From steve.benner at oremus.org  Sun Aug  2 20:23:09 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Sun,  2 Aug 2009 20:23:09 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:   3 August 2009
Message-ID: <20090802202309.DD0DA313C49@justus2.anglican.org>

*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org for more resources, a link to our store in association with Amazon and other opportunities to support this ministry. This ministry can only continue with your support.
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Monday, August 3, 2009

Lord, open our lips,
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, O God,
beyond all seeing and knowing,
yet we meet you in the night of change and crisis,
and wrestle with you in the darkness of doubt.
You renew us with your your heavenly grace,
and in all our weakness
sustain us by your true and living bread,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
For these and all your mercies, we praise you:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:
Blessed be God for ever!

An opening canticle may be sung. 
<!
http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html
>
Psalm 116

I love the Lord,
   because he has heard the voice of my supplication,*
 because he has inclined his ear to me
   whenever I called upon him.
The cords of death entangled me;
   the grip of the grave took hold of me;*
 I came to grief and sorrow.
Then I called upon the name of the Lord:*
 'O Lord, I pray you, save my life.'
Gracious is the Lord and righteous;*
 our God is full of compassion.
The Lord watches over the innocent;*
 I was brought very low and he helped me.
Turn again to your rest, O my soul,*
 for the Lord has treated you well.
For you have rescued my life from death,*
 my eyes from tears and my feet from stumbling.
I will walk in the presence of the Lord*

 in the land of the living.
I believed, even when I said,
   'I have been brought very low.'*
 In my distress I said, 'No one can be trusted.'
How shall I repay the Lord*
 for all the good things he has done for me?
I will lift up the cup of salvation*
 and call upon the name of the Lord.
I will fulfil my vows to the Lord*
 in the presence of all his people.
Precious in the sight of the Lord*
 is the death of his servants.
O Lord, I am your servant;*
 I am your servant and the child of your handmaid;
   you have freed me from my bonds.
I will offer you the sacrifice of thanksgiving*
 and call upon the name of the Lord.
I will fulfil my vows to the Lord*
 in the presence of all his people.
In the courts of the Lord's house,*
 in the midst of you, O Jerusalem.
   Alleluia!

A Song of the Blessed (Matthew 5.310)

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

Psalm 146

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

FIRST READING [1 Samuel 11:1-13]:

About a month later, Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh-gilead; and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, 'Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you.' But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, 'On this condition I will make a treaty with you, namely that I gouge out everyone's right eye, and thus put disgrace upon all Israel.' The elders of Jabesh said to him, 'Give us seven days' respite that we may send messengers through all the territory of Israel. Then, if there is no one to save us, we will give ourselves up to you.' When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul, they reported the matter in the hearing of the people; and all the people wept aloud. 

Now Saul was coming from the field behind the oxen; and Saul said, 'What is the matter with the people, that they are weeping?' So they told him the message from the inhabitants of Jabesh. And the spirit of God came upon Saul in power when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled. He took a yoke of oxen, and cut them in pieces and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by messengers, saying, 'Whoever does not come out after Saul and Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen!' Then the dread of the Lord fell upon the people, and they came out as one. When he mustered them at Bezek, those from Israel were three hundred thousand, and those from Judah seventy thousand. They said to the messengers who had come, 'Thus shall you say to the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead: ?Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you shall have deliverance.? ' When the messengers came and told the inhabitants of Jabesh, they rejoiced. So the inhabitants of Jabesh said, 'Tomorrow we will give ourselves up to you, and you may do to us whatever seems good to you.' The next day Saul put the people in three companies. At the morning watch they came into the camp and cut down the Ammonites until the heat of the day; and those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together. 

The people said to Samuel, 'Who is it that said, ?Shall Saul reign over us?? Give them to us so that we may put them to death.' But Saul said, 'No one shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has brought deliverance to Israel.' 

HYMN 
Words: Richard Baxter (1615-1691)
Tune: Mayfield, Cambridge

Christ who knows all his sheep
will all in safety keep,
he will not lose one soul,
nor ever fail us;
nor we the promised goal,
though hell assail us.

I know my God is just;
to him I wholly trust
all that I have and am,
all I hope for:
all's sure and seen to him,
which here I grope for.

Lord Jesus, take this spirit:
we trust thy love and merit.
take home the wandering sheep,
for thou hast sought it;
this soul in safety keep,
for thou hast bought it.

SECOND READING [Luke 15:1-10]:

Now all the tax-collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, 'This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.' 

So he told them this parable: 'Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbours, saying to them, ?Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.? Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance. 

'Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbours, saying, ?Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.? Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.' 

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

Prayer:
Almighty God, 
you bring your chosen people together in one communion, 
in the body of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.  
We rejoice in your light and your peace 
for your whole Church in heaven and on earth.
Lord of mercy:
Lord, hear us.

Give to all who mourn a sure confidence in your loving care, 
that we may cast all our sorrow on you, 
and know the consolation of your love.
Lord of mercy:
Lord, hear us.

Give your faithful people pardon and peace, 
that we may be cleansed from all our sins, 
and serve you with a quiet mind.

Lord of mercy:
Lord, hear us.

Give us strength to meet the days ahead 
in the joyful expectation of eternal life with those you love.
Lord of mercy:
Lord, hear us.

Give to us who are still in our pilgrimage, 
and who walk as yet by faith, 
your Holy Spirit to lead us 
in holiness and righteousness all our days.
Lord of mercy:
Lord, hear us.

May all who have been made one with Christ 
in his death and in his resurrection 
die to sin and rise to newness of life.
Lord of mercy:
Lord, hear us.

Lord, 
you shared the limits of our life
to save us from the snares of death;
may we have the courage to walk before you
in the land of the living,
and witness to your presence before all the people;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
		
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.

- The Lord's Prayer

Refresh us with your grace,
that we may not be weary in well-doing,
for the sake of him who has called us
to hunger and thirst to see right prevail,
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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

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

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

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


From steve.benner at oremus.org  Mon Aug  3 21:24:01 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Mon,  3 Aug 2009 21:24:01 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:   4 August 2009
Message-ID: <20090803212401.2D918313C49@justus2.anglican.org>

*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org for more resources, a link to our store in association with Amazon and other opportunities to support this ministry. This ministry can only continue with your support.
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Lord, open our lips,
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, O God,
beyond all seeing and knowing,
yet we meet you in the night of change and crisis,
and wrestle with you in the darkness of doubt.
You renew us with your your heavenly grace,
and in all our weakness
sustain us by your true and living bread,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
For these and all your mercies, we praise you:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:
Blessed be God for ever!

An opening canticle may be sung. 
<!
http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html
>
Psalm 118

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;*
 his mercy endures for ever.
Let Israel now proclaim,*
 'His mercy endures for ever.'
Let the house of Aaron now proclaim,*
 'His mercy endures for ever.'
Let those who fear the Lord now proclaim,*
 'His mercy endures for ever.'
I called to the Lord in my distress;*
 the Lord answered by setting me free.
The Lord is at my side, therefore I will not fear;*
 what can anyone do to me?
The Lord is at my side to help me;*
 I will triumph over those who hate me.
It is better to rely on the Lord*
 than to put any trust in flesh.
It is better to rely on the Lord*
 than to put any trust in rulers.
All the ungodly encompass me;*
 in the name of the Lord I will repel them.
They hem me in, they hem me in on every side;*
 in the name of the Lord I will repel them.
They swarm about me like bees;
   they blaze like a fire of thorns;*
 in the name of the Lord I will repel them.
I was pressed so hard that I almost fell,*
 but the Lord came to my help.
The Lord is my strength and my song,*
 and he has become my salvation.
There is a sound of exultation and victory*
 in the tents of the righteous:
'The right hand of the Lord has triumphed!*
 the right hand of the Lord is exalted!
   the right hand of the Lord has triumphed!'
I shall not die, but live,*
 and declare the works of the Lord.
The Lord has punished me sorely,*
 but he did not hand me over to death.
Open for me the gates of righteousness;*
 I will enter them; I will offer thanks to the Lord.
'This is the gate of the Lord;*
 whoever is righteous may enter.'

I will give thanks to you, for you answered me*
 and have become my salvation.
The same stone which the builders rejected*
 has become the chief cornerstone.
This is the Lord's doing,*
 and it is marvellous in our eyes.
On this day the Lord has acted;*
 we will rejoice and be glad in it.
Hosanna, Lord, hosanna!*
 Lord, send us now success.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord;*
 we bless you from the house of the Lord.
God is the Lord; he has shined upon us;*
 form a procession with branches
   up to the horns of the altar.
'You are my God and I will thank you;*
 you are my God and I will exalt you.'
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;*
 his mercy endures for ever.

A Song of 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 [1 Samuel 11:14-12:5]:

Samuel said to the people, 'Come, let us go to Gilgal and there renew the kingship.' So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the Lord in Gilgal. There they sacrificed offerings of well-being before the Lord, and there Saul and all the Israelites rejoiced greatly. 

Samuel said to all Israel, 'I have listened to you in all that you have said to me, and have set a king over you. See, it is the king who leads you now; I am old and grey, but my sons are with you. I have led you from my youth until this day. Here I am; testify against me before the Lord and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? Testify against me and I will restore it to you.' They said, 'You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from the hand of anyone.' He said to them, 'The Lord is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.' And they said, 'He is witness.' 

HYMN 
Words: William Tidd Matson (1833-1899)
Tune: Breslau, Llangollen, Ely

Lord I was blind: I could not see
in thy marred visage any grace;
but now the beauty of thy face
in radiant vision dawns on me.

Lord, I was deaf: I could not hear
the thrilling music of thy voice;
but now I hear thee and rejoice,
and all thine uttered words are dear.

Lord, I was dumb: I could not speak
the grace and glory of thy name:
but now, as touched with living flame,
my lips thine eager praises wake.

Lord I was dead: I could not stir
my lifeless soul to come to thee:
but now, since thou hast quickened me,
I rise from sin's dark sepulchre.

Lord, thou hast made the blind to see,
the deaf to hear, the dumb to speak,
the dead to live: and lo, I break
the chains of my captivity.

SECOND READING [Luke 15:11-end]:

Jesus said, 'There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, "Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me." So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and travelled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, "How many of my father's hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.' " So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son." But the father said to his slaves, "Quickly, bring out a robe?the best one?and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!" And they began to celebrate. 
< P>
'Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, "Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound." Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, "Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!" Then the father said to him, "Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found." ' 

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

Prayer:
We pray to God our Father, saying:
Lord, may your word dwell richly in their hearts.

For all Christian people, knit together by your word of life;
and for all who teach and guard the faith:
Lord, may your word dwell richly in their hearts.

For those who study and translate the Scriptures:
Lord, may your word dwell richly in their hearts.

For those who are mocked and persecuted for their faith:
Lord, may your word dwell richly in their hearts.

For those who long to know you, and your living Word:
Lord, may your word dwell richly in their hearts.

For those tempted to forsake your way;
for those whose hearts are hardened and unfeeling,
and for those who threaten war:
Lord, may your word dwell richly in their hearts.

For those bowed down with grief, fear or sickness, (especially. . .)
Lord, may your word dwell richly in their hearts.

Giving thanks for those who have died in the faith of Christ,
we rejoice with the ever-blessed Virgin Mary and all your saints,
trusting in the promise of your word fulfilled.
Lord of the Church:
hear our prayer,
and make us one in heart and mind
to serve you in Christ our Lord. Amen.

O God, the Spirit of Truth, you call us to surrender ourselves to you, who loves us more than we can possibly imagine: Give us strength to move beyond simple giving up of things so that we may cede control of our lives to you and rejoice in the freedom given to us by Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen.
		
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.

- The Lord's Prayer

Refresh us with your grace,
that we may not be weary in well-doing,
for the sake of him who has called us
to hunger and thirst to see right prevail,
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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

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

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

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


From steve.benner at oremus.org  Tue Aug  4 21:24:36 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Tue,  4 Aug 2009 21:24:36 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:   5 August 2009
Message-ID: <20090804212436.500A9313C45@justus2.anglican.org>

*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org for more resources, a link to our store in association with Amazon and other opportunities to support this ministry. This ministry can only continue with your support.
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Wedneday, August 5, 2009
Oswald, King of Northumbria, Martyr, 642

Lord, open our lips,
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, O God,
beyond all seeing and knowing,
yet we meet you in the night of change and crisis,
and wrestle with you in the darkness of doubt.
You renew us with your your heavenly grace,
and in all our weakness
sustain us by your true and living bread,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
For these and all your mercies, we praise you:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:
Blessed be God for ever!

An opening canticle may be sung. 
<!
http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html
>
Psalm 119:97-112

O how I love your law!*
 all the day long it is in my mind.
Your commandment has made me wiser
   than my enemies,*
 and it is always with me.
I have more understanding than all my teachers,*
 for your decrees are my study.
I am wiser than the elders,*
 because I observe your commandments.

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

A Song of Redemption (Colossians 1.1318a,19,20a)

The Father has delivered us from the dominion of darkness,  
and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son; 
In whom we have redemption,  
the forgiveness of our sins. 
He is the image of the invisible God,  
the firstborn of all creation. 
For in him all things were created,  
in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible. 
All things were created through him and for him,  
he is before all things and in him all things hold together. 
He is the head of the body, the Church,  
he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead. 
In him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell;  
and through him God was pleased to reconcile all things. 

Psalm 147:13-end

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

FIRST READING [1 Samuel 12:19-end]:

All the people said to Samuel, 'Pray to the Lord your God for your servants, so that we may not die; for we have added to all our sins the evil of demanding a king for ourselves.' 20And Samuel said to the people, 'Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil, yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart; 21and do not turn aside after useless things that cannot profit or save, for they are useless. 22For the Lord will not cast away his people, for his great name's sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself. 23Moreover as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you; and I will instruct you in the good and the right way. 24Only fear the Lord, and serve him faithfully with all your heart; for consider what great things he has done for you. 25But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.'

HYMN 
Words: Darley Terry (1848-1934)
Tune: Church Triumphant, Deus tuorum militum

The Lord is King! I own his power,
his right to rule each day and hour;
I own his claim on heart and will,
and his demands I would fulfil.

He claims my heart, to keep it clean,
from all the stains of human sin;
he claims my will, that I may prove
how swift obedience answers love.

He claims my hand for active life
in noble deeds and worthy strife;
he claims my feet, that in his ways
I may walk boldly all my days.

He claims my lips, that purest word
in all my speaking may be heard;
my motives, feelings, thoughts, that these,
my inner life, my King may please.

He claims the brightness of my youth,
my earnest strivings after truth,
my joys, my toil, my craftsman's skill;
all have their place, and serve his will.

To you, O Lord my King, I turn,
your holy purpose to discern.
My daily task your name to own,
for heart and will are yours alone.

