From steve.benner at oremus.org Wed Oct 1 17:26:20 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Wed, 1 Oct 2008 17:26:20 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 2 October 2008 Message-ID: <20081001172620.C895B3146DB@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Thursday, October 2, 2008 O Lord, open our lips. And our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, God of our salvation, we falter before the demands of your word and turn away from your call to life. Yet you pour out your mercy on us as you showed mercy to your people of old, that we may turn from our sinfulness and walk the path of self-emptying love made known in Jesus Christ. For these and all your mercies, we praise you: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: Blessed be God for ever! An opening canticle may be sung. http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html Psalm 116 I love the Lord, because he has heard the voice of my supplication,* because he has inclined his ear to me whenever I called upon him. The cords of death entangled me; the grip of the grave took hold of me;* I came to grief and sorrow. Then I called upon the name of the Lord:* 'O Lord, I pray you, save my life.' Gracious is the Lord and righteous;* our God is full of compassion. The Lord watches over the innocent;* I was brought very low and he helped me. Turn again to your rest, O my soul,* for the Lord has treated you well. For you have rescued my life from death,* my eyes from tears and my feet from stumbling. I will walk in the presence of the Lord* in the land of the living. I believed, even when I said, 'I have been brought very low.'* In my distress I said, 'No one can be trusted.' How shall I repay the Lord* for all the good things he has done for me? I will lift up the cup of salvation* and call upon the name of the Lord. I will fulfil my vows to the Lord* in the presence of all his people. Precious in the sight of the Lord* is the death of his servants. O Lord, I am your servant;* I am your servant and the child of your handmaid; you have freed me from my bonds. I will offer you the sacrifice of thanksgiving* and call upon the name of the Lord. I will fulfil my vows to the Lord* in the presence of all his people. In the courts of the Lord's house,* in the midst of you, O Jerusalem. Alleluia! A Song of 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 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 [Job 38:31-38]: The Lord said, 'Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades, or loose the cords of Orion? Can you lead forth the Mazzaroth in their season, or can you guide the Bear with its children? Do you know the ordinances of the heavens? Can you establish their rule on the earth? 'Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, so that a flood of waters may cover you? Can you send forth lightnings, so that they may go and say to you, "Here we are"? Who has put wisdom in the inward parts, or given understanding to the mind? Who has the wisdom to number the clouds? Or who can tilt the waterskins of the heavens, when the dust runs into a mass and the clods cling together? HYMN Words: Psalm 19; paraphrase by Timothy Dudley-Smith (c) Used with permission Tune: Aldine http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/t/t364.html Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus. The stars declare his glory; the vault of heaven springs, mute witness of the Master's hand in all created things, and through the silences of space their soundless music sings. The dawn returns in splendor, the heavens burn and blaze, the rising sun renews the race that measures all our days, and writes in fire across the skies God's majesty and praise. So shine the Lord's commandments to make the simple wise; more sweet than honey to the taste, more rich than any prize, a law of love within our hearts, a light before our eyes. So order too this life of mine, direct it all my days; the meditations of my heart be innocence and praise, my rock, and my redeeming Lord, in all my words and ways. SECOND READING [Matthew 18:1-14]: At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, 'Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?' He called a child, whom he put among them, and said, 'Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. 'If any of you put a stumbling-block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of stumbling-blocks! Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to the one by whom the stumbling-block comes! 'If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to enter life maimed or lame than to have two hands or two feet and to be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into the hell of fire. 'Take care that you do not despise one of these little ones; for, I tell you, in heaven their angels continually see the face of my Father in heaven. What do you think? If a shepherd has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.' The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: Almighty and gracious God, we bless you for your mercy in Christ and your nearness by the Word and the Spirit. Hear us as we embrace in the circle of love: the life and witness of your Church, Generous God, hear us. the world and its longing, especially for peace wherever conflict persists. Generous God, hear us. the cares of our own lives, Generous God, hear us. and those particular concerns your Spirit awakens in us, Generous God, hear us. Eternal God, faithful in your tender compassion, you give us hope for our life here and hereafter through the victory of your only Son. When we share his cup of salvaiton, revive in us the joy of this everlasting gift. We ask this in his name. Amen. Gathering our prayers and praises into one, let us pray as our Savior has taught us. - The Lord's Prayer Pour out your Spirit, O God, over all the world, to inspire every heart with knowledge and love of you. 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 _Revised Common Lectionary Prayers_, copyright (c) 2002 Consultation on Common Texts. The closing prayer use phrases from a prayer in _Opening Prayers: Collects in Contemporary Language_. Canterbury Press, Norwich, 1999. 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 Oct 2 17:00:01 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Thu, 2 Oct 2008 17:00:01 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 3 October 2008 Message-ID: <20081002170001.28ED83148CA@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Friday, October 3, 2008 O Lord, open our lips. And our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, God of our salvation, we falter before the demands of your word and turn away from your call to life. Yet you pour out your mercy on us as you showed mercy to your people of old, that we may turn from our sinfulness and walk the path of self-emptying love made known in Jesus Christ. For these and all your mercies, we praise you: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: Blessed be God for ever! An opening canticle may be sung. http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html Psalm 119:161-176 Rulers have persecuted me without a cause,* but my heart stands in awe of your word. I am as glad because of your promise* as one who finds great spoils. As for lies, I hate and abhor them,* but your law is my love. Seven times a day do I praise you,* because of your righteous judgements. Great peace have they who love your law;* for them there is no stumbling block. I have hoped for your salvation, O Lord,* and I have fulfilled your commandments. I have kept your decrees* and I have loved them deeply. I have kept your commandments and decrees,* for all my ways are before you. Let my cry come before you, O Lord;* give me understanding, according to your word. Let my supplication come before you;* deliver me, according to your promise. My lips shall pour forth your praise,* when you teach me your statutes. My tongue shall sing of your promise,* for all your commandments are righteous. Let your hand be ready to help me,* for I have chosen your commandments. I long for your salvation, O Lord,* and your law is my delight. Let me live and I will praise you,* and let your judgements help me. I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost;* search for your servant, for I do not forget your commandments. A Song of Praise (Revelation 4.11; 5.9b,10) You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power. For you have created all things, and by your will they have their being. You are worthy, O Lamb, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed for God saints from every tribe and language and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests serving our God, and they will reign with you on earth. Psalm 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 [Job 39:19-end]: The Lord said, 'Do you give the horse its might? Do you clothe its neck with mane? Do you make it leap like the locust? Its majestic snorting is terrible. It paws violently, exults mightily; it goes out to meet the weapons. It laughs at fear, and is not dismayed; it does not turn back from the sword. Upon it rattle the quiver, the flashing spear, and the javelin. With fierceness and rage it swallows the ground; it cannot stand still at the sound of the trumpet. When the trumpet sounds, it says "Aha!" From a distance it smells the battle, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting. 'Is it by your wisdom that the hawk soars, and spreads its wings towards the south? Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up and makes its nest on high? It lives on the rock and makes its home in the fastness of the rocky crag. >From there it spies the prey; its eyes see it from far away. Its young ones suck up blood; and where the slain are, there it is.' HYMN Words: Carl P. Daw, Jr. (c) Used with permission Tune: Jerusalem http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/o/o101.html Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus. O day of peace that dimly shines through all our hopes and prayers and dreams, guide us to justice, truth, and love, delivered from our selfish schemes. May the swords of hate fall from our hands, our hearts from envy find release, till by God's grace our warring world shall see Christ's promised reign of peace. Then shall the wolf dwell with the lamb, nor shall the fierce devour the small; as beasts and cattle calmly graze, a little child shall lead them all. Then enemies shall learn to love, all creatures find their true accord; the hope of peace shall be fulfilled, for all the earth shall know the Lord. SECOND READING [Matthew 18:15-end]: Jesus said, 'If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax-collector. Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.' Then Peter came and said to him, 'Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?' Jesus said to him, 'Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times. 'For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, "Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything." And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow-slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, "Pay what you owe." Then his fellow-slave fell down and pleaded with him, "Have patience with me, and I will pay you." But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he should pay the debt. When his fellow-slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, "You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not have had mercy on your fellow-slave, as I had mercy on you?" And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he should pay his entire debt. So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.' The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: Great are you, Lord, and greatly to be praised! There is no end to your greatness. Let your Spirit shape and make new our character, encourage us in constant prayer, direct us in the way of love and bring us at last to heaven with all your saints in light. All that is unfinished in us and in the world, we entrust to you, Lord. Every aspiration, longing and dream crushed by temptation, sin and dullness of heart, we entrust to you, Lord. Holy Church seeking to offer you worship in every place and culture we entrust to you, Lord. Every people and tribe oppressed by the greed and prejudice of others, we entrust to you, Lord. The empty and hungry places in our spirits and in our relationships with others, we entrust to you, Lord. As of old, O Lord our God, you gave commandments to make one nation just and true, so by your incarnate Word you make all peoples one in grace and in the perfect freedom of your service. We give thanks to 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 Pour out your Spirit, O God, over all the world, to inspire every heart with knowledge and love of you. 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 _Revised Common Lectionary Prayers_, copyright (c) 2002 Consultation on Common Texts. The closing prayer use phrases from a prayer in _Opening Prayers: Collects in Contemporary Language_. Canterbury Press, Norwich, 1999. 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 Fri Oct 3 17:00:01 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Fri, 3 Oct 2008 17:00:01 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 4 October 2008 Message-ID: <20081003170001.08B9D3147EC@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Saturday, October 4, 2008 Francis of Assisi, Friar, Deacon, Founder of the Friars Minor, 1226 Let all the earth acclaim God, sing to the glory of God's name. Come and see what God has done, let the sound of praise be heard. Amen. Blessed are you, God of our salvation, we falter before the demands of your word and turn away from your call to life. Yet you pour out your mercy on us as you showed mercy to your people of old, that we may turn from our sinfulness and walk the path of self-emptying love made known in Jesus Christ. 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 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 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 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 [Job 42:1-9]: Then Job answered the Lord: 'I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. "Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?" Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. "Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you declare to me." I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.' After the Lord had spoken these words to Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite: 'My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends; for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. Now therefore take seven bulls and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt-offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly; for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has done.' So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did what the Lord had told them; and the Lord accepted Job's prayer. HYMN Words: William H. Draper (1855-1933); paraphrase of "Canticle of the Sun" by Francis of Assisi. Tune: Lasst uns erfreuen http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/a/a100.html Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus. All creatures of our God and King, lift up your voices, let us sing: Alleluia, alleluia! Thou burning sun with golden beams, thou silver moon that gently gleams, Refrain: O praise him, O praise him, Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia! Thou rushing wind that art so strong, ye clouds that sail in heaven along, O praise him, Alleluia! Thou rising morn, in praise rejoice, ye lights of evening, find a voice, (R) Thou flowing water, pure and clear, make music for thy Lord to hear, Alleluia, alleluia! Thou fire so masterful and bright, that givest man both warmth and light, (R) Dear mother earth, who day by day unfoldest blessings on our way, O praise him, Alleluia! The flowers and fruits that in thee grow, let them his glory also show: (R) And all ye men of tender heart, forgiving others, take your part, O sing ye Alleluia! Ye who long pain and sorrow bear, praise God and on him cast your care: (R) And thou, most kind and gentle death, waiting to hush our latest breath, O praise him, Alleluia! Thou leadest home the child of God, and Christ our Lord the way hath trod: (R) Let all things their Creator bless, and worship him in humbleness, O praise him, Alleluia! Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son, and praise the Spirit, Three in One: (R) SECOND READING [Matthew 19:1-15]: When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. Large crowds followed him, and he cured them there. Some Pharisees came to him, and to test him they asked, 'Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause?' He answered, 'Have you not read that the one who made them at the beginning "made them male and female", and said, "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh"? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.' They said to him, 'Why then did Moses command us to give a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her?' He said to them, 'It was because you were so hard-hearted that Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but at the beginning it was not so. And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for unchastity, and marries another commits adultery.' His disciples said to him, 'If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.' But he said to them, 'Not everyone can accept this teaching, but only those to whom it is given. For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who can.' Then little children were being brought to him in order that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples spoke sternly to those who brought them; but Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.' And he laid his hands on them and went on his way. The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: Francis' Paraphrase of the Lord's Prayer : Our Father Creator, Redeemer, Saviour and Comforter. In heaven In the angels and the saints. You give them light so that they may have knowledge, because you are light. You inflame them so that they may love, because you are love. You live continually in them so that they may be happy, because you are the supreme good, the eternal good, and it is from you all good comes and without you there is no good. Hallowed be your name May our knowledge of you become ever clearer, so that we may realise the breadth of your blessings, the extent of your promises, the height of your majesty and the depth of your judgements. Your kingdom come So that you may reign in us by your grace and bring us to your kingdom, where we shall see you clearly, love you perfectly, be happy in your company and enjoy you for ever. Your will be done, on earth as in heaven That we may love you with our whole heart by always thinking of you; with our whole mind by directing our whole intention towards you and seeking your glory in everything; and with all our strength by spending all our energies and affections of soul and body in the service of your love alone. And may we love our neighbour as ourselves, encouraging them all to love you as best we can, rejoicing at the good fortune of others, just as if it were our own, and sympathising with their misfortunes, while giving offence to no one. Give us today our daily bread Your own beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to remind us of the love he showed for us and to help us to understand and appreciate it and everything that he did or said or suffered. And forgive us our sins In your infinite mercy, and by the power of the passion of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, together with the merits and the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the saints. As we forgive those who sin against us And if we do not forgive perfectly, make us forgive perfectly, so that we may truly love our enemies for love of you and pray fervently to you for them, returning no one evil for evil, anxious only to serve everybody in you. Lead us not into temptation Hidden or obvious, sudden or unforeseen. But deliver us from evil Present, past or future. Amen. O God, you ever delight to reveal yourself to the child-like and lowly of heart grant that, following the example of the blessed Francis, we may count the wisdom of this world as foolishness and know only Jesus Christ and him crucified, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. May the power of your love, Lord Christ, fiery and sweet as honey, so absorb our hearts as to withdraw them from all that is under heaven. Grant that we may be ready to die for love of your love, as you died for love of our 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 is adapted from _Revised Common Lectionary Prayers_, copyright (c) 2002 Consultation on Common Texts. 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 and the intercession are by Francis of Assisi. Francis was born in 1182, the son of a wealthy cloth merchant. His early years were frivolous, but an experience of sickness and another of military service were instrumental in leading him to reflect on the purpose of life. One day, in the church of San Damiano, he seemed to hear Christ saying to him, "Francis, repair my falling house." He took the words literally, and sold a bale of silk from his father's warehouse to pay for repairs to the church of San Damiano. His father was outraged, and there was a public confrontation at which his father disinherited and disowned him, and he in turn renounced his father's wealth--one account says that he not only handed his father his purse, but also took off his expensive clothes, laid them at his father's feet, and walked away naked. He declared himself "wedded to Lady Poverty", renounced all material possessions, and devoted himself to serving the poor. In his day the most dreaded of all diseases was something known as leprosy. (It is probably not the same as either the modern or the Biblical disease of that name.) Lepers were kept at a distance and regarded with fear and disgust. Francis cared for them, fed them, bathed their sores, and kissed them. Since he could not pay for repairs to the Church of San Damiano, he undertook to repair it by his own labors. He moved in with the priest, and begged stones lying useless in fields, shaping them for use in repairing the church. He got his meals, not by asking for money so that he might live at the expense of others, but by scrounging crusts and discarded vegetable from trash-bins, and by working as a day laborer, insisting on being paid in bread, milk, eggs, or vegetables rather than in money. Soon a few companions joined him. Dante in his Paradiso has Aquinas say of him: Let me tell you of a youth whose aristocratic father disowned him because of his love for a beautiful lady. She had been married before, to Christ, and was so faithful a spouse to Him that, while Mary only stood at the foot of the Cross, she leaped up to be with Him on the Cross. These two of whom I speak are Francis and the Lady Poverty. As they walked along together, the sight of their mutual love drew men's hearts after them. Bernard saw them and ran after them, kicking off his shoes to run faster to so great a peace. Giles and Sylvester saw them, kicked off their shoes and ran to join them.... After three years, in 1210, the Pope authorized the forming of the Order of Friars Minor, commonly called the Franciscans. ("Friar" means "brother," as in "fraternity", and "minor" means "lesser" or "younger." I take the meaning to be that a Franciscan, meeting another Christian, is to think, "I am your brother in Christ, and your younger brother at that, bound to defer to you and to give you precedence over myself." Francis and his companions took literally the words of Christ when he sent his disciples out to preach (Matthew 10:7-10): Preach as you go, saying, "The kingdom of Heaven is at hand." ... You have received the Gospel without payment, give it to others as freely. Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, no bag for your journey, no spare garment, nor sandals, nor staff. They would have no money, and no property, individually or collectively. Their task was to preach, "using words if necessary," but declaring by word and action the love of God in Christ. Francis was partial to a touch of the dramatic (see his parting from his father, for example), and it was probably he who set up the first Christmas manger scene, to bring home the Good News of God made man for our salvation, home to men's hearts and imaginations as well as to their intellects. In 1219, Francis went to the Holy Land to preach to the moslems. He was given a pass through the enemy lines, and spoke to the Sultan, Melek-al-Kamil. Francis proclaimed the Gospel to the Sultan, who replied that he had his own beliefs, and that moslems were as firmly convinced of the truth of Islam as Francis was of the truth of Christianity. Francis proposed that a fire be built, and that he and a moslem volunteer would walk side by side into the fire to show whose faith was stronger. The Sultan said he was not sure that a moslem volunteer could be found. Francis then offered to walk into the fire alone. The Sultan who was deeply impressed but remained unconverted. Francis proposed an armistice between the two warring sides, and drew up terms for one; the Sultan agreed, but, to Francis's deep disappointment, the Christian leaders would not. Francis returned to Italy, but a permanent result was that the Franciscans were given custody of the Christian shrines then in moslem hands. Back in Italy and neighboring countries, the Order was suffering from its own success. Then, as now, many persons were deeply attracted by Francis and his air of joy, abandonment, and freedom. What is overlooked is that these were made possible only by his willingness to accept total poverty, not picturesque poverty but real dirt, rags, cold, and hunger, and lepers with real pus oozing from their sores and a real danger of infection. Many idealistic young men were joining the Order in a burst of enthusiasm and then finding themselves not so sure that such extremes of poverty were really necessary. When there were only a few friars, they were all known to Francis personally, and the force of his personality kept the original ideals of the Order alive in them. Now that the Order was larger, this was no longer enough. In 1220 Francis resigned as minister-general of the Order, and in 1221 he agreed to a new and modified rule, which he did not approve, but could not resist. He died on 4 October 1226. The Franciscan split into the Conventual Franciscans, who held a limited amount of property in common, and the Spiritual Franciscans, who disavowed all property. They taught that Christ and the twelve apostles had held no property, singly or jointly. This view offended those who held property, and was declared to be heretical (proof text, John 18:10; Jesus said to Peter, "Put up thy sword...."). In 1318, several Spiritual Franciscans were burned at the stake in Marseilles. >From the first known letter from Francis to all Christians: "O how happy and blessed are those who love the Lord and do as the Lord himself said in the gospel: You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart and your whole soul, and your neighbor as yourself. Thereofore, let us love God and adore him with pure heart and mind. This is his particular desire when he says: True worshipers adore the Father in spirit and truth. For all who adore him must do so in the spirit of truth. Let us also direct to him our praises and prayers, saying: "Our Father, who are in heaven," since we must always pray and never grow slack. Furthermore, let us produce worthy fruits of penance. Let us also love our neightbors as ourselves. Let us have charity and humility. Let us give alms because these cleanse our souls from the stains of sin. Men lose all the material things they leave behind in this world, but they carry with them the reward of their charity and the alms they give. For these they will recieve from the Lord the reward and recompense they deserve. We must not be wise and prudent according to the flesh. Rather we must be sinple, humble and pure. We should never desire to be over others. Instead, we ought to be servants who are submissive toe very human being for God's sake. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on all who live in this way and persevere in it to the end. He will permanently dwell in them. They will be the Father's children who do his work. They are the spouses, brothers and mothers of our Lord Jesus Christ. [James Kiefer, abridged] From steve.benner at oremus.org Sat Oct 4 17:00:00 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Sat, 4 Oct 2008 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 5 October 2008 Message-ID: <20081004170000.D4550314438@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Sunday, October 5, 2008 The Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost Let all the earth acclaim God, sing to the glory of God's name. Come and see what God has done, let the sound of praise be heard. Amen. Blessed is your glorious name, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, worthy of praise from every mouth, of confession from every tongue, of worship from every creature. You created the world in your grace, and by your compassion you redeemed it. Heaven and earth are full of your praises: Glory be to you, O God most high! 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 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 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 31:31-37]: The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, 'Know the Lord', for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more. Thus says the Lord, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar the Lord of hosts is his name: If this fixed order were ever to cease from my presence, says the Lord, then also the offspring of Israel would cease to be a nation before me for ever. Thus says the Lord: If the heavens above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth below can be explored, then I will reject all the offspring of Israel because of all they have done, says the Lord. HYMN Words: Cecil Frances Alexander, 1848 Tune: Eternity http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/e/e066.html Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus. Every morning the red sun rises warm and bright; but the evening cometh on, and the dark, cold night. There's a bright land far away, where 'tis never-ending day. Every spring sweet young flowers open bright and gay, till the chilly autumn hours wither them away. There's a land we have not seen, where the trees are always green. Little birds sing songs of praise all the summer long, but in colder, shorter days they forget their song. There's a place where angels sing ceaseless praises to their King. Christ our Lord is ever near those who follow him; but we cannot see him here, for our eyes are dim; there is a most happy place, where men always see his face. Who shall go to that bright land? All who do the right; holy children there shall stand in their robes of white; for that heaven, so bright and blest, is our everlasting rest. SECOND READING [John 13:31-35]: When he had gone out, Jesus said, 'Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, "Where I am going, you cannot come." I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.' The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: The Lord calls us to bear the fruits of justice and integrity. Let us then bring our needs, and the needs of the world, to God. We pray for those throughout the world who are struggling as a result of the current financial problems; for those who have lost homes, jobs or security: may we all learn to put self-interest aside and care for the good of all humankind. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. We pray for the work of the aid agencies who bring hope and relief to those in our world who are poor: that they may be a sign of our solidarity with all those who are vulnerable and who live in poverty, and that it may bring hope and comfort to all those in need. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. We pray for all those who live with HIV and Aids: may they be freed from stigma and discrimination, and receive the help and support they need. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. We pray for the people of Iraq and Afghanistan, amid the continuing violence in those lands, and for all those who are seeking to bring peace to the troubled places of the world. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. Heavenly Father, you call us to bring all our prayers and thanksgiving to you. We ask you to hear the prayers that we make today, through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Almighty God, your Son Jesus was the stone rejected by the builders, and, by your doing, he has been made the chief cornerstone: Grant that, by the power of his Spirit working in us, we may become living stones built up into your dwelling place, a temple holy and acceptable to you; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and 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 May the God of peace make us holy through and through, and keep us sound in spirit, soul, and body, free of any fault when our Lord Jesus Christ comes. 