From steve.benner at oremus.org Thu Jan 1 17:00:01 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Thu, 1 Jan 2009 17:00:01 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS: 2 January 2009
Message-ID: <20090101170001.2C718313F4C@justus2.anglican.org>
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OREMUS for Friday, January 2, 2009
Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops, 379 and 389
O Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Blessed are you, loving and merciful God,
you fill our hearts with joy
as we recognize in Christ the revelation of your love.
No eye can see his glory as our God,
yet now he is seen like one of us.
Christ is your Son before all ages,
yet now he is born in time.
He has come to lift up all things to himself,
to restore unity to creation,
and to lead us from exile into your heavenly kingdom.
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/chrocant.html
Psalm 47
Clap your hands, all you peoples;*
shout to God with a cry of joy.
For the Lord Most High is to be feared;*
he is the great king over all the earth.
He subdues the peoples under us,*
and the nations under our feet.
He chooses our inheritance for us,*
the pride of Jacob whom he loves.
God has gone up with a shout,*
the Lord with the sound of the ram's-horn.
Sing praises to God, sing praises;*
sing praises to our king, sing praises.
For God is king of all the earth;*
sing praises with all your skill.
God reigns over the nations;*
God sits upon his holy throne.
The nobles of the peoples have gathered together*
with the people of the God of Abraham.
The rulers of the earth belong to God,*
and he is highly exalted.
Psalm 53
The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God.'*
All are corrupt and commit abominable acts;
there is none who does any good.
God looks down from heaven upon us all,*
to see if there is any who is wise,
if there is one who seeks after God.
Every one has proved faithless;
all alike have turned bad;*
there is none who does good; no, not one.
Have they no knowledge, those evildoers*
who eat up my people like bread
and do not call upon God?
See how greatly they tremble,
such trembling as never was;*
for God has scattered the bones of the enemy;
they are put to shame, because God has rejected them.
O that Israel's deliverance would come out of Zion!*
when God restores the fortunes of his people
Jacob will rejoice and Israel be glad.
Psalm 54
Save me, O God, by your name;*
in your might, defend my cause.
Hear my prayer, O God;*
give ear to the words of my mouth.
For the arrogant have risen up against me,
and the ruthless have sought my life,*
those who have no regard for God.
Behold, God is my helper;*
it is the Lord who sustains my life.
Render evil to those who spy on me;*
in your faithfulness, destroy them.
I will offer you a freewill sacrifice*
and praise your name, O Lord, for it is good.
For you have rescued me from every trouble,*
and my eye has seen the ruin of my foes.
A Song of Redemption (Colossians 1.13-18a,19,20a)
The Father has delivered us from the dominion of darkness,
and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son;
In whom we have redemption,
the forgiveness of our sins.
He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation.
For in him all things were created,
in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible.
All things were created through him and for him,
he is before all things and in him all things hold together.
He is the head of the body, the Church,
he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead.
In him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell;
and through him God was pleased to reconcile all things.
Psalm 147:13-end
Alleluia!
Worship the Lord, O Jerusalem;*
praise your God, O Zion;
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;*
he has blessed your children within you.
He has established peace on your borders;*
he satisfies you with the finest wheat.
He sends out his command to the earth,*
and his word runs very swiftly.
He gives snow like wool;*
he scatters hoarfrost like ashes.
He scatters his hail like bread crumbs;*
who can stand against his cold?
He sends forth his word and melts them;*
he blows with his wind and the waters flow.
He declares his word to Jacob,*
his statutes and his judgements to Israel.
He has not done so to any other nation;*
to them he has not revealed his judgements.
Alleluia!
FIRST READING [1 John 2.22 28]:
Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist,
the one who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father;
everyone who confesses the Son has the Father also. Let what you heard from the
beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you
will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is what he has promised us, eternal
life.
I write these things to you concerning those who would deceive you. As for you, the
anointing that you received from him abides in you, and so you do not need anyone to
teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie,
and just as it has taught you, abide in him.
And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he is revealed we may have
confidence and not be put to shame before him at his coming.
HYMN
Words: Christina Rossetti (1830-1894), 1885
Tune: Gartan, Hermitage
http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/l/l530.html
Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus.
Love came down at Christmas,
love all lovely, love divine;
love was born at Christmas:
star and angels gave the sign.
Worship we the Godhead,
love incarnate, love divine;
worship we our Jesus,
but wherewith the sacred sign?
Love shall be our token;
love be yours and love be mine,
Love to God and to all men,
love for plea and gift and sign.
SECOND READING [John 1.19 28]:
This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from
Jerusalem to ask him, 'Who are you?' He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed,
'I am not the Messiah.' And they asked him, 'What then? Are you Elijah?' He said, 'I
am not.' 'Are you the prophet?' He answered, 'No.' Then they said to him, 'Who are
you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?'
He said,
'I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness,
"Make straight the way of the Lord" ',
as the prophet Isaiah said.
Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him, 'Why then are you
baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?' John answered
them, 'I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one
who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.' This took
place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.
The Benedictus (Morning),
the Magnificat (Evening), or
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.
Prayer:
Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given.
Let us offer our prayers for the needs of the world.
Wonderful Counselor,
give your wisdom to the rulers of the nations...
We pray especially for the people of Palestine.
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.
Mighty God,
make the whole world know
that the government is on your shoulders...
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.
Everlasting Father,
establish your reign of justice and righteousness for ever...
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.
Prince of Peace,
bring in the endless kingdom of your peace...
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.
Lord of the Church,
hear our prayer,
and make us one in heart and mind
to serve you with joy for ever.
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.
God of power and life,
the glory of all who believe in you:
Fill the world with your splendor
and show the nations the light of your truth;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
Lord God, whose servants Basil and Gregory
proclaimed the mystery of your Word made flesh,
to build up your Church in wisdom and strength:
grant that we may rejoice in his presence among us,
and so be brought with them to know the power
of your unending love;
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.
Awaiting his coming in glory,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us:
- The Lord's Prayer
Rejoicing in the presence of God here among us,
let us pray in faith and trust:
- The Lord's Prayer
May the Christ who by becoming incarnate gathered into one
things earthly and heavenly,
bestow upon us the fullness of peace and goodwill. Amen.
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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 and the closing sentence are adapted from
_The Promise of His Glory_ (Mowbray), (c) The Central
Board of Finance of the Church of England 1990, 1991, which is used with
permission.
The collect is from _The Book of Alternative Services of The
Anglican Church of Canada_.
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.
Gregory of Nazianzus, his friend Basil the Great, and Basil's brother Gregory
of Nyssa, are jointly known as the Cappadocian Fathers (Cappadocia is a
region in what is now Central Turkey). Oremus follows the current calendars in the
Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church and celebrates the feasts of the first
two on January 2.
Gregory lived in a turbulent time. In 312, Constantine, having won a battle that
made him Emperor of the West, issued a decree that made it no longer a crime
to be a Christian. In 325 he summoned a council of Bishops at Nicea, across
the straits from Byzantium (Constantinople, Istanbul), to settle the dispute
between those (led by Athanasius) who taught that the Logos (the "Word" of
John 1:1, who "was made flesh and dwelt among us in the person of Jesus of
Nazareth) was completely God, in the same sense in which the Father is God,
and those (led by Arius) who taught that the Logos is a being created by God
the Father. The bishops assembled at Nicea declared that the view of
Athanasius was that which they had received from their predecessors as the
true Faith handed down from the Apostles.
The Arians did not accept defeat quietly. They created a sufficient disturbance
so that Constantine, at first inclined to support the decision of the Council,
decided that peace could best be obtained by adopting a Creed which simply
evaded the issue. After his death in 336, he was succeeded by various of his
relatives, some of whom sided with the Athanasians and some with the Arians,
and one of whom (Julian the Apostate, Emperor 361-363) attempted to restore
paganism as the religion of the Empire. The situation was complicated by the
fact that missionaries to the Goths were first sent out in large numbers during
the reign of an Arian Emperor, with the result that the Goths were converted
to Arian Christianity. Since the professional Army was composed chiefly of
Goth mercenaries, and the Army held the balance of power, this was a real
problem.
Gregory of Nazianzus was born about 330. He went to school in Athens with
his friend Basil, and with the aforesaid Julian. He and Basil compiled an
anthology, called the PHILOKALIA, of the works of the great (but somewhat
erratic) Alexandrian theologian, philosopher, and scholar of the previous
century, Origen. Later, he went home to assist his father, a bishop, in his
struggles against Arianism. Meanwhile, his friend Basil had become
Archbishop of (Cappadocian) Caesarea. Faced with a rival Arian bishop at
Tyana, he undertook to consolidate his position by maneuvering Gregory into
the position of Bishop of Sasima, an unhealthy settlement on the border
between the two jurisdictions. Gregory called Sasima "a detestable little place
without water or grass or any mark of civilization." He felt "like a bone flung
to dogs." He refused to reside at Sasima. Basil accused him of shirking his
duty. He accused Basil of making him a pawn in ecclesiastical politics. Their
friendship suffered a severe breach, which took some time to heal. Gregory
suffered a breakdown and retired to recuperate.
In 379, after the death of the Arian Emperor Valens, Gregory was asked to go
to Constantinople to preach there. For thirty years, the city had been controlled
by Arians or pagans, and the orthodox did not even have a church there.
Gregory went. He converted his own house there into a church and held
services in it. There he preached the Five Theological Orations for which he is
best known, a series of five sermons on the Trinity and in defense of the deity
of Christ. People flocked to hear him preach, and the city was largely won over
to the Athanasian (Trinitarian, catholic, orthodox) position by his powers of
persuasion. The following year, he was consecrated bishop of Constantinople.
He presided at the Council of Constantinple in 381, which confirmed the
Athanasian position of the earlier Council of Nicea in 325. Having
accomplished what he believed to be his mission at Constantinople, and heartily
sick of ecclesiastical politics, Gregory resigned and retired to his home town of
Nazianzus, where he died in 389.
Basil was born in Caesarea of Cappadocia, a province in what is now central
Turkey (more or less directly north of the easternmost part of the
Mediterranean, but with no seacoast). He was born in 329, after the
persecution of Christians had ceased, but with parents who could remember
the persecutions and had lived through them. He originally planned to become
a lawyer and orator, and studied at Athens (351-356), where two of his
classmates were Gregory of Nazianzus (who became a close friend) and the
future Emperor Julian the Apostate. When he returned home, the influence and
example of his sister Macrina led him to seek the monastic life instead, and
after making a tour of the monasteries of Egypt in 357, he founded a monastic
settlement near his home. He remained there only five years, but the influence
of his community was enormous. Whereas in the West there are numerous
monastic orders (Benedictines, Carthusians, etc.), in the East all monks are
Basilian monks. His Longer Rules and Shorter Rules for the monastic life
remain the standard. Basil expresses a definite preference for the communal life
of the monastery over the solitary life of the hermit, arguing that the Christian
life of mutual love and service is communal by its nature. In 367-8, when
Cappadocia suffered a severe and widespread famine, Basil sold his family's
very extensive land holdings in order to buy food for the starving, persuading
many others to follow his example, and putting on an apron to work in the
soup kitchen himself. In this crisis, he absolutely refused to allow any
distinction to be made between Jew and Christian, saying that the digestive
systems of the two are indistinguishable. He also built a hospital for the care of
the sick, housing for the poor, and a hospice for travelers.
These were the years between the First Ecumenical Council (Nicea, 325) and
the Second (Constantinople, 381), years in which it was uncertain whether the
Church would stand by the declaration made at Nicea that the Logos (the
"Word" -- see John 1:1) was fully God, equally with the Father, or seek a more
flexible formula in the hope of reconciliation with the Arians, who declared
themselves unalterably opposed to the Nicene wording. Basil had been
ordained priest in 362 in order to assist the new Bishop of Caesarea, whom he
succeeded in 370. (Since Caesarea was the capital, or metropolis, of the
province of Cappadocia, its bishop was automatically the metropolitan of
Cappadocia, which included about fifty dioceses (bishoprics). A metropolitan
was roughly what we would call an archbishop, although in ancient
terminology an "archbishop" was one step above a metropolitan.) By that time,
an Arian emperor, Valens, was ruling. Basil made it his policy to try to unite
the so-called semi-Arians with the Nicene party against the outright Arians,
making use of the formula "three persons (hypostases) in one substance
(ousia)," thus explicitly acknowledging a distinction between the Father and
the Son (a distinction that the Nicene party had been accused of blurring), and
at the same time insisting on their essential unity.
When the emperor Valens passed through Caesarea in 371, he demanded the
theological submission of Basil, who flatly refused. The imperial prefect
expressed astonishment at Basil's defiance, to which Basil replied, "Perhaps
you have never met a real bishop before." Valens retaliated by dividing the
province of Cappadocia into two provinces, with the result that the Arian
Bishop of Tyana became metropolitan of the new province of Western
Cappadocia. Basil responded by going political. He ramrodded his brother
Gregory of Nyssa and his friend Gregory of Nazianzus into bishoprics that they
did not want, and for which they were totally unsuited, so that he would have
the votes of those bishoprics when he needed them. (Neither Gregory ever
quite forgave him for this.) His interests were not exclusively theological: he
denounced and excommunicated those who owned houses of prostitution, he
worked to secure justice for the poor against those who oppressed them, and
he severely disciplined clergy who used their office to accumulate money or to
live too well at the expense of the faithful.
His most famous writings include the Hexaemeron ("The Six Days"), a series
of nine sermons on the days of creation, in which he speaks of the beauties of
the created world as revelations of the splendor of God. His Against Eunomius
defends the deity of Christ against an Arian writer, and his On The Holy Spirit
speaks of the deity of the Third Person of the Trinity, and the rightness of
worshipping Him together with the Father and the Son. In his Address To
Young Men (originally written for his nephews), he urges Christians to make
themselves acquainted with pagan philosophy and literature, arguing that this
will often lead to a deeper understanding of Christian truth. His personality
comes through most clearly in his letters, of which more than three hundred
have been preserved. Some deal with points of theology or ethics, some with
canon law, and many simply with everyday affairs. Ten times a year the Eastern
churches use the Liturgy of St. Basil rather than the more usual Liturgy of St.
John Chrysostom. It differs chiefly in having a more elaborate Anaphora (the
prayer of consecration offered over the bread and wine), expressing some of
his characteristic turns of thought, probably dating back to his time and used by
him, and possibly composed by him personally.
Basil died in 379, shortly after the death in battle of the Arian Valens removed
the chief threat to the Nicene faith to which Basil had devoted his life. He was
mourned by the entire city, and the weeping crowds at his funeral included
Christians, Jews, and pagans. [James Kiefer]
From steve.benner at oremus.org Fri Jan 2 17:00:00 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Fri, 2 Jan 2009 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS: 3 January 2009
Message-ID: <20090102170000.7FCF0313F83@justus2.anglican.org>
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OREMUS for Saturday, January 3, 2009
Vedanayagam Samuel Azariah, Bishop in South India, Evangelist, 1945
Lord, open our lips,
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Blessed are you, loving and merciful God,
you fill our hearts with joy
as we recognize in Christ the revelation of your love.
No eye can see his glory as our God,
yet now he is seen like one of us.
Christ is your Son before all ages,
yet now he is born in time.
He has come to lift up all things to himself,
to restore unity to creation,
and to lead us from exile into your heavenly kingdom.
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/chrocant.html
Psalm 34
I will bless the Lord at all times;*
his praise shall ever be in my mouth.
I will glory in the Lord;*
let the humble hear and rejoice.
Proclaim with me the greatness of the Lord;*
let us exalt his name together.
I sought the Lord and he answered me*
and delivered me out of all my terror.
Look upon him and be radiant,*
and let not your faces be ashamed.
I called in my affliction and the Lord heard me*
and saved me from all my troubles.
The angel of the Lord
encompasses those who fear him,*
and he will deliver them.
Taste and see that the Lord is good;*
happy are they who trust in him!
Fear the Lord, you that are his saints,*
for those who fear him lack nothing.
The young lions lack and suffer hunger,*
but those who seek the Lord
lack nothing that is good.
Come, children, and listen to me;*
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
Who among you loves life*
and desires long life to enjoy prosperity?
Keep your tongue from evil-speaking*
and your lips from lying words.
Turn from evil and do good;*
seek peace and pursue it.
The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous,*
and his ears are open to their cry.
The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,*
to root out the remembrance of them from the earth.
The righteous cry and the Lord hears them*
and delivers them from all their troubles.
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted*
and will save those whose spirits are crushed.
Many are the troubles of the righteous,*
but the Lord will deliver him out of them all.
He will keep safe all his bones;*
not one of them shall be broken.
Evil shall slay the wicked,*
and those who hate the righteous will be punished.
The Lord ransoms the life of his servants,*
and none will be punished who trust in him.
A Song of the Bride (Isaiah 61.10,11; 62.1-3)
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,
my soul shall exult in my God;
Who has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
and has covered me with the cloak of integrity,
As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
For as the earth puts forth her blossom,
and as seeds in the garden spring up,
So shall God make righteousness and praise
blossom before all the nations.
For Zion's sake I will not keep silent,
and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest,
Until her deliverance shines out like the dawn,
and her salvation as a burning torch.
The nations shall see your deliverance,
and all rulers shall see your glory;
Then you shall be called by a new name
which the mouth of God will give.
You shall be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord,
a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
Psalm 150
Alleluia!
Praise God in his holy temple;*
praise him in the firmament of his power.
Praise him for his mighty acts;*
praise him for his excellent greatness.
Praise him with the blast of the ram's-horn;*
praise him with lyre and harp.
Praise him with timbrel and dance;*
praise him with strings and pipe.
Praise him with resounding cymbals;*
praise him with loud-clanging cymbals.
Let everything that has breath*
praise the Lord.
Alleluia!
FIRST READING [Isaiah 64:4-end]:
>From ages past no one has heard,
no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,
who works for those who wait for him.
You meet those who gladly do right,
those who remember you in your ways.
But you were angry, and we sinned;
because you hid yourself we transgressed.
We have all become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth.
We all fade like a leaf,
and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
There is no one who calls on your name,
or attempts to take hold of you;
for you have hidden your face from us,
and have delivered us into the hand of our iniquity.
Yet, O Lord, you are our Father;
we are the clay, and you are our potter;
we are all the work of your hand.
Do not be exceedingly angry, O Lord,
and do not remember iniquity for ever.
Now consider, we are all your people.
Your holy cities have become a wilderness,
Zion has become a wilderness,
Jerusalem a desolation.
Our holy and beautiful house,
where our ancestors praised you,
has been burned by fire,
and all our pleasant places have become ruins.
After all this, will you restrain yourself, O Lord?
Will you keep silent, and punish us so severely?
HYMN
Words: Charles Wesley, 1747
Tune: Hyfrydol, Love Divine, Blaenwern
http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/l/l
531.html
Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus.
Love divine, all loves excelling,
joy of heaven, to earth come down,
fix in us thy humble dwelling,
all thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesus, thou art all compassion,
pure, unbounded love thou art;
visit us with thy salvation,
enter every trembling heart.
Come, almighty to deliver,
let us all thy life receive;
suddenly return, and never,
nevermore thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
serve thee as thy hosts above,
pray, and praise thee without ceasing,
glory in thy perfect love.
Finish then thy new creation;
pure and spotless let us be;
let us see thy great salvation
perfectly restored in thee:
changed from glory into glory,
till in heaven we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee,
lost in wonder, love, and praise.
SECOND READING [1 John 3:13-end]:
Do not be astonished, brothers and sisters, that the world hates you. We know that we
have passed from death to life because we love one another. Whoever does not love
abides in death. All who hate a brother or sister are murderers, and you know that
murderers do not have eternal life abiding in them. We know love by this, that he laid
down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. How does
God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or sister in
need and yet refuses help?
Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. And by this
we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him
whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows
everything. Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God;
and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and
do what pleases him.
And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus
Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. All who obey his
commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he
abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.
The Benedictus (Morning),
the Magnificat (Evening), or
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.
Prayer:
Father, your Son our Savior
was born as a child among us.
Renew your Church as the Body of Christ.
Holy God,
hear our prayer.
There was no room for your Son in the inn.
Protect with your love those who have no home
and all who live in poverty.
Holy God,
hear our prayer.
Mary, in the pain of labor, brought your Son to birth.
Hold in your hand all who are in pain or distress.
Holy God,
hear our prayer.
Your Christ came as a light shining in the darkness.
Bring comfort to all who suffer
in the sadness of our world.
Holy God,
hear our prayer.
The angels sang 'Peace to God's people on earth'.
Strengthen those who work
for peace and justice in all the world.
Holy God,
hear our prayer.
Shepherds in the fields heard good tidings of joy.
Give us grace to preach the gospel of Christ's redemption.
Holy God,
hear our prayer.
Heaven is come down to earth
and earth is raised to heaven.
Keep in safety all those who have passed through death
in the hope of heaven.
Holy God,
hear our prayer.
Christians the world over celebrate his birth.
Open our hearts that he may be born in us today.
Holy God,
hear our prayer.
Angels and shepherds worshiped at the manger throne.
Receive the worship we offer in fellowship
with Mary, Joseph and all the saints.
Holy God,
hear our prayer.
Do not face us, O living God,
with the choice of a world without justice
or a future without mercy;
in your mercy, establish justice
and in your justice, remember your overflowing mercy
in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Eternal God,
you called Vedanayagam Samuel Azariah to proclaim your glory
in a life of prayer and pastoral zeal:
keep the leaders of your Church faithful
and bless your people through their ministry,
that the Church may grow into the full stature
of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Awaiting his coming in glory,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us:
- The Lord's Prayer
Rejoicing in the presence of God here among us,
let us pray in faith and trust:
- The Lord's Prayer
May the Christ who by becoming incarnate gathered into one
things earthly and heavenly,
bestow upon us the fullness of peace and goodwill. Amen.
*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The
Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.
The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.
The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.
The opening prayer of thanksgiving and the closing sentence are adapted from
_The Promise of His Glory_ (Mowbray), (c) The Central
Board of Finance of the Church of England 1990, 1991, which is used with
permission.
The intercession is from _New Patterns for Worship_, copyright
(c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.
Samuel Azariah was born in 1874 in a small village in South India, his father,
Thomas Vedanayagam being a simple village priest and his mother Ellen
having a deep love and understanding of the Scriptures. Samuel became a
YMCA evangelist whilst still only nineteen, and secretary of the organisation
throughout South India a few years later. He saw that, for the Church in India
to grow and attract ordinary Indians to the Christian faith, it had to have an
indigenous leadership and reduce the strong western influences and almost
totally white leadership that pervaded it. He was ordained priest at the age of
thirty-five and bishop just three years later, his work moving from primary
evangelism to forwarding his desire for more Indian clergy and the need to
raise their educational standards. He was an avid ecumenist and was one of the
first to see the importance to mission of a united Church. He died on 1 January
1945, just two years before the creation of a united Church of South India.
From steve.benner at oremus.org Sat Jan 3 17:00:00 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Sat, 3 Jan 2009 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS: 4 January 2009
Message-ID: <20090103170000.A0FCB313FD3@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.
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OREMUS for Sunday, January 4, 2009
The Second Sunday after Christmas
Lord, open our lips,
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Blessed are you, loving and merciful God:
when peaceful silence lay over all,
and the night had run half of her swift course,
your all-powerful Word leaped down from heaven,
to take our flesh, to restore us to dignity,
and to reveal the power
of the new and everlasting covenant you have made with us:
For these and all your mercies, we praise you:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
Blessed be God for ever!
An opening canticle may be sung.
http://www.oremus.org/chrocant.html
Psalm 111
Alleluia!
I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,*
in the assembly of the upright, in the congregation.
Great are the deeds of the Lord!*
they are studied by all who delight in them.
His work is full of majesty and splendour,*
and his righteousness endures for ever.
He makes his marvellous works to be remembered;*
the Lord is gracious and full of compassion.
He gives food to those who fear him;*
he is ever mindful of his covenant.
He has shown his people the power of his works*
in giving them the lands of the nations.
The works of his hands are faithfulness and justice;*
all his commandments are sure.
They stand fast for ever and ever,*
because they are done in truth and equity.
He sent redemption to his people;
he commanded his covenant for ever;*
holy and awesome is his name.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;*
those who act accordingly have a good understanding;
his praise endures for ever.
Psalm 112
Alleluia!
Happy are they who fear the Lord*
and have great delight in his commandments!
Their descendants will be mighty in the land;*
the generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches will be in their house,*
and their righteousness will last for ever.
Light shines in the darkness for the upright;*
the righteous are merciful and full of compassion.
It is good for them to be generous in lending*
and to manage their affairs with justice.
For they will never be shaken;*
the righteous will be kept in everlasting remembrance.
They will not be afraid of any evil rumours;*
their heart is right;
they put their trust in the Lord.
Their heart is established and will not shrink,*
until they see their desire upon their enemies.
They have given freely to the poor,*
and their righteousness stands fast for ever;
they will hold up their head with honour.
The wicked will see it and be angry;
they will gnash their teeth and pine away;*
the desires of the wicked will perish.
A Song of the Messiah (Isaiah 9.2,3b,4a,6,7)
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
upon them the light has dawned.
You have increased their joy and given them great gladness;
they rejoiced before you as with joy at the harvest.
For you have shattered the yoke that burdened them;
the collar that lay heavy on their shoulders.
For to us a child is born and to us a son is given,
and the government will be upon his shoulder.
And his name will be called: Wonderful Counsellor;
the Mighty God;
the Everlasting Father; the Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish and uphold it with justice and righteousness.
