I am God, your God.
'I do not accuse you because of your sacrifices;*
 your offerings are always before me.
'I will take no bull-calf from your stalls,*
 nor he-goats out of your pens;
'For the beasts of the forest are mine,*
 the herds in their thousands upon the hills.
'I know every bird in the sky,*
 and the creatures of the fields are in my sight.
'If I were hungry, I would not tell you,*
 for the whole world is mine and all that is in it.
'Do you think I eat the flesh of bulls,*
 or drink the blood of goats?
'Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving*
 and make good your vows to the Most High.
'Call upon me in the day of trouble;*
 I will deliver you and you shall honour me.'
But to the wicked God says:*
 'Why do you recite my statutes,
   and take my covenant upon your lips;
'Since you refuse discipline,*
 and toss my words behind your back?
'When you see a thief, you make him your friend,*
 and you cast in your lot with adulterers.
'You have loosed your lips for evil,*
 and harnessed your tongue to a lie.
'You are always speaking evil of your brother*
 and slandering your own mother's son.
'These things you have done and I kept still,*
 and you thought that I am like you.
'I have made my accusation;*
 I have put my case in order before your eyes.
'Consider this well, you who forget God,*
 lest I rend you and there be none to deliver you.
'Whoever offers me the sacrifice of thanksgiving
   honours me;*
 but to those who keep in my way
   will I show the salvation of God.'

A Song of Tobit (Tobit 13.1,3,4-6a)

Blessed be God, who lives for ever,  
whose reign endures throughout all ages. 
Declare God's praise before the nations,  
you who are the children of Israel. 
For if our God has scattered you among them,  
there too has he shown you his greatness. 
Exalt him in the sight of the living,  
because he is our Lord and God and our Father for ever. 
Though God punishes you for your wickedness,  
mercy will be shown to you all. 
God will gather you from every nation,  
from wherever you have been scattered. 
When you turn to the Lord 
with all your heart and soul,  
God will hide his face from you no more. 
See what the Lord has done for you  
and give thanks with a loud voice. 
Praise the Lord of righteousness  
and exalt the King of the ages. 

Psalm 148

Alleluia!
   Praise the Lord from the heavens;*
 praise him in the heights.
Praise him, all you angels of his;*
 praise him, all his host.
Praise him, sun and moon;*
 praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, heaven of heavens,*
 and you waters above the heavens.
Let them praise the name of the Lord;*
 for he commanded and they were created.
He made them stand fast for ever and ever;*
 he gave them a law which shall not pass away.
Praise the Lord from the earth,*
 you sea-monsters and all deeps;
Fire and hail, snow and fog,*
 tempestuous wind, doing his will;
Mountains and all hills,*
 fruit trees and all cedars;
Wild beasts and all cattle,*
 creeping things and winged birds;
Kings of the earth and all peoples,*
 princes and all rulers of the world;
Young men and maidens,*
 old and young together.
Let them praise the name of the Lord,*
 for his name only is exalted,
   his splendour is over earth and heaven.
He has raised up strength for his people
   and praise for all his loyal servants,*
 the children of Israel, a people who are near him.
   Alleluia!

FIRST READING [Micah 6:9-end]:

The voice of the Lord cries to the city
   (it is sound wisdom to fear your name):
Hear, O tribe and assembly of the city!
   Can I forget the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked,
   and the scant measure that is accursed?
Can I tolerate wicked scales
   and a bag of dishonest weights?
Your wealthy are full of violence;
   your inhabitants speak lies,
   with tongues of deceit in their mouths.
Therefore I have begun to strike you down,
   making you desolate because of your sins.
You shall eat, but not be satisfied,
   and there shall be a gnawing hunger within you;
you shall put away, but not save,
   and what you save, I will hand over to the sword.
You shall sow, but not reap;
   you shall tread olives, but not anoint yourselves with oil;
   you shall tread grapes, but not drink wine.
For you have kept the statutes of Omri
   and all the works of the house of Ahab,
   and you have followed their counsels.
Therefore I will make you a desolation, and your inhabitants an object of hissing;
   so you shall bear the scorn of my people. 

HYMN 
Words: Erik Routley (c) Used with permission.
Tune: Birabus

http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/a/a185.html
Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus.             

All who love and serve your city,
all who bear its daily stress,
all who cry for peace and justice,
all who curse and all who bless,

In your day of loss and sorrow,
in your day of helpless strife,
honor, peace, and love retreating,
seek the Lord, who is your life.