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 the closing prayer are adapted from Common Order, (c) 1994 The Church of Scotland. 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 _A Prayer Book for Australia_. (c) 1995, The Anglican Church of Australia Trust Corporation. From steve.benner at oremus.org Sun Oct 5 17:00:00 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Sun, 5 Oct 2008 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 6 October 2008 Message-ID: <20081005170000.AFAC43166E4@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Monday, October 6, 2008 William Tyndale, Translator of the Scriptures, Martyr, 1536 Let all the earth acclaim God, sing to the glory of God's name. Come and see what God has done, let the sound of praise be heard. Amen. Blessed is your glorious name, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, worthy of praise from every mouth, of confession from every tongue, of worship from every creature. You created the world in your grace, and by your compassion you redeemed it. Heaven and earth are full of your praises: Glory be to you, O God most high! An opening canticle may be sung. http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html Psalm 131 O Lord, I am not proud;* I have no haughty looks. I do not occupy myself with great matters,* or with things that are too hard for me. But I still my soul and make it quiet, like a child upon its mother's breast;* my soul is quieted within me. O Israel, wait upon the Lord,* from this time forth for evermore. Psalm 133 O how good and pleasant it is,* when a family lives together in unity! It is like fine oil upon the head* that runs down upon the beard, Upon the beard of Aaron,* and runs down upon the collar of his robe. It is like the dew of Hermon* that falls upon the hills of Zion. For there the Lord has ordained the blessing:* life for evermore. 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 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 uncleannesses. 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 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 [Ecclesiastes 1:2-11]: Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. What do people gain from all the toil at which they toil under the sun? A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains for ever. The sun rises and the sun goes down, and hurries to the place where it rises. The wind blows to the south, and goes round to the north; round and round goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns. All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there they continue to flow. All things are wearisome; more than one can express; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, or the ear filled with hearing. What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun. Is there a thing of which it is said, 'See, this is new'? It has already been, in the ages before us. The people of long ago are not remembered, nor will there be any remembrance of people yet to come by those who come after them. HYMN Words: Henry Williams Baker, 1861 Tune: Ravenshaw http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/l/l464.html Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus. Lord, thy Word abideth, and our footsteps guideth; who its truth believeth light and joy receiveth. When our foes are near us, then thy Word doth cheer us, Word of consolation, message of salvation. When the storms are o'er us, and dark clouds before us, then its light directeth, and our way protecteth. Who can tell the pleasure, who recount the treasure, by thy Word imparted to the simple-hearted? Word of mercy, giving succor to the living; word of life, supplying comfort to the dying! O that we, discerning, its most holy learning, Lord, may love and fear thee, evermore be near thee! SECOND READING [Matthew 19:16-end]: Then someone came to Jesus and said, 'Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?' And he said to him, 'Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.' He said to him, 'Which ones?' And Jesus said, 'You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; Honour your father and mother; also, You shall love your neighbour as yourself.' The young man said to him, 'I have kept all these; what do I still lack?' Jesus said to him, 'If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.' When the young man heard this word, he went away grieving, for he had many possessions. Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.' When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astounded and said, 'Then who can be saved?' But Jesus looked at them and said, 'For mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible.' Then Peter said in reply, 'Look, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?' Jesus said to them, 'Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man is seated on the throne of his glory, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold, and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.' The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: Holy God, we rejoice in the martyrs and prophets, teachers and leaders, and all the ordinary and extraordinary believers who have lived and loved the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. For their witness and encouragement, We thank you, Lord. Recalling their stories and deeds, we dare to take up our crosses. For their witness and encouragement, We thank you, Lord. Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, we plead for the human family and all creation: For those addicted or tormented: We pray to you, Lord. For the victims of terrorism and disaster: We pray to you, Lord. For those who despair of life's goodness: We pray to you, Lord. For the Church, especially ecumenical councils and church agencies: We pray to you, Lord. For a resolution to unresolved matters of this day: We pray to you, Lord. Eternal God, like a mother you calm and quieten our souls: keep us humble as we see your wonder and trusting as we live in your love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Lord, give to your people grace to hear and keep your word that, after the example of your servant William Tyndale, we may not only profess your gospel but also be ready to suffer and die for it, to the honour of your name; 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 While the patterns of daily life hold unchanged, May the presence of Christ transfigure them; When the patterns of life are torn and disrupted, May the life of Christ mend and heal them, Where the patterns of daily life, once shattered, are remade, May the resurrection of Christ be glimpsed In and through them. Amen. ******************************************************* The psalms and first collect are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission. The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002. The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The opening prayer is adapted from Common Order, (c) 1994 The Church of Scotland. The closing prayer comes from the Church of Scotland website. 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 second collect is from _Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England_, material from which is included in this service is copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2000. William Tyndale was born about 1495 at Slymbridge near the Welsh border. He received his degrees from Magdalen College, Oxford, and also studied at Cambridge. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1521, and soon began to speak of his desire, which eventually became his life's obsession, to translate the Scriptures into English. It is reported that, in the course of a dispute with a promminent clergyman who disparaged this proposal, he said, "If God spare my life, ere many years I will cause a boy that driveth the plow to know more of the Scriptures than thou dost." The remainder of his life was devoted to keeping that vow, or boast. Finding that the King, Henry VIII, was firmly set against any English version of the Scriptures, he fled to Germany (visiting Martin Luther in 1525), and there travelled from city to city, in exile, poverty, persecution, and constant danger. Tyndale understood the commonly received doctrine -- the popular theology -- of his time to imply that men earn their salvation by good behavior and by penance. He wrote eloquently in favor of the view that salvation is a gift of God, freely bestowed, and not a response to any good act on the part of the receiver. His views are expressed in numerous pamphlets, and in the introductions to and commentaries on various books of the Bible that accompanied his translations. He completed his translation of the New Testament in 1525, and it was printed at Worms and smuggled into England. Of 18,000 copies, only two survive. In 1534, he produced a revised version, and began work on the Old Testament. In the next two years he completed and published the Pentateuch and Jonah, and translated the books from Joshua through Second Chronicles, but then he was captured (betrayed by one he had befriended), tried for heresy, and put to death. He was burned at the stake, but, as was often done, the officer strangled him before lighting the fire. His last words were, "Lord, open the King of England's eyes." Miles Coverdale continued Tyndale's work by translating those portions of the Bible (including the Apocrypha) which Tyndale had not lived to translate himself, and publishing the complete work. In 1537, the "Matthew Bible" (essentially the Tyndale-Coverdale Bible under another man's name to spare the government embarrassment) was published in England with the Royal Permission. Six copies were set up for public reading in Old St. Paul's Church, and throughout the daylight hours the church was crowded with those who had come to hear it. One man would stand at the lectern and read until his voice gave out, and then he would stand down and another would take his place. All English translations of the Bible from that time to the present century are essentially revisions of the Tyndale-Coverdale work. [James Kiefer, abridged] From steve.benner at oremus.org Mon Oct 6 17:00:00 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Mon, 6 Oct 2008 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 7 October 2008 Message-ID: <20081006170000.EDD84315571@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Tuesday, October 7, 2008 Lord, open our lips, and our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed is your glorious name, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, worthy of praise from every mouth, of confession from every tongue, of worship from every creature. You created the world in your grace, and by your compassion you redeemed it. Heaven and earth are full of your praises: Glory be to you, O God most high! 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.' A Song of God's Chosen One (Isaiah 11.1,2,3b-4a,6,9) There shall come forth a shoot from the stock of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear, But with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth. The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid. The calf, the lion and the fatling together, with a little child to lead them. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. 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 [Ecclesiastes 2:1-11]: I said to myself, 'Come now, I will make a test of pleasure; enjoy yourself.' But again, this also was vanity. I said of laughter, 'It is mad', and of pleasure, 'What use is it?' I searched with my mind how to cheer my body with wine my mind still guiding me with wisdom and how to lay hold on folly, until I might see what was good for mortals to do under heaven during the few days of their life. I made great works; I built houses and planted vineyards for myself; I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house; I also had great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and of the provinces; I got singers, both men and women, and delights of the flesh, and many concubines. So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem; also my wisdom remained with me. Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them; I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had spent in doing it, and again, all was vanity and a chasing after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun. HYMN Words: R.T. Brooks (c) Used with permission Tune: St. Helen, Regent Square http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/t/t062.html Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus. Thanks to God whose Word was spoken in the deed that made the earth. His the voice that called a nation; his the fires that tried her worth. God has spoken, God has spoken: praise God for his open word. Thanks to God whose Word incarnate heights and depths of life did share. Deeds and words and death and rising, grace in human form declare. God has spoken, God has spoken: praise God for his open word. Thanks to God whose word was written in the Bible's sacred page, record of the revelation showing God to every age. God has spoken, God has spoken: praise God for his open word. Thanks to God whose word is published in the tongues of every race. See its glory undiminished by the change of time and place. God has spoken, God has spoken: praise God for his open word. Thanks to God whose Word is answered by the Spirit's voice within. Here we drink of joy unmeasured, life redeemed from death and sin. God is speaking, God is speaking: praise God for his open word. SECOND READING [Matthew 20:1-16]: Jesus said, 'For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the labourers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. When he went out about nine o'clock, he saw others standing idle in the market-place; and he said to them, "You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right." So they went. When he went out again about noon and about three o'clock, he did the same. And about five o'clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, "Why are you standing here idle all day?" They said to him, "Because no one has hired us." He said to them, "You also go into the vineyard." When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, "Call the labourers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first." When those hired about five o'clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, saying, "These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat." But he replied to one of them, "Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?" So the last will be first, and the first will be last.' The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: We seek you daily, O Father, and you are there daily to be found. Wherever we seek you, at home, at work, on the highway, you are there, O Lord. Whatever we do, eating and drinking, writing or working, readings, meditating or praying, you are there, O Lord. If we are oppressed, you defend us, O Lord. If we hunger, you feed us, O Lord. Whatever we need, you give us, O Lord. Eternal God, shed your light on those who watch for you. May our lips always paise you, our hearts bless you, and our lives give you glory; 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 our footsteps be taken justly, our words said kindly, our life lived fully, and God always by our side. 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 collect are from Common Order, (c) 1994 The Church of Scotland. The closing prayer is adapted from the Pray Now website http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/worship/ The intercession is by Stephen Benner From steve.benner at oremus.org Tue Oct 7 17:00:01 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Tue, 7 Oct 2008 17:00:01 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 8 October 2008 Message-ID: <20081007170001.40D6D3147CE@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Wednesday, October 8, 2008 Lord, open our lips, and our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed is your glorious name, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, worthy of praise from every mouth, of confession from every tongue, of worship from every creature. You created the world in your grace, and by your compassion you redeemed it. Heaven and earth are full of your praises: Glory be to you, O God most high! An opening canticle may be sung. http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html Psalm 135 Alleluia! Praise the name of the Lord;* give praise, you servants of the Lord, You who stand in the house of the Lord,* in the courts of the house of our God. Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;* sing praises to his name, for it is lovely. For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself* and Israel for his own possession. For I know that the Lord is great,* and that our Lord is above all gods. The Lord does whatever pleases him, in heaven and on earth,* in the seas and all the deeps. He brings up rain clouds from the ends of the earth;* he sends out lightning with the rain, and brings the winds out of his storehouse. It was he who struck down the first-born of Egypt,* the first-born both of human and beast. He sent signs and wonders into the midst of you, O Egypt,* against Pharaoh and all his servants. He overthrew many nations* and put mighty kings to death: Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, the king of Bashan,* and all the kingdoms of Canaan. He gave their land to be an inheritance,* an inheritance for Israel his people. O Lord, your name is everlasting;* your renown, O Lord, endures from age to age. For the Lord gives his people justice* and shows compassion to his servants. The idols of the heathen are silver and gold,* the work of human hands. They have mouths, but they cannot speak;* eyes have they, but they cannot see. They have ears, but they cannot hear;* neither is there any breath in their mouth. Those who make them are like them,* and so are all who put their trust in them. Bless the Lord, O house of Israel;* O house of Aaron, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, O house of Levi;* you who fear the Lord, bless the Lord. Blessed be the Lord out of Zion,* who dwells in Jerusalem. Alleluia! A Song of the Bride (Isaiah 61.10,11; 62.1-3) I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall exult in my God; Who has clothed me with the garments of salvation, and has covered me with the cloak of integrity, As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the earth puts forth her blossom, and as seeds in the garden spring up, So shall God make righteousness and praise blossom before all the nations. For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, Until her deliverance shines out like the dawn, and her salvation as a burning torch. The nations shall see your deliverance, and all rulers shall see your glory; Then you shall be called by a new name which the mouth of God will give. You shall be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, a royal diadem in the hand of 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 [Ecclesiastes 2:18-end]: I hated all my toil in which I had toiled under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to those who come after me and who knows whether they will be wise or foolish? Yet they will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity. So I turned and gave my heart up to despair concerning all the toil of my labours under the sun, because sometimes one who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave all to be enjoyed by another who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. What do mortals get from all the toil and strain with which they toil under the sun? For all their days are full of pain, and their work is a vexation; even at night their minds do not rest. This also is vanity. There is nothing better for mortals than to eat and drink, and find enjoyment in their toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God; for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? For to the one who pleases him God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy; but to the sinner he gives the work of gathering and heaping, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind. HYMN Words: Scottish Psalter, 1650 Tune: York http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/p/p120.html Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus. Pray that Jerusalem may have peace and felicity: let them that love thee and thy peace have still prosperity. Therefore I wish that peace may still within thy walls remain, and ever may thy palaces prosperity retain. Now, for my friends and brethren's sake, peace be in thee, I'll say, and for the house of God our Lord I'll seek thy good alway. SECOND READING [Matthew 20:17-end]: While Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and said to them on the way, 'See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death; then they will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified; and on the third day he will be raised.' Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, and kneeling before him, she asked a favour of him. And he said to her, 'What do you want?' She said to him, 'Declare that these two sons of mine will sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.' But Jesus answered, 'You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?' They said to him, 'We are able.' He said to them, 'You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left, this is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.' When the ten heard it, they were angry with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, 'You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.' As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. There were two blind men sitting by the roadside. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they shouted, 'Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!' The crowd sternly ordered them to be quiet; but they shouted even more loudly, 'Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David!' Jesus stood still and called them, saying, 'What do you want me to do for you?' They said to him, 'Lord, let our eyes be opened.' Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately they regained their sight and followed him. The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: Under your holy wings, you gather us, O God, and you shelter us by your grace. Together in faith communities, you call us share your love and mercy. Gather us in, O God. We give you thanks for all that gives shape to life in community: devotion to apostolic teaching, sharing in fellowship around your Word and Table, continuous prayer for the world and the Church. Gather us in, O God. Save your Church from formless piety. Gather us in, O God. Help families and the leaders of households to pattern faith. Gather us in, O God. Choose and renew our leaders for disciple-making. Gather us in, O God. Uphold those who seek peace with justice. Gather us in, O God. Give light to all who strive to discern what is right. Gather us in, O God. Comfort the dying. Gather us in, O God. Heal the broken and suffering. Gather us in, O God. Ever-present God, this day enfolds us and surrounds us: be in our speaking and in our thinking; be in our life and on our lips; be in our hearts and in our souls; today 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 today take us one step further than we intended and allow us to celebrate in finding God waiting there. 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 collect are from Common Order, (c) 1994 The Church of Scotland. The closing prayer is adapted from the Pray Now website http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/worship/ The intercession is reprinted from _THE DAILY OFFICE: A Book of Hours of Daily Prayer after the Use of the Order of Saint Luke_, (c) 1997 by The Order of Saint Luke. Used by permission. From steve.benner at oremus.org Wed Oct 8 17:00:00 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Wed, 8 Oct 2008 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 9 October 2008 Message-ID: <20081008170000.9CE7F314381@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Thursday, October 9, 2008 Robert Grosseteste, Bishop of Lincoln, Philosopher, Scientist, 1253 Lord, open our lips, and our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed is your glorious name, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, worthy of praise from every mouth, of confession from every tongue, of worship from every creature. You created the world in your grace, and by your compassion you redeemed it. Heaven and earth are full of your praises: Glory be to you, O God most high! An opening canticle may be sung. http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html Psalm 137:1-6 By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept,* when we remembered you, O Zion. As for our harps, we hung them up* on the trees in the midst of that land. For those who led us away captive asked us for a song, and our oppressors called for mirth:* 'Sing us one of the songs of Zion.' How shall we sing the Lord's song* upon an alien soil? If I forget you, O Jerusalem,* let my right hand forget its skill. Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you,* if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy. Psalm 138 I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with my whole heart;* before the gods I will sing your praise. I will bow down towards your holy temple and praise your name,* because of your love and faithfulness; For you have glorified your name* and your word above all things. When I called, you answered me;* you increased my strength within me. All the kings of the earth will praise you, O Lord,* when they have heard the words of your mouth. They will sing of the ways of the Lord,* that great is the glory of the Lord. Though the Lord be high, he cares for the lowly;* he perceives the haughty from afar. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you keep me safe;* you stretch forth your hand against the fury of my enemies; your right hand shall save me. The Lord will make good his purpose for me;* O Lord, your love endures for ever; do not abandon the works of your hands. A Song of Christ's Appearing (1 Timothy 3.16;6.15,16) Christ Jesus was revealed in the flesh and vindicated in the spirit. He was seen by angels and proclaimed among the nations. Believed in throughout the world, he was taken up in glory. This will be made manifest at the proper time by the blessed and only Sovereign, Who alone has immortality, and dwells in unapproachable light. To the King of kings and Lord of lords be honour and eternal dominion. Amen. 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 [Ecclesiastes 3:1-2, 9-15]: For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; What gain have the workers from their toil? I have seen the business that God has given to everyone to be busy with. He has made everything suitable for its time; moreover, he has put a sense of past and future into their minds, yet they cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live; moreover, it is God's gift that all should eat and drink and take pleasure in all their toil. I know that whatever God does endures for ever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; God has done this, so that all should stand in awe before him. That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already is; and God seeks out what has gone by. HYMN Words: Henry Williams Baker, 1861 Tune: Monkland http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/p/p060.html Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus. Praise, O praise our God and King; hymns of adoration sing; for his mercies still endure ever faithful, ever sure. Praise him that he made the sun day by day his course to run; for his mercies still endure ever faithful, ever sure; and the silver moon by night, shining with her gentle light; for his mercies still endure ever faithful, ever sure. Praise him that he gave the rain to mature the swelling grain; for his mercies still endure ever faithful, ever sure; and hath bid the fruitful field crops of precious increase yield; for his mercies still endure ever faithful, ever sure. Praise him for our harvest-store, he hath filled the garner-floor; for his mercies still endure ever faithful, ever sure. And for richer food than this, pledge of everlasting bliss; for his mercies still endure ever faithful, ever sure. Glory to our bounteous King; glory let creation sing; glory to the Father, Son, and blest Spirit, Three in One. SECOND READING [Matthew 21:1-16]: When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, 'Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, "The Lord needs them." And he will send them immediately.' This took place to fulfil what had been spoken through the prophet, saying, 'Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.' The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, 'Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!' When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, 'Who is this?' The crowds were saying, 'This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.' Then Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who were selling and buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold doves. He said to them, 'It is written, "My house shall be called a house of prayer"; but you are making it a den of robbers.' The blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he cured them. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the amazing things that he did, and heard the children crying out in the temple, 'Hosanna to the Son of David', they became angry and said to him, 'Do you hear what these are saying?' Jesus said to them, 'Yes; have you never read, "Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise for yourself"?' The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: Almighty and gracious God, we bless you for your mercy in Christ and your nearness by the Word and the Spirit. Hear us as we embrace in the circle of love: the life and witness of your Church, Generous God, hear us. the world and its longing, especially for peace wherever conflict persists. Generous God, hear us. the cares of our own lives, Generous God, hear us. and those particular concerns your Spirit awakens in us, Generous God, hear us. Guide us, O Lord, in all the changes of life, that we may neither complain in adversity nor boast in prosperity; but with faith, hope, and love, may follow your divine will; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. O God, who raised up your faithful servant Robert Grosseteste to be a bishop and pastor in your Church and to feed your flock; Give abundantly to all pastors the gifts of your Holy Spirit, that they may minister in your household as true servants of Christ and stewards of your divine mysteries; 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 beyond answers, Lord beyond words, Spirit beyond imagining, Move us today. 