>From this time forth and for evermore;
the zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Psalm 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 [Micah 4:1-5; 5:2-4]:
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.
But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient days.
Therefore he shall give them up until the time
when she who is in labour has brought forth;
then the rest of his kindred shall return
to the people of Israel.
And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great
to the ends of the earth.
HYMN
Words: Patrick Michaels, alt. 1989 by Hope Publishing Co., Carol Stream, IL
60188. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Tune: Salve Regina coelitum
http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/w/w447.html
Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus.
Who comes from God, as Word and Breath?
Holy Wisdom.
Who holds the keys of life and death?
Mighty Wisdom:
Crafter and Creator too,
eldest, she makes all things new;
she completes what God would do.
Wisest one, radiant one,
welcome, holy Wisdom!
Who lifts her voice for all to hear?
Joyful Wisdom.
Who shapes a thought and makes it clear?
Truthful Wisdom:
Teacher, drawing out our best,
magnifies what we invest,
names our truth, directs our quest.
Wisest one, radiant one,
welcome, holy Wisdom!
Whom should we seek with all our heart?
Loving Wisdom.
Who once revealed will not depart?
Faithful Wisdom:
Partner, Counselor, Comforter,
love has found none lovelier;
life is gladness lived with her.
Wisest one, radiant one,
welcome, holy Wisdom!
SECOND READING [Luke 2:21-32]:
After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called
Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought
him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord,
'Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord'), and they offered a
sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, 'a pair of turtle-doves or
two young pigeons.'
Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous
and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on
him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before
he had seen the Lord's Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple;
and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary
under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,
'Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,
according to your word;
for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel.'
The Benedictus (Morning),
the Magnificat (Evening), or
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.
Prayer:
As we begin this New Year, let us come before the Lord and present our concerns to
him.
For the peoples of the world as we begin this new year: that peace, dignity, respect for
the gift of life, and love for one another will be at the forefront of our minds and the
fuel for our actions.
For all those who have been tragically killed at the beginning of this new year; that
they will find eternal rest and peace in the company of the saints and their families find
comfort through faith in their grief.
For the people of the Gaza strip, living amid violent conflict and rising aggression; that
they will know God's protection, and that the work of those who long for peace in the
region bears fruit.
For those involved in conflict across the world, in Sri Lanka, in Gaza, in Iraq; that God
will protect the people and bring about a peaceful resolution to the difficulties there.
For the people of Zimbabwe, starving because food is either unavailable or too
expensive; that those who have plenty will share what they have with those who have
nothing.
For the Zimbabwean government, particularly their president Robert Mugabe; that
through the work of the Church, God will penetrate their hearts, bring them to
redemption and fill them with compassion for the people over whom they have great
power.
For all the people of the world, when it seems our societies are infected with violence,
and plagued by cruelty and other tensions. That hope will survive, good will prevail
and happiness result.
We offer these prayers, as always, in the name of Jesus Christ, your son, our Lord.
Amen.
Almighty God,
you have filled us with the light of the Word
who became flesh and lived among us:
Let the light of faith shine in all that we do;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
Rejoicing in the presence of God here among us,
let us pray in faith and trust:
- The Lord's Prayer
The Eternal Light shine in our hearts.
The Eternal Light deliver us from evil.
The Eternal God grant us a glimpse of glory. Amen.
*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The
Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.
The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.
The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.
The opening prayer of thanksgiving is by Stephen Benner. The closing prayer is by David
Adam.
The petitions are gathered by Redemptorist Publications and are published each Friday on
their website: http://www.rpbooks.co.uk/page.php?page=prayers
The collect is from _Book of Common Worship_, (c) 1993 Westminster /
John Knox Press.
From steve.benner at oremus.org Sun Jan 4 19:30:20 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Sun, 4 Jan 2009 19:30:20 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS: 5 January 2009
Message-ID: <20090104193020.179E2313C25@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, January 5, 2009
Lord, open our lips,
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Blessed are you, loving and merciful God:
when peaceful silence lay over all,
and the night had run half of her swift course,
your all-powerful Word leaped down from heaven,
to take our flesh, to restore us to dignity,
and to reveal the power
of the new and everlasting covenant you have made with us:
For these and all your mercies, we praise you:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
Blessed be God for ever!
An opening canticle may be sung.
Psalm 29
Ascribe to the Lord, you gods,*
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due to his name;*
worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
The voice of the Lord is upon the waters;
the God of glory thunders;*
the Lord is upon the mighty waters.
The voice of the Lord is a powerful voice;*
the voice of the Lord is a voice of splendour.
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedar trees;*
the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon;
He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,*
and Mount Hermon like a young wild ox.
The voice of the Lord splits the flames of fire;
the voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;*
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord makes the oak trees writhe*
and strips the forests bare.
And in the temple of the Lord*
all are crying, 'Glory!'
The Lord sits enthroned above the flood;*
the Lord sits enthroned as king for evermore.
The Lord shall give strength to his people;*
the Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace.
Psalm 98
Sing to the Lord a new song,*
for he has done marvellous things.
With his right hand and his holy arm*
has he won for himself the victory.
The Lord has made known his victory;*
his righteousness has he openly shown
in the sight of the nations.
He remembers his mercy and faithfulness
to the house of Israel,*
and all the ends of the earth have seen
the victory of our God.
Shout with joy to the Lord, all you lands;*
lift up your voice, rejoice and sing.
Sing to the Lord with the harp,*
with the harp and the voice of song.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn*
shout with joy before the King, the Lord.
Let the sea make a noise and all that is in it,*
the lands and those who dwell therein.
Let the rivers clap their hands,*
and let the hills ring out with joy before the Lord,
when he comes to judge the earth.
In righteousness shall he judge the world,*
and the peoples with equity.
A Song of God?s Love (1 John 4.7 11,12b)
Beloved, let us love one another,
for love is of God;
everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
Whoever does not love does not know God,
for God is love.
In this the love of God was revealed among us,
that God sent his only Son into the world,
so that we might live through him.
In this is love,
not that we loved God but that he loved us,
and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins.
Beloved, since God loved us so much,
we ought also to love one another.
For if we love one another, God abides in us,
and God?s love will be perfected in us.
Psalm 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 [Isaiah 66:18-23]:
For I know their works and their thoughts, and I am coming to gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and shall see my glory, and I will set a sign among them. From them I will send survivors to the nations, to Tarshish, Put, and Lud?which draw the bow?to Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands far away that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the nations. They shall bring all your kindred from all the nations as an offering to the Lord, on horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and on mules, and on dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the Lord, just as the Israelites bring a grain-offering in a clean vessel to the house of the Lord. And I will also take some of them as priests and as Levites, says the Lord.
For as the new heavens and the new earth,
???which I will make,
shall remain before me, says the?Lord,
???so shall your descendants and your name remain.
>From new moon to new moon,
???and from sabbath to sabbath,
all flesh shall come to worship before me,
says the Lord.
HYMN
Words: William Walsham How, 1854
Tune: Louez Dieu, St. Bees, Posen
http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/j/j142.html
Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus.
Jesus! Name of wondrous love!
Name all other names above!
Unto which must every knee
bow in deep humility.
Jesus! Name decreed of old,
to the maiden mother told,
kneeling in her lowly cell,
by the angel Gabriel.
Jesus! Name of priceless worth
to the fallen sons of earth,
for the promise that it gave,
"Jesus shall his people save."
Jesus! Name of mercy mild,
given to the holy Child
when the cup of human woe
first he tasted here below.
Jesus! only Name that's given,
under all the mighty heaven,
whereby man, to sin enslaved,
burst his fetters and is saved.
Jesus! Name of wondrous love!
Human Name of God above!
Pleading only this we flee,
helpless, O our God, to thee.
SECOND READING [1 John 5]:
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, for whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith. Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
This is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the water only but with the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one that testifies, for the Spirit is the truth. There are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood, and these three agree. If we receive human testimony, the testimony of God is greater; for this is the testimony of God that he has testified to his Son. Those who believe in the Son of God have the testimony in their hearts. Those who do not believe in God have made him a liar by not believing in the testimony that God has given concerning his Son. And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
And this is the boldness we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the requests made of him. If you see your brother or sister committing what is not a mortal sin, you will ask, and God will give life to such a one?to those whose sin is not mortal. There is sin that is mortal; I do not say that you should pray about that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that is not mortal.
We know that those who are born of God do not sin, but the one who was born of God protects them, and the evil one does not touch them. We know that we are God?s children, and that the whole world lies under the power of the evil one. And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
Little children, keep yourselves from idols.
The Benedictus (Morning),
the Magnificat (Evening), or
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.
Prayer:
In this season of shining hope, let us call to mind the prophet's vision:
If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
Your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noon day.
God of tender compassion:
Hear the cry of your children whose hope is faint.
Lord, in mercy, hear our prayer.
Ruler of all nations, prince of peace:
Bring an end to violence and the starvation linked with war.
Lord, in mercy, hear our prayer.
Promised Savior,
who will faithfully bring forth justice:
Overturn oppression and greed;
raise up those whom the world has brought low.
Lord, in mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy child, stable-born:
Provide warm shelter for the homeless poor,
and help us to see you in every guest.
Lord, in mercy, hear our prayer.
Infant of Bethlehem, brought in haste to Egypt:
Console all driven from home by cruel threat,
and protect all who must wander in search of refuge.
Lord, in mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, just and true,
you make your salvation known in the sight of the nations;
let the song of our hearts echo the music of your creation,
as you come among us to judge the earth
in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
Rejoicing in the presence of God here among us,
let us pray in faith and trust:
The Lord's Prayer
The Eternal Light shine in our hearts.
The Eternal Light deliver us from evil.
The Eternal God grant us a glimpse of glory. Amen.
*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.
The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.
The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.
The opening prayer of thanksgiving is by Stephen Benner. The closing prayer is by David Adam.
From steve.benner at oremus.org Mon Jan 5 22:08:20 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Mon, 5 Jan 2009 22:08:20 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS: 6 January 2009
Message-ID: <20090105220820.670A1313ED8@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 , 2009
The Epiphany
Lord, open our lips,
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Blessed are you, Sovereign God,
our light and our salvation,
to you be glory and praise for ever.
Your light springs up for the righteous
and all the peoples have seen your glory.
You gave the Christ as a light to the nations,
and through the anointing of the Spirit
you established us as a royal priesthood.
You call us into your marvelous light,
that our lives may bear witness to your truth
and our lips never cease to proclaim 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.
Psalm 72
Give the king your justice, O God,*
and your righteousness to the king's son;
That he may rule your people righteously*
and the poor with justice;
That the mountains may bring prosperity to the people,*
and the little hills bring righteousness.
He shall defend the needy among the people;*
he shall rescue the poor and crush the oppressor.
He shall live as long as the sun and moon endure,*
from one generation to another.
He shall come down like rain upon the mown field,*
like showers that water the earth.
In his time shall the righteous flourish;*
there shall be abundance of peace
till the moon shall be no more.
He shall rule from sea to sea,*
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
His foes shall bow down before him,*
and his enemies lick the dust.
The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall pay tribute,*
and the kings of Arabia and Saba offer gifts.
All kings shall bow down before him,*
and all the nations do him service.
For he shall deliver the poor who cries out in distress,*
and the oppressed who has no helper.
He shall have pity on the lowly and poor;*
he shall preserve the lives of the needy.
He shall redeem their lives from oppression and violence,*
and dear shall their blood be in his sight.
Long may he live,
and may there be given to him gold from Arabia;*
may prayer be made for him always,
and may they bless him all the day long.
May there be abundance of grain on the earth,
growing thick even on the hilltops;*
may its fruit flourish like Lebanon,
and its grain like grass upon the earth.
May his name remain for ever
and be established as long as the sun endures;*
may all the nations bless themselves in him
and call him blessed.
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,*
who alone does wondrous deeds!
And blessed be his glorious name for ever!*
and may all the earth be filled with his glory.
Amen. Amen.
>
A Song of Christ's Appearing (1 Timothy 3.16;6.15,16)
Christ Jesus was revealed in the flesh
and vindicated in the spirit.
He was seen by angels
and proclaimed among the nations.
Believed in throughout the world,
he was taken up in glory.
This will be made manifest at the proper time
by the blessed and only Sovereign,
Who alone has immortality,
and dwells in unapproachable light.
To the King of kings and Lord of lords
be honour and eternal dominion. Amen.
Psalm 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 [Isaiah 60:1-9]:
Arise, shine; for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
For darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will appear over you.
Nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
Lift up your eyes and look around;
they all gather together, they come to you;
your sons shall come from far away,
and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses' arms.
Then you shall see and be radiant;
your heart shall thrill and rejoice,
because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you,
the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
A multitude of camels shall cover you,
the young camels of Midian and Ephah;
all those from Sheba shall come.
They shall bring gold and frankincense,
and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.
All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered to you,
the rams of Nebaioth shall minister to you;
they shall be acceptable on my altar,
and I will glorify my glorious house.
Who are these that fly like a cloud,
and like doves to their windows?
For the coastlands shall wait for me,
the ships of Tarshish first,
to bring your children from far away,
their silver and gold with them,
for the name of the Lord your God,
and for the Holy One of Israel,
because he has glorified you.
HYMN
Words: Christopher Smart (1722-1771)
Tune: Rustington, Kit Smart, Ottery St. Mary, Castiglione
http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/w/w407.html
Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus.
Where is this stupendous stranger?
Prophets, shepherds, kings, advise.
Lead me to my Master's manger,
show me where my Savior lies.
O Most Mighty! O Most Holy!
Far beyond the seraph's thought:
art thou then so weak and lowly
as unheeded prophets taught?
O the magnitude of meekness!
Worth from worth immortal sprung;
O the strength of infant weakness,
if eternal is so young!
God all-bounteous, all-creative,
whom no ills from good dissuade,
is incarnate, and a native
of the very world he made.
SECOND READING [2 Corinthians 4:1-6]:
Therefore, since it is by God?s mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart. We have renounced the shameful things that one hides; we refuse to practise cunning or to falsify God?s word; but by the open statement of the truth we commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus? sake. For it is the God who said, ?Let light shine out of darkness?, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
The Benedictus (Morning), the
Magnificat (Evening), or
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.
Prayer:
God,
whose promise is for all nations,
sustain the Christmas glory still.
May the Lord shine upon us
and by the Holy Spirit reveal your plan.
We pray to our God:
May your love be near.
Let us pray for God's light:
silence
May the nations walk by your light
and kings and queens by your shining radiance.
Let all search together for profound peace.
We pray to our God:
May your love be near.
Let us pray for those without strength:
silence
Save the lives of the poor.
Rescue them when they cry out.
Govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with careful judgment.
We pray to our God:
May your love be near.
Let us pray for unity among all believers.
silence
Bring the new epiphany
where all will share the promise and rise in splendor.
In the Spirit, all are called to love.
We pray to our God:
May your love be near.
Everlasting God,
the radiance of faithful souls,
who brought the nations to your light
and kings to the brightness of your rising:
Fill the world with your glory,
and show yourself to all the nations;
through him who is the true light and the bright morning star,
Jesus Christ your Son, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
Rejoicing in the presence of God here among us,
let us pray in faith and trust:
- The Lord's Prayer
May Christ, the Son of God, be manifest to us
that our lives may be a light to the world. Amen.
*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.
The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.
The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.
The collect is from _Book of Common Worship_, (c) 1993
Westminster / John Knox Press.
The intercession (adapted) and the closing sentence are from _Chalice Worship_, (c) Chalice Press, 1997. Reproduced with permission.
From steve.benner at oremus.org Tue Jan 6 17:30:41 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Tue, 6 Jan 2009 17:30:41 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS: 7 January 2009
Message-ID: <20090106173041.E9B40313F58@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, January 7, 2009
Lord, open our lips,
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Blessed are you, Sovereign God,
our light and our salvation,
to you be glory and praise for ever.
Your light springs up for the righteous
and all the peoples have seen your glory.
You gave the Christ as a light to the nations,
and through the anointing of the Spirit
you established us as a royal priesthood.
You call us into your marvelous light,
that our lives may bear witness to your truth
and our lips never cease to proclaim 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.
Psalm 97
The Lord is king; let the earth rejoice;*
let the multitude of the isles be glad.
Clouds and darkness are round about him,*
righteousness and justice
are the foundations of his throne.
A fire goes before him*
and burns up his enemies on every side.
His lightnings light up the world;*
the earth sees it and is afraid.
The mountains melt like wax
at the presence of the Lord,*
at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
The heavens declare his righteousness,*
and all the peoples see his glory.
Confounded be all who worship carved images
and delight in false gods!*
Bow down before him, all you gods.
Zion hears and is glad and the cities of Judah rejoice,*
because of your judgements, O Lord.
For you are the Lord: most high over all the earth;*
you are exalted far above all gods.
The Lord loves those who hate evil;*
he preserves the lives of his saints
and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
Light has sprung up for the righteous,*
and joyful gladness for those who are true hearted.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,*
and give thanks to his holy name.
Psalm 99
The Lord is king; let the people tremble;*
he is enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth shake.
The Lord is great in Zion;*
he is high above all peoples.
Let them confess his name, which is great and awesome;*
he is the Holy One.
'O mighty King, lover of justice,
you have established equity;*
you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.'
Proclaim the greatness of the Lord our God
and fall down before his footstool;*
he is the Holy One.
Moses and Aaron among his priests,
and Samuel among those who call upon his name,*
they called upon the Lord and he answered them.
He spoke to them out of the pillar of cloud;*
they kept his testimonies
and the decree that he gave them.
'O Lord our God, you answered them indeed;*
you were a God who forgave them,
yet punished them for their evil deeds.'
Proclaim the greatness of the Lord our God
and worship him upon his holy hill;*
for the Lord our God is the Holy One.
A Song of Christ's Appearing (1 Timothy 3.16;6.15,16)
Christ Jesus was revealed in the flesh
and vindicated in the spirit.
He was seen by angels
and proclaimed among the nations.
Believed in throughout the world,
he was taken up in glory.
This will be made manifest at the proper time
by the blessed and only Sovereign,
Who alone has immortality,
and dwells in unapproachable light.
To the King of kings and Lord of lords
be honour and eternal dominion. Amen.
Psalm 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 [Isaiah 42:1-9]:
Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
???my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my spirit upon him;
???he will bring forth justice to the nations.
He will not cry or lift up his voice,
???or make it heard in the street;
a bruised reed he will not break,
???and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;
???he will faithfully bring forth justice.
He will not grow faint or be crushed
???until he has established justice in the earth;
???and the coastlands wait for his teaching.
Thus says God, the Lord,
???who created the heavens and stretched them out,
???who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people upon it
???and spirit to those who walk in?it:
I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness,
???I have taken you by the hand and kept you;
I have given you as a covenant to the people,
???a light to the nations,
???to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
???from the prison those who sit in darkness.
I am the Lord, that is my name;
???my glory I give to no other,
???nor my praise to idols.
See, the former things have come to?pass,
???and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth,
???I tell you of them.
HYMN
Words: Isaac Watts (1674-1748)
Tune: Truro, Dunedin, Warrington, Rimington
http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/g/g037.html
Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus.
Give to our God immortal praise,
Mercy and truth are all his ways:
Wonders of grace to God belong,
Repeat his mercies in your song.
Give to the Lord of lords renown;
The King of kings with glory crown;
His mercies ever shall endure,
When lords and kings are known no more.
He built the earth, he spread the sky.
And fixed the starry lights on high:
Wonders of grace to God belong,
Repeat his mercies in your song.
He fills the sun with morning light,
He bids the moon direct the night:
His mercies shall ever endure,
When suns and moons shall shine no more!
He sent his Son with power to save
>From guilt and darkness and the grave:
Wonders of grace to God belong,
Repeat his mercies in your song.
Through this vain world he guides our feet,
And leads us to his heavenly seat:
His mercies shall for ever endure.
When this vain world shall be no more.
SECOND READING [Matthew 3:13-end]:
Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, ?I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?? But Jesus answered him, ?Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfil all righteousness.? Then he consented. And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, ?This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.?
The Benedictus (Morning),
the Magnificat (Evening), or
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ,
wise visitors from the East worshiped and adored you;
they brought you gifts gold, frankincense and myrrh.
We too have seen your glory,
but we have often turned away.
Lord, in your mercy,
shine your light on us.
We too have gifts,
but we have not fully used them or offered them to you.
Lord, in your mercy,
shine your light on us.
We too have acclaimed you as King,
but we have not served you with all our strength.
Lord, in your mercy,
shine your light on us.
We too have acknowledged you as God,
but we have not desired holiness.
Lord, in your mercy,
shine your light on us.
We too have welcomed you as Savior,
but we have failed to tell others of your grace.
Lord, in your mercy,
shine your light on us.
In the face of Jesus Christ,
your light and glory have blazed forth
to all the nations, O God;
with all your people,
may we make known your grace
and live out your ways of peace. Amen.
All creation was astonished at your appearing, O Christ,
for in your presence no one living can be justified,
yet you have redeemed us and we rejoice in your salvation:
grant that your righteousness may illuminate our hearts
to the glory of your Name. Amen.
Believing the promises of God,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us:
The Lord's Prayer
May Christ, the Son of God, be manifest in us
that our lives may be a light to the world. Amen.
*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.
The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.
The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.
The opening prayer of thanksgiving and the closing sentence are adapted from _The Promise of His Glory_ (Mowbray), (c) The Central Board of Finance of the Church of England 1990, 1991, which is used with permission.
The intercession is from _Chalice Worship_, (c) Chalice Press, 1997. Reproduced with permission. The response is by Stephen Benner.
From steve.benner at oremus.org Wed Jan 7 17:00:00 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Wed, 7 Jan 2009 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS: 8 January 2009
Message-ID: <20090107170000.B6654313E14@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, January 8, 2009
Lord, open our lips,
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Blessed are you, Sovereign God,
our light and our salvation,
to you be glory and praise for ever.
Your light springs up for the righteous
and all the peoples have seen your glory.
You gave the Christ as a light to the nations,
and through the anointing of the Spirit
you established us as a royal priesthood.
You call us into your marvelous light,
that our lives may bear witness to your truth
and our lips never cease to proclaim 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.
Psalm 93
The Lord is king; he has put on splendid apparel;*
the Lord has put on his apparel
and girded himself with strength.
He has made the whole world so sure*
that it cannot be moved;
Ever since the world began,
your throne has been established;*
you are from everlasting.
The waters have lifted up, O Lord,
the waters have lifted up their voice;*
the waters have lifted up their pounding waves.
Mightier than the sound of many waters,
mightier than the breakers of the sea,*
mightier is the Lord who dwells on high.
Your testimonies are very sure,*
and holiness adorns your house, O Lord,
for ever and for evermore.
Psalm 96
Sing to the Lord a new song;*
sing to the Lord, all the whole earth.
Sing to the Lord and bless his name;*
proclaim the good news of his salvation from day to day.
Declare his glory among the nations*
and his wonders among all peoples.
For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised;*
he is more to be feared than all gods.
As for all the gods of the nations, they are but idols;*
but it is the Lord who made the heavens.
O the majesty and magnificence of his presence!*
O the power and the splendour of his sanctuary!
Ascribe to the Lord, you families of the peoples;*
ascribe to the Lord honour and power.
Ascribe to the Lord the honour due to his name;*
bring offerings and come into his courts.
Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness;*
let the whole earth tremble before him.
Tell it out among the nations: 'The Lord is king!*
he has made the world so firm that it cannot be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity.'
Let the heavens rejoice and let the earth be glad;
let the sea thunder and all that is in it;*
let the field be joyful and all that is therein.
Then shall all the trees of the wood shout for joy
before the Lord when he comes,*
when he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness*
and the peoples with his truth.
A Song of the Blessed (Matthew 5.3-10)
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger
and thirst after righteousness,
for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called children of God.
Blessed are those who suffer persecution
for righteousness' sake,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Rejoice and be glad
for you are the light of the world,
and great is your reward in heaven.
Psalm 148
Alleluia!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;*
praise him in the heights.
Praise him, all you angels of his;*
praise him, all his host.
Praise him, sun and moon;*
praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, heaven of heavens,*
and you waters above the heavens.
Let them praise the name of the Lord;*
for he commanded and they were created.
He made them stand fast for ever and ever;*
he gave them a law which shall not pass away.
Praise the Lord from the earth,*
you sea monsters and all deeps;
Fire and hail, snow and fog,*
tempestuous wind, doing his will;
Mountains and all hills,*
fruit trees and all cedars;
Wild beasts and all cattle,*
creeping things and winged birds;
Kings of the earth and all peoples,*
princes and all rulers of the world;
Young men and maidens,*
old and young together.
Let them praise the name of the Lord,*
for his name only is exalted,
his splendour is over earth and heaven.
He has raised up strength for his people
and praise for all his loyal servants,*
the children of Israel, a people who are near him.
Alleluia!
FIRST READING [Isaiah 45:20-end]:
Assemble yourselves and come together,
???draw near, you survivors of the nations!
They have no knowledge?
???those who carry about their wooden idols,
and keep on praying to a god
???that cannot save.
Declare and present your case;
???let them take counsel together!
Who told this long ago?
???Who declared it of old?
Was it not I, the Lord?
???There is no other god besides me,
a righteous God and a Saviour;
???there is no one besides me.
Turn to me and be saved,
???all the ends of the earth!
???For I am God, and there is no?other.