SECOND READING [Luke 16:1-18]:

Jesus said to the disciples, 'There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was squandering his property. So he summoned him and said to him, ?What is this that I hear about you? Give me an account of your management, because you cannot be my manager any longer.? Then the manager said to himself, ?What will I do, now that my master is taking the position away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do so that, when I am dismissed as manager, people may welcome me into their homes.? So, summoning his master's debtors one by one, he asked the first, ?How much do you owe my master?? He answered, ?A hundred jugs of olive oil.? He said to him, ?Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it fifty.? Then he asked another, ?And how much do you owe?? He replied, ?A hundred containers of wheat.? He said to him, ?Take your bill and make it eighty.? And his master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes. 

?'Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.' 

The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all this, and they ridiculed him. So he said to them, 'You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of others; but God knows your hearts; for what is prized by human beings is an abomination in the sight of God. 

'The law and the prophets were in effect until John came; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is proclaimed, and everyone tries to enter it by force. But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than for one stroke of a letter in the law to be dropped. 

'Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and whoever marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery. '

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

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

God our Father,
you give us gifts that we may work together
in the service of your Son:
Bless those who lead,
that they may be firm in faith, 
yet humble before you.
We pray especially for the people of the Diocese
Jesus, Lord of your Church:
in your mercy hear us.

Bless those who teach,
that they may increase our understanding,    

and be open to your word for them:
Jesus, Lord of your Church:
in your mercy hear us. 

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

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

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

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

Merciful God,
as we contemplate the life of your Son, 
may we grow in wisdom and stature
not just for our own spiritual awareness, 
but that his teaching, healing and life-giving power
may possess us and work through us, 
that we may lose our own lives and find his Life, 
being conformed to his pattern and to his Cross. 
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lord God almighty, 
who so kindled the faith of Oswald with your Spirit 
that he set up the sign of the cross in his kingdom
and turned his people to the light of Christ: 
grant that we, being fired by the same Spirit,
may always bear our cross before the world
and be found faithful servants of the gospel; 
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

Refresh us with your grace,
that we may not be weary in well-doing,
for the sake of him who has called us
to hunger and thirst to see right prevail,
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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

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

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

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

Born around the year 605, the son of King ?lfrith of Northumbria, Oswald was forced to leave home after his father's death and move to Iona where, influenced by the monks of St Columba, he was baptised. Returning to Northumbria in 634, Oswald defeated the British king, setting up a cross as his standard and gathering his men around it to pray the night before the battle. A man of humility and generosity, Oswald worked closely with his friend St Aidan, travelling with him on his missionary journeys and acting as his interpreter. He died in battle on this day in 642 defending his kingdom from the Mercians.

From steve.benner at oremus.org  Mon Aug 10 23:30:39 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Mon, 10 Aug 2009 23:30:39 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:  11 August 2009
Message-ID: <20090810233039.82431313C14@justus2.anglican.org>

*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org for more resources, a link to our store in association with Amazon and other opportunities to support this ministry. This ministry can only continue with your support.
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Clare of Assisi, Founder of the Order of Minoresses (Poor Clares), 1253

Lord, open our lips,
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, O Lord,
from the rising of the sun to its going down,
your Name is praised,
for you have raised us from the dust and set before us
the vision of your glory.
As you bestowed upon us the dignity of a royal priesthood,
you lift up our hearts to celebrate your praise.
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 5

Give ear to my words, O Lord;*
 consider my meditation.
Hearken to my cry for help, my King and my God,*
 for I make my prayer to you.
In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice;*
 early in the morning I make my appeal
   and watch for you.
For you are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness*
 and evil cannot dwell with you.
Braggarts cannot stand in your sight;*
 you hate all those who work wickedness.
You destroy those who speak lies;*
 the bloodthirsty and deceitful, O Lord, you abhor.
But as for me, through the greatness of your mercy,
   I will go into your house;*
 I will bow down towards your holy temple in awe of you.
Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness,
   because of those who lie in wait for me;*
 make your way straight before me.
For there is no truth in their mouth;*
 there is destruction in their heart;
Their throat is an open grave;*
 they flatter with their tongue.
Declare them guilty, O God;*
 let them fall, because of their schemes.
Because of their many transgressions cast them out,*
 for they have rebelled against you.
But all who take refuge in you will be glad;*
 they will sing out their joy for ever.
You will shelter them,*
 so that those who love your name may exult in you.
For you, O Lord, will bless the righteous;*
 you will defend them with your favour as with a shield.

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 [1 Samuel 16:14-end]:

Now the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him. And Saul's servants said to him, 'See now, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. Let our lord now command the servants who attend you to look for someone who is skilful in playing the lyre; and when the evil spirit from God is upon you, he will play it, and you will feel better.' So Saul said to his servants, 'Provide for me someone who can play well, and bring him to me.' One of the young men answered, 'I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is skilful in playing, a man of valour, a warrior, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence; and the Lord is with him.' So Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, 'Send me your son David who is with the sheep.' Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and a kid, and sent them by his son David to Saul. And David came to Saul, and entered his service. Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armour-bearer. Saul sent to Jesse, saying, 'Let David remain in my service, for he has found favour in my sight.' And whenever the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand, and Saul would be relieved and feel better, and the evil spirit would depart from him.

HYMN 
Words: Scottish Psalter (1650)
Tune: Harington

How lovely is thy dwelling-place,
O Lord of hosts, to me!
The tabernacles of thy grace
How pleasant, Lord, they be!

My thirsty soul longs vehemently,
Yea faints, thy courts to see:
My very heart and flesh cry out,
O living God, for thee.

Behold, the sparrow findeth out
An house wherein to rest;
The swallow also for herself
Hath purchas?d a nest;

Even thine own altars, where she safe
Her young ones forth may bring,
O thou almighty Lord of hosts,
Who art my God and King.

Blest are they in thy house that dwell,
They ever give thee praise.
Blest is the man whose strength thou art,
In whose heart are thy ways.

SECOND READING [Luke 18:1-14]:

Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. He said, 'In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, ?Grant me justice against my opponent.? For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, ?Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.? ' And the Lord said, 'Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?' 

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: 'Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax-collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, ?God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax-collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.? But the tax-collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, ?God, be merciful to me, a sinner!? I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.' 

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

Prayer:
Ever-present Spirit of God,
as we abide with you and you with us,
we cry out for our brothers and sisters:
Healing Spirit,
hear our prayer.

For all who suffer want, loneliness or depression:
Healing Spirit,
hear our prayer.

For racial, cultural and national groups
who suffer prejudice, oppressive leaders
or economic exploitation.
Healing Spirit,
hear our prayer.

For the Church in those places where it suffers
blindness, controversy, disorientation,
persecution or change.
Healing Spirit,
hear our prayer.

For those we have to tried to love and serve today.
Healing Spirit,
hear our prayer.

O Lord, our King and our God,
whose own dear Son trod for us the path of suffering
and was delivered up into the hands of the wicked:
lead us in the way of righteousness
and make straight our path through all temptations,
O Lord, our shield and defence. Amen.
		
God of peace, 
who in the poverty of the blessed Clare 
gave us a clear light to shine 
in the darkness of this world: 
give us grace so to follow in her footsteps 
that we may, at the last, 
rejoice with her in 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

Calm our fears and strengthen our faith
that we may never doubt the presence of Jesus Christ our Lord,
but proclaim him as your Son, risen from the dead, living for ever and ever.
Amen.

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

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

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

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

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.

Clare Offreduccio, born in 1194, was the daughter of a wealthy family in Assisi
(43:04 N 12:37 E). When she was eighteen years old, she heard a sermon by
Francis of Assisi, and was moved by it to follow the example of the Franciscan
brothers and vow herself to a life of poverty. Her family was horrified, and
brought her back home by force; but one night, in a gesture both tactical and
symbolic, she slipped out of her house through "the door of the dead" (a small
side door that was traditionally opened only to carry out a corpse) and
returned to the house of the Franciscans. Francis cut off her hair, and placed
her in a nearby convent. Later a house was found for her, and she was
eventually joined by two of her sisters, her widowed mother, and several
members of the wealthy Ubaldini family of Florence. Clare's best friend,
Pacifica, could not resist, and joined them, too.
The sisters of her order came to be known informally as Minoresses
(Franciscan brothers are Friars Minor = "lesser brothers") or as Poor Clares.
When the order was formed, Francis suggested Clare for the Superior. But she
refused the position until she turned twenty-one. They devoted themselves to
prayer, nursing the sick, and works of mercy for the poor and neglected.
They adopted a rule of life of extreme austerity (more so than of any other
order of women up to that time) and of absolute poverty, both individually and
collectively. They had no beds. They slept on twigs with patched hemp for
blankets. Wind and rain seeped through cracks in the ceilings. They ate very
little, with no meat at all. Whatever they ate was food they begged for. Clare
made sure she fasted more than anyone else. Despite this way of life, or
perhaps because of it, the followers of Clare were the most beautiful young
girls from the best families of Assisi.
The community of Poor Clares continues to this day, both in the Roman and in
the Anglican communions.


From steve.benner at oremus.org  Wed Aug 12 17:00:00 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 2009 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:  13 August 2009
Message-ID: <20090812170000.D26E4313C1D@justus2.anglican.org>

*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org for more resources, a link to our store in association with Amazon and other opportunities to support this ministry. This ministry can only continue with your support.
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Thursday, August 13, 2009
Jeremy Taylor, Bishop of Down and Connor, Teacher of the Faith, 1667

Lord, open our lips,
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, O Lord,
from the rising of the sun to its going down,
your Name is praised,
for you have raised us from the dust and set before us
the vision of your glory.
As you bestowed upon us the dignity of a royal priesthood,
you lift up our hearts to celebrate your praise.
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 10

Why do you stand so far off, O Lord,*
 and hide yourself in time of trouble?
The wicked arrogantly persecute the poor,*
 but they are trapped in the schemes they have devised.
The wicked boast of their heart's desire;*
 the covetous curse and revile the Lord.
The wicked are so proud that they care not for God;*
 their only thought is, 'God does not matter.'
Their ways are devious at all times;
   your judgements are far above out of their sight;*
 they defy all their enemies.
They say in their heart, 'I shall not be shaken;*
 no harm shall happen to me ever.'
Their mouth is full of cursing, deceit and oppression;*
 under their tongue are mischief and wrong.
They lurk in ambush in public squares
   and in secret places they murder the innocent;*
 they spy out the helpless.
They lie in wait, like a lion in a covert;
   they lie in wait to seize upon the lowly;*
 they seize the lowly and drag them away in their net.
The innocent are broken and humbled before them;*
 the helpless fall before their power.
They say in their heart, 'God has forgotten;*
 he hides his face; he will never notice.'
Rise up, O Lord;
   lift up your hand, O God;*
 do not forget the afflicted.
Why should the wicked revile God?*
 why should they say in their heart, 'You do not care'?
Surely, you behold trouble and misery;*
 you see it and take it into your own hand.
The helpless commit themselves to you,*
 for you are the helper of orphans.
Break the power of the wicked and evil;*
 search out their wickedness until you find none.
The Lord is king for ever and ever;*
 the ungodly shall perish from his land.
The Lord will hear the desire of the humble;*
 you will strengthen their heart and your ears shall hear;
To give justice to the orphan and oppressed,*

 so that mere mortals may strike terror no more.

A Song of Baruch (Baruch 5.5,6c,79)

Arise, O Jerusalem, stand upon the height:  
look to the east and see your children, 
Gathered from the west and the east  
at the word of the Holy One. 
They rejoice that God has remembered them  
and has brought them back to you. 
For God has ordered that every high mountain  
and the everlasting hills be made low, 
And the valleys filled up to make level ground  
so that they may walk safely in the glory of God. 
The woods and every fragrant tree  
have shaded them at God(s command. 
For God will lead his people with joy 
in the light of his glory  
with the mercy and righteousness that comes from God. 

Psalm 148

Alleluia!
   Praise the Lord from the heavens;*
 praise him in the heights.
Praise him, all you angels of his;*
 praise him, all his host.
Praise him, sun and moon;*
 praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, heaven of heavens,*
 and you waters above the heavens.
Let them praise the name of the Lord;*
 for he commanded and they were created.
He made them stand fast for ever and ever;*
 he gave them a law which shall not pass away.
Praise the Lord from the earth,*
 you seamonsters and all deeps;
Fire and hail, snow and fog,*
 tempestuous wind, doing his will;
Mountains and all hills,*
 fruit trees and all cedars;
Wild beasts and all cattle,*
 creeping things and winged birds;
Kings of the earth and all peoples,*

 princes and all rulers of the world;
Young men and maidens,*
 old and young together.
Let them praise the name of the Lord,*
 for his name only is exalted,
   his splendour is over earth and heaven.
He has raised up strength for his people
   and praise for all his loyal servants,*
 the children of Israel, a people who are near him.
   Alleluia!

FIRST READING [1 Samuel 17:17-27]:

Jesse said to his son David, 'Take for your brothers an ephah of this parched grain and these ten loaves, and carry them quickly to the camp to your brothers; also take these ten cheeses to the commander of their thousand. See how your brothers fare, and bring some token from them.' 

Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines. David rose early in the morning, left someone in charge of the sheep, took the provisions, and went as Jesse had commanded him. He came to the encampment as the army was going forth to the battle line, shouting the war cry. Israel and the Philistines drew up for battle, army against army. David left the things in charge of the keeper of the baggage, ran to the ranks, and went and greeted his brothers. As he talked with them, the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, came up out of the ranks of the Philistines, and spoke the same words as before. And David heard him. 

All the Israelites, when they saw the man, fled from him and were very much afraid. The Israelites said, 'Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel. The king will greatly enrich the man who kills him, and will give him his daughter and make his family free in Israel.' David said to the men who stood by him, 'What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine, and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?' The people answered him in the same way, 'So shall it be done for the man who kills him.' 

HYMN 
Words: adapted from Jeremy Taylor, 1655
Music: Farley Castle  

http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/r/r056.html
Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus.             

Ride on triumphantly! Behold, we lay
our lusts and sins and proud will in thy way:
the road is ready, and thy paths made straight
with longing expectation seem to wait.

Hosanna! Welcome to our hearts! for here
thou hast a temple too, as Zion dear:
enter, O Lord, and cleanse that holy place
where thou dost choose to set thy beauteous face.

SECOND READING [Luke 18:31-end]:

Jesus took the twelve aside and said to them, 'See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he will be handed over to the Gentiles; and he will be mocked and insulted and spat upon. After they have flogged him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise again.' But they understood nothing about all these things; in fact, what he said was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said. 

As he approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard a crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, 'Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.' Then he shouted, 'Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!' Those who were in front sternly ordered him to be quiet; but he shouted even more loudly, 'Son of David, have mercy on me!' Jesus stood still and ordered the man to be brought to him; and when he came near, he asked him, 'What do you want me to do for you?' He said, 'Lord, let me see again.' Jesus said to him, 'Receive your sight; your faith has saved you.' Immediately he regained his sight and followed him, glorifying God; and all the people, when they saw it, praised God. 