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 Common Order, (c) 1994 The Church of Scotland. The closing prayer is adapted from the Pray Now website http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/worship/ The second collect is from _The Proper for the Lesser Feasts and Fasts_, 3rd edition, (c) 1980 The Church Pension Fund. Had the leaders of the thirteenth century heeded this preacher, many of the disasters of the following three centuries might have been avoided. Robert was a peasant lad from Suffolk, born about 1175. He distinguished himself at Oxford in law, medicine, languages, natural sciences, and theology. He became what is now called Chancellor of Oxford University. In 1235, he was elected Bishop of Lincoln, in area the largest diocese in England. He promptly visited all the churches in the diocese and quickly removed many of the prominent clergy because they were neglectng their pastoral duties. He vigorously opposed the practice by which the Pope appointed Italians as absentee clergy for English churches (collecting salaries from said churches without ever setting foot in the country). He insisted that his priests spend their time in the service of their people, in prayer, and in study. He went on a pilgrimage to Rome, where he spoke out boldly against ecclesiastical abuses. Back in England, he spoke against unlawful usurpations of power by the monarch, and was one of those present at the signing of the Magna Carta. Grosseteste's scholarly writings embraced many fields of learning. He translated into Latin the Ethics of Aristotle and the theological works of John of Damascus and of the fifth-century writer known as Dionysius the Areopagite. He was skilled in poetry, music, architecture, mathematics, astronomy, optics, and physics (one of his pupils was Roger Bacon). His writings on the first chapter of Genesis include an interesting anticipation of modern cosmological ideas. (He read that the first thing created was light, and said that the universe began with pure energy exploding from a point source.) He knew Hebrew and Greek, and his Biblical studies were a notable contribution to the scholarship of the day. [James Kiefer] From steve.benner at oremus.org Thu Oct 9 17:00:00 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Thu, 9 Oct 2008 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 10 October 2008 Message-ID: <20081009170000.39EEF314D4D@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Friday, October 10, 2008 Paulinus, Bishop of York, Missionary, 644 Lord, open our lips, and our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed is your glorious name, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, worthy of praise from every mouth, of confession from every tongue, of worship from every creature. You created the world in your grace, and by your compassion you redeemed it. Heaven and earth are full of your praises: Glory be to you, O God most high! An opening canticle may be sung. http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html Psalm 139 Lord, you have searched me out and known me;* you know my sitting down and my rising up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You trace my journeys and my resting-places* and are acquainted with all my ways. Indeed, there is not a word on my lips,* but you, O Lord, know it altogether. You press upon me behind and before* and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;* it is so high that I cannot attain to it. Where can I go then from your Spirit?* where can I flee from your presence? If I climb up to heaven, you are there;* if I make the grave my bed, you are there also. If I take the wings of the morning* and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there your hand will lead me* and your right hand hold me fast. If I say, 'Surely the darkness will cover me,* and the light around me turn to night', Darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day;* darkness and light to you are both alike. For you yourself created my inmost parts;* you knit me together in my mother's womb. I will thank you because I am marvellously made;* your works are wonderful and I know it well. My body was not hidden from you,* while I was being made in secret and woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes beheld my limbs, yet unfinished in the womb; all of them were written in your book;* they were fashioned day by day, when as yet there was none of them. How deep I find your thoughts, O God!* how great is the sum of them! If I were to count them, they would be more in number than the sand;* to count them all, my life span would need to be like yours. Search me out, O God, and know my heart;* try me and know my restless thoughts. Look well whether there be any wickedness in me* and lead me in the way that is everlasting. A Song of the Word of the Lord (Isaiah 55.6-11) Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; Let the wicked abandon their ways, and the unrighteous their thoughts; Return to the Lord, who will have mercy; to our God, who will richly pardon. 'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' says the Lord. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 'As the rain and the snow come down from above, and return not again but water the earth, 'Bringing forth life and giving growth, seed for sowing and bread to eat, 'So is my word that goes forth from my mouth; it will not return to me fruitless, 'But it will accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the task I gave it.' Psalm 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 [Ecclesiastes 3:16-end]: Moreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, wickedness was there, and in the place of righteousness, wickedness was there as well. I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for he has appointed a time for every matter, and for every work. I said in my heart with regard to human beings that God is testing them to show that they are but animals. For the fate of humans and the fate of animals is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and humans have no advantage over the animals; for all is vanity. All go to one place; all are from the dust, and all turn to dust again. Who knows whether the human spirit goes upwards and the spirit of animals goes downwards to the earth? So I saw that there is nothing better than that all should enjoy their work, for that is their lot; who can bring them to see what will be after them? HYMN Words: Bernhardt Severin Ingemann, 1825; trans. Sabine Baring-Gould, 1867 Tune: Ton-y-Botel (Ebenezer), St. Asaph, Rustington, Sussex, St. Oswald http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/t/t670.html Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus. Through the night of doubt and sorrow, onward goes the pilgrim band, singing songs of expectation, marching to the promised land. Clear before us through the darkness gleams and burns the guiding light: trusting God we march together stepping fearless through the night. One the light of God's own presence, o'er his ransomed people shed, chasing far the gloom and terror, brightening all the path we tread: one the object of our journey, one the faith which never tires, one the earnest looking forward, one the hope our God inspires. One the strain the lips of thousands lift as from the heart of one; one the conflict, one the peril, one the march in God begun: one the gladness of rejoicing on the far eternal shore, where the one almighty Father reigns in love for evermore. Onward, therefore, pilgrim brothers, onward with the cross our aid; bear its shame, and fight its battle, till we rest beneath its shade. Soon shall come the great awaking, soon the rending of the tomb; then the scattering of all shadows, and the end of toil and gloom. SECOND READING [Matthew 21:17-32]: Jesus left them, went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there. In the morning, when he returned to the city, he was hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the side of the road, he went to it and found nothing at all on it but leaves. Then he said to it, 'May no fruit ever come from you again!' And the fig tree withered at once. When the disciples saw it, they were amazed, saying, 'How did the fig tree wither at once?' Jesus answered them, 'Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, "Be lifted up and thrown into the sea", it will be done. Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive.' When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, 'By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?' Jesus said to them, 'I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?' And they argued with one another, 'If we say, "From heaven", he will say to us, "Why then did you not believe him?" But if we say, "Of human origin", we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.' So they answered Jesus, 'We do not know.' And he said to them, 'Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 'What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, "Son, go and work in the vineyard today." He answered, "I will not"; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, "I go, sir"; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?' They said, 'The first.' Jesus said to them, 'Truly I tell you, the tax-collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax-collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him. The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: Great are you, Lord, and greatly to be praised! There is no end to your greatness. Let your Spirit shape and make new our character, encourage us in constant prayer, direct us in the way of love and bring us at last to heaven with all your saints in light. All that is unfinished in us and in the world, we entrust to you, Lord. Every aspiration, longing and dream crushed by temptation, sin and dullness of heart, we entrust to you, Lord. Holy Church seeking to offer you worship in every place and culture we entrust to you, Lord. Every people and tribe oppressed by the greed and prejudice of others, we entrust to you, Lord. The empty and hungry places in our spirits and in our relationships with others, we entrust to you, Lord. Loving God, your Son willingly endured agony and shame for us. Give us grace to take up our cross and follow him, till at the last we come with him to glory, where he lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. God our Saviour, who sent Paulinus to preach and to baptize, and so to build up your Church: grant that, inspired by his example, we may tell all the world of your truth, that with him we may receive the reward you prepare for all your faithful servants; 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 immeasurable love of family beyond convention of trust beyond understanding bless us through Christ your given son. 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 Common Order, (c) 1994 The Church of Scotland. The closing prayer is adapted from the Pray Now website http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/worship/ The intercession 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. In the middle 400's the pagan Anglo-Saxons invaded Britain, driving the Christian Britons north and west into Cornwall, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. In 597 a band of monks headed by Augustine of Canterbury (feast 26 May--not to be confused with Augustine of Hippo) arrived in southeastern England, in the kingdom of Kent, and began to evangelize the people there, with considerable success. In 601 a second group of monks arrived, including Paulinus (born around 584). Sometime after 616, Edwin, the pagan king of Northumbria (the region north of the Humber river--roughly the northern quarter of England), asked for the hand in marriage of Ethelburga, the sister of the king of Kent. He was told that a Christian princess could not marry a pagan, but he promised that she would be free to practice her religion, and that he would listen to Christian preachers, and seriously consider becoming a Christian himself. At this Ethelburga agreed to marry him, and went north in 625, taking with her as chaplain the monk Paulinus, who was consecrated bishop for the purpose. Edwin heard the preaching of Paulinus for many months, and finally consulted his advisors. Coifi, the high priest of the pagan religion, advised adopting Christianity, since he said that the pagan religion had not proved satisfactory. Another nobleman agreed, saying: "Life is like a banquet hall. Inside is light and fire and warmth and feasting, but outside it is cold and dark. A sparrow flies in through a window at one end, flies the length of the hall, and out through a window at the other end. That is what life is like. At birth we emerge from the unknown, and for a brief while we are here on this earth, with a fair amount of comfort and happiness. But then we fly out the window at the other end, into the cold and dark and unknown future. If the new religion can lighten that darkness for us, then let us follow it." The other elders and counselors of the king gave similar advice, and so in 627 the king and many of his chief men were baptized. Other conversions followed, and the Church in Northumbria flourished. However, six years later, King Edwin was defeated and killed by Cadwallon of Wales and Penda of Mercia at the battle of Hatfield Chase. Paulinus left his deacon James in charge of what remained of the Church there, and took Queen Ethelburga and her children back to Kent by ship. There the elderly Paulinus was given the bishopric of Rochester, which he held till his death on 10 October 644. [James Kiefer] From steve.benner at oremus.org Fri Oct 10 17:00:01 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Fri, 10 Oct 2008 17:00:01 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 11 October 2008 Message-ID: <20081010170001.32AD9314A9B@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Saturday, October 11, 2008 Elizabeth Fry, Prison Reformer, 1845 Edith Cavell, Nurse, 1915 Lord, open our lips, and our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed is your glorious name, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, worthy of praise from every mouth, of confession from every tongue, of worship from every creature. You created the world in your grace, and by your compassion you redeemed it. Heaven and earth are full of your praises: Glory be to you, O God most high! An opening canticle may be sung. http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html Psalm 19 The heavens declare the glory of God,* and the firmament shows his handiwork. One day tells its tale to another,* and one night imparts knowledge to another. Although they have no words or language,* and their voices are not heard, Their sound has gone out into all lands,* and their message to the ends of the world. In the deep has he set a pavilion for the sun;* it comes forth like a bridegroom out of his chamber; it rejoices like a champion to run its course. It goes forth from the uttermost edge of the heavens and runs about to the end of it again;* nothing is hidden from its burning heat. The law of the Lord is perfect and revives the soul;* the testimony of the Lord is sure and gives wisdom to the innocent. The statutes of the Lord are just and rejoice the heart;* the commandment of the Lord is clear and gives light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean and endures for ever;* the judgements of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, more than much fine gold,* sweeter far than honey, than honey in the comb. By them also is your servant enlightened,* and in keeping them there is great reward. Who can tell how often he offends?* Cleanse me from my secret faults. Above all, keep your servant from presumptuous sins; let them not get dominion over me;* then shall I be whole and sound, and innocent of a great offence. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight,* O Lord, my strength and my redeemer. Psalm 46 God is our refuge and strength,* a very present help in trouble; Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be moved,* and though the mountains be toppled into the depths of the sea; Though its waters rage and foam,* and though the mountains tremble at its tumult. The Lord of hosts is with us;* the God of Jacob is our stronghold. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,* the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be overthrown;* God shall help her at the break of day. The nations make much ado and the kingdoms are shaken;* God has spoken and the earth shall melt away. The Lord of hosts is with us;* the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Come now and look upon the works of the Lord,* what awesome things he has done on earth. It is he who makes war to cease in all the world;* he breaks the bow and shatters the spear and burns the shields with fire. 'Be still, then, and know that I am God;* I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth.' The Lord of hosts is with us;* the God of Jacob is our stronghold. A Song of the 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 [Ecclesiastes 5:1-7]: Guard your steps when you go to the house of God; to draw near to listen is better than the sacrifice offered by fools; for they do not know how to keep from doing evil. Never be rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be quick to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven, and you upon earth; therefore let your words be few. For dreams come with many cares, and a fool's voice with many words. When you make a vow to God, do not delay fulfilling it; for he has no pleasure in fools. Fulfil what you vow. It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not fulfil it. Do not let your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake; why should God be angry at your words, and destroy the work of your hands? With many dreams come vanities and a multitude of words; but fear God. HYMN Words: Cyril A. Alington (1872-1955) Hope Publishing Company Used with permission Tune: Hyfrydol, Rustington http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/y/y021.html Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus. Ye that know the Lord is gracious, ye for whom a cornerstone stands, of God elect and precious, laid that ye may build thereon, see that on that sure foundation ye a living temple raise, towers that may tell forth salvation, walls that may re-echo praise. Living stones, by God appointed each to his allotted place, kings and priests, by God anointed, shall ye not declare his grace? Ye, a royal generation, tell the tidings of your birth, tidings of a new creation to an old and weary earth. Tell the praise of him who called you out of darkness into light, broke the fetters that enthralled you, gave you freedom, peace and sight: tell the tale of sins forgiven, strength renewed and hope restored, till the earth, in tune with heaven, praise and magnify the Lord. SECOND READING [Matthew 21:33-end]: Jesus said, 'Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watch-tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, "They will respect my son." But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, "This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance." So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?' They said to him, 'He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time.' Jesus said to them, 'Have you never read in the scriptures: "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord's doing, and it is amazing in our eyes"? Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom. The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.' When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. They wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet. The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: Blessed are you, eternal God, to be praised and glorified for ever. Hear us as we pray for your holy Catholic Church: make us all one, that the world may believe. Grant that every member of the Church may truly and humbly serve you: that the life of Christ may be revealed in us. Strengthen all who minister in Christ's name: give them courage to proclaim your Gospel. Inspire and lead those who hold authority in the nations of the world: guide them in the ways of justice and peace. Make us alive to the needs of our community: help us to share each other's joys and burdens. Look with kindness on our homes and families: grant that your love may grow in our hearts. Deepen our compassion for all who suffer from sickness, grief or trouble: in your presence may they find their strength. We remember those who have died: may they rest in your peace. We praise you for all your saints who have entered your eternal glory: bring us all to share in your heavenly kingdom. Abide with us, Lord, for the days are hastening on and we hasten on with them. Abide with us, Lord, and with all your faithful people, making yourself known in the breaking of the word and of the bread. Abide with us, Lord, until the daystar rises and the morning light appears, and we shall live with you for ever and ever. Amen. Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name, your servants Elizabeth Fry and Edith Cavell revealed your goodness in a life of service: grant that we who have gathered in faith around this table may like them know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge and be filled with all your fullness; 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 Count your blessings name them one by one, Count your blessings see what God has done, Count your blessings, name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord 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 and collect are adapted from Common Order, (c) 1994 The Church of Scotland. The closing prayer is adapted from the Pray Now website http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/worship/ The second collect is slightly adapted from _Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England_, material from which is included in this service is copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2000. Elizabeth Gurney was born at Earlham in Norfolk in 1780. At the age of twenty, she married Joseph Fry, a London merchant and a strict Quaker. She was admitted as a minister in the Society of Friends and became a noted preacher. The appalling state of the prisons came to her notice and she devoted much of her time to the welfare of female prisoners in Newgate. In 1820 she took part in the formation of a nightly shelter for the homeless in London. She travelled all over Europe in the cause of prison reform. She was a woman of a strong Christian and evangelistic impulse and this inspired all her work. She died on this day in 1845. Edith Cavell was born into a clergy family at Swardeston in 1865. After life as a governess, she trained as a nurse, ending up working with the Red Cross in Belgium in 1907. On the outbreak of the First World War, she became involved in caring for the wounded on both sides. She refused repatriation and then began smuggling British soldiers from Belgium into Holland. In 1915 she was arrested and brought to trial. Protecting those who worked with her, she was sentenced to death and executed by firing squad on this day in the year 1915. She went to her death calmly, forgiving her executioners, convinced she had been doing her duty as a Christian. [Exciting Holiness] From steve.benner at oremus.org Sat Oct 11 17:00:00 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Sat, 11 Oct 2008 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 12 October 2008 Message-ID: <20081011170000.702DE314A81@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Sunday, October 12, 2008 The Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost Lord, open our lips, and our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, Lord of the feast, you have prepared a table before all peoples and poured out life with such abundance that death cannot claim the triumph over your universe. You call us again to your banquet where we may may receive your holy food, and, strengthened by what is honorable, just, and pure, be transformed into a people of righteousness and peace. For these and all your mercies, we praise you: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Blessed be God for ever! An opening canticle may be sung. http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html Psalm 25 To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul; my God, I put my trust in you;* let me not be humiliated, nor let my enemies triumph over me. Let none who look to you be put to shame;* let the treacherous be disappointed in their schemes. Show me your ways, O Lord,* and teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me,* for you are the God of my salvation; in you have I trusted all the day long. Remember, O Lord, your compassion and love,* for they are from everlasting. Remember not the sins of my youth and my transgressions;* remember me according to your love and for the sake of your goodness, O Lord. Gracious and upright is the Lord;* therefore he teaches sinners in his way. He guides the humble in doing right* and teaches his way to the lowly. All the paths of the Lord are love and faithfulness* to those who keep his covenant and his testimonies. For your name's sake, O Lord,* forgive my sin, for it is great. Who are they who fear the Lord?* he will teach them the way that they should choose. They shall dwell in prosperity,* and their offspring shall inherit the land. The Lord is a friend to those who fear him* and will show them his covenant. My eyes are ever looking to the Lord,* for he shall pluck my feet out of the net. Turn to me and have pity on me,* for I am left alone and in misery. The sorrows of my heart have increased;* bring me out of my troubles. Look upon my adversity and misery* and forgive me all my sin. Look upon my enemies, for they are many,* and they bear a violent hatred against me. Protect my life and deliver me;* let me not be put to shame, for I have trusted in you. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,* for my hope has been in you. Deliver Israel, O God,* out of all his troubles. 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 [Genesis 15:1-6]: The word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, 'Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.' But Abram said, 'O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?' And Abram said, 'You have given me no offspring, and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir.' But the word of the Lord came to him, 'This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your heir.' He brought him outside and said, 'Look towards heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.' Then he said to him, 'So shall your descendants be.' And he believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness. HYMN Words: Thomas Olivers (1725-1799), 1770 Tune: Leoni http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/t/t149.html Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus. The God of Abraham praise, who reigns enthroned above; Ancient of everlasting days, and God of love; Jehovah, great I AM, by earth and heaven confessed: I bow and bless the sacred Name for ever blessed. The God of Abraham praise, at whose supreme command from earth we rise, and seek the joys at his right hand; we all on earth forsake, its wisdom, fame and power; and him our only portion make, our Shield and Tower. The goodly land we see, with peace and plenty blessed: a land of sacred liberty and endless rest; there milk and honey flow, and oil and wine abound, and trees of life for ever grow, with mercy crowned. There dwells the Lord, our King, the Lord, our Righteousness, triumphant o'er the world and sin, the Prince of Peace; on Zion's sacred height his kingdom he maintains, and, glorious with his saints in light, for ever reigns. The God who reigns on high, the great archangels sing, and "Holy, holy, holy," cry, "Almighty King!" Who was and is the same, and evermore shall be: Jehovah, Father, great I AM, we worship thee." The whole triumphant host give thanks to God on high; "Hail, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost" they ever cry; hail, Abraham's God and mine; I join the heavenly lays; all might and majesty are thine, and endless praise! SECOND READING [Romans 4:1-8]: What then are we to say was gained by Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the scripture say? 'Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.' Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift but as something due. But to one who without works trusts him who justifies the ungodly, such faith is reckoned as righteousness. So also David speaks of the blessedness of those to whom God reckons righteousness irrespective of works: 'Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the one against whom the Lord will not reckon sin.' The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: The Lord is our shepherd and our king. Let us bring our cares and concerns to him. We pray for those throughout the world who are suffering as a result of the current economic and financial problems; for those who have lost savings, homes or jobs: may we all learn to put self-interest and greed aside and have a true concern for the common good. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. We pray for those in our world who live in conditions of poverty and hunger: may we share generously the good things that the Lord has given us. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. We pray for students, teachers and all those involved in education; for those beginning new courses at this time of year, especially for those who may be away from home for the first time: that the Lord may guard them and guide them, and that they may know the love and support of their families and communities. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. We pray for the people of Zimbabwe, especially those who lack food and nourishment amid the continuing uncertainty about their country's future: that their land may know freedom, justice and hope for the future. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. We pray for those killed and injured in the recent political violence in Pakistan; and for all those working to bring peace and stability. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. We pray for all those parts of the world afflicted by violence at this time, especially for the peoples of Iraq and Afghanistan: that peace and reconciliation may flourish. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. Heavenly Father, you invite us all to share the heavenly banquet of your kingdom. We ask you to help us live the life of the kingdom today, and to hear the prayers that we make through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Saving and healing God, you have promised that those who have died with Christ shall live with him: Grant us grace to be continually thankful for all you have done for us, and in that thankfulness to be eager to serve and live for others, so that we and all your children may rejoice in your salvation; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. Gathering our prayers and praises into one, let us pray as our Savior has taught us. - The Lord's Prayer May we be mindful of God's call to holiness and be clothed in the practice of good works, that we may come to God's banquet prepared to feast with the whole world.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 the closing prayer are reprinted from _Revised Common Lectionary Prayers_, copyright (c) 2002 Consultation on Common Texts 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 _A Prayer Book for Australia_. (c) 1995, The Anglican Church of Australia Trust Corporation. From steve.benner at oremus.org Sun Oct 12 17:00:00 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Sun, 12 Oct 2008 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 13 October 2008 Message-ID: <20081012170000.A6F04314B05@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Monday, October 13, 2008 Edward the Confessor, King of England, 1066 Lord, open our lips, and our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, Lord of the feast, you have prepared a table before all peoples and poured out life with such abundance that death cannot claim the triumph over your universe. You call us again to your banquet where we may may receive your holy food, and, strengthened by what is honorable, just, and pure, be transformed into a people of righteousness and peace. For these and all your mercies, we praise you: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Blessed be God for ever! An opening canticle may be sung. http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html Psalm 4 Answer me when I call, O God, defender of my cause;* you set me free when I am hard-pressed; have mercy on me and hear my prayer. 'You mortals, how long will you dishonour my glory;* how long will you worship dumb idols and run after false gods?' Know that the Lord does wonders for the faithful;* when I call upon the Lord, he will hear me. Tremble, then, and do not sin;* speak to your heart in silence upon your bed. Offer the appointed sacrifices* and put your trust in the Lord. Many are saying, 'O that we might see better times!'* Lift up the light of your countenance upon us, O Lord. You have put gladness in my heart,* more than when grain and wine and oil increase. I lie down in peace; at once I fall asleep;* for only you, Lord, make me dwell in safety. Psalm 8 O Lord our governor,* how exalted is your name in all the world! Out of the mouths of infants and children* your majesty is praised above the heavens. You have set up a stronghold against your adversaries,* to quell the enemy and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers,* the moon and the stars you have set in their courses, What are mortals, that you should be mindful of them?