By myself I have sworn,
???from my mouth has gone forth in righteousness
???a word that shall not return:
?To me every knee shall bow,
???every tongue shall swear.?
Only in the Lord, it shall be said of?me,
???are righteousness and strength;
all who were incensed against him
???shall come to him and be ashamed.
In the Lord all the offspring of Israel
???shall triumph and glory.
HYMN
Words: Frank Mason North, 1903
Tune: Gardiner
http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/w/w404.html
Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus.
Where cross the crowded ways of life,
where sound the cries of race and clan,
above the noise of selfish strife,
we hear thy voice, O Son of Man.
In haunts of wretchedness and need,
on shadowed thresholds dark with fears,
from paths where hide the lures of greed,
we catch the vision of thy tears.
>From tender childhoods helplessness,
from woman's grief, man's burdened toil,
from famished souls, from sorrow's stress,
thy heart has never known recoil.
The cup of water given for thee
still holds the freshness of thy grace;
yet long these multitudes to see
the sweet compassion of thy face.
O Master, from the mountain side,
make haste to heal these hearts of pain;
among these restless throngs abide,
O tread the city's streets again;
Till all the world shall learn thy love,
and follow where thy feet have trod;
till glorious from thy heaven above,
shall come the city of our God.
SECOND READING [Mark 9:2-13]:
Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus, ?Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.? He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, ?This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!? Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus.
As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead could mean. Then they asked him, ?Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?? He said to them, ?Elijah is indeed coming first to restore all things. How then is it written about the Son of Man, that he is to go through many sufferings and be treated with contempt? But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written about him.?
The Benedictus (Morning),
the Magnificat (Evening), or
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.
Prayer:
>From the rising of the sun to its setting, let us pray to the Lord.
That the people of God in all the world
may worship in spirit and in truth,
let us pray to the Lord:
Reveal your glory, O Lord.
That the Church may discover again that unity which is your gift,
let us pray to the Lord:
Reveal your glory, O Lord.
That the nations of the earth
may seek after the ways that make for peace;
we pray especially for Jordan,
let us pray to the Lord:
Reveal your glory, O Lord.
That the whole creation, groaning in travail,
may be set free to enjoy the glorious liberty
of the children of God,
let us pray to the Lord:
Reveal your glory, O Lord.
That all who with Christ have entered the shadow of death
may find the fulfilment of life and peace,
let us pray to the Lord:
Reveal your glory, O Lord.
With all the saints in light,
let us offer eternal praise to the Lord made manifest:
Lord God, whom we worship in the beauty of holiness,
receive our prayer;
as we tell out your salvation
and declare your glory to all nations,
that all the earth may see your righteous deeds
and glorify your holy name;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Believing the promises of God,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us:
The Lord's Prayer
May Christ, the Son of God, be manifest in us
that our lives may be a light to the world. Amen.
*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.
The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.
The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.
The opening prayer of thanksgiving and the closing sentence are adapted from _The Promise of His Glory_ (Mowbray), (c) The Central Board of Finance of the Church of England 1990, 1991, which is used with permission.
From steve.benner at oremus.org Thu Jan 8 17:00:01 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2009 17:00:01 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS: 9 January 2009
Message-ID: <20090108170001.4188F313F23@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, January 9, 2009
William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury, 1645
Lord, open our lips,
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Blessed are you, Sovereign God,
our light and our salvation,
to you be glory and praise for ever.
Your light springs up for the righteous
and all the peoples have seen your glory.
You gave the Christ as a light to the nations,
and through the anointing of the Spirit
you established us as a royal priesthood.
You call us into your marvelous light,
that our lives may bear witness to your truth
and our lips never cease to proclaim 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.
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 Praise (Revelation 4.11; 5.9b,10)
You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honour and power.
For you have created all things,
and by your will they have their being.
You are worthy, O Lamb, for you were slain,
and by your blood you ransomed for God
saints from every tribe and language and nation.
You have made them to be a kingdom and priests
serving our God,
and they will reign with you on earth.
Psalm 149
Alleluia!
Sing to the Lord a new song;*
sing his praise in the congregation of the faithful.
Let Israel rejoice in his maker;*
let the children of Zion be joyful in their king.
Let them praise his name in the dance;*
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the Lord takes pleasure in his people*
and adorns the poor with victory.
Let the faithful rejoice in triumph;*
let them be joyful on their beds.
Let the praises of God be in their throat*
and a two edged sword in their hand;
To wreak vengeance on the nations*
and punishment on the peoples;
To bind their kings in chains*
and their nobles with links of iron;
To inflict on them the judgement decreed;*
this is glory for all his faithful people.
Alleluia!
FIRST READING [Isaiah 49:8-13, 22-23]:
Thus says the Lord:
In a time of favour I have answered you,
???on a day of salvation I have helped you;
I have kept you and given you
???as a covenant to the people,
to establish the land,
???to apportion the desolate heritages;
saying to the prisoners, ?Come out?,
???to those who are in darkness, ?Show yourselves.?
They shall feed along the ways,
???on all the bare heights shall be their pasture;
they shall not hunger or thirst,
???neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them down,
for he who has pity on them will lead them,
???and by springs of water will guide them.
And I will turn all my mountains into a road,
???and my highways shall be raised?up.
Lo, these shall come from far away,
???and lo, these from the north and from the west,
???and these from the land of Syene.
Sing for joy, O?heavens, and exult, O?earth;
???break forth, O?mountains, into singing!
For the Lord has comforted his people,
???and will have compassion on his suffering ones.
Thus says the Lord God:
I will soon lift up my hand to the nations,
???and raise my signal to the peoples;
and they shall bring your sons in their bosom,
???and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders.
Kings shall be your foster-fathers,
???and their queens your nursing-mothers.
With their faces to the ground they shall bow down to you,
???and lick the dust of your feet.
Then you will know that I am the Lord;
???those who wait for me shall not be put to shame.
HYMN
Words: Alan Gaunt (c)
Tune: Donne secours
Copyright information is found at:
http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/a/a349.html
Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus.
As powers of good so wonderfully hide us,
we face the future boldly, come what may;
at dawn or dusk our God is still beside us,
to whom we trust, completely, each new day.
Yet still old torments cause consternation;
through days of fear and grief we have despaired.
O, give our tortured souls, Lord, your salvation:
the healing you have promised and prepared.
Then offer us the cup of desolation,
brimfull of bitterness, and we will stand
and drink with thanks, in spite of trepidation,
from such a dearly loved and gracious hand.
Yet should you bring us back to share the gladness
of this bright world, your sunshine breaking through,
we would remember times of pain and sadness
and offer up the whole of life to you.
As evening falls, the candles we have lighted
will point us through the darkness to your light;
we long to be with loved ones, reunited;
we know your love outshines the darkest night.
As silence deepens, let us hear the chorus
that harmonizes earth's discordant days,
poured out from the unseen that lies before us:
your children's soaring song of endless praise.
By powers of good so faithfully surrounded,
secure and comforted in spite of fear,
we live each day with you Lord, unconfounded,
and go with you to meet the coming year.
SECOND READING [1 John 1:1-9]:
We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life? this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us? we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
The Benedictus (Morning),
the Magnificat (Evening), or
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.
Prayer:
To Jesus, redeemer of the peoples,
let us lift our praises, saying:
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, you are the faithful guide
of those who seek you with a pure heart:
Lord, have mercy.
You came among us
to usher in your kingdom of peace:
Lord, have mercy.
O Lord, encompassed in light as with a cloak,
you conquer the darkness of our night:
Lord, have mercy.
You change our vessels of water
into the gladdening wine of new life:
Lord, have mercy.
O bread eternal,
you feed the hunger of your people
in desert places:
Lord, have mercy.
God revealed in Christ,
let the splendour of your glory
flood our hearts and minds,
that we may learn to worship
in spirit and in truth;
through Jesus Christ, who is one with you and the Holy Spirit,
now and for ever. Amen.
Believing the promises of God,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us:
The Lord's Prayer
May Christ, the Son of God, be manifest in us
that our lives may be a light to the world. Amen.
*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.
The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.
The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.
The opening prayer of thanksgiving and the closing sentence are adapted from _The Promise of His Glory_ (Mowbray), (c) The Central Board of Finance of the Church of England 1990, 1991, which is used with permission.
From steve.benner at oremus.org Fri Jan 9 17:14:43 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Fri, 9 Jan 2009 17:14:43 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS: 10 January 2009
Message-ID: <20090109171443.602C9313E76@justus2.anglican.org>
*******************************************************
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OREMUS for Saturday, January 10, 2009
William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury, 1645
Lord, open our lips,
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Blessed are you, Sovereign God,
our light and our salvation,
to you be glory and praise for ever.
Your light springs up for the righteous
and all the peoples have seen your glory.
You gave the Christ as a light to the nations,
and through the anointing of the Spirit
you established us as a royal priesthood.
You call us into your marvelous light,
that our lives may bear witness to your truth
and our lips never cease to proclaim 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.
Psalm 48
Great is the Lord and highly to be praised;*
in the city of our God is his holy hill.
Beautiful and lofty, the joy of all the earth,
is the hill of Zion,*
the very centre of the world
and the city of the great king.
God is in her citadels;*
he is known to be her sure refuge.
Behold, the kings of the earth assembled*
and marched forward together.
They looked and were astounded;*
they retreated and fled in terror.
Trembling seized them there;*
they writhed like a woman in childbirth,
like ships of the sea when the east wind shatters them.
As we have heard, so have we seen,
in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God;*
God has established her for ever.
We have waited in silence
on your loving kindness, O God,*
in the midst of your temple.
Your praise, like your name, O God,
reaches to the world's end;*
your right hand is full of justice.
Let Mount Zion be glad
and the cities of Judah rejoice,*
because of your judgements.
Make the circuit of Zion; walk round about her;*
count the number of her towers.
Consider well her bulwarks; examine her strongholds;*
that you may tell those who come after.
This God is our God for ever and ever;*
he shall be our guide for evermore.
A Song of the Bride (Isaiah 61.10,11; 62.1-3)
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,
my soul shall exult in my God;
Who has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
and has covered me with the cloak of integrity,
As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
For as the earth puts forth her blossom,
and as seeds in the garden spring up,
So shall God make righteousness and praise
blossom before all the nations.
For Zion's sake I will not keep silent,
and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest,
Until her deliverance shines out like the dawn,
and her salvation as a burning torch.
The nations shall see your deliverance,
and all rulers shall see your glory;
Then you shall be called by a new name
which the mouth of God will give.
You shall be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord,
a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
Psalm 150
Alleluia!
Praise God in his holy temple;*
praise him in the firmament of his power.
Praise him for his mighty acts;*
praise him for his excellent greatness.
Praise him with the blast of the ram's horn;*
praise him with lyre and harp.
Praise him with timbrel and dance;*
praise him with strings and pipe.
Praise him with resounding cymbals;*
praise him with loud clanging cymbals.
Let everything that has breath*
praise the Lord.
Alleluia!
FIRST READING [Isaiah 19:19-end]:
On that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the centre of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the Lord at its border. It will be a sign and a witness to the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt; when they cry to the Lord because of oppressors, he will send them a saviour, and will defend and deliver them. The Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians; and the Egyptians will know the Lord on that day, and will worship with sacrifice and burnt-offering, and they will make vows to the Lord and perform them. The Lord will strike Egypt, striking and healing; they will return to the Lord, and he will listen to their supplications and heal them.
On that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian will come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians.
On that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom the Lord of hosts has blessed, saying, ?Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my heritage.?
HYMN
Words: Horatio R. Palmer (1834-1907), 1868
Tune: Yield Not to Temptation
http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/y/y033.html
Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus.
Yield not to temptation, for yielding is sin;
each victory will help you some other to win;
fight manfully onward, dark passions subdue,
look ever to Jesus, he'll carry you through.
Refrain:
Ask the Savior to help you,
comfort, strengthen and keep you;
he is willing to aid you,
he will carry you through.
Shun evil companions, bad language disdain,
God's Name hold in reverence, nor take it in vain;
be thoughtful and earnest, kindhearted and true,
look ever to Jesus, he'll carry you through. Refrain
To him that o'ercometh, God giveth a crown;
Through faith we shall conquer, though often cast down;
He Who is our Savior our strength will renew;
Look ever to Jesus, He'll carry you through. Refrain
SECOND READING [Colossians 2:6-17]:
As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have come to fullness in him, who is the head of every ruler and authority. In him also you were circumcised with a spiritual circumcision, by putting off the body of the flesh in the circumcision of Christ; when you were buried with him in baptism, you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. And when you were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive together with him, when he forgave us all our trespasses, erasing the record that stood against us with its legal demands. He set this aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in it.
Therefore do not let anyone condemn you in matters of food and drink or of observing festivals, new moons, or sabbaths. These are only a shadow of what is to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.
The Benedictus (Morning),
the Magnificat (Evening), or
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.
Prayer:
We pray for the coming of God's kingdom:
You came in Jesus to bring good news to the poor,
sight to the blind, freedom to the captives,
and salvation to your people:
anoint us with your Spirit;
rouse us to work in his name.
Father, by your Spirit:
bring in your kingdom.
Send us to bring help to the poor
and freedom to the oppressed.
Father, by your Spirit:
bring in your kingdom.
Send us to tell the world
the good news of your healing love.
We pray for the people of Oman.
Father, by your Spirit:
bring in your kingdom.
Send us to those who mourn,
to bring joy and gladness instead of grief.
Father, by your Spirit:
bring in your kingdom.
Send us to proclaim that the time is here
for you to save your people.
Father, by your Spirit:
bring in your kingdom.
Gracious God,
you have made us fellow citizens with the saints
in the city of eternal light.
In the time of storm, when the foundations shake,
teach us to wait in silence
on your steadfast and transforming love,
made known to us in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
O God, the everlasting Sovereign,
you ordain the whole of our nature
for delight in the beauty of holiness,
that we may reverence you with our bodies
even as we worship you with our souls.
Lead us in the way of your servant William Laud,
and grant us so to be mindful of his service
that we may never grow weary in our earnest care
for the integrity and welfare of your Church;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Believing the promises of God,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us:
The Lord's Prayer
May Christ, the Son of God, be manifest in us
that our lives may be a light to the world. Amen.
*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.
The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.
The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.
The opening prayer of thanksgiving and the closing sentence are adapted from _The Promise of His Glory_ (Mowbray), (c) The Central Board of Finance of the Church of England 1990, 1991, which is used with permission.
William Laud, born in 1573, was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1633 to 1645 in the days of King Charles I. It was a turbulent time throughout, one of violent divisions in the Church of England, eventually culminating in the English Civil War.
An example is the surplice controversy. We have all encountered Christians who are
opposed to celebrating Christmas on the grounds that (a) the Bible nowhere commands us to celebrate Christmas, and does not mention the 25th of December; and (b) the pagans had a festival in December at which they built fires and feasted and exchanged gifts, from which it follows that those who celebrate Christmas are participating in pagan rites. Similarly, in the late 1500's and early 1600's, there were Christians in England who objected to the garment called the surplice. When participating in the services of Morning and Evening Prayer in Church, clergy, including choir members, normally wore a cassock (a black, floor-length, fairly tight-fitting garment) covered by a surplice (a white, knee-length, fairly loose garment with loose sleeves). The Puritans objected to the surplice (a) as not mentioned in the Bible, and (b) as something that the Roman Catholics had worn before the Reformation, which made it one of the props of idolatrous worship, and marked anyone who wore it as an idolater. Archbishop Laud regarded it as a seemly, dignified garment, an appropriate response to the Apostle Paul's injunction, "Let all things be done decently and in order." The Puritans stood by their objections, and violently interrupted services at which the surplice was worn. On one occasion, a group of Puritans broke into an Oxford chapel the night before a service and stole the surplices, which they thrust into a the dung-pit of a privy. Again, a woman marched into Lichfield Cathedral, accompanied by the town clerk and his wife, and ruined the altar hangings with a bucket of pitch.
Under English Law, it was part of Laud's office as Archbishop to maintain order and to punish offences against the peace of the Church. He made it his practice to proceed not only against poor and obscure offenders, but also, perhaps especially, against rich and powerful ones. It is well that men should be equal before the law, but his integrity on this point ultimately cost Laud his life.
Laud was also the prosecutor of record in the trials of those who published seditious or violent and abusive attacks on the doctrine and discipline of the Church, and the Puritans produced an abundance of scurrilous attacks on those who disagreed with them, which were duly punished, with Laud taking the responsibility. In 1630 (before Laud became Archbishop), when Alexander Leighton published Zion's Plea Against Prelacy, a violent attack on the Bishops as tools of Antichrist, he was sentenced to be publicly whipped and branded, and to have his ears cut off. He was sixty years old and a Doctor of Divinity, and the sentence aroused great public indignation. (It is not certain that it was actually carried out.)
Laud made enemies chiefly in three ways. (1) He punished those who attacked the Church, both those who vandalized and those who merely scolded. (2) He upheld various customs in public worship (such as the wearing of the surplice) that were harmless in themselves, but which aroused the suspicion and fury of those whe feared a return to power of Roman Catholicism. (3) He sought the financial independence of the clergy, so that a preacher was not dependent on what support the local squire was pleased to give him. His proposed means to this end was to restore to the Church some of the Church lands that had been seized by Henry VIII and given or sold to various nobles and gentlemen. The proposal never reached the stage of discussion about details, so it was not clear how compensation would be handled, but the mere whisper of such a proposal was enough to make every landholder in the country feel personally threatened.
In 1637 an attempt was made to introduce the Book of Common Prayer into general use in Scotland, and it immediately caused rioting. In February of 1638, Scottish leaders signed the National Covenant, by which they pledged themselves to uphold the Puritan position by force, and by the end of the year they had voted to depose and excommunicate every bishop in Scotland. The unrest spread to England, and in 1640 Laud was arrested on a charge of high treason. He was kept in the Tower for four years, and tried in 1644, at the age of seventy-one. He was found guilty, not because there was any evidence of his guilt, but because the House of Commons was determined that he should die. On the scaffold he prayed: "The Lord receive my soul, and have mercy on me, and bless this kingdom with peace and charity, that there may not be this effusion of Christian blood amongst them."
From steve.benner at oremus.org Sat Jan 10 17:00:00 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Sat, 10 Jan 2009 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS: 11 January 2009
Message-ID: <20090110170000.6C639313EB1@justus2.anglican.org>
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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.
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OREMUS for Sunday, January 11, 2009
The First Sunday after Epiphany
Lord, open our lips,
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Blessed are you, mighty God, Creator of heaven and earth!
When your voice first thundered over the seas
your brooding Spirit brought forth the earth from the void
and breathed life into all your creatures.
You called your people to follow your ways,
and sent your servant, John the Baptist,
to proclaiming a baptism of repentance
for the forgiveness of sins.
He pointed to the one who was to come,
your beloved child, Jesus the Christ.
When he was baptized in the fearful waters of death,
you raised him to life and tore open the heavens
so that all might be baptized with your Holy Spirit
and enter into your presence as your children.
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.
Psalm 72
Give the king your justice, O God,*
and your righteousness to the king's son;
That he may rule your people righteously*
and the poor with justice;
That the mountains may bring prosperity to the people,*
and the little hills bring righteousness.
He shall defend the needy among the people;*
he shall rescue the poor and crush the oppressor.
He shall live as long as the sun and moon endure,*
from one generation to another.
He shall come down like rain upon the mown field,*
like showers that water the earth.
In his time shall the righteous flourish;*
there shall be abundance of peace
till the moon shall be no more.
He shall rule from sea to sea,*
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
His foes shall bow down before him,*
and his enemies lick the dust.
The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall pay tribute,*
and the kings of Arabia and Saba offer gifts.
All kings shall bow down before him,*
and all the nations do him service.
For he shall deliver the poor who cries out in distress,*
and the oppressed who has no helper.
He shall have pity on the lowly and poor;*
he shall preserve the lives of the needy.
He shall redeem their lives from oppression and violence,*
and dear shall their blood be in his sight.
Long may he live,
and may there be given to him gold from Arabia;*
may prayer be made for him always,
and may they bless him all the day long.
May there be abundance of grain on the earth,
growing thick even on the hilltops;*
may its fruit flourish like Lebanon,
and its grain like grass upon the earth.
May his name remain for ever
and be established as long as the sun endures;*
may all the nations bless themselves in him
and call him blessed.
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,*
who alone does wondrous deeds!
And blessed be his glorious name for ever!*
and may all the earth be filled with his glory.
Amen. Amen.
Psalm 97
The Lord is king; let the earth rejoice;*
let the multitude of the isles be glad.
Clouds and darkness are round about him,*
righteousness and justice
are the foundations of his throne.
A fire goes before him*
and burns up his enemies on every side.
His lightnings light up the world;*
the earth sees it and is afraid.
The mountains melt like wax
at the presence of the Lord,*
at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
The heavens declare his righteousness,*
and all the peoples see his glory.
Confounded be all who worship carved images
and delight in false gods!*
Bow down before him, all you gods.
Zion hears and is glad and the cities of Judah rejoice,*
because of your judgements, O Lord.
For you are the Lord: most high over all the earth;*
you are exalted far above all gods.
The Lord loves those who hate evil;*
he preserves the lives of his saints
and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
Light has sprung up for the righteous,*
and joyful gladness for those who are true hearted.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,*
and give thanks to his holy name.
A Song of Christ's Appearing (1 Timothy 3:16; 6:15-16)
Christ Jesus was revealed in the flesh
and vindicated in the spirit.
He was seen by angels
and proclaimed among the nations.
Believed in throughout the world,
he was taken up in glory.
This will be made manifest at the proper time
by the blessed and only Sovereign,
Who alone has immortality,
and dwells in unapproachable light.
To the King of kings and Lord of lords
be honour and eternal dominion. Amen.
Psalm 117
Alleluia!
Praise the Lord, all you nations;*
laud him, all you peoples.
For his loving-kindness towards us is great,*
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures for ever.
Alleluia!
FIRST READING [Proverbs 8:22-35]:
The Lord created me at the beginning of his work,
???the first of his acts of long ago.
Ages ago I was set up,
???at the first, before the beginning of the earth.
When there were no depths I was brought forth,
???when there were no springs abounding with water.
Before the mountains had been shaped,
???before the hills, I was brought forth?
when he had not yet made earth and fields,
???or the world?s first bits of soil.
When he established the heavens, I was there,
???when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,
when he made firm the skies above,
???when he established the fountains of the deep,
when he assigned to the sea its limit,
???so that the waters might not transgress his command,
when he marked out the foundations of the earth,
???then I was beside him, like a master worker;
and I was daily his delight,
???rejoicing before him always,
rejoicing in his inhabited world
???and delighting in the human?race.
?And now, my children, listen to me:
???happy are those who keep my?ways.
Hear instruction and be wise,
???and do not neglect it.
Happy is the one who listens to me,
???watching daily at my gates,
???waiting beside my doors.
For whoever finds me finds life
???and obtains favour from the Lord;
HYMN
Words: William Williams, 1745; trans. Peter Williams, 1771
Tune: Cwm Rhondda
http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/g/g401.html
Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus.
Guide me, O thou great Jehovah,
pilgrim though this barren land;
I am weak, but thou art mighty;
hold me with thy powerful hand;
Bread of heaven, Bread of heaven,
feed me till I want no more,
feed me till I want no more.
Open now the crystal fountain,
whence the healing stream doth flow;
let the fire and cloudy pillar
lead me all my journey through;
strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer.
be thou still my Strength and Shield,
be thou still my Strength and Shield.
When I tread the verge of Jordan,
bid my anxious fears subside;
bear me through the swelling current,
land me safe on Canaan's side;
songs of praises, songs of praises,
I will ever give to thee,
I will ever give to thee.
SECOND READING [Colossians 1:9-end]:
For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God?s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God. May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers?all things have been created through him and for him. He himself 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, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.
And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him? provided that you continue securely established and steadfast in the faith, without shifting from the hope promised by the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven. I, Paul, became a servant of this gospel.
I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ?s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. I became its servant according to God?s commission that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. It is he whom we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil and struggle with all the energy that he powerfully inspires within me.
The Benedictus (Morning),
the Magnificat (Evening), or
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.
Prayer:
Through his baptism by John, the Lord showed his solidarity with the whole human race. Let us offer our prayers for the needs of the world he came to save.
We pray for peace in the Holy Land: that the peoples of that region may be reconciled and learn to live together in mutual trust and respect.
We pray for all those affected by the violence in Gaza; for those who have been killed, that they may rest in peace; for those who have been injured or bereaved, that they may know healing and comfort.
We pray for those who are suffering as a result of the cold weather; for those who cannot afford to heat their homes, and for those who are homeless: that they may receive the help and support they need.
We pray for those people in Eastern Europe whose gas supplies have been cut off: that there may be a swift and fair resolution to the dispute.
We pray for those facing unemployment: that they may be helped to find new work and new hope.
Heavenly Father, we ask you to hear the prayers that we make in faith, through your Son, the Beloved, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Eternal God,
at the baptism of Jesus
in the River Jordan
you proclaimed him your beloved Son
and anointed him with the Holy Spirit:
Grant that all who are baptized into his Name
may keep the covenant they have made,
and boldly confess him as Lord and Savior;
who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns,
one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.
- The Lord's Prayer
O God, whose voice moves over the waters,
immerse us in your grace,
make us with your image,
and raise us to live our baptismal vows
empowered by the Holy Spirit
and the example of Christ our Lord. Amen.
*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.
The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.
The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.
The opening prayer of thanksgiving is altered by Stephen Benner from a prayer (c) 2002, Nathan Nettleton at http://www.laughingbird.net/.