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

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

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

We pray in hope of your mercy.

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

We commend Holy Church,
We pray in hope of your glory.

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

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

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

Let no riches make me ever forget myself, 
no poverty ever make me to forget thee: 
let no hope or fear, no pleasure or pain, 
no accident without, no weakness within, 
hinder or discompose my duty, or turn me 
from the ways of thy commandments. 
O, let thy Spirit dwell with me for ever, 
and make my soul just and charitable, 
full of honesty, full of religion, 
resolute and constant in holy purposes, 
but inflexible to evil. 
Make me humble and obedient, peaceable and pious; 
let me never envy any man's goods, 
nor deserve to be despised myself: 
and if I be, teach me to bear it with meekness and charity. Amen.

Holy and loving God,
you dwell in the human heart
and make us partakers of the divine nature
in Christ our great high priest:
help us who remember your servant Jeremy Taylor
to put our trust in your heavenly promises
and follow a holy life in virtue and true godliness;
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

Calm our fears and strengthen our faith
that we may never doubt the presence of Jesus Christ our Lord,
but proclaim him as your Son, risen from the dead, living for ever and ever.
Amen.

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

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

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

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

The first collect is by Jeremy Taylor.

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.

Jeremy Taylor was born at Cambridge in 1613 and ordained in 1633. In the
years between 1633 and the ascendency of the Puritans in 1645, he was a
Fellow of two Cambridge colleges, and chaplain to Archbishop Laud and to
King Charles. Under Puritan rule, he was imprisoned three times, and forced
into retirement as a family chaplain in Wales. After the Restoration, in 1661, he
became Bishop of Down and Connor in Ireland. Among his many books on
theological, moral, and devotional subjects, the best known are The Rule and
Exercises of Holy Living (1650) and The Rule and Exercises of Holy Dying
(1651), usually cited simply as Holy Living and Holy Dying. Many readers,
including Charles Wesley a century later, have reported finding these books of
great spiritual benefit. Another work of his, Liberty of Prophesying, argues for
freedom of conscience and freedom of speech in a religious context. Being
stationed in an area that was largely Roman Catholic, he was, perhaps
inevitably, drawn into controversy, and he wrote a book called Dissuasion (or
Dissuasive) Against Popery. [James Kiefer]


From steve.benner at oremus.org  Fri Aug 14 19:22:57 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 2009 19:22:57 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:  15 August 2009
Message-ID: <20090814192257.47AFD313C17@justus2.anglican.org>


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

OREMUS for Saturday, August 15, 2009
The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Our Lord

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

Blessed are you, God of all grace,
for Jesus Christ, our Light and our Life.
You have given your living Word to Mary, Birth-Giver,
that through the Holy Spirit,
she might bear the Word made flesh,
who brings light out of darkness,
and with your Spirit renews the face of the earth.
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 98

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

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 Hannah (1 Samuel 2.1-2,3b-5,7-8)

My soul exults in the Lord;
my strength is exalted in my God.

My mouth derides my enemies,
because I rejoice in your salvation.

There is no Holy One like you, O Lord,
nor any Rock like you, our God.

For you are a God of knowledge
and by you our actions are weighed.

The bows of the mighty are broken,
but the feeble gird on strength.

Those who were full now hire themselves out for bread,
but those who were hungry are well fed.

The barren woman has borne sevenfold,
but she who has many children is forlorn.

Both the poor and the rich are of your making;
you bring low and you also exalt.

You raise up the poor from the dust,
and lift the needy from the ash heap.

You make them sit with the rulers
and inherit a place of honour.

For the pillars of the earth are yours
and on them you have set the world.

Psalm 150

Alleluia!
   Praise God in his holy temple;*
 praise him in the firmament of his power.
Praise him for his mighty acts;*
 praise him for his excellent greatness.
Praise him with the blast of the ram'shorn;*
 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 loudclanging cymbals.
Let everything that has breath*
 praise the Lord.
   Alleluia!

FIRST READING [Isaiah 7:10-15]:

Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying, Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep
as Sheol or high as heaven. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord
to the test. Then Isaiah said: 'Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to
weary mortals, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you
a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him
Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil
and choose the good.

HYMN 
Words: Roland Ford Palmer, 1914
Tune: Pleading Savior

Sing of Mary, pure and lowly,
virgin mother undefiled;
sing of God's own Son most holy,
who became her little child.
Fairest child of fairest mother,
God the Lord who came to earth,
Word made flesh, our very brother,
takes our nature by his birth.

Sing of Jesus, son of Mary,
in the home at Nazareth,
toil and labor cannot weary
love enduring unto death.
Constant was the love he gave her,
though he went forth from her side,
forth to preach, and heal, and suffer
till on Calvary he died.

Sing of Mary, sing of Jesus,
holy Mother's holier Son.
>From his throne in heaven he sees us,
thither calls us every one,
where he welcomes home his Mother
to a place at his right hand,
there his faithful servants gather,
there the crown d victors stand.

Joyful Mother, full of gladness,
in thine arms thy Lord was borne.
Mournful Mother, full of sadness,
all thy heart with pain was torn.
Glorious Mother, now rewarded
with a crown at Jesus' hand,
age to age thy name recorded
shall be blessed in every land.

Glory be to God the Father;
glory be to God the Son;
glory be to God the Spirit;
glory to the Three in One.
>From the heart of blessed Mary,
from all saints the song ascends,
and the Church the strain reechoes
unto earth's remotest ends.

SECOND READING [Luke 11:27-28]:

While Jesus was saying this, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him,
'Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that nursed you!' But he said,
'Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it!'

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

Prayer:
Following the example of Mary's patient love,
we pray for grace to follow God's will.

We pray for the Church.
May it follow Mary's example of patience, humility and trust.
God of love,
hear our prayer.

We pray for women
who serve as bishops, priests, deacons and ministers in your Church.
Open our ears to their witness and teaching.
God of love,
hear our prayer.

We pray for the world.
Teach us to honor the wholeness of God's creation
in both male and female.
God of love,
hear our prayer.

We pray for mothers.
May the knowledge of your love
ease the burden of those who live with poverty or anxiety.
God of love,
hear our prayer.

We pray for women
suffering from cruelty and indifference.
Give us strength to give them comfort and relief.
God of love,
hear our prayer.

We pray for the departed,
joining our prayers with those of Mary.
In the hour of death, save us by the love of Christ.
God of love,
hear our prayer.

Redeeming God,
whose daughter Mary trusted angelic voices,
rejoiced with a song of praise,
and wept at the foot of the cross:
Give us such courage, faith and hope as hers,
that we, too, may praise you, trust you and receive you
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

Receiving the Holy Spirit,
bearing the child of God,
pondering the mystery of Christ,
witnessing and following in the Way,
so Mary witnessed to your saving grace.
May we, O God, be as faithful and strong. 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, the collect and the closing sentence are
adapted from prayers 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 intercession is by Stephen Benner and uses phrases from a prayer in
_Leading Intercessions_, (c) 2000, Canterbury Press.

The honor paid to Mary, the virgin mother of Jesus Christ our Lord and God,
goes back to the earliest days of the Church. Indeed, it goes back further, for
even before the birth of her Son, Mary prophesied, "From this time forth, all
generations shall call me blessed."
The New Testament records several incidents from the life of the Virgin: her
betrothal to Joseph, the Annunciation by the angel Gabriel that she was to bear
the Messiah, her Visitation to Elizabeth the mother of John the Baptist, the
Nativity of our Lord, the visits of the shepherds and the magi, the Presentation
of the infant Jesus in the Temple at the age of forty days, the flight into Egypt,
the Passover visit to the Temple when Jesus was twelve, [Matthew 1:16,18-25;
2; Luke 1:26-56; 2]; the wedding at Cana in Galilee and the performance of her
Son's first miracle at her intercession [John 2:1-11], the occasions when
observers said, "How can this man be special? We know his family!" [Matthew
13:54-56 = Mark 6:1-3 = Luke 4:22; also John 6:42], an occasion when she
came with others to see him while he was preaching [Matthew 12:46-50 =
Mark 3:31-35 = Luke 8:19-21], her presence at the foot of the Cross, where
Jesus commends her to the care of the Beloved Disciple [John 19:25-27], and
her presence with the apostles in the upper room after the Ascension, waiting
for the promised Spirit [Acts 1:14]. She is thus seen to be present at most of
the chief events of her Son's life.
Besides Jesus himself, only two humans are mentioned by name in the Creeds.
One is Pontius Pilate, Roman procurator of Judea from 26 to 36 AD. That
Jesus was crucified by order of Pontius Pilate pins down the date of his death
within a few years, and certifies that we are not talking, like the worshippers of
Tammuz or Adonis, about a personification or symbol of the annual death and
resurrection of the crops. His death is an event in history, something that really
happened. The other name is that of Mary. The Creeds say that Christ was
"born of the virgin Mary." That is to say, they assert on the one hand that he
was truly and fully human, born of a woman and not descended from the skies
like an angel. On the other hand, by telling us that his mother was a virgin they
exclude the theory that he was simply an ordinary man who was so virtuous
that he eventually, at his baptism, became filled with the Spirit of God. His
virgin birth attests to the fact that he was always more than merely human,
always one whose presence among us was in itself a miracle, from the first
moment of his earthly existence. In Mary, Virgin and Mother, God gives us a
sign that Jesus is both truly God and truly Man.
Little is known of the life of the Virgin Mary except insofar as it intersects with
the life of her Son, and there is an appropriateness in this. The Scriptures
record her words to the angel Gabriel, to her kinswoman Elizabeth, to her Son
on two occasions. But the only recorded saying of hers to what may be called
ordinary, run-of-the-mill hearers is her instruction to the servants at the
wedding feast, to whom she says simply, indicating her Son, "Whatever he says
to you, do it."
This we may take to be the summation of her message to the world. If we
listen to her, she will tell us, "Listen to Him. Listen to my Son. Do what He
tells you." When we see her, we see her pointing to her Son. If our regard for
the Blessed Virgin does not have the immediate effect of turning our attention
from her to the One whom she carried in her womb for nine months and
suckled at her breast, to the Incarnate God, the Word made flesh, then we may
be sure that it is not the kind of regard that she seeks. A right regard for her
will always direct us to Him Who found in her His first earthly dwelling-place.
[James Kiefer, abridged]


From steve.benner at oremus.org  Sat Aug 15 17:00:01 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Sat, 15 Aug 2009 17:00:01 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:  16 August 2009
Message-ID: <20090815170001.420FE313C23@justus2.anglican.org>

*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org for more resources, a link to our store in association with Amazon and other opportunities to support this ministry. This ministry can only continue with your support.
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Sunday, August 16, 2009
The Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost

Lord, open our lips,
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, everloving Father,
your care extends beyond
the boundaries of race and nation,
to the hearts of all who live.
Your Spirit fills us with a living faith,
that we may receive your gift of mercy
and come to sit at the table of your heavenly banquet.
For these and all your mercies, we praise you:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:
Blessed be God for ever!

An opening canticle may be sung. 
<!
http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html
>
Psalm 15

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

Psalm 46

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

A Song of David (1 Chronicles 29.10b13,14b)

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 lovingkindness towards us is great,*
 and the faithfulness of the Lord endures for ever.
   Alleluia!

FIRST READING [Ecclesiasticus 1:1-10]:

All wisdom is from the Lord,
???and with him it remains for ever. 
The sand of the sea, the drops of rain,
???and the days of eternity?who can count them? 
The height of heaven, the breadth of the earth,
???the abyss, and wisdom?who can search them out? 
Wisdom was created before all other things,
???and prudent understanding from eternity. 
The root of wisdom?to whom has it been revealed?
???Her subtleties?who knows them? 
There is but one who is wise, greatly to be feared,
???seated upon his throne?the Lord. 
It is he who created her;
???he saw her and took her measure;
???he poured her out upon all his works, 
upon all the living according to his gift;
???he lavished her upon those who love him.

HYMN 
Words: Irish, c 8th century tr Mary Byrne (1880-1931) versified, Eleanor Hull (1860-1935)
Tune: Slane

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart,
be all else but naught to me, save that thou art;
be thou my best thought in the day and the night,
both waking and sleeping, thy presence my light.

Be thou my wisdom, be thou my true word,
be thou ever with me, and I with thee Lord;
be thou my great Father, and I thy true son;
be thou in me dwelling, and I with thee one.

Be thou my breastplate, my sword for the fight;
be thou my whole armour, be thou my true might;
be thou my soul's shelter, be thou my strong tower:
O raise thou me heavenward, great Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise:
be thou mine inheritance now and always;
be thou and thou only the first in my heart;
O Sovereign of heaven, my treasure thou art.

High King of heaven, thou heaven's bright sun,
O grant me its joys after vict'ry is won;
great Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
still be thou my vision, O Ruler of all.

SECOND READING [John 8:25-36]:

They said to him, 'Who are you?' Jesus said to them, 'Why do I speak to you at all? I have much to say about you and much to condemn; but the one who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.' They did not understand that he was speaking to them about the Father. So Jesus said, 'When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own, but I speak these things as the Father instructed me. And the one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what is pleasing to him.' As he was saying these things, many believed in him. 

Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, 'If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.' They answered him, 'We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, ?You will be made free??' 

Jesus answered them, 'Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there for ever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.' 

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

Prayer:
Let us pray for all who are on holiday at this time: that they will find relaxation, enjoy time away from the daily grind, and return refreshed.

Let us pray for the people of Mallorca, and all who holiday there: that the terrorist bombing and subsequent disruption will cease, and people will be free to enjoy their time away without worry.

Let us pray for all those are worried about their financial situation, and for whom no holiday is possible this year: that they will find some way of recharging their batteries and spending time relaxing with those they love.

Let us pray for the people of Taiwan, after the horrendous mudslide there last week; that those who have died will suffer no longer and be welcomed into the loving embrace of Jesus.

Heavenly Father, your Son Jesus Christ is the bread of life; we ask you to hear the prayers that we offer, through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

God of love,
teach us to walk blamelessly in your ways,
that our whole life may be established in you,
and that we may come to the place prepared for us
by your Son, Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen.
		
Almighty God, 
you have given your only Son 
to be for us a sacrifice for sin, 
and also an example of godly life:  
Give us grace to receive thankfully 
the fruits of this redeeming work, 
and to follow daily in the blessed steps of his most holy life; 
through 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

Grant us so fully to manifest Christ in our lives
that people of all races and creeds 
may be drawn to him who is their whole salvation, 
our Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.

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

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

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

The opening prayer is by Stephen Benner. The closing prayer is a sentence from
_Uniting in Worship_, The Uniting Church in Australia.


