From steve.benner at oremus.org Sun Jun 1 17:00:00 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Sun, 1 Jun 2008 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 2 June 2008 Message-ID: <20080601170000.DD4CD1E440E@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Monday, June 2, 2008 O Lord, open our lips. And our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, O Lord, your love reaches to the heavens, and your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like teh strong mountains, your justice like the great deep; you save your entire creation, O Lord, in your Son, 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 42 As the deer longs for the water-brooks,* so longs my soul for you, O God. My soul is athirst for God, athirst for the living God;* when shall I come to appear before the presence of God? My tears have been my food day and night,* while all day long they say to me, 'Where now is your God?' I pour out my soul when I think on these things:* how I went with the multitude and led them into the house of God, With the voice of praise and thanksgiving,* among those who keep holy-day. Why are you so full of heaviness, O my soul?* and why are you so disquieted within me? Put your trust in God;* for I will yet give thanks to him, who is the help of my countenance, and my God. My soul is heavy within me;* therefore I will remember you from the land of Jordan, and from the peak of Mizar among the heights of Hermon. One deep calls to another in the noise of your cataracts;* all your rapids and floods have gone over me. The Lord grants his loving-kindness in the daytime;* in the night season his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life. I will say to the God of my strength, 'Why have you forgotten me?* and why do I go so heavily while the enemy oppresses me?' While my bones are being broken,* my enemies mock me to my face; All day long they mock me* say to me, 'Where now is your God?' Why are you so full of heaviness, O my soul?* and why are you so disquieted within me? Put your trust in God;* for I will yet give thanks to him, who is the help of my countenance, and my God. Psalm 43 Give judgement for me, O God, and defend my cause against an ungodly people;* deliver me from the deceitful and the wicked. For you are the God of my strength; why have you put me from you?* and why do I go so heavily while the enemy oppresses me? Send out your light and your truth, that they may lead me,* and bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling; That I may go to the altar of God, to the God of my joy and gladness;* and on the harp I will give thanks to you, O God my God. Why are you so full of heaviness, O my soul?* and why are you so disquieted within me? Put your trust in God;* for I will yet give thanks to him, who is the help of my countenance, and my God. 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 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 [Ezra 7:1,6-16, 25-28]: After this, in the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia, Ezra son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, this Ezra went up from Babylonia. He was a scribe skilled in the law of Moses that the Lord the God of Israel had given; and the king granted him all that he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was upon him. Some of the people of Israel, and some of the priests and Levites, the singers and gatekeepers, and the temple servants also went up to Jerusalem, in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes. They came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. On the first day of the first month the journey up from Babylon was begun, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, for the gracious hand of his God was upon him. For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach the statutes and ordinances in Israel. This is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to the priest Ezra, the scribe, a scholar of the text of the commandments of the Lord and his statutes for Israel: 'Artaxerxes, king of kings, to the priest Ezra, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven: Peace. And now I decree that any of the people of Israel or their priests or Levites in my kingdom who freely offers to go to Jerusalem may go with you. For you are sent by the king and his seven counsellors to make inquiries about Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of your God, which is in your hand, and also to convey the silver and gold that the king and his counsellors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, with all the silver and gold that you shall find in the whole province of Babylonia, and with the freewill-offerings of the people and the priests, given willingly for the house of their God in Jerusalem. 'And you, Ezra, according to the God-given wisdom you possess, appoint magistrates and judges who may judge all the people in the province Beyond the River who know the laws of your God; and you shall teach those who do not know them. All who will not obey the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgement be strictly executed on them, whether for death or for banishment or for confiscation of their goods or for imprisonment.' Blessed be the Lord, the God of our ancestors, who put such a thing as this into the heart of the king to glorify the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, and who extended to me steadfast love before the king and his counsellors, and before all the king's mighty officers. I took courage, for the hand of the Lord my God was upon me, and I gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me. HYMN Words: Charles Wesley (1707-1788) based on Te Deum laudamus te Dominum confitemur Tune: Pater omnium (88 88 88) Infinite God, to you we raise our hearts in solemn songs of praise; by all your works on earth adored, we worship you, the one true Lord; the everlasting Father own and bow our souls before your throne. To you the choir of angels sings, the Lord of hosts, the King of kings; all heaven proclaims your praise aloud and shouts your name, the triune God; they 'Holy, holy, holy' cry, 'your glory fills the earth and sky!' God of the ancient chosen race, the scribes of old record your praise; apostles, prophets, all proclaim the wonders of your mighty name; and all the saints in glory join to sing your majesty divine. Head of the white-robed martyrs' host, of you they rightly make their boast; the church, to earth's remotest bounds her heavenly founder's praise resounds, and with the creatures round the throne they worship you, the Three-in-One. Father of endless majesty, who were and are and yet shall be, your Son, our Saviour, we adore, the same in dignity and power; your Holy Spirit we declare the saints' eternal comforter. SECOND READING [Acts 11:1-18]: Now the apostles and the believers who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also accepted the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him, saying, 'Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?' Then Peter began to explain it to them, step by step, saying, 'I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. There was something like a large sheet coming down from heaven, being lowered by its four corners; and it came close to me. As I looked at it closely I saw four-footed animals, beasts of prey, reptiles, and birds of the air. I also heard a voice saying to me, "Get up, Peter; kill and eat." But I replied, "By no means, Lord; for nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth." But a second time the voice answered from heaven, "What God has made clean, you must not call profane." This happened three times; then everything was pulled up again to heaven. At that very moment three men, sent to me from Caesarea, arrived at the house where we were. The Spirit told me to go with them and not to make a distinction between them and us. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man's house. He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, "Send to Joppa and bring Simon, who is called Peter; he will give you a message by which you and your entire household will be saved." And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as it had upon us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said, "John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?' When they heard this, they were silenced. And they praised God, saying, 'Then God has given even to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life.' The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: Creator and Sustainer of life, God, who ever calls us back to his ways of justice and peace: we thank you for the gift of the land, for its beauty, and its resources, and the rich heritage we enjoy. Merciful, mighty God: hear our prayer. And so we pray: for those who make decisions about our land and its resources; for those who work on the land and sea, in our cities, and in commerce and industry; for artists, scientists, politicians, and visionaries. Merciful, mighty God: hear our prayer. We thank you for giving us life, and for giving us our life together. We pray for all who through their own or others' actions are deprived of fullness of life; for all who know sickness, disability, and an untimely death; for all who devote their lives to ministering to the needs of others. Merciful, mighty God: hear our prayer. Give us reverence for life in this, your created world. May we reflect the goodness of your creation in the society we create with and for one another. Merciful, mighty God: hear our prayer. God our creator and redeemer, inspire your people, in prosperity or adversity, to turn always to you, eternal Source of life, health, and goodness; 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 May we feast at your abundant table, O Lord, and drink from the river of your delights. 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 and the closing sentence are adapted from Psalm 36. The intercession is by David Bromell. 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 Mon Jun 2 17:00:01 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Mon, 2 Jun 2008 17:00:01 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 3 June 2008 Message-ID: <20080602170001.0A7401E3BF4@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Tuesday, June 3, 2008 The Martyrs of Uganda, 1886 and 1978 O Lord, open our lips. And our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, O Lord, your love reaches to the heavens, and your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like teh strong mountains, your justice like the great deep; you save your entire creation, O Lord, in your Son, 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 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 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 [Ezra 8:15a,21-23, 31-36]: I gathered them by the river that runs to Ahava, and there we camped for three days. As I reviewed the people and the priests, I found there none of the descendants of Levi. Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might deny ourselves before our God, to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our possessions. For I was ashamed to ask the king for a band of soldiers and cavalry to protect us against the enemy on our way, since we had told the king that the hand of our God is gracious to all who seek him, but his power and his wrath are against all who forsake him. So we fasted and petitioned our God for this, and he listened to our entreaty. Then we left the river Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go to Jerusalem; the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambushes along the way. We came to Jerusalem and remained there for three days. On the fourth day, within the house of our God, the silver, the gold, and the vessels were weighed into the hands of the priest Meremoth son of Uriah, and with him was Eleazar son of Phinehas, and with them were the Levites, Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui. The total was counted and weighed, and the weight of everything was recorded. At that time those who had come from captivity, the returned exiles, offered burnt-offerings to the God of Israel, twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, and as a sin-offering twelve male goats; all this was a burnt-offering to the Lord. They also delivered the king's commissions to the king's satraps and to the governors of the province Beyond the River; and they supported the people and the house of God. HYMN Words: Edward Perronet (1725-1792), 1780 Tune: Miles Lane, Diadem, Coronation http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/a/a116.html Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus. All hail the power of Jesus' name! Let angels prostrate fall; bring forth the royal diadem, to crown him, crown him, crown him Lord of all! Crown him, ye morning stars of light, who fixed this floating ball; now hail the Strength of Israel's might, and crown him, crown him, crown him Lord of all! Crown him ye martyrs of your God, who from his altar call: extol the stem of Jesse's rod, and crown him, crown him, crown him Lord of all! Ye seed of Israel's chosen race, ye ransomed of the fall, hail him who saves you by his grace. and crown him, crown him, crown him Lord of all! Hail him, ye heirs of David's line, whom David Lord did call, the God incarnate, Man divine, and crown him, crown him, crown him Lord of all! Sinners, whose love can ne'er forget the wormwood and the gall, go spread your trophies at his feet, and crown him, crown him, crown him Lord of all! Let every tribe and every tongue that bound creation's call, now shout in universal song the crowned, the crowned, the crowned Lord of all! SECOND READING [Acts 11:19-end]: Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that took place over Stephen travelled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, and they spoke the word to no one except Jews. But among them were some men of Cyprus and Cyrene who, on coming to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists also, proclaiming the Lord Jesus. The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number became believers and turned to the Lord. News of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast devotion; for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were brought to the Lord. Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for an entire year they associated with the church and taught a great many people, and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called 'Christians'. At that time prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them named Agabus stood up and predicted by the Spirit that there would be a severe famine over all the world; and this took place during the reign of Claudius. The disciples determined that according to their ability, each would send relief to the believers living in Judea; this they did, sending it to the elders by Barnabas and Saul. The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: O God our Salvation, you are near to all who call: hear and answer our prayers. You are a refuge for the oppressed; be our stronghold in troubled times. You stand at the right hand of the needy; rescue all who are wrongfully condemned. You raise the poor from the dust; restore dignity to those who seek refuge. You give food to the hungry; uphold the cause of the destitute. You watch over those who wander and sustain the widow; provide protection in the face of danger. You heal the brokenhearted; bind up the wounds of all who suffer. You call us to be your Church, send us out to do your will in the world. You are a mighty God who loves justice; establish your equity for all people. Praise be to you, O Lord; you hear and answer our prayers. 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. O God, by the blood of Christian martyrs you planted in the heart of Uganda the seed of a strong and living Church: may we who cherish their remembrance before you be valiant in our witness against the terrors of unjust rulers and remain steadfast in the love by which you bind us to yourself; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Gathering our prayers and praises into one, let us pray as our Savior has taught us. - The Lord's Prayer May we feast at your abundant table, O Lord, and drink from the river of your delights. 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 and the closing sentence are adapted from Psalm 36. On 3 June 1886, thirty-two young men, pages of the court of King Mwanga of Buganda, were burned to death at Namugongo for their refusal to renounce Christianity. In the following months many other Christians throughout the country died by spear or fire for their faith. These martyrdoms totally changed the dynamic of Christian growth in Uganda. Introduced by a handful of Anglican and Roman missionaries after 1877, the Christian faith had been preached only to the immediate members of the court, by order of King Mutesa. His successor, Mwanga, became increasingly angry as he realized that the first converts put loyalty to Christ above the traditional loyalty to the king. Martyrdoms began in 1885. Mwanga first forbade anyone to go near a Christian mission on pain of death, but finding himself unable to cool the ardor of the converts, resolved to wipe out Christianity. The Namugongo martyrdoms produced a result entirely opposite to Mwanga's intentions. The example of these martyrs, who walked to their deaths singing hymns and praying for their enemies, so inspired many of the bystanders that they began to seek instruction from the remaining Christians. Within a few years the original handful of converts had multiplied many times and spread far beyond the court. The martyrs had left the indelible impression that Christianity was truly African, not simply a white man's religion. Most of the missionary work was carried out by Africans rather than by white missionaries, and Christianity spread steadily. Uganda now has the largest percentage of professed Christians of any nation in Africa. Renewed persecution of Christians in the 1970's by the military dictatorship of Idi Amin proved the vitality of the example of the Namugongo martyrs. Among the thousands of new martyrs, both Anglican and Roman, was Janani Luwum, Archbishop of the (Anglican) Church of Uganda. From steve.benner at oremus.org Tue Jun 3 17:51:39 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Tue, 3 Jun 2008 17:51:39 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 4 June 2008 Message-ID: <20080603175139.C89CF1E42FC@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Wednesday, June 4, 2008 John XXIII, Bishop of Rome, Reformer, 1963 O Lord, open our lips. And our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, O Lord, your love reaches to the heavens, and your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like teh strong mountains, your justice like the great deep; you save your entire creation, O Lord, in your Son, 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 61 Hear my cry, O God,* and listen to my prayer. I call upon you from the ends of the earth with heaviness in my heart;* set me upon the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge,* a strong tower against the enemy. I will dwell in your house for ever;* I will take refuge under the cover of your wings. For you, O God, have heard my vows;* you have granted me the heritage of those who fear your name. Add length of days to the king's life;* let his years extend over many generations. Let him sit enthroned before God for ever;* bid love and faithfulness watch over him. So will I always sing the praise of your name,* and day by day I will fulfil my vows. 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. 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 147:13-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 [Nehemiah 1]: The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah. In the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, while I was in Susa the capital, one of my brothers, Hanani, came with certain men from Judah; and I asked them about the Jews that survived, those who had escaped the captivity, and about Jerusalem. They replied, 'The survivors there in the province who escaped captivity are in great trouble and shame; the wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been destroyed by fire.' When I heard these words I sat down and wept, and mourned for days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven. I said, 'O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments; let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for your servants the people of Israel, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Both I and my family have sinned. We have offended you deeply, failing to keep the commandments, the statutes, and the ordinances that you commanded your servant Moses. Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, "If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples; but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are under the farthest skies, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place at which I have chosen to establish my name." They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great power and your strong hand. O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man!' At the time, I was cupbearer to the king. HYMN Words: Fred Pratt Green 1971 by Hope Publishing Co., Carol Stream, IL 60188. All rights reserved. Used by 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 12:1-24]: About that time King Herod laid violent hands upon some who belonged to the church. He had James, the brother of John, killed with the sword. After he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. (This was during the festival of Unleavened Bread.) When he had seized him, he put him in prison and handed him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover. While Peter was kept in prison, the church prayed fervently to God for him. The very night before Herod was going to bring him out, Peter, bound with two chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while guards in front of the door were keeping watch over the prison. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him, saying, 'Get up quickly.' And the chains fell off his wrists. The angel said to him, 'Fasten your belt and put on your sandals.' He did so. Then he said to him, 'Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.' Peter went out and followed him; he did not realize that what was happening with the angel's help was real; he thought he was seeing a vision. After they had passed the first and the second guard, they came before the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went outside and walked along a lane, when suddenly the angel left him. Then Peter came to himself and said, 'Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hands of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.' As soon as he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many had gathered and were praying. When he knocked at the outer gate, a maid named Rhoda came to answer. On recognizing Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed that, instead of opening the gate, she ran in and announced that Peter was standing at the gate. They said to her, 'You are out of your mind!' But she insisted that it was so. They said, 'It is his angel.' Meanwhile, Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the gate, they saw him and were amazed. He motioned to them with his hand to be silent, and described for them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he added, 'Tell this to James and to the believers.' Then he left and went to another place. When morning came, there was no small commotion among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. When Herod had searched for him and could not find him, he examined the guards and ordered them to be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there. Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. So they came to him in a body; and after winning over Blastus, the king's chamberlain, they asked for a reconciliation, because their country depended on the king's country for food. On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat on the platform, and delivered a public address to them. The people kept shouting, 'The voice of a god, and not of a mortal!' And immediately, because he had not given the glory to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died. But the word of God continued to advance and gain adherents. The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: Let us pray for the grace to recognize the presence of God in our lives. Open our eyes to see your salvation; reveal yourself to a blind humanity. Make your face shine upon those who live with disease; give them your strength and your peace. Let all who are weighed down by want come to know your bounty; that they may put their trust in your goodness. To those who hold power and riches, grant a discerning spirit; that they may be set free by your freedom and love. O God, we seek security and deliverance not in money or theft, not in human ambition or malice, not in our own ability or power, but in you, the only God, our rock and our salvation. Amen. Almighty God, whose will it is to heal all division and discord among those who call upon the name of your Son: We thank you for the good will shown in your servant John, and we pray that we may always be ready to hear our fellow Christians with humility and a willingness to learn, and may also speak the truth in love, to the healing of faction and the renewed witness of your people; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and ever. Amen. Gathering our prayers and praises into one, let us pray as our Savior has taught us. - The Lord's Prayer May we feast at your abundant table, O Lord, and drink from the river of your delights. 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 and the closing sentence are adapted from Psalm 36. From steve.benner at oremus.org Wed Jun 4 17:00:01 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Wed, 4 Jun 2008 17:00:01 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 5 June 2008 Message-ID: <20080604170001.504381E3D05@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Thursday, June 5, 2008 Boniface (Wynfrith) of Crediton, Bishop, Apostle of Germany, Martyr, 754 O Lord, open our lips. And our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, O Lord, your love reaches to the heavens, and your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like teh strong mountains, your justice like the great deep; you save your entire creation, O Lord, in your Son, 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 65 You are to be praised, O God, in Zion;* to you shall vows be performed in Jerusalem. To you that hear prayer shall all flesh come,* because of their transgressions. Our sins are stronger than we are,* but you will blot them out. Happy are they whom you choose and draw to your courts to dwell there!* they will be satisfied by the beauty of your house, by the holiness of your temple. Awesome things will you show us in your righteousness, O God of our salvation,* O Hope of all the ends of the earth and of the seas that are far away. You make fast the mountains by your power;* they are girded about with might. You still the roaring of the seas,* the roaring of their waves, and the clamour of the peoples. Those who dwell at the ends of the earth will tremble at your marvellous signs;* you make the dawn and the dusk to sing for joy. You visit the earth and water it abundantly; you make it very plenteous;* the river of God is full of water. You prepare the grain,* for so you provide for the earth. You drench the furrows and smooth out the ridges;* with heavy rain you soften the ground and bless its increase. You crown the year with your goodness,* and your paths overflow with plenty. May the fields of the wilderness be rich for grazing,* and the hills be clothed with joy. May the meadows cover themselves with flocks and the valleys cloak themselves with grain;* let them shout for joy and sing. A Song of Humility (Hosea 6.1-6) Come, let us return to the Lord who has torn us and will heal us. God has stricken us and will bind up our wounds. After two days, he will revive us, and on the third day will raise us up, that we may live in his presence. Let us strive to know the Lord; his appearing is as sure as the sunrise. He will come to us like the showers, like the spring rains that water the earth. 'O Ephraim, how shall I deal with you? How shall I deal with you, O Judah? 'Your love for me is like the morning mist, like the dew that goes early away. 'Therefore, I have hewn them by the prophets, and my judgement goes forth as the light. 'For loyalty is my desire and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.' 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 [Nehemiah 2:1-8]: In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was served to him, I carried the wine and gave it to the king. Now, I had never been sad in his presence before. So the king said to me, 'Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This can only be sadness of the heart.' Then I was very much afraid. I said to the king, 'May the king live for ever! Why should my face not be sad, when the city, the place of my ancestors' graves, lies waste, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?' Then the king said to me, 'What do you request?' So I prayed to the God of heaven. Then I said to the king, 'If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favour with you, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my ancestors' graves, so that I may rebuild it.' The king said to me (the queen also was sitting beside him), 'How long will you be gone, and when will you return?' So it pleased the king to send me, and I set him a date. Then I said to the king, 'If it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the governors of the province Beyond the River, that they may grant me passage until I arrive in Judah; and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king's forest, directing him to give me timber to make beams for the gates of the temple fortress, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall occupy.' And the king granted me what I asked, for the gracious hand of my God was upon me. HYMN Words: verses 1-4: Philip Doddridge, 1736; verse 5: unknown Scottish author Tune: Burford, Stracathro, Dundee, Martyrdom http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/o/o172.html Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus. O God of Bethel, by whose hand thy people still are fed; who through this earthly pilgrimage hast all our fathers led: Our vows, our prayers, we now present before thy throne of grace: O God of Israel, be the God of their succeeding race. Through each perplexing path of life our wandering footsteps guide; give us each day our daily bread, and raiment fit provide. O spread thy covering wings around, till all our wanderings cease, and at our Father's loved abode our souls arrive in peace! Such blessings from thy gracious hand our humble prayers implore; and thou shalt be our covenant God and portion evermore. SECOND READING [Acts 12:25-13:12]: After completing their mission Barnabas and Saul returned to Jerusalem and brought with them John, whose other name was Mark. Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a member of the court of Herod the ruler, and Saul. While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, 'Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.' Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia; and from there they sailed to Cyprus. When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John also to assist them. When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they met a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet, named Bar-Jesus. He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and wanted to hear the word of God. But the magician Elymas (for that is the translation of his name) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul away from the faith. But Saul, also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, 'You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? And now listen the hand of the Lord is against you, and you will be blind for a while, unable to see the sun.' Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he went about groping for someone to lead him by the hand. When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was astonished at the teaching about the Lord. The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: Most holy and gracious God, we praise you for the glorious freedom we have together in Christ Jesus. You have called us to be brothers and sisters in the covenant of your Church. Hear our desire to live in covenant relationships of binding and loosing, so that we may truly be your faithful people. Gracious God, hear our prayer. Enlarge our understandings of how we can work together to raise up your Church and your mission in this technological age. Gracious God, hear our prayer. Forgive us for not being sensitive to one another and for preferring to be loners instead of joining in our common cause. Gracious God, hear our prayer. As you have forgiven us, may we forgive one another. May our love flow like an everlasting river, making our baptismal covenant a daily reality. Gracious God, hear our prayer. Lord God, joy marks your presence: beauty, abundance and peace are the tokens of your work in all creation. Work also in our lives, that by these signs we may see the splendor of your love and praise you through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. God our redeemer, who called your servant Boniface to preach the gospel among the German people and to build up your Church in holiness: grant that we may preserve in our hearts that faith which he taught with his words and sealed with his blood, and profess it in lives dedicated to your Son Jesus Christ 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 feast at your abundant table, O Lord, and drink from the river of your delights. 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 and the closing sentence are adapted from Psalm 36. 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. Wynfrith, nicknamed Boniface ("good deeds"), was born around 680 near Crediton in Devonshire, England. When he was five, he listened to some monks who were staying at his father's house. They had returned from a mission to the pagans on the continent, and Boniface was so impressed by them that he resolved to follow their example. Although his father had intended him for a secular career, he gave way to his son's entreaties and sent him at the age of seven to a monastery school. He eventually became director of the school at Nursling, in Winchester, where he wrote the first Latin grammar in England, and gave lectures that were widely copied and circulated. At thirty, he was ordained and set out to preach in Friesland (overlaps with modern Holland), whence he was soon expelled because of war between its heathen king and Charles Martel of France. Boniface, after a brief withdrawal, went into Hesse and Bavaria, having secured the support of the Pope and of Charles Martel for his work there. In Hesse, in the presence of a large crowd of pagans, he cut down the Sacred Oak of Geismar, a tree of immense age and girth, sacred to the god Thor. It is said that after only a few blows of his axe, the tree tottered and crashed to the ground, breaking into four pieces and revealing itself to be rotted away within. It was the beginning of a highly successful missionary effort, and the planting of a vigorous Christian church in Germany, where Boniface was eventually consecrated bishop. He asked the Christian Saxons of England to support his work among their kinsmen on the continent, and they responded with money, books, supplies, and above all, with a steady supply of monks to assist him in teaching and preaching. Boniface did not confine his attentions to Germany. He worked to establish cooperation between the Pope and others in Italy on the one hand and Charles and his successors in France on the other. He persuaded Carloman and Pepin, the sons of Charles, to call synods for the reform of the church in their territories, where under previous rulers bishoprics had often been sold to the highest bidder. He never forgot his initial failure in Friesland, and in old age resigned his bishopric and returned to work there. Many Frisians had been converted earlier by Willibrord (another Saxon missionary from England), but had lapsed after his death. Boniface preached among them with considerable success. On June 5, the eve of Pentecost, 754, he was preparing a group of Frisians for confirmation when they were attacked and killed by heathen warriors. From steve.benner at oremus.org Thu Jun 5 17:00:01 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Thu, 5 Jun 2008 17:00:01 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 6 June 2008 Message-ID: <20080605170001.C01591E4921@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Friday, June 6, 2008 The Divine Compassion of Our Lord Jesus Christ (The Sacred Heart of Jesus) O Lord, open our lips. And our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, almighty and eternal God, for the gift of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. He gave himself for us in wondrous love and was lifted up on the cross that the riches of your grace might be revealed in him. For this we give you thanks and praise, Father, Son and Holy Spirit: Blessed be God for ever! An opening canticle may be sung. http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html Psalm 36:5-10 [CCP] Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens,* and your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the strong mountains, your justice like the great deep;* you save both human and beast, O Lord. How priceless is your love, O God!* your people take refuge under the shadow of your wings. They feast upon the abundance of your house;* you give them drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the well of life,* and in your light we see light. Continue your loving-kindness to those who know you,* and your favour to those who are true of heart. Psalm 61 Hear my cry, O God,* and listen to my prayer. I call upon you from the ends of the earth with heaviness in my heart;* set me upon the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge,* a strong tower against the enemy. I will dwell in your house for ever;* I will take refuge under the cover of your wings. For you, O God, have heard my vows;* you have granted me the heritage of those who fear your name. Add length of days to the king's life;* let his years extend over many generations. Let him sit enthroned before God for ever;* bid love and faithfulness watch over him. So will I always sing the praise of your name,* and day by day I will fulfil my vows. Psalm 130 Out of the depths have I called to you, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice;* let your ears consider well the voice of my supplication. If you, Lord, were to note what is done amiss,* O Lord, who could stand? For there is forgiveness with you;* therefore you shall be feared. I wait for the Lord; my soul waits for him;* in his word is my hope. My soul waits for the Lord, more than the night-watch for the morning,* more than the night-watch for the morning. O Israel, wait for the Lord,* for with the Lord there is mercy; With him there is plenteous redemption,* and he shall redeem Israel from all their sins. Salvator Mundi (Henry Allon) Jesus, Saviour of the world, come to us in your mercy: we look to you to save and help us. By your cross and your life laid down, you set your people free: we look to you to save and help us. When they were ready to perish, you saved your disciples: we look to you to come to our help. In the greatness of your mercy, loose us from our chains, forgive the sins of all your people. Make yourself known as our saviour and mighty deliverer; save and help us that we may praise you. Come now and dwell with us, Lord Christ Jesus: hear our prayer and be with us always. And when you come in your glory: make us to be one with you and to share the life of your kingdom. 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 [Nehemiah 2:9-end]: The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah.Then I came to the governors of the province Beyond the River, and gave them the king's letters. Now the king had sent officers of the army and cavalry with me. When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard this, it displeased them greatly that someone had come to seek the welfare of the people of Israel. So I came to Jerusalem and was there for three days. Then I got up during the night, I and a few men with me; I told no one what my God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem. The only animal I took was the animal I rode. I went out by night by the Valley Gate past the Dragon's Spring and to the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that had been broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire. Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and to the King's Pool; but there was no place for the animal I was riding to continue. So I went up by way of the valley by night and inspected the wall. Then I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate, and so returned. The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing; I had not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, and the rest that were to do the work. Then I said to them, 'You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burnt. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, so that we may no longer suffer disgrace.' I told them that the hand of my God had been gracious upon me, and also the words that the king had spoken to me. Then they said, 'Let us start building!' So they committed themselves to the common good. But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they mocked and ridiculed us, saying, 'What is this that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?' Then I replied to them, 'The God of heaven is the one who will give us success, and we his servants are going to start building; but you have no share or claim or historic right in Jerusalem.' HYMN Words: Quicumque certum quaeritis, Aurelius Clemens Prudentius (348-c.410) translated by Edward Caswall (1814-1878) Tune: Saint Bernard All ye who seek a comfort sure in trouble and distress, whatever sorrow vex the mind, or guilt the soul oppress: Jesus, who gave himself for you upon the cross to die, opens to you his sacred heart; O, to that heart draw nigh. Ye hear how kindly he invites; ye hear his words so blest: 'All ye that labour, come to me, and I will give you rest.' What meeker than the Saviour's heart? As on the cross he lay, it did his murderers forgive, and for their pardon pray. O heart, thou joy of saints on high, thou hope of sinners here, attracted by those loving words to thee I lift my prayer. Wash thou my wounds in that dear blood which forth from thee doth flow; new grace, new hope inspire, a new and better heart bestow. SECOND READING [Acts 13:13-25]: Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. John, however, left them and returned to Jerusalem; but they went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. And on the sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. After the reading of the law and the prophets, the officials of the synagogue sent them a message, saying, 'Brothers, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, give it.' So Paul stood up and with a gesture began to speak: 'You Israelites, and others who fear God, listen. The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with uplifted arm he led them out of it. For about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness. After he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance for about four hundred and fifty years. After that he gave them judges until the time of the prophet Samuel. Then they asked for a king; and God gave them Saul son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, who reigned for forty years. When he had removed him, he made David their king. In his testimony about him he said, "I have found David, son of Jesse, to be a man after my heart, who will carry out all my wishes." Of this man's posterity God has brought to Israel a Saviour, Jesus, as he promised; before his coming John had already proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And as John was finishing his work, he said, "What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but one is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of the sandals on his feet." The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: Lord, have mercy Christ, have mercy Lord, have mercy Christ, hear us Christ, graciously hear us. God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us. God, the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, Son of the Eternal Father, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mother, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, substantially united to the Word of God, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, of Infinite Majesty, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, Sacred Temple of God, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, Tabernacle of the Most High, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, House of God and Gate of Heaven, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, burning furnace of charity, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, abode of justice and love, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, full of goodness and love, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, abyss of all virtues, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, most worthy of all praise, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, king and center of all hearts, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, in whom are all treasures of wisdom and knowledge, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, in whom dwells the fullness of divinity, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, in whom the Father was well pleased, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, of whose fullness we have all received, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, desire of the everlasting hills, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, patient and most merciful, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, enriching all who invoke Thee, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, fountain of life and holiness, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, propitiation for our sins, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, loaded down with opprobrium, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, bruised for our offenses, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, obedient to death, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, pierced with a lance, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, source of all consolation, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, our life and resurrection, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, our peace and our reconciliation, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, victim for our sins have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, salvation of those who trust in thee, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, hope of those who die in thee, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, delight of all the Saints, have mercy on us. O God, whose steadfast love never ceases and whose compassion never fails: come with the dawning of the new day and reveal your power in our lives, that your glory may be exalted in all the earth; 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 Compassionate God, grant that our experience of your pardon may increase our love until it reflects your own immeasurable forgiveness; through 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 by Stephen T. Benner and is based on phrases in a prayer from _We Give You Thanks and Praise: The Ambrosian Eucharistic Prefaces_, translated by Alan Griffiths, (c) The Canterbury Press Norwich, 1999; and other phrases in _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission. The closing prayer is adapted from a prayer in _Opening Prayers: Collects in Contemporary Language_. Canterbury Press, Norwich, 1999. From steve.benner at oremus.org Fri Jun 6 17:00:01 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Fri, 6 Jun 2008 17:00:01 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 7 June 2008 Message-ID: <20080606170001.A37841E3397@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Saturday, June 7, 2008 O Lord, open our lips. And our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, O Lord, your love reaches to the heavens, and your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like teh strong mountains, your justice like the great deep; you save your entire creation, O Lord, in your Son, 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 66 Be joyful in God, all you lands;* sing the glory of his name; sing the glory of his praise. Say to God, 'How awesome are your deeds!* because of your great strength your enemies cringe before you. 'All the earth bows down before you,* sings to you, sings out your name.' Come now and see the works of God,* how wonderful he is in his doing towards all people. He turned the sea into dry land, so that they went through the water on foot,* and there we rejoiced in him. In his might he rules for ever; his eyes keep watch over the nations;* let no rebel rise up against him. Bless our God, you peoples;* make the voice of his praise to be heard; Who holds our souls in life,* and will not allow our feet to slip. For you, O God, have proved us;* you have tried us just as silver is tried. You brought us into the snare;* you laid heavy burdens upon our backs. You let enemies ride over our heads; we went through fire and water;* but you brought us out into a place of refreshment. I will enter your house with burnt-offerings and will pay you my vows,* which I promised with my lips and spoke with my mouth when I was in trouble. I will offer you sacrifices of fat beasts with the smoke of rams;* I will give you oxen and goats. Come and listen, all you who fear God,* and I will tell you what he has done for me. I called out to him with my mouth,* and his praise was on my tongue. If I had found evil in my heart,* the Lord would not have heard me; But in truth God has heard me;* he has attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, who has not rejected my prayer,* nor withheld his love from me. The Prayer of Habakkuk (Habakkuk 3.2-4,13a,15-19) O Lord, I have heard of your renown, and I stand in awe, O Lord, of your work. In the midst of the years renew it; in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy. God came from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. His brightness was like the sun, rays flashed from his hand; there he veiled his power. You came forth to save your people, to save your anointed. You trampled the sea with your horses, churning the mighty waters. I hear, and my belly trembles, my lips quiver at the sound; Rottenness enters into my bones, and my steps totter beneath me. I will quietly wait for the day of trouble to come upon the people that invade us. Though the fig tree does not blossom, nor fruit appear on the vines, the produce of the olive fail, and the fields yield no food, Though the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, Yet will I rejoice in the Lord, I will exult in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like hinds' feet, and makes me tread upon the high places. 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 [Nehemiah 4:6-end]: The report of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah: So we rebuilt the wall, and all the wall was joined together to half its height; for the people had a mind to work. But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward and the gaps were beginning to be closed, they were very angry, and all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it. So we prayed to our God, and set a guard as a protection against them day and night. But Judah said, 'The strength of the burden-bearers is failing, and there is too much rubbish, so that we are unable to work on the wall.' And our enemies said, 'They will not know or see anything before we come upon them and kill them and stop the work.' When the Jews who lived near them came, they said to us ten times, 'From all the places where they live they will come up against us.' So in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in open places, I stationed the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. After I looked these things over, I stood up and said to the nobles and the officials and the rest of the people, 'Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your kin, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.' When our enemies heard that their plot was known to us, and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to his work. From that day on, half of my servants worked on construction, and half held the spears, shields, bows, and body-armour; and the leaders posted themselves behind the whole house of Judah, who were building the wall. The burden-bearers carried their loads in such a way that each laboured on the work with one hand and with the other held a weapon. And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built. The man who sounded the trumpet was beside me. And I said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, 'The work is great and widely spread out, and we are separated far from one another on the wall. Rally to us wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet. Our God will fight for us.' So we laboured at the work, and half of them held the spears from break of dawn until the stars came out. I also said to the people at that time, 'Let every man and his servant pass the night inside Jerusalem, so that they may be a guard for us by night and may labour by day.' So neither I nor my brothers nor my servants nor the men of the guard who followed me ever took off our clothes; each kept his weapon in his right hand. HYMN Words: Tune: http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/t/t698.html Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus. SECOND READING [Acts 13:26-43]: Paul said, 'My brothers, you descendants of Abraham's family, and others who fear God, to us the message of this salvation has been sent. Because the residents of Jerusalem and their leaders did not recognize him or understand the words of the prophets that are read every sabbath, they fulfilled those words by condemning him. Even though they found no cause for a sentence of death, they asked Pilate to have him killed. When they had carried out everything that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead; and for many days he appeared to those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, and they are now his witnesses to the people. And we bring you the good news that what God promised to our ancestors he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising Jesus; as also it is written in the second psalm, "You are my Son; today I have begotten you." As to his raising him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way, "I will give you the holy promises made to David." Therefore he has also said in another psalm, "You will not let your Holy One experience corruption." For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, died, was laid beside his ancestors, and experienced corruption; but he whom God raised up experienced no corruption. Let it be known to you therefore, my brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you; by this Jesus everyone who believes is set free from all those sins from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses. Beware, therefore, that what the prophets said does not happen to you: "Look, you scoffers! Be amazed and perish, for in your days I am doing a work, a work that you will never believe, even if someone tells you." ' As Paul and Barnabas were going out, the people urged them to speak about these things again the next sabbath. When the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them and urged them to continue in the grace of God. The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: Loving God, in Jesus Christ you teach us to pray: Guide us by your Holy Spirit that our prayers for others may serve your will and show your steadfast love for all. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. Gracious God, you have called together a people to be the Church of Jesus Christ, founded on the apostles. May your people be one in faith and discipleship, breaking bread together and telling good news. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. May the world come to believe that you are love, turn to your ways and live in the light of your truth. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. You made all things and called them good. May your planet earth be held in reverence by all people, that its resources may be used wisely and its fragile balance between life and death respected. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. Hear our prayers for those who rule the nations, that they may learn wisdom and truth, establish justice and mercy and seek the ways of peace. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. God of power and might, you bring your people out of darkness and slavery into light and freedom through the waters of salvation. Receive our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, and keep us always in your steadfast love; 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 May we feast at your abundant table, O Lord, and drink from the river of your delights. 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 and the closing sentence are adapted from Psalm 36. 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 Jun 7 17:00:00 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Sat, 7 Jun 2008 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 8 June 2008 Message-ID: <20080607170000.D2C681E3CAE@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Sunday, June 8, 2008 The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost O Lord, open our lips. And our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, O Lord, full of compassion and mercy, slow to anger and of great kindness. You have not dealt with us according to our sins, your mercy is great upon those who fear you. In your Son Jesus Christ you have redeemed our life from the grave and crowned us with mercy and loving-kindness. You satisfy us with good things, and our youth is renewed like an eagle's. 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 32 Happy are they whose transgressions are forgiven,* and whose sin is put away! Happy are they to whom the Lord imputes no guilt,* and in whose spirit there is no guile! While I held my tongue, my bones withered away,* because of my groaning all day long. For your hand was heavy upon me day and night;* my moisture was dried up as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you,* and did not conceal my guilt. I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the Lord';* then you forgave me the guilt of my sin. Therefore all the faithful will make their prayers to you in time of trouble;* when the great waters overflow, they shall not reach them. You are my hiding-place; you preserve me from trouble;* you surround me with shouts of deliverance. 'I will instruct you and teach you in the way that you should go;* I will guide you with my eye. 'Do not be like horse or mule, which have no understanding;* who must be fitted with bit and bridle, or else they will not stay near you.' Great are the tribulations of the wicked;* but mercy embraces those who trust in the Lord. Be glad, you righteous, and rejoice in the Lord;* shout for joy, all who are true of heart. Psalm 36:5-end [CCP] Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens,* and your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the strong mountains, your justice like the great deep;* you save both human and beast, O Lord. How priceless is your love, O God!* your people take refuge under the shadow of your wings. They feast upon the abundance of your house;* you give them drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the well of life,* and in your light we see light. Continue your loving-kindness to those who know you,* and your favour to those who are true of heart. Let not the foot of the proud come near me,* nor the hand of the wicked push me aside. See how they are fallen, those who work wickedness!* they are cast down and shall not be able to rise. A Song of Pilgrimage (Ecclesiasticus 51.13a,13c-17,20,21a,22b) 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 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 [Jeremiah 23:1-8]: Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! says the Lord. Therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who shepherd my people: It is you who have scattered my flock, and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. So I will attend to you for your evil doings, says the Lord. Then I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them, and they shall not fear any longer, or be dismayed, nor shall any be missing, says the Lord. The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. And this is the name by which he will be called: 'The Lord is our righteousness.' Therefore, the days are surely coming, says the Lord, when it shall no longer be said, 'As the Lord lives who brought the people of Israel up out of the land of Egypt', but 'As the Lord lives who brought out and led the offspring of the house of Israel out of the land of the north and out of all the lands where he had driven them.' Then they shall live in their own land. HYMN Words: John Cennick (1718-1755) Tune: Culbach, Harts, Innocents Brethren, let us join to bless Christ, the Lord our righteousness; let our praise to Him be given, high at God's right hand in heaven. Son of God, to thee we bow; thou art Lord, and only thou; thou the bless?d virgin's seed, glory of thy church, and head. Thee the angels ceaseless sing; thee we praise, our Priest and King; worthy is thy name of praise, full of glory, full of grace. Thou hast the glad tidings brought of salvation by thee wrought; wrought to set thy people free, wrought to bring our souls to thee. May we follow and adore thee, our Saviour, more and more: guide and bless us with thy love, till we join thy saints above. SECOND READING [Luke 19:2-10]: A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax-collector and was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycomore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, 'Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.' So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. All who saw it began to grumble and said, 'He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.' Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, 'Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.' Then Jesus said to him, 'Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.' The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: O God Our Creator, you have graced us with the gift of life and a world to live in. Empower and strengthen the witness of your church that, true to its calling, it may proclaim your radical and boundless love, in word and deed. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Saving God, you nourish and sustain us by Word and Sacrament. Strengthen all the people of our church, especially our bishops, priests and deacons. Grant that, sustained in you, our service and witness in this land may be full of faith and love. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. O God, Source of our life, you have adopted us in the waters of baptism and made us your own in love. We pray that we may embrace our lives and the lives of others with courage and compassion, unafraid of joy and pain, sickness and health. May your care be made known in our care. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. God of Justice, you revealed your power in the servanthood of Jesus. May those who govern the nations use their authority in wisdom, kindness and peace. Awaken in all who govern a thirst for justice that embodies your care for this earth and the human community. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Liberating God, you are the hope of the weak and the needy. Rescue those who suffer poverty, injustice or oppression when they cry out. Open the ears of our hearts to hear and quicken in us the fire to respond in love. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Compassionate One, you are a well-spring of comfort and healing. Grant comfort, healing and release to those who suffer illness, distress or grief. Awaken in us boundless compassion and use us as agents of lovingkindness. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. God of all generations, we thank you for the gift of the lives and the loving service of all who have died. Keep us in the bonds of love with all the saints throughout the ages and bring us to the fullness of your reign. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. O God of Love, hear the prayers of your people. Enliven us by your Spirit, to live into the fullness of your reign. We pray through Jesus, our life and our hope. Amen. Merciful God, it is by your gift alone that your faithful people offer you true and acceptable service: Grant that we may so faithfully serve you in this life, that we fail not finally to obtain your heavenly promises; through the merits of 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 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless God's holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all that God has done. 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 and the closing sentence are adapted from Psalm 103. From steve.benner at oremus.org Sun Jun 8 17:00:01 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Sun, 8 Jun 2008 17:00:01 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 9 June 2008 Message-ID: <20080608170001.B69081E3D50@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Monday, June 9, 2008 Columba, Abbot of Iona, Missionary, 597 O Lord, open our lips. And our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, O Lord, full of compassion and mercy, slow to anger and of great kindness. You have not dealt with us according to our sins, your mercy is great upon those who fear you. In your Son Jesus Christ you have redeemed our life from the grave and crowned us with mercy and loving-kindness. You satisfy us with good things, and our youth is renewed like an eagle's. 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 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! Psalm 85 You have been gracious to your land, O Lord,* you have restored the good fortune of Jacob. You have forgiven the iniquity of your people* and blotted out all their sins. You have withdrawn all your fury* and turned yourself from your wrathful indignation. Restore us then, O God our Saviour;* let your anger depart from us. Will you be displeased with us for ever?* will you prolong your anger from age to age? Will you not give us life again,* that your people may rejoice in you? Show us your mercy, O Lord,* and grant us your salvation. I will listen to what the Lord God is saying,* for he is speaking peace to his faithful people and to those who turn their hearts to him. Truly, his salvation is very near to those who fear him,* that his glory may dwell in our land. Mercy and truth have met together;* righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth shall spring up from the earth,* and righteousness shall look down from heaven. The Lord will indeed grant prosperity,* and our land will yield its increase. Righteousness shall go before him,* and peace shall be a pathway for his feet. A Song of God's Children (Romans 8.2,14,15b-19) The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and death. All who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God; for we have received the Spirit that enables us to cry, 'Abba, Father'. The Spirit himself bears witness that we are children of God and if God's children, then heirs of God; If heirs of God, then fellow-heirs with Christ; since we suffer with him now, that we may be glorified with him. These sufferings that we now endure are not worth comparing to the glory that shall be revealed. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God. 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 [Nehemiah 5:1-13]: The report of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah: Now there was a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish kin. For there were those who said, 'With our sons and our daughters, we are many; we must get grain, so that we may eat and stay alive.' There were also those who said, 'We are having to pledge our fields, our vineyards, and our houses in order to get grain during the famine.' And there were those who said, 'We are having to borrow money on our fields and vineyards to pay the king's tax. Now our flesh is the same as that of our kindred; our children are the same as their children; and yet we are forcing our sons and daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have been ravished; we are powerless, and our fields and vineyards now belong to others.' I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these complaints. After thinking it over, I brought charges against the nobles and the officials; I said to them, 'You are all taking interest from your own people.' And I called a great assembly to deal with them, and said to them, 'As far as we were able, we have bought back our Jewish kindred who had been sold to other nations; but now you are selling your own kin, who must then be bought back by us!' They were silent, and could not find a word to say. So I said, 'The thing that you are doing is not good. Should you not walk in the fear of our God, to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies? Moreover, I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let us stop this taking of interest. Restore to them, this very day, their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses, and the interest on money, grain, wine, and oil that you have been exacting from them.' Then they said, 'We will restore everything and demand nothing more from them. We will do as you say.' And I called the priests, and made them take an oath to do as they had promised. I also shook out the fold of my garment and said, 'So may God shake out everyone from house and from property who does not perform this promise. Thus may they be shaken out and emptied.' And all the assembly said, 'Amen', and praised the Lord. And the people did as they had promised. HYMN Words: Russell K Carter 1849-1926) Tune: Standing on the promises Standing on the promises of Christ my King, Through eternal ages let his praises ring; Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing, Standing on the promises of God. Standing, standing, Standing on the promises of God my Saviour; Standing, standing, I'm standing on the promises of God. Standing on the promises that cannot fail, When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail; By the living word of God I shall prevail, Standing on the promises of God. Chorus Standing on the promises of Christ my Lord, Bound to him eternally by love's strong cord, Overcoming daily with the Spirit's sword, Standing on the promises of God. Chorus Standing on the promises I cannot fall, Listening every moment to the Spirit's call, Resting in my Saviour as my all in all, Standing on the promises of God. Chorus Standing on the promises I now can see, Perfect, present cleansing in the blood for me; Standing in the liberty where Christ makes free, Standing on the promises of God. Chorus SECOND READING [Acts 13:44-14:7]: The next sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy; and blaspheming, they contradicted what was spoken by Paul. Then both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, 'It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken first to you. Since you reject it and judge yourselves to be unworthy of eternal life, we are now turning to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, "I have set you to be a light for the Gentiles, so that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth." ' When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and praised the word of the Lord; and as many as had been destined for eternal life became believers. Thus the word of the Lord spread throughout the region. But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, and stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their region. So they shook the dust off their feet in protest against them, and went to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. The same thing occurred in Iconium, where Paul and Barnabas went into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks became believers. But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who testified to the word of his grace by granting signs and wonders to be done through them. But the residents of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles. And when an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to maltreat them and to stone them, the apostles learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country; and there they continued proclaiming the good news. The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: We rejoice in your generous goodness, O God, and celebrate your lavish gifts to us this day, for you have shown your love in giving Jesus Christ for the salvation of the world. Especially we give thanks for the labors of those who have served us today... (We thank you, Lord) friends with whom we have shared... those whom we love and have loved us... opportunities for our work to help others... all beauty that delights us... Gracious God, we know you are close to all in need, and by our prayers for others we come closer to you. We are bold to claim for others your promises of new life in Jesus Christ, as we claim them for ourselves. Especially we pray for those in dangerous occupations... (Lord, hear our prayer.) physicians and nurses... those who are ill or confined to nursing homes... for those whom we love and for those who love us... those who mourn... the Roman Catholic Church... the Diocese of 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. Gathering our prayers and praises into one, let us pray as our Savior has taught us. - The Lord's Prayer Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless God's holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all that God has done. 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 and the closing sentence are adapted from Psalm 103. 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 Tue Jun 10 17:00:01 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Tue, 10 Jun 2008 17:00:01 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 11 June 2008 Message-ID: <20080610170001.950921E3C98@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Wednesday, June 11, 2008 Saint Barnabas the Apostle O Lord, open our lips. And our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, God of justice and compassion: by the voice of your Holy Spirit you chose Barnabas from the whole assembly of those who believed in Christ. You numbered him among the apostles as the companion of Paul, sending him to minster the truth of your Gospel so that salvation and eternal life might be proclaimed to all the nations. 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 97 The Lord is king; let the earth rejoice;* let the multitude of the isles be glad. Clouds and darkness are round about him,* righteousness and justice are the foundations of his throne. A fire goes before him* and burns up his enemies on every side. His lightnings light up the world;* the earth sees it and is afraid. The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the Lord,* at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. The heavens declare his righteousness,* and all the peoples see his glory. Confounded be all who worship carved images and delight in false gods!* Bow down before him, all you gods. Zion hears and is glad and the cities of Judah rejoice,* because of your judgements, O Lord. For you are the Lord: most high over all the earth;* you are exalted far above all gods. The Lord loves those who hate evil;* he preserves the lives of his saints and delivers them from the hand of the wicked. Light has sprung up for the righteous,* and joyful gladness for those who are true-hearted. Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,* and give thanks to his holy name. Psalm 100 Be joyful in the Lord, all you lands;* serve the Lord with gladness and come before his presence with a song. Know this: The Lord himself is God;* he himself has made us and we are his; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise;* give thanks to him and call upon his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting;* and his faithfulness endures from age to age. 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 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 [Ecclesiasticus 31:3-11]: The rich person toils to amass a fortune, and when he rests he fills himself with his dainties. The poor person toils to make a meagre living, and if ever he rests he becomes needy. One who loves gold will not be justified; one who pursues money will be led astray by it. Many have come to ruin because of gold, and their destruction has met them face to face. It is a stumbling-block to those who are avid for it, and every fool will be taken captive by it. Blessed is the rich person who is found blameless, and who does not go after gold. Who is he, that we may praise him? For he has done wonders among his people. Who has been tested by it and been found perfect? Let it be for him a ground for boasting. Who has had the power to transgress and did not transgress, and to do evil and did not do it? His prosperity will be established, and the assembly will proclaim his acts of charity. HYMN Words: John Ellerton, 1871 Tune: Strength and Stay http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/o/o588.html Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus. O Son of God, our Captain of salvation, thyself by suffering schooled to human grief, we bless thee for thy sons of consolation, who follow in the steps of thee their Chief. Those whom thy Spirit's dread vocation severs to lead the vanguard of thy conquering host; whose toilsome years are spent in brave endeavors to bear thy saving Name from coast to coast. Those whose bright faith makes feeble hearts grow stronger, and sends fresh warriors to the great campaign, bids the lone convert feel estranged no longer, and wins the sundered to be one again; And all true helpers, patient, kind, and skillful, who shed thy light across our darkened earth, counsel the doubting, and restrain the willful, soothe the sick bed, and share the children's mirth. Such was thy Levite, strong in self-oblation to cast his all at thine apostles' feet; he whose new name, through every Christian nation, from age to age our thankful strains repeat. Thus, Lord, thy saint in holy memory keeping, still be thy Church's watchword, "Comfort ye," till in our Father's house shall end our weeping, and all our wants be satisfied in thee. SECOND READING [Acts 4:32-end]: Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. They laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. There was a Levite, a native of Cyprus, Joseph, to whom the apostles gave the name Barnabas (which means 'son of encouragement'). He sold a field that belonged to him, then brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet. The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: God of mercy, you sent your beloved Son to die for the sins of the whole world: Look upon all people who have not known his name and in your good time lead them to his cross: Lord, hear our prayer. Strengthen with the comfort of your Spirit all who bear the message of your Gospel wherever it may take them: Lord, hear our prayer. Take away from all who hear the Good News hardness of heart and pride, and so move them, blessed Lord, with your infinite love, that the day may quickly come when everyone shall turn to you and there shall be one flock and one shepherd: Lord, hear our prayer. Generous God, whose Son Jesus Christ has taught us that it is more blessed to give than to receive: Help us by the example of your apostle Barnabas, a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith, to be generous in our judgments and unselfish in our service; 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 Draw your Church together, O God, into one great company of disciples, together following our Lord Jesus Christ into every walk of life, together serving him in his mission to the world, and together witnessing to his 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 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 by Stephen Benner. The collect is from _A Prayer Book for Australia_. (c) 1995, The Anglican Church of Australia Trust Corporation. The closing sentence are adapted from prayers in _New Patterns for Worship_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002. From steve.benner at oremus.org Wed Jun 11 17:00:08 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2008 17:00:08 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 12 June 2008 Message-ID: <20080611170008.8071D1E3E5C@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Thursday, June 12, 2008 O Lord, open our lips. And our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, O Lord, full of compassion and mercy, slow to anger and of great kindness. You have not dealt with us according to our sins, your mercy is great upon those who fear you. In your Son Jesus Christ you have redeemed our life from the grave and crowned us with mercy and loving-kindness. You satisfy us with good things, and our youth is renewed like an eagle's. 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 111 Alleluia! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,* in the assembly of the upright, in the congregation. Great are the deeds of the Lord!* they are studied by all who delight in them. His work is full of majesty and splendour,* and his righteousness endures for ever. He makes his marvellous works to be remembered;* the Lord is gracious and full of compassion. He gives food to those who fear him;* he is ever mindful of his covenant. He has shown his people the power of his works* in giving them the lands of the nations. The works of his hands are faithfulness and justice;* all his commandments are sure. They stand fast for ever and ever,* because they are done in truth and equity. He sent redemption to his people; he commanded his covenant for ever;* holy and awesome is his name. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;* those who act accordingly have a good understanding; his praise endures for ever. Psalm 114 Alleluia! When Israel came out of Egypt,* the house of Jacob from a people of strange speech, Judah became God's sanctuary* and Israel his dominion. The sea beheld it and fled;* Jordan turned and went back. The mountains skipped like rams,* and the little hills like young sheep. What ailed you, O sea, that you fled?* O Jordan, that you turned back? You mountains, that you skipped like rams?* you little hills like young sheep? Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,* at the presence of the God of Jacob, Who turned the hard rock into a pool of water* and flint-stone into a flowing spring. A Song of Repentance (1 John 1. 5-9) This is the message we have heard from Christ and proclaim to you: that God is light, in whom there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with God while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true. But if we walk in the light as God is in the light, we have fellowship with one another. And the blood of Jesus, the Son of God, cleanses us from all our sins. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, the One who is faithful and just will forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 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 [Nehemiah 9:32-end]: Ezra said, 'Now therefore, our God the great and mighty and awesome God, keeping covenant and steadfast love do not treat lightly all the hardship that has come upon us, upon our kings, our officials, our priests, our prophets, our ancestors, and all your people, since the time of the kings of Assyria until today. You have been just in all that has come upon us, for you have dealt faithfully and we have acted wickedly; our kings, our officials, our priests, and our ancestors have not kept your law or heeded the commandments and the warnings that you gave them. Even in their own kingdom, and in the great goodness you bestowed on them, and in the large and rich land that you set before them, they did not serve you and did not turn from their wicked works. Here we are, slaves to this day slaves in the land that you gave to our ancestors to enjoy its fruit and its good gifts. Its rich yield goes to the kings whom you have set over us because of our sins; they have power also over our bodies and over our livestock at their pleasure, and we are in great distress.' Because of all this we make a firm agreement in writing, and on that sealed document are inscribed the names of our officials, our Levites, and our priests. HYMN Words: Elizabeth A P Head (1850-1936) Tune: Spiritus Vitae O breath of love, come breathe within us, renewing thought and will and heart; come, love of Christ, afresh to win us, revive your Church in every part! O wind of God, come bend us, break us till humbly we confess our need; then, in your tenderness remake us, revive, restore-for this we plead. O breath of life, come sweeping through us, revive your Church with life and power; O breath of life, come, cleanse, renew us and fit your Church to meet this hour. SECOND READING [Acts 15:1-12]: Certain individuals came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, 'Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.' And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to discuss this question with the apostles and the elders. So they were sent on their way by the church, and as they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, they reported the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the believers. When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them. But some believers who belonged to the sect of the Pharisees stood up and said, 'It is necessary for them to be circumcised and ordered to keep the law of Moses.' The apostles and the elders met together to consider this matter. After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, 'My brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that I should be the one through whom the Gentiles would hear the message of the good news and become believers. And God, who knows the human heart, testified to them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us; and in cleansing their hearts by faith he has made no distinction between them and us. Now therefore why are you putting God to the test by placing on the neck of the disciples a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear? On the contrary, we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.' The whole assembly kept silence, and listened to Barnabas and Paul as they told of all the signs and wonders that God had done through them among the Gentiles. The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: We give you praise and thanks, O God, for all gifts of love we have received from you, and for your persistent mercy in Jesus Christ. Especially we thank you for work we have accomplished pleasing to you... (We thank you, Lord.) the faithful witness of Christian people... the example of righteousness we see in parents and teachers... the innocence and openness we see in children... all works of Christian compassion... We give you our cares and concerns, O God, because we know you are kind and care for your children in every circumstance. Especially we pray for those who struggle with doubt and despair... (Lord, hear our prayer.) people afflicted with disease... those called to special ministries... people neglected or abused... Baptist, Disciples of Christ, and other free churches... Gracious God, full of compassion, the works of your hands are justice and truth, May we who long for your kingdom to come rejoice to do your will and acknowledge your power alone to save; 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 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless God's holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all that God has done. 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 and the closing sentence are adapted from Psalm 103. 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 Thu Jun 12 17:00:02 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2008 17:00:02 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 13 June 2008 Message-ID: <20080612170002.661531E4455@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Friday, June 13, 2008 Antony of Padua, OFM, Missionary, Preacher, 1231 O Lord, open our lips. And our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, O Lord, full of compassion and mercy, slow to anger and of great kindness. You have not dealt with us according to our sins, your mercy is great upon those who fear you. In your Son Jesus Christ you have redeemed our life from the grave and crowned us with mercy and loving-kindness. You satisfy us with good things, and our youth is renewed like an eagle's. 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 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 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 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 [Nehemiah 13:15-22]: In those days I saw in Judah people treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on donkeys; and also wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day; and I warned them at that time against selling food. Tyrians also, who lived in the city, brought in fish and all kinds of merchandise and sold them on the sabbath to the people of Judah, and in Jerusalem. Then I remonstrated with the nobles of Judah and said to them, 'What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the sabbath day? Did not your ancestors act in this way, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Yet you bring more wrath on Israel by profaning the sabbath.' When it began to be dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut and gave orders that they should not be opened until after the sabbath. And I set some of my servants over the gates, to prevent any burden from being brought in on the sabbath day. Then the merchants and sellers of all kinds of merchandise spent the night outside Jerusalem once or twice. But I warned them and said to them, 'Why do you spend the night in front of the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you.' From that time on they did not come on the sabbath. And I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves and come and guard the gates, to keep the sabbath day holy. Remember this also in my favour, O my God, and spare me according to the greatness of your steadfast love. HYMN Words: Meine Hoffnung stehet feste Joachim Neander (1650-1680) paraphrased 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 ay endureth, Deep his wisdom, passing thought: Splendour, light, and life attend him, Beauty springeth out of nought. Evermore, >From his store New-born 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 15:13-21]: James said, 'My brothers, listen to me. Simeon has related how God first looked favourably on the Gentiles, to take from among them a people for his name. This agrees with the words of the prophets, as it is written, "After this I will return, and I will rebuild the dwelling of David, which has fallen; from its ruins I will rebuild it, and I will set it up, so that all other peoples may seek the Lord even all the Gentiles over whom my name has been called. Thus says the Lord, who has been making these things known from long ago." Therefore I have reached the decision that we should not trouble those Gentiles who are turning to God, but we should write to them to abstain only from things polluted by idols and from fornication and from whatever has been strangled and from blood. For in every city, for generations past, Moses has had those who proclaim him, for he has been read aloud every sabbath in the synagogues.' The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: Merciful God, we praise you that you give strength for every weakness, forgiveness for our failures, and new beginnings in Jesus Christ. Especially we thank you for the guidance of your Spirit through this day... (We thank you, Lord.) signs of new life and hope... people who have helped us... those who struggle for justice... expressions of love unexpected or undeserved... Almighty God, you know all needs before we speak our prayers, yet you welcome our concerns for others in Jesus Christ. Especially we pray for those who keep watch over the sick and dying... (Lord, hear our prayer.) those who weep with the grieving... those who are without faith and cannot accept your love... those who grow old... Reformed, Presbyterian, and Lutheran churches... Lord, you shared the limits of our life to save us from the snares of death; may we have the courage to walk before you in the land of the living, and witness to your presence before all the people; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Almighty and eternal God, you have given us blessed Antony of Padua as an example of outstanding preaching and intercession for others in times of need: Grant us grace so to follow his model of Christian living that we may experience the support of your Holy Spirit in all that we must endure; 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 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless God's holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all that God has done. 