In your day of wrath and plenty,
wasted work and wasted play,
call to mind the word of Jesus,
"I must work while it is day."

For all days are days of judgment,
and the Lord is waiting still,
drawing near a world that spurns him,
offering peace from Calvary's hill.

Risen Lord! shall yet the city
be the city of despair?
Come today, our Judge, our Glory;
be its name, "The Lord is there!" 

SECOND READING [Romans 7:1-13]:

Do you not know, brothers and sisters for I am speaking to those who know the
law that the law is binding on a person only during that person's lifetime? Thus a
married woman is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives; but if her
husband dies, she is discharged from the law concerning the husband. Accordingly, she
will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive.
But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man, she
is not an adulteress.

In the same way, my friends, you have died to the law through the body of Christ, so
that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead in order
that we may bear fruit for God. While we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions,
aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. But now we
are discharged from the law, dead to that which held us captive, so that we are slaves
not under the old written code but in the new life of the Spirit.
What then should we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet, if it had not been for
the law, I would not have known sin. I would not have known what it is to covet if the
law had not said, 'You shall not covet.' But sin, seizing an opportunity in the
commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. Apart from the law sin lies
dead. I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin
revived and I died, and the very commandment that promised life proved to be death
to me. For sin, seizing an opportunity in the commandment, deceived me and through
it killed me. So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good.
Did what is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, working death in
me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the
commandment might become sinful beyond measure. 

The Benedictus (Morning), 
the Magnificat (Evening), or 
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.

Prayer:
Almighty and gracious God,
we bless you for your mercy in Christ
and your nearness by the Word and the Spirit.

Hear us as we embrace in the circle of love:

the life and witness of your Church,
Generous God, hear us.

the world and its longing,
especially for peace in India and Pakistan, the Sudan,
Afghanistan, Israel and Palestine and wherever conflict persists.
Generous God, hear us.

the cares of our own lives,
Generous God, hear us.

and those particular concerns your Spirit awakens in us,
Generous God, hear us.

O God, you desire mercy and not sacrifice,
the knowledge of you rather than burnt offerings:
rule and direct our hearts in the way of true religion
and save us in the day of your appearing;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Merciful God, 
whose servant Joseph of Arimathea 
with reverence and godly fear 
prepared the body of our Lord and Savior for burial, 
and laid it in his own tomb: 
Grant to us, your faithful people, 
grace and courage to love and serve Jesus 
with sincere devotion all the days of our life; 
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
       
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.

- The Lord's Prayer

May we instructed by your heavenly law, O Lord,
that we may embrace the example of your Son
and show it forth in deeds and works of love. Amen.

*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The
Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.

The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.

The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of  the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.

The opening prayer and closing sentence are adapted from prayers by Alan Griffiths..

The second collect is from _The Proper for the Lesser Feasts and
Fasts_, 3rd edition, (c) 1980 The Church Pension Fund.