From steve.benner at oremus.org  Sun Aug 16 21:23:49 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Sun, 16 Aug 2009 21:23:49 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:  17 August 2009
Message-ID: <20090816212349.09A1B313C40@justus2.anglican.org>

*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org for more resources, a link to our store in association with Amazon and other opportunities to support this ministry. This ministry can only continue with your support.
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Monday, August 17, 2009

Lord, open our lips,
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, everloving Father,
your care extends beyond
the boundaries of race and nation,
to the hearts of all who live.
Your Spirit fills us with a living faith,
that we may receive your gift of mercy
and come to sit at the table of your heavenly banquet.
For these and all your mercies, we praise you:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:
Blessed be God for ever!

An opening canticle may be sung. 
<!
http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html
>
Psalm 37:1-24

Do not fret yourself because of evildoers;*
 do not be jealous of those who do wrong.
For they shall soon wither like the grass,*
 and like the green grass fade away.
Put your trust in the Lord and do good;*
 dwell in the land and feed on its riches.
Take delight in the Lord,*
 and he shall give you your heart's desire.
Commit your way to the Lord
   and put your trust in him,*
 and he will bring it to pass.
He will make your righteousness as clear as the light*
 and your just dealing as the noonday.
Be still before the Lord*
 and wait patiently for him.
Do not fret yourself over the one who prospers,*
 the one who succeeds in evil schemes.
Refrain from anger, leave rage alone;*
 do not fret yourself; it leads only to evil.
For evildoers shall be cut off,*
 but those who wait upon the Lord
   shall possess the land.
In a little while the wicked shall be no more;*
 you shall search out their place,
   but they will not be there.
But the lowly shall possess the land;*
 they will delight in abundance of peace.
The wicked plot against the righteous*
 and gnash at them with their teeth.
The Lord laughs at the wicked,*
 because he sees that their day will come.
The wicked draw their sword and bend their bow
   to strike down the poor and needy,*
 to slaughter those who are upright in their ways.
Their sword shall go through their own heart,*
 and their bow shall be broken.
The little that the righteous have*
 is better than great riches of the wicked.
For the power of the wicked shall be broken,*
 but the Lord upholds the righteous.
The Lord cares for the lives of the godly,*
 and their inheritance shall last for ever.
They shall not be ashamed in bad times,*
 and in days of famine they shall have enough.
As for the wicked, they shall perish,*
 and the enemies of the Lord,
   like the glory of the meadows, shall vanish;
   they shall vanish like smoke.
The wicked borrow and do not repay,*
 but the righteous are generous in giving.
Those who are blessed by God shall possess the land,*
 but those who are cursed by him shall be destroyed.
Our steps are directed by the Lord;*
 he strengthens those in whose way he delights.

A Song of the Blessed (Matthew 5.310)

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 [Micah 4:1-8]:

In days to come
???the mountain of the Lord?s house
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
???and shall be raised up above the?hills.
Peoples shall stream to it, 
???and many nations shall come and?say:
?Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
???to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
???and that we may walk in his?paths.?
For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
???and the word of the Lord from?Jerusalem. 
He shall judge between many peoples,
???and shall arbitrate between strong nations far away;
they shall beat their swords into ploughshares,
???and their spears into pruning-hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
???neither shall they learn war any?more; 
but they shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees,
???and no one shall make them?afraid;
???for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken. 

For all the peoples walk,
???each in the name of its god,
but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God
???for ever and ever. 

On that day, says the Lord,
???I will assemble the lame
and gather those who have been driven away,
???and those whom I have afflicted. 
The lame I will make the remnant,
???and those who were cast off, a strong nation;
and the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion
???now and for evermore. 

And you, O?tower of the flock,
???hill of daughter Zion,
to you it shall come,
???the former dominion shall come,
???the sovereignty of daughter Jerusalem. 

HYMN 
Words: Scottish Translations and Paraphrases (1745), Michael Bruce (1746-1767)
Tune: Manchester

Behold, the mountain of the Lord
in latter days shall rise,
on mountain-tops, above the hills,
and draw the wondering eyes.

To this the joyful nations round,
all tribes and tongues, shall flow;
up to the hill of God, they'll say,
and to his house, we'll go.

The beam that shines from Zion's hill
shall lighten every land;
the King who reigns in Salem's towers
shall all the world command.

Among the nations he shall judge;
his judgements truth shall guide;
his sceptre shall protect the just,
and quell the sinner's pride.

No strife shall vex Messiah's reign
or mar the peaceful years;
to ploughshares men shall beat their swords,
to pruning-hooks their spears.

No longer hosts, encountering hosts,
shall crowds of slain deplore;
they hang the trumpet in the hall,
and study war no more.

Come then, O come, from every land
to worship at his shrine;
and, walking in the light of God,
with holy beauties shine.

SECOND READING [Luke 19:29-40]:

When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, saying, 'Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ?Why are you untying it?? just say this: ?The Lord needs it.? ' So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, 'Why are you untying the colt?' They said, 'The Lord needs it.' Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 
As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, saying,
'Blessed is the king
???who comes in the name of the?Lord! 
Peace in heaven, 
???and glory in the highest heaven!' 

Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, 'Teacher, order your disciples to stop.' He answered, 'I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.'

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

Prayer:
All-seeing, all-loving God,
you behold the human family as one.
You regard each of us as loved, redeemed, a temple of your Spirit.
Beholding you, we respond in thanks and praise as one Church.

Renew the Church in a dynamic sense of your grace.
Renew us, O Lord.

Work in us a continuing conversion:
Renew us, O Lord.

Give all your disciples eyes to see you in the ordinary:
Renew us, O Lord.

Lift the heavy hands of oppression
from the poor, the abused and the exploited:
Renew us, O Lord.

Kindle in the suffering and desperate
the warmth of your nearness and consolation:
Renew us, O Lord.

Stir up in us attention to the Spirit breathing within us:
Renew us, O Lord.

God our strength,
give us the humility to trust in your loving care,
and the patience to be faithful in seeking your kingdom,
that we may come to share in the inheritance of your saints;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
		
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.

- The Lord's Prayer

Grant us so fully to manifest Christ in our lives
that people of all races and creeds 
may be drawn to him who is their whole salvation, 
our Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.

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

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

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

The opening prayer is by Stephen Benner. The closing prayer is a sentence from
_Uniting in Worship_, The Uniting Church in Australia.


From steve.benner at oremus.org  Mon Aug 17 17:00:00 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 2009 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:  18 August 2009
Message-ID: <20090817170000.7C899313C42@justus2.anglican.org>

*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org for more resources, a link to our store in association with Amazon and other opportunities to support this ministry. This ministry can only continue with your support.
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Tuesday, August 18, 2009
William Porcher DuBose, Priest, 1918

Lord, open our lips,
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, everloving Father,
your care extends beyond
the boundaries of race and nation,
to the hearts of all who live.
Your Spirit fills us with a living faith,
that we may receive your gift of mercy
and come to sit at the table of your heavenly banquet.
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 Peace (Isaiah 2.35)

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

Psalm 147:1-12

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

FIRST READING [Micah 4:9-5:1]:

Now why do you cry aloud?
???Is there no king in you?
Has your counsellor perished,
???that pangs have seized you like a woman in labour? 
Writhe and groan, O?daughter Zion,
???like a woman in labour;
for now you shall go forth from the?city
???and camp in the open country;
???you shall go to Babylon.
There you shall be rescued,
???there the Lord will redeem you
???from the hands of your enemies. 

Now many nations
???are assembled against you,
saying, ?Let her be profaned,
???and let our eyes gaze upon Zion.? 
But they do not know
???the thoughts of the Lord;
they do not understand his plan,
???that he has gathered them as sheaves to the threshing-floor. 
Arise and thresh,
???O?daughter Zion,
for I will make your horn iron
???and your hoofs bronze;
you shall beat in pieces many peoples,
???and shall devote their gain to the Lord,
???their wealth to the Lord of the whole earth. 
Now you are walled around with a?wall;
???siege is laid against us;
with a rod they strike the ruler of?Israel
???upon the cheek. 

HYMN 
Words: Luise Hensel (1798-1876) tr Catherine Winkworth (1827-1878)
Meter: 87 87

Ever find I joy in reading,
In the ancient holy book,
Of the gentle Teacher's pleading,
Truth in every word and look.

How, when children came, he blessed them,
Suffered no man to reprove:
Took them in his arms, and pressed them
To his heart with words of love.

How no contrite soul e'er sought him
And was bidden to depart;
How with gentle words he taught him,
Soothed and healed the broken heart.

Still I read the ancient story,
And my joy is ever new.
Lord, that I may share his glory,
Make me tender, loving, true!

SECOND READING [Luke 19:47-20:8]:

Every day he was teaching in the temple. The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people kept looking for a way to kill him; but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were spellbound by what they heard. 

One day, as he was teaching the people in the temple and telling the good news, the chief priests and the scribes came with the elders and said to him, 'Tell us, by what authority are you doing these things? Who is it who gave you this authority?' He answered them, 'I will also ask you a question, and you tell me: Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?' They discussed it with one another, saying, 'If we say, "From heaven", he will say, "Why did you not believe him?" But if we say, "Of human origin", all the people will stone us; for they are convinced that John was a prophet.' So they answered that they did not know where it came from. Then Jesus said to them, 'Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.' 

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.

Faithful Defender,
do not let our hearts be troubled,
but fill us with such confidence and joy
that we may sleep in peace and rise in your light;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

Almighty God, 
you gave to your servant William Porcher DuBose 
special gifts of grace to understand the Scriptures 
and to teach the truth as it is in Christ Jesus: 
Grant that by this teaching we may know you, 
the one true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent; 
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, 
one God, 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

Grant us so fully to manifest Christ in our lives
that people of all races and creeds 
may be drawn to him who is their whole salvation, 
our Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.

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

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

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

The opening prayer is by Stephen Benner. The closing prayer is a sentence from
_Uniting in Worship_, The Uniting Church in Australia.

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

William Porcher DuBose is a serious candidate for the title of "greatest
theologian that the Episcopal Church in the USA has produced." He was born
in South Carolina in 1836, and attended the Military College of South Carolina
(now the Citadel) in Charleston (32:48 N 79:58 W), and the University of
Virginia in Charlottesville (38:02 N 78:29 W). He served as a chaplain in the
Confederate Army, and after the War of 1861-1865 served as a parish priest.
In 1871 he became a professor at the University of the South (an Episcopal
institution) in Sewanee, Tennessee, became Dean of the School of Theology in
1894, retired in 1908, and died in 1918.
He was fluent in Greek, and well-read both in Greek philosophy and in the
early Christian fathers. Among his numerous books, the best known are The
Soteriology of The New Testament, The Gospel in The Gospels, and The
Reason of Life. (Soter is the Greek word for "Savior", and soteriology is the
branch of theology that deals with such questions as, "What does it mean to
say that Christ saves us?" "How does his death and resurrection do us any
good?" "How are the benefits of Christ's work applied to the individual?" and
so on.) A quote from one of his articles follows:
"God has placed forever before our eyes, not the image but the very Person of
the Spiritual Man. We have not to ascend into Heaven to bring Him down, nor
to descend into the abyss to bring Him up, for He is with us, and near us, and
in us. We have only to confess with our mouths that He is Lord, and believe in
our hearts that God has raised Him from the dead--and raised us in Him-- and
we shall live." [James Kiefer]


From steve.benner at oremus.org  Fri Aug 21 20:19:52 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 2009 20:19:52 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:  22 August 2009
Message-ID: <20090821201952.1768D313C22@justus2.anglican.org>

*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org for more resources, a link to our store in association with Amazon and other opportunities to support this ministry. This ministry can only continue with your support.
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Saturday, August 22, 2009

Lord, open our lips,
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, everloving Father,
your care extends beyond
the boundaries of race and nation,
to the hearts of all who live.
Your Spirit fills us with a living faith,
that we may receive your gift of mercy
and come to sit at the table of your heavenly banquet.
For these and all your mercies, we praise you:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:
Blessed be God for ever!

An opening canticle may be sung. 
<!
http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html
>
Psalm 65

You are to be praised, O God, in Zion;*
 to you shall vows be performed in Jerusalem.
To you that hear prayer shall all flesh come,*
 because of their transgressions.
Our sins are stronger than we are,*
 but you will blot them out.
Happy are they whom you choose
   and draw to your courts to dwell there!*
 they will be satisfied by the beauty of your house,
   by the holiness of your temple.
Awesome things will you show us in your righteousness,
   O God of our salvation,*
 O Hope of all the ends of the earth
   and of the seas that are far away.
You make fast the mountains by your power;*
 they are girded about with might.
You still the roaring of the seas,*
 the roaring of their waves,
   and the clamour of the peoples.
Those who dwell at the ends of the earth
   will tremble at your marvellous signs;*
 you make the dawn and the dusk to sing for joy.
You visit the earth and water it abundantly;
   you make it very plenteous;*
 the river of God is full of water.
You prepare the grain,*
 for so you provide for the earth.
You drench the furrows and smooth out the ridges;*
 with heavy rain you soften the ground
   and bless its increase.
You crown the year with your goodness,*
 and your paths overflow with plenty.
May the fields of the wilderness be rich for grazing,*
 and the hills be clothed with joy.
May the meadows cover themselves with flocks
   and the valleys cloak themselves with grain;*
 let them shout for joy and sing.

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

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

Psalm 150

Alleluia!
   Praise God in his holy temple;*
 praise him in the firmament of his power.
Praise him for his mighty acts;*
 praise him for his excellent greatness.
Praise him with the blast of the ram'shorn;*
 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 loudclanging cymbals.
Let everything that has breath*
 praise the Lord.
   Alleluia!

FIRST READING [Micah 7:14-end]:

Shepherd your people with your?staff,
???the flock that belongs to you,
which lives alone in a forest
???in the midst of a garden land;
let them feed in Bashan and Gilead
???as in the days of old. 
As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt,
???show us marvellous things. 
The nations shall see and be ashamed
???of all their might;
they shall lay their hands on their?mouths;
???their ears shall be deaf; 
they shall lick dust like a snake,
???like the crawling things of the?earth;
they shall come trembling out of their fortresses;
???they shall turn in dread to the Lord our God,
???and they shall stand in fear of?you. 

Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity
???and passing over the transgression
???of the remnant of your possession?
He does not retain his anger for ever,
???because he delights in showing clemency. 
He will again have compassion upon us;
???he will tread our iniquities under?foot.
You will cast all our sins
???into the depths of the sea. 
You will show faithfulness to Jacob
???and unswerving loyalty to Abraham,
as you have sworn to our ancestors
???from the days of old. 

HYMN 
Words: Charles Wesley (1707-1788)
Tune: University

Thy ceaseless, unexhausted love,
Unmerited and free,
Delights our evil to remove,
And help our misery.