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 and the closing sentence are adapted from Psalm 103. Antony was born in Lisbon in 1195, and spent the first twenty-five years of his life in Portugal. Desiring to become a missionary, he joined the Franciscans and was sent to Morocco to preach to the Muslims. His health failed, and he returned almost immediately and was sent to Italy, where he seemed headed for an uneventful obscurity. However, a conference of Dominicans and Franciscans was scheduled, at which each group thought that the other was about to provide the preacher, and so no one was prepared. For some reason, Antony was thrust forward and told to say something, and he astonished his hearers with the grace and power of his exhortation. He was told that he must speak more often, and he devoted the last nine years of his life to preaching. He had a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures, and his sermons reflect that knowledge. He was noted for his refutations of heresies, and for his denunciations of clergy who did not live dedicated lives and of wealthy and powerful persons who oppressed the common people. It is said that Antony in his private prayers was accustomed to direct his devotion to Jesus as an infant, and to meditate on the Divine Humility that stooped to accept, not merely the limitations of being human, but the limitations of being a helpless baby, utterly dependent on others. For this reason, artists often portray Antony in a Franciscan robe, carrying a lily and the child Jesus. Background note: In many countries, it is widely believed that Antony, now in heaven, makes a special point of praying on behalf of his fellow Christians who have lost or misplaced items and wish to find them. He also prays on behalf of women who wish to marry. [James Kiefer, abridged] From steve.benner at oremus.org Fri Jun 13 17:00:00 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Fri, 13 Jun 2008 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 14 June 2008 Message-ID: <20080613170000.E55151E369E@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Saturday, June 14, 2008 Richard Baxter, Puritan Divine, 1691 O Lord, open our lips. And our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, O Lord, full of compassion and mercy, slow to anger and of great kindness. You have not dealt with us according to our sins, your mercy is great upon those who fear you. In your Son Jesus Christ you have redeemed our life from the grave and crowned us with mercy and loving-kindness. You satisfy us with good things, and our youth is renewed like an eagle's. 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 93 The Lord is king; he has put on splendid apparel;* the Lord has put on his apparel and girded himself with strength. He has made the whole world so sure* that it cannot be moved; Ever since the world began, your throne has been established;* you are from everlasting. The waters have lifted up, O Lord, the waters have lifted up their voice;* the waters have lifted up their pounding waves. Mightier than the sound of many waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea,* mightier is the Lord who dwells on high. Your testimonies are very sure,* and holiness adorns your house, O Lord, for ever and for evermore. Psalm 99 The Lord is king; let the people tremble;* he is enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth shake. The Lord is great in Zion;* he is high above all peoples. Let them confess his name, which is great and awesome;* he is the Holy One. 'O mighty King, lover of justice, you have established equity;* you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.' Proclaim the greatness of the Lord our God and fall down before his footstool;* he is the Holy One. Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among those who call upon his name,* they called upon the Lord and he answered them. He spoke to them out of the pillar of cloud;* they kept his testimonies and the decree that he gave them. 'O Lord our God, you answered them indeed;* you were a God who forgave them, yet punished them for their evil deeds.' Proclaim the greatness of the Lord our God and worship him upon his holy hill;* for the Lord our God is the Holy One. 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 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 [1 Maccabees 1:1,7-15]: After Alexander son of Philip, the Macedonian, who came from the land of Kittim, had defeated King Darius of the Persians and the Medes, he succeeded him as king. (He had previously become king of Greece.) And after Alexander had reigned for twelve years, he died. Then his officers began to rule, each in his own place. They all put on crowns after his death, and so did their descendants after them for many years; and they caused many evils on the earth. >From them came forth a sinful root, Antiochus Epiphanes, son of King Antiochus; he had been a hostage in Rome. He began to reign in the one hundred and thirty-seventh year of the kingdom of the Greeks. In those days certain renegades came out from Israel and misled many, saying, 'Let us go and make a covenant with the Gentiles around us, for since we separated from them many disasters have come upon us.' This proposal pleased them, and some of the people eagerly went to the king, who authorized them to observe the ordinances of the Gentiles. So they built a gymnasium in Jerusalem, according to Gentile custom, and removed the marks of circumcision, and abandoned the holy covenant. They joined with the Gentiles and sold themselves to do evil. HYMN Words: Richard Baxter (1615-1691) Tune: Albano, Burford Lord, it belongs not to my care whether I die or live; to love and serve thee is my share, and this thy grace must give. If life be long, I will be glad that I may long obey; if short, yet why should I be sad to soar to endless day? Christ leads me through no darker rooms than he went through before; he that into God's kingdom comes must enter by this door. Come Lord, when grace hath made me meet thy blessed face to see; for if thy work on earth be sweet, what will thy glory be? Then I shall end my sad complaints and weary, sinful days, and join with the triumphant saints that sing Jehovah's praise. My knowledge of that life is small; the eye of faith is dim; but 'tis enough that Christ knows all, and I shall be with him. SECOND READING [Acts 15:22-35]: Then the apostles and the elders, with the consent of the whole church, decided to choose men from among their members and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leaders among the brothers, with the following letter: 'The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the believers of Gentile origin in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings. Since we have heard that certain persons who have gone out from us, though with no instructions from us, have said things to disturb you and have unsettled your minds, we have decided unanimously to choose representatives and send them to you, along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to impose on you no further burden than these essentials: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.' So they were sent off and went down to Antioch. When they gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. When its members read it, they rejoiced at the exhortation. Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the believers. After they had been there for some time, they were sent off in peace by the believers to those who had sent them. But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, and there, with many others, they taught and proclaimed the word of the Lord. The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: God of glory, we praise you for your presence in our lives, and for all goodness that you shower upon your children in Jesus Christ. Especially we thank you for promises kept and hope for tomorrow... (We thank you, Lord.) the enjoyment of friends... the wonders of your creation... love from our parents, our sisters and brothers, our spouses, lovers, and children... pleasures of living... God of grace, we are one with all your children, for we are sisters and brothers of Jesus Christ, and we offer our prayers for all whom we love. Especially we pray for those we too often forget... (Lord, hear our prayer.) people who have lost hope... victims of tragedy and disaster... those who suffer mental anguish... ecumenical councils and church agencies... Blessed are you, Lord God, King of the universe: in awe and wonder we bow before the mystery of your power and might, for you are Lord for ever and ever. Amen. O heavenly Father, Shepherd of your people, we thank you for your servant Richard Baxter, who was faithful in the care and nurture of your flock; and we pray that, following his example and the teaching of his holy life, we may by your grace grow into the stature of the fullness of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Gathering our prayers and praises into one, let us pray as our Savior has taught us. - The Lord's Prayer Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless God's holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all that God has done. 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 and the closing sentence are adapted from Psalm 103. The second collect is from _The Proper for the Lesser Feasts and Fasts_, 3rd edition, (c) 1980 The Church Pension Fund. Richard Baxter was born in Shropshire in 1615, and died in London 8 December 1691. Throughout his life, Baxter worked as a peacemaker between factions. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1638, but by 1640 had allied himself with the Puritans, and was calling for the abolition of bishops in the Church of England. He was a believer in limited monarchy, and attempted to play a mediating role in the English Civil War. For a short time he was a chaplain to the Parliamentary Army, but he helped to bring about the restoration of the monarchy in 1660. After the monarchy was restored, he urged an expansion of the limits of tolerated dissent within the Church of England. In 1685-6 he was imprisoned for 18 months. The Revolution of 1688 largely freed him from further harassment. Although circumstances thrust him into the political controversies of the day, his own chief calling, as he saw it, was to the parish ministry. From 1641 to 1660 he served the parish of Kidderminster in Worcestershire, a town where handloom weaving was the principal industry. Sunday after Sunday, he preached a doctrine of complete trust in God, and daily Christian obedience. His church had to be specially enlarged to accomodate the crowds who came to hear him speak. He was also deeply involved in personal pastoral counselling, making it his business to speak privately with every one in his parish on a regular basis. His best known works are The Saints' Everlasting Rest and The Reformed Pastor. His autobiography, published after his death and edited by another hand, is called Reliquiae Baxterianae, or Mr. Richard Baxter's Narrative of the Most Memorable Passages of His Life and Times. [James Kiefer] From steve.benner at oremus.org Sat Jun 14 17:00:01 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Sat, 14 Jun 2008 17:00:01 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 15 June 2008 Message-ID: <20080614170001.914EA1E43F3@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Sunday, June 15, 2008 The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost O Lord, open our lips. And our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, God and Father of all believers! You summoned our forebear Abram to follow you in ways he did not know and put his faith in things he could not see. You bless all who honor him as their ancestor and invite us to come together in understanding and reverence for your name. 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 51 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your loving-kindness;* in your great compassion blot out my offences. Wash me through and through from my wickedness* and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions,* and my sin is ever before me. Against you only have I sinned* and done what is evil in your sight. And so you are justified when you speak* and upright in your judgement. Indeed, I have been wicked from my birth,* a sinner from my mother's womb. For behold, you look for truth deep within me,* and will make me understand wisdom secretly. Purge me from my sin and I shall be pure;* wash me and I shall be clean indeed. Make me hear of joy and gladness,* that the body you have broken may rejoice. Hide your face from my sins* and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God,* and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence* and take not your holy Spirit from me. Give me the joy of your saving help again* and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit. I shall teach your ways to the wicked,* and sinners shall return to you. Deliver me from death, O God,* and my tongue shall sing of your righteousness, O God of my salvation. Open my lips, O Lord,* and my mouth shall proclaim your praise. Had you desired it, I would have offered sacrifice,* but you take no delight in burnt-offerings. The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit;* a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Be favourable and gracious to Zion,* and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Then you will be pleased with the appointed sacrifices, with burnt-offerings and oblations;* then shall they offer young bullocks upon your altar. 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 [Isaiah 29:9-15]: Stupefy yourselves and be in a stupor, blind yourselves and be blind! Be drunk, but not from wine; stagger, but not from strong drink! For the Lord has poured out upon you a spirit of deep sleep; he has closed your eyes, you prophets, and covered your heads, you seers. The vision of all this has become for you like the words of a sealed document. If it is given to those who can read, with the command, 'Read this', they say, 'We cannot, for it is sealed.' And if it is given to those who cannot read, saying, 'Read this', they say, 'We cannot read.' The Lord said: Because these people draw near with their mouths and honour me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their worship of me is a human commandment learned by rote; so I will again do amazing things with this people, shocking and amazing. The wisdom of their wise shall perish, and the discernment of the discerning shall be hidden. Ha! You who hide a plan too deep for the Lord, whose deeds are in the dark, and who say, 'Who sees us? Who knows us?' HYMN Words: Tune: http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/t/t698.html Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus. SECOND READING [Matthew 15:1-20]: Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, 'Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands before they eat.' He answered them, 'And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, "Honour your father and your mother," and, "Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must surely die." But you say that whoever tells father or mother, "Whatever support you might have had from me is given to God", then that person need not honour the father. So, for the sake of your tradition, you make void the word of God. You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied rightly about you when he said: "This people honours me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines." ' Then he called the crowd to him and said to them, 'Listen and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles.' Then the disciples approached and said to him, 'Do you know that the Pharisees took offence when they heard what you said?' He answered, 'Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit.' But Peter said to him, 'Explain this parable to us.' Then he said, 'Are you also still without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach, and goes out into the sewer? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile.' The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: Almighty God, you have called your disciples to proclaim the good news and given us authority to share in your work of healing and compassion; hear the voice of our supplication and incline your ear to us as we call upon you, saying: You are good, O God; your mercy is everlasting; and your faithfulness endures from age to age. Grant to your apostolic church the power of your kingdom, O God, and send out laborers into your harvest, until all the world knows that the kingdom of heaven has come near. You are good, O God; your mercy is everlasting; and your faithfulness endures from age to age. Look upon the nations and all in authority as we struggle, harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd, O God: Pour out the abundance of your grace that we may become a priestly kingdom and a holy nation. You are good, O God; your mercy is everlasting; and your faithfulness endures from age to age. and your faithfulness endures from age to age. Look upon our community as your treasured possession, and let everyone know your love poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. You are good, O God; your mercy is everlasting; and your faithfulness endures from age to age. Hear our prayers for those near and far. We offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving for all our joys. We entrust with hope those who have died that they may share the glory of God. Grant that suffering may produce endurance, and endurance produce character, and character produce hope that does not disappoint because of your loved poured out through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. You are good, O God; your mercy is everlasting; and your faithfulness endures from age to age. Almighty God, you have called us to serve you, yet without your grace we are unable to please you: Mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; 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 God of all trust, may our faith be shown in our lives marked with abundant joy, outrageous hope, and dependence on nothing but your word, Jesus Christ. 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 and the closing sentence are adapted from prayers by Alan Griffiths. From steve.benner at oremus.org Sun Jun 15 17:00:01 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Sun, 15 Jun 2008 17:00:01 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 16 June 2008 Message-ID: <20080615170001.70F781E41F1@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Monday, June 16, 2008 Joseph Butler, Bishop of Durham, Philosopher, 1752 O Lord, open our lips. And our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, God and Father of all believers! You summoned our forebear Abram to follow you in ways he did not know and put his faith in things he could not see. You bless all who honor him as their ancestor and invite us to come together in understanding and reverence for your name. 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 119:65-80 O Lord, you have dealt graciously with your servant,* according to your word. Teach me discernment and knowledge,* for I have believed in your commandments. Before I was afflicted I went astray,* but now I keep your word. You are good and you bring forth good;* instruct me in your statutes. The proud have smeared me with lies,* but I will keep your commandments with my whole heart. Their heart is gross and fat,* but my delight is in your law. It is good for me that I have been afflicted,* that I might learn your statutes. The law of your mouth is dearer to me* than thousands in gold and silver. Your hands have made me and fashioned me;* give me understanding, that I may learn your commandments. Those who fear you will be glad when they see me,* because I trust in your word. I know, O Lord, that your judgements are right* and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me. Let your loving-kindness be my comfort* as you have promised to your servant. Let your compassion come to me, that I may live,* for your law is my delight. Let the arrogant be put to shame, for they wrong me with lies;* but I will meditate on your commandments. Let those who fear you turn to me,* and also those who know your decrees. Let my heart be sound in your statutes,* that I may not be put to shame. 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 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 [1 Maccabees 1:41-53]: The king wrote to his whole kingdom that all should be one people, and that all should give up their particular customs. All the Gentiles accepted the command of the king. Many even from Israel gladly adopted his religion; they sacrificed to idols and profaned the sabbath. And the king sent letters by messengers to Jerusalem and the towns of Judah; he directed them to follow customs strange to the land, to forbid burnt-offerings and sacrifices and drink-offerings in the sanctuary, to profane sabbaths and festivals, to defile the sanctuary and the priests, to build altars and sacred precincts and shrines for idols, to sacrifice swine and other unclean animals, and to leave their sons uncircumcised. They were to make themselves abominable by everything unclean and profane, so that they would forget the law and change all the ordinances. He added, 'And whoever does not obey the command of the king shall die.' In such words he wrote to his whole kingdom. He appointed inspectors over all the people and commanded the towns of Judah to offer sacrifice, town by town. Many of the people, everyone who forsook the law, joined them, and they did evil in the land; they drove Israel into hiding in every place of refuge they had. HYMN Words: W. Walsham How (1823-1897) Tune: St. Alphege We praise thy grace, O Saviour, that beareth with us long, And ever out of weakness Thy servants maketh strong. The saint who left his comrades, And turned back from the fight, Behold at last victorious In thy prevailing might! >From thee, Lord, came the courage Once more to front the host; Thy strength, most mighty Saviour, In weakness shineth most. Thy love thy saint hath numbered Among the bless?d four, And all the world rejoiceth To learn his gospel-lore. O Lord, our human weakness With pitying eye behold; Uplift the fainting spirit, And make the coward bold. O Jesu, glorious Victor O'er all the hosts of sin, In us thy strength make perfect, In us the victory win. SECOND READING [Acts 15:36-16:5]: After some days Paul said to Barnabas, 'Come, let us return and visit the believers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.' Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. But Paul decided not to take with them one who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not accompanied them in the work. The disagreement became so sharp that they parted company; Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus. But Paul chose Silas and set out, the believers commending him to the grace of the Lord. He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. Paul went on also to Derbe and to Lystra, where there was a disciple named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer; but his father was a Greek. He was well spoken of by the believers in Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him; and he took him and had him circumcised because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. As they went from town to town, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. So the churches were strengthened in the faith and increased in numbers daily. The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: Almighty God, you bring your chosen people together in one communion, in the body of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. We rejoice in your light and your peace for your whole Church in heaven and on earth. Lord of mercy: Lord, hear us. Give to all who mourn a sure confidence in your loving care, that we may cast all our sorrow on you, and know the consolation of your love. Lord of mercy: Lord, hear us. Give your faithful people pardon and peace, that we may be cleansed from all our sins, and serve you with a quiet mind. Lord of mercy: Lord, hear us. Give us strength to meet the days ahead in the joyful expectation of eternal life with those you love. Lord of mercy: Lord, hear us. Give to us who are still in our pilgrimage, and who walk as yet by faith, your Holy Spirit to lead us in holiness and righteousness all our days. Lord of mercy: Lord, hear us. May all who have been made one with Christ in his death and in his resurrection die to sin and rise to newness of life. Lord of mercy: Lord, hear us. O God, renew our spirits and draw our hearts to you, that our work may not be a burden, but a source of delight; and so fill us with love for you that we may delight in you and rejoice in all that honors your most holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. O God, by your Holy Spirit you give to some the word of wisdom, to others the word of knowledge, to others the word of faith: We praise your Name for the gifts of grace manifested in your servant Joseph Butler, and we pray that your Church may never be destitute of such gifts; 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 God of all trust, may our faith be shown in our lives marked with abundant joy, outrageous hope, and dependence on nothing but your word, Jesus Christ. 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 and the closing sentence are adapted from prayers by Alan Griffiths. The intercession is from _Patterns for Worship_, material from which is included in this service is copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 1995. The second collect is from _The Proper for the Lesser Feasts and Fasts_, 3rd edition, (c) 1980 The Church Pension Fund. Butler was born in 1692 and ordained in 1718. In 1726 he published Fifteen Sermons, preached at the Rolls Chapel in London, and chiefly dealing with human nature and its implications for ethics and practical Christian life. He maintained that it is normal for a man to have an instinct of self-interest, which leads him to seek his own good, and equally normal for him to have an instinct of benevolence, which leads him to seek the good of others individually and generally, and that the two aims do not in fact conflict. He served as parish priest in several parishes, and in 1736 was appointed chaplain to Queen Caroline, wife of King George II. In the same year he published his masterpiece, The Analogy of Religion, Natural and Revealed, to the Constitution and Course of Nature (often cited simply as "Butler's Analogy"), a work chiefly directed against Deism, of which more will be said below. Appended to the main work was a treatise, Of the Nature of Virtue, which establishes him as one of the foremost British writers on ethics, or moral philosophy. When the Queen died in 1737, Butler was made Bishop of Bristol. However, George II had been impressed with him earlier, and in 1746 he was called back to court and the next year offered the post of Archbishop of Canterbury. He refused the post, but in 1750 he became Bishop of Durham. He died there on 16 June 1752. [James Kiefer, abridged; for the original, see http://elvis.rowan.edu/~kilroy/JEK/06/16.html] From steve.benner at oremus.org Mon Jun 16 17:00:01 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Mon, 16 Jun 2008 17:00:01 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 17 June 2008 Message-ID: <20080616170002.667E91E3EF3@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Tuesday, June 17, 2008 O Lord, open our lips. And our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, God and Father of all believers! You summoned our forebear Abram to follow you in ways he did not know and put his faith in things he could not see. You bless all who honor him as their ancestor and invite us to come together in understanding and reverence for your name. 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 126 When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,* then were we like those who dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter,* and our tongue with shouts of joy. Then they said among the nations,* 'The Lord has done great things for them.' The Lord has done great things for us,* and we are glad indeed. Restore our fortunes, O Lord,* like the watercourses of the Negev. Those who sowed with tears* will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying the seed,* will come again with joy, shouldering their sheaves. Psalm 127 Unless the Lord builds the house,* their labour is in vain who build it. Unless the Lord watches over the city,* in vain the guard keeps vigil. It is in vain that you rise so early and go to bed so late;* vain, too, to eat the bread of toil, for he gives to his beloved sleep. Children are a heritage from the Lord,* and the fruit of the womb is a gift. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior* are the children of one's youth. Happy are they who have their quiver full of them!* they shall not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate. Psalm 130 Out of the depths have I called to you, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice;* let your ears consider well the voice of my supplication. If you, Lord, were to note what is done amiss,* O Lord, who could stand? For there is forgiveness with you;* therefore you shall be feared. I wait for the Lord; my soul waits for him;* in his word is my hope. My soul waits for the Lord, more than the night-watch for the morning,* more than the night-watch for the morning. O Israel, wait for the Lord,* for with the Lord there is mercy; With him there is plenteous redemption,* and he shall redeem Israel from all their sins. 