The Gospels tell us that after the death of Jesus, Joseph of Arimathaea,
wealthy, a member of the Council, asked Pilate for the body of Jesus, and
buried it with honor in the tomb he had intended for himself. This is our only
information about him from writers of his own century.
Later tradition has embellished this account. It is said that Joseph was a distant
relative of the family of Jesus; that he derived his wealth from tin mines in
Cornwall, which he visited from time to time; and that Jesus as a teenager
accompanied Joseph on one such visit. This is the background of the poem
"Jerusalem," by William Blake.
After the Crucifixion, we are told, Joseph returned to Cornwall, bringing the
chalice of the Last Supper, known as the Holy Grail. Reaching Glastonbury, he
planted his staff, which took root and blossomed into a thorn tree. The Grail
was hidden, and part of the great national epic ("the matter of Britain") deals
with the unsuccessful quest of the knights of King Arthur to find the Grail. The
Thorn Tree remained at Glastonbury, flowering every year on Christmas day,
and King Charles I baited the Roman Catholic chaplain of his queen by
pointing out that, although Pope Gregory had proclaimed a reform of the
calendar, the Glastonbury Thorn ignored the Pope's decree and continued to
blossom on Christmas Day according to the Old Calendar. The Thorn was cut
down by one of Cromwell's soldiers on the grounds that it was a relic of
superstition, and it is said that as it fell, its thorns blinded the axeman in one
eye. A tree allegedly grown from a cutting from the original Thorn survives
today in Glastonbury (and trees propagated from it stand on the grounds of the
Cathedral in Washington, DC, and presumably elsewhere) and leaves from it
are sold in all the tourist shops in Glastonbury.
Has the Glastonbury legend any basis at all in history? Two facts and some
speculations follow:
Tin, an essential ingredient of bronze, was highly valued in ancient times, and
Phoenician ships imported tin from Cornwall. It is a pretty safe guess that in
the first century the investors who owned shares in the Cornwall tin trade
included at least a few Jewish Christians.
Christianity gained a foothold in Britain very early, probably earlier than in
Gaul. It may have been brought there by the traffic of the Cornwall tin trade. If
so, then the early British Christians would have a tradition that they had been
evangelized by a wealthy Jewish Christian. If they had forgotten his name, it
would be natural to consult the Scriptures to see what mention was made of
early wealthy Jewish converts. Joseph and Barnabas are almost the only ones
named, and much of the life of Barnabas is already accounted for by the book
of Acts, which makes him an unsatisfactory candidate. Hence, those who do
not like to be vague would say, not, "We were evangelized by some wealthy
Jewish Christian whose name we have forgotten," but, "We were evangelized
by Joseph of Arimathaea."
Why spend time on any of the above? Because the folk-tales of a community
are part of the heritage of a community. Someone wishing to understand the
United States will be well advised to familiarize himself with the stories of
George Washington's cherry tree and Paul Revere's ride, although he ought not
to confuse them with history. [James Kiefer]


From steve.benner at oremus.org  Thu Jul 31 17:02:09 2008
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 2008 17:02:09 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:   1 August 2008
Message-ID: <20080731170217.5C53D1E419F@justus2c.anglican.org>


*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Friday, August 1, 2008

O Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, O God,
you are our greatest treasure
and the source of our greatest joy:
Your Spirit continues to form us in the likeness of Christ,
that we may know the freedom of your children
and the assurance that nothing in creation
can separate us from your love,
most fully known in Jesus Christ our Lord.
For these and all your mercies, we praise you:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:
Blessed be God for ever!

An opening canticle may be sung. 

http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html

Psalm 54

Save me, O God, by your name;*
 in your might, defend my cause.
Hear my prayer, O God;*
 give ear to the words of my mouth.
For the arrogant have risen up against me,
   and the ruthless have sought my life,*
 those who have no regard for God.
Behold, God is my helper;*
 it is the Lord who sustains my life.
Render evil to those who spy on me;*
 in your faithfulness, destroy them.
I will offer you a freewill sacrifice*
 and praise your name, O Lord, for it is good.
For you have rescued me from every trouble,*
 and my eye has seen the ruin of my foes.

Psalm 57

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful,
   for I have taken refuge in you;*
 in the shadow of your wings will I take refuge
   until this time of trouble has gone by.
I will call upon the Most High God,*
 the God who maintains my cause.
He will send from heaven and save me;
   he will confound those who trample upon me;*
 God will send forth his love and his faithfulness.
I lie in the midst of lions that devour the people;*
 their teeth are spears and arrows,
   their tongue a sharp sword.
They have laid a net for my feet and I am bowed low;*
 they have dug a pit before me
   but have fallen into it themselves.
Exalt yourself above the heavens, O God,*
 and your glory over all the earth.
My heart is firmly fixed, O God, my heart is fixed;*
 I will sing and make melody.
Wake up, my spirit; awake, lute and harp;*
 I myself will waken the dawn.
I will confess you among the peoples, O Lord;*
 I will sing praise to you among the nations.
For your loving-kindness is greater than the heavens,*
 and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
Exalt yourself above the heavens, O God,*
 and your glory over all the earth.

The Song of Christ's Glory (Philippians 2.5-11)

Christ Jesus was in the form of God,  
but he did not cling to equality with God. 
He emptied himself, taking the form of a servant,  
and was born in our human likeness. 
Being found in human form he humbled himself,  
and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. 
Therefore God has highly exalted him,  
and bestowed on him the name above every name, 
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,  
in heaven and on earth and under the earth; 
And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,  
to the glory of God the Father.