Thou waitest to be gracious still;
Thou dost with sinners bear,
That, saved, we may thy goodness feel,
And all thy grace declare.

Thy goodness and thy truth to me,
To every soul, abound,
A vast, unfathomable sea,
Where all our thoughts are drowned.

Its streams the whole creation reach,
So plenteous is the store,
Enough for all, enough for each,
Enough for evermore.

Faithful, O Lord, thy mercies are,
A rock that cannot move;
A thousand promises declare
Thy constancy of love.

Throughout the universe it reigns,
Unalterably sure;
And while the truth of God remains
The goodness must endure.

SECOND READING [Luke 21:5-19]:

When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, Jesus said, 'As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.' 

They asked him, 'Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?' And he said, 'Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and say, "I am he!" and, "The time is near!" Do not go after them. 

'When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.' Then he said to them, 'Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven. 

'But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. This will give you an opportunity to testify. So make up your minds not to prepare your defence in advance; for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your souls.'

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.

Lord God,
joy marks your presence:
beauty, abundance and peace
are the tokens of your work in all creation.
Work also in our lives,
that by these signs we may see the splendor of your love
and praise you through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
		
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.

- The Lord's Prayer

Grant us so fully to manifest Christ in our lives
that people of all races and creeds 
may be drawn to him who is their whole salvation, 
our Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.

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

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

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

The opening prayer is by Stephen Benner. The closing prayer is a sentence from
_Uniting in Worship_, The Uniting Church in Australia.


From steve.benner at oremus.org  Sat Aug 22 20:20:17 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Sat, 22 Aug 2009 20:20:17 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:  23 August 2009
Message-ID: <20090822202017.9F576313C21@justus2.anglican.org>

*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org for more resources, a link to our store in association with Amazon and other opportunities to support this ministry. This ministry can only continue with your support.
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Sunday, August 23, 2009
The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost

Lord, open our lips,
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, O God,
like fireworks in the night
the Holy Spirit came
to lift our spirits, to inspire fresh daring,
that our lives might be spent in honor
of our Savior, God's only Son.
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 124

If the Lord had not been on our side,*
 let Israel now say;
If the Lord had not been on our side,*
 when enemies rose up against us;
Then would they have swallowed us up alive*
 in their fierce anger towards us;
Then would the waters have overwhelmed us*
 and the torrent gone over us;
Then would the raging waters*
 have gone right over us.
Blessed be the Lord!*
 he has not given us over to be a prey for their teeth.
We have escaped like a bird
   from the snare of the fowler;*
 the snare is broken and we have escaped.
Our help is in the name of the Lord,*
 the maker of heaven and earth.

Psalm 125

Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,*
 which cannot be moved, but stands fast for ever.
The hills stand about Jerusalem;*
 so does the Lord stand round about his people,
   from this time forth for evermore.
The sceptre of the wicked shall not hold sway
   over the land allotted to the just,*
 so that the just shall not put their hands to evil.
Show your goodness, O Lord, to those who are good*
 and to those who are true of heart.
As for those who turn aside to crooked ways,
   the Lord will lead them away with the evildoers;*
 but peace be upon Israel.

A Song of Divine Love (1 Corinthians 13.413)

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

Psalm 117

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

FIRST READING [Ecclesiasticus 35:10-19]:

Be generous when you worship the Lord,
???and do not stint the first fruits of your hands. 
With every gift show a cheerful face,
???and dedicate your tithe with gladness. 
Give to the Most High as he has given to you,
???and as generously as you can afford. 
For the Lord is the one who repays,
???and he will repay you sevenfold. 

Do not offer him a bribe, for he will not accept it; 
???and do not rely on a dishonest sacrifice;
for the Lord is the judge,
???and with him there is no partiality. 
He will not show partiality to the poor;
???but he will listen to the prayer of one who is wronged. 
He will not ignore the supplication of the orphan,
???or the widow when she pours out her complaint. 
Do not the tears of the widow run down her cheek 
???as she cries out against the one who causes them to fall? 

HYMN 
Words: Henry Montagu Butler (1833-1918)
Tune: Woodlands

'Lift up your hearts!' We lift them, Lord, to thee;
here at thy feet none other may we see:
'Lift up your hearts!' E'en so, with one accord,
we lift them up, we lift them to the Lord.

Above the level of the former years,
the mire of sin, the slough of guilty fears,
the mist of doubt, the blight of love's decay,
O Lord of light, lift all our hearts to-day.

Above the swamps of subterfuge and shame,
the deeds, the thoughts, that honour may not name,
the halting tongue that dares not tell the whole,
O Lord of truth, lift every Christian soul.

Lift every gift that thou thyself hast given:
low lies the best till lifted up to heaven;
low lie the bounding heart, the teeming brain,
till, sent from God, they mount to God again.

Then, as the trumpet-call in after years,
'lift up your hearts!' rings pealing in our ears,
still shall those hearts respond with full accord,
'We lift them up, we lift them to the Lord.'

SECOND READING [Romans 8:26-end]:

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 

We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified. 

What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? Who will bring any charge against God?s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, 'For your sake we are being killed all day long;?we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.' 

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

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

Prayer:
For the people of St George?s Church in Baghdad, and for the vicar, Canon Andrew White: that they will find strength from the Lord to witness to Christ in the midst of oppression.

For all who have been injured in the recent attacks in Iraq: that they will be healed and restored.

For all students, especially those starting school in the coming days: that they may grow in wisdom and knowledge.

For all the relatives of those killed in the Lockerbie bombing: that the Lord will 
continue to lavish them with compassion at this difficult time.

For those killed in the Drone strikes in Pakistan, and for those who grieve their loss: that the Lord will welcome the departed into his eternal embrace, and comfort those who are bereaved.

Blessed are you, Creator of the universe:
In your loving kindness you watch over your chosen people.
Make us witnesses to your truth
and instruments of your peace
that all may know you as the God of justice,
and praise your holy Name;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
		
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.

- The Lord's Prayer

May the word of God dwell richly in our heart from hour to hour, 
so that all may see the triumph through Jesus' power and 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 by Stephen Benner. The closing prayer is a sentence from
_Uniting in Worship_, The Uniting Church in Australia.


From steve.benner at oremus.org  Sun Aug 23 19:32:43 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Sun, 23 Aug 2009 19:32:43 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:  24 August 2009
Message-ID: <20090823193243.62CEE313C15@justus2.anglican.org>


*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org
There you will find links to each day's Oremus, an archive for the past year,
and the lectionary and calendar we follow. You can access our online
hymnal, collection of liturgical texts and a NRSV Bible Browser at our site.
We also provide links to other forms of Anglican daily prayer
and a site to leave and view prayer requests. An opportunity to support our work
is also now available.
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Monday, August 24, 2009
Saint Bartholomew the Apostle

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

Blessed are you, God of mystery,
for your servant Bartholomew, 
the apostle whom we know only by name:
even though death and time will take away
the memory of our work and life,
our faith will remain always in your sight, O Lord.
For this 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 86

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

A Song of 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.

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 [Ecclesiasticus 38:34b-39:10]:

How different the one who devotes himself
   to the study of the law of the Most High!
He seeks out the wisdom of all the ancients,
   and is concerned with prophecies;
he preserves the sayings of the famous
   and penetrates the subtleties of parables;
he seeks out the hidden meanings of proverbs
   and is at home with the obscurities of parables.
He serves among the great
   and appears before rulers;
he travels in foreign lands
   and learns what is good and evil in the human lot.
He sets his heart on rising early
   to seek the Lord who made him,
   and to petition the Most High;
he opens his mouth in prayer
   and asks pardon for his sins.

If the great Lord is willing,
   he will be filled with the spirit of
understanding;
he will pour forth words of wisdom of his own
   and give thanks to the Lord in prayer.
The Lord will direct his counsel and knowledge,
   as he meditates on his mysteries.
He will show the wisdom of what he has learned,
   and will glory in the law of the Lord's covenant.
Many will praise his understanding;
   it will never be blotted out.
His memory will not disappear,
   and his name will live through all generations.
Nations will speak of his wisdom,
   and the congregation will proclaim his praise.

HYMN 
Words: Latin; trans. Richard Mant, 1837, as modified in Hymns Anicent & Modern 
Tune: Rex gloriose martyrum
<a
href="http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/l/l028.html">http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/l/l028.html
Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus.

Let all on earth their voices raise,
re-echoing heaven's triumphant praise,
to him who gave the apostles grace
to run on earth their glorious race.

Thou art whose word they bore the light
of Gospel truth o'er heathen night,
to us that heavenly light impart,
to glad our eyes and cheer our heart.

Thou art whose will to them was given
to bind and loose in earth and heaven,
our chains unbind, our sins undo,
and in our hearts thy grace renew.

Thou in whose might they spake the word
which cured disease and health restored,
to us its healing power prolong,
support the weak, confirm the strong.

And when the thrones are set on high,
and judgment's awful hour draws nigh,
then, Lord, with them pronounce us blessed,
and take us to thine endless rest.

SECOND READING [Matthew 10:1-14]:

Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them
out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles:
first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother
John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax-collector; James son of Alphaeus,
and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him. 
These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: 'Go nowhere among the Gentiles,
and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you
go, proclaim the good news, "The kingdom of heaven has come near." Cure the sick, raise the
dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment.
Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or
sandals, or a staff; for labourers deserve their food. Whatever town or village you enter, find out
who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave. As you enter the house, greet it. If the house is
worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. If
anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you
leave that house or town.'

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

Prayer:
Let us pray to God, 
whose word was entrusted to the Apostles
and has spread to all the world.

Empower your Church
to proclaim the saving message of Jesus Christ.
Lord of mercy,
spread your word.

Give us courage and strength
to spread the Gospel in places
where it has not been preached.
Lord of mercy,
spread your word.

Bless us in our personal lives
that we may live fully according to Jesus' example.
Lord of mercy,
spread your word.

Open our eyes to your Word in the Holy Scriptures
that we find new paths of understanding.
Lord of mercy,
spread your word.

Remember, in your mercy, those who have gone before
marked with the sign of faith and led by the Gospel.
Lord of mercy,
spread your word.

Almighty and everlasting God, 
who gave to your apostle Bartholomew grace 
truly to believe and to preach your word:
grant that your Church
may love that word which he believed 
and may faithfully preach and receive the same;
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

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all. Amen.

*******************************************************
The psalms and the invitation to the Lord's Prayer are from _Celebrating
Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis
1992, which is used with permission.

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

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

The opening prayer of thanksgiving is by Stephen Benner and is inspired
by a hymn by Jan Struther, 1931.

The intercession is by Stephen Benner and is inspired and uses a few phrases
from a prayer by Raymond Chapman in _Leading Intercessions_,
(c) 2000, Canterbury Press.

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 uses phrases from a collect in _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 name "Bartholomew" appears in the New Testament only on lists of the
names of the twelve apostles. This list normally is given as six pairs, and the
third pair in each of the Synoptics is "Philip and Bartholomew".
John gives no list of the Twelve, but refers to more of them individually than
the writers of the synoptic Gospels. He does not name Bartholomew, but early
in his account he tells of the call to discipleship of a Nathaniel who is often
supposed to be the same person. The reasoning is as follows: John's Nathanael
is introduced as one of the earliest followers of Jesus, and in terms which
suggest that he became one of the Twelve. He is clearly not the same as Peter,
Andrew, James, John, Philip, Thomas, Judas Iscariot, Judas (not Iscariot, also
called Lebbaeus or Thaddeus), all of whom John names separately. He is not
Matthew, whose call is described differently. This leaves Bartholomew, James
the son of Alpheus, and Simon Zelotes. Of these, Bartholomew is the leading
candidate for two reasons:
(1) "Bar-tholomew" is a patronymic, meaning "son of Tolmai (or Talmai)." It
is therefore likely that he had another name."Nathanael son of Tolmai" seems
more likely than "Nathanael also called James (or Simon)."
(2) Nathanael is introduced in John's narrative as a friend of Philip. Since
Bartholomew is paired with Philip on three of our four lists of Apostles, it
seems likely that they were associated.
We have no certain information about Bartholomew's later life. Some writers,
including the historian Eusebius of Caesarea, say that he preached in India. The
majority tradition, with varying details, is that Bartholomew preached in
Armenia, and was finally skinned alive and beheaded to Albanus or Albanopolis
on the Caspian Sea. His emblem in art is a flaying knife. The flayed
Bartholomew can be seen in Michelangelo's Sistine painting of the Last
Judgement. He is holding his skin. The face on the skin is generally considered
to be a self-portrait of Michelangelo.

From steve.benner at oremus.org  Mon Aug 24 17:00:00 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Mon, 24 Aug 2009 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:  25 August 2009
Message-ID: <20090824170000.DC0A6313C27@justus2.anglican.org>

*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org for more resources, a link to our store in association with Amazon and other opportunities to support this ministry. This ministry can only continue with your support.
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Lord, open our lips,
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, O God,
like fireworks in the night
the Holy Spirit came
to lift our spirits, to inspire fresh daring,
that our lives might be spent in honor
of our Savior, God's only Son.
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 73

Truly, God is good to Israel,*
 to those who are pure in heart.
But as for me, my feet had nearly slipped;*
 I had almost tripped and fallen;
Because I envied the proud*
 and saw the prosperity of the wicked:
For they suffer no pain,*
 and their bodies are sleek and sound;
In the misfortunes of others they have no share;*
 they are not afflicted as others are;
Therefore they wear their pride like a necklace*
 and wrap their violence about them like a cloak.
Their iniquity comes from gross minds,*
 and their hearts overflow with wicked thoughts.
They scoff and speak maliciously;*
 out of their haughtiness they plan oppression.
They set their mouths against the heavens,*
 and their evil speech runs through the world.
And so the people turn to them*
 and find in them no fault.
They say, 'How should God know?*
 is there knowledge in the Most High?'
So then, these are the wicked;*
 always at ease, they increase their wealth.
In vain have I kept my heart clean,*
 and washed my hands in innocence.
I have been afflicted all day long,*
 and punished every morning.
Had I gone on speaking this way,*
 I should have betrayed the generation of your children.
When I tried to understand these things,*
 it was too hard for me;
Until I entered the sanctuary of God*
 and discerned the end of the wicked.
Surely, you set them in slippery places;*
 you cast them down in ruin.
O how suddenly do they come to destruction,*
 come to an end and perish from terror!
Like a dream when one awakens, O Lord,*
 when you arise you will make their image vanish.
When my mind became embittered,*
 I was sorely wounded in my heart.

I was stupid and had no understanding;*
 I was like a brute beast in your presence.
Yet I am always with you;*
 you hold me by my right hand.
You will guide me by your counsel,*
 and afterwards receive me with glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you?*
 and having you I desire nothing upon earth.
Though my flesh and my heart should waste away,*
 God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever.
Truly, those who forsake you will perish;*
 you destroy all who are unfaithful.
But it is good for me to be near God;*
 I have made the Lord God my refuge.
I will speak of all your works*
 in the gates of the city of Zion.