The closing sentence is from a prayer reprinted from _Revised Common
Lectionary Prayers_, copyright (c) 2002 Consultation on Common
Texts.
The collect is from _Book of Common Worship_, (c) 1993
Westminster / John Knox Press.
The petitions are gathered by Redemptorist Publications and are published each Friday on their website: http://www.rpbooks.co.uk/page.php?page=prayers
From steve.benner at oremus.org Mon Jan 12 17:03:28 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Mon, 12 Jan 2009 17:03:28 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS: 13 January 2009
Message-ID: <20090112170328.DE328313D07@justus2.anglican.org>
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*******************************************************
OREMUS for Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Hilary, Bishop of Poitiers, Teacher of the Faith, 367
Lord, open our lips,
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Blessed are you, God of wonderful knowledge,
whose voice calls each of us by name.
You confounded our expectation
by revealing yourself to the lowly
and you also confound our fear
that we may not be afraid
to face the powerful of this earth
with your word of judgment,
in the sure knowledge
that nothing spoken in your name will be lost.
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.
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.
The Song of Christ?s Glory (Philippians 2.5 11)
Christ Jesus was in the form of God,
but he did not cling to equality with God.
He emptied himself, taking the form of a servant,
and was born in our human likeness.
Being found in human form he humbled himself,
and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross.
Therefore God has highly exalted him,
and bestowed on him the name above every name,
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth;
And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Psalm 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 [Proverbs 2:1-9]:
My child, if you accept my words
???and treasure up my commandments within you,
making your ear attentive to wisdom
???and inclining your heart to understanding;
if you indeed cry out for insight,
???and raise your voice for understanding;
if you seek it like silver,
???and search for it as for hidden treasures?
then you will understand the fear of the Lord
???and find the knowledge of God.
For the Lord gives wisdom;
???from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
???he is a shield to those who walk blamelessly,
guarding the paths of justice
???and preserving the way of his faithful ones.
Then you will understand righteousness and justice
???and equity, every good path
HYMN
Words: Lawrence Tuttiett (1825-1897)
Tune: Alstone
Oh grant us light, that we may know
The wisdom Thou alone canst give;
That truth may guide where'er we go
And virtue bless where'er we live.
Oh grant us light, that we may see,
Where error lurks in human lore,
And turn our doubting minds to Thee,
And love Thy simple word the more.
Oh grant us light, that we may learn
How dead is life from Thee apart;
How sure is joy for all who turn
To Thee an undivided heart.
Oh grant us light, in grief and pain,
To lift our burdened hearts above,
And count the very cross a gain,
And bless our Father's hidden love.
Oh grant us light, when soon or late
All earthly scenes shall pass away,
In Thee to find the open gate
To deathless home and endless day.
SECOND READING [Ephesians 2:1-10]:
You were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ?by grace you have been saved? and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God? not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.
The Benedictus (Morning),
the Magnificat (Evening), or
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus,
born in pain, struggling towards life, fighting for breath;
born in shame,
born to the threat of Herod?s sword;
fleeing to another country, another home;
wrapped in a young girl?s love, placed in a borrowed bed;
We pray for those we know and love;
for all who suffer pain of body or anguish of mind;
for all who struggle to live, to live well, to live better;
for all who burn with shame,
for all who face threat and danger,
We pray to you, O God:
Hear our prayer.
We pray for war ravaged countries and refugees;
for the starving poor;
for battered wives and abused children;
for the homeless, for the mentally ill;
for those who struggle with disability.
Strengthen us to work for peace on the earth
and peace with the earth.
We pray to you, O God:
Hear our prayer.
We pray for the Church,
especially the Diocese of
Keep us faithful that we may bear faithful witness in word and work
to your presence among us.
We pray to you, O God:
Hear our prayer.
We pray for all who are alone.
May our love reach out to the lonely and broken hearted,
the bereaved, and all for whom life has become something to be endured.
May we open our minds, hearts and homes to those around us.
We pray to you, O God:
Hear our prayer.
And we pray for our own needs:
seeking the grace of your presence,
firming our resolve to behave as we believe;
seeking your courage to reconcile, heal and make new;
seeking a sure vision of your coming kingdom.
We pray to you, O God:
Hear our prayer.
Lord Jesus Christ,
Word of God,
Creator and Redeemer,
so possess our mind and conscience,
our heart and imagination,
with your indwelling Spirit,
that we and all humanity, purged of pride,
may find you to be the lover of our souls. Amen.
Everlasting God,
whose servant Hilary
steadfastly confessed your Son Jesus Christ
to be both human and divine:
grant us his gentle courtesy
to bring to all the message of redemption
in the incarnate Christ,
who is alive 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
Lift up the light of your countenance on us, O God.,
that we may be faithful to your commandments
and always do what is right and good;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.
The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.
The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.
The opening prayer of thanksgiving and the closing sentence are adapted from
_Celebrating the Christian Year_ (c) Canterbury Press, Norwich.
The intercession is by David Bromell. The first collect is adapted from one by William Temple. 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.
Hilary of Poitiers (315-367) lived during the great controversy between
Athanasius, who taught that the Son is fully God, equally with the Father, and
Arius, who denied this.
Hilary is sometimes called "the Athanasius of the West." He was bishop of
Poitiers, and when he refused to sign a condemnation of Athanasius, the Arian
emperor Constantius (one of the sons of Constantine) banished him to Phrygia
in 357. His exile lasted three years, during which time he wrote several essays,
including On The Trinity. Finally the Emperor was forced to send him back to
Gaul because he was causing such difficulties for the Arians in the East. In 364,
he journeyed to Milan, where he engaged in public debate with the Arian
bishop Auxentius, and persuaded him of the error of his ways. [James
Kiefer]
From steve.benner at oremus.org Tue Jan 13 17:00:00 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Tue, 13 Jan 2009 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS: 14 January 2009
Message-ID: <20090113170000.9A3A5313E09@justus2.anglican.org>
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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, January 14, 2009
Lord, open our lips,
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Blessed are you, God of wonderful knowledge,
whose voice calls each of us by name.
You confounded our expectation
by revealing yourself to the lowly
and you also confound our fear
that we may not be afraid
to face the powerful of this earth
with your word of judgment,
in the sure knowledge
that nothing spoken in your name will be lost.
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.
Psalm 7
O Lord my God, I take refuge in you;*
save and deliver me from all who pursue me;
Lest like a lion they tear me in pieces*
and snatch me away with none to deliver me.
O Lord my God, if I have done these things:*
if there is any wickedness in my hands,
If I have repaid my friend with evil,*
or plundered one who without cause is my enemy;
Then let my enemy pursue and overtake me,*
trample my life into the ground,
and lay my honour in the dust.
Stand up, O Lord, in your wrath;*
rise up against the fury of my enemies.
Awake, O my God, decree justice;*
let the assembly of the peoples gather round you.
Be seated on your lofty throne, O Most High;*
O Lord, judge the nations.
Give judgement for me
according to my righteousness, O Lord,*
and according to my innocence, O Most High.
Let the malice of the wicked come to an end,
but establish the righteous;*
for you test the mind and heart, O righteous God.
God is my shield and defence;*
he is the saviour of the true in heart.
God is a righteous judge;*
God sits in judgement every day.
If they will not repent, God will whet his sword;*
he will bend his bow and make it ready.
He has prepared his weapons of death;*
he makes his arrows shafts of fire.
Look at those who are in labour with wickedness,*
who conceive evil and give birth to a lie.
They dig a pit and make it deep*
and fall into the hole that they have made.
Their malice turns back upon their own head;*
their violence falls on their own scalp.
I will bear witness that the Lord is righteous;*
I will praise the name of the Lord Most High.
A Song of the Word of the Lord (Isaiah 55.6 11)
Seek the Lord while he may be found,
call upon him while he is near;
Let the wicked abandon their ways,
and the unrighteous their thoughts;
Return to the Lord, who will have mercy;
to our God, who will richly pardon.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,( says the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
As the rain and the snow come down from above,
and return not again but water the earth,
Bringing forth life and giving growth,
seed for sowing and bread to eat,
So is my word that goes forth from my mouth;
it will not return to me fruitless,
But it will accomplish that which I purpose,
and succeed in the task I gave it.(
Psalm 147:13-end
Alleluia!
Worship the Lord, O Jerusalem;*
praise your God, O Zion;
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;*
he has blessed your children within you.
He has established peace on your borders;*
he satisfies you with the finest wheat.
He sends out his command to the earth,*
and his word runs very swiftly.
He gives snow like wool;*
he scatters hoarfrost like ashes.
He scatters his hail like bread crumbs;*
who can stand against his cold?
He sends forth his word and melts them;*
he blows with his wind and the waters flow.
He declares his word to Jacob,*
his statutes and his judgements to Israel.
He has not done so to any other nation;*
to them he has not revealed his judgements.
Alleluia!
FIRST READING [Proverbs 3:1-7, 11-12]:
My child, do not forget my teaching,
???but let your heart keep my commandments;
for length of days and years of life
???and abundant welfare they will give you.
Do not let loyalty and faithfulness forsake you;
???bind them round your neck,
???write them on the tablet of your heart.
So you will find favour and good repute
???in the sight of God and of people.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
???and do not rely on your own insight.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
???and he will make straight your paths.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
???fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
My child, do not despise the Lord?s discipline
???or be weary of his reproof,
for the Lord reproves the one he loves,
???as a father the son in whom he delights.
HYMN
Words: Fred Pratt Green (1903-2000) ? 1969 Stainer & Bell Ltd Used with permission.
Tune: Christe Sanctorum, Iste Confessor
Christ is the world's Light, he and none other;
Born in our darkness, he became our Brother.
If we have seen him, we have seen the Father:
Glory to God on high.
Christ is the world's Peace, he and none other;
No one can serve him and despise another
Who else unites us, one in God the Father?
Glory to God on high.
Christ is the world's Life, he and none other;
Sold once for silver, murdered here, our Brother -
He who redeems us, reigns with God the Father:
Glory to God on high.
Give God the glory, God and none other;
Give God the glory, Spirit, Son and Father;
Give God the glory, God in Man my brother:
Glory to God on high.
SECOND READING [Ephesians 2:11-end]:
So then, remember that at one time you Gentiles by birth, called ?the uncircumcision? by those who are called ?the circumcision??a physical circumcision made in the flesh by human hands? remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, so that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it. So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling-place for God.
The Benedictus (Morning),
the Magnificat (Evening), or
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.
Prayer:
Creator God,
from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
we commend all your people
to your tender care and safekeeping.
Lord of mercy,
hear our prayer.
Protect all who are work in mines, tend machinery,
or travel by land, sea or air.
Defend those in mortal danger because of evil surrounding them.
Fill every hospital and nursing home
with your spirit of healing and love.
Lord of mercy,
hear our prayer.
Govern our nation and its leaders,
that all that mars our social life and causes misery may be relieved,
that each person may have access to work, homes, food and health care.
Lord of mercy,
hear our prayer.
Break down the suspicions and fears that keep the nations apart.
Rebuke those who foster prejudice.
Teach us all to live together in the peace of Jesus Christ.
Lord of mercy,
hear our prayer.
Grant to every member of your Church
the faith that removes obstacles,
the hope that makes all things new
and the love that brings deliverance,
that we more effectively serve you
and bring others to the knowledge of your truth.
Lord of mercy,
hear our prayer.
Almighty God,
you make all things new this and every day.
Renew our faith and hope and love;
renew our wills, that we may serve you gladly;
renew our delight in your truth and your praise;
renew our joy in you
so that all who desire to walk in your light and power
may know you in your Son Jesus Christ. Amen.
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.
- The Lord's Prayer
Lift up the light of your countenance on us, O God.,
that we may be faithful to your commandments
and always do what is right and good;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.
The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.
The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.
The opening prayer of thanksgiving and the closing sentence are adapted from
_Celebrating the Christian Year_ (c) Canterbury Press, Norwich.
The intercession is adapted from _Prayers for Use in Church_, by J.W.G. Masteron, (c) 1970, St. Andrew Press. The collect is adapted from an anonymous prayer found in Frederick Macnutt?s _The Prayer Manual.
From steve.benner at oremus.org Wed Jan 14 17:44:13 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 2009 17:44:13 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS: 15 January 2009
Message-ID: <20090114174413.63EC2313CE0@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.
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OREMUS for Thursday, January 15, 2009
Richard Meux Benson, Religious,
Founder of the Society of Saint John the Evangelist, 1915
Lord, open our lips,
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Blessed are you, God of wonderful knowledge,
whose voice calls each of us by name.
You confounded our expectation
by revealing yourself to the lowly
and you also confound our fear
that we may not be afraid
to face the powerful of this earth
with your word of judgment,
in the sure knowledge
that nothing spoken in your name will be lost.
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.
Psalm 9
I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with my whole heart;*
I will tell of all your marvellous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in you;*
I will sing to your name, O Most High.
When my enemies are driven back,*
they will stumble and perish at your presence.
For you have maintained my right and my cause;*
you sit upon your throne judging right.
You have rebuked the ungodly and destroyed the wicked;*
you have blotted out their name for ever and ever.
As for the enemy, they are finished, in perpetual ruin,*
their cities ploughed under,
the memory of them perished;
But the Lord is enthroned for ever;*
he has set up his throne for judgement.
It is he who rules the world with righteousness;*
he judges the peoples with equity.
The Lord will be a refuge for the oppressed,*
a refuge in time of trouble.
Those who know your name will put their trust in you,*
for you never forsake those who seek you, O Lord.
Sing praise to the Lord who dwells in Zion;*
proclaim to the peoples the things he has done.
The avenger of blood will remember them;*
he will not forget the cry of the afflicted.
Have pity on me, O Lord;*
see the misery I suffer from those who hate me,
O you who lift me up from the gate of death;
So that I may tell of all your praises
and rejoice in your salvation*
in the gates of the city of Zion.
The ungodly have fallen into the pit they dug,*
and in the snare they set is their own foot caught.
The Lord is known by his acts of justice;*
the wicked are trapped in the works of their own hands.
The wicked shall be given over to the grave,*
and also all the peoples that forget God.
For the needy shall not always be forgotten,*
and the hope of the poor shall not perish for ever.
Rise up, O Lord,
let not the ungodly have the upper hand;*
let them be judged before you.
Put fear upon them, O Lord;*
let the ungodly know they are but mortal.
Great and Wonderful (Revelation 15.3,4)
Great and wonderful are your deeds, .
Lord God the Almighty.
Just and true are your ways, .
O ruler of the nations.
Who shall not revere and praise your name, O Lord? .
for you alone are holy.
All nations shall come and worship in your presence: .
for your just dealings have been revealed.
Psalm 148
Alleluia!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;*
praise him in the heights.
Praise him, all you angels of his;*
praise him, all his host.
Praise him, sun and moon;*
praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, heaven of heavens,*
and you waters above the heavens.
Let them praise the name of the Lord;*
for he commanded and they were created.
He made them stand fast for ever and ever;*
he gave them a law which shall not pass away.
Praise the Lord from the earth,*
you sea monsters and all deeps;
Fire and hail, snow and fog,*
tempestuous wind, doing his will;
Mountains and all hills,*
fruit trees and all cedars;
Wild beasts and all cattle,*
creeping things and winged birds;
Kings of the earth and all peoples,*
princes and all rulers of the world;
Young men and maidens,*
old and young together.
Let them praise the name of the Lord,*
for his name only is exalted,
his splendour is over earth and heaven.
He has raised up strength for his people
and praise for all his loyal servants,*
the children of Israel, a people who are near him.
Alleluia!
FIRST READING [Proverbs 3:13-20]:
Happy are those who find wisdom,
???and those who get understanding,
for her income is better than silver,
???and her revenue better than gold.
She is more precious than jewels,
???and nothing you desire can compare with her.
Long life is in her right hand;
???in her left hand are riches and honour.
Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
???and all her paths are peace.
She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her;
???those who hold her fast are called happy.
The Lord by wisdom founded the earth;
???by understanding he established the heavens;
by his knowledge the deeps broke open,
???and the clouds drop down the dew.
HYMN
Words: Richard Meux Benson (1824-1915)
Meter: 77 77
Praise to God who reigns above,
Binding earth and heaven in love;
All the armies of the sky
Worship his dread sovereignty.
Seraphim his praises sing,
Cherubim on fourfold wing,
Thrones, Dominions, Princes, Powers,
Marshalled might that never cowers.
Speeds the Archangel from his face,
Bearing messages of grace;
Angel hosts his words fulfil,
Ruling nature by his will.
Yet on man they joy to wait,
All that bright celestial state,
For in Man their Lord they see,
Christ, the incarnate Deity.
On the throne their Lord who died
Sits in Manhood glorified;
Where his people faint below
Angels count it joy to go.
O the depths of joy divine
Thrilling through those orders nine,
When the lost are found again,
When the banished come to reign!
Now in faith, in hope, in love,
We will join the choirs above,
Praising, with the heavenly host,
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
SECOND READING [Ephesians 3:1-13]:
This is the reason that I Paul am a prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles? for surely you have already heard of the commission of God?s grace that was given to me for you, and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words, a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ. In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that is, the Gentiles have become fellow-heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God?s grace that was given to me by the working of his power. Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him. I pray therefore that you may not lose heart over my sufferings for you; they are your glory.
The Benedictus (Morning),
the Magnificat (Evening), or
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.
Prayer:
Lord of our lives,
we have decided to follow Jesus
and have chosen to be in your Kingdom.
Give us courage, discernment and an unwavering faith.
We pray for your Church throughout the world,
Shed forth your spirit of discipleship upon us.
When we are uncertain,
reveal a vision.
When we are passive,
light a fire.
When we are tempted,
send your Spirit.
Enfold us in your love,
wrap us about with assurance
and infuse us with determination,
that we may be true disciples
and all the world may see the love of Jesus Christ in us. Amen.
Almighty God,
look mercifully upon the world,
redeemed by the blood of thy dear Son,
and send forth many more to do the work of the ministry,
that perishing souls may be rescued,
and thy glorious triumph may be hastened
by the perfecting of thine elect
through the same thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Blessed are you, eternal God,
for your servant Richard Meux Benson,
who heeded your call to holiness
and nurtured in others, far and near,
the vocation of constant union with Christ.
Heal our intentions and transfigure our wills,
that our lives may be filled
with the harmony of your life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.
- The Lord's Prayer
Lift up the light of your countenance on us, O God.,
that we may be faithful to your commandments
and always do what is right and good;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.
The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.
The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.
The opening prayer of thanksgiving and the closing sentence are adapted from
_Celebrating the Christian Year_ (c) Canterbury Press, Norwich.
The intercession is adapted by Stephen Benner from a prayer by Arlene M. Mark, from _Words for Worship_; used by permission of Herald Press. The first collect is by Fr. Benson and the second collect is from _For All the Saints_, (c) General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada, 1994.
A biography of Richard Meux Benson can be found at
http://justus.anglican.org/resources/pc/bios/rmbenson.html.
From steve.benner at oremus.org Thu Jan 15 17:00:00 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2009 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS: 16 January 2009
Message-ID: <20090115170000.6F05E313E76@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, January 16, 2009
Charles Gore, Bishop, Theologian, Founder of the Community of the Resurrection, 1932
Lord, open our lips,
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Blessed are you, God of wonderful knowledge,
whose voice calls each of us by name.
You confounded our expectation
by revealing yourself to the lowly
and you also confound our fear
that we may not be afraid
to face the powerful of this earth
with your word of judgment,
in the sure knowledge
that nothing spoken in your name will be lost.
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.
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 Humility (Hosea 6.1 6)
Come, let us return to the Lord
who has torn us and will heal us.
God has stricken us
and will bind up our wounds.
After two days, he will revive us,
and on the third day will raise us up,
that we may live in his presence.
Let us strive to know the Lord;
his appearing is as sure as the sunrise.
He will come to us like the showers,
like the spring rains that water the earth.
O Ephraim, how shall I deal with you?
How shall I deal with you, O Judah?
Your love for me is like the morning mist,
like the dew that goes early away.
Therefore, I have hewn them by the prophets,
and my judgement goes forth as the light.
For loyalty is my desire and not sacrifice,
and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.(
Psalm 149
Alleluia!
Sing to the Lord a new song;*
sing his praise in the congregation of the faithful.
Let Israel rejoice in his maker;*
let the children of Zion be joyful in their king.
Let them praise his name in the dance;*
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the Lord takes pleasure in his people*
and adorns the poor with victory.
Let the faithful rejoice in triumph;*
let them be joyful on their beds.
Let the praises of God be in their throat*
and a two edged sword in their hand;
To wreak vengeance on the nations*
and punishment on the peoples;
To bind their kings in chains*
and their nobles with links of iron;
To inflict on them the judgement decreed;*
this is glory for all his faithful people.
Alleluia!
FIRST READING [Proverbs 3:27-end]:
Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
???when it is in your power to do it.
Do not say to your neighbour, ?Go, and come again;
???tomorrow I will give it??when you have it with you.
Do not plan harm against your neighbour
???who lives trustingly beside you.
Do not quarrel with anyone without cause,
???when no harm has been done to?you.
Do not envy the violent
???and do not choose any of their ways;
for the perverse are an abomination to the Lord,
???but the upright are in his confidence.
The Lord?s curse is on the house of the wicked,
???but he blesses the abode of the righteous.
Towards the scorners he is scornful,
???but to the humble he shows favour.
The wise will inherit honour,
???but stubborn fools, disgrace.
HYMN
Words: E.A. Burroughs (1882-1934)
Tune: Milites (SMD)
Lord God, from whom all life
And all true gladness springs,
Whose love and care shine everywhere
Among earth's common things;
Be present while we lift
Our song to thee, and pay
Heart-gratitude for all things good
About our path today.
We praise thee for the light
That floats on sea and hill,
The unstinted wealth of joy and health
With which our pulses thrill:
O may the light of heaven
In us enkindled be,
Heaven's glory roll from soul to soul
And make us strong for thee.
We thank thee for the grace
In friend and brother found;
For human love that points above
To where all love is crowned:
O may such friendship here
Be to Thy children given,
As shall endure, deep, fair and pure,
Till all be one in heaven.
But most we bless thee, Lord,
That here Thy Spirit's breath
Blows clear and strong to baffle wrong
And win our lives from death;
O may each heart accept
The entrance of Thy power,
And take Thee hence for sure defence
And help in evil hour.
So, when our lives, today
Within one circle brought,
Are sundered wide along the tide
Of human work and thought,
One song shall yet be ours,
One life, one family,
One pathway still, by vale or hill,
Shall lead us home to Thee.
SECOND READING [Ephesians 3:14-end]:
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever. Amen.
The Benedictus (Morning),
the Magnificat (Evening), or
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.
Prayer:
Let us pray to God for the coming of the Kingdom:
O God, into the pain of the tortured:
breathe stillness.
Into the hunger of those deprived:
breathe fullness.
Into those who have died in you:
breathe life.
Into those who long for you:
breathe your presence.
Into your Church,
shed forth your renewing Spirit.
Your kingdom come, your will be done:
For the kingdom, the power and the glory
are yours, now and for ever. Amen.
O God,
in your love for humankind
you reconciled earth to heaven and heaven to earth
through your only-begotten Son:
Grant that we who by our sins
have turned away from loving one another
may be filled with your Spirit
and embrace both our friends and enemies,
for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
O God, our heavenly Father,
who raised up your faithful servant Charles Gore
to be a bishop and pastor in your Church
and to feed your flock:
Give abundantly to all pastors
the gifts of your Holy Spirit,
that they may minister in your household
as true servants of Christ
and stewards of your divine mysteries;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.
- The Lord's Prayer
Lift up the light of your countenance on us, O God.,
that we may be faithful to your commandments
and always do what is right and good;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.
The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.
The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.
The opening prayer of thanksgiving and the closing sentence are adapted from
_Celebrating the Christian Year_ (c) Canterbury Press, Norwich.
The intercession is adapted from a prayer in _In Spirit and In Truth_, (c) World Council of Churches, 1991. The first collect is from a Mozarabic sanctuary.
Charles Gore was born in Wimbledon in 1853 in an aristocratic family. In 1883, Gore became the first Principal of Pusey House at Oxford, a position he held until 1893. His appointment raised some eyebrows, since Gore was known to be friendly to what was called the Higher Criticism, which favored non-traditional views on the authorship of some books of the Old Testament.
In 1888 Gore wrote THE MINISTRY OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, a
book on the origins of the Christian Ministry and its development in the first
two centuries of the Christian era. In the same year, he wrote ROMAN
CATHOLIC CLAIMS, a reply to assertions that the Anglican Church was not
the true successor of the New Testament Church. In 1889, he helped to found
the Christian Social Union, dedicated to promoting the view that Christian principles as applied to the political and economic organization of society demanded reform along trade-unionist and moderate socialist lines. His political views aroused some public protest.
Considerably more protest was aroused, however, when he edited in 1889 a book called LUX MUNDI. Overall, the book expressed the belief of many educated Christians that Biblical and archaeological studies and scientific discoveries had made it necessary for the Church to re-examine and perhaps restate some of its traditional formulations. Gore's essay was called, "On the Inspiration of Holy Scripture." He distinguished sharply between the Old and New Testaments, saying that the New Testament accounts were either eye-witness or close to eye-witness accounts of the
events described, while we had reason to suppose that some Old Testament
accounts were written centuries after the event, and were not reliable sources
of factual detail. Their value is not as a revelation of historical of scientific
information, but as a revelation of God's nature and his dealings with us.