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 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 [1 Maccabees 1:54-end]: Now on the fifteenth day of Chislev, in the one hundred and forty-fifth year, they erected a desolating sacrilege on the altar of burnt-offering. They also built altars in the surrounding towns of Judah, and offered incense at the doors of the houses and in the streets. The books of the law that they found they tore to pieces and burned with fire. Anyone found possessing the book of the covenant, or anyone who adhered to the law, was condemned to death by decree of the king. They kept using violence against Israel, against those who were found month after month in the towns. On the twenty-fifth day of the month they offered sacrifice on the altar that was on top of the altar of burnt-offering. In accordance with the decree, they put to death the women who had their children circumcised, and their families and those who circumcised them; and they hung the infants from their mothers' necks. But many in Israel stood firm and were resolved in their hearts not to eat unclean food. They chose to die rather than to be defiled by food or to profane the holy covenant; and they did die. Very great wrath came upon Israel. HYMN Words: Hardwicke D. Rawnsley (1851-1920) Tune: Jesu ist das sch?nste Licht Saviour, who didst healing give, Still in power go before us; Thou through death didst bid men live. Unto fuller life restore us: Strength from thee the fainting found, Deaf men heard, the blind went seeing; At thy touch was banished sickness, And the leper felt new being. Thou didst work thy deeds of old Through the loving hands of others; Still thy mercies manifold Bless men by the hands of brothers; Angels still before thy face Go, sweet health to brothers bringing; Still, hearts glow to tell his praises With whose name the Church is ringing. Loved physician! for his word, Lo, the gospel page burns brighter: Mission servant of the Lord, Painter true and faithful writer: Saviour, of thy bounty send Such as Luke of Gospel story, Friends to all in body's prison Till the sufferer see thy glory. SECOND READING [Acts 16:6-15]: Paul and Timothy went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. When they had come opposite Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them; so, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, 'Come over to Macedonia and help us.' When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them. We set sail from Troas and took a straight course to Samothrace, the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city for some days. On the sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there. A certain woman named Lydia, a worshipper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, 'If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home.' And she prevailed upon us. The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: We pray to God our Father, saying: Lord, may your word dwell richly in their hearts. For all Christian people, knit together by your word of life; and for all who teach and guard the faith: Lord, may your word dwell richly in their hearts. For those who study and translate the Scriptures: Lord, may your word dwell richly in their hearts. For those who are mocked and persecuted for their faith: Lord, may your word dwell richly in their hearts. For those who long to know you, and your living Word: Lord, may your word dwell richly in their hearts. For those tempted to forsake your way; for those whose hearts are hardened and unfeeling, and for those who threaten war: Lord, may your word dwell richly in their hearts. For those bowed down with grief, fear or sickness, (especially. . .) Lord, may your word dwell richly in their hearts. Giving thanks for those who have died in the faith of Christ, we rejoice with the ever-blessed Virgin Mary and all your saints, trusting in the promise of your word fulfilled. Lord of the Church: hear our prayer, and make us one in heart and mind to serve you in Christ our Lord. Amen. Be with us, God of consolation, when we are made weary by this world; turn our sorrow into joy and give us lips to sing your praise and lives to proclaim your victory in Jesus Christ, our crucified and risen Lord. Amen. Gathering our prayers and praises into one, let us pray as our Savior has taught us. - The Lord's Prayer God of all trust, may our faith be shown in our lives marked with abundant joy, outrageous hope, and dependence on nothing but your word, Jesus Christ. 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 of thanksgiving and the closing sentence are adapted from prayers by Alan Griffiths. The intercession is from _Patterns for Worship_, material from which is included in this service is copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 1995. From steve.benner at oremus.org Tue Jun 17 19:49:53 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Tue, 17 Jun 2008 19:49:53 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 18 June 2008 Message-ID: <20080617194953.098411E4339@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Wednesday, June 18, 2008 Bernard Mizeki, Apostle of the MaShona, Martyr, 1896 O Lord, open our lips. And our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, God and Father of all believers! You summoned our forebear Abram to follow you in ways he did not know and put his faith in things he could not see. You bless all who honor him as their ancestor and invite us to come together in understanding and reverence for your name. 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 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 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 [1 Maccabees 2:1-14]: In those days Mattathias son of John son of Simeon, a priest of the family of Joarib, moved from Jerusalem and settled in Modein. He had five sons, John surnamed Gaddi, Simon called Thassi, Judas called Maccabeus, Eleazar called Avaran, and Jonathan called Apphus. He saw the blasphemies being committed in Judah and Jerusalem, and said, 'Alas! Why was I born to see this, the ruin of my people, the ruin of the holy city, and to live there when it was given over to the enemy, the sanctuary given over to aliens? Her temple has become like a person without honour; her glorious vessels have been carried into exile. Her infants have been killed in her streets, her youths by the sword of the foe. What nation has not inherited her palaces and has not seized her spoils? All her adornment has been taken away; no longer free, she has become a slave. And see, our holy place, our beauty, and our glory have been laid waste; the Gentiles have profaned them. Why should we live any longer?' Then Mattathias and his sons tore their clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourned greatly. HYMN Words: Latin, eighteenth century; trans. Edward Caswall, 1849 Tune: St. Bernard http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/a/a191.html Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus. All ye who seek for sure relief in trouble and distress, whatever sorrow vex the mind, or guilt the soul oppress. Jesus, who gave himself for you upon the Cross to die, opens to you his sacred heart; O to that heart draw nigh. Ye hear how kindly he invites; ye hear his words so blessed; "All ye that labor come to me, and I will give you rest." O Jesus, joy of saints on high, thou hope of sinners here, attracted by those loving words to thee we lift our prayer. Wash thou our wounds in that dear blood which from thy heart doth flow; a new and contrite heart on all who cry to thee bestow. SECOND READING [Acts 16:16-24]: One day, as Paul and we were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave-girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners a great deal of money by fortune-telling. While she followed Paul and us, she would cry out, 'These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation.' She kept doing this for many days. But Paul, very much annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, 'I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.' And it came out that very hour. But when her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market-place before the authorities. When they had brought them before the magistrates, they said, 'These men are disturbing our city; they are Jews and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to adopt or observe.' The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates had them stripped of their clothing and ordered them to be beaten with rods. After they had given them a severe flogging, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to keep them securely. Following these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. 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. 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. Jesus, Son of David, Mighty One of God, you have called us to be priests of the new covenant: clothe us with righteousness, make us faithful and give us hearts to shout for joy in your salvation. To you be glory for ever! Amen. Lord of all nations, by the conversion of Bernard Mizeki you raised up from the people of Africa a missionary faithful even to death: Fill your people with love in the face of hatred and fear and make us ready to live or die for the name of Jesus; who is alive 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 God of all trust, may our faith be shown in our lives marked with abundant joy, outrageous hope, and dependence on nothing but your word, Jesus Christ. 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 and the closing sentence are adapted from prayers by Alan Griffiths. Bernard Mizeki was born in Portuguese East Africa (Mozambique) in about 1861. When he was twelve or a little older, he left his home and went to Capetown, South Africa, where for the next ten years he worked as a laborer, living in the slums of Capetown, but (perceiving the disastrous effects of drunkenness on many workers in the slums) firmly refusing to drink alcohol, and remaining largely uncorrupted by his surroundings. After his day's work, he attended night classes at an Anglican school. Under the influence of his teachers, from the Society of Saint John the Evangelist (SSJE, an Anglican religious order for men, popularly called the Cowley Fathers), he became a Christian and was baptized on 9 March 1886. Besides the fundamentals of European schooling, he mastered English, French, high Dutch, and at least eight local African languages. In time he would be an invaluable assistant when the Anglican church began translating its sacred texts into African languages. After graduating from the school, he accompanied Bishop Knight-Bruce to Mashonaland, a tribal area in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), to work there as a lay catechist. In 1891 the bishop assigned him to Nhowe, the village of paramount-chief Mangwende, and there he built a mission-complex. He prayed the Anglican hours each day, tended his subsistence garden, studied the local language (which he mastered better than any other foreigner in his day), and cultivated friendships with the villagers. He eventually opened a school, and won the hearts of many of the Mashona through his love for their children. He moved his mission complex up onto a nearby plateau, next to a grove of trees sacred to the ancestral spirits of the Mashona. Although he had the chief's permission, he angered the local religious leaders when he cut some of the trees down and carved crosses into others. Although he opposed some local traditional religious customs, Bernard was very attentive to the nuances of the Shona Spirit religion. He developed an approach that built on people's already monotheistic faith in one God, Mwari, and on their sensitivity to spirit life, while at the same time he forthrightly proclaimed the Christ. Over the next five years (1891-1896), the mission at Nhowe produced an abundance of converts. Many black African nationalists regarded all missionaries as working for the European colonial governments. During an uprising in 1896, Bernard was warned to flee. He refused, since he did not regard himself as working for anyone but Christ, and he would not desert his converts or his post. On 18 June 1896, he was fatally speared outside his hut. His wife and a helper went to get food and blankets for him. They later reported that, from a distance, they saw a blinding light on the hillside where he had been lying, and heard a rushing sound, as though of many wings. When they returned to the spot his body had disappeared. The place of his death has become a focus of great devotion for Anglicans and other Christians, and one of the greatest of all Christian festivals in Africa takes place there every year around the feast day that marks the anniversary of his martyrdom, June 18. [James Kiefer] From steve.benner at oremus.org Wed Jun 18 17:00:01 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Wed, 18 Jun 2008 17:00:01 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 19 June 2008 Message-ID: <20080618170001.B13341E418A@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Thursday, June 19, 2008 O Lord, open our lips. And our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, God and Father of all believers! You summoned our forebear Abram to follow you in ways he did not know and put his faith in things he could not see. You bless all who honor him as their ancestor and invite us to come together in understanding and reverence for your name. 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 144 Blessed be the Lord my rock!* who trains my hands to fight and my fingers to battle; My help and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer,* my shield in whom I trust, who subdues the peoples under me. O Lord, what are we that you should care for us?* mere mortals that you should think of us? We are like a puff of wind;* our days are like a passing shadow. Bow your heavens, O Lord, and come down;* touch the mountains and they shall smoke. Hurl the lightning and scatter them;* shoot out your arrows and rout them. Stretch out your hand from on high;* rescue me and deliver me from the great waters, from the hand of foreign peoples, Whose mouths speak deceitfully* and whose right hand is raised in falsehood. O God, I will sing to you a new song;* I will play to you on a ten-stringed lyre. You give victory to kings* and have rescued David your servant. Rescue me from the hurtful sword* and deliver me from the hand of foreign peoples, Whose mouths speak deceitfully* and whose right hand is raised in falsehood. May our sons be like plants well nurtured from their youth,* and our daughters like sculptured corners of a palace. May our barns be filled to overflowing* with all manner of crops; May the flocks in our pastures increase by thousands and tens of thousands;* may our cattle be fat and sleek. May there be no breaching of the walls, no going into exile,* no wailing in the public squares. Happy are the people of whom this is so!* happy are the people whose God is the Lord! 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 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 [1 Maccabees 2:15-30]: The king's officers who were enforcing the apostasy came to the town of Modein to make them offer sacrifice. Many from Israel came to them; and Mattathias and his sons were assembled. Then the king's officers spoke to Mattathias as follows: "You are a leader, honored and great in this town, and supported by sons and brothers. Now be the first to come and do what the king commands, as all the Gentiles and the people of Judah and those that are left in Jerusalem have done. Then you and your sons will be numbered among the Friends of the king, and you and your sons will be honored with silver and gold and many gifts." But Mattathias answered and said in a loud voice: "Even if all the nations that live under the rule of the king obey him, and have chosen to obey his commandments, everyone of them abandoning the religion of their ancestors, I and my sons and my brothers will continue to live by the covenant of our ancestors. Far be it from us to desert the law and the ordinances. We will not obey the king's words by turning aside from our religion to the right hand or to the left." When he had finished speaking these words, a Jew came forward in the sight of all to offer sacrifice on the altar in Modein, according to the king's command. When Mattathias saw it, he burned with zeal and his heart was stirred. He gave vent to righteous anger; he ran and killed him on the altar. At the same time he killed the king's officer who was forcing them to sacrifice, and he tore down the altar. Thus he burned with zeal for the law, just as Phinehas did against Zimri son of Salu. Then Mattathias cried out in the town with a loud voice, saying: "Let every one who is zealous for the law and supports the covenant come out with me!" Then he and his sons fled to the hills and left all that they had in the town. At that time many who were seeking righteousness and justice went down to the wilderness to live there, they, their sons, their wives, and their livestock, because troubles pressed heavily upon them. HYMN Words: Charles Wesley, 1746 Tune: Cornwall http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/o/o471.html Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus. O love divine, how sweet thou art! When shall I find my willing heart all taken up by thee? I thirst, I faint, I die to prove the greatness of redeeming love, the love of Christ to me. Stronger his love than death or hell; its reaches are unsearchable; the first born sons of light desire in vain its depths to see; they cannot reach the mystery the length, and breadth, and height. God only knows the love of God; O that it now were shed abroad in this poor stony heart! For love I sigh, for love I pine; this only portion, Lord, be mine, be mine this better part. Forever would I take my seat with Mary at the Master's feet; be this my happy choice; my only care, delight, and bliss, my joy, my heaven on earth, be this to hear the Bridegroom's voice. SECOND READING [Acts 16:35-end]: When morning came, the magistrates sent the police, saying, "Let those men go." And the jailer reported the message to Paul, saying, "The magistrates sent word to let you go; therefore come out now and go in peace." But Paul replied, "They have beaten us in public, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and now are they going to discharge us in secret? Certainly not! Let them come and take us out themselves." The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens; so they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city. After leaving the prison they went to Lydia's home; and when they had seen and encouraged the brothers and sisters there, they departed. The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: We pray for the family of the church, for loving relationships, and for the life of families around us, saying Jesus, Lord of love: in your mercy, hear us. Jesus, born in poverty and soon a refugee, be with families today who are poor and live in hunger and want. . . Jesus, Lord of love: in your mercy, hear us. Jesus, who grew in wisdom and in favor with God and the people in the family of Joseph the carpenter, bring wisdom and the presence of God into the work and growth of families today. . . Jesus, Lord of love: in your mercy, hear us. Jesus, who blessed marriage in the wedding at Cana, be with those preparing for marriage and with those who come to the end of their resources. . . Jesus, Lord of love: in your mercy, hear us. Jesus, who healed Peter's mother in law, bring healing to hurt relationships and families today. . . Jesus, Lord of love: in your mercy, hear us. Jesus, who on the cross said, 'Mother, behold your son', provide today for those who lose their families, the bereaved and childless, orphans and widows. . . Jesus, Lord of love: in your mercy, hear us. Jesus, who on the seashore provided food for the disciples, bring the whole Church on earth and in heaven into your risen presence to eat at the eternal banquet. Jesus, Lord of love: in your mercy, hear us. Generous and bountiful God, give compassion to the prosperous and comfort to the needy, that all people may come to love and praise you, 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 God of all trust, may our faith be shown in our lives marked with abundant joy, outrageous hope, and dependence on nothing but your word, Jesus Christ. 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 and the closing sentence are adapted from prayers by Alan Griffiths. The intercession is from _Patterns for Worship_, material from which is included in this service is copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 1995. 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 Thu Jun 19 17:00:09 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2008 17:00:09 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 20 June 2008 Message-ID: <20080619170009.7A8DE1E397D@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Friday, June 20, 2008 O Lord, open our lips. And our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, God and Father of all believers! You summoned our forebear Abram to follow you in ways he did not know and put his faith in things he could not see. You bless all who honor him as their ancestor and invite us to come together in understanding and reverence for your name. 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 145 I will exalt you, O God my King,* and bless your name for ever and ever. Every day will I bless you* and praise your name for ever and ever. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised;* there is no end to his greatness. One generation shall praise your works to another* and shall declare your power. I will ponder the glorious splendour of your majesty* and all your marvellous works. They shall speak of the might of your wondrous acts,* and I will tell of your greatness. They shall publish the remembrance of your great goodness;* they shall sing of your righteous deeds. The Lord is gracious and full of compassion,* slow to anger and of great kindness. The Lord is loving to everyone* and his compassion is over all his works. All your works praise you, O Lord,* and your faithful servants bless you. They make known the glory of your kingdom* and speak of your power; That the peoples may know of your power* and the glorious splendour of your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom;* your dominion endures throughout all ages. The Lord is faithful in all his words* and merciful in all his deeds. The Lord upholds all those who fall;* he lifts up those who are bowed down. The eyes of all wait upon you, O Lord,* and you give them their food in due season. You open wide your hand* and satisfy the needs of every living creature. The Lord is righteous in all his ways* and loving in all his works. The Lord is near to those who call upon him,* to all who call upon him faithfully. He fulfils the desire of those who fear him,* he hears their cry and helps them. The Lord preserves all those who love him,* but he destroys all the wicked. My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord;* let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever. 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 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 [1 Maccabees 2:31-43]: And it was reported to the king's officers, and to the troops in Jerusalem the city of David, that those who had rejected the king's command had gone down to the hiding-places in the wilderness. Many pursued them, and overtook them; they encamped opposite them and prepared for battle against them on the sabbath day. They said to them, 'Enough of this! Come out and do what the king commands, and you will live.' But they said, 'We will not come out, nor will we do what the king commands and so profane the sabbath day.' Then the enemy quickly attacked them. But they did not answer them or hurl a stone at them or block up their hiding-places, for they said, 'Let us all die in our innocence; heaven and earth testify for us that you are killing us unjustly.' So they attacked them on the sabbath, and they died, with their wives and children and livestock, to the number of a thousand people. When Mattathias and his friends learned of it, they mourned for them deeply. And all said to their neighbours: 'If we all do as our kindred have done and refuse to fight with the Gentiles for our lives and for our ordinances, they will quickly destroy us from the earth.' So they made this decision that day: 'Let us fight against anyone who comes to attack us on the sabbath day; let us not all die as our kindred died in their hiding-places.' Then there united with them a company of Hasideans, mighty warriors of Israel, all who offered themselves willingly for the law. And all who became fugitives to escape their troubles joined them and reinforced them. HYMN Words: Isaac Watts (1674-1748) Tune: Croft's 136th http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/w/w081.html Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus. We give immortal praise To God the Father's love, For all our comforts here, And better hopes above. He sent his own eternal Son To die for sins that man had done, To God the Son belongs Immortal glory too, Who bought us with his blood >From everlasting woe: And now he lives, and now he reigns, And sees the fruit of all his pains. To God the Spirit's name Immortal worship give, Whose new-creating power Makes the dead sinner live: His work completes the great design, And fills the soul with joy divine. Almighty God, to thee Be endless honours done, The undivided three, And the mysterious one: Where reason fails with all her powers, There faith prevails, and love adores. SECOND READING [Acts 17:1-15]: After Paul and Silas had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three sabbath days argued with them from the scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, 'This is the Messiah, Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you.' Some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. But the Jews became jealous, and with the help of some ruffians in the market-places they formed a mob and set the city in an uproar. While they were searching for Paul and Silas to bring them out to the assembly, they attacked Jason's house. When they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some believers before the city authorities, shouting, 'These people who have been turning the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has entertained them as guests. They are all acting contrary to the decrees of the emperor, saying that there is another king named Jesus.' The people and the city officials were disturbed when they heard this, and after they had taken bail from Jason and the others, they let them go. That very night the believers sent Paul and Silas off to Beroea; and when they arrived, they went to the Jewish synagogue. These Jews were more receptive than those in Thessalonica, for they welcomed the message very eagerly and examined the scriptures every day to see whether these things were so. Many of them therefore believed, including not a few Greek women and men of high standing. But when the Jews of Thessalonica learned that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Beroea as well, they came there too, to stir up and incite the crowds. Then the believers immediately sent Paul away to the coast, but Silas and Timothy remained behind. Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and after receiving instructions to have Silas and Timothy join him as soon as possible, they left him. The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: We pray for the coming of God's kingdom, saying, Father, by your Spirit: bring in your kingdom. You came in Jesus to bring good news to the poor, sight to the blind, freedom to the captives, and salvation to your people: anoint us with your Spirit; rouse us to work in his name. Father, by your Spirit, bring in your kingdom. Send us to bring help to the poor and freedom to the oppressed: Father, by your Spirit, bring in your kingdom. Send us to tell the world the good news of your healing love: Father, by your Spirit, bring in your kingdom. Send us to those who mourn, to bring joy and gladness instead of grief: Father, by your Spirit, bring in your kingdom. Send us to proclaim that the time is here for you to save your people: Father, by your Spirit, bring in your kingdom. Lord God, King of the Universe, you show the bright glory of your reign in acts of mercy and enduring love: raise the spirits of the downcast and restore those who have fallen away, that your Church may continually sing of your saving help; 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 God of all trust, may our faith be shown in our lives marked with abundant joy, outrageous hope, and dependence on nothing but your word, Jesus Christ. 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 of thanksgiving and the closing sentence are adapted from prayers by Alan Griffiths. The intercession is from _Patterns for Worship_, material from which is included in this service is copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 1995. From steve.benner at oremus.org Fri Jun 20 17:00:01 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Fri, 20 Jun 2008 17:00:01 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 21 June 2008 Message-ID: <20080620170001.28FF81E3C97@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Saturday, June 21, 2008 O Lord, open our lips. And our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, God and Father of all believers! You summoned our forebear Abram to follow you in ways he did not know and put his faith in things he could not see. You bless all who honor him as their ancestor and invite us to come together in understanding and reverence for your name. 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 80 Hear, O Shepherd of Israel, leading Joseph like a flock;* shine forth, you that are enthroned upon the cherubim. In the presence of Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh,* stir up your strength and come to help us. Restore us, O God of hosts;* show the light of your countenance and we shall be saved. O Lord God of hosts,* how long will you be angered despite the prayers of your people? You have fed them with the bread of tears;* you have given them bowls of tears to drink. You have made us the derision of our neighbours,* and our enemies laugh us to scorn. Restore us, O God of hosts;* show the light of your countenance and we shall be saved. You have brought a vine out of Egypt;* you cast out the nations and planted it. You prepared the ground for it;* it took root and filled the land. The mountains were covered by its shadow* and the towering cedar trees by its boughs. You stretched out its tendrils to the Sea* and its branches to the River. Why have you broken down its wall,* so that all who pass by pluck off its grapes? The wild boar of the forest has ravaged it,* and the beasts of the field have grazed upon it. Turn now, O God of hosts, look down from heaven; behold and tend this vine;* preserve what your right hand has planted. They burn it with fire like rubbish;* at the rebuke of your countenance let them perish. Let your hand be upon the man of your right hand,* the son of man you have made so strong for yourself. And so will we never turn away from you;* give us life, that we may call upon your name. Restore us, O Lord God of hosts;* show the light of your countenance and we shall be saved. A Song of the Lord's Gracious Deeds (Isaiah 63.1-3a,7-9) Who is this that comes from Edom, coming from Bozrah, his garments stained crimson? Who is this in glorious apparel, marching in the greatness of his strength? 'It is I, who announce that right has won the day, it is I,' says the Lord, 'for I am mighty to save.' Why are your robes all red, O Lord, and your garments like theirs who tread the winepress? 