From steve.benner at oremus.org Wed Jul 1 17:00:00 2009 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2009 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 2 July 2009 Message-ID: <20090701170000.90117313C70@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, July 2, 2009 Lord, open our lips, and our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, Sovereign God, ruler of all hearts, you call us to obey you and favor us with true freedom. Your Son calls us to leave behind all that hinders us, that we may fix our eyes on him and steadfastly follow in the paths of your kingdom. For these and all your mercies, we praise you, Blessed be God for ever! An opening canticle may be sung. Psalm 94 O Lord God of vengeance,* O God of vengeance, show yourself. Rise up, O Judge of the world;* give the arrogant their just deserts. How long shall the wicked, O Lord,* how long shall the wicked triumph? They bluster in their insolence;* all evildoers are full of boasting. They crush your people, O Lord,* and afflict your chosen nation. They murder the widow and the stranger* and put the orphans to death. Yet they say, 'The Lord does not see,* the God of Jacob takes no notice.' Consider well, you dullards among the people;* when will you fools understand? He that planted the ear, does he not hear?* he that formed the eye, does he not see? He who admonishes the nations, will he not punish?* he who teaches all the world, has he no knowledge? The Lord knows our human thoughts;* how like a puff of wind they are. Happy are they whom you instruct, O Lord!* whom you teach out of your law; To give them rest in evil days,* until a pit is dug for the wicked. For the Lord will not abandon his people,* nor will he forsake his own. For judgement will again be just,* and all the true of heart will follow it. Who rose up for me against the wicked?* who took my part against the evildoers? If the Lord had not come to my help,* I should soon have dwelt in the land of silence. As often as I said, 'My foot has slipped',* your love, O Lord, upheld me. When many cares fill my mind,* your consolations cheer my soul. Can a corrupt tribunal have any part with you,* one which frames evil into law? They conspire against the life of the just* and condemn the innocent to death. But the Lord has become my stronghold,* and my God the rock of my trust. He will turn their wickedness back upon them and destroy them in their own malice;* the Lord our God will destroy them. A Song of Faith (1 Peter 1.35,18,19,21) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, Into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled and unfading, kept in heaven for you, Who are being protected by the power of God through faith, for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. You were ransomed from the futile ways of your ancestors not with perishable things like silver or gold But with the precious blood of Christ like that of a lamb without spot or stain. Through him you have confidence in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God. Psalm 148 Alleluia! Praise the Lord from the heavens;* praise him in the heights. Praise him, all you angels of his;* praise him, all his host. Praise him, sun and moon;* praise him, all you shining stars. Praise him, heaven of heavens,* and you waters above the heavens. Let them praise the name of the Lord;* for he commanded and they were created. He made them stand fast for ever and ever;* he gave them a law which shall not pass away. Praise the Lord from the earth,* you seamonsters and all deeps; Fire and hail, snow and fog,* tempestuous wind, doing his will; Mountains and all hills,* fruit trees and all cedars; Wild beasts and all cattle,* creeping things and winged birds; Kings of the earth and all peoples,* princes and all rulers of the world; Young men and maidens,* old and young together. Let them praise the name of the Lord,* for his name only is exalted, his splendour is over earth and heaven. He has raised up strength for his people and praise for all his loyal servants,* the children of Israel, a people who are near him. Alleluia! FIRST READING [Judges 7:1-8]: Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the troops that were with him rose early and encamped beside the spring of Harod; and the camp of Midian was north of them, below the hill of Moreh, in the valley. ?The Lord said to Gideon, 'The troops with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand. Israel would only take the credit away from me, saying, "My own hand has delivered me." Now therefore proclaim this in the hearing of the troops, "Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return home." ' Thus Gideon sifted them out; twenty-two thousand returned, and ten thousand remained. Then the Lord said to Gideon, 'The troops are still too many; take them down to the water and I will sift them out for you there. When I say, "This one shall go with you", he shall go with you; and when I say, "This one shall not go with you", he shall not go.' So he brought the troops down to the water; and the Lord said to Gideon, 'All those who lap the water with their tongues, as a dog laps, you shall put to one side; all those who kneel down to drink, putting their hands to their mouths, you shall put to the other side.' The number of those that lapped was three hundred; but all the rest of the troops knelt down to drink water. Then the Lord said to Gideon, 'With the three hundred that lapped I will deliver you, and give the Midianites into your hand. Let all the others go to their homes.' So he took the jars of the troops from their hands, and their trumpets; and he sent all the rest of Israel back to their own tents, but retained the three hundred. The camp of Midian was below him in the valley. HYMN Words: Frederick Lucian Hosmer (1840-1929) Meter: LM O thou in lonely vigil led To follow Truth's new risen star, Ere yet her morning skies are red, And vale and upland shadowed are, Obey her call and take thy road, Obedient to the vision be: Trust not in numbers; God is God, And one with him majority! Soon pass the judgements of the hour, Forgotten are the scorn and blame; The Word moves on, a gladdening power, And safe enshrines the prophet's fame. Now, as of old, in lowly plight The Christ of larger faith is born: The watching shepherds come by night, And then, the kings of earth at morn! SECOND READING [Luke 7:18-35]: The disciples of John reported all these things to him. So John summoned two of his disciples and sent them to the Lord to ask, 'Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?' When the men had come to him, they said, 'John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, ?Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?? ' Jesus had just then cured many people of diseases, plagues, and evil spirits, and had given sight to many who were blind. And he answered them, 'Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offence at me.' When John's messengers had gone, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: 'What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who put on fine clothing and live in luxury are in royal palaces. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written, "See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, ???who will prepare your way before?you." I tell you, among those born of women no one is greater than John; yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.' (And all the people who heard this, including the tax-collectors, acknowledged the justice of God, because they had been baptized with John's baptism. But by refusing to be baptized by him, the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God's purpose for themselves.) ?'To what then will I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? They are like children sitting in the market-place and calling to one another, "We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; ???we wailed, and you did not weep." For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, "He has a demon"; the Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, "Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners!" Nevertheless, wisdom is vindicated by all her children.' The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: We give you praise and thanks, O God, for all gifts of love we have received from you, and for your persistent mercy in Jesus Christ. Especially we thank you for work we have accomplished pleasing to you... (We thank you, Lord.) the faithful witness of Christian people... the example of righteousness we see in parents and teachers... the innocence and openness we see in children... all works of Christian compassion... We give you our cares and concerns, O God, because we know you are kind and care for your children in every circumstance. Especially we pray for those who struggle with doubt and despair... (Lord, hear our prayer.) people afflicted with disease... those called to special ministries... people neglected or abused... Baptist, Disciples of Christ, and other free churches... Lord our God, judge of all, before whom no secrets are hidden: let your justice shine forth and your righteousness sweep wickedness from its throne, that we may live for your glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Gathering our prayers and praises into one, let us pray as our Savior has taught us. - The Lord's Prayer Help us so to know you that we may truly love you, so to love you that we may fully serve you, whose service is perfect freedom in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ******************************************************* The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission. The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002. The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The opening prayer, intercession and closing sentence are adapted from _Book of Common Worship_, (c) 1993 Westminster / John Knox Press. From steve.benner at oremus.org Thu Jul 2 17:00:00 2009 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Thu, 2 Jul 2009 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 3 July 2009 Message-ID: <20090702170000.6D026313C42@justus2.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Friday, July 3, 2009 Saint Thomas the Apostle O Lord, open our lips. And our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, almighty God, for your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who is truly risen from the dead. We give you thanks for Thomas, the one who admitted to his doubts, and yet became a faithful witness to the resurrection after touching the body of his Lord and his God. For these and all your mercies, we praise you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit: Blessed be God for ever! An opening canticle may be sung. http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html Psalm 112 Alleluia! Happy are they who fear the Lord* and have great delight in his commandments! Their descendants will be mighty in the land;* the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches will be in their house,* and their righteousness will last for ever. Light shines in the darkness for the upright;* the righteous are merciful and full of compassion. It is good for them to be generous in lending* and to manage their affairs with justice. For they will never be shaken;* the righteous will be kept in everlasting remembrance. They will not be afraid of any evil rumours;* their heart is right; they put their trust in the Lord. Their heart is established and will not shrink,* until they see their desire upon their enemies. They have given freely to the poor,* and their righteousness stands fast for ever; they will hold up their head with honour. The wicked will see it and be angry; they will gnash their teeth and pine away;* the desires of the wicked will perish. Psalm 113 Alleluia! Give praise, you servants of the Lord;* praise the name of the Lord. Let the name of the Lord be blessed,* from this time forth for evermore. >From the rising of the sun to its going down* let the name of the Lord be praised. The Lord is high above all nations,* and his glory above the heavens. Who is like the Lord our God, who sits enthroned on high,* but stoops to behold the heavens and the earth? He takes up the weak out of the dust* and lifts up the poor from the ashes. He sets them with the princes,* with the princes of his people. He makes the woman of a childless house* to be a joyful mother of children. A Song of the Wilderness (Isaiah 35.1,2b-4a,4c-6,10) The wilderness and the dry land shall rejoice, the desert shall blossom and burst into song. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God. Strengthen the weary hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to the anxious, 'Be strong, fear not, your God is coming with judgement, coming with judgement to save you.' Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; Then shall the lame leap like a hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; The ransomed of the Lord shall return with singing, with everlasting joy upon their heads. Joy and gladness shall be theirs, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Psalm 149 Alleluia! Sing to the Lord a new song;* sing his praise in the congregation of the faithful. Let Israel rejoice in his maker;* let the children of Zion be joyful in their king. Let them praise his name in the dance;* let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp. For the Lord takes pleasure in his people* and adorns the poor with victory. Let the faithful rejoice in triumph;* let them be joyful on their beds. Let the praises of God be in their throat* and a twoedged sword in their hand; To wreak vengeance on the nations* and punishment on the peoples; To bind their kings in chains* and their nobles with links of iron; To inflict on them the judgement decreed;* this is glory for all his faithful people. Alleluia! FIRST READING [Isaiah 43:8-13]: Bring forth the people who are blind, yet have eyes, who are deaf, yet have ears! Let all the nations gather together, and let the peoples assemble. Who among them declared this, and foretold to us the former things? Let them bring their witnesses to justify them, and let them hear and say, 'It is true.' You are my witnesses, says the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no saviour. I declared and saved and proclaimed, when there was no strange god among you; and you are my witnesses, says the Lord. I am God, and also henceforth I am He; there is no one who can deliver from my hand; I work and who can hinder it? HYMN Words: Henry Alford (1810-1871), alt. Tune: St. Botolph http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/w/w165.html Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus. We walk by faith, and not by sight; no gracious words we hear from him who spoke as none e'er spoke; but we believe him near. We may not touch his hands and side, nor follow where he trod; but in his promise we rejoice; and cry, "My Lord and God!" Help then, O Lord, our unbelief; and may our faith abound, to call on you when you are near, and seek where you are found: that, when our life of faith is done, in realms of clearer light we may behold you as you are, with full and endless sight. SECOND READING [1 Peter 1:3-9]: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire may be found to result in praise and glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed. Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: Believing without seeing, we offer our prayers to God. For the governments and nations of our world, that they might use all the resources at their disposal to feed their people. Hear us, O Lord. For the sick and dying, that they might know joy in the midst of sorrow, and trust in the power of the resurrection. Hear us, O Lord. For all children in our church families, that they might continue to witness to the love of Jesus Christ. Hear us, O Lord. For all catechumens, as they explore their unique ministries as servants of Christ, that they might be filled with wisdom and grace. Hear us, O Lord. For the Church, that it may proclaim the faith to all who doubt. Hear us, O Lord. For trust in you and delight in the abundance that already fills our lives. Hear us, O Lord. Almighty and eternal God, who, for the firmer foundation of our faith, allowed your holy apostle Thomas to doubt the resurrection of your Son until word and sight convinced him: Grant to us, who have not seen, that we may also believe, and so confess Christ as our Lord and our God; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Gathering our prayers and praises into one, let us pray as our Savior has taught us. - The Lord's Prayer Help us so to know you that we may truly love you, so to love you that we may fully serve you, whose service is perfect freedom in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ******************************************************* The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission. The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002. The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The opening prayer and closing sentence are adapted from _Book of Common Worship_, (c) 1993 Westminster / John Knox Press. From steve.benner at oremus.org Wed Jul 8 17:00:00 2009 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Wed, 8 Jul 2009 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 9 July 2009 Message-ID: <20090708170000.5ECD5313C3A@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, July 9, 2009 Lord, open our lips, and our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, merciful God; in your boundless compassion, you gave us your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, so that the human race, created in your love, yet fallen through its own pride, might be restored to your glory through his suffering and death upon the cross. 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 144 Blessed be the Lord my rock!