A Song of God(s Assembled (Hebrews 12.2224a,28,29)

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

Psalm 147:1-12

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

FIRST READING [Nahum 2]:

A shatterer* has come up against?you.
???Guard the ramparts;
???watch the road;
gird your loins;
???collect all your strength. 

2(For the Lord is restoring the majesty of Jacob,
???as well as the majesty of Israel,
though ravagers have ravaged them
???and ruined their branches.) 

3The shields of his warriors are red;
???his soldiers are clothed in crimson.
The metal on the chariots flashes
???on the day when he musters them;
???the chargers* prance. 
4The chariots race madly through the streets,
???they rush to and fro through the?squares;
their appearance is like torches,
???they dart like lightning. 
5He calls his officers;
???they stumble as they come forward;
they hasten to the wall,
???and the mantelet* is set up. 
6The river gates are opened,
???the palace trembles. 
7It is decreed* that the city* be?exiled,
???its slave women led away,
moaning like doves
???and beating their breasts. 
8Nineveh is like a pool
???whose waters* run away.
?Halt! Halt!??
???but no one turns back. 
9?Plunder the silver,
???plunder the gold!
There is no end of treasure!
???An abundance of every precious thing!? 

10Devastation, desolation, and destruction!
???Hearts faint and knees tremble,
all loins quake,
???all faces grow pale! 
11What became of the lions? den,
???the cave* of the young lions,
where the lion goes,
???and the lion?s cubs, with no one to disturb them? 
12The lion has torn enough for his?whelps
???and strangled prey for his lionesses;
he has filled his caves with prey
???and his dens with torn flesh. 
13See, I am against you, says the Lord of hosts, and I will burn your* chariots in smoke, and the sword shall devour your young lions; I will cut off your prey from the earth, and the voice of your messengers shall be heard no more. 

HYMN 
Words: William Cowper (1731-1800)
Tune: London New, Irish, Dundee

God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants his footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never-failing skill
He treasures up his bright designs,
And works his sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take,
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy, and shall break
In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust him for his grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err,
And scan his work in vain;
God is his own interpreter,
And he will make it plain.

SECOND READING [Luke 22:1-13]:

Now the festival of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was near. The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to put Jesus to death, for they were afraid of the people. 

Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was one of the twelve; he went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers of the temple police about how he might betray him to them. They were greatly pleased and agreed to give him money. So he consented and began to look for an opportunity to betray him to them when no crowd was present. 

Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, 'Go and prepare the Passover meal for us that we may eat it.' They asked him, 'Where do you want us to make preparations for it?' 'Listen,' he said to them, 'when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him into the house he enters and say to the owner of the house, ?The teacher asks you, 'Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' ? He will show you a large room upstairs, already furnished. Make preparations for us there.' So they went and found everything as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover meal. 

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.

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

- The Lord's Prayer

May the word of God dwell richly in our heart from hour to hour, 
so that all may see the triumph through Jesus' power and 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 by Stephen Benner. The closing prayer is a sentence from
_Uniting in Worship_, The Uniting Church in Australia.


From steve.benner at oremus.org  Tue Aug 25 17:00:00 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 2009 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:  26 August 2009
Message-ID: <20090825170000.ADF5F313C1B@justus2.anglican.org>

*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org for more resources, a link to our store in association with Amazon and other opportunities to support this ministry. This ministry can only continue with your support.
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Lord, open our lips,
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, O God,
like fireworks in the night
the Holy Spirit came
to lift our spirits, to inspire fresh daring,
that our lives might be spent in honor
of our Savior, God's only Son.
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 87

On the holy mountain stands the city he has founded;*
 the Lord loves the gates of Zion
   more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
Glorious things are spoken of you,*
 O city of our God.
I count Egypt and Babylon among those who know me;*
 behold Philistia, Tyre and Ethiopia:
   in Zion were they born.
Of Zion it shall be said, 'Everyone was born in her,*
 and the Most High himself shall sustain her.'
The Lord will record as he enrols the peoples,*
 'These also were born there.'
The singers and the dancers will say,*
 'All my fresh springs are in you.'

Psalm 101

I will sing of mercy and justice;*
 to you, O Lord, will I sing praises.
I will strive to follow a blameless course;
   O when will you come to me?*
 I will walk with sincerity of heart within my house.
I will set no worthless thing before my eyes;*
 I hate the doers of evil deeds;
   they shall not remain with me.
A crooked heart shall be far from me;*
 I will not know evil.
My eyes are upon the faithful in the land,
   that they may dwell with me,*
 and only those who lead a blameless life
   shall be my servants.
Those who act deceitfully shall not dwell in my house,*
 and those who tell lies shall not continue in my sight.

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

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

Psalm 147:13-end

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

FIRST READING [Nahum 3]:

Ah! City of bloodshed,
???utterly deceitful, full of booty?
???no end to the plunder! 
The crack of whip and rumble of?wheel,
???galloping horse and bounding chariot! 
Horsemen charging,
???flashing sword and glittering spear,
piles of dead,
???heaps of corpses,
dead bodies without end?
???they stumble over the bodies! 
Because of the countless debaucheries of the?prostitute,
???gracefully alluring, mistress of?sorcery,
who enslaves nations through her debaucheries,
???and peoples through her sorcery, 
I am against you,
???says the Lord of hosts,
???and will lift up your skirts over your face;
and I will let nations look on your nakedness
???and kingdoms on your shame. 
I will throw filth at you
???and treat you with contempt,
???and make you a spectacle. 
Then all who see you will shrink from you and say,
?Nineveh is devastated; who will bemoan her??
???Where shall I seek comforters for?you? 

Are you better than Thebes
???that sat by the Nile,
with water around her,
???her rampart a sea,
???water her wall? 
Ethiopia was her strength,
???Egypt too, and that without limit;
???Put and the Libyans were her helpers. 

Yet she became an exile,
???she went into captivity;
even her infants were dashed in?pieces
???at the head of every street;
lots were cast for her nobles,
???all her dignitaries were bound in?fetters. 
You also will be drunken,
???you will go into hiding;
you will seek
???a refuge from the enemy. 
All your fortresses are like fig trees
???with first-ripe figs?
if shaken they fall
???into the mouth of the eater. 
Look at your troops:
???they are women in your midst.
The gates of your land
???are wide open to your foes;
???fire has devoured the bars of your?gates. 

Draw water for the siege,
???strengthen your forts;
trample the clay,
???tread the mortar,
???take hold of the brick-mould! 
There the fire will devour you,
???the sword will cut you off.
???It will devour you like the locust. 

Multiply yourselves like the locust,
???multiply like the grasshopper! 
You increased your merchants
???more than the stars of the heavens.
???The locust sheds its skin and flies?away. 
Your guards are like grasshoppers,
???your scribes like swarms of?locusts
settling on the fences
???on a cold day?
when the sun rises, they fly away;
???no one knows where they have?gone. 

Your shepherds are asleep,
???O?king of Assyria;
???your nobles slumber.
Your people are scattered on the mountains
???with no one to gather them. 
There is no assuaging your hurt,
???your wound is mortal.
All who hear the news about you
???clap their hands over you.
For who has ever escaped
???your endless cruelty? 

HYMN 
Words: Scottish Psalter (1650)
Tune: Abridge

I joy'd when to the house of God,
Go up, they said to me.
Jerusalem, within thy gates
our feet shall standing be.
Jerus'lem, as a city, is
compactly built together:
Unto that place the tribes go up,
the tribes of God go thither:

To Isr'el's testimony, there
to God's name thanks to pay.
For thrones of judgment, ev'n the thrones
of David's house, there stay.
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 sakes,
Peace be in thee, I'll say.
And for the house of God our Lord,
I'll seek thy good alway.

SECOND READING [Luke 22:14-30]:

When the hour came, Jesus took his place at the table, and the apostles with him. He said to them, 'I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I tell you, I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.' Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, 'Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.' Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, 'This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.' And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, 'This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. But see, the one who betrays me is with me, and his hand is on the table. For the Son of Man is going as it has been determined, but woe to that one by whom he is betrayed!' Then they began to ask one another which one of them it could be who would do this. 

A dispute also arose among them as to which one of them was to be regarded as the greatest. But he said to them, 'The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you; rather the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. 

?'You are those who have stood by me in my trials; and I confer on you, just as my Father has conferred on me, a kingdom, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.' 

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.

God of eternal light,
open our eyes to the vision of your holy city
coming down from heaven;
make our hearts sensitive to your presence,
and our wills eager to join in the comfort and healing
you bring to all the world.
We ask this in the Name of Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen.
		
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.

- The Lord's Prayer

May the word of God dwell richly in our heart from hour to hour, 
so that all may see the triumph through Jesus' power and 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 by Stephen Benner. The closing prayer is a sentence from
_Uniting in Worship_, The Uniting Church in Australia.


From steve.benner at oremus.org  Wed Aug 26 17:00:00 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:  27 August 2009
Message-ID: <20090826170000.62ECF313C3A@justus2.anglican.org>

*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org for more resources, a link to our store in association with Amazon and other opportunities to support this ministry. This ministry can only continue with your support.
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Thursday, August 27, 2009

Lord, open our lips,
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, O God,
like fireworks in the night
the Holy Spirit came
to lift our spirits, to inspire fresh daring,
that our lives might be spent in honor
of our Savior, God's only Son.
For these and all your mercies, we praise you:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:
Blessed be God for ever!

An opening canticle may be sung. 
<!
http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html
>
Psalm 92

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

A Song of Faith (1 Peter 1.35,18,19,21)

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

Psalm 148

Alleluia!
   Praise the Lord from the heavens;*
 praise him in the heights.
Praise him, all you angels of his;*
 praise him, all his host.
Praise him, sun and moon;*
 praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, heaven of heavens,*
 and you waters above the heavens.
Let them praise the name of the Lord;*
 for he commanded and they were created.
He made them stand fast for ever and ever;*
 he gave them a law which shall not pass away.
Praise the Lord from the earth,*
 you seamonsters 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 [Habakkuk 1:2-4, 12-2:4]:

O?Lord, how long shall I cry for?help,
???and you will not listen?
Or cry to you ?Violence!?
???and you will not save? 
Why do you make me see wrongdoing
???and look at trouble?
Destruction and violence are before?me;
???strife and contention arise. 
So the law becomes slack
???and justice never prevails.
The wicked surround the righteous?
???therefore judgement comes forth perverted. 

Are you not from of old,
???O?Lord my God, my Holy One?
???You shall not die.
O?Lord, you have marked them for judgement;
???and you, O?Rock, have established them for punishment. 
Your eyes are too pure to behold?evil,
???and you cannot look on wrongdoing;
why do you look on the treacherous,
???and are silent when the wicked swallow
???those more righteous than they? 
You have made people like the fish of the sea,
???like crawling things that have no?ruler. 

The enemy brings all of them up with a hook;
???he drags them out with his net,
he gathers them in his seine;
???so he rejoices and exults. 
Therefore he sacrifices to his net
???and makes offerings to his seine;
for by them his portion is lavish,
???and his food is rich. 
Is he then to keep on emptying his?net,
???and destroying nations without mercy? 
I will stand at my watch-post,
???and station myself on the rampart;
I will keep watch to see what he will say to me,
???and what he will answer concerning my complaint. 
Then the Lord answered me and?said:
Write the vision;
???make it plain on tablets,
???so that a runner may read it. 
For there is still a vision for the appointed time;
???it speaks of the end, and does not lie.
If it seems to tarry, wait for it;
???it will surely come, it will not?delay. 
Look at the proud!
???Their spirit is not right in them,
???but the righteous live by their?faith.

HYMN 
Words: Samuel J Stone (1839-1900)
Tune: Day of Rest, Llangloffan, Komm Seele

O Thou, before whose presence
Nought evil may come in,
Yet who dost look in mercy
Down on this world of sin,
O give us noble purpose
To set the sin-bound free,
And Christ-like tender pity
To seek the lost for Thee.

Fierce is our subtle foeman:
The forces at his hand,
With woes that none can number,
Despoil the pleasant land;
All they who war against them,
In strife so keen and long,
Must in their Saviour's armour
Be stronger than the strong.

So hast Thou wrought among us
The great things that we see!
For things that are, we thank Thee,
And for the things to be:
For bright hope is uplifting
Faint hands and feeble knees,
To strive, beneath Thy blessing,
For greater things than these.

Lead on, O Love and Mercy,
O Purity and Power,
Lead on till peace eternal
Shall close this battle-hour;
Till all who prayed and struggled
To set their brethren free,
In triumph meet to praise Thee
Most Holy Trinity.

SECOND READING [Luke 22:31-46]:

Jesus said, 'Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your own faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.' And he said to him, 'Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death!' Jesus said, 'I tell you, Peter, the cock will not crow this day, until you have denied three times that you know me.' 

He said to them, 'When I sent you out without a purse, bag, or sandals, did you lack anything?' They said, 'No, not a thing.' He said to them, 'But now, the one who has a purse must take it, and likewise a bag. And the one who has no sword must sell his cloak and buy one. For I tell you, this scripture must be fulfilled in me, ?And he was counted among the lawless?; and indeed what is written about me is being fulfilled.' They said, 'Lord, look, here are two swords.' He replied, 'It is enough.' 

He came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed him. When he reached the place, he said to them, 'Pray that you may not come into the time of trial.' Then he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, knelt down, and prayed, 'Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.' [[ Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength. In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground.]] When he got up from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping because of grief, and he said to them, 'Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not come into the time of trial.'

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.

Establish your people, O Lord,
in the way that leads to righteousness,
so that we may with confidence
come into your presence and sing your praise;
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 word of God dwell richly in our heart from hour to hour, 
so that all may see the triumph through Jesus' power and 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 by Stephen Benner. The closing prayer is a sentence from
_Uniting in Worship_, The Uniting Church in Australia.