'I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with me.' I will recount the gracious deeds of the Lord, the praises of the Most High; All that God has done for us in his mercy, by his many acts of love. For God said, 'Surely, they are my people, my children who will not deal falsely,' and he became their Saviour in all their distress. So God redeemed them by his love and pity; he lifted them up and carried them through all the days of old. 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 [1 Maccabees 2:49-52,61-70]: Now the days drew near for Mattathias to die, and he said to his sons: 'Arrogance and scorn have now become strong; it is a time of ruin and furious anger. Now, my children, show zeal for the law, and give your lives for the covenant of our ancestors. 'Remember the deeds of the ancestors, which they did in their generations; and you will receive great honour and an everlasting name. Was not Abraham found faithful when tested, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness? 'And so observe, from generation to generation, that none of those who put their trust in him will lack strength. Do not fear the words of sinners, for their splendour will turn into dung and worms. Today they will be exalted, but tomorrow they will not be found, because they will have returned to the dust, and their plans will have perished. My children, be courageous and grow strong in the law, for by it you will gain honour. 'Here is your brother Simeon who, I know, is wise in counsel; always listen to him; he shall be your father. Judas Maccabeus has been a mighty warrior from his youth; he shall command the army for you and fight the battle against the peoples. You shall rally around you all who observe the law, and avenge the wrong done to your people. Pay back the Gentiles in full, and obey the commands of the law.' Then he blessed them, and was gathered to his ancestors. He died in the one hundred and forty-sixth year and was buried in the tomb of his ancestors at Modein. And all Israel mourned for him with great lamentation. HYMN Words: Jeffery Rowthorn 1978 by Hope Publishing Co. Used with permission. Tune: Abbot's Leigh http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/l/l520.html Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus. Lord, you give the great commission: "Heal the sick and preach the word." Lest the Church neglect its mission and the Gospel go unheard, help us witness to your purpose with renewed integrity; with the Spirit's gifts empower us for the work of ministry. Lord, you call us to your service: "In my name baptize and teach." That the world may trust your promise, life abundant meant for each, give us all new fervor, draw us closer in community; with the Spirit's gifts empower us for the work of ministry. Lord, you make the common holy: "This my body, this my blood." Let your priests, for earth's true glory, daily lift life heavenward, asking that world around us share your children's liberty; with the Spirit's gifts empower us for the work of ministry. Lord, you show us love's true measure: "Father, what they do, forgive." Yet we hoard as private treasure all that you so freely give. May your care and mercy lead us to a just society; with the Spirit's gifts empower us for the work of ministry. Lord, you bless with words assuring: "I am with you to the end." Faith and hope and love restoring, may we serve as you intend, and, amid the cares that claim us, hold in mind eternity; with the Spirit's gifts empower us for the work of ministry. SECOND READING [Acts 17:16-end]: While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he argued in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and also in the market-place every day with those who happened to be there. Also some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers debated with him. Some said, 'What does this babbler want to say?' Others said, 'He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign divinities.' (This was because he was telling the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.) So they took him and brought him to the Areopagus and asked him, 'May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? It sounds rather strange to us, so we would like to know what it means.' Now all the Athenians and the foreigners living there would spend their time in nothing but telling or hearing something new. Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, 'Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, "To an unknown god." What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things. From one ancestor he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him though indeed he is not far from each one of us. For "In him we live and move and have our being"; as even some of your own poets have said, "For we too are his offspring." Since we are God's offspring, we ought not to think that the deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of mortals. While God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.' When they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some scoffed; but others said, 'We will hear you again about this.' At that point Paul left them. But some of them joined him and became believers, including Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris, and others with them. The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: In your glory, Lord, protect us by the power of your name: that we may be one as you are one. We are in the world but not of it: protect us from the evil one. Give us your word and the full measure of your joy: sanctify us by your truth. May your Spirit unite us in the love and glory of Father and Son; may we be one that the world may believe. As you sent your Son into the world: so send us, to make your glory known. Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ, our Good Shepherd: you have led us to the kingdom of your Father's love. Forgive our careless indifference to your loving care for all your creatures, and remake us in the likeness of your new and risen life. We ask this in your Name. Amen. Gathering our prayers and praises into one, let us pray as our Savior has taught us. - The Lord's Prayer God of all trust, may our faith be shown in our lives marked with abundant joy, outrageous hope, and dependence on nothing but your word, Jesus Christ. 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 and the closing sentence are adapted from prayers by Alan Griffiths. The intercession is from _Patterns for Worship_, material from which is included in this service is copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 1995. 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 Jun 21 17:00:01 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Sat, 21 Jun 2008 17:00:01 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 22 June 2008 Message-ID: <20080621170001.B3BA91E4500@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Sunday, June 22, 2008 The Sixth Sunday after Pentecost O Lord, open our lips. And our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, Faithful God, shaper of goodness and beauty out of the shadows of chaos. You gladdened the soul of all creation with stunning sunsets, clear-streamed valleys, mountains towering into the sky. These gifts, as well as your hopes and dreams, were for us, but we sent them away into the wilderness of forgetfulness, choosing to live in the long days of rebellion. Seeking to unite us with you once more, you sent Jesus, to baptize us with your life, even as he was baptized into death for us. 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 66 Be joyful in God, all you lands;* sing the glory of his name; sing the glory of his praise. Say to God, 'How awesome are your deeds!* because of your great strength your enemies cringe before you. 'All the earth bows down before you,* sings to you, sings out your name.' Come now and see the works of God,* how wonderful he is in his doing towards all people. He turned the sea into dry land, so that they went through the water on foot,* and there we rejoiced in him. In his might he rules for ever; his eyes keep watch over the nations;* let no rebel rise up against him. Bless our God, you peoples;* make the voice of his praise to be heard; Who holds our souls in life,* and will not allow our feet to slip. For you, O God, have proved us;* you have tried us just as silver is tried. You brought us into the snare;* you laid heavy burdens upon our backs. You let enemies ride over our heads; we went through fire and water;* but you brought us out into a place of refreshment. I will enter your house with burnt-offerings and will pay you my vows,* which I promised with my lips and spoke with my mouth when I was in trouble. I will offer you sacrifices of fat beasts with the smoke of rams;* I will give you oxen and goats. Come and listen, all you who fear God,* and I will tell you what he has done for me. I called out to him with my mouth,* and his praise was on my tongue. If I had found evil in my heart,* the Lord would not have heard me; But in truth God has heard me;* he has attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, who has not rejected my prayer,* nor withheld his love from me. Bless the Lord (The Song of the Three 29-34) Blessed are you, the God of our ancestors, worthy to be praised and exalted for ever. Blessed is your holy and glorious name, worthy to be praised and exalted for ever. Blessed are you, in your holy and glorious temple, worthy to be praised and exalted for ever. Blessed are you who look into the depths, worthy to be praised and exalted for ever. Blessed are you, enthroned on the cherubim, worthy to be praised and exalted for ever. Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom, worthy to be praised and exalted for ever. Blessed are you in the heights of heaven, worthy to be praised and exalted for ever. 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 3:1-7,11-12]: My child, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments; for length of days and years of life and abundant welfare they will give you. Do not let loyalty and faithfulness forsake you; bind them round your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favour and good repute in the sight of God and of people. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. My child, do not despise the Lord's discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves the one he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights. HYMN Words: Charles Wesley (1707-1788) Tune: Gersau Son of God, if thy free grace Again has raised me up, Called me still to seek thy face, And given me back my hope: Still thy timely help afford, And all thy loving-kindness show: Keep me, keep me, gracious Lord, And never let me go! By me, O my Saviour, stand In sore temptation's hour; Save me with thine outstretched hand, And show forth all thy power; O be mindful of thy word, Thy all-sufficient grace bestow: Keep me, keep me, gracious Lord, And never let me go! Give me, Lord, a holy fear, And fix it in my heart, That I may from evil near With timely care depart; Sin be more than hell abhorred; Till thou destroy the tyrant foe, Keep me, keep me, gracious Lord, And never let me go! Never let me leave thy breast, >From thee, my Saviour, stray; Thou art my support and rest, My true and living way; My exceeding great reward, In heav'n above and earth below: Keep me, keep me, gracious Lord, And never let me go! SECOND READING [Luke 14:25-end]: Now large crowds were travelling with him; and he turned and said to them, 'Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, saying, "This fellow began to build and was not able to finish." Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions. 'Salt is good; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure heap; they throw it away. Let anyone with ears to hear listen!' The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: Let us bring our prayers in faith to the Lord who calls us not to be afraid. We pray for the unity of all Christian people: may we proclaim together the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. We pray for our young people: may our loving care and support help them to grow in faith even when they face times that may be challenging and uncertain. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. We pray for the people of Zimbabwe, in the run-up to the election in their country: may their land know true justice, peace and a fair sharing of resources, free from fear and oppression. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. We pray for the peoples of the Holy Land, and the attempts to maintain a truce in Gaza: may those of different races, nations and beliefs learn to live together in mutual trust and reconciliation. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. We pray for those affected by the floods in the American Midwest: may those who have lost homes and crops have the strength and the help they need to rebuild their lives. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. We pray for Afghanistan, and for all those who are seeking to bring peace; and especially we remember all those who have been killed or injured through acts of violence.Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. Heavenly Father, we bring our prayers to you in faith, trusting in your loving care for us. We ask you to hear our prayers, through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Pour out upon us, O God, the power and wisdom of your Spirit, that we may walk with Christ the way of the cross, ready to offer even the gift of our lives to show forth to the world our hope in your kingdom. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one 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 Teach us always to reverence and love your holy name that you have revealed to us 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 is adapted from a prayer by Thom Shurman and the closing sentence is 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 Jun 22 21:01:10 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Sun, 22 Jun 2008 21:01:10 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 23 June 2008 Message-ID: <20080622210110.4692E1E3149@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Monday, June 23, 2008 Etheldreda, Abbess of Ely, c.678 O Lord, open our lips. And our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, Faithful God, shaper of goodness and beauty out of the shadows of chaos. You gladdened the soul of all creation with stunning sunsets, clear-streamed valleys, mountains towering into the sky. These gifts, as well as your hopes and dreams, were for us, but we sent them away into the wilderness of forgetfulness, choosing to live in the long days of rebellion. Seeking to unite us with you once more, you sent Jesus, to baptize us with your life, even as he was baptized into death for us. 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 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! 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. 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 [1 Maccabees 3:1-9]: His son Judas, who was called Maccabeus, took command in his place. All his brothers and all who had joined his father helped him; they gladly fought for Israel. He extended the glory of his people. Like a giant he put on his breastplate; he bound on his armour of war and waged battles, protecting the camp by his sword. He was like a lion in his deeds, like a lion's cub roaring for prey. He searched out and pursued those who broke the law; he burned those who troubled his people. Lawbreakers shrank back for fear of him; all the evildoers were confounded; and deliverance prospered by his hand. He embittered many kings, but he made Jacob glad by his deeds, and his memory is blessed for ever. He went through the cities of Judah; he destroyed the ungodly out of the land; thus he turned away wrath from Israel. He was renowned to the ends of the earth; he gathered in those who were perishing. HYMN Words: Edward Hayes Plumptre, 1864 Tune: St. Matthew http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/t/t513.html Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus. Thine arm, O Lord, in days of old was strong to heal and save; it triumphed o'er disease and death, o'er darkness and the grave. To thee they went, the blind, the dumb, the palsied, and the lame, the leper with his tainted life, the sick with fevered frame. And lo! thy touch brought life and health, gave hearing, strength, and sight; and youth renewed and frenzy calmed owned thee, the Lord of light: and now, O Lord, be near to bless, almighty as of yore, in crowded street, by restless couch, as by Gennesaret's shore. Be thou our great deliverer still, thou Lord of life and death; restore and quicken, soothe and bless, with thine almighty breath: to hands that work and eyes that see, give wisdom's heavenly lore, that whole and sick, and weak and strong, may praise thee evermore. SECOND READING [Acts 18:1-11]: Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. There he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, and, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them, and they worked together by trade they were tentmakers. Every sabbath he would argue in the synagogue and would try to convince Jews and Greeks. When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with proclaiming the word, testifying to the Jews that the Messiah was Jesus. When they opposed and reviled him, in protest he shook the dust from his clothes and said to them, 'Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.' Then he left the synagogue and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshipper of God; his house was next door to the synagogue. Crispus, the official of the synagogue, became a believer in the Lord, together with all his household; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul became believers and were baptized. One night the Lord said to Paul in a vision, 'Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to harm you, for there are many in this city who are my people.' He stayed there for a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. 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. 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. Eternal God, who bestowed such grace upon your servant Ethelreda that she gave herself wholly to the life of prayer and to the service of your true religion: grant that we, like her, may so live our lives on earth seeking your kingdom that by your guiding we may be joined to the glorious fellowship of your saints; 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 Teach us always to reverence and love your holy name that you have revealed to us 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 is adapted from a prayer by Thom Shurman and the closing sentence is adapted from prayers by Alan Griffiths. The intercession is by Stephen Benner. 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. Etheldreda, also called Audrey, was born in Suffolk early in the seventh century, a daughter of the king. She desired to commit her life to prayer and chastity and, after two arranged and unconsummated marriages, founded a religious house at Ely for both men and women, over which she ruled as Abbess. At her death on this day in the year 678, she was revered as a woman of austerity, prayer and prophecy. [Exciting Holiness] From steve.benner at oremus.org Mon Jun 23 17:00:00 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2008 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 24 June 2008 Message-ID: <20080623170000.C1B401E3E8C@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Tuesday, June 24, 2008 The Birth of Saint John the Baptist O Lord, open our lips. And our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, Lord, the God of Israel, you have come to your people and set them free. You have raised up for us a mighty Saviour, born of the house of your servant David. Through your holy prophets, you promised of old to save us from our enemies, from the hands of all who hate us, to show mercy to our ancestors, and to remember your holy covenant. This was the oath God swore to our father, Abraham, to set us free from the hands of our enemies, free to worship you without fear, 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 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. A Song of God's Herald (Isaiah 40:9-11) Go up to a high mountain, herald of good tidings to Zion; lift up your voice with strength, herald of good tidings to Jerusalem. Lift up your voice, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, 'Behold your God!' See, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him. Behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. God will feed his flock like a shepherd, and gather the lambs in his arms; He will carry them in his breast, and gently lead those that are with young. 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 [Malachi 4]: See, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble; the day that comes shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts. Remember the teaching of my servant Moses, the statutes and ordinances that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. Lo, I will send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of parents to their children and the hearts of children to their parents, so that I will not come and strike the land with a curse. HYMN Words: Paul the Deacon (730-799); Trans. C. S. Phillips (1883-1949) (c) Used with permission. Tune: Lobet den Herren, Ut queant laxis http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/s/s206.html Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus. Sing we the praises of the great forerunner, tell forth the mighty wonders of his story: so may his Master cleanse our lips and make them fit to extol him. Lo, God's high herald, swift from heaven descending, gives to thy father tidings of thy coming, telling thy name and all the tale of marvels that shall befall thee. Oft had the prophets in the time before thee spoken in vision of the Daystar's coming; but when he came, 'twas thou that didst proclaim him Savior of all men. SECOND READING [Matthew 11:2-19]: When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, 'Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?' Jesus answered them, 'Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offence at me.' As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: 'What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written, "See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you." Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John came; and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. Let anyone with ears listen! 'But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market-places and calling to one another, "We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn." For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, "He has a demon"; the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, "Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners!" Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.' The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: In the power of the Spirit and in union with Christ, let us pray to the Father, saying Jesus, Lamb of God, have mercy on us. Lord God, who promised Zechariah a son filled with with the spirit and power of Elijah, to prepare a people fit for the Lord we pray for reconciliation between all people, Jesus, Lamb of God, have mercy on us. Lord God, when Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting the baby leapt in her womb may we bless among women she who believed your promise, and proclaim with joy the good news of your Christ. Jesus, Lamb of God, have mercy on us. Lord God, at John's birth Zechariah proclaimed he would be the prophet of the Most High we pray for all who preach the Good News. Jesus, Lamb of God, have mercy on us. Lord God, when your Son came to the Jordan and was baptized by John he saw the heavens open and the Spirit descending as a dove may we who are baptized into your Church faithfully proclaim in the world the words of your beloved Son. Jesus, Lamb of God, have mercy on us. Lord God, John proclaimed your Son as 'the Lamb of God' and John's disciples followed Jesus help us to follow him too, and by our words and deeds to bring our families and friends closer to you. Jesus, Lamb of God, have mercy on us. Lord God, who sent John to witness to the light, to be the voice of one crying in the wilderness and to prepare the way of the Lord comfort your people and bring your healing to the sick and needy, to the broken-hearted and the oppressed, to prisoners and captives. Jesus, Lamb of God, have mercy on us. Lord God, John preached the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins and suffered imprisonment and death for proclaiming your Law we pray with and for all who have died in your service, joining our prayers with John the Baptist, and all the saints, and grant us with them a share in your eternal kingdom. Jesus, Lamb of God, have mercy on us. In the tender compassion of our God, the dawn from on high shall break upon us Shine, Lord, on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death and guide our feet into the way of peace. Merciful Father, Accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. Almighty God, by whose providence your servant John the Baptist was wonderfully born, and sent to prepare the way of your Son our Saviour by preaching repentance lead us to repent according to his preaching, and, after his example, constantly to speak the truth, boldly to rebuke vice, and patiently to suffer for the truth's sake; 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 God of crooked ways made straight, cause us always to rejoice in the approach of Jesus. 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 from Luke 1:68-75, ELLC version. The intercession is by Simon Kershaw. 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 sentence 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. Hymn (c) 1932 Hope Publishing Company, Carol Stream, IL 60188. All rights reserved. Used by permission. For permission to reproduce this hymn in all territories except the UK, contact: Hope Publishing Company, www.hopepublishing.com In the UK, contact: Hymns Ancient & Modern Ltd., St. Mary's Works, St. Mary's Plain, Norwich, Norfolk NR3 3BH England From steve.benner at oremus.org Tue Jun 24 17:01:21 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Tue, 24 Jun 2008 17:01:21 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 25 June 2008 Message-ID: <20080624170121.2345B1E3C32@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Wednesday, June 25, 2008 O Lord, open our lips. And our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, Faithful God, shaper of goodness and beauty out of the shadows of chaos. You gladdened the soul of all creation with stunning sunsets, clear-streamed valleys, mountains towering into the sky. These gifts, as well as your hopes and dreams, were for us, but we sent them away into the wilderness of forgetfulness, choosing to live in the long days of rebellion. Seeking to unite us with you once more, you sent Jesus, to baptize us with your life, even as he was baptized into death for us. 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 27 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom then shall I fear?* the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom then shall I be afraid? When evildoers came upon me to eat up my flesh,* it was they, my foes and my adversaries, who stumbled and fell. Though an army should encamp against me,* yet my heart shall not be afraid; And though war should rise up against me,* yet will I put my trust in him. One thing have I asked of the Lord; one thing I seek;* that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life; To behold the fair beauty of the Lord* and to seek him in his temple. For in the day of trouble he shall keep me safe in his shelter;* he shall hide me in the secrecy of his dwelling and set me high upon a rock. Even now he lifts up my head* above my enemies round about me; Therefore I will offer in his dwelling an oblation with sounds of great gladness;* I will sing and make music to the Lord. Hearken to my voice, O Lord, when I call;* have mercy on me and answer me. You speak in my heart and say, 'Seek my face.'* Your face, Lord, will I seek. Hide not your face from me,* nor turn away your servant in displeasure. You have been my helper; cast me not away;* do not forsake me, O God of my salvation. Though my father and my mother forsake me,* the Lord will sustain me. Show me your way, O Lord;* lead me on a level path, because of my enemies. Deliver me not into the hand of my adversaries,* for false witnesses have risen up against me, and also those who speak malice. What if I had not believed that I should see the goodness of the Lord* in the land of the living! O tarry and await the Lord's pleasure; be strong and he shall comfort your heart;* wait patiently for the Lord. A Song of Redemption (Colossians 1.13-18a,19,20a) The Father has delivered us from the dominion of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son; In whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of our sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible. All things were created through him and for him, he is before all things and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the Church, he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead. In him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell; and through him God was pleased to reconcile all things. 