* who trains my hands to fight and my fingers to battle; My help and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer,* my shield in whom I trust, who subdues the peoples under me. O Lord, what are we that you should care for us?* mere mortals that you should think of us? We are like a puff of wind;* our days are like a passing shadow. Bow your heavens, O Lord, and come down;* touch the mountains and they shall smoke. Hurl the lightning and scatter them;* shoot out your arrows and rout them. Stretch out your hand from on high;* rescue me and deliver me from the great waters, from the hand of foreign peoples, Whose mouths speak deceitfully* and whose right hand is raised in falsehood. O God, I will sing to you a new song;* I will play to you on a tenstringed lyre. You give victory to kings* and have rescued David your servant. Rescue me from the hurtful sword* and deliver me from the hand of foreign peoples, Whose mouths speak deceitfully* and whose right hand is raised in falsehood. May our sons be like plants well nurtured from their youth,* and our daughters like sculptured corners of a palace. May our barns be filled to overflowing* with all manner of crops; May the flocks in our pastures increase by thousands and tens of thousands;* may our cattle be fat and sleek. May there be no breaching of the walls, no going into exile,* no wailing in the public squares. Happy are the people of whom this is so!* happy are the people whose God is the Lord! 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 seamonsters and all deeps; Fire and hail, snow and fog,* tempestuous wind, doing his will; Mountains and all hills,* fruit trees and all cedars; Wild beasts and all cattle,* creeping things and winged birds; Kings of the earth and all peoples,* princes and all rulers of the world; Young men and maidens,* old and young together. Let them praise the name of the Lord,* for his name only is exalted, his splendour is over earth and heaven. He has raised up strength for his people and praise for all his loyal servants,* the children of Israel, a people who are near him. Alleluia! FIRST READING [Judges 16:23-end]: Now the lords of the Philistines gathered to offer a great sacrifice to their god Dagon, and to rejoice; for they said, 'Our god has given Samson our enemy into our hand.' When the people saw him, they praised their god; for they said, 'Our god has given our enemy into our hand, the ravager of our country, who has killed many of us.' And when their hearts were merry, they said, 'Call Samson, and let him entertain us.' So they called Samson out of the prison, and he performed for them. They made him stand between the pillars; and Samson said to the attendant who held him by the hand, 'Let me feel the pillars on which the house rests, so that I may lean against them.' Now the house was full of men and women; all the lords of the Philistines were there, and on the roof there were about three thousand men and women, who looked on while Samson performed. Then Samson called to the Lord and said, 'Lord God, remember me and strengthen me only this once, O?God, so that with this one act of revenge I may pay back the Philistines for my two eyes.' And Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which the house rested, and he leaned his weight against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other. Then Samson said, 'Let me die with the Philistines.' He strained with all his might; and the house fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So those he killed at his death were more than those he had killed during his life. Then his brothers and all his family came down and took him and brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of his father Manoah. He had judged Israel for twenty years. HYMN Words: Edwin P Hood (1820-1885) Meter: 76 76 77 Jesus lives and Jesus leads, Though the way be dreary; Morn to darkest night succeeds, Courage, then, ye weary: Still the faithful Shepherd feeds; Jesus lives and Jesus leads. All the words He ever spoke Still to us He speaketh; All the bread He ever broke Still for us He breaketh: Still the faithful Shepherd feeds; Jesus lives and Jesus leads. Jesus lives, but Jesus died, Love to death consigned Him, Death the mighty love resigned, Could not hold or bind Him: Therefore still He meets our needs; Jesus lives and Jesus leads. Jesus lives, and every grace Comes because He giveth; Life and love in every place Live, for Jesus liveth: All our thoughts His love exceeds; Jesus lives and Jesus leads. SECOND READING [Luke 9:1-17]: Jesus called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. He said to them, 'Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money?not even an extra tunic. Whatever house you enter, stay there, and leave from there. Wherever they do not welcome you, as you are leaving that town shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.' They departed and went through the villages, bringing the good news and curing diseases everywhere. Now Herod the ruler heard about all that had taken place, and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead, by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the ancient prophets had arisen. Herod said, 'John I beheaded; but who is this about whom I hear such things?' And he tried to see him. On their return the apostles told Jesus all they had done. He took them with him and withdrew privately to a city called Bethsaida. When the crowds found out about it, they followed him; and he welcomed them, and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed to be cured. The day was drawing to a close, and the twelve came to him and said, 'Send the crowd away, so that they may go into the surrounding villages and countryside, to lodge and get provisions; for we are here in a deserted place.' But he said to them, 'You give them something to eat.' They said, 'We have no more than five loaves and two fish?unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.' For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, 'Make them sit down in groups of about fifty each.' They did so and made them all sit down. And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. And all ate and were filled. What was left over was gathered up, twelve baskets of broken pieces. The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: Loving God, as the rising sun chases away the night, so you have scattered the power of death in the rising of Jesus Christ, and you bring us all blessings in him. Especially we thank you for the community of faith in our church... (We thank you, Lord.) those with whom we work or share common concerns... the diversity of your children... indications of your love at work in the world... those who work for reconciliation... Mighty God, with the dawn of your love you reveal your victory over all that would destroy or harm, and you brighten the lives of all who need you. Especially we pray for families suffering separation... (Lord, hear our prayer) people different from ourselves... those isolated by sickness or sorrow... the victims of violence or warfare... the church in the Pacific region... Eternal God, whose Son struggled against the forces which enfeeble and enslave your people: shield us from evil and all deception, that we may enter your truth and enjoy the abundance of his risen life; who with you and the Holy Spirit is alive and reigns for ever and ever. Amen. Gathering our prayers and praises into one, let us pray as our Savior has taught us. - The Lord's Prayer Fill our hearts with zeal for your kingdom and place on our lips the tidings of your peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ******************************************************* The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission. The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002. The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The opening prayer of thanksgiving is adapted by Stephen Benner from _We Give You Thanks and Praise: The Ambrosian Eucharistic Prefaces_, translated by Alan Griffiths, (c) The Canterbury Press Norwich, 1999. The closing prayer uses a sentence from a prayer in _Opening Prayers: Collects in Contemporary Language_. Canterbury Press, Norwich, 1999. From steve.benner at oremus.org Thu Jul 9 20:34:54 2009 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Thu, 9 Jul 2009 20:34:54 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 10 July 2009 Message-ID: <20090709203454.AF577313C20@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, July 10, 2009 Lord, open our lips, and our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, merciful God; in your boundless compassion, you gave us your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, so that the human race, created in your love, yet fallen through its own pride, might be restored to your glory through his suffering and death upon the cross. 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 Humility (Hosea 6.16) 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 twoedged sword in their hand; To wreak vengeance on the nations* and punishment on the peoples; To bind their kings in chains* and their nobles with links of iron; To inflict on them the judgement decreed;* this is glory for all his faithful people. Alleluia! FIRST READING [Ruth 1:1-14]: In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to live in the country of Moab, he and his wife and two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion; they were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. These took Moabite wives; the name of one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. When they had lived there for about ten years, both Mahlon and Chilion also died, so that the woman was left without her two sons or her husband. Then she started to return with her daughters-in-law from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the Lord had had consideration for his people and given them food. So she set out from the place where she had been living, she and her two daughters-in-law, and they went on their way to go back to the land of Judah. But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, 'Go back each of you to your mother's house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. The Lord grant that you may find security, each of you in the house of your husband.' Then she kissed them, and they wept aloud. They said to her, 'No, we will return with you to your people.' But Naomi said, 'Turn back, my daughters, why will you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? Turn back, my daughters, go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. Even if I thought there was hope for me, even if I should have a husband tonight and bear sons, would you then wait until they were grown? Would you then refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, it has been far more bitter for me than for you, because the hand of the Lord has turned against me.' Then they wept aloud again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. HYMN Words: William Arthur Dunkerley (John Oxenham) (1852-1941) Tune: McKee In Christ there is no east or west, in him no south or north, but one great fellowship of love throughout the whole wide earth. In him shall true hearts everywhere their high communion find; his service is the golden cord, close binding all mankind. Join hands, then, all the human race, whate'er your nation be; all who my Father's image bear are surely kin to me. In Christ now meet both east and west, in him meet south and north; all Christlike souls are one in him, throughout the whole wide earth. SECOND READING [Luke 9:18-27]: Once when Jesus was praying alone, with only the disciples near him, he asked them, 'Who do the crowds say that I am?' They answered, 'John the Baptist; but others, Elijah; and still others, that one of the ancient prophets has arisen.' He said to them, 'But who do you say that I am?' Peter answered, 'The Messiah of God.' He sternly ordered and commanded them not to tell anyone, saying, 'The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.' Then he said to them all, 'If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it. What does it profit them if they gain the whole world, but lose or forfeit themselves? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words, of them the Son of Man will be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. But truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.' The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: Eternal God, we praise you for your mighty love given in Christ(s sacrifice on the cross, and the new life we have received by his resurrection. Especially we thank you for the presence of Christ in our weakness and suffering... (We thank you, Lord.) the ministry of Word and Sacrament... all who work to help and heal... sacrifices made to our benefit... opportunities for our generous giving... God of grace, let our concern for others reflect Christ's selfgiving love, not only in our prayers, but also in our practice. Especially we pray for those subjected to tyranny and oppression... (Lord, hear our prayer.) wounded and injured people... those who face death... those who may be our enemies... the church in Latin America... 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 Fill our hearts with zeal for your kingdom and place on our lips the tidings of your peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ******************************************************* The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission. The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002. The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The opening prayer of thanksgiving is adapted by Stephen Benner from _We Give You Thanks and Praise: The Ambrosian Eucharistic Prefaces_, translated by Alan Griffiths, (c) The Canterbury Press Norwich, 1999. The closing prayer uses a sentence from a prayer in _Opening Prayers: Collects in Contemporary Language_. Canterbury Press, Norwich, 1999. From steve.benner at oremus.org Fri Jul 10 17:00:00 2009 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 11 July 2009 Message-ID: <20090710170000.7F1D2313C33@justus2.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Saturday, July 11, 2009 Benedict of Nursia, Abbot of Monte Cassino, c.550 O Lord, open our lips. And our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, almighty and everlasting God, for your servant Benedict, the father of a great multitude of the just and an outstanding teacher of love for you and for our neighbor: We thank you for the many gifts of the Holy Spirit, which have led Benedict and other great teachers to lead men and women to walk the path of salvation under the guidance of Christ and the Gospel. For this we revere you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit: Blessed be God for ever! An opening canticle may be sung. http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html Psalm 1 Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked,* nor lingered in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seats of the scornful! Their delight is in the law of the Lord,* and they meditate on his law day and night. They are like trees planted by streams of water, bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither;* everything they do shall prosper. It is not so with the wicked:* they are like chaff which the wind blows away; Therefore the wicked shall not stand upright when judgement comes,* nor the sinner in the council of the righteous. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,* but the way of the wicked is doomed. Psalm 15 Lord, who may dwell in your tabernacle?* who may abide upon your holy hill? Whoever leads a blameless life and does what is right,* who speaks the truth from his heart. There is no guile upon his tongue; he does no evil to his friend;* he does not heap contempt upon his neighbour. In his sight the wicked is rejected,* but he honours those who fear the Lord. He has sworn to do no wrong* and does not take back his word. He does not give his money in hope of gain,* nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. Whoever does these things* shall never be overthrown. A Song of Pilgrimage (from Ecclesiasticus 51) While I was still young, I sought Wisdom openly in my prayer. Before the temple I asked for her, and I will search for her until the end. >From the first blossom to the ripening grape, my heart delighted in her. My foot walked on the straight path, from my youth I followed her steps. I inclined my ear a little and received her, I found for myself much instruction. I made progress in Wisdom; to the One who sent her, I will give glory. I directed my soul to Wisdom, and in purity have I found her. With her, I gained understanding from the first, therefore will I never be forsaken. My heart was stirred to seek her, with my tongue will I sing God's praise. Psalm 150 Alleluia! Praise God in his holy temple;* praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts;* praise him for his excellent greatness. Praise him with the blast of the ram'shorn;* praise him with lyre and harp. Praise him with timbrel and dance;* praise him with strings and pipe. Praise him with resounding cymbals;* praise him with loudclanging cymbals. Let everything that has breath* praise the Lord. Alleluia! FIRST READING [Wisdom 1:1-17]: Love righteousness, you rulers of the earth, think of the Lord in goodness and seek him with sincerity of heart; because he is found by those who do not put him to the test, and manifests himself to those who do not distrust him. For perverse thoughts separate people from God, and when his power is tested, it exposes the foolish; because wisdom will not enter a deceitful soul, or dwell in a body enslaved to sin. For a holy and disciplined spirit will flee from deceit, and will leave foolish thoughts behind, and will be ashamed at the approach of unrighteousness. For wisdom is a kindly spirit, but will not free blasphemers from the guilt of their words; because God is witness of their inmost feelings, and a true observer of their hearts, and a hearer of their tongues. Because the spirit of the Lord has filled the world, and that which holds all things together knows what is said. HYMN Words: John Keble and William John Hall Tune: Franconia http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/b/b144.html Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus. Blest are the pure in heart, for they shall see our God; the secret of the Lord is theirs, their soul is Christ's abode. The Lord, who left the heavens our life and peace to bring, to dwell in lowliness with men, their Pattern and their King; still to the lowly soul he doth himself impart and for his dwelling and his throne chooseth the pure in heart. Lord, we thy presence seek; may ours this blessing be; give us a pure and lowly heart, a temple meet for thee. SECOND READING [Romans 12:1-13]: I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God what is good and acceptable and perfect. For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgement, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness. Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honour. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: We pray for the use of God's gifts to his Church, saying Jesus, Lord of your Church: in your mercy, hear us God our Father, you give us gifts that we may work together in the service of your Son: Bless those who lead, that they may be firm in faith, yet humble before you. We pray especially for the Order of Saint Benedict and all those who follow Benedict's wisdom in their daily lives. Jesus, Lord of your Church: in your mercy hear us. Bless those who teach, that they may increase our understanding, and be open to your word for them: Jesus, Lord of your Church: in your mercy hear us. Bless those who minister healing, that they may bring wholeness to other, yet know your healing in themselves: Jesus, Lord of your Church: in your mercy hear us. Bless those through whom you speak, that they may proclaim your word in power, yet have their ears open to your gentle whisper: Jesus, Lord of your Church: in your mercy hear us. Bless those who work in your world today that they may live for you, fulfil your purposes, and seek your kingdom first in the complexity of their daily lives. Jesus, Lord of your Church: in your mercy hear us. Bless those who feel they have no gifts and are not valued, and those who are powerless by the world's standards, that they may share their experience of the work of your Spirit. Jesus, Lord of your Church: in your mercy hear us. Eternal God, who made Benedict to become a wise master in the school of your service and a guide to many called into community to follow the rule of Christ: grant that we may put your love before all else and seek with joy the way of your commandments; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Gathering our prayers and praises into one, let us pray as our Savior has taught us. - The Lord's Prayer Prepare our hearts and lives to be strengthened and changed by your Word, revealed by your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ******************************************************* The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission. The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002. The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The opening prayer of thanksgiving is adapted by Stephen Benner from _We Give You Thanks and Praise: The Ambrosian Eucharistic Prefaces_, translated by Alan Griffiths, (c) The Canterbury Press Norwich, 1999. The intercession is adapted by Stephen Benner from a prayer in _Patterns for Worship_, material from which is included in this service is copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 1995. The collect is from _Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England_, material from which is included in this service is copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2000. The closing prayer uses a sentence from a prayer in _Opening Prayers: Collects in Contemporary Language_. Canterbury Press, Norwich, 1999. Benedict was born at Nursia (Norcia) in Umbria, Italy, around 480 AD. He was sent to Rome for his studies, but was repelled by the dissolute life of most of the populace, and withdrew to a solitary life at Subiaco. A group of monks asked him to be their abbot, but some of them found his rule too strict, and he returned alone to Subiaco. Again, other monks called him to be their abbot, and he agreed, founding twelve communities over an interval of some years. His chief founding was Monte Cassino, an abbey which stands to this day as the mother house of the world-wide Benedictine order. Totila the Goth visited Benedict, and was so awed by his presence that he fell on his face before him. Benedict raised him from the ground and rebuked him for his cruelty, telling him that it was time that his iniquities should cease. Totila asked Benedict to remember him in his prayers and departed, to exhibit from that time an astonishing clemency and chivalry in his treatment of conquered peoples. Benedict drew up a rule of life for monastics, a rule which he calls "a school of the Lord's service, in which we hope to order nothing harsh or rigorous." The Rule gives instructions for how the monastic community is to be organized, and how the monks are to spend their time. An average day includes about four hours to be spent in liturgical prayer (called the Divinum Officium -- the Divine Office), five hours in spiritual reading and study, six hours of labor, one hour for eating, and about eight hours for sleep. The Book of Psalms is to be recited in its entirety every week as a part of the Office. A Benedictine monk takes vows of "obedience, stability, and conversion of life." That is, he vows to live in accordance with the Benedictine Rule, not to leave his community without grave cause, and to seek to follow the teaching and example of Christ in all things. Normal procedure today for a prospective monk is to spend a week or more at the monastery as a visitor. He then applies as a postulant, and agrees not to leave for six months without the consent of the Abbot. (During that time, he may suspect that he has made a mistake, and the abbot may say, "Yes, I think you have. Go in peace." Alternately, he may say, "It is normal to have jitters at this stage. I urge you to stick it out a while longer and see whether they go away." Many postulants leave before the six months are up.) After six months, he may leave or become a novice, with vows for one year. After the year, he may leave or take vows for three more years. After three years, he may leave, take life vows, or take vows for a second three years. After that, a third three years. After that, he must leave or take life vows (fish or cut bait). Thus, he takes life vows after four and a half to ten and a half years in the monastery. At any point in the proceedings at which he has the option of leaving, the community has the option of dismissing him. The effect of the monastic movement, both of the Benedictine order and of similar orders that grew out of it, has been enormous. We owe the preservation of the Holy Scriptures and other ancient writings in large measure to the patience and diligence of monastic scribes. In purely secular terms, their contribution was considerable. In Benedict's time, the chief source of power was muscle, whether human or animal. Ancient scholars apparently did not worry about labor-saving devices. The labor could always be done by oxen or slaves. But monks were both scholars and workers. A monk, after spending a few hours doing some laborious task by hand, was likely to think, "There must be a better way of doing this." The result was the systematic development of windmills and water wheels for grinding grain, sawing wood, pumping water, and so on. The rotation of crops (including legumes) and other agricultural advances were also originated or promoted by monastic farms. The monks, by their example, taught the dignity of labor and the importance of order and planning. [James Kiefer] From steve.benner at oremus.org Sat Jul 11 17:00:00 2009 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Sat, 11 Jul 2009 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 12 July 2009 Message-ID: <20090711170000.718F1313C33@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, July 12, 2009 The Sixth Sunday after Pentecost Lord, open our lips, and our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, Lord of all creation; in your love you made us for yourself. When we turned away you did not reject us, but came to meet us in your Son. You embraced us as your children and welcomed us to sit and eat with you. In Christ you shared our life that we might live in him and he in us. For these and all your mercies, we praise you: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: Blessed be God for ever! An opening canticle may be sung. Psalm 62 For God alone my soul in silence waits;* from him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation,* my stronghold, so that I shall not be greatly shaken. How long will you assail me to crush me, all of you together,* as if you were a leaning fence, a toppling wall? They seek only to bring me down from my place of honour;* lies are their chief delight. They bless with their lips,* but in their hearts they curse. For God alone my soul in silence waits;* truly, my hope is in him. He alone is my rock and my salvation,* my stronghold, so that I shall not be shaken. In God is my safety and my honour;* God is my strong rock and my refuge. Put your trust in him always, O people,* pour out your hearts before him, for God is our refuge. Those of high degree are but a fleeting breath,* even those of low estate cannot be trusted. On the scales they are lighter than a breath,* all of them together. Put no trust in extortion; in robbery take no empty pride;* though wealth increase, set not your heart upon it. God has spoken once, twice have I heard it,* that power belongs to God. Steadfast love is yours, O Lord,* for you repay everyone according to his deeds. Psalm 63 O God, you are my God; eagerly I seek you;* my soul thirsts for you, my flesh faints for you, as in a barren and dry land where there is no water; Therefore I have gazed upon you in your holy place,* that I might behold your power and your glory. For your lovingkindness is better than life itself;* my lips shall give you praise. So will I bless you as long as I live* and lift up my hands in your name. My soul is content, as with marrow and fatness,* and my mouth praises you with joyful lips, When I remember you upon my bed,* and meditate on you in the night watches. For you have been my helper,* and under the shadow of your wings I will rejoice. My soul clings to you;* your right hand holds me fast. A Song of Divine Love (1 Corinthians 13.4-13) Love is patient and kind, love is not jealous or boastful, it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way, it is not angry or resentful. It does not rejoice in wrongdoing but rejoices in the truth. Love bears all things and believes all things; love hopes all things and endures all things. Love will never come to an end, but prophecy will vanish, tongues cease and knowledge pass away. Now we know only in part and we prophesy only in part, But when the perfect comes, the partial shall pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. But when I became mature, I put an end to childish ways. For now we see only puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. There are three things that last for ever, faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love. Psalm 117 Alleluia! Praise the Lord, all you nations;* laud him, all you peoples. For his loving-kindness towards us is great,* and the faithfulness of the Lord endures for ever. Alleluia! FIRST READING [Ecclesiastes 2:1-11, 18-23]: I said to myself, 'Come now, I will make a test of pleasure; enjoy yourself.' But again, this also was vanity. I said of laughter, 'It is mad', and of pleasure, 'What use is it?' I searched with my mind how to cheer my body with wine?my mind still guiding me with wisdom?and how to lay hold on folly, until I might see what was good for mortals to do under heaven during the few days of their life. I made great works; I built houses and planted vineyards for myself; I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house; I also had great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and of the provinces; I got singers, both men and women, and delights of the flesh, and many concubines. So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem; also my wisdom remained with me. Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them; I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had spent in doing it, and again, all was vanity and a chasing after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun. I hated all my toil in which I had toiled under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to those who come after me ?and who knows whether they will be wise or foolish? Yet they will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity. So I turned and gave my heart up to despair concerning all the toil of my labours under the sun, because sometimes one who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave all to be enjoyed by another who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. What do mortals get from all the toil and strain with which they toil under the sun? For all their days are full of pain, and their work is a vexation; even at night their minds do not rest. This also is vanity. HYMN Words: Augustus Montague Toplady (1740-1778) alt. Tune: Cambridge, Mount Ephraim Blest are the saints, O God, That stay themselves on thee! Who wait for thy salvation, Lord, Shall thy salvation see. When we in darkness walk, Nor feel the heavenly flame, Then is the time to trust our God, And rest upon his name. Soon shall our doubts and fears Subside at his control; His loving-kindness shall break through The midnight of the soul. Wait till the shadows flee; Wait thy appointed hour; Wait till the Bridegroom of thy soul Reveals his love with power. SECOND READING [Matthew 19:16-end]: Then someone came to Jesus and said, 'Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?' And he said to him, 'Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.' He said to him, 'Which ones?' And Jesus said, 'You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; Honour your father and mother; also, You shall love your neighbour as yourself.' The young man said to him, 'I have kept all these; what do I still lack?' Jesus said to him, 'If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.' When the young man heard this word, he went away grieving, for he had many possessions. Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.' When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astounded and said, 'Then who can be saved?' But Jesus looked at them and said, 'For mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible.' Then Peter said in reply, 'Look, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?' Jesus said to them, 'Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man is seated on the throne of his glory, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold, and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.' The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: Let us bring our prayers to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. We pray for the people of China, in the midst of the ethnic tensions and violence in that land: may there be peace and reconciliation between the different communities. We pray for the leaders of the nations: may they work together for the common good and the protection of the environment we all share. We pray for everyone burdened by anxiety, unemployment, or ill health: may the Lord be their hope and guide, to help them to cope and persevere. We pray, on this Sea Sunday, for everyone who earns a living from the sea: may the Lord protect them and bring them home safe to their families and loved ones. Heavenly Father, you constantly grant us the riches of your grace. We ask you to hear the prayers that we offer through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Almighty God, you have taught us through Christ that love fulfills the law: May we love you with all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength, and may we love our neighbors as ourselves; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. Gathering our prayers and praises into one, let us pray as our Savior has taught us. - The Lord's Prayer You have opened to us the Scriptures, O Christ. Abide with us, we pray, that, blessed by your royal presence, we may walk with you all the days of our life, and at its end behold you in the glory of the eternal Trinity, one God for ever and ever. Amen. ******************************************************* The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission. The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002. The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The opening prayer of thanksgiving is adapted by Stephen Benner from _We Give You Thanks and Praise: The Ambrosian Eucharistic Prefaces_, translated by Alan Griffiths, (c) The Canterbury Press Norwich, 1999. The closing prayer uses a sentence from a prayer in _Opening Prayers: Collects in Contemporary Language_. Canterbury Press, Norwich, 1999. From steve.benner at oremus.org Sun Jul 12 17:00:00 2009 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Sun, 12 Jul 2009 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 13 July 2009 Message-ID: <20090712170000.B0FD8313C40@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, July 13, 2009 Lord, open our lips, and our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, Lord of all creation; in your love you made us for yourself. When we turned away you did not reject us, but came to meet us in your Son. You embraced us as your children and welcomed us to sit and eat with you. In Christ you shared our life that we might live in him and he in us. For these and all your mercies, we praise you: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: Blessed be God for ever! An opening canticle may be sung. Psalm 11 In the Lord have I taken refuge;* how then can you say to me, 'Fly away like a bird to the hilltop; 'For see how the wicked bend the bow and fit their arrows to the string,* to shoot from ambush at the true of heart. 