Earlier, in 1887, Gore had founded the Society of the Resurrection, an
association for priests, aimed at a deepening of the spiritual life. In July 1892
this became the Community of the Resurrection, a religious order for priests,
beginning with six members. The members declared their intention of
remaining celibate for life, but took vows of celibacy for only one year at a
time, rather than taking a vow binding for life.
Gore was consecrated Bishop of Worcester in February 1902. In 1905 Birmingham was organized as a separate bishopric and Gore became its first bishop. In 1911 he was transferred and became Bishop of Oxford instead. Gore retired in 1919 and was subsequently flooded with invitations to speak or preach and published several books. In November of 1930, he began a six-month tour of India and returned home totally exhausted. From then on his health deteriorated. He died on the morning of Sunday 17 January 1932. [James Kiefer, abridged]
From steve.benner at oremus.org Fri Jan 16 17:00:00 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2009 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS: 17 January 2009
Message-ID: <20090116170000.D2356313D7F@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, January 17, 2009
Antony of Egypt, Hermit, Abbot, 356
Lord, open our lips,
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Blessed are you, God of wonderful knowledge,
whose voice calls each of us by name.
You confounded our expectation
by revealing yourself to the lowly
and you also confound our fear
that we may not be afraid
to face the powerful of this earth
with your word of judgment,
in the sure knowledge
that nothing spoken in your name will be lost.
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.
Psalm 16
Protect me, O God, for I take refuge in you;*
I have said to the Lord, 'You are my Lord,
my good above all other.'
All my delight is upon the godly that are in the land,*
upon those who are noble among the people.
But those who run after other gods*
shall have their troubles multiplied.
Their libations of blood I will not offer,*
nor take the names of their gods upon my lips.
O Lord, you are my portion and my cup;*
it is you who uphold my lot.
My boundaries enclose a pleasant land;*
indeed, I have a goodly heritage.
I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel;*
my heart teaches me, night after night.
I have set the Lord always before me;*
because he is at my right hand I shall not fall.
My heart, therefore, is glad and my spirit rejoices;*
my body also shall rest in hope.
For you will not abandon me to the grave,*
nor let your holy one see the Pit.
You will show me the path of life;*
in your presence there is fullness of joy,
and in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.
A Song of God(s Love (1 John 4.7 11,12b)
Beloved, let us love one another,
for love is of God;
everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
Whoever does not love does not know God,
for God is love.
In this the love of God was revealed among us,
that God sent his only Son into the world,
so that we might live through him.
In this is love,
not that we loved God but that he loved us,
and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins.
Beloved, since God loved us so much,
we ought also to love one another.
For if we love one another, God abides in us,
and God(s love will be perfected in us.
Psalm 150
Alleluia!
Praise God in his holy temple;*
praise him in the firmament of his power.
Praise him for his mighty acts;*
praise him for his excellent greatness.
Praise him with the blast of the ram's horn;*
praise him with lyre and harp.
Praise him with timbrel and dance;*
praise him with strings and pipe.
Praise him with resounding cymbals;*
praise him with loud clanging cymbals.
Let everything that has breath*
praise the Lord.
Alleluia!
FIRST READING [Proverbs 4:7-18]:
The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,
???and whatever else you get, get insight.
Prize her highly, and she will exalt?you;
???she will honour you if you embrace?her.
She will place on your head a fair garland;
???she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.?
Hear, my child, and accept my words,
???that the years of your life may be?many.
I have taught you the way of wisdom;
???I have led you in the paths of uprightness.
When you walk, your step will not be hampered;
???and if you run, you will not stumble.
Keep hold of instruction; do not let?go;
???guard her, for she is your life.
Do not enter the path of the wicked,
???and do not walk in the way of evildoers.
Avoid it; do not go on it;
???turn away from it and pass on.
For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong;
???they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble.
For they eat the bread of wickedness
???and drink the wine of violence.
But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
???which shines brighter and brighter until full day.
HYMN
Words: Alan Gaunt (1935-); ? 1999 Stainer & Bell Ltd. Used with permission.
Metre: 10.10.10.10. Iambic (Suggested Tune: Highlands)
Christ at the centre, when the two or three
meet in your name, you are their unity;
and when their numbers, or their views, increase,
you are yourself their harmony and peace.
Christ at the centre, one and only Lord,
because our hope is frail, and faith is flawed,
because, through fear and sin, our love has failed,
you suffer still, and still your love is nailed.
Christ at the centre, when we disagree,
when our convictions hurt our unity,
lest truth be marred by carelessness or pride,
stay at the centre, Holy One who died.
Christ at the centre, when we seek to find
God's word in Scripture with an honest mind,
Speak through your Spirit, and when we have heard,
Claim us to serve your truth, God's Living Word.
Christ at the centre, loving without end,
full of compassion, called the sinner's friend;
seeing your love for friend and enemy,
let us blend mercy with integrity.
Christ at the centre, make your own will known,
our truth begins and ends with you alone;
heal our confusion, Resurrected Lord,
Christ at the centre, evermore adored!
SECOND READING [Ephesians 4:1-16]:
I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.
But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ?s gift. Therefore it is said,
?When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a?captive;
???he gave gifts to his people.?
(When it says, ?He ascended?, what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.) The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people?s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knitted together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body?s growth in building itself up in love.
The Benedictus (Morning),
the Magnificat (Evening), or
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.
Prayer:
In every time of trouble,
you, O God, are a very present help.
You are with us, sustaining our world in freedom,
restraining the powers of darkness, of death and of destruction;
embracing us all with arms of love, to enfold and to hold.
And so we bring to you our prayers for ourselves,
for those we love, and for our world.
We pray for ourselves and our own needs:
Whatever you would have us to be;
whatever we need to love our neighbor as ourselves,
whatever we need to love one another:
Bountiful Source of Love:
hear our prayer.
We pray for those we love:
Our hopes and dreams for them;
our anguish and anxiety on their behalf;
our desire to make life easier for them.
Bountiful Source of Love:
hear our prayer.
We pray for our world:
Our pain at what we have done to creation;
our wonder at the beauty of that which we have not yet spoiled;
our calling to establish justice and peace.
Bountiful Source of Love:
hear our prayer.
Lord Jesus,
we give you our body, our soul, our whole being;
our fame, our friends, our liberty, and our life:
Use us to the glory of your blessed Name.
Be a light to our eyes,
music to our ears,
sweetness to our taste,
and full contentment to our hearts. Amen.
Almighty God,
you strengthened your servant Antony
to endure all trials of the spirit
and cleansed his heart of fear
to make him perfect in the discipline of love.
Give us grace to cherish his example,
that we may know your call
and walk in the paths of righteousness
all the days of our lives;
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
Lift up the light of your countenance on us, O God.,
that we may be faithful to your commandments
and always do what is right and good;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.
The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.
The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.
The opening prayer of thanksgiving and the closing sentence are adapted from
_Celebrating the Christian Year_ (c) Canterbury Press, Norwich.
The intercession is by David Bromell. The first collect is adapted from one by John Cosin.
Born in about the year 251, Antony heard the gospel message, "If you would be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." He was twenty years old and rich, following the death of his parents, but he did as the gospel instructed and went to live in the desert, living an austere life of manual work, charity and prayer. His many spiritual struggles left him both wise and sensible and he became a spiritual guide for many who flocked to him. His simple rule of personal discipline and prayer was taken up and spread throughout Christendom. He died peacefully in the desert in the year 356, asking that he be buried secretly, so that his person might be hidden in death as in life. [Exciting Holiness]
From steve.benner at oremus.org Sat Jan 17 17:00:00 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2009 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS: 18 January 2009
Message-ID: <20090117170000.E2A3A313D1F@justus2.anglican.org>
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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.
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OREMUS for Sunday, January 18, 2009
The Confession of Saint Peter the Apostle
Lord, open our lips,
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Blessed are you, almighty God,
for the glory revealed in your saints.
Their holiness establishes and adorns
the Church, the Body of Christ your Son,
firmly founded on the apostles.
You made them guardians and leaders of your flock
and entrusted to them the keys of the kingdom.
We give you thanks for the apostolic heritage of your Church.
For these and all your mercies, we praise you,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit:
Blessed be God for ever!
An opening canticle may be sung.
Psalm 71
In you, O Lord, have I taken refuge;*
let me never be ashamed.
In your righteousness, deliver me and set me free;*
incline your ear to me and save me.
Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe;*
you are my crag and my stronghold.
Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked,*
from the clutches of the evildoer and the oppressor.
For you are my hope, O Lord God,*
my confidence since I was young.
I have been sustained by you ever since I was born;
from my mother's womb you have been my strength;*
my praise shall be always of you.
I have become a portent to many;*
but you are my refuge and my strength.
Let my mouth be full of your praise*
and your glory all the day long.
Do not cast me off in my old age;*
forsake me not when my strength fails.
For my enemies are talking against me,*
and those who lie in wait for my life
take counsel together.
They say, 'God has forsaken him;
go after him and seize him;*
because there is none who will save.'
O God, be not far from me;*
come quickly to help me, O my God.
Let those who set themselves against me
be put to shame and be disgraced;*
let those who seek to do me evil
be covered with scorn and reproach.
But I shall always wait in patience,*
and shall praise you more and more.
My mouth shall recount your mighty acts
and saving deeds all day long;*
though I cannot know the number of them.
I will begin with the mighty works of the Lord God;*
I will recall your righteousness, yours alone.
O God, you have taught me since I was young,*
and to this day I tell of your wonderful works.
And now that I am old and grey-headed, O God,
do not forsake me,*
till I make known your strength to this generation
and your power to all who are to come.
Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the heavens;*
you have done great things; who is like you, O God?
You have showed me great troubles and adversities,*
but you will restore my life and bring me up again
from the deep places of the earth.
You strengthen me more and more;*
you enfold and comfort me,
Therefore I will praise you upon the lyre
for your faithfulness, O my God;*
I will sing to you with the harp, O Holy One of Israel.
My lips will sing with joy when I play to you,*
and so will my soul, which you have redeemed.
My tongue will proclaim your righteousness all day long,*
for they are ashamed and disgraced
who sought to do me harm.
A Song of Faith (1 Peter 1.3-4,18-21)
Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ!
By his great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
Into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled and unfading,
kept in heaven for you.
Who are being protected by the power of God
through faith for a salvation,
ready to be revealed in the last time.
You were ransomed from the futile ways of your ancestors
not with perishable things like silver or gold
But with the precious blood of Christ
like that of a lamb without spot or stain.
Through him you have confidence in God,
who raised him from the dead and gave him glory,
so that your faith and hope are set on God.
Psalm 117
Alleluia!
Praise the Lord, all you nations;*
laud him, all you peoples.
For his loving kindness towards us is great,*
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures for ever.
Alleluia!
FIRST READING [Ezekiel 2:1-7]:
The Lord said to me: O mortal, stand up on your feet, and I will speak with you. And when he
spoke to me, a spirit entered into me and set me on my feet; and I heard him speaking to me. He
said to me, Mortal, I am sending you to the people of Israel, to a nation of rebels who have
rebelled against me; they and their ancestors have transgressed against me to this very day. The
descendants are impudent and stubborn. I am sending you to them, and you shall say to them,
'Thus says the Lord God.' Whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house),
they shall know that there has been a prophet among them. And you, O mortal, do not be afraid of
them, and do not be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns surround you and you live
among scorpions; do not be afraid of their words, and do not be dismayed at their looks, for they
are a rebellious house. You shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear; for
they are a rebellious house.
HYMN
Words: William Walsham How, 1871
Tune: Croft's 136th, Love Unknown
http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/t/t578.html
Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus.
Thou art the Christ, O Lord,
the Son of God most high!
For ever be adored
that Name in earth and sky,
in which, though mortal strength may fail,
the saints of God at last prevail!
O surely he was blest
with blessedness unpriced,
who, taught of God, confessed
the Godhead in the Christ!
For of thy Church, Lord, thou didst own
thy saint a true foundation-stone.
Thrice fallen, thrice restored!
The bitter lesson learned,
that heart for thee, O Lord,
with triple ardor burned.
The cross he took he laid not down
until he grasped the martyr's crown.
O bright triumphant faith,
O courage void of fears!
O love most strong in death,
O penitential tears!
By these, Lord, keep us lest we fall,
and make us go where thou shalt call.
SECOND READING [Matthew 16:13-19]:
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, 'Who do people say that the Son of Man is?' And they said, 'Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.' He said to them, 'But who do you say that I am?' Simon Peter answered, 'You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.' And Jesus answered him, 'Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be
bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.'
The Benedictus (Morning),
the Magnificat (Evening), or
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.
Prayer:
Christ, the Prince of Peace, through his death and resurrection reconciled the whole of creation to God. In faith and hope let us now bring our prayers to God.
We pray for peace throughout the world: that Christ?s message of reconciliation may take root and flourish in our lives and communities.
We pray for all those caught up in the violence in Gaza: may there be a swift and just end to the conflict, and lasting reconciliation between the peoples of the Holy Land.
We pray for those parts of the world where there is continuing warfare and violence; especially for Afghanistan, Iraq and Sudan; and we pray for all those who work for peace and justice.
We pray for those throughout the world who live in poverty: may we be generous in our response to their need, and in combating the causes of poverty.
We pray, as we begin this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, for the unity of all Christian people: that together we may work to spread the Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We pray for Barack Obama as he prepares for his inauguration as President of the United States: that he may be filled with the wisdom, courage and vision to fulfil the work for which he has been chosen.
We pray for those who have died, especially remembering those who have died violently or in war: may they rest in peace. Almighty Father, you sent your Son into the world to proclaim the Gospel of peace and reconciliation; we ask you to hear the prayers that we make through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Almighty God,
who inspired Simon Peter,
first among the apostles,
to confess Jesus as Messiah and Son of the living God:
Keep your Church steadfast upon the rock of this faith,
so that in unity and peace we may proclaim
the one truth and follow the one Lord,
our Savior Jesus Christ;
who lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
Rejoicing in the presence of God here among us,
let us pray in faith and trust:
- The Lord's Prayer
Stir us with your voice
and enlighten our lives with your grace
that we may give ourselves fully
to Christ's call to mission and ministry. Amen.
*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.
The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.
The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.
The opening prayer of thanksgiving is by Stephen Benner and uses phrases
from a text in _We Give You Thanks and Praise: The Ambrosian
Eucharistic Prefaces_, translated by Alan Griffiths, (c) The
Canterbury Press Norwich, 1999.
The collect is from The Book of Common Prayer_ (1979),
Charles Mortimer Guilbert, Custodian.
The petitions are gathered by Redemptorist Publications and are published each Friday on their website: http://www.rpbooks.co.uk/page.php?page=prayers
From steve.benner at oremus.org Sun Jan 18 17:00:00 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Sun, 18 Jan 2009 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS: 19 January 2009
Message-ID: <20090118170000.6E68A313CC7@justus2.anglican.org>
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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.
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OREMUS for Monday, January 19, 2009
Lord, open our lips,
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Blessed are you, Eternal One,
you search us and you know us.
You surround us and you stay with us.
You form us, creating us lovingly,
seeing our mould and pattern,
the path of our days,
even before others think of us.
For these and all your mercies, we praise you:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
Blessed be God for ever!
An opening canticle may be sung.
Psalm 18:1-20
I love you, O Lord my strength,*
O Lord my stronghold, my crag and my haven.
My God, my rock in whom I put my trust,*
my shield, the horn of my salvation and my refuge;
you are worthy of praise.
I will call upon the Lord,*
and so shall I be saved from my enemies.
The breakers of death rolled over me,*
and the torrents of oblivion made me afraid.
The cords of hell entangled me,*
and the snares of death were set for me.
I called upon the Lord in my distress*
and cried out to my God for help.
He heard my voice from his heavenly dwelling;*
my cry of anguish came to his ears.
The earth reeled and rocked;*
the roots of the mountains shook;
they reeled because of his anger.
Smoke rose from his nostrils
and a consuming fire out of his mouth;*
hot burning coals blazed forth from him.
He parted the heavens and came down*
with a storm cloud under his feet.
He mounted on cherubim and flew;*
he swooped on the wings of the wind.
He wrapped darkness about him;*
he made dark waters and thick clouds his pavilion.
>From the brightness of his presence, through the clouds,*
burst hailstones and coals of fire.
The Lord thundered out of heaven;*
the Most High uttered his voice.
He loosed his arrows and scattered them;*
he hurled thunderbolts and routed them.
The beds of the seas were uncovered,
and the foundations of the world laid bare,*
at your battle cry, O Lord,
at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
He reached down from on high and grasped me;*
he drew me out of great waters.
He delivered me from my strong enemies
and from those who hated me;*
for they were too mighty for me.
They confronted me in the day of my disaster;*
but the Lord was my support.
He brought me out into an open place;*
he rescued me because he delighted in me.
A Song of God(s Grace (Ephesians 1.3 10)
Blessed are you,
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
for you have blest us in Christ Jesus
with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.
You chose us to be yours in Christ
before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy and blameless before you.
In love you destined us for adoption as your children,
through Jesus Christ,
according to the purpose of your will,
To the praise of your glorious grace,
which you freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
In you, we have redemption
through the blood of Christ,
the forgiveness of our sins,
According to the riches of your grace,
which you have lavished upon us.
You have made known to us, in all wisdom and insight,
the mystery of your will,
According to your purpose
which you set forth in Christ,
as a plan for the fullness of time,
To unite all things in Christ,
things in heaven and things on earth.
Psalm 146
Alleluia!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!*
I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
Put not your trust in rulers,
nor in any child of earth,*
for there is no help in them.
When they breathe their last, they return to earth,*
and in that day their thoughts perish.
Happy are they who have the God of Jacob
for their help!*
whose hope is in the Lord their God;
Who made heaven and earth, the seas,
and all that is in them;*
who keeps his promise for ever;
Who gives justice to those who are oppressed,*
and food to those who hunger.
The Lord sets the prisoners free;
the Lord opens the eyes of the blind;*
the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
The Lord loves the righteous;
the Lord cares for the stranger;*
he sustains the orphan and widow,
but frustrates the way of the wicked.
The Lord shall reign for ever,*
your God, O Zion, throughout all generations.
Alleluia!
FIRST READING [Proverbs 4:20-end]:
My child, be attentive to my words;
???incline your ear to my sayings.
Do not let them escape from your?sight;
???keep them within your heart.
For they are life to those who find?them,
???and healing to all their flesh.
Keep your heart with all vigilance,
???for from it flow the springs of?life.
Put away from you crooked speech,
???and put devious talk far from?you.
Let your eyes look directly forwards,
???and your gaze be straight before?you.
Keep straight the path of your feet,
???and all your ways will be sure.
Do not swerve to the right or to the?left;
???turn your foot away from evil.
HYMN
Words: June Boyce-Tillman (born 1943) ? Stainer & Bell Ltd Used with permission
Meter: 87 87 87
Melody of God's grace, shape us,
As we form life's curving phrase
>From the essence of Your loving
Flowing through each passing phase.
May our lives reflect the singing
Of the angels' endless praise.
Harmony of God's peace, move us
To resolve disputes with love,
So the discords drive us forward
To the joy of heav'n above.
May our lives reflect the music
Of the flying Spirit-dove.
Rhythm of God's order, structure
Patterns of vitality.
Vibrant pulse, Your strength is flowing
>From hope's creativity.
May our lives reflect Your Priesthood
Dancing in humanity.
SECOND READING [Ephesians 4:17-end]:
Now this I affirm and insist on in the Lord: you must no longer live as the Gentiles live, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of their ignorance and hardness of heart. They have lost all sensitivity and have abandoned themselves to licentiousness, greedy to practise every kind of impurity. That is not the way you learned Christ! For surely you have heard about him and were taught in him, as truth is in Jesus. You were taught to put away your former way of life, your old self, corrupt and deluded by its lusts, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to clothe yourselves with the new self, created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbours, for we are members of one another. Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not make room for the devil. Thieves must give up stealing; rather let them labour and work honestly with their own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy. Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption. Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.
The Benedictus (Morning),
the Magnificat (Evening), or
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.
Prayer:
Creator and Sustainer of life, God,
who ever calls us back
to his ways of justice and peace:
we thank you for the gift of the land,
for its beauty, and its resources,
and the rich heritage we enjoy.
Merciful, mighty God:
hear our prayer.
And so we pray:
for those who make decisions about our land and its resources;
for those who work on the land and sea,
in our cities, and in commerce and industry;
for artists, scientists, politicians, and visionaries.
Merciful, mighty God:
hear our prayer.
We thank you for giving us life, and for giving us our life together.
We pray for all who through their own or others( actions
are deprived of fullness of life;
for all who know sickness, disability, and an untimely death;
for all who devote their lives to ministering to the needs of others.
Merciful, mighty God:
hear our prayer.
Give us reverence for life in this, your created world.
May we reflect the goodness of your creation
in the society we create with and for one another.
Merciful, mighty God:
hear our prayer.
Pilgrim Christ,
encourage us by your tough yet gentle Spirit,
that we may receive from your love
the simplicity which is profound, ?
the innocence which is wisdom,?
the weakness which is strength,?
and the death which is life.
For your name?s sake. Amen.
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.
- The Lord's Prayer
God, who formed us,
continue to shape us as a vessel of the Gospel.
Christ Jesus, whom we bear,
mark our life with the good news.
The Holy Spirit, dwelling within,
fill us with the healing, liberating power of Christ. Amen.
*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.
The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.
The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.
The opening prayer of thanksgiving and the closing sentence are adapted from
from _Uniting in Worship 2_, (c) 2005 Uniting Church in Australia. The collect is by Bruce Prewer.
From steve.benner at oremus.org Mon Jan 19 17:00:00 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Mon, 19 Jan 2009 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS: 20 January 2009
Message-ID: <20090119170000.43785313C53@justus2.anglican.org>
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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, January 20, 2009
Lord, open our lips,
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Blessed are you, Eternal One,
you search us and you know us.
You surround us and you stay with us.
You form us, creating us lovingly,
seeing our mould and pattern,
the path of our days,
even before others think of us.
For these and all your mercies, we praise you:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
Blessed be God for ever!
An opening canticle may be sung.
Psalm 25
To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul;
my God, I put my trust in you;*
let me not be humiliated,
nor let my enemies triumph over me.
Let none who look to you be put to shame;*
let the treacherous be disappointed in their schemes.
Show me your ways, O Lord,*
and teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth and teach me,*
for you are the God of my salvation;
in you have I trusted all the day long.
Remember, O Lord, your compassion and love,*
for they are from everlasting.
Remember not the sins of my youth
and my transgressions;*
remember me according to your love
and for the sake of your goodness, O Lord.
Gracious and upright is the Lord;*
therefore he teaches sinners in his way.
He guides the humble in doing right*
and teaches his way to the lowly.
All the paths of the Lord are love and faithfulness*
to those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.
For your name's sake, O Lord,*
forgive my sin, for it is great.
Who are they who fear the Lord?*
he will teach them the way that they should choose.
They shall dwell in prosperity,*
and their offspring shall inherit the land.
The Lord is a friend to those who fear him*
and will show them his covenant.
My eyes are ever looking to the Lord,*
for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.
Turn to me and have pity on me,*
for I am left alone and in misery.
The sorrows of my heart have increased;*
bring me out of my troubles.
Look upon my adversity and misery*
and forgive me all my sin.
Look upon my enemies, for they are many,*
and they bear a violent hatred against me.
Protect my life and deliver me;*
let me not be put to shame, for I have trusted in you.
Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,*
for my hope has been in you.
Deliver Israel, O God,*
out of all his troubles.
A Song of the Messiah (Isaiah 9.2,3b,4a,6,7)
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
upon them the light has dawned.
You have increased their joy and given them great gladness;
they rejoiced before you as with joy at the harvest.
For you have shattered the yoke that burdened them;
the collar that lay heavy on their shoulders.
For to us a child is born and to us a son is given,
and the government will be upon his shoulder.
And his name will be called: Wonderful Counsellor;
the Mighty God;
the Everlasting Father; the Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish and uphold it with justice and righteousness.
>From this time forth and for evermore;
the zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Psalm 147:1-12
Alleluia!
How good it is to sing praises to our God!*
how pleasant it is to honour him with praise!
The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem;*
he gathers the exiles of Israel.
He heals the brokenhearted*
and binds up their wounds.
He counts the number of the stars*
and calls them all by their names.
Great is our Lord and mighty in power;*
there is no limit to his wisdom.
The Lord lifts up the lowly,*
but casts the wicked to the ground.
Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;*
make music to our God upon the harp.
He covers the heavens with clouds*
and prepares rain for the earth;
He makes grass to grow upon the mountains*
and green plants to serve us all.
He provides food for flocks and herds*
and for the young ravens when they cry.
He is not impressed by the might of a horse,*
he has no pleasure in human strength;
But the Lord has pleasure in those who fear him,*
in those who await his gracious favour.
Alleluia!
FIRST READING [Isaiah 25:1-9; 26:1-4]:
O?Lord, you are my God;
???I will exalt you, I will praise your name;
for you have done wonderful things,
???plans formed of old, faithful and?sure.
For you have made the city a?heap,
???the fortified city a ruin;
the palace of aliens is a city no?more,
???it will never be rebuilt.
Therefore strong peoples will glorify you;
???cities of ruthless nations will fear?you.
For you have been a refuge to the?poor,
???a refuge to the needy in their distress,
???a shelter from the rainstorm and a shade from the heat.