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 [1 Maccabees 4:52-end]: Early in the morning on the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month, which is the month of Chislev, in the one hundred and forty-eighth year, they rose and offered sacrifice, as the law directs, on the new altar of burnt-offering that they had built. At the very season and on the very day that the Gentiles had profaned it, it was dedicated with songs and harps and lutes and cymbals. All the people fell on their faces and worshipped and blessed Heaven, who had prospered them. So they celebrated the dedication of the altar for eight days, and joyfully offered burnt-offerings; they offered a sacrifice of well-being and a thanksgiving-offering. They decorated the front of the temple with golden crowns and small shields; they restored the gates and the chambers for the priests, and fitted them with doors. There was very great joy among the people, and the disgrace brought by the Gentiles was removed. Then Judas and his brothers and all the assembly of Israel determined that every year at that season the days of dedication of the altar should be observed with joy and gladness for eight days, beginning with the twenty-fifth day of the month of Chislev. At that time they fortified Mount Zion with high walls and strong towers all round, to keep the Gentiles from coming and trampling them down as they had done before. Judas stationed a garrison there to guard it; he also fortified Beth-zur to guard it, so that the people might have a stronghold that faced Idumea. HYMN Words: Gerhard Tersteegen, 1729; trans. John Wesley, 1739 Tune: Old 112th http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/l/l183.html Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus. Lo, God is here! let us adore, and own how dreadful is this place! Let all within us feel his power, and silent bow before his face: who know his power, his grace who prove, serve him with aw, with reverence love. Lo, God is here! him day and night united choirs of angels sing; to him, enthroned above all height, heaven's host their noblest praises bring. Disdain not, Lord, our meaner song, who praise thee with a stammering tongue. Almighty Lord, may this our praise thy courts with grateful fragrance fill still may we stand before thy face, still hear and do thy sovereign will; to thee may all our thoughts arise, ceaseless, accepted sacrifice. SECOND READING [Acts 18:24-19:7]: Now there came to Ephesus a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria. He was an eloquent man, well-versed in the scriptures. He had been instructed in the Way of the Lord; and he spoke with burning enthusiasm and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue; but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained the Way of God to him more accurately. And when he wished to cross over to Achaia, the believers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. On his arrival he greatly helped those who through grace had become believers, for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the scriptures that the Messiah is Jesus. While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul passed through the inland regions and came to Ephesus, where he found some disciples. He said to them, 'Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?' They replied, 'No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.' Then he said, 'Into what then were you baptized?' They answered, 'Into John's baptism.' Paul said, 'John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus.' On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied altogether there were about twelve 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. Faithful God, the shelter of all who hope in you, may those who seek your face be set free from fear and distress, and come to see your goodness in the land of the living; through Jesus Christ, our Light and our Salvation. Amen. Gathering our prayers and praises into one, let us pray as our Savior has taught us. - The Lord's Prayer Teach us always to reverence and love your holy name that you have revealed to us 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 is adapted from a prayer by Thom Shurman and the closing sentence is adapted from prayers by Alan Griffiths. The intercession is by Stephen Benner. 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 Jun 25 17:15:38 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Wed, 25 Jun 2008 17:15:38 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 26 June 2008 Message-ID: <20080625171538.B61ED1E3E2A@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Thursday, June 26, 2008 O Lord, open our lips. And our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, Faithful God, shaper of goodness and beauty out of the shadows of chaos. You gladdened the soul of all creation with stunning sunsets, clear-streamed valleys, mountains towering into the sky. These gifts, as well as your hopes and dreams, were for us, but we sent them away into the wilderness of forgetfulness, choosing to live in the long days of rebellion. Seeking to unite us with you once more, you sent Jesus, to baptize us with your life, even as he was baptized into death for us. 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 30 I will exalt you, O Lord, because you have lifted me up* and have not let my enemies triumph over me. O Lord my God, I cried out to you,* and you restored me to health. You brought me up, O Lord, from the dead;* you restored my life as I was going down to the grave. Sing to the Lord, you servants of his;* give thanks for the remembrance of his holiness. For his wrath endures but the twinkling of an eye,* his favour for a lifetime. Weeping may spend the night,* but joy comes in the morning. While I felt secure, I said, 'I shall never be disturbed.* You, Lord, with your favour, made me as strong as the mountains.' Then you hid your face,* and I was filled with fear. I cried to you, O Lord;* I pleaded with the Lord, saying, 'What profit is there in my blood, if I go down to the Pit?* will the dust praise you or declare your faithfulness? 'Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me;* O Lord, be my helper.' You have turned my wailing into dancing;* you have put off my sack-cloth and clothed me with joy; Therefore my heart sings to you without ceasing;* O Lord my God, I will give you thanks for ever. Psalm 31:1-6 In you, O Lord, have I taken refuge; let me never be put to shame;* deliver me in your righteousness. Incline your ear to me;* make haste to deliver me. Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe, for you are my crag and my stronghold;* for the sake of your name, lead me and guide me. Take me out of the net that they have secretly set for me,* for you are my tower of strength. Into your hands I commend my spirit,* for you have redeemed me, O Lord, O God of truth. A Song of Trust (Isaiah 26.1-4,7-9,12) We have a strong city; he sets up salvation as walls and bulwarks. Open the gates, that the righteous nation which keeps faith may enter in. You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord for ever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock. The way of the righteous is level; you who are upright make smooth the path of the righteous. In the path of your judgements, O Lord, we wait for you; your name and renown is the desire of our soul. My soul yearns for you in the night, my spirit within me earnestly seeks you. For when your judgements are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness. O Lord, you will ordain peace for us, for indeed all that we have done you have done for us. 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 [1 Maccabees 4:52-end]: Early in the morning on the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month, which is the month of Chislev, in the one hundred and forty-eighth year, they rose and offered sacrifice, as the law directs, on the new altar of burnt-offering that they had built. At the very season and on the very day that the Gentiles had profaned it, it was dedicated with songs and harps and lutes and cymbals. All the people fell on their faces and worshipped and blessed Heaven, who had prospered them. So they celebrated the dedication of the altar for eight days, and joyfully offered burnt-offerings; they offered a sacrifice of well-being and a thanksgiving-offering. They decorated the front of the temple with golden crowns and small shields; they restored the gates and the chambers for the priests, and fitted them with doors. There was very great joy among the people, and the disgrace brought by the Gentiles was removed. Then Judas and his brothers and all the assembly of Israel determined that every year at that season the days of dedication of the altar should be observed with joy and gladness for eight days, beginning with the twenty-fifth day of the month of Chislev. At that time they fortified Mount Zion with high walls and strong towers all round, to keep the Gentiles from coming and trampling them down as they had done before. Judas stationed a garrison there to guard it; he also fortified Beth-zur to guard it, so that the people might have a stronghold that faced Idumea. HYMN Words: Jonathan Friedrich Bahnmaier, 1827; trans. Catherine Winkworth, 1858 Tune: Gott sei Dank http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/s/s323.html Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus. Spread, O spread, thou mighty Word, spread the kingdom of the Lord, whersoe'er his breath has given, life to beings meant for heaven. Tell them how the Father's will made the world, and keeps it still, how he sent his Son to save all who help and comfort crave. Tell of our Redeemer's love, who forever doth remove by his holy sacrifice all the guilt that on us lies. Tell them of the Spirit given now to guide us up to heaven, strong and holy, just and true, working both to will and do. Word of life, most pure and strong, lo! for thee the nations long, spread, till from its dreary night all the world awakes to light. Up! the ripening fields ye see, mighty shall the harvest be; but the reapers still are few, great the work they have to do. Lord of harvest, let there be joy and strength to work for thee, till the nations, far and near, see thy light, and learn thy fear. SECOND READING [Acts 19:8-20]: Paul entered the synagogue and for three months spoke out boldly, and argued persuasively about the kingdom of God. When some stubbornly refused to believe and spoke evil of the Way before the congregation, he left them, taking the disciples with him, and argued daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord. The Sons of Sceva God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that when the handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were brought to the sick, their diseases left them, and the evil spirits came out of them. Then some itinerant Jewish exorcists tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, 'I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.' Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. But the evil spirit said to them in reply, 'Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?' Then the man with the evil spirit leapt on them, mastered them all, and so overpowered them that they fled out of the house naked and wounded. When this became known to all residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks, everyone was awestruck; and the name of the Lord Jesus was praised. Also many of those who became believers confessed and disclosed their practices. A number of those who practised magic collected their books and burned them publicly; when the value of these books was calculated, it was found to come to fifty thousand silver coins. So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed. 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, 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. God our Father, glorious in giving and restoring life, do not hide your face from your people overcome with loneliness and fear; turn our mourning into dancing and raise us up with your Son, that we may rejoice in your presence for ever. Amen. Gathering our prayers and praises into one, let us pray as our Savior has taught us. - The Lord's Prayer Teach us always to reverence and love your holy name that you have revealed to us 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 is adapted from a prayer by Thom Shurman and the closing sentence is 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 From steve.benner at oremus.org Thu Jun 26 17:00:03 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Thu, 26 Jun 2008 17:00:03 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 27 June 2008 Message-ID: <20080626170003.68F611E42DA@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Friday, June 27, 2008 Cyril, Bishop of Alexandria, Teacher of the Faith, 444 O Lord, open our lips. And our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, Faithful God, shaper of goodness and beauty out of the shadows of chaos. You gladdened the soul of all creation with stunning sunsets, clear-streamed valleys, mountains towering into the sky. These gifts, as well as your hopes and dreams, were for us, but we sent them away into the wilderness of forgetfulness, choosing to live in the long days of rebellion. Seeking to unite us with you once more, you sent Jesus, to baptize us with your life, even as he was baptized into death for us. 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 32 Happy are they whose transgressions are forgiven,* and whose sin is put away! Happy are they to whom the Lord imputes no guilt,* and in whose spirit there is no guile! While I held my tongue, my bones withered away,* because of my groaning all day long. For your hand was heavy upon me day and night;* my moisture was dried up as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you,* and did not conceal my guilt. I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the Lord';* then you forgave me the guilt of my sin. Therefore all the faithful will make their prayers to you in time of trouble;* when the great waters overflow, they shall not reach them. You are my hiding-place; you preserve me from trouble;* you surround me with shouts of deliverance. 'I will instruct you and teach you in the way that you should go;* I will guide you with my eye. 'Do not be like horse or mule, which have no understanding;* who must be fitted with bit and bridle, or else they will not stay near you.' Great are the tribulations of the wicked;* but mercy embraces those who trust in the Lord. Be glad, you righteous, and rejoice in the Lord;* shout for joy, all who are true of heart. Psalm 36:5-end[CCP] Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens,* and your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the strong mountains, your justice like the great deep;* you save both human and beast, O Lord. How priceless is your love, O God!* your people take refuge under the shadow of your wings. They feast upon the abundance of your house;* you give them drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the well of life,* and in your light we see light. Continue your loving-kindness to those who know you,* and your favour to those who are true of heart. Let not the foot of the proud come near me,* nor the hand of the wicked push me aside. See how they are fallen, those who work wickedness!* they are cast down and shall not be able to rise. A Song of Wisdom (Wisdom 9.1-5a,c,6,9-11) O God of our ancestors and Lord of mercy, you have made all things by your word. By your wisdom you have formed us to have dominion over the creatures you have made; To rule the world in holiness and righteousness and to pronounce judgement in uprightness of soul. Give us the Wisdom that sits by your throne; do not reject us from among your servants, For we are your servants, with little understanding of judgement and laws. Even one who is perfect among us will be regarded as nothing without the wisdom that comes from you. With you is Wisdom, she who knows your works, and was present when you made the world. She understands what is pleasing in your sight and what is right according to your commandments. Send her forth from the holy heavens, from the throne of your glory send her. That she may labour at our side and that we may learn what is pleasing to you. For she knows and understands all things, she will guide us wisely in our actions and guard us with her glory. 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 [Daniel 1:1-7,17-21]: In the third year of the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. The Lord let King Jehoiakim of Judah fall into his power, as well as some of the vessels of the house of God. These he brought to the land of Shinar, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his gods. Then the king commanded his palace master Ashpenaz to bring some of the Israelites of the royal family and of the nobility, young men without physical defect and handsome, versed in every branch of wisdom, endowed with knowledge and insight, and competent to serve in the king's palace; they were to be taught the literature and language of the Chaldeans. The king assigned them a daily portion of the royal rations of food and wine. They were to be educated for three years, so that at the end of that time they could be stationed in the king's court. Among them were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, from the tribe of Judah. The palace master gave them other names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego. To these four young men God gave knowledge and skill in every aspect of literature and wisdom; Daniel also had insight into all visions and dreams. At the end of the time that the king had set for them to be brought in, the palace master brought them into the presence of Nebuchadnezzar, and the king spoke with them. And among them all, no one was found to compare with Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; therefore they were stationed in the king's court. In every matter of wisdom and understanding concerning which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom. And Daniel continued there until the first year of King Cyrus. HYMN Words: Charles Wesley (1707-1788) Tune: Falcon Street (SM) And are we yet alive, And see each other's face? Glory and praise to Jesus give For his redeeming grace! Preserved by power divine To full salvation here, Again in Jesu's praise we join, And in his sight appear. What troubles have we seen, What conflicts have we passed, Fightings without, and fears within, Since we assembled last! But out of all the Lord Hath brought us by his love; And still he doth his help afford, And hides our life above. Then let us make our boast Of his redeeming power, Which saves us to the uttermost, Till we can sin no more. Let us take up the cross, Till we the crown obtain; And gladly reckon all things loss, So we may Jesus gain. Praise ye the Lord, alleluia! Praise ye the Lord, alleluia! Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, Praise ye the Lord! SECOND READING [Acts 19:21-end]: Now after these things had been accomplished, Paul resolved in the Spirit to go through Macedonia and Achaia, and then to go on to Jerusalem. He said, 'After I have gone there, I must also see Rome.' So he sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he himself stayed for some time longer in Asia. About that time no little disturbance broke out concerning the Way. A man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the artisans. These he gathered together, with the workers of the same trade, and said, 'Men, you know that we get our wealth from this business. You also see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost the whole of Asia this Paul has persuaded and drawn away a considerable number of people by saying that gods made with hands are not gods. And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may come into disrepute but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be scorned, and she will be deprived of her majesty that brought all Asia and the world to worship her.' When they heard this, they were enraged and shouted, 'Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!' The city was filled with the confusion; and people rushed together to the theatre, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul's travelling-companions. Paul wished to go into the crowd, but the disciples would not let him; even some officials of the province of Asia, who were friendly to him, sent him a message urging him not to venture into the theatre. Meanwhile, some were shouting one thing, some another; for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together. Some of the crowd gave instructions to Alexander, whom the Jews had pushed forward. And Alexander motioned for silence and tried to make a defence before the people. But when they recognized that he was a Jew, for about two hours all of them shouted in unison, 'Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!' But when the town clerk had quietened the crowd, he said, 'Citizens of Ephesus, who is there that does not know that the city of the Ephesians is the temple-keeper of the great Artemis and of the statue that fell from heaven? Since these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rash. You have brought these men here who are neither temple-robbers nor blasphemers of our goddess. If therefore Demetrius and the artisans with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls; let them bring charges there against one another. If there is anything further you want to know, it must be settled in the regular assembly. For we are in danger of being charged with rioting today, since there is no cause that we can give to justify this commotion.' When he had said this, he dismissed the assembly. 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 justice and mercy, open the eyes of sinners that they may see the light of your truth, know the power of your love, and share in the bounty of your heavenly table; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen. Almighty God, our heavenly Father, you gave your blessed Bishop Cyril grace to maintain that the blessed Virgin Mary is indeed the Mother of God: Grant that by this teaching we may know you, the one true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Gathering our prayers and praises into one, let us pray as our Savior has taught us. - The Lord's Prayer Teach us always to reverence and love your holy name that you have revealed to us 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 is adapted from a prayer by Thom Shurman and the closing sentence is adapted from prayers by Alan Griffiths. The second collect is by Stephen Benner. 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 Ten years after the death of Athanasius, the great champion of faith in Christ as fully God, the bishopric of Alexandria was bestowed on one Theophilus. He was a man of fiery temperament, and ruthless and violent in the pursuit of what he conceived to be his duty. Having obtained the consent of the government, he destroyed pagan temples, and the monastaries of monks whose views differed from his own. He is on the Egyptian (Coptic) and the Syrian calendars, but not on most eastern or any western ones. Summary: unpleasant but orthodox (Right but Repulsive). Upon his death in 412, he was succeeded by his nephew Cyril. Cyril began his career as Bishop of Alexandria by showing himself to be an ill-tempered, quarrelsome, hasty, and violent man. He shut the churches of the Novatianists (a group of Christians who were indistinguishable in doctrine and manner of worship from other Christians, but who as descendants of those who had stood firm in the persecutions 260 years earlier could have nothing to do with the descendants of those who had not -- nearly a century earlier, the emperor Constantine had disgustedly told their leader to set up a ladder and climb to heaven by himself), he drove out the Jews, he quarrelled with the imperial prefect Orestes, and with Orestes' friend Hypatia, a distinguished neo-Platonist scholar. (Hypatia was murdered by a mob. There is no evidence that Cyril was directly guilty, but the murderers were persons who regarded him as their leader.) In short, he made a bad beginning. Then there arose a controversy over the relation between Christ's Divinity and His Humanity. One view, associated with the name of Nestorius, spoke of Jesus as a sinless man in whom the Spirit of God fully dwelt, suggesting that the difference between Jesus and any other good man was a matter of degree. (Jones is an almost sinless man in whom the Spirit of God dwells almost fully. He is therefore 99% whatever Jesus is 100%.) This may not do justice to the subtlety of the Nestorian position, but it is the danger that others saw in it, and the Nestorians were unable to explain what safeguards their position had against this danger. Cyril wrote learnedly and with great logic and conviction against the Nestorian position, and was largely instrumental in getting it condemned at the Council of Ephesus in 431. Afterwards (surprisingly in view of his earlier record), he worked to reconcile the two parties, and to bring many of the less extreme Nestorians back into the fellowship of the church. But it is as a theologian and a scholar, not as a bishop or human-relations man, that Cyril is honored. [James Kiefer, abridged] From steve.benner at oremus.org Fri Jun 27 17:00:01 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:00:01 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 28 June 2008 Message-ID: <20080627170001.C31211E4216@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Saturday, June 28, 2008 Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons, Teacher of the Faith, c.200 O Lord, open our lips. And our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, Faithful God, shaper of goodness and beauty out of the shadows of chaos. You gladdened the soul of all creation with stunning sunsets, clear-streamed valleys, mountains towering into the sky. These gifts, as well as your hopes and dreams, were for us, but we sent them away into the wilderness of forgetfulness, choosing to live in the long days of rebellion. Seeking to unite us with you once more, you sent Jesus, to baptize us with your life, even as he was baptized into death for us. 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 47 Clap your hands, all you peoples;* shout to God with a cry of joy. For the Lord Most High is to be feared;* he is the great king over all the earth. He subdues the peoples under us,* and the nations under our feet. He chooses our inheritance for us,* the pride of Jacob whom he loves. God has gone up with a shout,* the Lord with the sound of the ram's-horn. Sing praises to God, sing praises;* sing praises to our king, sing praises. For God is king of all the earth;* sing praises with all your skill. God reigns over the nations;* God sits upon his holy throne. The nobles of the peoples have gathered together* with the people of the God of Abraham. The rulers of the earth belong to God,* and he is highly exalted. Psalm 48 Great is the Lord and highly to be praised;* in the city of our God is his holy hill. Beautiful and lofty, the joy of all the earth, is the hill of Zion,* the very centre of the world and the city of the great king. God is in her citadels;* he is known to be her sure refuge. Behold, the kings of the earth assembled* and marched forward together. They looked and were astounded;* they retreated and fled in terror. Trembling seized them there;* they writhed like a woman in childbirth, like ships of the sea when the east wind shatters them. As we have heard, so have we seen, in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God;* God has established her for ever. We have waited in silence on your loving-kindness, O God,* in the midst of your temple. Your praise, like your name, O God, reaches to the world's end;* your right hand is full of justice. Let Mount Zion be glad and the cities of Judah rejoice,* because of your judgements. Make the circuit of Zion; walk round about her;* count the number of her towers. Consider well her bulwarks; examine her strongholds;* that you may tell those who come after. This God is our God for ever and ever;* he shall be our guide for evermore. A Song of Hannah (1 Samuel 2.1,2,3b-5,7,8) My heart exults in the Lord; my strength is exalted in my God. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation. There is no Holy One like you, O Lord, nor any Rock like you, our God. For you are a God of knowledge and by you our actions are weighed. The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble gird on strength. Those who were full now hire themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry are well fed. The barren woman has borne sevenfold, but she who has many children is forlorn. Both the poor and the rich are of your making; you bring low and you also exalt. You raise up the poor from the dust, and lift the needy from the ash heap. You make them sit with the rulers and inherit a place of honour. For the pillars of the earth are yours and on them you have set the world. 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 2:1-6,10-13]: In the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed such dreams that his spirit was troubled and his sleep left him. So the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be summoned to tell the king his dreams. When they came in and stood before the king, he said to them, 'I have had such a dream that my spirit is troubled by the desire to understand it.' The Chaldeans said to the king (in Aramaic), 'O king, live for ever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will reveal the interpretation.' The king answered the Chaldeans, 'This is a public decree: if you do not tell me both the dream and its interpretation, you shall be torn limb from limb, and your houses shall be laid in ruins. But if you do tell me the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts and rewards and great honour. Therefore tell me the dream and its interpretation.' The Chaldeans answered the king, 'There is no one on earth who can reveal what the king demands! In fact no king, however great and powerful, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or Chaldean. The thing that the king is asking is too difficult, and no one can reveal it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with mortals.' Because of this the king flew into a violent rage and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed. The decree was issued, and the wise men were about to be executed; and they looked for Daniel and his companions, to execute them. HYMN Words: Alan Gaunt (born 1935); 1997, 2003 Stainer & Bell Ltd Used with permission. Meter: SM Christ, lay your cross on me, Let me sustain its weight And carry love's integrity Through earth's contempt and hate. If pain or unsought grief Should bring me to despair, Convince me, in my unbelief, It is your cross I bear. But never let me make The cross a cause of pride; Not for my pride, but your love's sake, I bear it at your side. And never let me wield The cross self-righteously, Lest, judging others, I abuse Your own humanity. Give me humility, To make it always true: If others lay the cross on me, I carry it for you. Though sorrow pierces joy, Keep me with you, to see No power of evil can destroy The love of Calvary. SECOND READING [Acts 20:1-16]: After the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples; and after encouraging them and saying farewell, he left for Macedonia. When he had gone through those regions and had given the believers much encouragement, he came to Greece, where he stayed for three months. He was about to set sail for Syria when a plot was made against him by the Jews, and so he decided to return through Macedonia. He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Beroea, by Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, by Gaius from Derbe, and by Timothy, as well as by Tychicus and Trophimus from Asia. They went ahead and were waiting for us in Troas; but we sailed from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days we joined them in Troas, where we stayed for seven days. On the first day of the week, when we met to break bread, Paul was holding a discussion with them; since he intended to leave the next day, he continued speaking until midnight. There were many lamps in the room upstairs where we were meeting. A young man named Eutychus, who was sitting in the window, began to sink off into a deep sleep while Paul talked still longer. Overcome by sleep, he fell to the ground three floors below and was picked up dead. But Paul went down, and bending over him took him in his arms, and said, 'Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.' Then Paul went upstairs, and after he had broken bread and eaten, he continued to converse with them until dawn; then he left. Meanwhile they had taken the boy away alive and were not a little comforted. We went ahead to the ship and set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul on board there; for he had made this arrangement, intending to go by land himself. When he met us in Assos, we took him on board and went to Mitylene. We sailed from there, and on the following day we arrived opposite Chios. The next day we touched at Samos, and the day after that we came to Miletus. For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia; he was eager to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost. 