'When the foundations are being destroyed,* what can the righteous do?' The Lord is in his holy temple;* the Lord's throne is in heaven. His eyes behold the inhabited world;* his piercing eye weighs our worth. The Lord weighs the righteous as well as the wicked,* but those who delight in violence he abhors. Upon the wicked he shall rain coals of fire and burning sulphur;* a scorching wind shall be their lot. For the Lord is righteous; he delights in righteous deeds;* and the just shall see his face. Psalm 12 Help me, Lord, for there is no godly one left;* the faithful have vanished from among us. Everyone speaks falsely with their neighbour;* with a smooth tongue they speak from a double heart. O that the Lord would cut off all smooth tongues,* and close the lips that utter proud boasts! Those who say, 'With our tongue will we prevail;* our lips are our own; who is lord over us?' 'Because the needy are oppressed, and the poor cry out in misery,* I will rise up', says the Lord, 'and give them the help they long for.' The words of the Lord are pure words,* like silver refined from ore and purified seven times in the fire. O Lord, watch over us* and save us from this generation for ever. The wicked prowl on every side,* and that which is worthless is highly prized by everyone. A Song of God(s Grace (Ephesians 1.310) 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 [Ruth 2:1-13]: Now Naomi had a kinsman on her husband's side, a prominent rich man, of the family of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, 'Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain, behind someone in whose sight I may find favour.' She said to her, 'Go, my daughter.' So she went. She came and gleaned in the field behind the reapers. As it happened, she came to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech. Just then Boaz came from Bethlehem. He said to the reapers, 'The Lord be with you.' They answered, 'The Lord bless you.' Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, 'To whom does this young woman belong?' The servant who was in charge of the reapers answered, 'She is the Moabite who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. She said, ?Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the reapers.? So she came, and she has been on her feet from early this morning until now, without resting even for a moment.' Then Boaz said to Ruth, 'Now listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women. Keep your eyes on the field that is being reaped, and follow behind them. I have ordered the young men not to bother you. If you get thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn.' Then she fell prostrate, with her face to the ground, and said to him, 'Why have I found favour in your sight, that you should take notice of me, when I am a foreigner?' But Boaz answered her, 'All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. May the Lord reward you for your deeds, and may you have a full reward from the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge!' Then she said, 'May I continue to find favour in your sight, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your servant, even though I am not one of your servants.' HYMN Words: F A Graves Tune: http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/f/i/finwheat.htm Hungry, Lord, for Thy word of truth, Sitting at my Saviour's feet; Rising, gleaming, just like Ruth, Feed me on the finest of the wheat. Bread of life it is now to me, Honey, wine and meat; In Thy love I will ever be Fed upon the finest of the wheat. Work for the Master I will do, Trusting in His strength so great; Living in His pastures new, Feed me on the finest of the wheat. Chorus Then to the harvest let us go, Reaping in His fields so sweet; Workers for Jesus, He wants you Fed upon the finest of the wheat. Chorus SECOND READING [Luke 9:46-end]: An argument arose among them as to which one of them was the greatest. But Jesus, aware of their inner thoughts, took a little child and put it by his side, and said to them, 'Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me; for the least among all of you is the greatest.' John answered, 'Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us.' But Jesus said to him, 'Do not stop him; for whoever is not against you is for you.' When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; but they did not receive him, because his face was set towards Jerusalem. When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, 'Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?' But he turned and rebuked them. Then they went on to another village. As they were going along the road, someone said to him, 'I will follow you wherever you go.' And Jesus said to him, 'Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.' To another he said, 'Follow me.' But he said, 'Lord, first let me go and bury my father.' But Jesus said to him, 'Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.' Another said, 'I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.' Jesus said to him, 'No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.' The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: Almighty God, maker of all good things and Father of all; you have shown us in Christ the purpose of your creation and call us to be responsible in the world. We pray for the world all the nations.... our own country.... those in authority.... the peace of the world.... racial harmony.... those who maintain order.... Almighty God, we give you thanks for the order of created things the resources of the earth and the gift of human life.... for the continuing work of creation, man's share in it, and for creative vision and inventive skill.... for your faithfulness to man in patience and in love, and for every human response of obedience and humble achievement.... May we delight in your purpose and work to bring all things to their true end; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. God of truth, protector of your people, come to the aid of all who are poor and oppressed. By the power of your life-giving Word lead us in the ways of peace and integrity, and give us the help we long for in Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen. Gathering our prayers and praises into one, let us pray as our Savior has taught us. - The Lord's Prayer You have opened to us the Scriptures, O Christ. Abide with us, we pray, that, blessed by your royal presence, we may walk with you all the days of our life, and at its end behold you in the glory of the eternal Trinity, one God for ever and ever. Amen. ******************************************************* The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission. The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002. The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The opening prayer of thanksgiving is adapted by Stephen Benner from _We Give You Thanks and Praise: The Ambrosian Eucharistic Prefaces_, translated by Alan Griffiths, (c) The Canterbury Press Norwich, 1999. The closing prayer uses a sentence from a prayer in _Opening Prayers: Collects in Contemporary Language_. Canterbury Press, Norwich, 1999. From steve.benner at oremus.org Wed Jul 15 17:00:00 2009 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Wed, 15 Jul 2009 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 16 July 2009 Message-ID: <20090715170000.A1AB7313C27@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, July 16, 2009 Lord, open our lips, and our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, Lord of all creation; in your love you made us for yourself. When we turned away you did not reject us, but came to meet us in your Son. You embraced us as your children and welcomed us to sit and eat with you. In Christ you shared our life that we might live in him and he in us. For these and all your mercies, we praise you: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: Blessed be God for ever! An opening canticle may be sung. 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 Tobit (Tobit 13.1,3,46a) 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 seamonsters and all deeps; Fire and hail, snow and fog,* tempestuous wind, doing his will; Mountains and all hills,* fruit trees and all cedars; Wild beasts and all cattle,* creeping things and winged birds; Kings of the earth and all peoples,* princes and all rulers of the world; Young men and maidens,* old and young together. Let them praise the name of the Lord,* for his name only is exalted, his splendour is over earth and heaven. He has raised up strength for his people and praise for all his loyal servants,* the children of Israel, a people who are near him. Alleluia! FIRST READING [Ruth 4:1-8]: No sooner had Boaz gone up to the gate and sat down there than the next-of-kin, of whom Boaz had spoken, came passing by. So Boaz said, 'Come over, friend; sit down here.' And he went over and sat down. Then Boaz took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, 'Sit down here'; so they sat down. He then said to the next-of-kin, 'Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our kinsman Elimelech. So I thought I would tell you of it, and say: Buy it in the presence of those sitting here, and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if you will not, tell me, so that I may know; for there is no one prior to you to redeem it, and I come after you.' So he said, 'I will redeem it.' Then Boaz said, 'The day you acquire the field from the hand of Naomi, you are also acquiring Ruth the Moabite, the widow of the dead man, to maintain the dead man's name on his inheritance.' At this, the next-of-kin said, 'I cannot redeem it for myself without damaging my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it.' Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging: to confirm a transaction, one party took off a sandal and gave it to the other; this was the manner of attesting in Israel. So when the next-of-kin said to Boaz, 'Acquire it for yourself', he took off his sandal. HYMN Words: Peter Turnbull (1931-1971) Tune: Gracias We give you thanks, dear Lord, for human love and kindness, that we may find your joy surmounting all our sadness; that daily in our lives your guiding hand we know, and in each other's love our love for you will grow. We thank you that we find in mutual love and caring a richer way of life; by giving and in sharing, in joining of our loves, in blessings richly poured, the meaning of your love; we give you thanks, dear Lord. SECOND READING [Luke 10:38-11:13]: Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, 'Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.' But the Lord answered her, 'Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.' He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, 'Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.' He said to them, 'When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name. ???Your kingdom come. ???Give us each day our daily bread. ???And forgive us our sins, ?????for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. ???And do not bring us to the time of trial.' And he said to them, 'Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, ?Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.? And he answers from within, ?Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.? I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs. 'So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!' The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: Eternal God, you have raised Jesus Christ from the dead and exalted him to your right hand in glory, and through him called your Church into being, that your people might know you, and that they might make your name known. We pray for the church the Church universal, and local, especially.... the unity of the Church.... the ministries of the Church.... the mission of the Church.... the renewal of the Church.... all Christians in this place.... Eternal God, we give you thanks for the apostolic gospel committed to your Church, the continuing presence and power of your Spirit, the ministry of Word, Sacrament and Prayer.... for the divine mission in which we are called to share, the will to unity and its fruit in common action, the faithful witness of those who are true to Christ.... for all works of compassion and every service that proclaims your love. In peace and unity may your people offer the unfailing sacrifice of praise, and make your glory known; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. God of compassion and love, forgive our sins, relieve our misery, satisfy our longing, and fulfill all our hopes for peace; through your Son Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen. Gathering our prayers and praises into one, let us pray as our Savior has taught us. - The Lord's Prayer You have opened to us the Scriptures, O Christ. Abide with us, we pray, that, blessed by your royal presence, we may walk with you all the days of our life, and at its end behold you in the glory of the eternal Trinity, one God for ever and ever. Amen. ******************************************************* The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission. The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002. The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The opening prayer of thanksgiving is adapted by Stephen Benner from _We Give You Thanks and Praise: The Ambrosian Eucharistic Prefaces_, translated by Alan Griffiths, (c) The Canterbury Press Norwich, 1999. The closing prayer uses a sentence from a prayer in _Opening Prayers: Collects in Contemporary Language_. Canterbury Press, Norwich, 1999. From steve.benner at oremus.org Thu Jul 16 17:00:00 2009 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 17 July 2009 Message-ID: <20090716170000.7665D313C22@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, July 17, 2009 William White, Bishop of Pennsylvania, 1836 Lord, open our lips, and our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, Lord of all creation; in your love you made us for yourself. When we turned away you did not reject us, but came to meet us in your Son. You embraced us as your children and welcomed us to sit and eat with you. In Christ you shared our life that we might live in him and he in us. For these and all your mercies, we praise you: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: Blessed be God for ever! An opening canticle may be sung. Psalm 26 Give judgement for me, O Lord, for I have lived with integrity;* I have trusted in the Lord and have not faltered. Test me, O Lord, and try me;* examine my heart and my mind. For your love is before my eyes;* I have walked faithfully with you. I have not sat with the worthless,* nor do I consort with the deceitful. I have hated the company of evildoers;* I will not sit down with the wicked. I will wash my hands in innocence, O Lord,* that I may go in procession round your altar, Singing aloud a song of thanksgiving* and recounting all your wonderful deeds. Lord, I love the house in which you dwell* and the place where your glory abides. Do not sweep me away with sinners,* nor my life with those who thirst for blood, Whose hands are full of evil plots,* and their right hand full of bribes. As for me, I will live with integrity;* redeem me, O Lord, and have pity on me. My foot stands on level ground;* in the full assembly I will bless the Lord. The Song of Christ(s Glory (Philippians 2.511) Christ Jesus was in the form of God, but he did not cling to equality with God. He emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, and was born in our human likeness. Being found in human form he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him, and bestowed on him the name above every name, That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth; And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Psalm 149 Alleluia! Sing to the Lord a new song;* sing his praise in the congregation of the faithful. Let Israel rejoice in his maker;* let the children of Zion be joyful in their king. Let them praise his name in the dance;* let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp. For the Lord takes pleasure in his people* and adorns the poor with victory. Let the faithful rejoice in triumph;* let them be joyful on their beds. Let the praises of God be in their throat* and a twoedged sword in their hand; To wreak vengeance on the nations* and punishment on the peoples; To bind their kings in chains* and their nobles with links of iron; To inflict on them the judgement decreed;* this is glory for all his faithful people. Alleluia! FIRST READING [Ruth 4:9-17]: Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, 'Today you are witnesses that I have acquired from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon. I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, the wife of Mahlon, to be my wife, to maintain the dead man's name on his inheritance, in order that the name of the dead may not be cut off from his kindred and from the gate of his native place; today you are witnesses.' Then all the people who were at the gate, along with the elders, said, 'We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your house like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you produce children in Ephrathah and bestow a name in Bethlehem; and, through the children that the Lord will give you by this young woman, may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.' So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When they came together, the Lord made her conceive, and she bore a son. Then the women said to Naomi, 'Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without next-of-kin; and may his name be renowned in Israel! He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has borne him.' Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her bosom, and became his nurse. The women of the neighbourhood gave him a name, saying, 'A son has been born to Naomi.' They named him Obed; he became the father of Jesse, the father of David. HYMN Words: Fred Pratt Green 1903-2000 ? 1971 Stainer & Bell Ltd Used with permission. Tune: Dunedin, Wareham, Brockham The Church of Christ in every age Beset by change but Spirit led, Must claim and test its heritage And keep on rising from the dead. Across the world, across the street, The victims of injustice cry For shelter and for bread to eat, And never live until they die. Then let the servant Church arise, A caring Church that longs to be A partner in Christ's sacrifice, And clothed in Christ's humanity. For he alone, whose blood was shed, Can cure the fever in our blood, And teach us how to share our bread And feed the starving multitude. We have no mission but to serve In full obedience to our Lord: To care for all, without reserve, And spread his liberating Word. SECOND READING [Luke 11:14-28]: Now he was casting out a demon that was mute; when the demon had gone out, the one who had been mute spoke, and the crowds were amazed. But some of them said, 'He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.' Others, to test him, kept demanding from him a sign from heaven. But he knew what they were thinking and said to them, 'Every kingdom divided against itself becomes a desert, and house falls on house. If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? ?for you say that I cast out the demons by Beelzebul. Now if I cast out the demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your exorcists cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his castle, his property is safe. But when one stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away his armour in which he trusted and divides his plunder. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 'When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it wanders through waterless regions looking for a resting-place, but not finding any, it says, ?I will return to my house from which I came.? When it comes, it finds it swept and put in order. Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and live there; and the last state of that person is worse than the first.' While he was saying this, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, 'Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that nursed you!' But he said, 'Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it!' The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: Gracious God and Father, you have given your Son for us all, that his death might be our life and his affliction our peace. We pray for the suffering... the hungry.... the refugees.... the prisoners.... the persecuted.... all who bring sin and suffering to others.... ministries of care and relief.... the Church in all its work, especially Gracious God and Father, we give you thanks for the cross of Christ at the heart of creation, the presence of Christ in our weakness and strength, the power of Christ to transform our suffering.... for all ministries of healing, all agencies of relief, all that sets men free from pain, fear and distress.... for the assurance that your mercy knows no limit, and for the privilege of sharing your work of renewal through prayer. In darkness and in light, in trouble and in joy, help us to trust your love, to serve your purpose and to praise your name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. O Lord, in a time of turmoil and confusion you raised up your servant William White, and endowed him with wisdom, patience, and a reconciling temper, that he might lead your Church into ways of stability and peace: Hear our prayer, and give us wise and faithful leaders, that through their ministry your people may be blessed and your will be done; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Gathering our prayers and praises into one, let us pray as our Savior has taught us. - The Lord's Prayer You have opened to us the Scriptures, O Christ. Abide with us, we pray, that, blessed by your royal presence, we may walk with you all the days of our life, and at its end behold you in the glory of the eternal Trinity, one God for ever and ever. Amen. ******************************************************* The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission. The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002. The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The opening prayer of thanksgiving is adapted by Stephen Benner from _We Give You Thanks and Praise: The Ambrosian Eucharistic Prefaces_, translated by Alan Griffiths, (c) The Canterbury Press Norwich, 1999. The closing prayer uses a sentence from a prayer in _Opening Prayers: Collects in Contemporary Language_. Canterbury Press, Norwich, 1999. The second collect is from _The Proper for the Lesser Feasts and Fasts_, 3rd edition, (c) 1980 The Church Pension Fund. Before the American Revolution, there were no bishops in the colonies (partly because the British government was reluctant to give the colonies the kind of autonomy that this would have implied, and partly because many of the colonists were violently opposed to their presence). After the Revolution, the establishment of an American episcopate became imperative. Samuel Seabury was the first American to be consecrated, in 1784 (see 14 Nov), and in 1787 William White and Samuel Provoost, having been elected to the bishoprics of Pennsylvania and New York respectively, sailed to England and were consecrated bishops on 14 February by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Archbishop of York, the Bishop of Bath and Wells, and the Bishop of Peterborough. William White was born in Philadelphia in 1747, went to England in 1770 to be ordained deacon and priest, returned in 1772 and became first an assistant and then the rector of the Church of Christ and Saint Peter in Philadelphia. He served as Chaplain of the Continental Congress from 1777 to 1789, and then as Chaplain of the Senate. White was largely responsible for the Constitution of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America. At his suggestion, the system of church government found in the Episcopal Church was adopted. A section follows from White's writings on Church Government. The power of electing a superior order of ministers ought to be in the clergy and laity together, they being both interested in the choice. In England, the bishops are appointed by the civil authority, which was a usurpation of the crown at the Norman conquest, but since confirmed by acts of parliament. The primitive churches were generally supplied by popular elections; even in the city of Rome, the privilege of electing the bishop continued with the people to the tenth or eleventh century, and near those times there are resolves of councils, that none should be promoted to ecclesiastical dignities, but by election of the clergy and people. It cannot be denied that this right vested in numerous bodies, occasioned great disorders; which it is expected will be avoided, when the people shall exercise the right by representation. White was Presiding Bishop of PECUSA at its first General Convention in 1789, and again from 1795 till his death on 17 July 1830. [James Kiefer] From steve.benner at oremus.org Tue Jul 21 17:00:00 2009 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Tue, 21 Jul 2009 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 22 July 2009 Message-ID: <20090721170000.92360313C30@justus2.anglican.org> ******************************************************* Visit our website at http://www.oremus.org ******************************************************* OREMUS for Wednesday, July 22, 2009 Saint Mary Magdalene O Lord, open our lips. And our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, gentle and tender God, for your saint Mary Magdalen, whom you gave the courage to love and follow your Son to the cross. Seeking her Teacher after his death, so great was her longing that you made her the first to behold him, risen from the dead, and the first to announce that the Lord had risen to new and glorious life. For this example of faith and hope, we praise you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit: Blessed be God for ever! An opening canticle may be sung. http://www.oremus.org/ocan.html Psalm 86 Bow down your ear, O Lord, and answer me,* for I am poor and in misery. Keep watch over my life, for I am faithful;* save your servant who trusts in you. Be merciful to me, O Lord, for you are my God;* I call upon you all the day long. Gladden the soul of your servant,* for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,* and great is your love towards all who call upon you. Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer,* and attend to the voice of my supplications. In the time of my trouble I will call upon you,* for you will answer me. Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord,* nor anything like your works. All nations you have made will come and worship you, O Lord,* and glorify your name. For you are great; you do wondrous things;* and you alone are God. Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth;* knit my heart to you that I may fear your name. I will thank you, O Lord my God, with all my heart,* and glorify your name for evermore. For great is your love towards me;* you have delivered me from the nethermost Pit. The arrogant rise up against me, O God, and a violent band seeks my life;* they have not set you before their eyes. But you, O Lord, are gracious and full of compassion,* slow to anger and full of kindness and truth. Turn to me and have mercy upon me;* give your strength to your servant; and save the child of your handmaid. Show me a sign of your favour, so that those who hate me may see it and be ashamed;* because you, O Lord, have helped me and comforted me. A Song of God's Love (1 John 4:7-11,12b) Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was revealed among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we ought also to love one another. For if we love one another, God abides in us, and God's love will be perfected in us. Psalm 147:13-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 [Song of Solomon 3:1-4]: Upon my bed at night I sought him whom my soul loves; I sought him, but found him not; I called him, but he gave no answer. 'I will rise now and go about the city, in the streets and in the squares; I will seek him whom my soul loves.' I sought him, but found him not. The sentinels found me, as they went about in the city. 'Have you seen him whom my soul loves?' Scarcely had I passed them, when I found him whom my soul loves. I held him, and would not let him go until I brought him into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me. HYMN Words: Latin; trans. Elizabeth Rundle Charles (1828-1896), alt. Tune: W zlobie lezy http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/l/l136.html Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus. Lift your voice rejoicing, Mary, Christ has risen from the tomb; on the cross a suffering victim, now as victor he is come. Whom your tears in death were mourning, welcome with your smiles returning. Let your alleluias rise! Raise your weary eyelids, Mary, see him living evermore; see his countenance how gracious, see the wounds for you he bore. All the glory of the morning pales before those wounds redeeming. Let your alleluias rise! Life is yours for ever, Mary, for your light is come once more and the strength of death is broken; now your songs of joy outpour. Ended now the night of sorrow, love has brought the blessed morrow. Let your alleluias rise. SECOND READING [John 20:1-2,11-18]: Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, 'They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.' But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, 'Woman, why are you weeping?' She said to them, 'They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.' When she had said this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, 'Woman, why are you weeping? For whom are you looking?' Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, 'Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.' Jesus said to her, 'Mary!' She turned and said to him in Hebrew, 'Rabbouni!' (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, 'Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, "I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." ' Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, 'I have seen the Lord'; and she told them that he had said these things to her. The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: Almighty and merciful God, we give you thanks that Mary Magdalene found healing in her encounter with the risen Christ. Give wholeness and peace to all those in need: the sick, the unloved and the forgotten, the poor and the hungry, the dying and the bereaved. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. Grant us the persistent faith of Mary Magdalen and the surprised belief of Peter and John: Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. Guide all your baptized people who struggle to know and to do your will in the kingdoms of this world, that by their lives we may show forth the new life in Christ to all nation. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. Send your grace on your Church, that it may live the great commission: proclaiming the gospel in community, Eucharist, and servanthood ministry. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. Almighty God, whose blessed Son restored Mary Magdalene to health of body and of mind, and called her to be a witness of his resurrection: Mercifully grant that by your grace we may be healed from all our infirmities and know you in the power of his unending life; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Gathering our prayers and praises into one, let us pray as our Savior has taught us. - The Lord's Prayer Enrich us abundantly with your grace, O Lord, that, firm in faith, secure in hope, and constant in love, we may keep your commandments with watchful care. Amen. ******************************************************* The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission. The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002. The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The opening prayer of thanksgiving is adapted by Stephen Benner from _We Give You Thanks and Praise: The Ambrosian Eucharistic Prefaces_, translated by Alan Griffiths, (c) The Canterbury Press Norwich, 1999. The closing prayer uses a sentence from a prayer in _Opening Prayers: Collects in Contemporary Language_. Canterbury Press, Norwich, 1999. Mary Magdalene is mentioned in the Gospels as being among the women of Galilee who followed Jesus and His disciples, and who was present at His Crucifixion and Burial, and who went to the tomb on Easter Sunday to annoint His body. She was the first to see the Risen Lord, and to announce His Resurrection to the apostles. Accordingly, she is referred to in early Christian writings as "the apostle to the apostles." Mary Magdalene, Mary of Bethany (sister of Martha and Lazarus), and the unnamed penitent woman who annointed Jesus's feet (Luke 7:36-48) are sometimes supposed to be the same woman. From this, plus the statement that Jesus had cast seven demons out of her (Luke 8:2), has risen the tradition that she had been a prostitute before she met Jesus. Because of the assumption that Mary Magdalene had been a spectacular sinner, and also perhaps because she is described as weeping at the tomb of Jesus on the Resurrection morning, she is often portrayed in art as weeping, or with eyes red from having wept. From this appearance we derive the English word "maudlin", meaning "effusively or tearfully sentimental." There is a Magdalen College at Oxford, and a Magdalene College at Cambridge (different spelling), both pronounced "Maudlin." [James Kiefer] From steve.benner at oremus.org Wed Jul 22 17:00:01 2009 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Wed, 22 Jul 2009 17:00:01 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 23 July 2009 Message-ID: <20090722170001.0898B313C49@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, July 23, 2009 Lord, open our lips, and our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, O God, the source and end of all things: in the resurrection of Christ you reveal the first fruits of the Spirit, the pledge of things to come. For these and all your mercies, we praise you: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: Blessed be God for ever! An opening canticle may be sung. Psalm 66 Be joyful in God, all you lands;* sing the glory of his name; sing the glory of his praise. Say to God, 'How awesome are your deeds!* because of your great strength your enemies cringe before you. 