When the blast of the ruthless was like a winter rainstorm,
???the noise of aliens like heat in a dry place,
you subdued the heat with the shade of clouds;
???the song of the ruthless was?stilled.
On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples
???a feast of rich food, a feast of well-matured wines,
???of rich food filled with marrow, of well-matured wines strained clear.
And he will destroy on this mountain
???the shroud that is cast over all peoples,
???the sheet that is spread over all nations;
he will swallow up death for ever.
Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces,
???and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the?earth,
???for the Lord has spoken.
It will be said on that day,
???Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us.
???This is the Lord for whom we have waited;
???let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.
On that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:
We have a strong city;
???he sets up victory
???like walls and bulwarks.
Open the gates,
???so that the righteous nation that keeps faith
???may enter in.
Those of steadfast mind you keep in?peace?
???in peace because they trust in?you.
Trust in the Lord for ever,
???for in the Lord God
???you have an everlasting rock.
HYMN
Words: James Weldon Johnson, 1899
Tune: http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/l/l117.html
Lift every voice and sing
till earth and heaven ring,
ring with the harmonies of liberty.
Let our rejoicing rise
high as the listening skies;
let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us;
sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;
facing the rising sun
of our new day begun,
let us march on, till victory is won.
Stony the road we trod,
bitter the chastening rod,
felt in the days when hope unborn had died;
yet, with a steady beat,
have not our weary feet
come to the place for which our parents sighed?
We have come over a way that with tears have been watered;
we have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered,
out from the gloomy past,
till now we stand at last
where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.
God of our weary years,
God of our silent tears,
thou who hast brought us thus far on the way;
thou who hast by thy might led us into the light;
keep us for ever in the path, we pray.
Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met thee;
lest, our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget thee;
shadowed beneath thy hand
may we for ever stand,
true to our God, true to our native land.
SECOND READING [Hebrews 11:8-16; 12:28-end]:
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By faith he received power of procreation, even though he was too old?and Sarah herself was barren?because he considered him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one person, and this one as good as dead, descendants were born, ?as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.?
All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks, by which we offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe; for indeed our God is a consuming fire.
The Benedictus (Morning),
the Magnificat (Evening), or
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.
Prayer:
Lord we believe you when you say you will lead us.
But we have suffered at the hands of those
who would destroy and scatter your sheep.
You promised that you would raise up shepherds
who will gather us together so than no one will have to live in fear.
So we look for those shepherds, Lord.
We pray for those who will do good and do right,
for those who will protect the children,
who will school the children,
who will give the children hope.
We pray for those shepherds who will pursue peace,
who will walk humbly, who will reconcile nations.
We pray for shepherds who will fight injustice,
who stand on the side of justice.
We pray for shepherds who will feed the hungry,
clothe the naked, and set at liberty the captives.
We pray for shepherds who will spread love,
show mercy, and practice hospitality.
Lord we pray for our shepherds,
we pray for our people,
we pray for our country,
we pray for the nations. Amen.
O God, our help in ages past,
you brought us this far by faith.
The journey has been marked with many disappointments,
great oppression and dehumanization.
By your right hand you have brought us through.
The Pharaohs may still be pursuing us,
but you have already parted the waters and chartered the course.
The strategists of past times never thought we could get there,
but from Mount Pisgah we behold the land.
Help us not to look back with fear or pity.
Keep our eyes resolutely on the Promised Land.
It is our inheritance, freely offered by you.
How arable, how beautiful, how rich with mineral is that land!
Give us courage to continue the journey.
It was not, it is not, and it will never be easy;
but with you, O God, it is possible.
Increase our faith, strengthen our feeble knees,
and give us enthusiasm and zeal
so that others may be encouraged on the journey.
We owe it all to you,
and we shall shout from the mountaintops
and tell in the valleys that Jesus Christ is the Sovereign Lord.
In him nothing is impossible.
Hear us we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
Almighty God,
whose actions can make the ears of all who witness them tingle:
Grant your servant Barack Obama
and the people of the United States
a vision of justice and equality,
that all those whom you have fearfully and wonderfully made
would be treated with respect and mercy;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.
- The Lord's Prayer
God, who formed us,
continue to shape us as a vessel of the Gospel.
Christ Jesus, whom we bear,
mark our life with the good news.
The Holy Spirit, dwelling within,
fill us with the healing, liberating power of Christ. Amen.
*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.
The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.
The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.
The opening prayer of thanksgiving and the closing sentence are adapted from
from _Uniting in Worship 2_, (c) 2005 Uniting Church in Australia.
The intercessions come from the General Board of Discipleship of the United Methodist Church.
From steve.benner at oremus.org Tue Jan 20 17:00:01 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2009 17:00:01 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS: 21 January 2009
Message-ID: <20090120170001.38EAE313C50@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, January 21, 2009
Lord, open our lips,
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Blessed are you, Eternal One,
you search us and you know us.
You surround us and you stay with us.
You form us, creating us lovingly,
seeing our mould and pattern,
the path of our days,
even before others think of us.
For these and all your mercies, we praise you:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
Blessed be God for ever!
An opening canticle may be sung.
Psalm 31
In you, O Lord, have I taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame;*
deliver me in your righteousness.
Incline your ear to me;*
make haste to deliver me.
Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe,
for you are my crag and my stronghold;*
for the sake of your name, lead me and guide me.
Take me out of the net
that they have secretly set for me,*
for you are my tower of strength.
Into your hands I commend my spirit,*
for you have redeemed me,
O Lord, O God of truth.
I hate those who cling to worthless idols,*
and I put my trust in the Lord.
I will rejoice and be glad because of your mercy;*
for you have seen my affliction;
you know my distress.
You have not shut me up in the power of the enemy;*
you have set my feet in an open place.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in trouble;*
my eye is consumed with sorrow,
and also my throat and my belly.
For my life is wasted with grief,
and my years with sighing;*
my strength fails me because of affliction,
and my bones are consumed.
I have become a reproach to all my enemies
and even to my neighbours,
a dismay to those of my acquaintance;*
when they see me in the street they avoid me.
I am forgotten like the dead, out of mind;*
I am as useless as a broken pot.
For I have heard the whispering of the crowd;
fear is all around;*
they put their heads together against me;
they plot to take my life.
But as for me, I have trusted in you, O Lord.*
I have said, 'You are my God.
'My times are in your hand;*
rescue me from the hand of my enemies,
and from those who persecute me.
'Make your face to shine upon your servant,*
and in your loving kindness save me.'
Lord, let me not be ashamed
for having called upon you;*
rather, let the wicked be put to shame;
let them be silent in the grave.
Let the lying lips be silenced
which speak against the righteous,*
haughtily, disdainfully and with contempt.
How great is your goodness, O Lord,
which you have laid up for those who fear you;*
which you have done in the sight of all
for those who put their trust in you.
You hide them in the covert of your presence
from those who slander them;*
you keep them in your shelter from the strife of tongues.
Blessed be the Lord!*
for he has shown me the wonders of his love
in a besieged city.
Yet I said in my alarm,
'I have been cut off from the sight of your eyes.'*
Nevertheless, you heard the sound of my entreaty
when I cried out to you.
Love the Lord, all you who worship him;*
the Lord protects the faithful,
but repays to the full those who act haughtily.
Be strong and let your heart take courage,*
all you who wait for the Lord.
A Song of Praise (Revelation 4.11; 5.9b,10)
You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honour and power.
For you have created all things,
and by your will they have their being.
You are worthy, O Lamb, for you were slain,
and by your blood you ransomed for God
saints from every tribe and language and nation.
You have made them to be a kingdom and priests
serving our God,
and they will reign with you on earth.
Psalm 147:13-end
Alleluia!
Worship the Lord, O Jerusalem;*
praise your God, O Zion;
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;*
he has blessed your children within you.
He has established peace on your borders;*
he satisfies you with the finest wheat.
He sends out his command to the earth,*
and his word runs very swiftly.
He gives snow like wool;*
he scatters hoarfrost like ashes.
He scatters his hail like bread crumbs;*
who can stand against his cold?
He sends forth his word and melts them;*
he blows with his wind and the waters flow.
He declares his word to Jacob,*
his statutes and his judgements to Israel.
He has not done so to any other nation;*
to them he has not revealed his judgements.
Alleluia!
FIRST READING [Proverbs 8:1-11]:
Does not wisdom call,
???and does not understanding raise her voice?
On the heights, beside the way,
???at the crossroads she takes her stand;
beside the gates in front of the town,
???at the entrance of the portals she cries out:
?To you, O?people, I call,
???and my cry is to all that live.
O?simple ones, learn prudence;
???acquire intelligence, you who lack it.
Hear, for I will speak noble things,
???and from my lips will come what is right;
for my mouth will utter truth;
???wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
All the words of my mouth are righteous;
???there is nothing twisted or crooked in them.
They are all straight to one who understands
???and right to those who find knowledge.
Take my instruction instead of silver,
???and knowledge rather than choice gold;
for wisdom is better than jewels,
???and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.
HYMN
Words: William Bright (1824-1901)
Tune: Arfon, Heathlands, Ratisbon
At thy feet, O Christ, we lay
thine own gift of this new day;
doubt of what it holds in store
makes us crave thine aid the more;
lest it prove a time of loss,
mark it, Saviour with thy cross.
If it flow on calm and bright,
be thyself our chief delight;
if it bring unknown distress,
good is all that thou canst bless;
only, while its hours begin,
pray we, keep them clear of sin.
We in part our weakness know
and in part discern our foe;
well for us, before thine eyes
all our danger open lies;
turn not from us while we plead
thy compassions and our need.
Fain would we thy word embrace,
live each moment in thy grace,
all ourselves to thee consign,
fold up all our wills in thine,
think, and speak, and do, and be
simply that which pleases thee.
Hear us, Lord, and that right soon;
hear and grant the choicest boon
that thy love can e'er impart,
loyal singleness of heart;
so shall this, and all our days,
Christ our God, show forth thy praise.
SECOND READING [Ephesians 5:15-end]:
?Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Wives, be subject to your husbands as you are to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife just as Christ is the head of the church, the body of which he is the Saviour. Just as the church is subject to Christ, so also wives ought to be, in everything, to their husbands.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, in order to make her holy by cleansing her with the washing of water by the word, so as to present the church to himself in splendour, without a spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind?yes, so that she may be holy and without blemish. In the same way, husbands should love their wives as they do their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hates his own body, but he nourishes and tenderly cares for it, just as Christ does for the church, because we are members of his body. ?For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.? This is a great mystery, and I am applying it to Christ and the church. Each of you, however, should love his wife as himself, and a wife should respect her husband.
The Benedictus (Morning),
the Magnificat (Evening), or
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.
Prayer:
Let us pray for the grace to recognize
the presence of God in our lives.
Open our eyes to see your salvation;
reveal yourself to a blind humanity.
Make your face shine upon those who live with disease;
give them your strength and your peace.
Let all who are weighed down by want come to know your bounty;
that they may put their trust in your goodness.
To those who hold power and riches, grant a discerning spirit;
that they may be set free by your freedom and love.
O God,
all wisdom comes from you:
Give us that true and everlasting wisdom
which cannot be purchased with gold,
but comes only by giving up evil,
living in your fear,
and obeying and loving you in all things;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.
- The Lord's Prayer
God, who formed us,
continue to shape us as a vessel of the Gospel.
Christ Jesus, whom we bear,
mark our life with the good news.
The Holy Spirit, dwelling within,
fill us with the healing, liberating power of Christ. Amen.
*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.
The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.
The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.
The opening prayer of thanksgiving and the closing sentence are adapted from
from _Uniting in Worship 2_, (c) 2005 Uniting Church in Australia.
The intercession is based on a prayer in _In Spirit and In Truth_, (c) World Council of Churches, 1991. The collect is one collected by Eric Milner-White in _Daily Prayer_, 1941.
From steve.benner at oremus.org Wed Jan 21 23:45:40 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Wed, 21 Jan 2009 23:45:40 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS: 22 January 2009
Message-ID: <20090121234540.E4F91313C4D@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, January 22, 2009
Vincent of Saragossa, Deacon, first Martyr of Spain, 304
Lord, open our lips,
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Blessed are you, Eternal One,
you search us and you know us.
You surround us and you stay with us.
You form us, creating us lovingly,
seeing our mould and pattern,
the path of our days,
even before others think of us.
For these and all your mercies, we praise you:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
Blessed be God for ever!
An opening canticle may be sung.
Psalm 33
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous;*
it is good for the just to sing praises.
Praise the Lord with the harp;*
play to him upon the psaltery and lyre.
Sing for him a new song;*
sound a fanfare with all your skill upon the trumpet.
For the word of the Lord is right,*
and all his works are sure.
He loves righteousness and justice;*
the loving kindness of the Lord fills the whole earth.
By the word of the Lord were the heavens made,*
by the breath of his mouth all the heavenly hosts.
He gathers up the waters of the ocean
as in a water skin*
and stores up the depths of the sea.
Let all the earth fear the Lord;*
let all who dwell in the world stand in awe of him.
For he spoke and it came to pass;*
he commanded and it stood fast.
The Lord brings the will of the nations to naught;*
he thwarts the designs of the peoples.
But the Lord's will stands fast for ever,*
and the designs of his heart from age to age.
Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord!*
happy the people he has chosen to be his own!
The Lord looks down from heaven,*
and beholds all the people in the world.
>From where he sits enthroned he turns his gaze*
on all who dwell on the earth.
He fashions all the hearts of them*
and understands all their works.
There is no king that can be saved by a mighty army;*
the strong are not delivered by great strength.nbsp;
The horse is a vain hope for deliverance;*
for all its strength it cannot save.
Behold, the eye of the Lord
is upon those who fear him,*
on those who wait upon his love,
To pluck their lives from death,*
and to feed them in time of famine.
Our soul waits for the Lord;*
he is our help and our shield.
Indeed, our heart rejoices in him,*
for in his holy name we put our trust.
Let your loving kindness, O Lord, be upon us,*
as we have put our trust in you.
A Song of Tobit (Tobit 13.1,3,4 6a)
Blessed be God, who lives for ever,
whose reign endures throughout all ages.
Declare God(s praise before the nations,
you who are the children of Israel.
For if our God has scattered you among them,
there too has he shown you his greatness.
Exalt him in the sight of the living,
because he is our Lord and God and our Father for ever.
Though God punishes you for your wickedness,
mercy will be shown to you all.
God will gather you from every nation,
from wherever you have been scattered.
When you turn to the Lord
with all your heart and soul,
God will hide his face from you no more.
See what the Lord has done for you
and give thanks with a loud voice.
Praise the Lord of righteousness
and exalt the King of the ages.
Psalm 148
Alleluia!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;*
praise him in the heights.
Praise him, all you angels of his;*
praise him, all his host.
Praise him, sun and moon;*
praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, heaven of heavens,*
and you waters above the heavens.
Let them praise the name of the Lord;*
for he commanded and they were created.
He made them stand fast for ever and ever;*
he gave them a law which shall not pass away.
Praise the Lord from the earth,*
you sea monsters and all deeps;
Fire and hail, snow and fog,*
tempestuous wind, doing his will;
Mountains and all hills,*
fruit trees and all cedars;
Wild beasts and all cattle,*
creeping things and winged birds;
Kings of the earth and all peoples,*
princes and all rulers of the world;
Young men and maidens,*
old and young together.
Let them praise the name of the Lord,*
for his name only is exalted,
his splendour is over earth and heaven.
He has raised up strength for his people
and praise for all his loyal servants,*
the children of Israel, a people who are near him.
Alleluia!
FIRST READING [Proverbs 8:12-20]:
I, wisdom, live with prudence,
???and I attain knowledge and discretion.
The fear of the Lord is hatred of?evil.
Pride and arrogance and the way of?evil
???and perverted speech I hate.
I have good advice and sound wisdom;
???I have insight, I have strength.
By me kings reign,
???and rulers decree what is just;
by me rulers rule,
???and nobles, all who govern rightly.
I love those who love me,
???and those who seek me diligently find me.
Riches and honour are with me,
???enduring wealth and prosperity.
My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold,
???and my yield than choice silver.
I walk in the way of righteousness,
???along the paths of justice.
HYMN
Words: Harry Emerson Fosdick (1878-1969)
Tune: Cwm Rhondda
God of grace and God of glory,
on thy people pour thy power;
now fulfil thy church's story;
bring her bud to glorious flower.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
for the facing of this hour.
Lo, the hosts of evil round us
scorn thy Christ, assail his ways;
from the fears that long have bound us
free our hearts to faith and praise.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
for the living of these days.
Cure thy children's warring madness,
bend our pride to thy control;
shame our wanton selfish gladness,
rich in goods and poor in soul.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
lest we miss thy kingdom's goal.
Set our feet on lofty places,
gird our lives that they may be
armoured with all Christlike graces
in the fight to set men free.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
that we fail not man nor thee.
SECOND READING [Ephesians 6]:
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ?Honour your father and mother??this is the first commandment with a promise: ?so that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.?
And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, in singleness of heart, as you obey Christ; not only while being watched, and in order to please them, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. Render service with enthusiasm, as to the Lord and not to men and women, knowing that whatever good we do, we will receive the same again from the Lord, whether we are slaves or free.
And, masters, do the same to them. Stop threatening them, for you know that both of you have the same Master in heaven, and with him there is no partiality.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armour of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armour of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
?Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak.
So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus will tell you everything. He is a dear brother and a faithful minister in the Lord. I am sending him to you for this very purpose, to let you know how we are, and to encourage your hearts.
Peace be to the whole community, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who have an undying love for our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Benedictus (Morning),
the Magnificat (Evening), or
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.
Prayer:
Most holy and gracious God,
we praise you for the glorious freedom
we have together in Christ Jesus.
You have called us to be brothers and sisters
in the covenant of your Church.
Hear our desire to live in covenant relationships
of binding and loosing,
so that we may truly be your faithful people.
Gracious God,
hear our prayer.
Enlarge our understandings of how we can work together
to raise up your Church and your mission
in this technological age.
Gracious God,
hear our prayer.
Forgive us for not being sensitive to one another
and for preferring to be loners instead of joining in our common cause.
Gracious God,
hear our prayer.
As you have forgiven us, may we forgive one another.
May our love flow like an everlasting river,
making our baptismal covenant a daily reality.
Gracious God,
hear our prayer.
O Lord our king, exalted on high,
yet stooping to the measure of our lowliness,
you have called us to be holy for you are holy:
as in our worship we confess your glory,
so may our lives be directed in righteousness;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
God of boundless compassion,
who made your holy deacon Vincent
a worthy partner in the sufferings of Christ,
strengthen us to endure all adversity
with invincible and steadfast faith,
that our assurance of your saving justice
may vanquish all dangers that assault our bodies
and all wounds that would harm our souls;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.
- The Lord's Prayer
God, who formed us,
continue to shape us as a vessel of the Gospel.
Christ Jesus, whom we bear,
mark our life with the good news.
The Holy Spirit, dwelling within,
fill us with the healing, liberating power of Christ. Amen.
*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.
The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.
The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.
The opening prayer of thanksgiving and the closing sentence are adapted from
from _Uniting in Worship 2_, (c) 2005 Uniting Church in Australia.
From steve.benner at oremus.org Thu Jan 22 17:00:01 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2009 17:00:01 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS: 23 January 2009
Message-ID: <20090122170001.0361C313C69@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, January 23, 2009
Phillips Brooks, Bishop of Massachusetts, 1893
Lord, open our lips,
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Blessed are you, Eternal One,
you search us and you know us.
You surround us and you stay with us.
You form us, creating us lovingly,
seeing our mould and pattern,
the path of our days,
even before others think of us.
For these and all your mercies, we praise you:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
Blessed be God for ever!
An opening canticle may be sung.
Psalm 40
I waited patiently upon the Lord;*
he stooped to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the desolate pit,
out of the mire and clay;*
he set my feet upon a high cliff and made my footing sure.
He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God;*
many shall see and stand in awe
and put their trust in the Lord.
Happy are they who trust in the Lord!*
they do not resort to evil spirits or turn to false gods.
Great things are they that you have done, O Lord my God!
how great your wonders and your plans for us!*
there is none who can be compared with you.
O that I could make them known and tell them!*
but they are more than I can count.
In sacrifice and offering you take no pleasure*
you have given me ears to hear you;
Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required,*
and so I said, 'Behold, I come.
'In the roll of the book it is written concerning me:*
"I love to do your will, O my God;
your law is deep in my heart."'
I proclaimed righteousness in the great congregation;*
behold, I did not restrain my lips;
and that, O Lord, you know.
Your righteousness have I not hidden in my heart;
I have spoken of your faithfulness and your deliverance;*
I have not concealed your love and faithfulness
from the great congregation.
You are the Lord;
do not withhold your compassion from me;*
let your love and your faithfulness keep me safe for ever,
For innumerable troubles have crowded upon me;
my sins have overtaken me and I cannot see;*
they are more in number than the hairs of my head,
and my heart fails me.
Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me;*
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Let them be ashamed and altogether dismayed
who seek after my life to destroy it;*
let them draw back and be disgraced
who take pleasure in my misfortune.
Let those who say 'Aha!' and gloat over me be confounded,*
because they are ashamed.
Let all who seek you rejoice in you and be glad;*
let those who love your salvation continually say,
'Great is the Lord!'
Though I am poor and afflicted,*
the Lord will have regard for me.
You are my helper and my deliverer;*
do not tarry, O my God.
The Song of Christ(s Glory (Philippians 2.5 11)
Christ Jesus was in the form of God,
but he did not cling to equality with God.
He emptied himself, taking the form of a servant,
and was born in our human likeness.
Being found in human form he humbled himself,
and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross.
Therefore God has highly exalted him,
and bestowed on him the name above every name,
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth;
And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Psalm 149
Alleluia!
Sing to the Lord a new song;*
sing his praise in the congregation of the faithful.
Let Israel rejoice in his maker;*
let the children of Zion be joyful in their king.
Let them praise his name in the dance;*
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the Lord takes pleasure in his people*
and adorns the poor with victory.
Let the faithful rejoice in triumph;*
let them be joyful on their beds.
Let the praises of God be in their throat*
and a two edged sword in their hand;
To wreak vengeance on the nations*
and punishment on the peoples;
To bind their kings in chains*
and their nobles with links of iron;
To inflict on them the judgement decreed;*
this is glory for all his faithful people.
Alleluia!
FIRST READING [Proverbs 8:22-35]:
The Lord created me at the beginning of his work,
???the first of his acts of long ago.
Ages ago I was set up,
???at the first, before the beginning of the earth.
When there were no depths I was brought forth,
???when there were no springs abounding with water.
Before the mountains had been shaped,
???before the hills, I was brought forth?
when he had not yet made earth and fields,
???or the world?s first bits of soil.
When he established the heavens, I was there,
???when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,
when he made firm the skies above,
???when he established the fountains of the deep,
when he assigned to the sea its limit,
???so that the waters might not transgress his command,
when he marked out the foundations of the earth,
???then I was beside him, like a master worker;
and I was daily his delight,
???rejoicing before him always,
rejoicing in his inhabited world
???and delighting in the human?race.
?And now, my children, listen to me:
???happy are those who keep my?ways.
Hear instruction and be wise,
???and do not neglect it.
Happy is the one who listens to me,
???watching daily at my gates,
???waiting beside my doors.
For whoever finds me finds life
???and obtains favour from the Lord.
HYMN
Words: Joachim Neander (1650-1680), trans. Catherine Winkworth (1827-1878)
Tune: Lobe den Herren
Praise to the Lord, the almighty, the King of creation;
O my soul, praise him, for his is thy health and salvation:
come ye who hear,
brothers and sisters draw near,
praise him in glad adoration.
Praise to the Lord, who o'er all things so wondrously reigneth,
shelters thee under his wings, yea, so gently sustaineth:
hast thou not seen
all that is needful hath been
granted in what he ordaineth?
Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work, and defend thee;
surely his goodness and mercy here daily attend thee;
ponder anew
all the almighty can do,
he who with love doth befriend thee.
Praise to the Lord, who doth nourish thy life and restore thee,
fitting thee well for the tasks that are ever before thee,
then to thy need
he like a mother doth speed,
spreading the wings of grace o'er thee.
Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore him!
All that hath life and breath come now with praises before him!
Let the Amen
sound from his people again:
gladly for ay we adore him.
SECOND READING [Philippians 1:1-11]:
Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,
To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God?s grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that on the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.
The Benedictus (Morning),
the Magnificat (Evening), or
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.
Prayer:
Faithful God, Lord of all,
we offer our prayers to you
for a world in need.
Lord of the Church, we pray for your people throughout the world,
especially in the Diocese of
Give unity in the Spirit
that we may be one in the witness of saving love
and glorify you with one mind and mouth.
Faithful God,
hear our prayer.
Head of the Body,
give us wisdom to follow your commandments,
to live peacefully and do justly,
and to walk humbly with you.
Faithful God,
hear our prayer.
Creator and ruler of the universe,
give to all who exercise authority
wisdom and virtue to govern justly
and bring peace across the land.
Faithful God,
hear our prayer.
Source of all compassion,
give to all who suffer
the light of your presence and the caring of your people,
to bring calm and comfort.
Faithful God,
hear our prayer.
Giver of good to all,
take from us any evil thought or will
that we may forgive those who offend us or seek our harm
as you have forgiven us.
Faithful God,
hear our prayer.