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. Blessed are you, God of all the earth: you have called us out of every people and nation to be a royal priesthood and citizens of your holy city. May our words of praise call the world to turn to the joy of fellowship with you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. God of peace, who through the ministry of your servant Irenaeus strengthened the true faith and brought harmony to your Church: keep us steadfast in your true religion, and renew us in faith and love, that we may always walk in the way that leads to eternal life; 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 Teach us always to reverence and love your holy name that you have revealed to us 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 is adapted from a prayer by Thom Shurman and the closing sentence is 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 closing prayer are adapted from prayers in _Opening Prayers: Collects in Contemporary Language_. Canterbury Press, Norwich, 1999. 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. Irenaeus (pronounced ear-a-NAY-us) was probably born around 125. As a young man in Smyrna (near Ephesus, in what is now western Turkey) he heard the preaching of Polycarp, who as a young man had heard the preaching of the Apostle John. Afterward, probably while still a young man, Polycarp moved west to Lyons in southern France. In 177, Pothinus, the bishop of Lyons, sent him on a mission to Rome. During his absence a severe persecution broke out in Lyons, claiming the lives of the bishop and others (see 2 June). When Irenaeus returned to Lyons, he was made bishop. He died around 202. He is thus an important link between the apostolic church and later times, and also an important link between Eastern and Western Christianity. His principal work is the Refutation of Heresies, a defense of orthodox Christianity against its Gnostic rivals. A shorter work is his Proof of the Apostolic Preaching, a brief summary of Christian teaching, largely concerned with Christ as the fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy. An interesting bit of trivia about this latter book is that it is, as far as I know, the first Christian writing to refer to the earth as a sphere. One of the earliest heresies to arise in the Christian church was Gnosticism, and Irenaeus was one of its chief early opponents. Not all Gnostics believed exactly the same thing, but the general outlines of the belief are fairly clear. Gnostics were dualists, teaching that there are two great opposing forces: good versus evil, light versus darkness, knowledge versus ignorance, spirit versus matter. Since the world is material, and leaves much room for improvement, they denied that God had made it. "How can the perfect produce the imperfect, the infinite produce the finite, the spiritual produce the material?" they asked. The Gnostics were Docetists (pronounced do-SEE-tists). This word comes from the Greek word meaning "to seem." They taught that Christ did not really have a material body, but only seemed to have one. It was an appearance, so that he could communicate with men, but was not really there. (If holograms had been known then, they would certainly have said that the supposed body of Jesus was a hologram.) They went on to say that Jesus was not really born, and did not really suffer or die, but merely appeared to do so. It was in opposition to early Gnostic teachers that the Apostle John wrote (1 John 4:1-3) that anyone who denies that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of antiChrist. Gnostics claimed to be Christians, but Christians with a difference. They said that Jesus had had two doctrines: one a doctrine fit for the common man, and preached to everyone, and the other an advanced teaching, kept secret from the multitudes, fit only for the chosen few, the spiritually elite. They, the Gnostics, were the spiritually elite, and although the doctrines taught in the churches were not exactly wrong, and were in fact as close to the truth as the common man could hope to come, it was to the Gnostics that one must turn for the real truth. In opposition to this idea, Irenaeus maintained that the Gospel message is for everyone. He was perhaps the first to speak of the Church as "Catholic" (universal). In using this term, he made three contrasts: 1. He contrasted the over-all church with the single local congregation, so that one spoke of the Church in Ephesus, but also of the Catholic Church, of which the Churches in Ephesus, Corinth, Rome, Antioch, etc. were local branches or chapters. 2. He contrasted Christianity with Judaism, in that the task of Judaism was to preserve the knowledge of the one God by establishing a solid national base for it among a single people, but the task of Christianity was to set out from that base to preach the Truth to all nations. 3. He contrasted Christianity with Gnosticism, in that the Gnostics claimed to have a message only for the few with the right aptitudes and temperaments, whereas the Christian Gospel was to be proclaimed to all men everywhere. Irenaeus then went on to say: If Jesus did have a special secret teaching, to whom would He entrust it? Clearly, to His disciples, to the Twelve, who were with Him constantly, and to whom he spoke without reservation (Mark 4:34). And was the teaching of the Twelve different from that of Paul? Here the Gnostics, and others since, have tried to drive a wedge between Paul and the original Apostles, but Peter writes of Paul in the highest terms (2 Peter 3:15), as one whose teaching is authentic. Again, we find Paul saying to the elders of the church at Ephesus (Acts 20:27), that he has declared to them the whole counsel of God. Where, then, do we look for Christ's authentic teaching? In the congregations that were founded by the apostles, who set trustworthy men in charge of them, and charged them to pass on the teaching unchanged to future generations through carefully chosen successors. [James Kiefer, abridged] From steve.benner at oremus.org Sat Jun 28 17:00:01 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Sat, 28 Jun 2008 17:00:01 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 29 June 2008 Message-ID: <20080628170001.EA5891E3CA0@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Sunday, June 29, 2008 Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Apostles O Lord, open our lips. And our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, almighty God, eternal Word: we rejoice this day for the gift of your apostles Peter and Paul, whom you chose and set apart, that they may proclaim your word to generations to come. You have made them bright lights in the fellowship of the apostles and, as witnesses to the faith and love of Christ, you have crowned them for all eternity with the radiance of your glory, 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 Faith (1 Peter 1.3-4,18-21) 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 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 [Ezekiel 34:11-16]: For thus says the Lord God: I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. As shepherds seek out their flocks when they are among their scattered sheep, so I will seek out my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places to which they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited parts of the land. I will feed them with good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel shall be their pasture; there they shall lie down in good grazing land, and they shall feed on rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord God. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice. HYMN Words: Aurea luce, attributed to Elphis wife of Boethius (fl.493) translated by Thomas A Lacey (1853-1931) Tune: Annue Christe With golden splendour and with roseate hues of morn, O gracious Saviour, Light of light, this day adorn, Which brings to ransomed sinners hopes of that far home Where saints and angels sing the praise of martyrdom. Lo, the Keybearer, lo, the Teacher of mankind, Lights of the world and judges sent to loose and bind, Alike triumphant or by cross or sword-stroke found, In life's high Senate stand with victor's laurel crowned. Good Shepherd, Peter, unto whom the charge was given To close or open ways of pilgrimage to heaven, In sin's hard bondage held may we have grace to know The full remission thou wast granted to bestow. O noble Teacher, Paul, we trust to learn of thee Both earthly converse and the flight of ecstasy; Till from the fading truths that now we know in part We pass to fulness of delight for mind and heart. Twin olive branches, pouring oil of gladness forth, Your prayers shall aid us, that for all our little worth, Believing, hoping, loving, we for whom ye plead, This body dying, may attain to life indeed. Now to the glorious Trinity be duly paid Worship and honour, praise and service unafraid, Who in unchanging Unity, one Lord sublime, Hath ever lived as now and to unending time. SECOND READING [Galatians 1:13-2:8]: You have heard, no doubt, of my earlier life in Judaism. I was violently persecuting the church of God and was trying to destroy it. I advanced in Judaism beyond many among my people of the same age, for I was far more zealous for the traditions of my ancestors. But when God, who had set me apart before I was born and called me through his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, so that I might proclaim him among the Gentiles, I did not confer with any human being, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were already apostles before me, but I went away at once into Arabia, and afterwards I returned to Damascus. Then after three years I did go up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and stayed with him for fifteen days; but I did not see any other apostle except James the Lord's brother. In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie! Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia, and I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea that are in Christ; they only heard it said, 'The one who formerly was persecuting us is now proclaiming the faith he once tried to destroy.' And they glorified God because of me. Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. I went up in response to a revelation. Then I laid before them (though only in a private meeting with the acknowledged leaders) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure that I was not running, or had not run, in vain. But even Titus, who was with me, was not compelled to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. But because of false believers secretly brought in, who slipped in to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might enslave us we did not submit to them even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might always remain with you. And from those who were supposed to be acknowledged leaders (what they actually were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality) those leaders contributed nothing to me. On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel for the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel for the circumcised (for he who worked through Peter making him an apostle to the circumcised also worked through me in sending me to the Gentiles). The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: Encouraged by our fellowship with all the saints, let us make our prayers to the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ. Father, your Son called men and women to leave the past behind them and to follow him as his disciples in the way of the cross. Look with mercy upon those whom he has called today, marked with the cross and made his disciples within the Church. Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Your Son told his disciples not to be afraid, and at Easter breathed on them his gift of peace. Look with mercy upon the world into which he sent them out, and give it that peace for which it longs Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Your Son formed around him a company who were no longer servants but friends, and he called all those who obeyed him his brother and sister and mother. Look with mercy upon our families and friends and upon the communities in which we share Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Your Son sent out disciples to preach and to heal the sick. Look with mercy on all those who yearn to hear the good news of salvation, and renew among your people the gifts of healing Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Your Son promised to those who followed him that they would sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel and would share the banquet of the kingdom. According to your promise, look with mercy on those who have walked with Christ in this life and now have passed through death Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Pursuing, shepherding, and converting God, your risen Son appeared to both Peter and Paul, undoing their past, claiming them for the work of your Church, spilling them out as witnesses to a deeper love. Undo and claim us, that we too may finish the race you set before us in Christ Jesus. Amen. Gathering our prayers and praises into one, let us pray as our Savior has taught us. - The Lord's Prayer Teach us always to reverence and love your holy name that you have revealed to us 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 by Stephen Benner and is based on a prayer in _We Give You Thanks and Praise: The Ambrosian Eucharistic Prefaces_, translated by Alan Griffiths, (c) The Canterbury Press Norwich, 1999. The intercession is from _Enriching the Christian Year_ SPCK, compilation (c)Michael Perham 1993. The collect 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 Confession of Peter ("Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God") is commemorated on 18 January, and the Conversion of Paul (on the approach to Damascus) a week later on 25 January. On 29 June we commemorate the martyrdoms of both apostles. The date is the anniversary of a day around 258, under the Valerian persecution, when what were believed to be the remains of the two apostles were both moved temporarily to prevent them from falling into the hands of the persecutors. The Scriptures do not record the deaths of Peter or Paul, or indeed any of the Apostles except for James the son of Zebedee (Acts 12:2), but they are clearly anticipated (see the readings below), and from an early date it has been said that they were martyred at Rome at the command of the Emperor Nero, and buried there. As a Roman citizen, Paul would probably have been beheaded with a sword. It is said of Peter that he was crucified head downward. The present Church of St Peter in Rome replaces earlier churches built on the same site going back to the time of the Emperor Constantine, in whose reign a church was built there on what was believed to be the burial site of Peter. Excavations under the church suggest that the belief is older than Constantine. St. Augustine writes (Sermon 295): Both apostles share the same feast day, for these two were one; and even though they suffered on different days, they were as one. Peter went first, and Paul followed. And so we celebrate this day made holy for us by the apostles' blood. Let us embrace what they believed, their life, their labors, their sufferings, their preaching, and their confession of faith. From steve.benner at oremus.org Sun Jun 29 17:00:03 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Sun, 29 Jun 2008 17:00:03 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 30 June 2008 Message-ID: <20080629170003.3DAAF1E41E9@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Monday, June 30, 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 42 As the deer longs for the water-brooks,* so longs my soul for you, O God. My soul is athirst for God, athirst for the living God;* when shall I come to appear before the presence of God? My tears have been my food day and night,* while all day long they say to me, 'Where now is your God?' I pour out my soul when I think on these things:* how I went with the multitude and led them into the house of God, With the voice of praise and thanksgiving,* among those who keep holy-day. Why are you so full of heaviness, O my soul?* and why are you so disquieted within me? Put your trust in God;* for I will yet give thanks to him, who is the help of my countenance, and my God. My soul is heavy within me;* therefore I will remember you from the land of Jordan, and from the peak of Mizar among the heights of Hermon. One deep calls to another in the noise of your cataracts;* all your rapids and floods have gone over me. The Lord grants his loving-kindness in the daytime;* in the night season his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life. I will say to the God of my strength, 'Why have you forgotten me?* and why do I go so heavily while the enemy oppresses me?' While my bones are being broken,* my enemies mock me to my face; All day long they mock me* say to me, 'Where now is your God?' Why are you so full of heaviness, O my soul?* and why are you so disquieted within me? Put your trust in God;* for I will yet give thanks to him, who is the help of my countenance, and my God. Psalm 43 Give judgement for me, O God, and defend my cause against an ungodly people;* deliver me from the deceitful and the wicked. For you are the God of my strength; why have you put me from you?* and why do I go so heavily while the enemy oppresses me? Send out your light and your truth, that they may lead me,* and bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling; That I may go to the altar of God, to the God of my joy and gladness;* and on the harp I will give thanks to you, O God my God. Why are you so full of heaviness, O my soul?* and why are you so disquieted within me? Put your trust in God;* for I will yet give thanks to him, who is the help of my countenance, and my God. A Song of Solomon (cf Song of Solomon 8.6,7) Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; For love is strong as death, passion fierce as the grave; its flashes are flashes of fire, a raging flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it. If all the wealth of our house were offered for love, it would be utterly scorned. 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 2:14-24]: Daniel responded with prudence and discretion to Arioch, the king's chief executioner, who had gone out to execute the wise men of Babylon; he asked Arioch, the royal official, 'Why is the decree of the king so urgent?' Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. So Daniel went in and requested that the king give him time and he would tell the king the interpretation. Then Daniel went to his home and informed his companions, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, and told them to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions with the rest of the wise men of Babylon might not perish. Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night, and Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel said: 'Blessed be the name of God from age to age, for wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons, deposes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with him. To you, O God of my ancestors, I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and power, and have now revealed to me what we asked of you, for you have revealed to us what the king ordered.' Therefore Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, 'Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon; bring me in before the king, and I will give the king the interpretation.' HYMN Words: James Montgomery, 1818 Tune: Mendip http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/p/p123.html Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus. Prayer is the soul's sincere desire, unuttered or expressed; the motion of a hidden fire that trembles in the breast. Prayer is the burden of a sigh, the falling of a tear the upward glancing of an eye, when none but God is near. Prayer is the contrite sinner's voice, returning from his ways, while angels in their songs rejoice and cry, "Behold, he prays!" The saints in prayer appear as one in word, in deed, and mind, while with the Father and the Son sweet fellowship they find. No prayer is made by man alone the Holy Spirit pleads, and Jesus, on th'eternal throne, for sinners intercedes. Prayer is the Christian's vital breath, the Christian's native air, his watchword at the gates of death; he enters heaven with prayer. O thou, by whom we come to God, the Life, the Truth, the Way; the path of prayer thyself hast trod: Lord, teach us how to pray! SECOND READING [Acts 20:17-end]: >From Miletus he sent a message to Ephesus, asking the elders of the church to meet him. When they came to him, he said to them: 'You yourselves know how I lived among you the entire time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears, enduring the trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews. I did not shrink from doing anything helpful, proclaiming the message to you and teaching you publicly and from house to house, as I testified to both Jews and Greeks about repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Jesus. And now, as a captive to the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and persecutions are waiting for me. But I do not count my life of any value to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the good news of God's grace. 'And now I know that none of you, among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom, will ever see my face again. Therefore I declare to you this day that I am not responsible for the blood of any of you, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God. Keep watch over yourselves and over all the flock, of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God that he obtained with the blood of his own Son. I know that after I have gone, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Some even from your own group will come distorting the truth in order to entice the disciples to follow them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to warn everyone with tears. And now I commend you to God and to the message of his grace, a message that is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all who are sanctified. I coveted no one's silver or gold or clothing. You know for yourselves that I worked with my own hands to support myself and my companions. In all this I have given you an example that by such work we must support the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, for he himself said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." ' When he had finished speaking, he knelt down with them all and prayed. There was much weeping among them all; they embraced Paul and kissed him, grieving especially because of what he had said, that they would not see him again. Then they brought him to the ship. 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... Creator God, whose life-giving Spirit wells up with streams of living water, sustain those whose spirits are heavy and whose wells have run dry, through Jesus Christ, the rock of our salvation. 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 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, intercession and closing sentence are adapted from _Book of Common Worship_, (c) 1993 Westminster / John Knox Press. From steve.benner at oremus.org Mon Jun 30 17:00:01 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Mon, 30 Jun 2008 17:00:01 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 1 July 2008 Message-ID: <20080630170001.552F11E3ECE@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Tuesday, July 1, 2008 Canada Day 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 49 Hear this, all you peoples; hearken, all you who dwell in the world,* you of high degree and low, rich and poor together. My mouth shall speak of wisdom,* and my heart shall meditate on understanding. I will incline my ear to a proverb* and set forth my riddle upon the harp. Why should I be afraid in evil days,* when the wickedness of those at my heels surrounds me, The wickedness of those who put their trust in their goods,* and boast of their great riches? We can never ransom ourselves,* or deliver to God the price of our life; For the ransom of our life is so great,* that we should never have enough to pay it, In order to live for ever and ever,* and never see the grave. For we see that the wise die also; like the dull and stupid they perish* and leave their wealth to those who come after them. Their graves shall be their homes for ever, their dwelling places from generation to generation,* though they call the lands after their own names. Even though honoured, they cannot live for ever;* they are like the beasts that perish. Such is the way of those who foolishly trust in themselves,* and the end of those who delight in their own words. Like a flock of sheep they are destined to die; Death is their shepherd;* they go down straightway to the grave. Their form shall waste away,* and the land of the dead shall be their home. But God will ransom my life;* he will snatch me from the grasp of death. Do not be envious when some become rich,* or when the grandeur of their house increases; For they will carry nothing away at their death,* nor will their grandeur follow them. Though they thought highly of themselves while they lived,* and were praised for their success, They shall join the company of their forebears,* who will never see the light again. Those who are honoured, but have no understanding,* are like the beasts that perish. 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 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 2:14-24]: Daniel responded with prudence and discretion to Arioch, the king's chief executioner, who had gone out to execute the wise men of Babylon; he asked Arioch, the royal official, 'Why is the decree of the king so urgent?' Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. So Daniel went in and requested that the king give him time and he would tell the king the interpretation. Then Daniel went to his home and informed his companions, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, and told them to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions with the rest of the wise men of Babylon might not perish. Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night, and Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel said: 'Blessed be the name of God from age to age, for wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons, deposes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with him. To you, O God of my ancestors, I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and power, and have now revealed to me what we asked of you, for you have revealed to us what the king ordered.' Therefore Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, 'Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon; bring me in before the king, and I will give the king the interpretation.' HYMN Words: Isaac Watts (1674-1748), 1707, as altered by John Wesley (1703-1791), 1737. Tune: Old 100th http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/b/b032.html Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus. Before Jehovah's awful throne, ye nations, bow with sacred joy; know that the Lord is God alone; he can create, and he destroy. His sovereign power, without our aid, made us of clay, and formed us men; and when like wandering sheep we strayed, he brought us to his fold again. We'll crowd thy gates with thankful songs, high as the heavens our voices raise; and earth, with her ten thousand tongues, shall fill thy courts with sounding praise. Wide as the world is thy command, vast as eternity thy love; firm as a rock thy truth must stand, when rolling years shall cease to move. SECOND READING [Acts 21:1-14]: When we and Paul had parted from them and set sail, we came by a straight course to Cos, and the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. When we found a ship bound for Phoenicia, we went on board and set sail. We came in sight of Cyprus; and leaving it on our left, we sailed to Syria and landed at Tyre, because the ship was to unload its cargo there. We looked up the disciples and stayed there for seven days. Through the Spirit they told Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. When our days there were ended, we left and proceeded on our journey; and all of them, with wives and children, escorted us outside the city. There we knelt down on the beach and prayed and said farewell to one another. Then we went on board the ship, and they returned home. When we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais; and we greeted the believers and stayed with them for one day. The next day we left and came to Caesarea; and we went into the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the seven, and stayed with him. He had four unmarried daughters who had the gift of prophecy. While we were staying there for several days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. He came to us and took Paul's belt, bound his own feet and hands with it, and said, 'Thus says the Holy Spirit, "This is the way the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles." ' When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, 'What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.' Since he would not be persuaded, we remained silent except to say, 'The Lord's will be done.' The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: Ever-present Spirit of God, as we abide with you and you with us, we cry out for our brothers and sisters: Healing Spirit, hear our prayer. For all who suffer want, loneliness or depression: Healing Spirit, hear our prayer. For racial, cultural and national groups who suffer prejudice, oppressive leaders or economic exploitation. Healing Spirit, hear our prayer. For the Church in every place, Healing Spirit, hear our prayer. For the Church in those places where it suffers blindness, controversy, disorientation, persecution or change. Healing Spirit, hear our prayer. For those we have to tried to love and serve today. Healing Spirit, hear our prayer. O God, you have taught us that it profits us nothing to have gained the whole world and to lose our souls: enrich with heavenly wisdom the poor in spirit and turn our hearts from the pursuit of vanities; through Jesus Christ our Lord. 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. 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.