From steve.benner at oremus.org  Thu Aug 27 17:00:00 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:  28 August 2009
Message-ID: <20090827170000.A9BF7313C4D@justus2.anglican.org>

*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org for more resources, a link to our store in association with Amazon and other opportunities to support this ministry. This ministry can only continue with your support.
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Friday, August 28, 2009
Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, Teacher of the Faith, 430

Lord, open our lips,
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, O God,
like fireworks in the night
the Holy Spirit came
to lift our spirits, to inspire fresh daring,
that our lives might be spent in honor
of our Savior, God's only Son.
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 94

O Lord God of vengeance,*
 O God of vengeance, show yourself.
Rise up, O Judge of the world;*
 give the arrogant their just deserts.
How long shall the wicked, O Lord,*
 how long shall the wicked triumph?
They bluster in their insolence;*
 all evildoers are full of boasting.
They crush your people, O Lord,*
 and afflict your chosen nation.
They murder the widow and the stranger*
 and put the orphans to death.
Yet they say, 'The Lord does not see,*
 the God of Jacob takes no notice.'
Consider well, you dullards among the people;*
 when will you fools understand?
He that planted the ear, does he not hear?*
 he that formed the eye, does he not see?
He who admonishes the nations, will he not punish?*
 he who teaches all the world, has he no knowledge?
The Lord knows our human thoughts;*
 how like a puff of wind they are.
Happy are they whom you instruct, O Lord!*
 whom you teach out of your law;
To give them rest in evil days,*
 until a pit is dug for the wicked.
For the Lord will not abandon his people,*
 nor will he forsake his own.
For judgement will again be just,*
 and all the true of heart will follow it.
Who rose up for me against the wicked?*
 who took my part against the evildoers?
If the Lord had not come to my help,*
 I should soon have dwelt in the land of silence.
As often as I said, 'My foot has slipped',*
 your love, O Lord, upheld me.
When many cares fill my mind,*
 your consolations cheer my soul.
Can a corrupt tribunal have any part with you,*
 one which frames evil into law?
They conspire against the life of the just*
 and condemn the innocent to death.

But the Lord has become my stronghold,*
 and my God the rock of my trust.
He will turn their wickedness back upon them
   and destroy them in their own malice;*
 the Lord our God will destroy them.

A Song of Christ the Servant 1 Peter 2.21b25 

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

Psalm 149

Alleluia!
   Sing to the Lord a new song;*
 sing his praise in the congregation of the faithful.
Let Israel rejoice in his maker;*
 let the children of Zion be joyful in their king.
Let them praise his name in the dance;*
 let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the Lord takes pleasure in his people*
 and adorns the poor with victory.
Let the faithful rejoice in triumph;*
 let them be joyful on their beds.
Let the praises of God be in their throat*
 and a twoedged 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 [Habakkuk 2:9-14, 19-20]:

'Alas for you who get evil gain for your houses,
???setting your nest on high
???to be safe from the reach of harm!' 
You have devised shame for your?house
???by cutting off many peoples;
???you have forfeited your life. 
The very stones will cry out from the wall,
???and the plaster will respond from the woodwork. 

'Alas for you who build a town by bloodshed,
???and found a city on iniquity!' 
Is it not from the Lord of hosts
???that peoples labour only to feed the flames,
???and nations weary themselves for nothing? 
But the earth will be filled
???with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord,
???as the waters cover the sea. 

Alas for you who say to the wood, 'Wake up!'
???to silent stone, 'Rouse yourself!'
???Can it teach?
See, it is plated with gold and silver,
???and there is no breath in it at all. 

But the Lord is in his holy temple;
???let all the earth keep silence before him! 

HYMN 
Words: Timothy Dudley-Smith (c), based on a prayer by Augustine
Tune: Genevan Psalm 130, Llangloffan, Moville, King's Lynn, Aurelia

http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/l/l145.html
Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus.             

Light of the minds that know him,
may Christ be light to mine!
My sun in risen splendor,
my light of truth divine;
my guide in doubt and darkness,
my true and living way,
my clear light ever shining,
my dawn of heaven's day.

Life of the souls that love him,
may Christ be ours indeed!
The living Bread from heaven
on whom our spirits feed;
who died for love of sinners
to bear our guilty load,
and make of life's journey
a new Emmaus road.

Strength of the wills that serve him,
may Christ be strength to me,
who stilled the storm and tempest,
who calmed the tossing sea;
his Spirit's power to move me,
his will to master mine,
his cross to carry daily
and conquer in his sign.

May it be ours to know him
that we may truly love,
and loving, fully serve him
as serve the saints above;
till in that home of glory
with fadeless splendor bright,
we serve in perfect freedom
our strength, our life, our light.

SECOND READING [Luke 22:47-62]:

While he was still speaking, suddenly a crowd came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him; but Jesus said to him, 'Judas, is it with a kiss that you are betraying the Son of Man?' When those who were around him saw what was coming, they asked, 'Lord, should we strike with the sword?' Then one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said, 'No more of this!' And he touched his ear and healed him. Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple police, and the elders who had come for him, 'Have you come out with swords and clubs as if I were a bandit? When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness!' 

Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest's house. But Peter was following at a distance. When they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. Then a servant-girl, seeing him in the firelight, stared at him and said, 'This man also was with him.' But he denied it, saying, 'Woman, I do not know him.' A little later someone else, on seeing him, said, 'You also are one of them.' But Peter said, 'Man, I am not!' Then about an hour later yet another kept insisting, 'Surely this man also was with him; for he is a Galilean.' But Peter said, 'Man, I do not know what you are talking about!' At that moment, while he was still speaking, the cock crowed. The Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, 'Before the cock crows today, 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:
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.

Eternal Love,
our hearts are restless until they rest in you.
Let your glory shine on us,
that our lives may proclaim your goodness,
our work give you honour,
and our voices praise you forever;
for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Merciful Lord, 
who turned Augustine from his sins 
to be a faithful bishop and teacher: 
grant that we may follow him in penitence and discipline 
till our restless hearts find their rest in you; 
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
		
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.

- The Lord's Prayer

May the word of God dwell richly in our heart from hour to hour, 
so that all may see the triumph through Jesus' power and 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 by Stephen Benner. The closing prayer is a sentence from
_Uniting in Worship_, The Uniting Church in Australia.

Hymn (c) 1984 by Hope Publishing Co., Carol Stream, IL  60188. All rights reserved. 
Used by permission. For permission to reproduce this text in all territories except the UK,
Europe & Africa, contact: Hope Publishing Company,  www.hopepublishing.com
For UK, Europe & Africa: contact: Bishop Timothy Dudley-Smith, 9 Ashlands, Ford,
Salisbury, Wiltshire  SP4 6DY  England

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.

Augustine was born in North Africa in 354. His career as an orator and rhetorician led him from Carthage to Rome, and from there to Milan where the Imperial court at that time resided. By temperament, he was passionate and sensual, and as a young man he rejected Christianity. Gradually, however, under the influence first of Monica, his mother, and then of Ambrose, bishop of Milan, Augustine began to look afresh at the Scriptures. He was baptised by Ambrose at the Easter Vigil in 387. Not long after returning to North Africa he was ordained priest, and then became Bishop of Hippo. It is difficult to overestimate the influence of Augustine on the subsequent development of European thought. A huge body of his sermons and writings has been preserved, through all of which runs the theme of the sovereignty of the grace of God. He died in the year 430. 


From steve.benner at oremus.org  Fri Aug 28 17:00:00 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:  29 August 2009
Message-ID: <20090828170000.4A674313C20@justus2.anglican.org>


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

OREMUS for Friday, August 29, 2008
The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist

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

Blessed are you, God of power and might,
for John the Baptist,
who revealed the Lamb, the Redeemer of the world
and bore witness to Christ
by the shedding of his own blood;
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.

A Song of Faith (1 Peter 1.3-4,18-21)

Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ!

By his great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled and unfading,
kept in heaven for you.

Who are being protected by the power of God
through faith for a salvation,
ready to be revealed in the last time.

You were ransomed from the futile ways of your ancestors
not with perishable things like silver or gold

But with the precious blood of Christ
like that of a lamb without spot or stain.

Through him you have confidence in God,
who raised him from the dead and gave him glory,
so that your faith and hope are set on God.

Psalm 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'shorn;*
 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 loudclanging cymbals.
Let everything that has breath*
 praise the Lord.
   Alleluia!

FIRST READING [Jeremiah 4:1-10]:

If you return, O Israel, 
says the Lord,
   if you return to me,
if you remove your abominations from my presence,
   and do not waver, 
and if you swear, 'As the Lord lives!'
   in truth, in justice, and in uprightness,
then nations shall be blessed by him,
   and by him they shall boast. 

For thus says the Lord to the people of Judah and to the inhabitants of
Jerusalem:
Break up your fallow ground,
   and do not sow among thorns. 
Circumcise yourselves to the Lord,
   remove the foreskin of your hearts,
   O people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem,
or else my wrath will go forth like fire,
   and burn with no one to quench it,
   because of the evil of your doings. 

Declare in Judah, and proclaim in Jerusalem, and say:
Blow the trumpet through the land;
   shout aloud and say,
'Gather together, and let us go
   into the fortified cities!' 
Raise a standard towards Zion,
   flee for safety, do not delay,
for I am bringing evil from the north,
   and a great destruction. 
A lion has gone up from its thicket,
   a destroyer of nations has set out;
   he has gone out from his place
to make your land a waste;
   your cities will be ruins
   without inhabitant. 
Because of this put on sackcloth,
   lament and wail:
'The fierce anger of the Lord
   has not turned away from us.' 

On that day, says the Lord, courage shall fail the king and the officials; the priests shall
be appalled and the prophets astounded. Then I said, 'Ah, Lord God, how utterly you
have deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, "It shall be well with you", even
while the sword is at the throat!'

HYMN 
Words: Andrew E Pratt (born 1948)   2000 Stainer & Bell Ltd Used with permission
Tune: Charlestown (87 87)

To a world so torn and tortured
Came the voice of one who knew
What it cost to lift oppression,
Challenge the accepted view.

John convicted crowds before him,
Charged hypocrisy with God;
Opened up the way for Jesus
Who would follow where he trod.

Then, imprisoned, John was silenced;
Yet a voice more powerful still
Challenged in and out of season
All who heard to do God's will.

Living, Christ would lift oppression,
Dying, he would seem to fail,
Crying out in desolation,
Yet God's love would still prevail.

SECOND READING [Matthew 14:1-12]:

At that time Herod the ruler heard reports about Jesus;
and he said to his servants, 'This is John the Baptist;
he has been raised from the dead, and for this reason
these powers are at work in him.' For Herod had arrested
John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of
Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because John had
been telling him, 'It is not lawful for you to have her.'
Though Herod wanted to put him to death, he feared the
crowd, because they regarded him as a prophet. But when
Herod's birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced
before the company, and she pleased Herod so much that he
promised on oath to grant her whatever she might ask.
Prompted by her mother, she said, 'Give me the head of
John the Baptist here on a platter.' The king was
grieved, yet out of regard for his oaths and for the
guests, he commanded it to be given; he sent and had John
beheaded in the prison. The head was brought on a platter
and given to the girl, who brought it to her mother. His
disciples came and took the body and buried it; then they
went and told Jesus.

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

Prayer:
In the power of the Spirit and in union with Christ,
let us pray to the Father, saying
Jesus, Lamb of God,
have mercy on us.

Lord God,
who promised Zechariah a son
filled with with the spirit and power of Elijah,
to prepare a people fit for the Lord
we pray for reconciliation among all people..
Jesus, Lamb of God,
have mercy on us.

Lord God,
when Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting
the baby leapt in her womb
may we bless among women she who believed your promise,
and proclaim with joy the good news of your Christ.
Jesus, Lamb of God,
have mercy on us.

Lord God,
at John's birth Zechariah proclaimed
he would be the prophet of the Most High
we pray for all who preach the Good News.
Jesus, Lamb of God,
have mercy on us.

Lord God,
when your Son came to the Jordan and was baptized by John
he saw the heavens open and the Spirit descending as a dove
may we who are baptized into your Church
faithfully proclaim in the world the words of your beloved Son.
Jesus, Lamb of God,
have mercy on us.

Lord God,
John proclaimed your Son as 'the Lamb of God'
and John's disciples followed Jesus
help us to follow him too,
and by our words and deeds
to bring our families and friends closer to you.
Jesus, Lamb of God,
have mercy on us.

Lord God,
who sent John to witness to the light,
to be the voice of one crying in the wilderness
and to make straight the way of the Lord
comfort your people
and bring your healing to the sick and needy,
to the broken-hearted and the oppressed,
to prisoners and captives.
Jesus, Lamb of God,
have mercy on us.

Lord God,
John preached the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins
and suffered imprisonment and death for proclaiming your Law
we pray with and for all who have died in your service,
joining our prayers with John the Baptist, and all the saints,
and grant us with them a share in your eternal kingdom.
Jesus, Lamb of God,
have mercy on us.

In the tender compassion of our God,
the dawn from on high shall break upon us
Shine, Lord, on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death
and guide our feet into the way of peace.
Merciful Father,
Accept these prayers
for the sake of your Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Almighty God,
who called your servant John the Baptist
to be the forerunner of your Son in birth and death
strengthen us by your grace
that, as he suffered for the truth,
so we may boldly resist corruption and vice
and receive with him the unfading crown of 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

May the word of God dwell richly in our heart from hour to hour, 
so that all may see the triumph through Jesus' power and love. 
Amen.

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

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

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

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

The intercession is by Simon Kershaw.

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


From steve.benner at oremus.org  Sat Aug 29 17:28:47 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Sat, 29 Aug 2009 17:28:47 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:  30 August 2009
Message-ID: <20090829172847.B1892313C15@justus2.anglican.org>

*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org for more resources, a link to our store in association with Amazon and other opportunities to support this ministry. This ministry can only continue with your support.
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Sunday, August 30, 2009
The Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Lord, open our lips,
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, O God,
the One whom we seek together,
the Life which is part of us all,
the Truth and the mark of mystery,
the Love and the Joy that makes us whole.
Blessed are you, O God:
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 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 [Tobit 13:1b-5, 7-11]:

Blessed be God who lives for ever,
???because his kingdom lasts throughout all ages. 
For he afflicts, and he shows mercy;
???he leads down to Hades in the lowest regions of the earth,
???and he brings up from the great abyss,
???and there is nothing that can escape his hand. 
Acknowledge him before the nations, O?children of Israel;
???for he has scattered you among them. 
???He has shown you his greatness even there.
Exalt him in the presence of every living being,
???because he is our Lord and he is our God;
???he is our Father and he is God for ever. 
He will afflict you for your iniquities,
???but he will again show mercy on all of you.
He will gather you from all the nations
???among whom you have been scattered. 
As for me, I exalt my God,
???and my soul rejoices in the King of heaven. 
Let all people speak of his majesty,
???and acknowledge him in Jerusalem. 
O?Jerusalem, the holy city,
???he afflicted you for the deeds of your hands,
???but will again have mercy on the children of the righteous. 
Acknowledge the Lord, for he is good,
???and bless the King of the ages,
???so that his tent may be rebuilt in you in joy.
May he cheer all those within you who are captives,
???and love all those within you who are distressed,
???to all generations for ever. heaven.
Generation after generation will give joyful praise in you;
???the name of the chosen city will endure for ever. 
A bright light will shine to all the ends of the earth;
???many nations will come to you from far away,
the inhabitants of the remotest parts of the earth to your holy name,
???bearing gifts in their hands for the King.