All-knowing One, you who see us as we are
and know us as we should be:
forgive our sins, set us free from fear,
and give us lives abundant with your guiding presence,
that we may be yours for ever,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
O everlasting God,
you revealed truth to your servant Phillips Brooks,
and so formed and molded his mind and heart
that he was able to mediate the truth with grace and power:
Grant, we pray, that all whom you call to preach the Gospel
may steep themselves in your Word,
and conform their lives to your will;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.
- The Lord's Prayer
God, who formed us,
continue to shape us as a vessel of the Gospel.
Christ Jesus, whom we bear,
mark our life with the good news.
The Holy Spirit, dwelling within,
fill us with the healing, liberating power of Christ. Amen.
*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.
The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.
The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.
The opening prayer of thanksgiving and the closing sentence are adapted from
from _Uniting in Worship 2_, (c) 2005 Uniting Church in Australia.
The intercession and collect are adapted by Stephen Benner from a prayer by Arlene M. Mark, from _Words for Worship_; used by permission of Herald Press.
The second collect is from _The Proper for the Lesser Feasts and
Fasts_, 3rd edition, (c) 1980 The Church Pension Fund.
Phillips Brooks is best known today as the author of "O Little Town of
Bethlehem." Former generations, however, accounted him the greatest
American preacher of the nineteenth century (and not for lack of other
candidates). His sermons are still read.
He was born in Boston in 1835 and educated at Harvard and at Virginia
Theological Seminary. After ten years of ministry at two churches in
Philadelphia, he returned to Boston in 1869 and was rector of Trinity Church
there until 1891. He was then elected Bishop of Massachusetts, and died two
years later. [James Kiefer]
From steve.benner at oremus.org Fri Jan 23 17:00:00 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2009 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS: 24 January 2009
Message-ID: <20090123170000.3E2C7313C4D@justus2.anglican.org>
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OREMUS for Saturday, January 24, 2009
Francis de Sales, Bishop of Geneva, Teacher of the Faith, 1622
Lord, open our lips,
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Blessed are you, Eternal One,
you search us and you know us.
You surround us and you stay with us.
You form us, creating us lovingly,
seeing our mould and pattern,
the path of our days,
even before others think of us.
For these and all your mercies, we praise you:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
Blessed be God for ever!
An opening canticle may be sung.
Psalm 34
I will bless the Lord at all times;*
his praise shall ever be in my mouth.
I will glory in the Lord;*
let the humble hear and rejoice.
Proclaim with me the greatness of the Lord;*
let us exalt his name together.
I sought the Lord and he answered me*
and delivered me out of all my terror.
Look upon him and be radiant,*
and let not your faces be ashamed.
I called in my affliction and the Lord heard me*
and saved me from all my troubles.
The angel of the Lord
encompasses those who fear him,*
and he will deliver them.
Taste and see that the Lord is good;*
happy are they who trust in him!
Fear the Lord, you that are his saints,*
for those who fear him lack nothing.
The young lions lack and suffer hunger,*
but those who seek the Lord
lack nothing that is good.
Come, children, and listen to me;*
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
Who among you loves life*
and desires long life to enjoy prosperity?
Keep your tongue from evil speaking*
and your lips from lying words.
Turn from evil and do good;*
seek peace and pursue it.
The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous,*
and his ears are open to their cry.
The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,*
to root out the remembrance of them from the earth.
The righteous cry and the Lord hears them*
and delivers them from all their troubles.
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted*
and will save those whose spirits are crushed.
Many are the troubles of the righteous,*
but the Lord will deliver him out of them all.
He will keep safe all his bones;*
not one of them shall be broken.
Evil shall slay the wicked,*
and those who hate the righteous will be punished.
The Lord ransoms the life of his servants,*
and none will be punished who trust in him.
A Song of God(s Herald (Isaiah 40:9-11)
Go up to a high mountain,
herald of good tidings to Zion;
lift up your voice with strength,
herald of good tidings to Jerusalem.
Lift up your voice, fear not;
say to the cities of Judah, 'Behold your God!'
See, the Lord God comes with might,
and his arm rules for him.
Behold, his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him.
God will feed his flock like a shepherd,
and gather the lambs in his arms;
He will carry them in his breast,
and gently lead those that are with young.
Psalm 150
Alleluia!
Praise God in his holy temple;*
praise him in the firmament of his power.
Praise him for his mighty acts;*
praise him for his excellent greatness.
Praise him with the blast of the ram's horn;*
praise him with lyre and harp.
Praise him with timbrel and dance;*
praise him with strings and pipe.
Praise him with resounding cymbals;*
praise him with loud clanging cymbals.
Let everything that has breath*
praise the Lord.
Alleluia!
FIRST READING [Proverbs 9:1-6, 13-18]:
Wisdom has built her house,
???she has hewn her seven pillars.
She has slaughtered her animals, she has mixed her wine,
???she has also set her table.
She has sent out her servant-girls, she calls
???from the highest places in the?town,
?You that are simple, turn in here!?
???To those without sense she says,
?Come, eat of my bread
???and drink of the wine I have mixed.
Lay aside immaturity, and live,
???and walk in the way of insight.?
The foolish woman is loud;
???she is ignorant and knows nothing.
She sits at the door of her house,
???on a seat at the high places of the town,
calling to those who pass by,
???who are going straight on their way,
?You who are simple, turn in here!?
???And to those without sense she says,
?Stolen water is sweet,
???and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.?
But they do not know that the dead are there,
???that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.
HYMN
Words: Charles Wesley (1707-1788)
Tune: St. Petersburg, Ratisbon
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
One in three, and three in one,
As by the celestial host,
Let thy will on earth be done;
Praise by all to thee be given,
Glorious Lord of earth and heaven.
If a sinner such as I
May to thy great glory live,
All my actions sanctify,
All my words and thoughts receive;
Claim me for thy service, claim
All I have and all I am.
Take my soul and body's powers;
Take my memory, mind, and will,
All my goods, and all my hours,
All I know, and all I feel,
All I think, or speak, or do;
Take my heart, but make it new.
Now, O God, thine own I am,
Now I give thee back thine own;
Freedom, friends, and health, and fame
Consecrate to thee alone:
Thine I live, thrice happy I;
Happier still if thine I die.
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
One in three, and three in one,
As by the celestial host,
Let thy will on earth be done;
Praise by all to thee be given,
Glorious Lord of earth and heaven.
SECOND READING [Philippians 1:12-26]:
?I want you to know, beloved, that what has happened to me has actually helped to spread the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to everyone else that my imprisonment is for Christ; and most of the brothers and sisters, having been made confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, dare to speak the word with greater boldness and without fear.
Some proclaim Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from goodwill. These proclaim Christ out of love, knowing that I have been put here for the defence of the gospel; the others proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but intending to increase my suffering in my imprisonment. What does it matter? Just this, that Christ is proclaimed in every way, whether out of false motives or true; and in that I rejoice.
Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will result in my deliverance. It is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be put to shame in any way, but that by my speaking with all boldness, Christ will be exalted now as always in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labour for me; and I do not know which I prefer. I am hard pressed between the two: my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better; but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you. Since I am convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in faith, so that I may share abundantly in your boasting in Christ Jesus when I come to you again.
The Benedictus (Morning),
the Magnificat (Evening), or
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.
Prayer:
Loving God, in Jesus Christ you teach us to pray:
Guide us by your Holy Spirit
that our prayers for others may serve your will
and show your steadfast love for all.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Gracious God,
you have called together a people
to be the Church of Jesus Christ,
founded on the apostles.
May your people be one in faith and discipleship,
breaking bread together and telling good news.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
May the world come to believe that you are love,
turn to your ways and live in the light of your truth.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
You made all things and called them good.
May your planet earth be held in reverence by all people,
that its resources may be used wisely
and its fragile balance between life and death respected.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Hear our prayers for those who rule the nations,
that they may learn wisdom and truth,
establish justice and mercy
and seek the ways of peace.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
O my God, I thank you and I praise
you for accomplishing your holy
and all-lovable will without any regard for mine.
With my whole heart,
in spite of my heart,
do I receive this cross I feared so much!
It is the cross of Your choice,
the cross of Your love.
I venerate it;
nor for anything in the world
would I wish that it had not come,
since You willed it.
I keep it with gratitude and with joy,
as I do everything that comes from Your hand;
and I shall strive to carry it without letting it drag,
with all the respect
and all the affection which Your works deserve. Amen.
O God, our Creator and our Goal,
who guided many in the practice of your love
by the ministry of your servant Francis de Sales,
grant us so to live by the grace of Christ
that we may serve you with our prayers,
praise you with our minds,
and show forth your love by our readiness in mercy;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.
- The Lord's Prayer
God, who formed us,
continue to shape us as a vessel of the Gospel.
Christ Jesus, whom we bear,
mark our life with the good news.
The Holy Spirit, dwelling within,
fill us with the healing, liberating power of Christ. Amen.
*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.
The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.
The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.
The opening prayer of thanksgiving and the closing sentence are adapted from
from _Uniting in Worship 2_, (c) 2005 Uniting Church in Australia.
The intercession is adapted from a prayer in _The Book of Common Worship. The Presbyterian Church in Canada_, 1991. Used with permission.
The first collect is by Francis de Sales and the second collect is from _For All the Saints_, (c) General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada, 1994.
Francis de Sales was born in the Savoy district of France in 1567 and ordained
a priest in 1593. At that time the religious and political struggles of the time
had placed under the control of Roman Catholic rulers several regions in which
the people were mostly Protestants. Francis was sent to preach in one such
region near his birthplace, attempting to persuade his hearers to become
Roman Catholics. Since he was seen to be persuasive, he was appointed in
1602 to be Roman Catholic bishop of Geneva, a Calvinist stronghold which
had been captured by the Roman Catholic Duke of Savoy. Here again, he
brought many to his way of thinking. His motto was, "He who preaches with
love, preaches effectively." His numerous controversial tracts are unfailingly
courteous to his opponents. Many Christians who are not at all convinced of
the truth of the Romanist position by his arguments nevertheless read him with
delight because of his obvious love for God and his neighbor.
By no means all of his writings were concerned with disputation. His best
known and best loved treatises were concerned with the life of prayer, and
were written to advise those who wish to become more aware of the presence
of God in their lives. His Introduction to the Devout Life was highly praised by
John Wesley. C.S. Lewis has referred to the "dewy freshness" that permeates
the book. It is available in English, as is his The Love of God. Both have been
used and found helpful by Christians of many different denominations.
In 1604 he met a widow, Jane Frances de Chantal (born at Dijon, 1572, died
12 December 1641), and under his influence she founded a religious order of
nuns called the Order of the Visitation. Their correspondence is an outstanding
example of mutual Christian encouragement and support.
Francis died at Lyons 29 December 1622. Since this date is already spoken for
(Thomas a Becket), he is remembered 24 January. [James Kiefer]
From steve.benner at oremus.org Sat Jan 24 17:00:00 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Sat, 24 Jan 2009 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS: 25 January 2009
Message-ID: <20090124170000.53E15313C40@justus2.anglican.org>
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OREMUS for Sunday, January 25, 2009
The Conversion of Saint Paul
Lord, open our lips,
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Blessed are you, almighty God,
for the wonders of your grace
displayed in your apostle Paul,
whom you chose to announce the good news to the gentiles.
We give you thanks for his example of his patient service,
by which he instructed us in the way of eternal life,
given to us in your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
For these and all your mercies, we praise you,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit:
Blessed be God for ever!
An opening canticle may be sung.
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.
Psalm 138
I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with my whole heart;*
before the gods I will sing your praise.
I will bow down towards your holy temple
and praise your name,*
because of your love and faithfulness;
For you have glorified your name*
and your word above all things.
When I called, you answered me;*
you increased my strength within me.
All the kings of the earth will praise you, O Lord,*
when they have heard the words of your mouth.
They will sing of the ways of the Lord,*
that great is the glory of the Lord.
Though the Lord be high, he cares for the lowly;*
he perceives the haughty from afar.
Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you keep me safe;*
you stretch forth your hand
against the fury of my enemies;
your right hand shall save me.
The Lord will make good his purpose for me;*
O Lord, your love endures for ever;
do not abandon the works of your hands.
A Song of Christ's Appearing (1 Timothy 3:16; 6:15-16)
Christ Jesus was revealed in the flesh
and vindicated in the spirit.
He was seen by angels
and proclaimed among the nations.
Believed in throughout the world,
he was taken up in glory.
This will be made manifest at the proper time
by the blessed and only Sovereign,
Who alone has immortality,
and dwells in unapproachable light.
To the King of kings and Lord of lords
be honour and eternal dominion. Amen.
Psalm 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 [Isaiah 45:18-end]:
For thus says the Lord,
who created the heavens
???(he is God!),
who formed the earth and made it
???(he established it;
he did not create it a chaos,
???he formed it to be inhabited!):
I am the Lord, and there is no?other.
I did not speak in secret,
???in a land of darkness;
I did not say to the offspring of?Jacob,
????Seek me in chaos.?
I the Lord speak the truth,
???I declare what is right.
Assemble yourselves and come together,
???draw near, you survivors of the nations!
They have no knowledge?
???those who carry about their wooden idols,
and keep on praying to a god
???that cannot save.
Declare and present your case;
???let them take counsel together!
Who told this long ago?
???Who declared it of old?
Was it not I, the Lord?
???There is no other god besides me,
a righteous God and a Saviour;
???there is no one besides me.
Turn to me and be saved,
???all the ends of the earth!
???For I am God, and there is no?other.
By myself I have sworn,
???from my mouth has gone forth in righteousness
???a word that shall not return:
?To me every knee shall bow,
???every tongue shall swear.?
Only in the Lord, it shall be said of?me,
???are righteousness and strength;
all who were incensed against him
???shall come to him and be ashamed.
In the Lord all the offspring of Israel
???shall triumph and glory.
HYMN
Words: John Ellerton, 1871
Tune: King's Lynn, Munich, Ellacombe, Llangloffan, Missionary
http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/w/w145.html
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We sing the glorious conquest
before Damascus' gate,
when Saul, the Church's spoiler
came breathing threats and hate.
The ravening wolf rushed forward
full early to the prey;
but lo! the Shepherd met him,
and bound him fast today.
O glory most excelling
that smote across his path!
O light that pierced and blinded
the zealot in his wrath!
O voice that spake within him
the calm, reproving word!
O love that sought and held him
the bondman of his Lord!
O Wisdom ordering all things
in order strong and sweet,
what nobler spoil was ever
cast at the Victor's feet?
What wiser master builder
e'er wrought at thine employ
than he, till now so furious
thy building to destroy?
Lord, teach thy Church the lesson,
still in her darkest hour
of weakness and of danger,
to trust thy hidden power;
thy grace by ways mysterious
the wrath of man can bind,
and in thy boldest foeman
thy chosen saint can find.
SECOND READING [2 Corinthians 12:1-9]:
It is necessary to boast; nothing is to be gained by it, but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven?whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows. And I know that such a person?whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows? was caught up into Paradise and heard things that are not to be told, that no mortal is permitted to repeat. On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. But if I wish to boast, I will not be a fool, for I will be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think better of me than what is seen in me or heard from me, even considering the exceptional character of the revelations. Therefore, to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given to me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, but he said to me, ?My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.? So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
The Benedictus (Morning),
the Magnificat (Evening), or
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.
Prayer:
O God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
our only Saviour, the Prince of Peace:
give us grace to seriously to lay to heart
the great dangers we are in by our unhappy divisions.
Take away all hatred and prejudice,
and whatever else may hinder us
from godly union and concord;
that, as there is but one Body and one Spirit,
one hope of our calling,
one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
one God and Father of us all,
so we may henceforth be
all of one heart and of one soul,
united in one holy bond of peace, of faith and charity
and may with one mind and one mouth glorify you;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
O God,
by the preaching of your apostle Paul
you have caused the light of your Gospel
to shine throughout the world:
Grant, we pray, that we,
having his wonderful conversion in remembrance,
may show ourselves thankful to you
by following his holy teaching;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.
- The Lord's Prayer
God, who formed us,
continue to shape us as a vessel of the Gospel.
Christ Jesus, whom we bear,
mark our life with the good news.
The Holy Spirit, dwelling within,
fill us with the healing, liberating power of Christ. Amen.
*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.
The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.
The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.
The opening prayer of thanksgiving and the closing sentence are adapted from
from _Uniting in Worship 2_, (c) 2005 Uniting Church in Australia.
The opening prayer of thanksgiving is adapted by Stephen Benner from a
prayer in _We Give You Thanks and Praise: The Ambrosian Eucharistic
Prefaces_, translated by Alan Griffiths, (c) The Canterbury Press
Norwich, 1999.
The collect is from The Book of Common Prayer_ (1979),
Charles Mortimer Guilbert, Custodian.
From steve.benner at oremus.org Mon Jan 26 17:00:01 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2009 17:00:01 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS: 27 January 2009
Message-ID: <20090126170001.192B3313C4B@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, January 27, 2009
John Chrysostom, Bishop of Constantinople, Teacher of the Faith, 407
Lord, open our lips,
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Blessed are you, God,
for the radiance of your Christ,
a light which has dawned for those
who walked in the shadow of death.
We sing the wonders of your saving power
and for the many gifts you bestow on us.
For these and all your mercies, we praise you:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
Blessed be God for ever!
An opening canticle may be sung.
Psalm 41
Happy are they who consider the poor and needy!*
the Lord will deliver them in the time of trouble.
The Lord preserves them and keeps them alive,
so that they may be happy in the land;*
he does not hand them over to the will of their enemies.
The Lord sustains them on their sick bed*
and ministers to them in their illness.
I said, 'Lord, be merciful to me;*
heal me, for I have sinned against you.'
My enemies are saying wicked things about me:*
'When will he die and his name perish?'
Even if they come to see me, they speak empty words;*
their heart collects false rumours;
they go outside and spread them.
All my enemies whisper together about me*
and devise evil against me.
'A deadly thing', they say, 'has fastened on him;*
he has taken to his bed and will never get up again.'Even my best friend, whom I trusted,
who broke bread with me,*
has lifted up his heel and turned against me.
But you, O Lord, be merciful to me and raise me up,*
and I shall repay them.
By this I know you are pleased with me,*
that my enemy does not triumph over me.
In my integrity you hold me fast,*
and shall set me before your face for ever.
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,*
from age to age. Amen. Amen.
A Song of the Holy City (Revelation 21.1 5a)
I saw a new heaven and a new earth,
for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away
and the sea was no more.
And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem,
coming down out of heaven from God,
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
And I heard a great voice from the throne saying,
Behold, the dwelling of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them and they shall be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them.
He will wipe every tear from their eyes,
and death shall be no more.
Neither shall there be mourning,
nor crying, nor pain any more,
for the former things have passed away.(
And the One who sat upon the throne said,
Behold, I make all things new.(
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 [Proverbs 10:22-29]:
The blessing of the Lord makes rich,
???and he adds no sorrow with it.
Doing wrong is like sport to a fool,
???but wise conduct is pleasure to a person of understanding.
What the wicked dread will come upon them,
???but the desire of the righteous will be granted.
When the tempest passes, the wicked are no more,
???but the righteous are established for ever.
Like vinegar to the teeth, and smoke to the eyes,
???so are the lazy to their employers.
The fear of the Lord prolongs life,
???but the years of the wicked will be short.
The hope of the righteous ends in gladness,
???but the expectation of the wicked comes to nothing.
The way of the Lord is a stronghold for the upright,
???but destruction for evildoers.
HYMN
Words: Charles Wesley (1707-1788)
Meter: 88 88 88
Master, I own Thy lawful claim,
Thine, wholly Thine, I long to be;
Thou seest, at last, I willing am
Where'er Thou goest to follow Thee;
Myself in all things to deny,
Thine, wholly Thine, to live and die.
Pleasure and wealth and praise no more
Shall lead my captive soul astray;
These fond pursuits I all give o'er,
Thee, only Thee, resolved to obey;
My will in all things to resign,
And know no other will but Thine.
Wherefore to Thee I all resign,
Being Thou art of love and power;
Thy only will be done, not mine;
Thee, Lord, let heaven and earth adore;
Flow back the rivers to the sea,
And let my all be lost in Thee.
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 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.
God our deliverer,
raise up the poor, sustain the needy,
and comfort the betrayed,
through the one who for our sakes became poor
and from whose betrayal comes our salvation,
your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
O God,
you gave a golden eloquence to your servant John
that he might declare your justice
before the face of the proud and mighty.
Grant us, after his example,
such faithfulness to your word,
that we may strengthen the hearts of the weary
and sustain those who are afflicted by wrong;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.
- The Lord's Prayer
May Christ, who calls us,
make us ready witnesses to him
and multiply the number of those who acknowledge you
and celebrate your holy Name. Amen.
*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.
The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.
The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.
The opening prayer of thanksgiving and the closing sentence are adapted from
_Celebrating the Christian Year_ (c) Canterbury Press, Norwich.
The second collect is from _For All the Saints_, (c) General
Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada, 1994.
John was called "Chrysostom" ("Golden Mouth") because of his eloquence. He
was a priest of Antioch, and an outstanding preacher. (Audiences were warned
not to carry large sums of money when they went to hear him speak, since
pickpockets found it very easy to rob his hearers -- they were too intent on his
words to notice what was happening.) His sermons are mostly straightforward
expositions of Holy Scripture (he has extensive commentaries on both
Testaments, with special attention to the Epistles of Paul), and he emphasizes
the literal meaning, whereas the style popular at Alexandria tended to read
allegorical meanings into the text.
He loved the city and people of Antioch, and they loved him. However, he
became so famous that the Empress at Constantinople decided that she must
have him for her court preacher, and she had him kidnaped and brought to
Constantinople and there made bishop. This was a failure all around. His
sermons against corruption in high places earned him powerful enemies
(including the Empress), and he was sent into exile, where he died.
Along with Athanasius of Alexandria, Basil the Great, and Gregory of
Nazianzus, he is counted as one of the Four Great Eastern (or Greek) Doctors
of the Ancient Church. The Four Great Western (or Latin) Doctors are
Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine, and Gregory the Great. [James Kiefer]
From steve.benner at oremus.org Tue Jan 27 17:00:00 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Tue, 27 Jan 2009 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS: 28 January 2009
Message-ID: <20090127170000.B0046313C25@justus2.anglican.org>
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OREMUS for Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Thomas Aquinas, Priest, Philosopher, Teacher of the Faith, 1274
Lord, open our lips,
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Blessed are you, God,
for the radiance of your Christ,
a light which has dawned for those
who walked in the shadow of death.
We sing the wonders of your saving power
and for the many gifts you bestow on us.
For these and all your mercies, we praise you:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
Blessed be God for ever!
An opening canticle may be sung.
Psalm 44
We have heard with our ears, O God,
our forebears have told us,*
the deeds you did in their days,
in the days of old.
How with your hand you drove the peoples out
and planted our forebears in the land;*
how you destroyed nations and made your people flourish.
For they did not take the land by their sword,
nor did their arm win the victory for them;*
but your right hand, your arm,
and the light of your countenance,
because you favoured them.
You are my King and my God;*
you command victories for Jacob.
Through you we pushed back our adversaries;*
through your name we trampled on those
who rose up against us.
For I do not rely on my bow,*
and my sword does not give me the victory.
Surely, you gave us victory over our adversaries*
and put those who hate us to shame.
Every day we gloried in God,*
and we will praise your name for ever.
Nevertheless, you have rejected and humbled us*
and do not go forth with our armies.
You have made us fall back before our adversary,*
and our enemies have plundered us.
You have made us like sheep to be eaten*
and have scattered us among the nations.
You are selling your people for a trifle*
and are making no profit on the sale of them.
You have made us the scorn of our neighbours,*
a mockery and derision to those around us.
You have made us a byword among the nations,*
a laughing stock among the peoples.
My humiliation is daily before me,*
and shame has covered my face;
Because of the taunts of the mockers and blasphemers,*
because of the enemy and avenger.
All this has come upon us;*
yet we have not forgotten you,
nor have we betrayed your covenant.
Our heart never turned back,*
nor did our footsteps stray from your path;
Though you thrust us down into a place of misery,*
and covered us over with deep darkness.
If we have forgotten the name of our God,*
or stretched out our hands to some strange god,
Will not God find it out?*
for he knows the secrets of the heart.
Indeed, for your sake we are killed all the day long;*
we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Awake, O Lord! why are you sleeping?*
Arise! do not reject us for ever.
Why have you hidden your face*
and forgotten our affliction and oppression?
We sink down into the dust;*
our body cleaves to the ground.
Rise up and help us,*
and save us for the sake of your steadfast love.
A Song of the Lord(s Anointed (Isaiah 61.1 3,11,6a)
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me
because he has anointed me.
He has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,
to bind up the broken hearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
To proclaim the year of the Lord(s favour,
to comfort all who mourn,
To give them a garland instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit,
That they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.
For as the earth puts forth her blossom,
and as seeds in the garden spring up,
So shall the Lord God make righteousness and praise
blossom before all the nations.
You shall be called priests of the Lord;
they shall speak of you as ministers of our God.
Psalm 147:13-end
Alleluia!
Worship the Lord, O Jerusalem;*
praise your God, O Zion;
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;*
he has blessed your children within you.
He has established peace on your borders;*
he satisfies you with the finest wheat.
He sends out his command to the earth,*
and his word runs very swiftly.
He gives snow like wool;*
he scatters hoarfrost like ashes.
He scatters his hail like bread crumbs;*
who can stand against his cold?
He sends forth his word and melts them;*
he blows with his wind and the waters flow.
He declares his word to Jacob,*
his statutes and his judgements to Israel.