'All the earth bows down before you,* sings to you, sings out your name.' Come now and see the works of God,* how wonderful he is in his doing towards all people. He turned the sea into dry land, so that they went through the water on foot,* and there we rejoiced in him. In his might he rules for ever; his eyes keep watch over the nations;* let no rebel rise up against him. Bless our God, you peoples;* make the voice of his praise to be heard; Who holds our souls in life,* and will not allow our feet to slip. For you, O God, have proved us;* you have tried us just as silver is tried. You brought us into the snare;* you laid heavy burdens upon our backs. You let enemies ride over our heads; we went through fire and water;* but you brought us out into a place of refreshment. I will enter your house with burntofferings and will pay you my vows,* which I promised with my lips and spoke with my mouth when I was in trouble. I will offer you sacrifices of fat beasts with the smoke of rams;* I will give you oxen and goats. Come and listen, all you who fear God,* and I will tell you what he has done for me. I called out to him with my mouth,* and his praise was on my tongue. If I had found evil in my heart,* the Lord would not have heard me; But in truth God has heard me;* he has attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, who has not rejected my prayer,* nor withheld his love from me. A Song of God(s Herald (Isaiah 40. 911) Go up to a high mountain, herald of good tidings to Zion; lift up your voice with strength, herald of good tidings to Jerusalem. Lift up your voice, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, Behold your God!( See, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him. Behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. God will feed his flock like a shepherd, and gather the lambs in his arms; He will carry them in his breast, and gently lead those that are with young. Psalm 148 Alleluia! Praise the Lord from the heavens;* praise him in the heights. Praise him, all you angels of his;* praise him, all his host. Praise him, sun and moon;* praise him, all you shining stars. Praise him, heaven of heavens,* and you waters above the heavens. Let them praise the name of the Lord;* for he commanded and they were created. He made them stand fast for ever and ever;* he gave them a law which shall not pass away. Praise the Lord from the earth,* you seamonsters and all deeps; Fire and hail, snow and fog,* tempestuous wind, doing his will; Mountains and all hills,* fruit trees and all cedars; Wild beasts and all cattle,* creeping things and winged birds; Kings of the earth and all peoples,* princes and all rulers of the world; Young men and maidens,* old and young together. Let them praise the name of the Lord,* for his name only is exalted, his splendour is over earth and heaven. He has raised up strength for his people and praise for all his loyal servants,* the children of Israel, a people who are near him. Alleluia! FIRST READING [1 Samuel 3:1-18]: Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread. At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room; the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. Then the Lord called, 'Samuel! Samuel!' and he said, 'Here I am!' and ran to Eli, and said, 'Here I am, for you called me.' But he said, 'I did not call; lie down again.' So he went and lay down. The Lord called again, 'Samuel!' Samuel got up and went to Eli, and said, 'Here I am, for you called me.' But he said, 'I did not call, my son; lie down again.' Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. The Lord called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Eli, and said, 'Here I am, for you called me.' Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, 'Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, ?Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.? ' So Samuel went and lay down in his place. Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, 'Samuel! Samuel!' And Samuel said, 'Speak, for your servant is listening.' Then the Lord said to Samuel, 'See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make both ears of anyone who hears of it tingle. On that day I will fulfil against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. For I have told him that I am about to punish his house for ever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them. Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be expiated by sacrifice or offering for ever.' Samuel lay there until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the Lord. Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. But Eli called Samuel and said, 'Samuel, my son.' He said, 'Here I am.' Eli said, 'What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also, if you hide anything from me of all that he told you.' So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. Then he said, 'It is the Lord; let him do what seems good to him.' HYMN Words: Jane Leeson (1809-1881) Meter: 77 77 Loving Shepherd of your sheep, keep your lamb, in safety keep; nothing can your power withstand, none can tear me from your hand. Loving Lord, you chose to give your own life that we might live; and your hands outstretched to bless bear the cruel nails' impress. Help me praise you every day, gladly serve you and obey; like your glorious ones above, happy in your precious love. Loving Shepherd ever near, teach your lamb your voice to hear; let my footsteps never stray from the true and narrow way. Where you lead me I will go, walking in your steps below; till, before my Father's throne, I shall know as I am known. SECOND READING [Luke 12:22-34]: Jesus said to his disciples, 'Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? If then you are not able to do so small a thing as that, why do you worry about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you?you of little faith! And do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying. For it is the nations of the world that strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, strive for his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. 'Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.' 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. How generous is your goodness, O God, how great is your salvation, how faithful is your love! Help us to trust in you in trial, to praise you in deliverance and to rejoice before you with overflowing hearts; 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 Enrich us abundantly with your grace, O Lord, that, firm in faith, secure in hope, and constant in love, we may keep your commandments with watchful care. Amen. ******************************************************* The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission. The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002. The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The opening prayer of thanksgiving is adapted by Stephen Benner from _We Give You Thanks and Praise: The Ambrosian Eucharistic Prefaces_, translated by Alan Griffiths, (c) The Canterbury Press Norwich, 1999. The closing prayer uses a sentence from a prayer in _Opening Prayers: Collects in Contemporary Language_. Canterbury Press, Norwich, 1999. From steve.benner at oremus.org Thu Jul 23 17:00:00 2009 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Thu, 23 Jul 2009 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 24 July 2009 Message-ID: <20090723170000.3F84D313C42@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, July 24, 2009 Thomas a Kempis, Priest, 1471 Lord, open our lips, and our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, O God, the source and end of all things: in the resurrection of Christ you reveal the first fruits of the Spirit, the pledge of things to come. For these and all your mercies, we praise you: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: Blessed be God for ever! An opening canticle may be sung. 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 greyheaded, 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 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 twoedged sword in their hand; To wreak vengeance on the nations* and punishment on the peoples; To bind their kings in chains* and their nobles with links of iron; To inflict on them the judgement decreed;* this is glory for all his faithful people. Alleluia! FIRST READING [1 Samuel 4:1b-11]: In those days the Philistines mustered for war against Israel, and Israel went out to battle against them; they encamped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines encamped at Aphek. The Philistines drew up in line against Israel, and when the battle was joined, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men on the field of battle. When the troops came to the camp, the elders of Israel said, 'Why has the Lord put us to rout today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord here from Shiloh, so that he may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies.' So the people sent to Shiloh, and brought from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, who is enthroned on the cherubim. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. When the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel gave a mighty shout, so that the earth resounded. When the Philistines heard the noise of the shouting, they said, 'What does this great shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?' When they learned that the ark of the Lord had come to the camp, the Philistines were afraid; for they said, 'Gods have come into the camp.' They also said, 'Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before. Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with every sort of plague in the wilderness. Take courage, and be men, O?Philistines, in order not to become slaves to the Hebrews as they have been to you; be men and fight.' So the Philistines fought; Israel was defeated, and they fled, everyone to his home. There was a very great slaughter, for there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot-soldiers. The ark of God was captured; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died. HYMN Words: attributed to Thomas Kempis (1379-1471); trans. John Mason Neale Tune: Lewes http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/i/i199.html Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus. If there be that skills to reckon all the number of the blest, he perchance can weigh the gladness of the everlasting rest, which, their earthly exile finished, they by merit have possessed. Through the vale of lamentation happily and safely past, now the years of their affliction in their memory they recast, and the end of all perfection they can contemplate at last. There the gifts of each and single all in common right possess; there each member hath his portion in the Body's blessedness; so that he, the least in merits, share the guerdon none the less. In a glass through types and riddles dwelling here, we see alone; then serenely, purely, clearly, we shall know as we are known, fixing our enlightened vision on the glory of the throne. There the Trinity of persons unbeclouded shall we see; there the Unity of essence perfectly revealed shall be; while we hail the threefold Godhead and the simple Unity. Wherefore man, take heart and courage, whatso'er thy present pain; such untold reward through suffering thou may'st merit to attain: and for ever in his glory with the Light of light to reign. SECOND READING [Luke 12:35-48]: Jesus said, 'Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves. 'But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.' Peter said, 'Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for everyone?' And the Lord said, 'Who then is the faithful and prudent manager whom his master will put in charge of his slaves, to give them their allowance of food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives. Truly I tell you, he will put that one in charge of all his possessions. But if that slave says to himself, ?My master is delayed in coming?, and if he begins to beat the other slaves, men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk, the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour that he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and put him with the unfaithful. That slave who knew what his master wanted, but did not prepare himself or do what was wanted, will receive a severe beating. But one who did not know and did what deserved a beating will receive a light beating. From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded.' 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. Give us, O Lord, steadfast hearts that cannot be dragged down by false loves; give us courageous hearts that cannot be worn down by trouble; give us righteous hearts that cannot be sidetracked by unholy or unworthy goals. Give to us also, our Lord and God, understanding to know you, diligence to look for you, wisdom to recognize you, and a faithfulness that will bring us to see you face to face. Amen. Holy God, you have nourished and strengthened your Church by the inspired writings of your servant Thomas Kempis: Grant that we may learn from him to know what is necessary to be known, to love what is to be loved, to praise what highly pleases you, and always to seek to know and follow your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Gathering our prayers and praises into one, let us pray as our Savior has taught us. - The Lord's Prayer Enrich us abundantly with your grace, O Lord, that, firm in faith, secure in hope, and constant in love, we may keep your commandments with watchful care. Amen. ******************************************************* The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission. The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002. The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The opening prayer of thanksgiving is adapted by Stephen Benner from _We Give You Thanks and Praise: The Ambrosian Eucharistic Prefaces_, translated by Alan Griffiths, (c) The Canterbury Press Norwich, 1999. The closing prayer uses a sentence from a prayer in _Opening Prayers: Collects in Contemporary Language_. Canterbury Press, Norwich, 1999. The first collect is by Thomas a Kempis. Thomas Hammerken (or Hammerlein -- both mean "little hammer") was born at Kempen (hence the "A Kempis") in the duchy of Cleves in Germany around 1380. He was educated by a religious order called the Brethren of the Common Life, and in due course joined the order, was ordained a priest, became sub-prior of his house (in the low Countries), and died 25 July 1471 (his feast is observed a day early to avoid conflict with that of James bar-Zebedee the Apostle). Thomas is known almost entirely for composing or compiling a manual of spiritual advice known as The Imitation of Christ, in which he urges the reader to seek to follow the example of Jesus Christ and to be conformed in all things to His will. [James Kiefer] From steve.benner at oremus.org Sat Jul 25 21:27:08 2009 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Sat, 25 Jul 2009 21:27:08 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 26 July 2009 Message-ID: <20090725212708.4740C313C1B@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, July 26, 2009 The Eighth Sunday after Pentecost Lord, open our lips, and our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, O God, you are our greatest treasure and the source of our greatest joy: Your Spirit continues to form us in the likeness of Christ, that we may know the freedom of your children and the assurance that nothing in creation can separate us from your love, most fully known in Jesus Christ our Lord. For these and all your mercies, we praise you: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: Blessed be God for ever! An opening canticle may be sung. Psalm 50 The Lord, the God of gods, has spoken;* he has called the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. Out of Zion, perfect in its beauty,* God reveals himself in glory. Our God will come and will not keep silence;* before him there is a consuming flame, and round about him a raging storm. He calls the heavens and the earth from above* to witness the judgement of his people. 'Gather before me my loyal followers,* those who have made a covenant with me and sealed it with sacrifice.' Let the heavens declare the rightness of his cause;* for God himself is judge. Hear, O my people, and I will speak: 'O Israel, I will bear witness against you;* for I am God, your God. 'I do not accuse you because of your sacrifices;* your offerings are always before me. 'I will take no bullcalf from your stalls,* nor hegoats out of your pens; 'For the beasts of the forest are mine,* the herds in their thousands upon the hills. 'I know every bird in the sky,* and the creatures of the fields are in my sight. 'If I were hungry, I would not tell you,* for the whole world is mine and all that is in it. 'Do you think I eat the flesh of bulls,* or drink the blood of goats? 'Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving* and make good your vows to the Most High. 'Call upon me in the day of trouble;* I will deliver you and you shall honour me.' But to the wicked God says:* 'Why do you recite my statutes, and take my covenant upon your lips; 'Since you refuse discipline,* and toss my words behind your back? 'When you see a thief, you make him your friend,* and you cast in your lot with adulterers. 'You have loosed your lips for evil,* and harnessed your tongue to a lie. 'You are always speaking evil of your brother* and slandering your own mother's son. 'These things you have done and I kept still,* and you thought that I am like you. 'I have made my accusation;* I have put my case in order before your eyes. 'Consider this well, you who forget God,* lest I rend you and there be none to deliver you. 