HYMN 
Words: Johann Heermann (1585-1647) translated by Catherine Winkworth (1827-1878)
Tune: Darmstadt

O God, thou faithful God,
Thou fountain ever flowing,
Without whom nothing is,
All perfect gifts bestowing;
A pure and healthy frame
O give us, and within
A conscience free from blame,
A soul unhurt by sin.

If dangers gather round,
Still keep us calm and fearless;
Help us to bear the cross
When life is dark and cheerless;
To overcome our foe
With words and actions kind;
When counsel we would know,
Good counsel let us find.

And grant us, Lord, to do
With ready heart and willing,
Whate'er thou shalt command,
Our calling here fulfilling;
And do it when we ought
With all our strength, and bless
The work we thus have wrought,
For thou must give success.

SECOND READING [Philippians 2:12-18]:

Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure. 

Do all things without murmuring and arguing, so that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine like stars in the world. It is by your holding fast to the word of life that I can boast on the day of Christ that I did not run in vain or labour in vain. But even if I am being poured out as a libation over the sacrifice and the offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you? and in the same way you also must be glad and rejoice with me. 

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

Prayer:
We remember Iran and its people and its political leaders, and pray for wise moderation to prevail.

We remember all the troubled peoples of the Middle East ? Israel and Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan ? and of the world, and pray for God?s peace upon them.

Amid controversy over the release on compassionate grounds of Mr al-Megrahi, the convicted Lockerbie bomber, let us pray for genuine compassion to win through, on all sides.

As the summer holidays near their end, let us pray God for all who are travelling, and that all holidays, may be holy-days: times of real spiritual refreshment and reunion.

As pupils around the world prepare to return to school, let us pray for them and for their teachers to enjoy a year of mutual enrichment and rewarded effort, growing in wisdom and knowledge.

Almighty God, 
you alone can order unruly wills and affections: 
Help us to love what you command, 
and desire what you promise; 
that in the midst of this changing world, 
our hearts may be fixed where true joys are found; 
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

Faithful God, hope of the oppressed, source of freedom:
make us strong to witness to your liberating power,
in generosity of life and in humility of spirit,
that all the world may delight in your goodness.  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 uses phrases from a hymn by Colin Gibson.

The closing prayer is based on a prayer from _Revised Common Lectionary
Prayers_, copyright (c) 2002 Consultation on Common Texts


From steve.benner at oremus.org  Sun Aug 30 19:23:29 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Sun, 30 Aug 2009 19:23:29 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:  31 August 2009
Message-ID: <20090830192329.44E30313C1E@justus2.anglican.org>

*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org for more resources, a link to our store in association with Amazon and other opportunities to support this ministry. This ministry can only continue with your support.
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Monday, August 31, 2009
Aidan, Bishop of Lindisfarne, Missionary, 651

Lord, open our lips,
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, O God,
the One whom we seek together,
the Life which is part of us all,
the Truth and the mark of mystery,
the Love and the Joy that makes us whole.
Blessed are you, O God:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:
Blessed be God for ever!

An opening canticle may be sung. 
<!
http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html
>
Psalm 107:1-15

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,*
 and his mercy endures for ever.
Let all those whom the Lord has redeemed proclaim*
 that he redeemed them from the hand of the foe.
He gathered them out of the lands;*
 from the east and from the west,
   from the north and from the south.
Some wandered in desert wastes;*
 they found no way to a city where they might dwell.
They were hungry and thirsty;*
 their spirits languished within them.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,*
 and he delivered them from their distress.
He put their feet on a straight path*
 to go to a city where they might dwell.
Let them give thanks to the Lord for his mercy*
 and the wonders he does for his children.
For he satisfies the thirsty*
 and fills the hungry with good things.
Some sat in darkness and deep gloom,*
 bound fast in misery and iron;
Because they rebelled against the words of God*
 and despised the counsel of the Most High.
So he humbled their spirits with hard labour;*
 they stumbled and there was none to help.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,*
 and he delivered them from their distress.
He led them out of darkness and deep gloom*
 and broke their bonds asunder.
Let them give thanks to the Lord for his mercy*
 and the wonders he does for his children.

A Song of Deliverance (Isaiah 12.26)

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

Psalm 146

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

FIRST READING [Zephaniah 1:2-3, 7, 14-18]:

I will utterly sweep away everything
???from the face of the earth, says the Lord. 
I will sweep away humans and animals;
???I will sweep away the birds of the air
???and the fish of the sea.
I will make the wicked stumble.
???I will cut off humanity
???from the face of the earth, says the Lord. 
Be silent before the Lord God!
???For the day of the Lord is at?hand;
the Lord has prepared a sacrifice,
???he has consecrated his guests. 

The great day of the Lord is near,
???near and hastening fast;
the sound of the day of the Lord is?bitter,
???the warrior cries aloud there. 
That day will be a day of wrath,
???a day of distress and anguish,
a day of ruin and devastation,
???a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and thick darkness, 
???a day of trumpet blast and battle?cry
against the fortified cities
???and against the lofty battlements. 

I will bring such distress upon people
???that they shall walk like the?blind;
???because they have sinned against the Lord,
their blood shall be poured out like?dust,
???and their flesh like dung. 
Neither their silver nor their gold
???will be able to save them
???on the day of the Lord?s wrath;
in the fire of his passion
???the whole earth shall be consumed;
for a full, a terrible end
???he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth. 

HYMN 
Words: Charles Wesley (1707-1788)
Tune: Leamington

Open, Lord, my inward ear,
And bid my heart rejoice;
Bid my quiet spirit hear
Thy comfortable voice;
Never in the whirlwind found,
Or where earthquakes rock the place,
Still and silent is the sound,
The whisper of thy grace.

>From the world of sin, and noise,
And hurry I withdraw;
For the small and inward voice
I wait with humble awe;
Silent am I now and still,
Dare not in thy presence move;
To my waiting soul reveal
The secret of thy love.

Thou didst undertake for me,
For me to death wast sold;
Wisdom in a mystery
Of bleeding love unfold;
Teach the lesson of thy cross:
Let me die, with thee to reign;
All things let me count but loss,
So I may thee regain.

Show me, as my soul can bear,
The depth of inbred sin;
All the unbelief declare,
The pride that lurks within;
Take me, whom thyself hast bought,
Bring into captivity
Every high aspiring thought
That would not stoop to thee.

Lord, my time is in thy hand,
My soul to thee convert;
Thou canst make me understand,
Though I am slow of heart;
Thine in whom I live and move,
Thine the work, the praise is thine;
Thou art wisdom, power, and love,
And all thou art is mine.

SECOND READING [Luke 23:13-25]:

Pilate then called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people, and said to them, 'You brought me this man as one who was perverting the people; and here I have examined him in your presence and have not found this man guilty of any of your charges against him. Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us. Indeed, he has done nothing to deserve death. I will therefore have him flogged and release him.' 

Then they all shouted out together, 'Away with this fellow! Release Barabbas for us!' (This was a man who had been put in prison for an insurrection that had taken place in the city, and for murder.) Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again; but they kept shouting, 'Crucify, crucify him!' A third time he said to them, 'Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no ground for the sentence of death; I will therefore have him flogged and then release him.' But they kept urgently demanding with loud shouts that he should be crucified; and their voices prevailed. So Pilate gave his verdict that their demand should be granted. He released the man they asked for, the one who had been put in prison for insurrection and murder, and he handed Jesus over as they wished. 

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.

O God, your steadfast love endures for ever
and your faithfulness from one generation to another;
rescue your people from their distress,
still the storms of our self-will
and bring us to the haven you have prepared for us
in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
		
Everlasting God, 
you sent the gentle bishop Aidan 
to proclaim the gospel in England: 
grant us to live as he taught
in simplicity, humility and love for the poor;
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

Faithful God, hope of the oppressed, source of freedom:
make us strong to witness to your liberating power,
in generosity of life and in humility of spirit,
that all the world may delight in your goodness.  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 uses phrases from a hymn by Colin Gibson.

The closing prayer is based on a prayer from _Revised Common Lectionary
Prayers_, copyright (c) 2002 Consultation on Common Texts
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.

The Gospel first came to the northern English in 627, When King Edwin of Northumbria was converted by a mission from Canterbury led by Bishop Paulinus, who established his see at York. Edwin's death in battle in 632 was followed by a severe pagan reaction. A year later, Edwin's exiled nephew Oswald gained the kingdom, and proceeded at once to restore the Christian mission.
During his exile, Oswald had lived at Columba's monastery of Iona (see 9
June), where he had been converted and baptized. Hence he sent to Iona,
rather than to Canterbury, for missionaries. The first monk to preach was a
man named Corman, who had no success, and returned to Iona to complain
that the Northumbrians were a savage and unteachable race. A young monk
named Aidan responded, "Perhaps you were too harsh with them, and they
might have responded better to a gentler approach." At this, Aidan found
himself appointed to lead a second expedition to Northumbria. He centered his
work, not at York, but in imitation of his home monastery, on Lindisfarne, an
island off the northeast coast of England, now often called Holy Isle.
With his fellow monks and the English youths whom he trained, Aidan restored
Christianity in Northumbria, King Oswald often serving as his interpreter, and
extended the mission through the midlands as far south as London.
Aidan died at the royal town of Bamborough, 31 August, 651. The historian
Bede said of him: "He neither sought nor loved anything of this world, but
delighted in distributing immediately to the poor whatever was given him by
kings or rich men of the world. He traversed both town and country on foot,
never on horseback, unless compelled by some urgent necessity. Wherever on
his way he saw any, either rich or poor, he invited them, if pagans, to embrace
the mystery of the faith; or if they were believers, he sought to strengthen them
in their faith and stir them up by words and actions to alms and good works."
[James Kiefer]


From steve.benner at oremus.org  Mon Aug 31 17:00:00 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 2009 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS:   1 September 2009
Message-ID: <20090831170000.3D747313C1D@justus2.anglican.org>

*******************************************************
Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org for more resources, a link to our store in association with Amazon and other opportunities to support this ministry. This ministry can only continue with your support.
*******************************************************

OREMUS for Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Lord, open our lips,
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, O God,
the One whom we seek together,
the Life which is part of us all,
the Truth and the mark of mystery,
the Love and the Joy that makes us whole.
Blessed are you, O God:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:
Blessed be God for ever!

An opening canticle may be sung. 
<!
http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html
>
Psalm 115

Not to us, O Lord, not to us,
   but to your name give glory;*
 because of your love and because of your faithfulness.
Why should the heathen say,*
 'Where then is their God?'
Our God is in heaven;*
 whatever he wills to do he does.
Their idols 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;*
 noses, but they cannot smell;
They have hands, but they cannot feel;
   feet, but they cannot walk;*
 they make no sound with their throat.
Those who make them are like them,*
 and so are all who put their trust in them.
O Israel, trust in the Lord;*
 he is their help and their shield.
O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord;*
 he is their help and their shield.
You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord;*
 he is their help and their shield.
The Lord has been mindful of us and he will bless us;*
 he will bless the house of Israel;
   he will bless the house of Aaron;
He will bless those who fear the Lord,*
 both small and great together.
May the Lord increase you more and more,*
 you and your children after you.
May you be blessed by the Lord,*
 the maker of heaven and earth.
The heaven of heavens is the Lord's,*
 but he entrusted the earth to its peoples.
The dead do not praise the Lord,*
 nor all those who go down into silence;
But we will bless the Lord,*
 from this time forth for evermore.
   Alleluia!

The Song of Christ(s Glory (Philippians 2.511)

Christ Jesus was in the form of God,  
but he did not cling to equality with God. 
He emptied himself, taking the form of a servant,  
and was born in our human likeness. 
Being found in human form he humbled himself,  
and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. 
Therefore God has highly exalted him,  
and bestowed on him the name above every name, 
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,  
in heaven and on earth and under the earth; 
And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,  
to the glory of God the Father.

Psalm 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 [Zephaniah 3:1-8]:

Ah, soiled, defiled,
???oppressing city! 
It has listened to no voice;
???it has accepted no correction.
It has not trusted in the Lord;
???it has not drawn near to its God. 

The officials within it
???are roaring lions;
its judges are evening wolves
???that leave nothing until the?morning. 
Its prophets are reckless,
???faithless persons;
its priests have profaned what is?sacred,
???they have done violence to the?law. 
The Lord within it is righteous;
???he does no wrong.
Every morning he renders his judgement,
???each dawn without fail;
???but the unjust knows no shame. 

I have cut off nations;
???their battlements are in ruins;
I have laid waste their streets
???so that no one walks in them;
their cities have been made desolate,
???without people, without inhabitants. 
I said, ?Surely the city will fear?me,
???it will accept correction;
it will not lose sight
???of all that I have brought upon?it.?
But they were the more eager
???to make all their deeds corrupt. 

Therefore wait for me, says the?Lord,
???for the day when I arise as a?witness.
For my decision is to gather nations,
???to assemble kingdoms,
to pour out upon them my indignation,
???all the heat of my anger;
for in the fire of my passion
???all the earth shall be consumed. 

HYMN 
Words: Isaac Watts (1674-1748)
Tune: St Timothy

Arise, my soul, my joyful powers,
And triumph in my God;
Awake, my voice, and loud proclaim
His glorious grace abroad.

He raised me from the depths of sin,
The gates of gaping hell,
And fixed my standing more secure
Than 'twas before I fell.

The arms of everlasting love
Beneath my soul He placed;
And on the Rock of Ages set
My slippery footsteps fast.

The city of my blest abode
Is walled around with grace;
Salvation for a bulwark stands
To shield the sacred place.

Satan may vent his sharpest spite,
And all his legions roar:
Almighty mercy guards my life,
And bounds his raging power.

Arise, my soul, awake, my voice,
And tunes of pleasures sing;
Loud hallelujahs shall address
My Saviour and my King.

SECOND READING [Luke 23:26-38]:

As they led Jesus away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and they laid the cross on him, and made him carry it behind Jesus. A great number of the people followed him, and among them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him. But Jesus turned to them and said, 'Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For the days are surely coming when they will say, ?Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.? Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ?Fall on us?; and to the hills, ?Cover us.? For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?' 

Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. Then Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.' And they cast lots to divide his clothing. And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, 'He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!' The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, 'If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!' There was also an inscription over him, 'This is the King of the Jews.' 

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 cooperation, 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.

O Lord of life,
who made us in your image
and taught us to offer ourselves to you
as a living sacrifice:
fill us with your lifegiving Spirit
that in the renewal of our minds
we may be dead to sin and live to you
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

Faithful God, hope of the oppressed, source of freedom:
make us strong to witness to your liberating power,
in generosity of life and in humility of spirit,
that all the world may delight in your goodness.  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 uses phrases from a hymn by Colin Gibson.

The closing prayer is based on a prayer from _Revised Common Lectionary
Prayers_, copyright (c) 2002 Consultation on Common Texts