He has not done so to any other nation;*
to them he has not revealed his judgements.
Alleluia!
FIRST READING [Proverbs 11:9-14, 24-30]:
With their mouths the godless would destroy their neighbours,
???but by knowledge the righteous are delivered.
When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices;
???and when the wicked perish, there is jubilation.
By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,
???but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.
Whoever belittles another lacks sense,
???but an intelligent person remains silent.
A gossip goes about telling secrets,
???but one who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a confidence.
Where there is no guidance, a nation falls,
???but in an abundance of counsellors there is safety.
Some give freely, yet grow all the richer;
???others withhold what is due, and only suffer want.
A generous person will be enriched,
???and one who gives water will get?water.
The people curse those who hold back grain,
???but a blessing is on the head of those who sell it.
Whoever diligently seeks good seeks favour,
???but evil comes to the one who searches for it.
Those who trust in their riches will wither,
???but the righteous will flourish like green leaves.
Those who trouble their households will inherit wind,
???and the fool will be servant to the wise.
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
???but violence takes lives away.
HYMN
Words: James Montgomery (1771-1854)
Tune: Ludborough
We bid thee welcome in the name
Of Jesus our exalted Head;
Come as a servant, so He came,
And we receive thee in His stead.
Come as a shepherd, guard and keep
This fold from hell, and earth, and sin;
Nourish the lambs, and feed the sheep,
The wounded heal, the lost bring in.
Come as an angel; hence to guide
A band of pilgrims on their way;
That safely walking at thy side,
We faint not, fail not, turn, nor stray.
Come as a teacher sent from God,
Charged His whole counsel to declare;
Lift o'er our ranks the prophet's rod,
While we uphold thy hands with prayer.
Come as a messenger of peace,
Filled with the Spirit, fired with love;
Live to behold our large increase,
And die to meet us all above.
SECOND READING [Philippians 2:19-end]:
I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I may be cheered by news of you. I have no one like him who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. All of them are seeking their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But Timothy?s worth you know, how like a son with a father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. I hope therefore to send him as soon as I see how things go with me; and I trust in the Lord that I will also come soon.
Still, I think it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus?my brother and co-worker and fellow-soldier, your messenger and minister to my need; for he has been longing for all of you, and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. He was indeed so ill that he nearly died. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, so that I would not have one sorrow after another. I am the more eager to send him, therefore, in order that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. Welcome him then in the Lord with all joy, and honour such people, because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for those services that you could not give me.
The Benedictus (Morning),
the Magnificat (Evening), or
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.
Prayer:
O creator past all telling,
you have appointed from the treasures of your wisdom
the hierarchies of angels,
disposing them in wondrous order
above the bright heavens,
and have so beautifully set out all parts of the universe.
You we call the true fount of wisdom
and the noble origin of all things.
Be pleased to shed
on the darkness of mind in which I was born,
The twofold beam of your light
and warmth to dispel my ignorance and sin.
You make eloquent the tongues of children.
Then instruct my speech
and touch my lips with graciousness.
Make me keen to understand, quick to learn,
able to remember;
make me delicate to interpret and ready to speak.
Guide my going in and going forward,
lead home my going forth.
You are true God and true man,
and live for ever and ever. Amen.
O God,
you blessed your servant Thomas Aquinas
with singular gifts of wisdom and insight,
that your people might love with their understanding
what you give them to know by faith.
Grant us the freedom to embrace your Church's teachings
and the obedience to deepen its faith,
that our knowledge may be perfected in worship
and our faith may be fulfilled in love;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.
- The Lord's Prayer
May Christ, who calls us,
make us ready witnesses to him
and multiply the number of those who acknowledge you
and celebrate your holy Name. Amen.
*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.
The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.
The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.
The opening prayer of thanksgiving and the closing sentence are adapted from
_Celebrating the Christian Year_ (c) Canterbury Press, Norwich.
The long prayer is by Thomas Aquinas and the second collect is from _For All the
Saints_, (c) General
Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada, 1994.
In the thirteenth century, when Thomas Aquinas lived, the works of Aristotle,
largely forgotten in Western Europe, began to be available again, partly from
Eastern European sources and partly from Moslem Arab sources in Africa and
Spain. These works offered a new and exciting way of looking at the world.
Many enthusiastic students of Aristotle adopted him quite frankly as as an
alternative to Christianity. The response of many Christians was to denounce
Aristotle as an enemy of the Christian Faith. A third approach was that of those
who tried to hold both Christian and Aristotelian views side by side with no
attempt to reconcile the two. Aquinas had a fourth approach. While remaining
a Christian, he immersed himself in the ideas of Aristotle, and then undertook
to explain Christian ideas and beliefs in language that would make sense to
disciples of Aristotle. At the time, this seemed like a very dangerous and
radical idea, and Aquinas spent much of his life living on the edge of
ecclesiastical approval. His success can be measured by the prevalence today of
the notion that of course all Christian scholars in the Middle Ages were
followers of Aristotle.
Aristotle is no longer the latest intellectual fashion, but Aquinas's insistence
that the Christian scholar must be prepared to meet other scholars on their own
ground, to become familiar with their viewpoints, to argue from their premises,
has been a permanent and valuable contribution to Christian thought. [James
Kiefer, abridged]
From steve.benner at oremus.org Thu Jan 29 17:00:00 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Thu, 29 Jan 2009 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS: 30 January 2009
Message-ID: <20090129170000.92ACE313C53@justus2.anglican.org>
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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, January 30, 2009
Charles, King and Martyr, 1649
Lord, open our lips,
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Blessed are you, God,
for the radiance of your Christ,
a light which has dawned for those
who walked in the shadow of death.
We sing the wonders of your saving power
and for the many gifts you bestow on us.
For these and all your mercies, we praise you:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
Blessed be God for ever!
An opening canticle may be sung.
Psalm 51
Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your loving kindness;*
in your great compassion blot out my offences.
Wash me through and through from my wickedness*
and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions,*
and my sin is ever before me.
Against you only have I sinned*
and done what is evil in your sight.
And so you are justified when you speak*
and upright in your judgement.
Indeed, I have been wicked from my birth,*
a sinner from my mother's womb.
For behold, you look for truth deep within me,*
and will make me understand wisdom secretly.
Purge me from my sin and I shall be pure;*
wash me and I shall be clean indeed.
Make me hear of joy and gladness,*
that the body you have broken may rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins*
and blot out all my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,*
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence*
and take not your holy Spirit from me.
Give me the joy of your saving help again*
and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit.
I shall teach your ways to the wicked,*
and sinners shall return to you.
Deliver me from death, O God,*
and my tongue shall sing of your righteousness,
O God of my salvation.
Open my lips, O Lord,*
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Had you desired it, I would have offered sacrifice,*
but you take no delight in burnt offerings.
The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit;*
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
Be favourable and gracious to Zion,*
and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
Then you will be pleased with the appointed sacrifices,
with burnt offerings and oblations;*
then shall they offer young bullocks upon your altar.
A Song of Praise (Revelation 4.11; 5.9b,10)
You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honour and power.
For you have created all things,
and by your will they have their being.
You are worthy, O Lamb, for you were slain,
and by your blood you ransomed for God
saints from every tribe and language and nation.
You have made them to be a kingdom and priests
serving our God,
and they will reign with you on earth.
Psalm 149
Alleluia!
Sing to the Lord a new song;*
sing his praise in the congregation of the faithful.
Let Israel rejoice in his maker;*
let the children of Zion be joyful in their king.
Let them praise his name in the dance;*
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the Lord takes pleasure in his people*
and adorns the poor with victory.
Let the faithful rejoice in triumph;*
let them be joyful on their beds.
Let the praises of God be in their throat*
and a two edged sword in their hand;
To wreak vengeance on the nations*
and punishment on the peoples;
To bind their kings in chains*
and their nobles with links of iron;
To inflict on them the judgement decreed;*
this is glory for all his faithful people.
Alleluia!
FIRST READING [Proverbs 15:16-23, 27-29]:
Better is a little with the fear of the Lord
???than great treasure and trouble with it.
Better is a dinner of vegetables where love is
???than a fatted ox and hatred with?it.
Those who are hot-tempered stir up strife,
???but those who are slow to anger calm contention.
The way of the lazy is overgrown with thorns,
???but the path of the upright is a level highway.
A wise child makes a glad father,
???but the foolish despise their mothers.
Folly is a joy to one who has no sense,
???but a person of understanding walks straight ahead.
Without counsel, plans go wrong,
???but with many advisers they succeed.
To make an apt answer is a joy to anyone,
???and a word in season, how good it is!
Those who are greedy for unjust gain make trouble for their households,
???but those who hate bribes will?live.
The mind of the righteous ponders how to answer,
???but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil.
The Lord is far from the wicked,
???but he hears the prayer of the righteous.
HYMN
Words: Jerusalem luminosa, Attributed to Thomas ? Kempis (1379-1471) translated by John M Neale (1818-1866)
Tune: Urbs beata, Regent Square, Westminster Abbey
Light's abode, celestial Salem,
Vision whence true peace doth spring,
Brighter than the heart can fancy,
Mansion of the highest King;
O how glorious are the praises
Which of thee the prophets sing!
There for ever and for ever
Alleluia is out-poured;
For unending, for unbroken
Is the feast-day of the Lord;
All is pure and all is holy
That within thy walls is stored.
There no cloud nor passing vapour
Dims the brightness of the air;
Endless noon-day, glorious noon-day
>From the Sun of suns is there;
There no night brings rest from labour
For unknown are toil and care.
O how glorious and resplendent,
Fragile body, shalt thou be,
When endued with so much beauty,
Full of health, and strong and free,
Full of vigour, full of pleasure
That shall last eternally!
Now with gladness, now with courage,
Bear the burden on thee laid,
That hereafter these thy labours
May with endless gifts be paid;
And in everlasting glory
Thou with brightness be arrayed.
SECOND READING [Philippians 3:17-4:3]:
Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us. For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears. Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humiliation so that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.
I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion, help these women, for they have struggled beside me in the work of the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.
The Benedictus (Morning),
the Magnificat (Evening), or
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.
Prayer:
We pray for the coming of God's kingdom, saying,
Father, by your Spirit:
bring in your kingdom.
You came in Jesus to bring good news to the poor,
sight to the blind, freedom to the captives,
and salvation to your people:
anoint us with your Spirit;
rouse us to work in his name.
Father, by your Spirit,
bring in your kingdom.
Send us to bring help to the poor
and freedom to the oppressed:
Father, by your Spirit,
bring in your kingdom.
Send us to tell the world
the good news of your healing love:
Father, by your Spirit,
bring in your kingdom.
Send us to those who mourn,
to bring joy and gladness instead of grief:
Father, by your Spirit,
bring in your kingdom.
Send us to proclaim that the time is here
for you to save your people:
Father, by your Spirit,
bring in your kingdom.
Take away, O Lord, the sin that corrupts us;
restore by grace your own image within us;
give us the sorrow that heals
and the joy that praises,
that we may take our place among your people,
in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
O God, the Judge of all,
you anointed Charles Stuart
to be King of England and Scotland
and sustained him in prayer through all his troubles,
even to death at the hands of his enemies.
Grant that all rulers among the nations
may use the power entrusted to their care
to vindicate the cause of those who suffer wrong
and to rescue the needy among the people;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.
- The Lord's Prayer
May Christ, who calls us,
make us ready witnesses to him
and multiply the number of those who acknowledge you
and celebrate your holy Name. Amen.
*******************************************************
The psalms and first collect are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.
The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.
The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.
The opening prayer of thanksgiving and the closing sentence are adapted from
_Celebrating the Christian Year_ (c) Canterbury Press, Norwich.
The intercession is from _Patterns for Worship_, material from which is included in this service is copyright (c) The Archbishops( Council, 1995.
Born in 1600, the second son of James the First, Charles became heir apparent when he was twelve years old on the death of his brother. He succeeded to the throne in 1625, where he came up against the increasing power of an antagonistic Parliament. Combined with the religious puritanism which was prevalent, this made Charles staunch in his resistance of the power of either force in the land. He frequently dismissed sittings of Parliament and tried to enforce high-church Anglican practice on all, throughout both kingdoms of England and Scotland. Opposition resulted in civil war. After Charles' imprisonment and trial, he was put to death on this day in 1649. Although some see him as a victim of his own pride, his faith and willingness to suffer and die for what he believed in are not in doubt. [Exciting Holiness]
From steve.benner at oremus.org Fri Jan 30 17:00:00 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Fri, 30 Jan 2009 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS: 31 January 2009
Message-ID: <20090130170000.B29EF313C55@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, January 31, 2009
Lord, open our lips,
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Blessed are you, God,
for the radiance of your Christ,
a light which has dawned for those
who walked in the shadow of death.
We sing the wonders of your saving power
and for the many gifts you bestow on us.
For these and all your mercies, we praise you:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
Blessed be God for ever!
An opening canticle may be sung.
Psalm 55
Hear my prayer, O God;*
do not hide yourself from my petition.
Listen to me and answer me;*
I have no peace, because of my cares.
I am shaken by the noise of the enemy*
and by the pressure of the wicked;
For they have cast an evil spell upon me*
and are set against me in fury.
My heart quakes within me,*
and the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
Fear and trembling have come over me,*
and horror overwhelms me.
And I said, 'O that I had wings like a dove!*
I would fly away and be at rest.
'I would flee to a far off place*
and make my lodging in the wilderness.
'I would hasten to escape*
from the stormy wind and tempest.œ
Swallow them up, O Lord; confound their speech;*
for I have seen violence and strife in the city.
Day and night the watch make their rounds upon her walls,*
but trouble and misery are in the midst of her.
There is corruption at her heart;*
her streets are never free of oppression and deceit.
For had it been an adversary who taunted me,
then I could have borne it;*
or had it been an enemy who vaunted himself against me,
then I could have hidden from him.
But it was you, one after my own heart,*
my companion, my own familiar friend.
We took sweet counsel together,*
and walked with the throng in the house of God.
But I will call upon God,*
and the Lord will deliver me.
In the evening, in the morning and at noonday
I will complain and lament,*
and he will hear my voice.
He will bring me safely back from the battle
waged against me;*
for there are many who fight me.
God, who is enthroned of old,
will hear me and bring them down;*
they never change; they do not fear God.
My companion stretched forth his hand against his comrade;*
he has broken his covenant.
His speech is softer than butter,*
but war is in his heart.
His words are smoother than oil,*
but they are drawn swords.
Cast your burden upon the Lord and he will sustain you;*
he will never let the righteous stumble.
For you will bring the bloodthirsty and deceitful*
down to the pit of destruction, O God.
They shall not live out half their days,*
but I will put my trust in you.
A Song of Pilgrimage (Ecclesiasticus 51.13a,13c 17,20,21a,22b)
While I was still young,
I sought Wisdom openly in my prayer.
Before the temple I asked for her,
and I will search for her until the end.
>From the first blossom to the ripening grape,
my heart delighted in her.
My foot walked on the straight path,
from my youth I followed her steps.
I inclined my ear a little and received her,
I found for myself much instruction.
I made progress in Wisdom;
to the One who sent her, I will give glory.
I directed my soul to Wisdom,
and in purity have I found her.
With her, I gained understanding from the first,
therefore will I never be forsaken.
My heart was stirred to seek her,
with my tongue will I sing God(s praise.
Psalm 150
Alleluia!
Praise God in his holy temple;*
praise him in the firmament of his power.
Praise him for his mighty acts;*
praise him for his excellent greatness.
Praise him with the blast of the ram's horn;*
praise him with lyre and harp.
Praise him with timbrel and dance;*
praise him with strings and pipe.
Praise him with resounding cymbals;*
praise him with loud clanging cymbals.
Let everything that has breath*
praise the Lord.
Alleluia!
FIRST READING [Proverbs 16:25-end]:
Sometimes there is a way that seems to be right,
???but in the end it is the way to?death.
The appetite of workers works for them;
???their hunger urges them on.
Scoundrels concoct evil,
???and their speech is like a scorching fire.
A perverse person spreads strife,
???and a whisperer separates close friends.
The violent entice their neighbours,
???and lead them in a way that is not good.
One who winks the eyes plans perverse things;
???one who compresses the lips brings evil to pass.
Grey hair is a crown of glory;
???it is gained in a righteous life.
One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
???and one whose temper is controlled than one who captures a city.
The lot is cast into the lap,
???but the decision is the Lord?s alone.
HYMN
Words: June Boyce-Tillman (born 1943) ? Stainer & Bell Ltd Used with permission.
Meter: 88 88 Refrain
Within our hearts may truth arise
As moonlight gentle in the night,
As meteors and shooting stars,
To challenge wrong and nurture right.
Within our hearts may wisdom grow,
Like rhizomes spreading in the earth,
Conjoining different faith insights
To bring new paradigms to birth.
Within our hearts may peace prevail,
And ripple like a bubbling spring,
To bring earth's deserts into bloom,
So from the margins joy can ring.
Within our hearts may justice reign
And burn with fiery Spirit-flames,
Creating systems that in strength
Embody Christ's outrageous claims.
Christ within us, Christ around us,
Christ uniting, Christ dividing,
Christ alone and Christ in gathering,
Christ in public, Christ in hiding,
Christ in body and in spirit,
Christ in freeing, Christ in holding,
Christ relaxing, Christ exciting,
Christ in challenge, Christ enfolding.
And so the God of joy and hope,
Can be revealed in humankind,
Where politics reflect shared wealth
And nature's growth as intertwined.
SECOND READING [Philippians 4:4-end]:
?Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.
I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned for me, but had no opportunity to show it. Not that I am referring to being in need; for I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. In any case, it was kind of you to share my distress.
You Philippians indeed know that in the early days of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you alone. For even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me help for my needs more than once. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the profit that accumulates to your account. I have been paid in full and have more than enough; I am fully satisfied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. And my God will fully satisfy every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The friends who are with me greet you. All the saints greet you, especially those of the emperor?s household.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
The Benedictus (Morning),
the Magnificat (Evening), or
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.
Prayer:
In your glory, Lord, protect us by the power of your name:
that we may be one as you are one.
We are in the world but not of it:
protect us from the evil one.
Give us your word and the full measure of your joy:
sanctify us by your truth.
May your Spirit unite us in the love and glory of Father and Son;
may we be one that the world may believe.
As you sent your Son into the world:
so send us, to make your glory known.
Almighty God our heavenly Father,
whose grace here on earth
brings us the gifts of heaven:
Guide us in this present life,
and so lead us now,
that we might dwell in the light of your eternal love.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.
- The Lord's Prayer
May Christ, who calls us,
make us ready witnesses to him
and multiply the number of those who acknowledge you
and celebrate your holy Name. Amen.
*******************************************************
The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.
The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.
The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.
The opening prayer of thanksgiving and the closing sentence are adapted from
_Celebrating the Christian Year_ (c) Canterbury Press, Norwich.
The intercession is from _Patterns for Worship_, material from which is included in this service is copyright (c) The Archbishops( Council, 1995. The collect is by the Community of Jesus.
From steve.benner at oremus.org Sat Jan 31 17:00:00 2009
From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner)
Date: Sat, 31 Jan 2009 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: OREMUS: 1 February 2009
Message-ID: <20090131170000.42811313C49@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, February 1, 2009
The Fourth Sunday after Epiphany
Lord, open our lips,
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Blessed are you, O God of all the prophets,
you knew us and chose us
before you formed us in the womb.
You fill us with faith that speaks your word,
hope that does not disappoint,
and love that bears all things for your sake,
until that day when we shall know you fully,
even as we are known by you.
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.
Psalm 145
I will exalt you, O God my King,*
and bless your name for ever and ever.
Every day will I bless you*
and praise your name for ever and ever.
Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised;*
there is no end to his greatness.
One generation shall praise your works to another*
and shall declare your power.
I will ponder the glorious splendour of your majesty*
and all your marvellous works.
They shall speak of the might of your wondrous acts,*
and I will tell of your greatness.
They shall publish the remembrance
of your great goodness;*
they shall sing of your righteous deeds.
The Lord is gracious and full of compassion,*
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The Lord is loving to everyone*
and his compassion is over all his works.
All your works praise you, O Lord,*
and your faithful servants bless you.
They make known the glory of your kingdom*
and speak of your power;
That the peoples may know of your power*
and the glorious splendour of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom;*
your dominion endures throughout all ages.
The Lord is faithful in all his words*
and merciful in all his deeds.
The Lord upholds all those who fall;*
he lifts up those who are bowed down.
The eyes of all wait upon you, O Lord,*
and you give them their food in due season.
You open wide your hand*
and satisfy the needs of every living creature.
The Lord is righteous in all his ways*
and loving in all his works.
The Lord is near to those who call upon him,*
to all who call upon him faithfully.
He fulfils the desire of those who fear him,*
he hears their cry and helps them.
The Lord preserves all those who love him,*
but he destroys all the wicked.
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord;*
let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.
A Song of Redemption (Colossians 1.13 18a,19,20a)
The Father has delivered us from the dominion of darkness,
and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son;
In whom we have redemption,
the forgiveness of our sins.
He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation.
For in him all things were created,
in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible.
All things were created through him and for him,
he is before all things and in him all things hold together.
He is the head of the body, the Church,
he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead.
In him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell;
and through him God was pleased to reconcile all things.
Psalm 117
Alleluia!
Praise the Lord, all you nations;*
laud him, all you peoples.
For his loving kindness towards us is great,*
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures for ever.
Alleluia!
FIRST READING [Isaiah 61]:
The spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
???because the Lord has anointed?me;
he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,
???to bind up the broken-hearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
???and release to the prisoners;
to proclaim the year of the Lord?s?favour,
???and the day of vengeance of our?God;
???to comfort all who mourn;
to provide for those who mourn in Zion?
???to give them a garland instead of?ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
???the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
???the planting of the Lord, to display his glory.
They shall build up the ancient ruins,
???they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
???the devastations of many generations.
Strangers shall stand and feed your?flocks,
???foreigners shall till your land and dress your vines;
but you shall be called priests of the Lord,
???you shall be named ministers of our God;
you shall enjoy the wealth of the?nations,
???and in their riches you shall glory.
Because their shame was double,
???and dishonour was proclaimed as their lot,
therefore they shall possess a double portion;
???everlasting joy shall be theirs.
For I the Lord love justice,
???I hate robbery and wrongdoing;
I will faithfully give them their recompense,
???and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
Their descendants shall be known among the nations,
???and their offspring among the peoples;
all who see them shall acknowledge
???that they are a people whom the Lord has blessed.
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,
???my whole being shall exult in my?God;
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
???he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
???and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
For as the earth brings forth its shoots,
???and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,
so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
???to spring up before all the nations.
HYMN
Words: Philip Doddridge (1702-1751)
Tune: Winchester New
Triumphant Zion, lift thy head
>From dust and ashes and the dead;
Thou, humbled long, awake at length,
And gird thee with thy Saviour's strength.
Put all thy beauteous garments on,
And let thine excellence be known;
Decked in the robes of righteousness,
The world thy glories shall confess.
No more shall foes unclean invade,
And fill thy hallowed walls with dread;
No more shall hell's insulting host
Their victory and thy sorrows boast.
God from on high has heard thy prayer;
His hand thy ruins shall repair;
Reared and adorned by love divine
Thy towers and battlements shall shine.
Grace shall dispose my heart and voice
To share and echo back her joys;
Nor will thy watchful Monarch cease
To guard thee in eternal peace.
SECOND READING [Luke 4:16-32]:
When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:
?The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
???because he has anointed me
?????to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
???and recovery of sight to the blind,
?????to let the oppressed go free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord?s favour.?
And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, ?Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.? All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, ?Is not this Joseph?s son?? He said to them, ?Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ?Doctor, cure yourself!? And you will say, ?Do here also in your home town the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.? ? And he said, ?Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet?s home town. But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up for three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.? When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.
He went down to Capernaum, a city in Galilee, and was teaching them on the sabbath. They were astounded at his teaching, because he spoke with authority.
The Benedictus (Morning),
the Magnificat (Evening), or
Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow.
Prayer:
Let us bring our prayers to God our Father, with open hands, minds and hearts.
We pray for the peoples of the Holy Land, especially those who have suffered in the recent conflicts: may they receive the aid that they need to rebuild their lives; and we pray for peace and reconciliation in that region.
We pray for the people of Sri Lanka in the continuing conflict in their land; for those who have been killed and injured, and those who have lost their homes: that peace may prevail.
We pray for the people of Zimbabwe, facing hunger and disease: may their country know freedom, justice and an end to oppression.
We pray for those who struggle especially in the cold weather; for those who cannot afford to heat their homes, and those who have no homes; and we pray for those people and agencies who work with those who live in poverty: may we all be open and generous in our response to them.
Heavenly Father, who sent your Son to teach us and lead us in the ways of your kingdom, we ask you to hear the prayers that we make through the same Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Lord God, King of the Universe,
you show the bright glory of your reign
in acts of mercy and enduring love:
raise the spirits of the downcast
and restore those who have fallen away,
that your Church may continually sing of your saving help;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
let us pray as our Savior has taught us.
- The Lord's Prayer
Open our imaginations to new dimensions of your love,
and heal us of all that severs us from you and one another;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission.
The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002.
The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized
Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.
The opening prayer of thanksgiving and the closing sentence are adapted from
prayers reprinted from _Revised Common Lectionary Prayers_,
copyright (c) 2002 Consultation on Common Texts.
The petitions are gathered by Redemptorist Publications and are published each Friday on their website: http://www.rpbooks.co.uk/page.php?page=prayers