Psalm 149

Alleluia!
   Sing to the Lord a new song;*
 sing his praise in the congregation of the faithful.
Let Israel rejoice in his maker;*
 let the children of Zion be joyful in their king.
Let them praise his name in the dance;*
 let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the Lord takes pleasure in his people*
 and adorns the poor with victory.
Let the faithful rejoice in triumph;*
 let them be joyful on their beds.
Let the praises of God be in their throat*
 and a two-edged sword in their hand;
To wreak vengeance on the nations*
 and punishment on the peoples;
To bind their kings in chains*
 and their nobles with links of iron;
To inflict on them the judgement decreed;*
 this is glory for all his faithful people.
   Alleluia!

FIRST READING [Micah 7:1-9]:

Woe is me! For I have become like one who,
   after the summer fruit has been gathered,
   after the vintage has been gleaned,
finds no cluster to eat;
   there is no first-ripe fig for which I hunger.
The faithful have disappeared from the land,
   and there is no one left who is upright;
they all lie in wait for blood,
   and they hunt each other with nets.
Their hands are skilled to do evil;
   the official and the judge ask for a bribe,
and the powerful dictate what they desire;
   thus they pervert justice.
The best of them is like a brier,
   the most upright of them a thorn hedge.
The day of their sentinels, of their punishment, has come;
   now their confusion is at hand.
Put no trust in a friend,
   have no confidence in a loved one;
guard the doors of your mouth
   from her who lies in your embrace;
for the son treats the father with contempt,
   the daughter rises up against her mother,
the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
   your enemies are members of your own household.
But as for me, I will look to the Lord,
   I will wait for the God of my salvation;
   my God will hear me.

Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy;
   when I fall, I shall rise;
when I sit in darkness,
   the Lord will be a light to me.
I must bear the indignation of the Lord,
   because I have sinned against him,
until he takes my side
   and executes judgement for me.
He will bring me out to the light;
   I shall see his vindication. 

HYMN 
Words: Fred Pratt Green (c) Used with permission
Tune: Unde et memores

http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/p/p119.html
Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus.             

Pray for the Church, afflicted and oppressed,
for all who suffer for the gospel's sake,
that Christ may show us how to serve them best
in that one kingdom Satan cannot shake.
But how much more than us they have to give,
who by their dying show us how to live.

Pray for Christ's dissidents, who daily wait,
as Jesus waited in the olive grove,
the unjust trial, the pre-determined fate,
the world's contempt for reconciling love.
Shall all they won for us, at such a cost,
be by our negligence or weakness lost?

Pray that if times of testing should lay bare
what sort we are, who call ourselves his own,
we may be counted worthy then to wear,
with quiet fortitude, Christ's only crown:
The crown that in his saints he wears again
the crown of thorns that signifies his reign. 

SECOND READING [Romans 7:14-end]:

For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am of the flesh, sold into slavery under sin.
I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very
thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. But in fact it
is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good
dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I
do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. Now if I do what I
do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me.
So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. For
I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, but I see in my members another law at
war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my
members. Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?
Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, with my mind I am a slave to the law of God, but with my flesh I am a slave
to the law of sin. 

The Benedictus (Morning), 
the Magnificat (Evening), or 
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.

Prayer:
Great are you, Lord, and greatly to be praised!
There is no end to your greatness.
Let your Spirit shape and make new our character,
encourage us in constant prayer,
direct us in the way of love
and bring us at last to heaven with all your saints in light.

All that is unfinished in us and in the world,
we entrust to you, Lord.

Every aspiration, longing and dream
crushed by temptation, sin and dullness of heart,
we entrust to you, Lord.

Holy Church seeking to offer you worship
in every place and culture, 
we entrust to you, Lord.

Every people and tribe oppressed
by the greed and prejudice of others,
we entrust to you, Lord.

The empty and hungry places in our spirits
and in our relationships with others,
we entrust to you, Lord.

Tender God,
gentle protector in time of trouble:
pierce the gloom of despair
and give us, with all your people,
the song of freedom and the shout of praise,
in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
       
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.

- The Lord's Prayer

May we instructed by your heavenly law, O Lord,
that we may embrace the example of your Son
and show it forth in deeds and works of love. Amen.

*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The
Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.

The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.

The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of  the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.

The opening prayer and closing sentence are adapted from prayers by Alan Griffiths..

The intercession is reprinted from _THE DAILY OFFICE: A Book of Hours of
Daily Prayer after the Use of the Order of Saint Luke_, (c) 1997 by The Order
of Saint Luke. Used by permission.