* mere human beings, that you should seek them out? You have made them little lower than the angels;* you adorn them with glory and honour. You give them mastery over the works of your hands;* and put all things under their feet, All sheep and oxen,* even the wild beasts of the field, The birds of the air, the fish of the sea,* and whatsoever walks in the paths of the sea. O Lord our governor,* how exalted is your name in all the world! A Song of 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 [Ecclesiastes 5:8-end]: If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and right, do not be amazed at the matter; for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them. But all things considered, this is an advantage for a land: a king for a ploughed field. The lover of money will not be satisfied with money; nor the lover of wealth, with gain. This also is vanity. When goods increase, those who eat them increase; and what gain has their owner but to see them with his eyes? Sweet is the sleep of labourers, whether they eat little or much; but the surfeit of the rich will not let them sleep. There is a grievous ill that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owners to their hurt, and those riches were lost in a bad venture; though they are parents of children, they have nothing in their hands. As they came from their mother's womb, so they shall go again, naked as they came; they shall take nothing for their toil, which they may carry away with their hands. This also is a grievous ill: just as they came, so shall they go; and what gain do they have from toiling for the wind? Besides, all their days they eat in darkness, in much vexation and sickness and resentment. This is what I have seen to be good: it is fitting to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of the life God gives us; for this is our lot. Likewise all to whom God gives wealth and possessions and whom he enables to enjoy them, and to accept their lot and find enjoyment in their toil this is the gift of God. For they will scarcely brood over the days of their lives, because God keeps them occupied with the joy of their hearts. HYMN Words: William Watkins Reid, Jr. 1958, Renewed 1986 by The Hymn Society Used with permission Tune: Llangloffan http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/o/o175.html Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus. O God of every nation, of every race and land, redeem the whole creation with your almighty hand; where hate and fear divide us and bitter threats are hurled, in love and mercy guide us and heal our strife-torn world. >From search for wealth and power and scorn of truth and right, from trust in bombs that shower destruction through the night, from pride of race and nation and blindness to your way, deliver every nation, eternal God, we pray! Lord, strengthen all who labor that we may find release from fear of rattling saber, from dread of war's increase; when hope and courage falter, your still small voice be heard; with faith that none can alter, your servants undergird. Keep bright in us the vision of days when war shall cease, when hatred and division give way to love and peace, till dawns the morning glorious when truth and justice reign and Christ shall rule victorious o'er all the world's domain. SECOND READING [Matthew 22:15-33]: Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap Jesus in what he said. So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, 'Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?' But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, 'Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin used for the tax.' And they brought him a denarius. Then he said to them, 'Whose head is this, and whose title?' They answered, 'The emperor's.' Then he said to them, 'Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's.' When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away. The same day some Sadducees came to him, saying there is no resurrection; and they asked him a question, saying, 'Teacher, Moses said, "If a man dies childless, his brother shall marry the widow, and raise up children for his brother." Now there were seven brothers among us; the first married, and died childless, leaving the widow to his brother. The second did the same, so also the third, down to the seventh. Last of all, the woman herself died. In the resurrection, then, whose wife of the seven will she be? For all of them had married her.' Jesus answered them, 'You are wrong, because you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God, "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob"? He is God not of the dead, but of the living.' And when the crowd heard it, they were astounded at his teaching. The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: Holy God, we rejoice in the martyrs and prophets, teachers and leaders, and all the ordinary and extraordinary believers who have lived and loved the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. For their witness and encouragement, We thank you, Lord. Recalling their stories and deeds, we dare to take up our crosses. For their witness and encouragement, We thank you, Lord. Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, we plead for the human family and all creation: For those addicted or tormented: We pray to you, Lord. For the victims of terrorism and disaster: We pray to you, Lord. For those who despair of life's goodness: We pray to you, Lord. For the Church, especially ecumenical councils and church agencies: We pray to you, Lord. For a resolution to unresolved matters of this day: We pray to you, Lord. God of work and pleasure, may all that we do this week be an offering of love as well as of duty. Keep us, this day and every day, in the spirit of kindness, simplicity, and joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Sovereign God, who set your servant Edward upon the throne of an earthly kingdom and inspired him with zeal for the kingdom of heaven: grant that we may so confess the faith of Christ by word and deed, that we may, with all your saints, inherit your eternal glory; 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 Let us so live That what we want Is what we need. Let us so pray That what we seek Is what you want for us. 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 reprinted from _Revised Common Lectionary Prayers_, copyright (c) 2002 Consultation on Common Texts 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 collect is from Common Order (c) 1994, The Church of Scotland. The closing prayer is from the Pray Now website. 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. Edward was born in 1003. He was the last Saxon king to rule (for more than a few months) in England. He is called "Edward the Confessor" to distinguish him from another King of England, Edward the Martyr (c962-979), who was assassinated (presumably by someone who wished to place Edward's younger half-brother on the throne), and who came to be regarded, on doubtful grounds, as a martyr for the faith. In Christian biographies, the term "confessor" is often used to denote someone who has born witness to the faith by his life, but who did not die as a martyr. Edward was the son of King Ethelred the Unready. This does not mean that he was unprepared, but rather that he was stubborn and wilful, and would not accept "rede," meaning advice or counsel. Aethelred was followed by several Danish kings of England, during whose rule young Edward and his mother took refuge in Normandy. But the last Danish king named Edward as his successor, and he was crowned in 1042. Opinions on his success as a king vary. Some historians consider him weak and indecisive, and say that his reign paved the way for the Norman Conquest. Others say that his prudent management gave England more than twenty years of peace and prosperity, with freedom from foreign domination, at a time when powerful neighbors might well have dominated a less adroit ruler. He was diligent in public and private worship, generous to the poor, and accessible to subjects who sought redress of grievances. While in exile, he had vowed to make a pilgrimage to Rome if his family fortunes mended. However, his council told him that it was not expedient for him to be so long out of the country. Accordingly, he spent his pilgrimage money instead on the relief of the poor and the building of Westminster Abbey, which stands today (rebuilt in the thirteenth century) as one of the great churches of England, burial place of her kings and others deemed worthy of special honor. He died on 5 January 1066, leaving no offspring; and after his death, the throne was claimed by his wife's brother, Harold the Saxon, and by William, Duke of Normandy. William defeated and slew Harold at the Battle of Hastings (14 October 1066), and thereafter the kings and upper classes of England were Norman-French rather than Anglo-Saxon. Edward is remembered, not on the day of his death, but on the anniversary of the moving ("translation") of his corpse to a new tomb, a date which is also the anniversary of the eve of the Battle of Hastings, the end of Saxon England. From steve.benner at oremus.org Mon Oct 13 17:00:00 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2008 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 14 October 2008 Message-ID: <20081013170000.8C17F31486F@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Tuesday, October 14, 2008 Teresa of Avila, Teacher of the Faith, 1582 Lord, open our lips, and our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, Lord of the feast, you have prepared a table before all peoples and poured out life with such abundance that death cannot claim the triumph over your universe. You call us again to your banquet where we may may receive your holy food, and, strengthened by what is honorable, just, and pure, be transformed into a people of righteousness and peace. 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 11 In the Lord have I taken refuge;* how then can you say to me, 'Fly away like a bird to the hilltop; 'For see how the wicked bend the bow and fit their arrows to the string,* to shoot from ambush at the true of heart. 'When the foundations are being destroyed,* what can the righteous do?' The Lord is in his holy temple;* the Lord's throne is in heaven. His eyes behold the inhabited world;* his piercing eye weighs our worth. The Lord weighs the righteous as well as the wicked,* but those who delight in violence he abhors. Upon the wicked he shall rain coals of fire and burning sulphur;* a scorching wind shall be their lot. For the Lord is righteous; he delights in righteous deeds;* and the just shall see his face. Psalm 12 Help me, Lord, for there is no godly one left;* the faithful have vanished from among us. Everyone speaks falsely with their neighbour;* with a smooth tongue they speak from a double heart. O that the Lord would cut off all smooth tongues,* and close the lips that utter proud boasts! Those who say, 'With our tongue will we prevail;* our lips are our own; who is lord over us?' 'Because the needy are oppressed, and the poor cry out in misery,* I will rise up', says the Lord, 'and give them the help they long for.' The words of the Lord are pure words,* like silver refined from ore and purified seven times in the fire. O Lord, watch over us* and save us from this generation for ever. The wicked prowl on every side,* and that which is worthless is highly prized by everyone. A Song of the Lamb (Revelation 19.1b,2a,5b,6b,7,9b) Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, . whose judgements are true and just. Praise our God, all you his servants, . all who fear him, both small and great. The Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns: . let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory. For the marriage of the Lamb has come . and his bride has made herself ready. Blessed are those who are invited . to the wedding banquet of the Lamb. Psalm 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 [Ecclesiastes 6:1-2, 7-12]: There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy upon humankind: those to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honour, so that they lack nothing of all that they desire, yet God does not enable them to enjoy these things, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity; it is a grievous ill. All human toil is for the mouth, yet the appetite is not satisfied. For what advantage have the wise over fools? And what do the poor have who know how to conduct themselves before the living? Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of desire; this also is vanity and a chasing after wind. Whatever has come to be has already been named, and it is known what human beings are, and that they are not able to dispute with those who are stronger. The more words, the more vanity, so how is one the better? For who knows what is good for mortals while they live the few days of their vain life, which they pass like a shadow? For who can tell them what will be after them under the sun? HYMN Words: Teresa of Avila (1545-1582); translation by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Tune: Taize Nada te turbe, nada te espante. Quien a Dios tiene nada le falta. Nada te turbe, nada te espante. Solo Dios basta. Let nothing disturb thee, Nothing affright thee; All things are passing, God never changeth! Patient endurance attaineth to all things; Who God possesseth in nothing is wanting; Alone God sufficeth. SECOND READING [Matthew 22:34-end]: When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 'Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?' He said to him, ' "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind." This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: "You shall love your neighbour as yourself." On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.' Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them this question: 'What do you think of the Messiah? Whose son is he?' They said to him, 'The son of David.' He said to them, 'How is it then that David by the Spirit calls him Lord, saying, "The Lord said to my Lord, 'Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet' "? If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?' No one was able to give him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions. The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: Baptizing God, you have plunged us into the waters as death to sin and have raised us to be alive to you in joy and service. For all whose eager and resolute living in you makes them saints to us: We thank you, Lord. For the community made holy in Christ, the living and the dead, the near and the far away: We thank you, Lord. For an awareness of our kinship to holy and just men and women: We thank you, Lord. For reminding us that perfection in you is a journey of consistent love to you and to others: We thank you, Lord. For sustaining us in the faithful use of means of grace, that we may resolve to live in your love and peace: We thank you, Lord. God of truth, protector of your people, come to the aid of all who are poor and oppressed. By the power of your life-giving Word lead us in the ways of peace and integrity, and give us the help we long for in Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen. Merciful God, who by your Spirit raised up your servant Teresa of Avila to reveal to your Church the way of perfection: grant that her teaching may awaken in us a longing for holiness, until we attain to the perfect union of love in Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Gathering our prayers and praises into one, let us pray as our Savior has taught us. - The Lord's Prayer May we be mindful of God's call to holiness and be clothed in the practice of good works, that we may come to God's banquet prepared to feast with the whole world.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 the closing prayer are reprinted from _Revised Common Lectionary Prayers_, copyright (c) 2002 Consultation on Common Texts The intercession is reprinted from _THE DAILY OFFICE: A Book of Hours of Daily Prayer after the Use of the Order of Saint Luke_, (c) 1997 by The Order of Saint Luke. Used by permission. The first collect is from _Daily Prayer_, copyright (c) The Scottish Episcopal Church, 1998. Used with permission. http://www.scottishepiscopal.com The second collect is from _Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England_, material from which is included in this service is copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2000. Teresa de Cepeda y Ahumada (later known as Teresa de Jesus) was born in Avila, Spain, 28 March 1515, one of ten children whose mother died when she was fifteen. Her family was of partly Jewish ancestry. Teresa, having read the letters of Jerome, decided to become a nun, and when she was 20, she entered the Carmelite convent in Avila. There she fell seriously ill, was in a coma for a while, and partially paralyzed for three years. In her early years as a nun, she was, by her account, assiduous in prayer while sick but lax and lukewarm in her prayers and devotions when the sickness had passed. However, her prayer life eventually deepened, she began to have visions and a vivid sense of the presence of God, and was converted to a life of extreme devotion. In 1560 she resolved to reform the monastery that had, she thought, departed from the order's original intention and become insufficiently austere. Her proposed reforms included strict enclosure (the nuns were not to go to parties and social gatherings in town, or to have social visitors at the convent, but to stay in the convent and pray and study most of their waking hours) and discalcing (literally, taking off one's shoes, a symbol of poverty, humility, and the simple life, uncluttered by luxuries and other distractions). In 1562 she opened a new monastery in Avila, over much opposition in the town and from the older monastery. At length Teresa was given permission to proceed with her reforms, and she travelled throughout Spain establishing seventeen houses of Carmelites of the Strict (or Reformed) Observance (the others are called Carmelites of the Ancient Observance). The reformed houses were small, poor, disciplined, and strictly enclosed. Teresa died 4 October 1582. Teresa is reported to have been very attractive in person, witty, candid, and affectionate. She is remembered both for her practical achievements and organizing skill and for her life of contemplative prayer. Her books are read as aids to the spiritual life by many Christians of all denominations. Her Life is her autobiography to 1562; The Way of Perfection is a treatise on the Christian walk, written primarily for her sisters but of help to others as well; The Book of Foundations deals with establishing, organizing and overseeing the daily functioning of religious communities; The Interior Castle (or The Castle of The Soul) deals with the life of Christ in the heart of the believer. Most of these are available in paperback. 31 of her poems and 458 of her letters survive. Christ has no body now but yours No hands, no feet on earth but yours Yours are the eyes through which He looks compassion on this world Christ has no body now on earth but yours. From steve.benner at oremus.org Tue Oct 14 17:00:00 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Tue, 14 Oct 2008 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 15 October 2008 Message-ID: <20081014170000.445F7314C89@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Wednesday, October 15, 2008 Samuel Isaac Joseph Schereschewsky, Bishop of Shanghai, 1906 Lord, open our lips, and our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, Lord of the feast, you have prepared a table before all peoples and poured out life with such abundance that death cannot claim the triumph over your universe. You call us again to your banquet where we may may receive your holy food, and, strengthened by what is honorable, just, and pure, be transformed into a people of righteousness and peace. 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 13 How long, O Lord; will you forget me for ever?* how long will you hide your face from me? How long shall I have perplexity in my mind, and grief in my heart, day after day?* how long shall my enemy triumph over me? Look upon me and answer me, O Lord my God;* give light to my eyes, lest I sleep in death; Lest my enemy say, 'I have prevailed over him',* and my foes rejoice that I have fallen. But I put my trust in your mercy;* my heart is joyful because of your saving help. I will sing to the Lord, for he has dealt with me richly;* I will praise the name of the Lord Most High. Psalm 14 The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God.'* All are corrupt and commit abominable acts; there is none who does any good. The Lord looks down from heaven upon us all,* to see if there is any who is wise, if there is one who seeks after God. Everyone has proved faithless; all alike have turned bad;* there is none who does good; no, not one. Have they no knowledge, all those evildoers* who eat up my people like bread and do not call upon the Lord? See how they tremble with fear,* because God is in the company of the righteous. Their aim is to confound the plans of the afflicted,* but the Lord is their refuge. O that Israel's deliverance would come out of Zion!* when the Lord restores the fortunes of his people, Jacob will rejoice and Israel be glad. 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. FIRST READING [Ecclesiastes 8:12-9:1]: Though sinners do evil a hundred times and prolong their lives, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they stand in fear before him, but it will not be well with the wicked, neither will they prolong their days like a shadow, because they do not stand in fear before God. There is a vanity that takes place on earth, that there are righteous people who are treated according to the conduct of the wicked, and there are wicked people who are treated according to the conduct of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity. So I commend enjoyment, for there is nothing better for people under the sun than to eat, and drink, and enjoy themselves, for this will go with them in their toil through the days of life that God gives them under the sun. When I applied my mind to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on earth, how one's eyes see sleep neither day nor night, then I saw all the work of God, that no one can find out what is happening under the sun. However much they may toil in seeking, they will not find it out; even though those who are wise claim to know, they cannot find it out. All this I laid to heart, examining it all, how the righteous and the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God; whether it is love or hate one does not know. HYMN Words: Andrew Reed, 1829 Music: Nun danket all http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/s/s293.html Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus. Spirit divine, attend our prayers, and make this house thy home; descend with all thy gracious powers, O come, great Spirit, come! Come as the light; to us reveal our emptiness and woe, and lead us in those paths of life whereon the righteous go. Come as the fire and purge our hearts like sacrificial flame; let our whole soul an offering be to our Redeemer's Name. Come as the dove, and spread thy wings, the wings of peaceful love; and let thy Church on earth become blest as the Church above. Come as the dew and sweetly bless this consecrated hour; may barrenness rejoice to own thy fertilizing power. Spirit divine, attend our prayers, make a lost world thy home; descend with all thy gracious powers; O come, great Spirit, come! SECOND READING [Matthew 23:1-12]: Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 'The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat; therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practise what they teach. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them. They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. They love to have the place of honour at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, and to be greeted with respect in the market-places, and to have people call them rabbi. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all students. And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father the one in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted. The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: Earth-shaking, sky-rumbling, all-powerful Trinity: Behold your Church. We thank you for claiming for yourself servants from every nation and time to be a royal priest dedicated to your service. Lord of glory, send us out to do the work you have given us to do. We thank you for our common vocation of giving witness to your coming reign. Lord of glory, send us out to do the work you have given us to do. Sift us like wheat, convert the catechumens, turn homeward the penitents and welcome those who are strangers. Lord of glory, send us out to do the work you have given us to do. Clothe your Church with words and deeds that free and heal. Lord of glory, come in your might. Light our lamps with the oil of your Spirit. Lord of glory, come in your might. Make us and all your Church vigilant and alert for your knocking on doors. Lord of glory, come in your might. [OSL, alt.] God of wisdom and love, without you neither truth nor holiness can survive: Show your mighty presence among us, and make us glad in proclaiming your deliverance in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. O God, your Word is revealed to us in Jesus Christ, your Son, the Truth Incarnate and the Teacher of the faithful: Lead us, we pray, to commit our lives and talents to you, in the confidence that when you give your servants any work to do, you also supply the strength to do it, as you did for your servant Joseph Schereschewsky, who worked to bring your word to China; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Gathering our prayers and praises into one, let us pray as our Savior has taught us. - The Lord's Prayer May we be mindful of God's call to holiness and be clothed in the practice of good works, that we may come to God's banquet prepared to feast with the whole world.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 the closing prayer are reprinted from _Revised Common Lectionary Prayers_, copyright (c) 2002 Consultation on Common Texts The intercession is reprinted from _THE DAILY OFFICE: A Book of Hours of Daily Prayer after the Use of the Order of Saint Luke_, (c) 1997 by The Order of Saint Luke. Used by permission. The first collect is from _Daily Prayer_, copyright (c) The Scottish Episcopal Church, 1998. Used with permission. http://www.scottishepiscopal.com The second collect is by Stephen Benner. Samuel Isaac Joseph Schereschewsky was born in Lithuania in 1831, went to Germany to study for the rabbinate, there became a Christian, emigrated to America, trained for the priesthood, and in 1859 was sent by the Episcopal Church to China, where he devoted himself from 1862 to 1875 to translating the Bible into Mandarin Chinese. In 1877 he was elected Bishop of Shanghai, where he founded St. John's University, and began his translation of the Bible into Wenli (another Chinese dialect). He developed Parkinson's disease, was largely paralyzed, resigned his position as Bishop of Shanghai, and spent the rest of his life completing his Wenli Bible, the last 2000 pages of which he typed with the one finger that he could still move. Four years before his death in 1906, he said: "I have sat in this chair for over twenty years. It seemed very hard at first. But God knew best. He kept me for the work for which I am best fitted." From steve.benner at oremus.org Wed Oct 15 18:08:13 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2008 18:08:13 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 16 October 2008 Message-ID: <20081015180813.20B863140F1@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Thursday, October 16, 2008 Nicholas Ridley, Bishop of London, and Hugh Latimer, Bishop of Worcester, Martyrs, 1555 Lord, open our lips, and our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, Lord of the feast, you have prepared a table before all peoples and poured out life with such abundance that death cannot claim the triumph over your universe. You call us again to your banquet where we may may receive your holy food, and, strengthened by what is honorable, just, and pure, be transformed into a people of righteousness and peace. 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 16 Protect me, O God, for I take refuge in you;* I have said to the Lord, 'You are my Lord, my good above all other.' All my delight is upon the godly that are in the land,* upon those who are noble among the people. But those who run after other gods* shall have their troubles multiplied. Their libations of blood I will not offer,* nor take the names of their gods upon my lips. O Lord, you are my portion and my cup;* it is you who uphold my lot. My boundaries enclose a pleasant land;* indeed, I have a goodly heritage. I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel;* my heart teaches me, night after night. I have set the Lord always before me;* because he is at my right hand I shall not fall. My heart, therefore, is glad and my spirit rejoices;* my body also shall rest in hope. For you will not abandon me to the grave,* nor let your holy one see the Pit. You will show me the path of life;* in your presence there is fullness of joy, and in your right hand are pleasures for evermore. Psalm 17 Hear my plea of innocence, O Lord; give heed to my cry;* listen to my prayer, which does not come from lying lips. Let my vindication come forth from your presence;* let your eyes be fixed on justice. Weigh my heart, summon me by night,* melt me down; you will find no impurity in me. I give no offence with my mouth as others do;* I have heeded the words of your lips. My footsteps hold fast to the ways of your law;* in your paths my feet shall not stumble. I call upon you, O God, for you will answer me;* incline your ear to me and hear my words. Show me your marvellous loving-kindness,* O Saviour of those who take refuge at your right hand from those who rise up against them. Keep me as the apple of your eye;* hide me under the shadow of your wings, >From the wicked who assault me,* from my deadly enemies who surround me. They have closed their heart to pity,* and their mouth speaks proud things. They press me hard, now they surround me,* watching how they may cast me to the ground, Like a lion, greedy for its prey,* and like a young lion lurking in secret places. Arise, O Lord; confront them and bring them down;* deliver me from the wicked by your sword. Deliver me, O Lord, by your hand* from those whose portion in life is this world; Whose bellies you fill with your treasure,* who are well supplied with children and leave their wealth to their little ones. But at my vindication I shall see your face;* when I awake, I shall be satisfied, beholding your likeness. 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 [Ecclesiastes 9:11-end]: Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favour to the skilful; but time and chance happen to them all. For no one can anticipate the time of disaster. Like fish taken in a cruel net, and like birds caught in a snare, so mortals are snared at a time of calamity, when it suddenly falls upon them. I have also seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed important to me. There was a little city with few people in it. A great king came against it and besieged it, building great siege-works against it. Now there was found in it a poor, wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that poor man. So I said, 'Wisdom is better than might; yet the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heeded.' The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouting of a ruler among fools. Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one bungler destroys much good. HYMN Words: Fred Kaan 1968 by Hope Publishing Co Used with permission Tune: Alleluia dulce carmen, Westminster Abbey, Picardy http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/f/f212.html Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus. For the healing of the nations, Lord, we pray with one accord, for a just and equal sharing of the things that earth affords. To a life of love in action help us rise and pledge our word. Lead us forward into freedom, from despair your world release, that, redeemed from war and hatred, all may come and go in peace. Show us how through care and goodness fear will die and hope increase. All that kills abundant living, let it from the earth be banned: pride of status, race or schooling, dogmas that obscure your plan. In our common quest for justice may we hallow brief life's span. You, Creator God, have written your great name on humankind; for our growing in your likeness bring the life of Christ to mind; that by our response and service earth its destiny may find. SECOND READING [Matthew 23:13-23]: Jesus said, 'But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you lock people out of the kingdom of heaven. For you do not go in yourselves, and when others are going in, you stop them. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cross sea and land to make a single convert, and you make the new convert twice as much a child of hell as yourselves. 'Woe to you, blind guides, who say, "Whoever swears by the sanctuary is bound by nothing, but whoever swears by the gold of the sanctuary is bound by the oath." You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the sanctuary that has made the gold sacred? And you say, "Whoever swears by the altar is bound by nothing, but whoever swears by the gift that is on the altar is bound by the oath." How blind you are! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? So whoever swears by the altar, swears by it and by everything on it; and whoever swears by the sanctuary, swears by it and by the one who dwells in it; and whoever swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by the one who is seated upon it. 'Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. It is these you ought to have practised without neglecting the others.' The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: Foundation of all that is, you are our dwelling place for all time. For what you have wrought through the waters of baptism and your indwelling Spirit: We praise you, Lord. For the peace and strength of your surrounding mercy: We praise you, Lord. For all the ways your grace has shaped the patterns of our lives: We praise you, Lord. Free us and all your church to be at home with you today. Strong God, hear us. Make our hearts hospitable to all whom we meet today. Strong God, hear us. Steady in us all our choices and encounters. Strong God, hear us. Hold tenderly to your Church, east, west, north, south, past, present and future for Christ's sake. Strong God, hear us. Gracious God, we bless your holy Name for the heritage you have given us: Show us the path of life, that we may follow it in hope, and come to know the joy of the resurrection of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen. Keep us, O Lord, constant in faith and zealous in witness, after the examples of your servants Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley; that we may live in your fear, die in your favor, and rest in your peace; for the sake of Jesus Christ your Son 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 make us strong to stand for the right; God make us strong to speak the truth; God make us strong enough to lay aside power, to embrace weakness, to break the cycle in the freedom love gives.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 reprinted from _Revised Common Lectionary Prayers_, copyright (c) 2002 Consultation on Common Texts The intercession is reprinted from _THE DAILY OFFICE: A Book of Hours of Daily Prayer after the Use of the Order of Saint Luke_, (c) 1997 by The Order of Saint Luke. Used by permission. The first collect is from _Daily Prayer_, copyright (c) The Scottish Episcopal Church, 1998. Used with permission. http://www.scottishepiscopal.com The second collect is from _The Proper for the Lesser Feasts and Fasts_, 3rd edition, (c) 1980 The Church Pension Fund. The closing prayer is from the Church of Scotland website, http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/worship/wpprayer16.htm When Henry VIII of England died, he left three heirs: his son Edward and his two daughters, Mary and Elizabeth. Edward succeeded to the throne and was a staunch Protestant (or at least his advisors were). Under his rule, the church services, previously in Latin, were translated into English, and other changes were made. When Edward died, the throne passed to his sister Mary, who was firmly Roman Catholic in her beliefs. She determined to return England to union with the Pope. With more diplomacy, she might have succeeded. But she was headstrong and would take no advice. Her mother had been Spanish, and she determined to marry the heir to the throne of Spain, not realizing how much her people (of all religious persuasions) feared that this would make England a province of the Spanish Empire. Mary insisted that the best way to deal with heresy was to burn as many heretics as possible. (It is worth noting that her husband was opposed to this.) In the course of a five-year reign, she lost all the English holdings on the continent of Europe, she lost the affection of her people, and she lost any chance of a peaceful religious settlement in England. Of the nearly three hundred persons burned by her orders, the most famous are the Oxford Martyrs, commemorated today. Hugh Latimer was famous as a preacher. He was Bishop of Worcester in the time of King Henry, but resigned in protest against the King's refusal to allow the Protestant reforms that Latimer desired. Latimer's sermons speak little of doctrine; he preferred to urge men to upright living and devoutness in prayer. But when Mary came to the throne, he was arrested, tried for heresy, and burned together with his friend Nicholas Ridley. His last words at the stake are well known: "Be of good cheer, Master Ridley, and play the man, for we shall this day light such a candle in England as I trust by God's grace shall never be put out." Nicholas Ridley became an adherent of the Protestant cause while a student at Cambridge. He was a friend of Archbishop Cranmer and became private chaplain first to Cranmer and then to King Henry. Under the reign of Edward, he became bishop of Rochester, and was part of the committee that drew up the first English Book of Common Prayer. When Mary came to the throne, he was arrested, tried, and burned with Latimer at Oxford on 16 October 1555. [James Kiefer] From steve.benner at oremus.org Thu Oct 16 17:00:00 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Thu, 16 Oct 2008 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 17 October 2008 Message-ID: <20081016170000.67F89314BD9@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Friday, October 17, 2008 Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, Martyr, c.107 Lord, open our lips, and our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, Lord of the feast, you have prepared a table before all peoples and poured out life with such abundance that death cannot claim the triumph over your universe. You call us again to your banquet where we may may receive your holy food, and, strengthened by what is honorable, just, and pure, be transformed into a people of righteousness and peace. 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 6 Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger;* do not punish me in your wrath. Have pity on me, Lord, for I am weak;* heal me, Lord, for my bones are racked. My spirit shakes with terror;* how long, O Lord, how long? Turn, O Lord, and deliver me;* save me for your mercy's sake. For in death no one remembers you;* and who will give you thanks in the grave? I grow weary because of my groaning;* every night I drench my bed and flood my couch with tears. My eyes are wasted with grief* and worn away because of all my enemies. Depart from me, all evildoers,* for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping. The Lord has heard my supplication;* the Lord accepts my prayer. All my enemies shall be confounded and quake with fear;* they shall turn back and suddenly be put to shame. Psalm 26 Give judgement for me, O Lord, for I have lived with integrity;* I have trusted in the Lord and have not faltered. Test me, O Lord, and try me;* examine my heart and my mind. For your love is before my eyes;* I have walked faithfully with you. I have not sat with the worthless,* nor do I consort with the deceitful. I have hated the company of evildoers;* I will not sit down with the wicked. I will wash my hands in innocence, O Lord,* that I may go in procession round your altar, Singing aloud a song of thanksgiving* and recounting all your wonderful deeds. Lord, I love the house in which you dwell* and the place where your glory abides. Do not sweep me away with sinners,* nor my life with those who thirst for blood, Whose hands are full of evil plots,* and their right hand full of bribes. As for me, I will live with integrity;* redeem me, O Lord, and have pity on me. My foot stands on level ground;* in the full assembly I will bless the Lord. 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 [Ecclesiastes 11]: Send out your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will get it back. Divide your means seven ways, or even eight, for you do not know what disaster may happen on earth. When clouds are full, they empty rain on the earth; whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie. Whoever observes the wind will not sow; and whoever regards the clouds will not reap. Just as you do not know how the breath comes to the bones in the mother's womb, so you do not know the work of God, who makes everything. In the morning sow your seed, and at evening do not let your hands be idle; for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good. Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun. Even those who live for many years should rejoice in them all; yet let them remember that the days of darkness will be many. All that comes is vanity. Rejoice, young man, while you are young, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Follow the inclination of your heart and the desire of your eyes, but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgement. Banish anxiety from your mind, and put away pain from your body; for youth and the dawn of life are vanity. HYMN Words: Cecilia M Caddell (1813-1877) Tune: Flora http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/b/b069.html Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus. Behold the lilies of the field, they neither toil nor sow; yet God does all things needful yield that they may live and grow. Not Solomon in glory shone like one of these poor flowers, that look to God and God alone for sunshine and for showers. And does his mercy value less the offspring of his grace? And will a Father's love not bless the child that seeks his face? He is our Father, and he knows his earthly children's need: on all our daily wants and woes he looks with careful heed. O then away with fear and care for all that may betide; and turn to God in trustful prayer, and in his love confide. SECOND READING [Matthew 23:25-end]: Jesus said, 'Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may become clean. 'Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside look beautiful, but inside they are full of the bones of the dead and of all kinds of filth. So you also on the outside look righteous to others, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. 'Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous, and you say, "If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets." Thus you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your ancestors. You snakes, you brood of vipers! How can you escape being sentenced to hell? Therefore I send you prophets, sages, and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town, so that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. Truly I tell you, all this will come upon this generation. 'Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you, desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, "Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord." ' The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: Planting God, how beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news. Around your table we are bound together as your Body for the life of the world. Grant us a grower's wisdom, O Lord. Deliver us from impatience that will not wait for fruit to ripen: Grant us a grower's wisdom, O Lord. Save us from forcing others to see what we see and embrace what we embrace: Grant us a grower's wisdom, O Lord. Liberate us from anger rooted in self-justification: Grant us a grower's wisdom, O Lord. Fix our gaze upon you so that we are not overwhelmed by the want and failure of others: Grant us a grower's wisdom, O Lord. Sow yourself in our words and deeds that become food for hungry souls: Grant us a grower's wisdom, O Lord. God of mercy and tenderness, giver of life and conqueror of death, look upon our weakness and grief, and restore us to health, that we may sing a new song to your praise; through Jesus Christ our risen Lord. Amen. Almighty God, whose servant Ignatius zealously proclaimed the true humanity of Christ and witnessed to him, both in life and in death: keep the Church firm in its faith and grant us all the grace of our Savior, Jesus Christ, 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 Goodness and mercy, Light and life, Comfort and joy Be ours through 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 reprinted from _Revised Common Lectionary Prayers_, copyright (c) 2002 Consultation on Common Texts 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 is from the Church of Scotland website http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/worship/wpprayer17.htm After the Apostles, Ignatius was the second bishop of Antioch in Syria. His predecessor, of whom little is known, was named Euodius. Whether he knew any of the Apostles directly is uncertain. Little is known of his life except for the very end of it. Early in the second century (perhaps around 107 AD, during the reign of the Emperor Trajan), he was arrested by the Imperial authorities, condemned to death, and transported to Rome to die in the arena. By thus dealing with a leader, the rulers hoped to terrify the rank and file. Instead, Ignatius took the opportunity to encourage them, speaking to groups of Christians at every town along the way. When the prison escort reached the west coast of Asia Minor, it halted before taking ship, and delegations from several Asian churches were able to visit Ignatius, to speak with him at length, to assist him with items for his journey, and to bid him an affectionate farewell and commend him to the grace of God. In response he wrote seven letters that have been preserved: five to congregations that had greeted him, en masse or by delegates (Ephesians, Magnesians, Trallians, Philadelphians, and Smyrnaeans), one to the congregation that would greet him at his destination (Romans), and one to Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna and disciple of the Apostle John. The themes with which he is chiefly concerned in his letters are (1) the importance of maintaining Christian unity in love and sound doctrine (with warnings against factionalism and against the heresy of Docetism -- the belief that Christ was not fully human and did not have a material body or really suffer and die), (2) the role of the clergy as a focus of Christian unity, (3) Christian martyrdom as a glorious privilege, eagerly to be grasped. He writes: I am God's wheat, ground fine by the lion's teeth to be made purest bread for Christ. No early pleasures, no kingdoms of this world can benefit me in any way. I prefer death in Christ Jesus to power over the farthest limits of the earth. He who died in place of us is the one object of my quest. He who rose for our sakes is my one desire. The time for my birth is close at hand. Forgive me, my brothers. Do not stand in the way of my birth to real life; do not wish me stillborn. My desire is to belong to God. Do not, then, hand me back to the world. do not try to tempt me with material things. Let me attain pure light. Only on my arrival there can I be fully a human being. Give me the privilege of imitating the passion of my God. From steve.benner at oremus.org Fri Oct 17 19:11:34 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Fri, 17 Oct 2008 19:11:34 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 18 October 2008 Message-ID: <20081017191134.42612314894@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Saturday, October 18, 2008 Saint Luke the Evangelist Lord, open our lips, and our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, O God, for making the mystery of Christ your Son known to us through the scriptures, the work of those enlightened by your Holy Spirit. Through these writings which have become a fertile seed for all generations the words and acts of the Savior bear rich fruit to your praise and glory. 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 103 Bless the Lord, O my soul,* and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul,* and forget not all his benefits. He forgives all your sins* and heals all your infirmities; He redeems your life from the grave* and crowns you with mercy and loving-kindness; He satisfies you with good things,* and your youth is renewed like an eagle's. The Lord executes righteousness* and judgement for all who are oppressed. He made his ways known to Moses* and his works to the children of Israel. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy,* slow to anger and of great kindness. He will not always accuse us,* nor will he keep his anger for ever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins,* nor rewarded us according to our wickedness. For as the heavens are high above the earth,* so is his mercy great upon those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west,* so far has he removed our sins from us. As a father cares for his children,* so does the Lord care for those who fear him. For he himself knows whereof we are made;* he remembers that we are but dust. Our days are like the grass;* we flourish like a flower of the field; When the wind goes over it, it is gone,* and its place shall know it no more. But the merciful goodness of the Lord endures for ever on those who fear him,* and his righteousness on children's children; On those who keep his covenant* and remember his commandments and do them. The Lord has set his throne in heaven,* and his kingship has dominion over all. Bless the Lord, you angels of his, you mighty ones who do his bidding,* and hearken to the voice of his word. Bless the Lord, all you his hosts,* you ministers of his who do his will. Bless the Lord, all you works of his, in all places of his dominion;* bless the Lord, O my soul. A Song of the Justified (Romans 4.24,25; 5.1-5,8,9,11) God reckons as righteous those who believe, who believe in him who raised Jesus from the dead; For Christ was handed over to death for our sins, and raised to life for our justification. Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Christ we have gained access to the grace in which we stand, and rejoice in our hope of the glory of God. We even exult in our sufferings, for suffering produces endurance, And endurance brings hope, and our hope is not in vain, Because God's love has been poured into our hearts, through the Holy Spirit, given to us. God proves his love for us: while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Since we have been justified by his death, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath. Therefore, we exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom we have now received our reconciliation. 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 [Ecclesiasticus 38:1-14]: Honour physicians for their services, for the Lord created them; for their gift of healing comes from the Most High, and they are rewarded by the king. The skill of physicians makes them distinguished, and in the presence of the great they are admired. The Lord created medicines out of the earth, and the sensible will not despise them. Was not water made sweet with a tree in order that its power might be known? And he gave skill to human beings that he might be glorified in his marvellous works. By them the physician heals and takes away pain; the pharmacist makes a mixture from them. God's works will never be finished; and from him health spreads over all the earth. My child, when you are ill, do not delay, but pray to the Lord, and he will heal you. Give up your faults and direct your hands rightly, and cleanse your heart from all sin. Offer a sweet-smelling sacrifice, and a memorial portion of choice flour, and pour oil on your offering, as much as you can afford. Then give the physician his place, for the Lord created him; do not let him leave you, for you need him. There may come a time when recovery lies in the hands of physicians, for they too pray to the Lord that he will grant them success in diagnosis and in healing, for the sake of preserving life. HYMN Words: Hardwicke Drummond Rawnsley, 1906 Tune: Jesus ist das sch?nste Licht http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/s/s043.html Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus. Savior, who didst healing give, still in power go before us; thou through death didst 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 perfect writer; Savior of thy bounty send such as Luke of Gospel story, friends to all in body's prison till the sufferers see thy glory. SECOND READING [Colossians 4:2-end]: Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving. At the same time pray for us as well that God will open to us a door for the word, that we may declare the mystery of Christ, for which I am in prison, so that I may reveal it clearly, as I should. Conduct yourselves wisely towards outsiders, making the most of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone. Tychicus will tell you all the news about me; he is a beloved brother, a faithful minister, and a fellow-servant in the Lord. I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts; he is coming with Onesimus, the faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you about everything here. Aristarchus my fellow-prisoner greets you, as does Mark the cousin of Barnabas, concerning whom you have received instructions if he comes to you, welcome him. And Jesus who is called Justus greets you. These are the only ones of the circumcision among my co-workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me. Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you. He is always wrestling in his prayers on your behalf, so that you may stand mature and fully assured in everything that God wills. For I testify for him that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas greet you. Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters in Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house. And when this letter has been read among you, have it read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you read also the letter from Laodicea. And say to Archippus, 'See that you complete the task that you have received in the Lord.' I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you. The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: God the Father, your will for all people is health and salvation; -We praise you and bless you, Lord. God the Son, you came that we might have life, and might have it more abundantly; -We praise you and bless you, Lord. God the Holy Spirit, you make our bodies the temple of your presence; -We praise you and bless you, Lord. Holy Trinity, one God, in you we live and move and have our being; -We praise you and bless you, Lord. Lord, grant your healing grace to all who are sick, injured, or disabled, that they may be made whole; -Hear us, Lord of life. Grant to all who seek your guidance, and to all who are lonely, anxious or despondent, a knowledge of your will and an awareness of your presence; Hear us, Lord of life. Mend broken relationships, and restore those in emotional distress to soundness of mind and serenity of spirit; -Hear us, Lord of life. Bless physicians, nurses, and all others who minister to the suffering granting them wisdom and skill, sympathy and patience; -Hear us, Lord of life. Grant to the dying peace and a holy death, and uphold by the grace and consolation of your Holy Spirit those who are bereaved; -Hear us, Lord of life. Restore to wholeness whatever is broken by sin, in our lives, in our nation, and in the world; -Hear us, Lord of life. You are the Lord, who does wonders -You have declared your power among the peoples. With you, Lord, is the well of life -And in your light we see light. Hear us, Lord of life -Heal us, and make us whole. Almighty God, you called Luke the physician, whose praise is in the gospel, to be an evangelist and physician of the soul by the grace of the Spirit and through the wholesome medicine of the gospel, give your Church the same love and power to heal; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Gathering our prayers and praises into one, let us pray as our Savior has taught us. - The Lord's Prayer May we be mindful of God's call to holiness and be clothed in the practice of good works, that we may come to God's banquet prepared to feast with the whole world.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 uses phrases from a prayer in _Opening Prayers: Collects in Contemporary Language_. Canterbury Press, Norwich, 1999. The intercession and the collect are 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. Almost all that we know about Luke comes from the New Testament. He was a physician (Col 4:14), a companion of Paul on some of his missionary journeys (Acts 16:10ff; 20:5ff; 27-28). In Luke's account of the Gospel, we find an emphasis on the human love of Christ, on His compassion for sinners and for suffering and unhappy persons, for outcasts such as the Samaritans, tax collectors, lepers, shepherds (not a respected profession), and for the poor. The role of women in Christ's ministry is more emphasized in Luke than in the other Gospel writings. In the book of Acts, we find the early Christian community poised from the start to carry out its commission, confident and aware of Divine guidance. We see how the early Christians at first preached only to Jews, then to Samaritans (a borderline case), then to outright Gentiles like Cornelius, and finally explicitly recognized that Gentiles and Jews are called on equal terms to the service and fellowship of Christ. [James Kiefer, abridged] From steve.benner at oremus.org Sat Oct 18 17:00:00 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Sat, 18 Oct 2008 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 19 October 2008 Message-ID: <20081018170000.C0BC6314CFB@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Sunday, October 19, 2008 The Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost Lord, open our lips, and our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, O God, you know each of us by name, and in your sight we have found favor, yet our minds cannot comprehend the vision of your glory or the vastness of your love. We praise you for forming us in your image and calling us to be your people. For these and all your mercies, we praise you: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Blessed be God for ever! An opening canticle may be sung. http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html Psalm 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 the Heavenly City (Revelation 21.22-26; 22.1,2b,d,3b,4) I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine upon it, . for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light the nations shall walk, . and the rulers of the earth shall bring their glory into it. Its gates shall never be shut by day, nor shall there be any night; . they shall bring into it the glory and honour of the nations. I saw the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, . flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. And either side of the river stood the tree of life, yielding its fruit each month, . and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. The throne of God and of the Lamb shall be there, and his servants shall worship him; . and they shall see his face and his name shall be on their foreheads. 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 Kings 8:46-53]: Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands to heaven. He said, 'If they sin against you for there is no one who does not sin and you are angry with them and give them to an enemy, so that they are carried away captive to the land of the enemy, far off or near; and if they come to their senses in the land to which they have been taken captive, and repent, and plead with you in the land of their captors, saying, "We have sinned, and have done wrong; we have acted wickedly"; if they repent with all their heart and soul in the land of their enemies, who took them captive, and pray to you towards their land, which you gave to their ancestors, the city that you have chosen, and the house that I have built for your name; then hear in heaven your dwelling-place their prayer and their plea, maintain their cause, and forgive your people who have sinned against you, and all their transgressions that they have committed against you; and grant them compassion in the sight of their captors, so that they may have compassion on them (for they are your people and heritage, which you brought out of Egypt, from the midst of the iron-smelter). Let your eyes be open to the plea of your servant, and to the plea of your people Israel, listening to them whenever they call to you. For you have separated them from among all the peoples of the earth, to be your heritage, just as you promised through Moses, your servant, when you brought our ancestors out of Egypt, O Lord God.' HYMN Words: Brian Wren (c) Hope Publishing. Used with Permission. Tune: Megerran http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/a/a039.html Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus. A prophet-woman broke a jar by Love's divine appointing. With rare perfume she filled the room, presiding and anointing. A prophet-woman broke a jar, the sneers of scorn defying. With rare perfume she filled the room, preparing Christ for dying. A faithful woman left a tomb by Love's divine commission. She saw, she heard, she preached the word, arising from submission. A faithful woman left a tomb with resurrection gospel. She saw, she heard, she preached the word, apostle to apostles. Though woman-wisdom, woman-truth for centuries were hidden, unsung, unwritten, and unheard, derided and forbidden, the Spirit's breath, the Spirit's fire, on free and slave, descending, can tumble our diving walls, our shame and sadness mending. The Spirit knows, the Spirit calls, by Love's divine ordaining, the friends we need, to serve and lead, their powers and gifts unchaining. The Spirit knows, the Spirit calls from women, men, and children the friends we need, to serve and lead. Rejoice and make them welcome! SECOND READING [Luke 7:36-end]: One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and took his place at the table. And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, 'If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him that she is a sinner.' Jesus spoke up and said to him, 'Simon, I have something to say to you.' 'Teacher,' he replied, 'speak.' 'A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?' Simon answered, 'I suppose the one for whom he cancelled the greater debt.' And Jesus said to him, 'You have judged rightly.' Then turning towards the woman, he said to Simon, 'Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.' Then he said to her, 'Your sins are forgiven.' But those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, 'Who is this who even forgives sins?' And he said to the woman, 'Your faith has saved you; go in peace.' The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: We lift our voices in prayers of praise, holy God, for you have lifted us to new life in Jesus Christ, and your blessings come in generous measure. Especially we thank you for the privilege of worship and service in your name... (We thank you, Lord.) the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ... food and drink to share in the Lord's name... our calling to discipleship... We hold up before you human needs, God of compassion, for you have come to us in Jesus Christ and shared our life so we may share his resurrection. Especially we pray for the healing of those who are sick... (Lord, hear our prayer.) the comfort of the dying... the renewal of those in despair... the Spirit's power in the church... Almighty and everliving God, increase in us your gift of faith, that forsaking what lies behind and reaching out to what is before, we may run the way of your commandments and win the crown of everlasting joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. Gathering our prayers and praises into one, let us pray as our Savior has taught us. - The Lord's Prayer May the God whose likeness we bear focus our hearts and wills on the Gospel, that we may render worthy worship and loving service in Jesus' Name. 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 _Revised Common Lectionary Prayers_, copyright (c) 2002 Consultation on Common Texts The closing prayer is adapted from a prayer by Alan Griffiths. The intercession is from _Book of Common Worship_, (c) 1993 Westminster / John Knox Press. The collect is from _The Book of Alternative Services of The Anglican Church of Canada_. From steve.benner at oremus.org Sun Oct 19 17:00:00 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Sun, 19 Oct 2008 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 20 October 2008 Message-ID: <20081019170000.891BF3146B1@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Monday, October 20, 2008 Lord, open our lips, and our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, O God, you know each of us by name, and in your sight we have found favor, yet our minds cannot comprehend the vision of your glory or the vastness of your love. We praise you for forming us in your image and calling us to be your people. For these and all your mercies, we praise you: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Blessed be God for ever! An opening canticle may be sung. http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html Psalm 20 May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble,* the name of the God of Jacob defend you; Send you help from his holy place* and strengthen you out of Zion; Remember all your offerings* and accept your burnt sacrifice; Grant you your heart's desire* and prosper all your plans. We will shout for joy at your victory and triumph in the name of our God;* may the Lord grant all your requests. Now I know that the Lord gives victory to his anointed;* he will answer him out of his holy heaven, with the victorious strength of his right hand. Some put their trust in chariots and some in horses,* but we will call upon the name of the Lord our God. They collapse and fall down,* but we will arise and stand upright. O Lord, give victory to the king* and answer us when we call. 