'Whoever offers me the sacrifice of thanksgiving honours me;* but to those who keep in my way will I show the salvation of God.' A Song of Redemption (Colossians 1.1318a,19,20a) The Father has delivered us from the dominion of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son; In whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of our sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible. All things were created through him and for him, he is before all things and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the Church, he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead. In him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell; and through him God was pleased to reconcile all things. Psalm 117 Alleluia! Praise the Lord, all you nations;* laud him, all you peoples. For his lovingkindness towards us is great,* and the faithfulness of the Lord endures for ever. Alleluia! FIRST READING [Hosea 14]: Return, O?Israel, to the Lord your God, ???for you have stumbled because of your iniquity. Take words with you ???and return to the Lord; say to him, ????Take away all guilt; accept that which is good, ???and we will offer ???the fruit of our lips. Assyria shall not save us; ???we will not ride upon horses; we will say no more, ?Our God?, ???to the work of our hands. In you the orphan finds mercy.? I will heal their disloyalty; ???I will love them freely, ???for my anger has turned from?them. I will be like the dew to Israel; ???he shall blossom like the lily, ???he shall strike root like the forests of Lebanon. His shoots shall spread out; ???his beauty shall be like the olive?tree, ???and his fragrance like that of Lebanon. They shall again live beneath my?shadow, ???they shall flourish as a garden; they shall blossom like the vine, ???their fragrance shall be like the wine of Lebanon. O?Ephraim, what have I to do with idols? ???It is I who answer and look after?you. I am like an evergreen cypress; ???your faithfulness comes from?me. Those who are wise understand these things; ???those who are discerning know?them. For the ways of the Lord are right, ???and the upright walk in them, ???but transgressors stumble in?them. HYMN Words: Christian K. von Rosenroth (1636-1689) translated by Jane L. Borthwick (1813-1897) Tune: Morgenglanz der Ewigkeit Jesus, Sun of righteousness, Brightest beam of love divine, With the early morning rays, Do thou on our darkness shine, And dispel with purest light All our night. As on drooping herb and flower Falls the soft refreshing dew, Let Thy Spirit's grace and power All our weary souls renew, Showers of blessing over all Softly fall. Like the sun's reviving ray, May thy love with tender glow All our coldness melt away, Warm and cheer us forth to go, Gladly serve thee and obey All the day. O, our only hope and guide, Never leave us nor forsake; Keep us ever at thy side Till the eternal morning break, Moving on to Zion's hill, Homeward still. Lead us all our days and years In thy strait and narrow way; Lead us through the vale of tears To the land of perfect day, Where thy people, fully blest, Safely rest. SECOND READING [Romans 6:12-18]: Therefore, do not let sin exercise dominion in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. No longer present your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and present your members to God as instruments of righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. What then? Should we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that you, having once been slaves of sin, have become obedient from the heart to the form of teaching to which you were entrusted, and that you, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: Let us bring our prayers to the God who gives us all good things. We pray for all those who are suffering as a result of the swine flu; for those who are worried about their health; and for the doctors, nurses and medical staff working to treat the disease: may they have the support that they need. We pray for the people of Afghanistan, and for all those working for peace in that country: that there may be true and lasting peace, justice and reconciliation. We pray for Aung San Suu Kyi, on trial in Burma: that she may be treated fairly and restored to freedom, to continue her witness for peace and democracy. We pray for those whose jobs and security are at risk in the economic climate: that they may be given new hope for the future. We pray for those who have lost jobs and for those who have recently graduated: that they may be enabled to find suitable employment. Heavenly Father, just in all your ways and loving in all your deeds, we ask you to hear the prayers that we offer through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. O God, the fount of wisdom, you have revealed to us in Christ the hidden treasure and the pearl of great price: Grant us your Spirit's gift of discernment, that, in the midst of the things of this world, we may learn to value the priceless worth of your kingdom, and be ready to renounce all else for the sake of the precious gift you offer. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. Gathering our prayers and praises into one, let us pray as our Savior has taught us. - The Lord's Prayer May we instructed by your heavenly law, O Lord, that we may embrace the example of your Son and show it forth in deeds and works of love. Amen. ******************************************************* The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission. The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002. The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The opening prayer and closing sentence are adapted from prayers by Alan Griffiths.. From steve.benner at oremus.org Sun Jul 26 17:00:00 2009 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Sun, 26 Jul 2009 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 27 July 2009 Message-ID: <20090726170000.D3E2C313C45@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, July 27, 2009 William Reed Huntington, Priest, 1909 Lord, open our lips, and our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, O God, you are our greatest treasure and the source of our greatest joy: Your Spirit continues to form us in the likeness of Christ, that we may know the freedom of your children and the assurance that nothing in creation can separate us from your love, most fully known in Jesus Christ our Lord. For these and all your mercies, we praise you: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: Blessed be God for ever! An opening canticle may be sung. Psalm 75 We give you thanks, O God, we give you thanks,* calling upon your name and declaring all your wonderful deeds. 'I will appoint a time,' says God;* 'I will judge with equity. 'Though the earth and all its inhabitants are quaking,* I will make its pillars fast. 'I will say to the boasters, "Boast no more",* and to the wicked, "Do not toss your horns; '"Do not toss your horns so high,* nor speak with a proud neck."' For judgement is neither from the east nor from the west,* nor yet from the wilderness or the mountains. It is God who judges;* he puts down one and lifts up another. For in the Lord's hand there is a cup, full of spiced and foaming wine, which he pours out,* and all the wicked of the earth shall drink and drain the dregs. But I will rejoice for ever;* I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. He shall break off all the horns of the wicked;* but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted. Psalm 76 In Judah is God known;* his name is great in Israel. At Salem is his tabernacle,* and his dwelling is in Zion. There he broke the flashing arrows,* the shield, the sword and the weapons of battle. How glorious you are!* more splendid than the everlasting mountains! The strong of heart have been despoiled; they sink into sleep;* none of the warriors can lift a hand. At your rebuke, O God of Jacob,* both horse and rider lie stunned. What terror you inspire!* who can stand before you when you are angry? >From heaven you pronounced judgement;* the earth was afraid and was still; When God rose up to judgement* and to save all the oppressed of the earth. Truly, wrathful Edom will give you thanks,* and the remnant of Hamath will keep your feasts. Make a vow to the Lord your God and keep it;* let all around him bring gifts to him who is worthy to be feared. He breaks the spirit of princes,* and strikes terror in the kings of the earth. A Song of Ezekiel (Ezekiel 36.2426,28b) I will take you from the nations, and gather you from all the countries. I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses. A new heart I will give you, and put a new spirit within you, And I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. You shall be my people, and I will be your God. Psalm 146 Alleluia! Praise the Lord, O my soul!* I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. Put not your trust in rulers, nor in any child of earth,* for there is no help in them. When they breathe their last, they return to earth,* and in that day their thoughts perish. Happy are they who have the God of Jacob for their help!* whose hope is in the Lord their God; Who made heaven and earth, the seas, and all that is in them;* who keeps his promise for ever; Who gives justice to those who are oppressed,* and food to those who hunger. The Lord sets the prisoners free; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind;* the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; The Lord loves the righteous; the Lord cares for the stranger;* he sustains the orphan and widow, but frustrates the way of the wicked. The Lord shall reign for ever,* your God, O Zion, throughout all generations. Alleluia! FIRST READING [1 Samuel 8:4-end]: Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him, 'You are old and your sons do not follow in your ways; appoint for us, then, a king to govern us, like other nations.' But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, 'Give us a king to govern us.' Samuel prayed to the Lord, and the Lord said to Samuel, 'Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. Just as they have done to me, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so also they are doing to you. Now then, listen to their voice; only?you shall solemnly warn them, and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.' So Samuel reported all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, 'These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen, and to run before his chariots; and he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plough his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his courtiers. He will take one-tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and his courtiers. He will take your male and female slaves, and the best of your cattle and donkeys, and put them to his work. He will take one-tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves; but the Lord will not answer you in that day.' But the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel; they said, 'No! but we are determined to have a king over us, so that we also may be like other nations, and that our king may govern us and go out before us and fight our battles.' When Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the ears of the Lord. The Lord said to Samuel, 'Listen to their voice and set a king over them.' Samuel then said to the people of Israel, 'Each of you return home.' HYMN Words: Charles Wesley (1707-1788) Tune: St Flavian, Warwick, York Come, O thou all-victorious Lord, Thy power to us make known; Strike with the hammer of thy word, And break these hearts of stone. Give us ourselves and thee to know, In this our gracious day; Repentance unto life bestow, And take our sins away. Conclude us first in unbelief, And freely then release; Fill every soul with sacred grief, And then with sacred peace. Impoverish, Lord, and then relieve, And then enrich the poor; The knowledge of our sickness give, The knowledge of our cure. That bless?d sense of guilt impart, And then remove the load; Trouble, and wash the troubled heart In the atoning blood. Our desperate state through sin declare, And speak our sins forgiven; By perfect holiness prepare, And take us up to heaven. SECOND READING [Luke 13:1-9]: At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. He asked them, 'Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them?do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.' Then he told this parable: 'A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the gardener, "See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?" He replied, "Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig round it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down." ' 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. Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. O Lord our God, we thank you for instilling in the heart of your servant William Reed Huntington a fervent love for your Church and its mission in the world; and we pray that, with unflagging faith in your promises, we may make known to all people your blessed gift of eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. Gathering our prayers and praises into one, let us pray as our Savior has taught us. - The Lord's Prayer May we instructed by your heavenly law, O Lord, that we may embrace the example of your Son and show it forth in deeds and works of love. Amen. ******************************************************* The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission. The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002. The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The opening prayer and closing sentence are adapted from prayers by Alan Griffiths.. W R Huntington, although never a bishop, had more influence on the Episcopal Church than most bishops. He was born in Lowell, Massachusetts, in 1838, the son of a physician, studied at Harvard, and was ordained a priest in 1862. In each of the thirteen General Conventions (held every three years, in years that have a remainder of 2 when divided by 3) of the Episcopal Church that met between 1870 and his death, he was a member, and indeed the most prominent member, of the House of Deputies. In 1871 he moved for the restoration of the ancient Order of Deaconesses, which was finally officially authorized in 1889. His parish became a center for the training of deaconesses. Huntington's was the chief voice calling for a revision of the Book of Common Prayer (completed in 1892), and his the greatest single influence on the process of revision. The prayers he wrote for it is the first collect above In his book The Church Idea (1870), Huntington undertook to discuss the basis of Christian unity, and he formulated the Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral, a statement adopted first by the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church in 1886 and then, with slight modifications, by the Bishops of the world-wide Anglican Communion assembled at Lambeth in 1888. The statement set forth four principles which Anglicans regard as essential, and offer as a basis for discussion of union with other Christian bodies. [James Kiefer] From steve.benner at oremus.org Mon Jul 27 17:00:00 2009 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Mon, 27 Jul 2009 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 28 July 2009 Message-ID: <20090727170000.D01E9313C1D@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, July 28, 2009 Brooke Foss Westcott, Bishop of Durham, Teacher of the Faith, 1901 Lord, open our lips, and our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, O God, you are our greatest treasure and the source of our greatest joy: Your Spirit continues to form us in the likeness of Christ, that we may know the freedom of your children and the assurance that nothing in creation can separate us from your love, most fully known in Jesus Christ our Lord. For these and all your mercies, we praise you: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: Blessed be God for ever! An opening canticle may be sung. Psalm 77 I will cry aloud to God;* I will cry aloud and he will hear me. In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord;* my hands were stretched out by night and did not tire; I refused to be comforted. I think of God, I am restless,* I ponder and my spirit faints. You will not let my eyelids close;* I am troubled and I cannot speak. I consider the days of old;* I remember the years long past; I commune with my heart in the night;* I ponder and search my mind. Will the Lord cast me off for ever?* will he no more show his favour? Has his lovingkindness come to an end for ever?* has his promise failed for evermore? Has God forgotten to be gracious?* has he, in his anger, withheld his compassion? And I said, 'My grief is this:* the right hand of the Most High has lost its power.' I will remember the works of the Lord,* and call to mind your wonders of old time. I will meditate on all your acts* and ponder your mighty deeds. Your way, O God, is holy;* who is so great a god as our God? You are the God who works wonders* and have declared your power among the peoples. By your strength you have redeemed your people,* the children of Jacob and Joseph. The waters saw you, O God; the waters saw you and trembled;* the very depths were shaken. The clouds poured out water; the skies thundered;* your arrows flashed to and fro; The sound of your thunder was in the whirlwind; your lightnings lit up the world;* the earth trembled and shook. Your way was in the sea, and your paths in the great waters,* yet your footsteps were not seen. You led your people like a flock* by the hand of Moses and Aaron. A Song of God(s Chosen One (Isaiah 11.1,2,3b4a,6,9) There shall come forth a shoot from the stock of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear, But with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth. The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid. The calf, the lion and the fatling together, with a little child to lead them. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. Psalm 147:1-12 Alleluia! How good it is to sing praises to our God!* how pleasant it is to honour him with praise! The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem;* he gathers the exiles of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted* and binds up their wounds. He counts the number of the stars* and calls them all by their names. Great is our Lord and mighty in power;* there is no limit to his wisdom. The Lord lifts up the lowly,* but casts the wicked to the ground. Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;* make music to our God upon the harp. He covers the heavens with clouds* and prepares rain for the earth; He makes grass to grow upon the mountains* and green plants to serve us all. He provides food for flocks and herds* and for the young ravens when they cry. He is not impressed by the might of a horse,* he has no pleasure in human strength; But the Lord has pleasure in those who fear him,* in those who await his gracious favour. Alleluia! FIRST READING [1 Samuel 9:1-10]: There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish son of Abiel son of Zeror son of Becorath son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite, a man of wealth. He had a son whose name was Saul, a handsome young man. There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he; he stood head and shoulders above everyone else. Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul's father, had strayed. So Kish said to his son Saul, 'Take one of the boys with you; go and look for the donkeys.' He passed through the hill country of Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they did not find them. And they passed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then he passed through the land of Benjamin, but they did not find them. When they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to the boy who was with him, 'Let us turn back, or my father will stop worrying about the donkeys and worry about us.' But he said to him, 'There is a man of God in this town; he is a man held in honour. Whatever he says always comes true. Let us go there now; perhaps he will tell us about the journey on which we have set out.' Then Saul replied to the boy, 'But if we go, what can we bring the man? For the bread in our sacks is gone, and there is no present to bring to the man of God. What have we?' The boy answered Saul again, 'Here, I have with me a quarter-shekel of silver; I will give it to the man of God, to tell us our way.' (Formerly in Israel, anyone who went to inquire of God would say, 'Come, let us go to the seer'; for the one who is now called a prophet was formerly called a seer.) Saul said to the boy, 'Good; come, let us go.' So they went to the town where the man of God was. HYMN Words: John S B Monsell (1811-1875) Tune: Heinlein Sinful, sighing to be blest; Bound, and longing to be free; Weary, waiting for my rest; God be merciful to me. Goodness I have none to plead, Sinfulness in all I see, I can only bring my need; God be merciful to me. Broken heart and downcast eyes Dare not lift themselves to Thee; Yet Thou canst interpret sighs: God be merciful to me. >From this sinful heart of mine To Thy bosom I would flee: I am not my own, but Thine; God be merciful to me. There is One beside the throne, And my only hope and plea Are in Him, and Him alone: God be merciful to me. He my cause will undertake, My interpreter will be; He's my all; and for His sake God be merciful to me. SECOND READING [Luke 13:10-21]: Now Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, 'Woman, you are set free from your ailment.' When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God. But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, 'There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, and not on the sabbath day.' But the Lord answered him and said, 'You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the sabbath day?' When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing. He said therefore, 'What is the kingdom of God like? And to what should I compare it? It is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in the garden; it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.' And again he said, 'To what should I compare the kingdom of God? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.' The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: O God our Salvation, you are near to all who call: hear and answer our prayers. You are a refuge for the oppressed; be our stronghold in troubled times. You stand at the right hand of the needy; rescue all who are wrongfully condemned. You raise the poor from the dust; restore dignity to those who seek refuge. You give food to the hungry; uphold the cause of the destitute. You watch over those who wander and sustain the widow; provide protection in the face of danger. You heal the brokenhearted; bind up the wounds of all who suffer. You call us to be your Church, send us out to do your will in the world. You are a mighty God who loves justice; establish your equity for all people. Praise be to you, O Lord; you hear and answer our prayers. Majestic God, you led your people like a flock and delivered them by your mighty power in times of old: do not forget your people in their troubles and raise up your power to sustain the poor and helpless, for the honour of your Name. Amen. Sovereign God, we have come to your kingdom, surrounded by the multitude of angels and saints who work for us and work for you, our Lord. We remember especially your servant Brooke Foss Westcott, who taught us to overcome the barriers which hinder us and the differences which we dare not conceal, that we may enter into that deeper-lying bond of righteousness, peace and joy which unites us all in your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit one God, now and for ever. Amen. Gathering our prayers and praises into one, let us pray as our Savior has taught us. - The Lord's Prayer May we instructed by your heavenly law, O Lord, that we may embrace the example of your Son and show it forth in deeds and works of love. Amen. ******************************************************* The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission. The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002. The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The opening prayer and closing sentence are adapted from prayers by Alan Griffiths.. The second collect is by Stephen T. Benner. Born in 1825, Westcott was first ordained and then became a master at Harrow School. Whilst there, he published a series of scholarly works on the Bible, his expertise eventually leading to his election as Regius Professor of Divinity at the University of Cambridge in 1870. With Fenton Hort and J B Lightfoot, he led a revival in British biblical studies and theology. He became influential too in the field of Anglican social thought and was significant in the founding of the Clergy Training School in Cambridge (later renamed Westcott House in his memory). In 1890, he was consecrated Bishop of Durham, where he died on this day in 1901. [Exciting Holiness] From steve.benner at oremus.org Tue Jul 28 17:00:00 2009 From: steve.benner at oremus.org (Steve Benner) Date: Tue, 28 Jul 2009 17:00:00 +0000 (GMT) Subject: OREMUS: 29 July 2009 Message-ID: <20090728170000.BFD01313C1D@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, July 29, 2009 Mary, Martha and Lazarus, Companions of Our Lord Lord, open our lips, and our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Blessed are you, O God, you are our greatest treasure and the source of our greatest joy: Your Spirit continues to form us in the likeness of Christ, that we may know the freedom of your children and the assurance that nothing in creation can separate us from your love, most fully known in Jesus Christ our Lord. For these and all your mercies, we praise you: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: Blessed be God for ever! An opening canticle may be sung. Psalm 80 Hear, O Shepherd of Israel, leading Joseph like a flock;* shine forth, you that are enthroned upon the cherubim. In the presence of Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh,* stir up your strength and come to help us. Restore us, O God of hosts;* show the light of your countenance and we shall be saved. O Lord God of hosts,* how long will you be angered despite the prayers of your people? You have fed them with the bread of tears;* you have given them bowls of tears to drink. You have made us the derision of our neighbours,* and our enemies laugh us to scorn. Restore us, O God of hosts;* show the light of your countenance and we shall be saved. You have brought a vine out of Egypt;* you cast out the nations and planted it. You prepared the ground for it;* it took root and filled the land. The mountains were covered by its shadow* and the towering cedar trees by its boughs. You stretched out its tendrils to the Sea* and its branches to the River. Why have you broken down its wall,* so that all who pass by pluck off its grapes? The wild boar of the forest has ravaged it,* and the beasts of the field have grazed upon it. Turn now, O God of hosts, look down from heaven; behold and tend this vine;* preserve what your right hand has planted. They burn it with fire like rubbish;* at the rebuke of your countenance let them perish. Let your hand be upon the man of your right hand,* the son of man you have made so strong for yourself. And so will we never turn away from you;* give us life, that we may call upon your name. Restore us, O Lord God of hosts;* show the light of your countenance and we shall be saved. A Song of the Bride (Isaiah 61.10,11; 62.13) I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall exult in my God; Who has clothed me with the garments of salvation, and has covered me with the cloak of integrity, As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the earth puts forth her blossom, and as seeds in the garden spring up, So shall God make righteousness and praise blossom before all the nations. For Zion(s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem(s sake I will not rest, Until her deliverance shines out like the dawn, and her salvation as a burning torch. The nations shall see your deliverance, and all rulers shall see your glory; Then you shall be called by a new name which the mouth of God will give. You shall be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, a royal diadem in the hand of your God. Psalm 147:13-end Alleluia! Worship the Lord, O Jerusalem;* praise your God, O Zion; For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;* he has blessed your children within you. He has established peace on your borders;* he satisfies you with the finest wheat. He sends out his command to the earth,* and his word runs very swiftly. He gives snow like wool;* he scatters hoarfrost like ashes. He scatters his hail like bread crumbs;* who can stand against his cold? He sends forth his word and melts them;* he blows with his wind and the waters flow. He declares his word to Jacob,* his statutes and his judgements to Israel. He has not done so to any other nation;* to them he has not revealed his judgements. Alleluia! FIRST READING [1 Samuel 9:11-21]: As they went up the hill to the town, they met some girls coming out to draw water, and said to them, 'Is the seer here?' They answered, 'Yes, there he is just ahead of you. Hurry; he has come just now to the town, because the people have a sacrifice today at the shrine. As soon as you enter the town, you will find him, before he goes up to the shrine to eat. For the people will not eat until he comes, since he must bless the sacrifice; afterwards those eat who are invited. Now go up, for you will meet him immediately.' So they went up to the town. As they were entering the town, they saw Samuel coming out towards them on his way up to the shrine. Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed to Samuel: 'Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be ruler over my people Israel. He shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines; for I have seen the suffering of my people, because their outcry has come to me.' When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him, 'Here is the man of whom I spoke to you. He it is who shall rule over my people.' Then Saul approached Samuel inside the gate, and said, 'Tell me, please, where is the house of the seer?' Samuel answered Saul, 'I am the seer; go up before me to the shrine, for today you shall eat with me, and in the morning I will let you go and will tell you all that is on your mind. As for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, give no further thought to them, for they have been found. And on whom is all Israel's desire fixed, if not on you and on all your ancestral house?' Saul answered, 'I am only a Benjaminite, from the least of the tribes of Israel, and my family is the humblest of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin. Why then have you spoken to me in this way?' HYMN Words: Hardwicke Drummond Rawnsley (1850-1920) Tune: Song 18 http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/l/l350.html Hit "Back" in your browser to return to Oremus. Lord Jesus, who at Lazarus' tomb to weeping friends from death's dark womb didst bring new joy to life, grant to the friends who stand forlorn a vision of that larger morn where peace has conquered strife. May we behold across the bar the dear immortals as they are, empowered in act and will, with purer eyes to see their King, with fuller hearts his praise to sing, with strength to help us still. Not fettered now by fleshly bond, but tireless in the great beyond, and growing day by day. Can we not make their gladness ours, and share their thoughts, their added powers, and follow as we pray? O Holy Ghost, the strength and guide of those who to this earth have died, but live more near to God, give us thy grace to follow on, till we with them the crown have won who duty's paths have trod. SECOND READING [Luke 13:22-end]: Jesus went through one town and village after another, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, 'Lord, will only a few be saved?' He said to them, 'Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able. When once the owner of the house has got up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, "Lord, open to us", then in reply he will say to you, "I do not know where you come from." Then you will begin to say, "We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets." But he will say, "I do not know where you come from; go away from me, all you evildoers!" There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrown out. Then people will come from east and west, from north and south, and will eat in the kingdom of God. Indeed, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.' At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, 'Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.' He said to them, 'Go and tell that fox for me, "Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed away from Jerusalem." Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, "Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord." ' The Benedictus (Morning), the Magnificat (Evening), or Nunc dimittis (Night) may follow. Prayer: 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. Faithful Shepherd of your people, as we look for the light of your countenance restore in us the image of your glory and graft us into the risen life of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. God our Father, whose Son enjoyed the love of his friends Mary, Martha and Lazarus, in learning, argument and hospitality: may we so rejoice in your love that the world may come to know the depths of your wisdom, the wonder of your compassion, and your power to bring life out of death; through the merits of Jesus Christ, our friend and brother, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Gathering our prayers and praises into one, let us pray as our Savior has taught us. - The Lord's Prayer May we instructed by your heavenly law, O Lord, that we may embrace the example of your Son and show it forth in deeds and works of love. Amen. ******************************************************* The psalms are from _Celebrating Common Prayer_ (Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis 1992, which is used with permission. The canticle is from _Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary Edition_, copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2002. The biblical passage is from The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized Edition), copyright (c) 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The opening prayer and closing sentence are adapted from prayers by Alan Griffiths.. The second collect is from _Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England_, material from which is included in this service is copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council, 2000. Mary and Martha lived with their brother Lazarus at Bethany, a village not far from Jerusalem. They are mentioned in several episodes in the Gospels. On one occasion, when Jesus and His disciples were their guests (Luke 10:38-42), Mary sat at Jesus' feet and listened to Him while her sister Martha busied herself with preparing food and waiting on the guests, and when Martha complained, Jesus said that Mary had chosen the better part. When Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, had died, Jesus came to Bethany. Martha, upon being told that He was approaching, went out to meet Him, while Mary sat still in the house until He sent for her. It was to Martha that Jesus said: "I am the Resurrection and the Life." (John 11:1-44) Again, about a week before the crucifixion, as Jesus reclined at table, Mary poured a flask of expensive perfume over Jesus' feet. Mary was criticized for wasting what might have been sold to raise money for the poor, and again Jesus spoke on her behalf. (John 12:1-8) On the basis of these incidents, many Christian writers have seen Mary as representing Contemplation (prayer and devotion), and Martha as representing Action (good works, helping others); or love of God and love of neighbor respectively.