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.' 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 [Deuteronomy 4:1-9]: So now, Israel, give heed to the statutes and ordinances that I am teaching you to observe, so that you may live to enter and occupy the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. You must neither add anything to what I command you nor take away anything from it, but keep the commandments of the Lord your God with which I am charging you. You have seen for yourselves what the Lord did with regard to the Baal of Peor how the Lord your God destroyed from among you everyone who followed the Baal of Peor, while those of you who held fast to the Lord your God are all alive today. See, just as the Lord my God has charged me, I now teach you statutes and ordinances for you to observe in the land that you are about to enter and occupy. You must observe them diligently, for this will show your wisdom and discernment to the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and discerning people!' For what other great nation has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is whenever we call to him? And what other great nation has statutes and ordinances as just as this entire law that I am setting before you today? But take care and watch yourselves closely, so as neither to forget the things that your eyes have seen nor to let them slip from your mind all the days of your life; make them known to your children and your children's children. HYMN Words: Thomas Benson Pollock, 1875 Music: St. Chrysostom http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/w/w094.html Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus. We have not known thee as we ought, nor learned thy wisdom, grace and power; the things of earth have filled our thought, and trifles of the passing hour. Lord, give us light thy truth to see, and make us wise in knowing thee. We have not feared thee as we ought, nor bowed beneath thine awful eye, nor guarded deed and word and thought, remembering that God was nigh. Lord, give us faith to know thee near, and grant the grace of holy fear. We have not loved thee as we ought, nor cared that we are loved by thee; thy presence we have coldly sought, and feebly longed thy face to see. Lord, give a pure and loving heart to feel and know the love thou art. We have not served thee as we ought, alas, the duties left undone, the work with little fervor wrought, the battles lost or scarcely won! Lord, give the zeal, and give the might, for thee to toil, for thee to fight. When shall we know thee as we ought, and fear and love and serve aright? when shall we, out of trial brought, be perfect in the land of light? Lord, may we day by day prepare to see thy face and serve thee there. SECOND READING [Matthew 24:15-28]: Jesus said, 'So when you see the desolating sacrilege standing in the holy place, as was spoken of by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand), then those in Judea must flee to the mountains; someone on the housetop must not go down to take what is in the house; someone in the field must not turn back to get a coat. Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a sabbath. For at that time there will be great suffering, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no one would be saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. Then if anyone says to you, "Look! Here is the Messiah!" or "There he is!" do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and produce great signs and omens, to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. Take note, I have told you beforehand. So, if they say to you, "Look! He is in the wilderness", do not go out. If they say, "Look! He is in the inner rooms", do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.' The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: High and holy God, robed in majesty, Lord of heaven and earth, we pray that you bring justice, faith and salvation to all peoples. Lord, hear us. Lord, graciously hear us. You chose us in Christ to be your people and to be the temple of your Holy Spirit; we pray that you will fill your Church with vision and hope. Lord, hear us. Lord, graciously hear us. Your Spirit enables us to cry, "Abba! Father!", affirms that we are fellow-heirs with Christ and pleads for us in our weakness; we pray for all who are in need or distress. Lord, hear us. Lord, graciously hear us. In the baptism and birth of Jesus, you have opened heaven to us and enabled us to share in your glory: the joy of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit from before the world was made. May your Church, living and departed, come to a joyful resurrection in your city of light. Lord, hear us. Lord, graciously hear us. God of mercy and love, new birth by water and the Spirit is your gift, a gift none can take away; grant that your servants may grow into the fullness of the stature of Christ; who lives and reigns 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 Living God, sustain all your people to be hope and strength to the world; 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 is adapted from _Revised Common Lectionary Prayers_, copyright (c) 2002 Consultation on Common Texts The intercession is from _New Patterns for Worship_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002. The collect and closing prayer are from _Affirmation of Holy Baptism_, copyright (c) The Scottish Episcopal Church, 2006. Used with permission. http://www.scottishepiscopal.com From steve.benner at oremus.org Mon Oct 20 17:00:00 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Mon, 20 Oct 2008 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 21 October 2008 Message-ID: <20081020170000.EAE1F31424F@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Tuesday, October 21, 2008 Lord, open our lips, and our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, O God, you know each of us by name, and in your sight we have found favor, yet our minds cannot comprehend the vision of your glory or the vastness of your love. We praise you for forming us in your image and calling us to be your people. For these and all your mercies, we praise you: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Blessed be God for ever! An opening canticle may be sung. http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html Psalm 29 Ascribe to the Lord, you gods,* ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due to his name;* worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. The voice of the Lord is upon the waters; the God of glory thunders;* the Lord is upon the mighty waters. The voice of the Lord is a powerful voice;* the voice of the Lord is a voice of splendour. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedar trees;* the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon; He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,* and Mount Hermon like a young wild ox. The voice of the Lord splits the flames of fire; the voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;* the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of the Lord makes the oak trees writhe* and strips the forests bare. And in the temple of the Lord* all are crying, 'Glory!' The Lord sits enthroned above the flood;* the Lord sits enthroned as king for evermore. The Lord shall give strength to his people;* the Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace. Psalm 36:5-end [CCP] 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. 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 [Deuteronomy 4:15-24]: Since you saw no form when the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the fire, take care and watch yourselves closely, so that you do not act corruptly by making an idol for yourselves, in the form of any figure the likeness of male or female, the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air, the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water under the earth. And when you look up to the heavens and see the sun, the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven, do not be led astray and bow down to them and serve them, things that the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples everywhere under heaven. But the Lord has taken you and brought you out of the iron-smelter, out of Egypt, to become a people of his very own possession, as you are now. The Lord was angry with me because of you, and he vowed that I should not cross the Jordan and that I should not enter the good land that the Lord your God is giving for your possession. For I am going to die in this land without crossing over the Jordan, but you are going to cross over to take possession of that good land. So be careful not to forget the covenant that the Lord your God made with you, and not to make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything that the Lord your God has forbidden you. For the Lord your God is a devouring fire, a jealous God. HYMN Words: William Boyd Carpenter (1841-1918) Music: St. Petersburg http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/b/b046.html Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus. Before thy throne, O God, we kneel: give us a conscience quick to feel, a ready mind to understand the meaning of thy chastening hand; whate'er the pain and shame may be, bring us, O Father, nearer thee. Search out our hearts and make us true; help us to give to all their due. >From love of pleasure, lust of gold, from sins which make the heart grow cold, wean us and train us with thy rod; teach us to know our faults, O God. For sins of heedless word and deed, for pride ambitions to succeed, for crafty trade and subtle snare to catch the simple unaware, for lives bereft of purpose high, forgive, forgive, O Lord, we cry. Let the fierce fires which burn and try, our inmost spirits purify: consume the ill; purge out the shame; O God, be with us in the flame; a newborn people may we rise, more pure, more true, more nobly wise. SECOND READING [Matthew 24:29-42a]: Jesus said, 'Immediately after the suffering of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see "the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven" with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. 'From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. 'But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day* your Lord is coming.' The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: Let us pray for our own needs and for the needs of others, following the pattern which Jesus gave when he taught us to pray to God our Father. Through our love of the countryside, through our care for animals, through our respect for property and tools, Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. On our farms and in our homes, in our colleges and schools, where machinery is made, and where policy is planned, Father, your kingdom come. By our seeking your guidance, by our keeping your commandments, by our living true to our consciences, Father, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. For the millions who live in poverty and hunger, for our own needs, and the requirements of our neighbours, by co-operation, sympathy, and generosity, Give us today our daily bread. Because we have broken your commandments, doing what we ought not to do, and neglecting what we ought to do, Forgive us our sins. If any have injured us by injustice, double dealing or exploitation, We forgive those who sin against us. When prosperity lulls us to false security, or adversity prompts us to despair, when success makes us boastful, or failure makes us bitter, Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil. In the assurance of faith, in the confidence of hope, in the will to serve, help us to love Christ as Lord, and our neighbour as ourselves. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and for ever. Amen. God of mystery and power, open our eyes to the flame of your love, and open our ears to the thunder of your justice, that we may receive your gifts of blessing and peace, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Gathering our prayers and praises into one, let us pray as our Savior has taught us. - The Lord's Prayer May the God whose likeness we bear focus our hearts and wills on the Gospel, that we may render worthy worship and loving service in Jesus' Name. 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 _Revised Common Lectionary Prayers_, copyright (c) 2002 Consultation on Common Texts The first collect is from _Daily Prayer_, copyright (c) The Scottish Episcopal Church, 1998. Used with permission. http://www.scottishepiscopal.com The closing prayer is adapted from a prayer by Alan Griffiths. From steve.benner at oremus.org Tue Oct 21 17:00:01 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Tue, 21 Oct 2008 17:00:01 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 22 October 2008 Message-ID: <20081021170001.30A19313F3E@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Wednesday, October 22, 2008 Lord, open our lips, and our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, O God, you know each of us by name, and in your sight we have found favor, yet our minds cannot comprehend the vision of your glory or the vastness of your love. We praise you for forming us in your image and calling us to be your people. For these and all your mercies, we praise you: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Blessed be God for ever! An opening canticle may be sung. http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html Psalm 34 I will bless the Lord at all times;* his praise shall ever be in my mouth. I will glory in the Lord;* let the humble hear and rejoice. Proclaim with me the greatness of the Lord;* let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord and he answered me* and delivered me out of all my terror. Look upon him and be radiant,* and let not your faces be ashamed. I called in my affliction and the Lord heard me* and saved me from all my troubles. The angel of the Lord encompasses those who fear him,* and he will deliver them. Taste and see that the Lord is good;* happy are they who trust in him! Fear the Lord, you that are his saints,* for those who fear him lack nothing. The young lions lack and suffer hunger,* but those who seek the Lord lack nothing that is good. Come, children, and listen to me;* I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Who among you loves life* and desires long life to enjoy prosperity? Keep your tongue from evil-speaking* and your lips from lying words. Turn from evil and do good;* seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous,* and his ears are open to their cry. The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,* to root out the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry and the Lord hears them* and delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted* and will save those whose spirits are crushed. Many are the troubles of the righteous,* but the Lord will deliver him out of them all. He will keep safe all his bones;* not one of them shall be broken. Evil shall slay the wicked,* and those who hate the righteous will be punished. The Lord ransoms the life of his servants,* and none will be punished who trust in him. A Song of Judith (Judith 16.13-16) I will sing a new song to my God, for you are great and glorious, truly strong and invincible. May your whole creation serve you, for you spoke and all things came to be. You sent forth your Spirit and they were formed, for no one can resist your voice. Mountains and seas are stirred to their depths; at your presence rocks shall melt like wax. But to those who fear you, you continue to show mercy. No sacrifice, however fragrant, can please you, but whoever fears the Lord shall stand in your sight for ever. Psalm 147:13-end Alleluia! Worship the Lord, O Jerusalem;* praise your God, O Zion; For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;* he has blessed your children within you. He has established peace on your borders;* he satisfies you with the finest wheat. He sends out his command to the earth,* and his word runs very swiftly. He gives snow like wool;* he scatters hoarfrost like ashes. He scatters his hail like bread crumbs;* who can stand against his cold? He sends forth his word and melts them;* he blows with his wind and the waters flow. He declares his word to Jacob,* his statutes and his judgements to Israel. He has not done so to any other nation;* to them he has not revealed his judgements. Alleluia! FIRST READING [Deuteronomy 4:25-31]: When you have had children and children's children, and become complacent in the land, if you act corruptly by making an idol in the form of anything, thus doing what is evil in the sight of the Lord your God, and provoking him to anger, I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that you will soon utterly perish from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to occupy; you will not live long on it, but will be utterly destroyed. The Lord will scatter you among the peoples; only a few of you will be left among the nations where the Lord will lead you. There you will serve other gods made by human hands, objects of wood and stone that neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. From there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find him if you search after him with all your heart and soul. In your distress, when all these things have happened to you in time to come, you will return to the Lord your God and heed him. Because the Lord your God is a merciful God, he will neither abandon you nor destroy you; he will not forget the covenant with your ancestors that he swore to them. HYMN Words: John Samuel Bewley Monsell, Jr., 1857 Music: St. Bees http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/s/s134.html Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus. Sinful, sighing to be blessed; bound, and longing to be free; weary, waiting for my rest: God be merciful to me. Goodness I have none to plead, sinfulness in all I see, I can only bring my need: God be merciful to me. Broken heart and downcast eyes dare not lift themselves to thee; yet thou canst interpret sighs: God be merciful to me. >From this sinful heart of mine to thy bosom I would flee: I am not mine own, but thine: God be merciful to me. There is One beside the throne, and my only hope and plea are in him and him alone: God be merciful to me. He my cause will undertake, my interpreter will be; he's my all; and for his sake God be merciful to me. SECOND READING [Matthew 24:42-end]: Jesus said, 'Keep awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour. 'Who then is the faithful and wise slave, whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give the other slaves their allowance of food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives. Truly I tell you, he will put that one in charge of all his possessions. But if that wicked slave says to himself, "My master is delayed", and he begins to beat his fellow-slaves, and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour that he does not know. He will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: Let us pray to God the almighty, the King of creation. Eternal God, we thank you for your light and your truth. We praise you for your fatherly care in creating a universe which proclaims your glory. Inspire us to worship you, the creator of all, and let your light shine upon our world. God of life: hear our prayer. We thank you for the vastness of the universe and the mysteries of space. We pray for all scientists and astronomers who extend the boundaries of our knowledge. As we contemplate the wonder of the heavens, confirm us in the truth that every human being is known and loved by you. God of life: hear our prayer. We thank you for the beauty of the earth, for the diversity of land and sea, for the resources of the earth. Give us the will to cherish this planet and to use its riches for the good and welfare of all. God of life: hear our prayer. We thank you for the warmth of the sun, the light of the moon, the glory of the stars. We praise you for the formations of clouds, the radiance of dawn and sunset. Save us from wasting or abusing the energy on which all life depends. Open our eyes to behold your beauty, and our lips to praise your name. God of life: hear our prayer. We thank you for the teeming life of the seas, and the flight of the birds. Help us to protect the environment so that all life may flourish. God of life: hear our prayer. We rejoice in the variety of animal life. Grant us grace to treat all animals with respect and care; to protect endangered species, to preserve the variety of habitats, and to honour the delicate balance of nature. God of life: hear our prayer. We pray for the human family. We exult in its diversity and giftedness, we repent of its sins, divisions and violence. By the power of your Spirit, restore your image within us, through Christ who came to remake us by his death and resurrection. God of life: hear our prayer. Heavenly Father, you have filled the world with beauty: open our eyes to behold your gracious hand in all your works; that, rejoicing in your whole creation, we may learn to serve you with gladness; for the sake of him through whom all things were made, your Son 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 the God whose likeness we bear focus our hearts and wills on the Gospel, that we may render worthy worship and loving service in Jesus' Name. 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 _Revised Common Lectionary Prayers_, copyright (c) 2002 Consultation on Common Texts The intercession and collect are from _Common Worship: Times and Seasons (draft)_, material from which is included in this service is copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2004. The closing prayer is adapted from a prayer by Alan Griffiths. From steve.benner at oremus.org Wed Oct 22 17:00:00 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2008 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 23 October 2008 Message-ID: <20081022170000.4E267314C26@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Thursday, October 23, 2008 James of Jerusalem, Brother of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and Martyr, c. 62 Lord, open our lips, and our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, O God, you know each of us by name, and in your sight we have found favor, yet our minds cannot comprehend the vision of your glory or the vastness of your love. We praise you for forming us in your image and calling us to be your people. For these and all your mercies, we praise you: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Blessed be God for ever! An opening canticle may be sung. http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html Psalm 119:145-168 I call with my whole heart;* answer me, O Lord, that I may keep your statutes. I call to you; O that you would save me!* I will keep your decrees. Early in the morning I cry out to you,* for in your word is my trust. My eyes are open in the night watches,* that I may meditate upon your promise. Hear my voice, O Lord, according to your loving-kindness;* according to your judgements, give me life. They draw near who in malice persecute me;* they are very far from your law. You, O Lord, are near at hand,* and all your commandments are true. Long have I known from your decrees* that you have established them for ever. Behold my affliction and deliver me,* for I do not forget your law. Plead my cause and redeem me;* according to your promise, give me life. Deliverance is far from the wicked,* for they do not study your statutes. Great is your compassion, O Lord;* preserve my life, according to your judgements. There are many who persecute and oppress me,* yet I have not swerved from your decrees. I look with loathing at the faithless,* for they have not kept your word. See how I love your commandments!* O Lord, in your mercy, preserve me. The heart of your word is truth;* all your righteous judgements endure for evermore. Rulers have persecuted me without a cause,* but my heart stands in awe of your word. I am as glad because of your promise* as one who finds great spoils. As for lies, I hate and abhor them,* but your law is my love. Seven times a day do I praise you,* because of your righteous judgements. Great peace have they who love your law;* for them there is no stumbling block. I have hoped for your salvation, O Lord,* and I have fulfilled your commandments. I have kept your decrees* and I have loved them deeply. I have kept your commandments and decrees,* for all my ways are before you. A Song of the Word of the Lord (Isaiah 55:6-11) Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; Let the wicked abandon their ways, and the unrighteous their thoughts; Return to the Lord, who will have mercy; to our God, who will richly pardon. 'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways', says the Lord. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 'As the rain and the snow come down from above, and return not again but water the earth, 'Bringing forth life and giving growth, seed for sowing and bread to eat, 'So is my word that goes forth from my mouth; it will not return to me fruitless, 'But it will accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the task I gave it.' Psalm 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 [Jeremiah 11:18-23]: It was the Lord who made it known to me, and I knew; then you showed me their evil deeds. But I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter. And I did not know it was against me that they devised schemes, saying, 'Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, let us cut him off from the land of the living, so that his name will no longer be remembered!' But you, O Lord of hosts, who judge righteously, who try the heart and the mind, let me see your retribution upon them, for to you I have committed my cause. Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the people of Anathoth, who seek your life, and say, 'You shall not prophesy in the name of the Lord, or you will die by our hand' therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: I am going to punish them; the young men shall die by the sword; their sons and their daughters shall die by famine; and not even a remnant shall be left of them. For I will bring disaster upon the people of Anathoth, the year of their punishment. HYMN Words: John Oxenham, 1908 Tune: McKee http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/i/i236.html Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus. In Christ there is no East or West, in him no South or North, but one great fellowship of love throughout the whole wide earth. In him shall true hearts everywhere their high communion find, his service is the golden cord close-binding all mankind. Join hands, disciples of the faith, whate'er your race may be! Who serves my Father as a son is surely kin to me. In Christ now meet both East and West, in him meet South and North, all Christly souls are one in him, throughout the whole wide earth. SECOND READING [Acts 15:12-22a]: 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. After they finished speaking, James replied, '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.' 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. 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. Lord God of peace: Grant that, after the example of your servant Saint James the brother of our Lord, your Church may give itself continually to prayer and to the reconciliation of all who are caught up in hatred or enmity; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. Gathering our prayers and praises into one, let us pray as our Savior has taught us. - The Lord's Prayer May the God whose likeness we bear focus our hearts and wills on the Gospel, that we may render worthy worship and loving service in Jesus' Name. 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 _Revised Common Lectionary Prayers_, copyright (c) 2002 Consultation on Common Texts The intercession is from _New Patterns for Worship_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002. The closing prayer is adapted from a prayer by Alan Griffiths. James of Jerusalem is referred to in the New Testament as the brother of Our Lord Jesus Christ. He was for many years the leader of the Christian congregation in Jerusalem, and is generally supposed to be the author of the Epistle of James, although the Epistle itself does not state this explicitly. James is mentioned briefly in connection with Jesus' visit to Nazareth. We are told that Jesus' brothers did not believe in him, and from this, and from references in early Christian writers, it is inferred that James was not a disciple of the Lord until after the Resurrection. Paul, listing appearances of the Risen Lord (1 Cor 15:3-8), includes an appearance to James. Peter, about to leave Jerusalem after escaping from Herod, leaves a message for James and the Apostles. When a council meets at Jerusalem to consider what rules Gentile Christians should be required to keep, James formulates the final consensus. Paul speaks of going to Jerusalem three years after his conversion and conferring there with Peter and James, and speaks again of a later visit (perhaps the one described in Acts 15) on which Peter, James, and John, "the pillars," placed their stamp of approval on the mission to the Gentiles . A few verses later (G 2:11-14), he says that messengers from James coming to Antioch discouraged Jewish Christians there from eating with Gentile Christians. (If this is refers to the same event as A 15:1-2, then Paul takes a step back chronologically in his narration at G 2:11, which is not improbable, since he is dictating and mentioning arguments and events that count as evidence for his side as they occur to him.) On his last recorded visit to Jerusalem, Paul visits James (others are present, but no other names are given) and speaks of his ministry to the Gentiles (A 21:18). Outside the New Testament, James is mentioned by the Jewish historian Josephus, who calls him "the brother of Jesus the so-called Christ," and reports that he was much respected even by the Pharisees for his piety and strict observance of the Law, but that his enemies took advantage of an interval between Roman governors in 62 AD to have him put to death. His death is also reported by the second-century Christian writer Hegesippus. Numerous references in early Christian documents show the esteem in which he was held in the early Church. [James Kiefer] From steve.benner at oremus.org Thu Oct 23 17:00:00 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Thu, 23 Oct 2008 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 24 October 2008 Message-ID: <20081023170000.64CF0314954@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Friday, October 24, 2008 Lord, open our lips, and our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, O God, you know each of us by name, and in your sight we have found favor, yet our minds cannot comprehend the vision of your glory or the vastness of your love. We praise you for forming us in your image and calling us to be your people. For these and all your mercies, we praise you: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Blessed be God for ever! An opening canticle may be sung. http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html Psalm 37:26-end I have been young and now I am old,* but never have I seen the righteous forsaken, or their children begging bread. The righteous are always generous in their lending,* and their children shall be a blessing. Turn from evil and do good,* and dwell in the land for ever. For the Lord loves justice;* he does not forsake his faithful ones. They shall be kept safe for ever,* but the offspring of the wicked shall be destroyed. The righteous shall possess the land* and dwell in it for ever. The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,* and their tongue speaks what is right. The law of their God is in their heart,* and their footsteps shall not falter. The wicked spy on the righteous* and seek occasion to kill them. The Lord will not abandon them to their hand,* nor let them be found guilty when brought to trial. Wait upon the Lord and keep his way;* he will raise you up to possess the land, and when the wicked are cut off, you will see it. I have seen the wicked in their arrogance,* flourishing like a tree in full leaf. I went by and, behold, they were not there;* I searched for them, but they could not be found. Mark those who are honest; observe the upright;* for there is a future for the peaceable. Transgressors shall be destroyed, one and all;* the future of the wicked is cut off. But the deliverance of the righteous comes from the Lord;* he is their stronghold in time of trouble. The Lord will help them and rescue them;* he will rescue them from the wicked and deliver them, because they seek refuge in him. A Song of 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 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 [Deuteronomy 5:1-21]: Moses convened all Israel, and said to them: Hear, O Israel, the statutes and ordinances that I am addressing to you today; you shall learn them and observe them diligently. The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. Not with our ancestors did the Lord make this covenant, but with us, who are all of us here alive today. The Lord spoke with you face to face at the mountain, out of the fire. (At that time I was standing between the Lord and you to declare to you the words of the Lord; for you were afraid because of the fire and did not go up the mountain.) And he said: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and fourth generation of those who reject me, but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments. You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name. Observe the sabbath day and keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. For six days you shall labour and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work you, or your son or your daughter, or your male or female slave, or your ox or your donkey, or any of your livestock, or the resident alien in your towns, so that your male and female slave may rest as well as you. Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the sabbath day. Honour your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, so that your days may be long and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. You shall not murder. Neither shall you commit adultery. Neither shall you steal. Neither shall you bear false witness against your neighbour. Neither shall you covet your neighbour's wife. Neither shall you desire your neighbour's house, or field, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour. HYMN Words: Isaac Watts (1674-1748), 1707, as altered by John Wesley (1703-1791), 1737. MIDI: Old Hundredth (Genevan Psalter, 1551) 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 [Matthew 25:14-30]: Jesus said, 'The kingdom of heaven is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, "Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents." His master said to him, "Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master." And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, "Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents." His master said to him, "Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master." Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, "Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours." But his master replied, "You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: Blessed are you, eternal God, to be praised and glorified for ever. Hear us as we pray for your holy catholic Church, make us all one, that the world may believe. Grant that every member of the Church may truly and humbly serve you: that the life of Christ may be revealed in us. Strengthen all who minister in Christ's name: give them courage to proclaim your Gospel. Inspire and lead those who hold authority in the nations of the world: guide them in the ways of justice and peace. Make us alive to the needs of our community: help us to share each other's joys and burdens. Look with kindness on our homes and families: grant that your love may grow in our hearts. Deepen our compassion for all who suffer from sickness, grief or trouble: in your presence may they find their strength. We remember those who have died: Father, into your hands we commend them. We praise you for all your saints who have entered your eternal glory: bring us all to share in your heavenly kingdom. Jesus, who meets us in the guise of stranger, whose face is glimpsed in breaking open hospitality, create among us countless meeting places: in setting of table, in opening of doors in sharing of food in offering greetings that we meet you in every stranger, and in this sharing of Gospel, discover our own place in the family of God. Amen. Gathering our prayers and praises into one, let us pray as our Savior has taught us. - The Lord's Prayer May the God whose likeness we bear focus our hearts and wills on the Gospel, that we may render worthy worship and loving service in Jesus' Name. 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 _Revised Common Lectionary Prayers_, copyright (c) 2002 Consultation on Common Texts The intercession is from _New Patterns for Worship_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002. The collect is from the Pray Now website: http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/worship/wpprayer24.htm The closing prayer is adapted from a prayer by Alan Griffiths. From steve.benner at oremus.org Fri Oct 24 17:00:01 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2008 17:00:01 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 25 October 2008 Message-ID: <20081024170001.7785C314A4F@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Saturday, October 25, 2008 Lord, open our lips, and our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, O God, you know each of us by name, and in your sight we have found favor, yet our minds cannot comprehend the vision of your glory or the vastness of your love. We praise you for forming us in your image and calling us to be your people. For these and all your mercies, we praise you: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Blessed be God for ever! An opening canticle may be sung. http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html Psalm 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 the Righteous (Wisdom 3.1,2a,3b-8) The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God and no torment will ever touch them. In the eyes of the foolish, they seem to have died; but they are at peace. For though, in the sight of others, they were punished, their hope is full of immortality. Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good, because God tested them and found them worthy. Like gold in the furnace, God tried them and, like a sacrificial burnt offering, accepted them. In the time of their visitation, they will shine forth and will run like sparks through the stubble. They will govern nations and rule over peoples and God will reign over them for ever. Psalm 150 Alleluia! Praise God in his holy temple;* praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts;* praise him for his excellent greatness. Praise him with the blast of the ram's-horn;* praise him with lyre and harp. Praise him with timbrel and dance;* praise him with strings and pipe. Praise him with resounding cymbals;* praise him with loud-clanging cymbals. Let everything that has breath* praise the Lord. Alleluia! FIRST READING [Deuteronomy 5:22-end]: These words the Lord spoke with a loud voice to your whole assembly at the mountain, out of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, and he added no more. He wrote them on two stone tablets, and gave them to me. When you heard the voice out of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, you approached me, all the heads of your tribes and your elders; and you said, 'Look, the Lord our God has shown us his glory and greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the fire. Today we have seen that God may speak to someone and the person may still live. So now why should we die? For this great fire will consume us; if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any longer, we shall die. For who is there of all flesh that has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of fire, as we have, and remained alive? Go near, you yourself, and hear all that the Lord our God will say. Then tell us everything that the Lord our God tells you, and we will listen and do it.' The Lord heard your words when you spoke to me, and the Lord said to me: 'I have heard the words of this people, which they have spoken to you; they are right in all that they have spoken. If only they had such a mind as this, to fear me and to keep all my commandments always, so that it might go well with them and with their children for ever! Go, say to them, "Return to your tents." But you, stand here by me, and I will tell you all the commandments, the statutes and the ordinances, that you shall teach them, so that they may do them in the land that I am giving them to possess.' You must therefore be careful to do as the Lord your God has commanded you; you shall not turn to the right or to the left. You must follow exactly the path that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you are to possess. HYMN Words: William Henry Burleigh, 1868 Music: Song 22 http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/l/l019.html Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus. Lead us, O Father, in the paths of peace; without thy guiding hand we go astray, and doubts appall, and sorrows still increase; lead us through Christ, the true and living Way. Lead us, O Father, in the paths of truth; unhelped by thee, in error's maze we grope, while passion strains, and folly dims our youth, and age comes on, uncheered by faith and hope. Lead us, O Father, in the paths of right; blindly we stumble when we walk alone, involved in shadows of a darksome night; only with thee we journey safely on. Lead us, O Father, to thy heavenly rest, however rough and steep the pathway be; through joy or sorrow, as thou deemest best, until our lives are perfected in thee. SECOND READING [Matthew 25:31-end]: Jesus said, 'When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, "Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me." Then the righteous will answer him, "Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?" And the king will answer them, "Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me." Then he will say to those at his left hand, "You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me." Then they also will answer, "Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?" Then he will answer them, "Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me." And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.' The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: Make your ways known upon earth, Lord God, your saving power among all peoples. Renew your Church in holiness, and help us to serve you with joy. Guide the leaders of this and every nation, that justice may prevail throughout the world. Let not the needy be forgotten, nor the hope of the poor be taken away. Make us instruments of your peace and let your glory be over all the earth. O gracious and holy God, give us diligence to seek you, wisdom to perceive you, and patience to wait for you. Grant us, O God, a mind to meditate on you, eyes to behold you, ears to listen for your Word, a heart to love you, and a life to proclaim you, through the power of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. Gathering our prayers and praises into one, let us pray as our Savior has taught us. - The Lord's Prayer May the God whose likeness we bear focus our hearts and wills on the Gospel, that we may render worthy worship and loving service in Jesus' Name. 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 _Revised Common Lectionary Prayers_, copyright (c) 2002 Consultation on Common Texts The intercession is from _New Patterns for Worship_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002. The collect is attributed to Saint Benedict. The closing prayer is adapted from a prayer by Alan Griffiths. From steve.benner at oremus.org Sat Oct 25 17:00:01 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Sat, 25 Oct 2008 17:00:01 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 26 October 2008 Message-ID: <20081025170001.134803147EB@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Sunday, October 26, 2008 The Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost Lord, open our lips, and our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, O God. We praise you for creating this world in all beauty, for redeeming the world through Christ, our Lord, and for sending us the gift of your Spirit to encourage, instruct, and sustain us. We long for your Spirit to work among us now, to inspire our praise, to challenge us with your truth, and to equip us for service in your world. For these and all your mercies, we praise you: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Blessed be God for ever! An opening canticle may be sung. http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html Psalm 19 The heavens declare the glory of God,* and the firmament shows his handiwork. One day tells its tale to another,* and one night imparts knowledge to another. Although they have no words or language,* and their voices are not heard, Their sound has gone out into all lands,* and their message to the ends of the world. In the deep has he set a pavilion for the sun;* it comes forth like a bridegroom out of his chamber; it rejoices like a champion to run its course. It goes forth from the uttermost edge of the heavens and runs about to the end of it again;* nothing is hidden from its burning heat. The law of the Lord is perfect and revives the soul;* the testimony of the Lord is sure and gives wisdom to the innocent. The statutes of the Lord are just and rejoice the heart;* the commandment of the Lord is clear and gives light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean and endures for ever;* the judgements of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, more than much fine gold,* sweeter far than honey, than honey in the comb. By them also is your servant enlightened,* and in keeping them there is great reward. Who can tell how often he offends?* Cleanse me from my secret faults. Above all, keep your servant from presumptuous sins; let them not get dominion over me;* then shall I be whole and sound, and innocent of a great offence. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight,* O Lord, my strength and my redeemer. Psalm 67 May God be merciful to us and bless us,* show us the light of his countenance and come to us. Let your ways be known upon earth,* your saving health among all nations. Let the peoples praise you, O God;* let all the peoples praise you. Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,* for you judge the peoples with equity and guide all the nations upon earth. Let the peoples praise you, O God;* let all the peoples praise you. The earth has brought forth her increase;* may God, our own God, give us his blessing. May God give us his blessing,* and may all the ends of the earth stand in awe of him. A Song of David (1 Chronicles 29.10b-13,14b) Blessed are you, God of Israel, for ever and ever, for yours is the greatness, the power, the glory, the splendour and the majesty. Everything in heaven and on earth is yours; yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head over all. Riches and honour come from you and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might; yours it is to give power and strength to all. And now we give you thanks, our God, and praise your glorious name. For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you. Psalm 117 Alleluia! Praise the Lord, all you nations;* laud him, all you peoples. For his loving-kindness towards us is great,* and the faithfulness of the Lord endures for ever. Alleluia! FIRST READING [Ezekiel 33:30-end]: As for you, mortal, your people who talk together about you by the walls, and at the doors of the houses, say to one another, each to a neighbour, 'Come and hear what the word is that comes from the Lord.' They come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear your words, but they will not obey them. For flattery is on their lips, but their heart is set on their gain. To them you are like a singer of love songs, one who has a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument; they hear what you say, but they will not do it. When this comes and come it will! then they shall know that a prophet has been among them. HYMN Words: Samuel Crossman (1624-1683), 1664 Tune: Love Unknown (John Ireland, 1879-1962) http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/m/m187.html Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus. My song is love unknown, my Savior's love to me, love to the loveless shown that they might lovely be. O who am I that for my sake my Lord should take frail flesh and die? He came from his blest throne salvation to bestow, but men made strange, and none the longed-for Christ would know. But O my friend, my friend indeed, who at my need, his life did spend. Sometimes they strew his way, and his strong praises sing, resounding all the day hosannas to their King. Then "Crucify!" is all their breath, and for his death they thirst and cry. Why, what hath my Lord done? What makes this rage and spite? He made the lame to run, he gave the blind their sight. Sweet injuries! Yet they at these themselves displease, and 'gainst him rise. They rise, and needs will have my dear Lord made away; a murderer they save, the Prince of Life they slay. Yet steadfast he to suffering goes, that he his foes from thence might free. Here might I stay and sing, no story so divine: never was love, dear King, never was grief like thine. This is my friend, in whose sweet praise I all my days could gladly spend. SECOND READING [1 Corinthians 4:8-16]: Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Quite apart from us you have become kings! Indeed, I wish that you had become kings, so that we might be kings with you! For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, as though sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels and to mortals. We are fools for the sake of Christ, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honour, but we in disrepute. To the present hour we are hungry and thirsty, we are poorly clothed and beaten and homeless, and we grow weary from the work of our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we speak kindly. We have become like the rubbish of the world, the dregs of all things, to this very day. I am not writing this to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For though you might have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers. Indeed, in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. I appeal to you, then, be imitators of me. The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: Mighty God of mercy, we thank you for the resurrection dawn bringing the glory of our risen Lord who makes every day new. Especially we thank you for the beauty of your creation... (We thank you, Lord.) the new creation in Christ and all gifts of healing and forgiveness... the sustaining love of family and friends... the fellowship of faith in your church... Merciful God of might, renew this weary world, heal the hurts of all your children, and bring about your peace in Christ Jesus, the living Lord. Especially we pray for those who govern nations of the world... (Lord, hear our prayer.) the people in countries ravaged by strife or warfare ... all who work for peace and international harmony... all who strive to save the earth from destruction... the church of Jesus Christ in every land... O God, whose Son has taught us that love is the fulfillment of your law: Stir up within us the fire of your Holy Spirit, and pour into our hearts your greatest gift of love, so that we may love you with our whole being, and our neighbors as ourselves; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. Gathering our prayers and praises into one, let us pray as our Savior has taught us. - The Lord's Prayer To Jesus Christ, who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. ******************************************************* The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission. The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002. The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The opening prayer is adapted from a prayer in _The Worship Sourcebook_, (c) 2004, CRC Publications. Used with permission. The closing prayer is Revelation 1:5-6, NRSV The intercession and collect are from _Book of Common Worship_, (c) 1993 Westminster / John Knox Press. From steve.benner at oremus.org Sun Oct 26 17:00:00 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Sun, 26 Oct 2008 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 27 October 2008 Message-ID: <20081026170000.A5F753143E8@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Monday, October 27, 2008 Lord, open our lips, and our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, O God. We praise you for creating this world in all beauty, for redeeming the world through Christ, our Lord, and for sending us the gift of your Spirit to encourage, instruct, and sustain us. We long for your Spirit to work among us now, to inspire our praise, to challenge us with your truth, and to equip us for service in your world. 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 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 [Deuteronomy 6:1-9]: Now this is the commandment the statutes and the ordinances that the Lord your God charged me to teach you to observe in the land that you are about to cross into and occupy, so that you and your children and your children's children may fear the Lord your God all the days of your life, and keep all his decrees and his commandments that I am commanding you, so that your days may be long. Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe them diligently, so that it may go well with you, and so that you may multiply greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has promised you. Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. HYMN Words: attributed to St. Patrick (372-466); trans. Cecil Frances Alexander (1818-1895), 1889 Music: St. Patrick's Breastplate and Gartan (verse 6) http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/i/i024.html Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus. I bind unto myself today the strong Name of the Trinity, by invocation of the same, the Three in One, and One in Three. I bind this day to me for ever, by power of faith, Christ's Incarnation; his baptism in Jordan river; his death on cross for my salvation; his bursting from the spic?d tomb; his riding up the heavenly way; his coming at the day of doom: I bind unto myself today. I bind unto myself the power of the great love of cherubim; the sweet "Well done" in judgment hour; the service of the seraphim; confessors' faith, apostles' word, the patriarchs' prayers, the prophets' scrolls; all good deeds done unto the Lord, and purity of virgin souls. I bind unto myself today the virtues of the starlit heaven the glorious sun's life-giving ray, the whiteness of the moon at even, the flashing of the lightning free, the whirling wind's tempestuous shocks, the stable earth, the deep salt sea, around the old eternal rocks. I bind unto myself today the power of God to hold and lead, his eye to watch, his might to stay, his ear to hearken, to my need; the wisdom of my God to teach, his hand to guide, his shield to ward; the word of God to give me speech, his heavenly host to be my guard. Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me. Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ in quiet, Christ in danger, Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger. I bind unto myself today the strong Name of the Trinity, by invocation of the same, the Three in One, and One in Three. Of whom all nature hath creation, eternal Father, Spirit, Word: praise to the Lord of my salvation, salvation is of Christ the Lord. SECOND READING [Matthew 26:1-16]: When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, 'You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.' Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, and they conspired to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. But they said, 'Not during the festival, or there may be a riot among the people.' Now while Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment, and she poured it on his head as he sat at the table. But when the disciples saw it, they were angry and said, 'Why this waste? For this ointment could have been sold for a large sum, and the money given to the poor.' But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, 'Why do you trouble the woman? She has performed a good service for me. For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. By pouring this ointment on my body she has prepared me for burial. Truly I tell you, wherever this good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.' Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, 'What will you give me if I betray him to you?' They paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he began to look for an opportunity to betray him. The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: Almighty God, maker of all good things and Father of all; you have shown us in Christ the purpose of your creation and call us to be responsible in the world. We pray for the world all the nations.... our own country.... those in authority.... the peace of the world.... racial harmony.... those who maintain order.... Almighty God, we give you thanks for the order of created things the resources of the earth and the gift of human life.... for the continuing work of creation, man's share in it, and for creative vision and inventive skill.... for your faithfulness to man in patience and in love, and for every human response of obedience and humble achievement.... May we delight in your purpose and work to bring all things to their true end; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 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 To Jesus Christ, who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. ******************************************************* The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission. The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002. The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The opening prayer is adapted from a prayer in _The Worship Sourcebook_, (c) 2004, CRC Publications. Used with permission. The closing prayer is Revelation 1:5-6, NRSV From steve.benner at oremus.org Mon Oct 27 17:00:00 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2008 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 28 October 2008 Message-ID: <20081027170000.A9497314783@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Tuesday, October 28, 2008 Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles Lord, open our lips, and our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, O God, for your Son, the eternal Shepherd, who will never forsake his flock. We give you thanks for the witness of the holy apostles and their successors whom you have called to be shepherds of your Church. 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 62 For God alone my soul in silence waits;* from him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation,* my stronghold, so that I shall not be greatly shaken. How long will you assail me to crush me, all of you together,* as if you were a leaning fence, a toppling wall? They seek only to bring me down from my place of honour;* lies are their chief delight. They bless with their lips,* but in their hearts they curse. For God alone my soul in silence waits;* truly, my hope is in him. He alone is my rock and my salvation,* my stronghold, so that I shall not be shaken. In God is my safety and my honour;* God is my strong rock and my refuge. Put your trust in him always, O people,* pour out your hearts before him, for God is our refuge. Those of high degree are but a fleeting breath,* even those of low estate cannot be trusted. On the scales they are lighter than a breath,* all of them together. Put no trust in extortion; in robbery take no empty pride;* though wealth increase, set not your heart upon it. God has spoken once, twice have I heard it,* that power belongs to God. Steadfast love is yours, O Lord,* for you repay everyone according to his deeds. Psalm 121 I lift up my eyes to the hills;* from where is my help to come? My help comes from the Lord,* the maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved* and he who watches over you will not fall asleep. Behold, he who keeps watch over Israel* shall neither slumber nor sleep; The Lord himself watches over you;* the Lord is your shade at your right hand, So that the sun shall not strike you by day,* nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;* it is he who shall keep you safe. The Lord shall watch over your going out and your coming in,* from this time forth for evermore. Glory and Honor (Revelation 4:11; 5:9b) You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power. For you have created all things, and by your will they have their being. You are worthy, O Lamb, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed for God saints from every tribe and language and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests serving our God, and they will reign with you on earth. Psalm 147:1-12 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 [Deuteronomy 32:1-4]: Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak; let the earth hear the words of my mouth. May my teaching drop like the rain, my speech condense like the dew; like gentle rain on grass, like showers on new growth. For I will proclaim the name of the Lord; ascribe greatness to our God! The Rock, his work is perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God, without deceit, just and upright is he. HYMN Words: John Ellerton, 1875 Tune: Alleluia dulce carmen, Oriel http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/t/t 632.html Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus. Thou who sentest thine apostles two and two before thy face, partners in the night of toiling, heirs together of thy grace, throned at length, their labors ended, each in his appointed place; Praise to thee for thy champions whom our hymns today proclaim: one, whose zeal by thee enlightened burned anew with nobler flame; one, the kinsman of thy childhood, brought at last to know thy Name. Praise to thee! thy fire within them spake in love and wrought in power: seen in mighty signs and wonders in thy Church's morning hour; heard in tones of sternest warning when the storms began to lower. God the Father, great and wondrous in thy works, to thee be praise; King of saints, to thee be glory, just and true in all thy ways; praise to thee, from Both proceeding, Holy Ghost, through endless days. SECOND READING [John 14:15-end]: Jesus said, 'If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you for ever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you. 'I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.' Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, 'Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?' Jesus answered him, 'Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me. 'I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, "I am going away, and I am coming to you." If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe. I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me; but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us be on our way.' The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: Let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus, and for all people according to their needs. Almighty and everlasting God, we humbly thank you for all the numerous blessings which you have given us for the benefit of both body and soul. Though we are worthy of none of your blessings, you still abundantly provide according to your will. By your grace, continue to grant all that your people need for time and eternity. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. O Lord, we praise you especially for preserving your Word and Sacraments throughout the generations by your apostles and their successors. Give to all bishops and to all who hear them zeal for the truth, so that they may always proclaim and promote the Gospel and bring the good news of salvation to more people in our generation. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. Faithful Father, continue to nurture and extend your Church on earth by guiding our choices of those who study for the priesthood. Let your Spirit work unhindered in all our seminaries and schools. To all teachers and other servants of the Church grant faithfulness to their callings, and to all our people grant a love of your name and the desire to serve you their whole life long. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. For all the saints who, by your grace, now rest from their labors, we give you thanks (especially for ____________). For those saints who are still strangers and pilgrims on earth, grant protection and power to remain in your Word, keep the true faith, and live in ways that are fitting for members of your household. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. Almighty God, you have built your Church on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Jesus Christ himself as the chief cornerstone: We thank you for the apostles Simon and Jude, and we pray that we may reveal your love and mercy, and being joined together in unity of spirit may grow into a holy temple, acceptable to you; through our Lord and Savior 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 To Jesus Christ, who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. ******************************************************* The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission. The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002. The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The opening prayer 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 based (heavily adapted) from a prayer by the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod. The collect is from _A Prayer Book for Australia_, (c) 1995, The Anglican Church of Australia Trust Corporation. On the various New Testament lists of the Twelve Apostles (Matthew 10:2-4; Mark 3:16-19; Luke 6:14-16; Acts 1:13), the tenth and eleventh places are occupied by Simon the Zealot and by Judas of James, also called Thaddaeus or Lebbaeus. Some ancient Christian writers say that Simon and Jude went together as missionaries to Persia, and were martyred there. If this is true, it explains, to some extent, our lack of historical information on them and also why they are usually put together. Simon is not mentioned by name in the New Testament except on these lists. Judas (often called Jude in English, but the Greek has Judas) is variously named, but this is not surprising. Before the Crucifixion, there would be a need to distinguish him among the apostles from Judas Iscariot, and after the Crucifixion there would be an additional reason for being emphatic about the distinction. After the Last Supper it was Jude who asked Our Lord why he chose to reveal Himself only to the disciples. He received the reply: "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him." (John 14:22f) [James Kiefer] From steve.benner at oremus.org Tue Oct 28 17:00:01 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Tue, 28 Oct 2008 17:00:01 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 29 October 2008 Message-ID: <20081028170001.1443D3149CF@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Wednesday, October 29, 2008 James Hannington, Bishop of Eastern Equatorial Africa, Martyr in Uganda, 1885 Lord, open our lips, and our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, O God. We praise you for creating this world in all beauty, for redeeming the world through Christ, our Lord, and for sending us the gift of your Spirit to encourage, instruct, and sustain us. We long for your Spirit to work among us now, to inspire our praise, to challenge us with your truth, and to equip us for service in your world. 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 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 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 [Deuteronomy 7:6-13]: For you are a people holy to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on earth to be his people, his treasured possession. It was not because you were more numerous than any other people that the Lord set his heart on you and chose you for you were the fewest of all peoples. It was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath that he swore to your ancestors, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who maintains covenant loyalty with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations, and who repays in their own person those who reject him. He does not delay but repays in their own person those who reject him. Therefore, observe diligently the commandment the statutes and the ordinances that I am commanding you today. If you heed these ordinances, by diligently observing them, the Lord your God will maintain with you the covenant loyalty that he swore to your ancestors; he will love you, bless you, and multiply you; he will bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your wine and your oil, the increase of your cattle and the issue of your flock, in the land that he swore to your ancestors to give you. HYMN Words: Arthur Campbell Aigner (1841-1919), 1894 Tune: Purpose, Benson http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/g/g179a.html Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus. God is working his purpose out as year succeeds to year: God is working his purpose out, and the time is drawing near; nearer and nearer draws the time, the time that shall surely be, when the earth shall be filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea. >From utmost east to utmost west, wherever foot hath trod, by the mouth of many messengers goes forth the voice of God; give ear to me, ye continents, ye isles, give ear to me, that earth may filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea. What can we do to work God's work, to prosper and increase the brotherhood of all mankind-- the reign of the Prince of Peace? What can we do to hasten the time-- the time that shall surely be, when the earth shall be filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea. March we forth in the strength of God, with the banner of Christ unfurled, that the light of the glorious gospel of truth may shine throughout the world: fight we the fight with sorrow and sin to set their captives free, that earth may filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea. All we can do is nothing worth unless God blessed the deed; vainly we hope for the harvest-tide till God gives life to the seed; yet nearer and nearer draws the time, the time that shall surely be, when the earth shall be filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea. SECOND READING [Matthew 26:31-46]: Jesus said to the disciplies, 'You will all become deserters because of me this night; for it is written, "I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered." But after I am raised up, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.' Peter said to him, 'Though all become deserters because of you, I will never desert you.' Jesus said to him, 'Truly I tell you, this very night, before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.' Peter said to him, 'Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you.' And so said all the disciples. Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, 'Sit here while I go over there and pray.' He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and agitated. Then he said to them, 'I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and stay awake with me.' And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, 'My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want.' Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, 'So, could you not stay awake with me one hour? Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.' Again he went away for the second time and prayed, 'My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.' Again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. So leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words. Then he came to the disciples and said to them, 'Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up, let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand.' The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: Holy Father, you have reconciled us to yourself in Christ; by your Spirit you enable us to live as your children. We pray for personal relationships the home, and family life.... children deprived of home.... friends, relations and neighbours.... relationships in daily life and work.... those who are estranged.... ministries of care and healing... Holy Father, we give you thanks for the obedience of Christ fulfilled in the cross, his bearing of the sin of the world, his mercy for the world, which never fails.... for the joy of human love and friendship, the lives to which our own are bound, the gift of peace with you and each other.... for the communities in whose life we share and all relationships in which reconciliation may be known.... Help us to share in Christ's ministry and to love and serve one another in peace; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who in the unity of the Spirit is one with you for ever. Amen. Gracious God, you have made us fellow citizens with the saints in the city of eternal light. In the time of storm, when the foundations shake, teach us to wait in silence on your steadfast and transforming love, made known to us in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Grant, O God, that we who this day commemorate your servant James Hannington and his fellow-martyrs of Uganda, may, by their courage and devotion, be stirred up to a deeper love of our Savior and to perseverance in the Christian calling; 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 To Jesus Christ, who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. ******************************************************* The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission. The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002. The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The opening prayer is adapted from a prayer in _The Worship Sourcebook_, (c) 2004, CRC Publications. Used with permission. The closing prayer is Revelation 1:5-6, NRSV The first collect is from _Daily Prayer_, copyright (c) The Scottish Episcopal Church, 1998. Used with permission. http://www.scottishepiscopal.com Among the new nations of Africa, Uganda is the most predominantly Christian. Mission work began there in the 1870's with the favor of King Mutesa, who died in 1884. However, his son and successor, King Mwanga, opposed all foreign presence, including the missions. James Hannington, born 1847, was sent out from England in 1884 by the Anglican Church as missionary Bishop of Eastern Equatorial Africa. As he was travelling toward Uganda, he was apprehended by emissaries of King Mwanga. He and his companions were brutally treated and, a week later, 29 October 1885, most of them were put to death. Hannington's last words were: "Go tell your master that I have purchased the road to Uganda with my blood." The first native martyr was the Roman Catholic Joseph Mkasa Balikuddembe, who was beheaded after having rebuked the king for his debauchery and for the murder of Bishop Hannington. On 3 June 1886, a group of 32 men and boys, 22 Roman Catholic and 10 Anglican, were burned at the stake. Most of them were young pages in Mwanga's household, from their head-man, Charles Lwanga, to the thirteen-year-old Kizito, who went to his death "laughing and chattering." These and many other Ugandan Christians suffered for their faith then and in the next few years. [James Kiefer, abridged] From steve.benner at oremus.org Wed Oct 29 17:00:00 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 30 October 2008 Message-ID: <20081029170000.8377A3147E2@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Thursday, October 30, 2008 Lord, open our lips, and our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, O God. We praise you for creating this world in all beauty, for redeeming the world through Christ, our Lord, and for sending us the gift of your Spirit to encourage, instruct, and sustain us. We long for your Spirit to work among us now, to inspire our praise, to challenge us with your truth, and to equip us for service in your world. 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 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. A Song of the Covenant (Isaiah 42.5-8a) Thus says God, who created the heavens, who fashioned the earth and all that dwells in it; Who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it, 'I am the Lord and I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; 'I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, 'To bring out the captives from the dungeon, from the prison, those who sit in darkness. 'I am the Lord, that is my name; my glory I give to no other.' Psalm 148 Alleluia! Praise the Lord from the heavens;* praise him in the heights. Praise him, all you angels of his;* praise him, all his host. Praise him, sun and moon;* praise him, all you shining stars. Praise him, heaven of heavens,* and you waters above the heavens. Let them praise the name of the Lord;* for he commanded and they were created. He made them stand fast for ever and ever;* he gave them a law which shall not pass away. Praise the Lord from the earth,* you sea-monsters and all deeps; Fire and hail, snow and fog,* tempestuous wind, doing his will; Mountains and all hills,* fruit trees and all cedars; Wild beasts and all cattle,* creeping things and winged birds; Kings of the earth and all peoples,* princes and all rulers of the world; Young men and maidens,* old and young together. Let them praise the name of the Lord,* for his name only is exalted, his splendour is over earth and heaven. He has raised up strength for his people and praise for all his loyal servants,* the children of Israel, a people who are near him. Alleluia! FIRST READING [Deuteronomy 8:1-10]: This entire commandment that I command you today you must diligently observe, so that you may live and increase, and go in and occupy the land that the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors. Remember the long way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, in order to humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commandments. He humbled you by letting you hunger, then by feeding you with manna, with which neither you nor your ancestors were acquainted, in order to make you understand that one does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. The clothes on your back did not wear out and your feet did not swell these forty years. Know then in your heart that as a parent disciplines a child so the Lord your God disciplines you. Therefore keep the commandments of the Lord your God, by walking in his ways and by fearing him. For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land with flowing streams, with springs and underground waters welling up in valleys and hills, a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, a land where you may eat bread without scarcity, where you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron and from whose hills you may mine copper. You shall eat your fill and bless the Lord your God for the good land that he has given you. HYMN Words: Oliver W. Holmes (1809-1894) Tune: Uffingham Thou gracious Power, whose mercy lends The light of home, the smile of friends, Our gathered flock Thine arms enfold, As in the peaceful days of old. Wilt Thou not hear us while we raise, In sweet accord of solemn praise, The voices that have mingled long In joyous flow of mirth and song? For all the blessings life has brought, For all its sorrowing hours have taught, For all we mourn, for all we keep, The hands we clasp, the loved that sleep, The noontide sunshine of the past, These brief, bright moments fading fast, The stars that gild our darkening years, The twilight ray from holier spheres, We thank Thee, Father; let Thy grace Our loving circle still embrace, Thy mercy shed its heavenly store, Thy peace be with us evermore. SECOND READING [Matthew 26:47-56]: While Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived; with him was a large crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, 'The one I will kiss is the man; arrest him.' At once he came up to Jesus and said, 'Greetings, Rabbi!' and kissed him. Jesus said to him, 'Friend, do what you are here to do.' Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and arrested him. Suddenly, one of those with Jesus put his hand on his sword, drew it, and struck the slave of the high priest, cutting off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, 'Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the scriptures be fulfilled, which say it must happen in this way?' At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, 'Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me as though I were a bandit? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not arrest me. But all this has taken place, so that the scriptures of the prophets may be fulfilled.' Then all the disciples deserted him and fled. The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: Eternal God, you have raised Jesus Christ from the dead and exalted him to your right hand in glory, and through him called your Church into being, that your people might know you, and that they might make your name known. We pray for the church the Church universal, and local, especially.... the unity of the Church.... the ministries of the Church.... the mission of the Church.... the renewal of the Church.... all Christians in this place.... Eternal God, we give you thanks for the apostolic gospel committed to your Church, the continuing presence and power of your Spirit, the ministry of Word, Sacrament and Prayer.... for the divine mission in which we are called to share, the will to unity and its fruit in common action, the faithful witness of those who are true to Christ.... for all works of compassion and every service that proclaims your love. In peace and unity may your people offer the unfailing sacrifice of praise, and make your glory known; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. As we plan and make decisions, God be our way. As we learn and ask questions, God be our truth. As we grow and as we change, God be our life. Amen. Gathering our prayers and praises into one, let us pray as our Savior has taught us. - The Lord's Prayer To Jesus Christ, who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. ******************************************************* The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission. The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002. The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The opening prayer is adapted from a prayer in _The Worship Sourcebook_, (c) 2004, CRC Publications. Used with permission. The closing prayer is Revelation 1:5-6, NRSV The intercessions are (c) 2000, The Church of Ireland Central Communications Board. The collect is by Ruth Burgess. From steve.benner at oremus.org Thu Oct 30 17:00:00 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Thu, 30 Oct 2008 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 31 October 2008 Message-ID: <20081030170000.C2E9E314705@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Friday, October 31, 2008 Lord, open our lips, and our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, O God. We praise you for creating this world in all beauty, for redeeming the world through Christ, our Lord, and for sending us the gift of your Spirit to encourage, instruct, and sustain us. We long for your Spirit to work among us now, to inspire our praise, to challenge us with your truth, and to equip us for service in your world. 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 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 the Justified (Romans 4.24,25; 5.1-5,8,9,11) God reckons as righteous those who believe, who believe in him who raised Jesus from the dead; For Christ was handed over to death for our sins, and raised to life for our justification. Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Christ we have gained access to the grace in which we stand, and rejoice in our hope of the glory of God. We even exult in our sufferings, for suffering produces endurance, And endurance brings hope, and our hope is not in vain, Because God's love has been poured into our hearts, through the Holy Spirit, given to us. God proves his love for us: while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Since we have been justified by his death, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath. Therefore, we exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom we have now received our reconciliation. 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 [Deuteronomy 8:11-end]: Take care that you do not forget the Lord your God, by failing to keep his commandments, his ordinances, and his statutes, which I am commanding you today. When you have eaten your fill and have built fine houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks have multiplied, and your silver and gold is multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied, then do not exalt yourself, forgetting the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, an arid waste-land with poisonous snakes and scorpions. He made water flow for you from flint rock, and fed you in the wilderness with manna that your ancestors did not know, to humble you and to test you, and in the end to do you good. Do not say to yourself, 'My power and the might of my own hand have gained me this wealth.' But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, so that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your ancestors, as he is doing today. If you do forget the Lord your God and follow other gods to serve and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish. Like the nations that the Lord is destroying before you, so shall you perish, because you would not obey the voice of the Lord your God. HYMN Words, verses 1-4: Philip Doddridge, 1736; verse 5: unknown Scottish author Music: 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 [Matthew 26:57-end]: Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high priest, in whose house the scribes and the elders had gathered. But Peter was following him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest; and going inside, he sat with the guards in order to see how this would end. Now the chief priests and the whole council were looking for false testimony against Jesus so that they might put him to death, but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward and said, 'This fellow said, "I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days." ' The high priest stood up and said, 'Have you no answer? What is it that they testify against you?' But Jesus was silent. Then the high priest said to him, 'I put you under oath before the living God, tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.' Jesus said to him, 'You have said so. But I tell you, >From now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.' Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, 'He has blasphemed! Why do we still need witnesses? You have now heard his blasphemy. What is your verdict?' They answered, 'He deserves death.' Then they spat in his face and struck him; and some slapped him, saying, 'Prophesy to us, you Messiah! Who is it that struck you?' Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant-girl came to him and said, 'You also were with Jesus the Galilean.' But he denied it before all of them, saying, 'I do not know what you are talking about.' When he went out to the porch, another servant-girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, 'This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.' Again he denied it with an oath, 'I do not know the man.' After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, 'Certainly you are also one of them, for your accent betrays you.' Then he began to curse, and he swore an oath, 'I do not know the man!' At that moment the cock crowed. Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said: 'Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.' And he went out and wept bitterly. The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: Gracious God and Father, you have given your Son for us all, that his death might be our life and his affliction our peace. We pray for the suffering... the hungry.... the refugees.... the prisoners.... the persecuted.... all who bring sin and suffering to others.... ministries of care and relief.... the Church in all its work, especially Gracious God and Father, we give you thanks for the cross of Christ at the heart of creation, the presence of Christ in our weakness and strength, the power of Christ to transform our suffering.... for all ministries of healing, all agencies of relief, all that sets men free from pain, fear and distress.... for the assurance that your mercy knows no limit, and for the privilege of sharing your work of renewal through prayer. In darkness and in light, in trouble and in joy, help us to trust your love, to serve your purpose and to praise your name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. God our Father, from your goodness we receive gifts without measure, your peace which flows like a river, and our life's journey, made whole by your love show 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 To Jesus Christ, who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. ******************************************************* The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission. The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002. The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The opening prayer is adapted from a prayer in _The Worship Sourcebook_, (c) 2004, CRC Publications. Used with permission. The closing prayer is Revelation 1:5-6, NRSV The intercessions are (c) 2000, The Church of Ireland Central Communications Board. The collect is adapted from one found in ICEL translation of the Roman Missal, 1973. From steve.benner at oremus.org Fri Oct 31 17:00:01 2008 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2008 17:00:01 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 1 November 2008 Message-ID: <20081031170001.1C2BD314A82@justus2c.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Saturday, November 1, 2008 All Saints' Day Lord, open our lips, and our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, God our Father, for surrounding with so great a cloud of witnesses: For all the saints who went before us, who have spoken to our hearts and touched us with your fire: For all the saints who live beside us, whose weaknesses and strengths are woven with our own: For all the saints, who live beyond us, who challenge us to change the world with them: 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 112 Alleluia! Happy are they who fear the Lord* and have great delight in his commandments! Their descendants will be mighty in the land;* the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches will be in their house,* and their righteousness will last for ever. Light shines in the darkness for the upright;* the righteous are merciful and full of compassion. It is good for them to be generous in lending* and to manage their affairs with justice. For they will never be shaken;* the righteous will be kept in everlasting remembrance. They will not be afraid of any evil rumours;* their heart is right; they put their trust in the Lord. Their heart is established and will not shrink,* until they see their desire upon their enemies. They have given freely to the poor,* and their righteousness stands fast for ever; they will hold up their head with honour. The wicked will see it and be angry; they will gnash their teeth and pine away;* the desires of the wicked will perish. A Song of Wisdom (Wisdom 9.1-5a,5c-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 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 [Wisdom 5:1-5, 14-16]: The righteous will stand with great confidence in the presence of those who have oppressed them and those who make light of their labours. When the unrighteous see them, they will be shaken with dreadful fear, and they will be amazed at the unexpected salvation of the righteous. They will speak to one another in repentance, and in anguish of spirit they will groan, and say, 'These are persons whom we once held in derision and made a byword of reproach fools that we were! We thought that their lives were madness and that their end was without honour. Why have they been numbered among the children of God? And why is their lot among the saints? Because the hope of the ungodly is like thistledown carried by the wind, and like a light frost driven away by a storm; it is dispersed like smoke before the wind, and it passes like the remembrance of a guest who stays but a day. But the righteous live for ever, and their reward is with the Lord; the Most High takes care of them. Therefore they will receive a glorious crown and a beautiful diadem from the hand of the Lord, because with his right hand he will cover them, and with his arm he will shield them. HYMN Words: Rowland Hill, 1783 Tune: Sandys Psalm 8 http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/l/l194.html Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus. Lo! round the throne, a glorious band, the saints in countless myriads stand, of every tongue redeemed to God, arrayed in garments washed in blood. Through tribulation great they came; they bore the cross, despised the shame; from all their labors now they rest, in God's eternal glory blest. They see their Savior face to face, and sing the triumphs of his grace; him day and night they ceaseless praise, to him the loud thanksgiving raise: "Worthy the Lamb, for sinners slain, through endless years to live and reign; thou hast redeemed us by thy blood, and made us kings and priests to God." O may we tread the sacred road that saints and holy martyrs trod; wage to the end the glorious strife, and win, like them, a crown of life. SECOND READING [Revelation 21:1-4, 22-22:5]: Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.' I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. Its gates will never be shut by day and there will be no night there. People will bring into it the glory and the honour of the nations. But nothing unclean will enter it, nor anyone who practises abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life. Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. Nothing accursed will be found there any more. But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him; they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign for ever and ever. The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: God of the ages, we praise you for all your servants, who have done justice, loved mercy, and walked humbly with their God. For apostles and martyrs and saints of every time and place, who in life and death have witnessed to your truth, - we praise you, O God. For all your servants who have faithfully served you, witnessed bravely, and died in faith, who are still shining lights in the world, - we praise you, O God. For those no longer remembered, who earnestly sought after you in darkness, who held fast their faith in trial, and served others, - we praise you, O God. For those who have known and loved, who by their faithful obedience and steadfast hope, have shown the same mind that was in Christ Jesus, - we praise you, O God. Keep us grateful for their witness, and, like them, eager to follow in the way of Christ. Then at the last, bring us with them to share in the inheritance of the saints in light; through Jesus Christ the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Almighty God, you have knit together your elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of your Son Christ our Lord: Give us grace so to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those ineffable joys you have prepared for those who truly love you; 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 Then is sung the Te Deum or Holy God, we praise thy Name We praise you, O God, we acclaim you as the Lord; all creation worships you, the Father everlasting. To you all angels, all the powers of heaven, the cherubim and seraphim, sing in endless praise: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. The glorious company of apostles praise you. The noble fellowship of prophets praise you. The white-robed army of martyrs praise you. Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you: Father, of majesty unbounded, your true and only Son, worthy of all praise, the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide. You, Christ, are the King of glory, the eternal Son of the Father. When you took our flesh to set us free you humbly chose the Virgin's womb. You overcame the sting of death and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. You are seated at God's right hand in glory. We believe that you will come and be our judge. Come then, Lord, and help your people, bought with the price of your own blood, and bring us with your saints to glory everlasting. ******************************************************* 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 includes a prayer by Janet Morley in _Bread of Tomorrow_, (c) 1992, Christian Aid/SPCK. The intercession is from _Book of Common Worship_, (c) 1993 Westminster / John Knox Press. The collect is from The Book of Common Prayer According to the use of The Episcopal Church_.