All Hallows Evening Prayer for Wednesday (July 22, 2020)



Evening Prayer


The Service of Light

Jesus Christ is the light of the world.
A light no darkness can extinguish.


Joyous light of glory of the immortal Father,
Heavenly, holy, blessed Jesus Christ,
We have come to the setting of the Sun
And we look to the evening light.
We sing to God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
You are worthy of being praised with pure voices forever.
O Son of God, O Giver of life,
The universe proclaims your glory,
your glory, your glory.

Thanksgiving

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.

We praise you, O Lord our God, Ruler of the universe!
Your word brings on the dusk of evening,
your wisdom creates both night and day.
You determine the cycles of time,
arrange the succession of the seasons,
and establish the stars in their heavenly courses.
Lord of the starry hosts is your name.
Living and eternal God,
rule over us always.
Blessed be the Lord,
whose word makes evening fall.
Amen.

Psalm 141 is sung and incense may be burned.


Like burning incense, O Lord,
let my rise to you.
Like burning incense, O Lord,
let my prayer rise to you.

1 I call out to you,
Come quickly to my aid.
My song cries out to you,
O listen to me now.
I raise my hands in off’ring to you.

Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)
Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)

2 Let me speak your truth;
watch over all I say.
Keep my thoughts on you;
let goodness rule my heart.
Keep me far from those who do harm.

Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)
Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)

3 Never let me dine
with those who seek to harm.
Keep your holy ones
always at my side.
Plant your wisdom deep in my soul.

Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)
Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)

4 I look to you for help;
I seek your loving eyes.
Guard my life for you;
Spare me from all wrong.
Keep all evil far from my heart.

Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)
Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)

5 Glory be to God
and to God’s only Son,
glory to the Spirit,
three in one,
now and for ever. Amen.

Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)
Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)

Silence is kept.

Let the incense of our repentant prayer ascend before you, O Lord, and let your loving kindness descend upon us, that with purified minds we may sing your praises with the Church on earth and the whole heavenly host, and may glorify you forever and ever. Amen.

The Psalms


O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!

When I behold your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars which you set in place -
What is man that you should be mindful of him,
or the son of man that you should care for him?

O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!

You have made him little less than the angels,
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him rule over the works of your hands,
putting all things under his feet:

O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!

All sheep and oxen,
yes, and the beasts of the field,
The birds of the air, the fishes of the sea,
and whatever swims the paths of the seas.

O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!

Silence is kept.

We bless you, master of the heavens,
for the wonderful order which enfolds this world;
grant that your whole creation
may find fulfilment in the Son of Man,
Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.

The Proclamation of the Word

The Reading

A reading from the Book of Amos.

The one who made the Pleiades and Orion,
 and turns deep darkness into the morning,
and darkens the day into night,
who calls for the waters of the sea,
 and pours them out on the surface of the earth,
the Lord is his name….

The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Homily

Star Gazing

This evening’s reading – a passage from the Book of Amos, is one of the passages of Scripture that comes to mind when I am looking at the night sky on a clear night out in the countryside where there is no light pollution. The stars are sharp points of light in the darkness of the night sky. They are the brightest on a winter night.

The Bible has numerous verses about heaven’s starry host. Here a few. Job --“… when the morning stars sang together and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy?” Psalm 19 --“The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.” Psalm 33--“By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all their host by the breath of his mouth.” Psalm 147--“He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names.” Ecclesiasticus, or Sirach--"The glory of the stars is the beauty of heaven, a glittering array in the heights of the Lord.” Baruch--“… the stars shone in their watches, and were glad; he called them, and they said, ‘Here we are!’ They shone with gladness for him who made them.” The Song of the Three Children – “Bless the Lord, stars of heaven; sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.”

If you are not familiar with the last three verses they come from what Anglicans and Lutherans call the Apocrypha and Roman Catholics, the Deuterocanonical Books of the Bible.  In the Anglican Church the seven books in the Apocrypha are typically read during the week but not on Sundays. The Anglican Church reads these books for examples of life and instruction in behavior. However, the Anglican Church does not use them to establish any doctrine. The Anglican Church also uses a number of songs taken from the Apocrypha in its worship. The most well-know is the Benedicite omnia opera, Domini, “O all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord,” which is taken from The Song of the Three Children and is one of the canticles of Morning Prayer.

When I gaze at the stars in the night sky, I am reminded of God’s promise to Abram in the Book of Genesis. “He brought him outside and said, ‘Look towards heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.’ Then he said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.’” Those who trust in the Lord are indeed the descendants of Abraham—those whose faith, like Abraham’s, is accounted to them as righteousness.

One Christmas Eve after I moved to Murray, Kentucky, I attended the Christmas Eve Service at Trinity Church in Fulton, Kentucky. Fulton is about a 50 odd minute drive from Murray. I took the old highway which is across country and has a few small communities and farms along the way. Returning from Fulton I had a breath-taking view of the midwinter night sky. Having just celebrated the birth of our Savior, I found myself pondering on the magnitude of what Jesus had done. He who had created the stars at which I was gazing had surrendered his glory to become one of us—to experience all the things that we experience, including the bitterness of death. He who was born a babe in Bethlehem would one day die on a cross on Calvary. The immensity of the night sky filled with brilliant stars was a reminder of the immensity of God’s love for us.

On a cloudless night after the sun has set and the stars have come out, go outside and look at the night sky. If there is too much light pollution where you live, drive out into the countryside where there are only the lights of an isolated farmhouse. Look upward at the heavens. As you gaze at the vastness of the heavens and the stars glittering in them, take a moment to reflect upon the vastness of God’s love, a love so great that God gave his only Son Jesus that all who believe in him might have eternal life.

Silence is kept.

The Gospel Canticle



My soul proclaims the Lord my God.
My spirit sings God’s praise,
Who looks on me, and lifts me up,
That gladness fills my days.

All nations now will share my joy;
For gifts God has outpoured.
This lowly one has been made great.
I magnify the Lord.

For those who fear the Holy One,
God’s mercy will not die.
Whose strong right arm puts down the proud,
And lifts the lowly high.

God fills the hungry with good things,
And sends the rich away;
The promise made to Abraham
Is filled to endless day.

Then let all nations praise our God,
The Father and the Son,
The Spirit blest, who lives in us,
While endless ages run.

Intercessions

Let us complete our evening prayer to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
For peace from on high and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
For the welfare of all churches and for the unity of the human family, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
For (name), our bishop, and (name), our pastor, and for all ministers of the Gospel, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
For our nation, its government, and for all who serve and protect us, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
For this city (town, university, monastery…). For every city and community, and for all those living in them, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
For the good earth which God has given us and for the wisdom and will to conserve it, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
For the safety of travelers, the recovery of the sick, the care of the destitute and the release of prisoners, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
For an angel of peace to guide and protect us, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
For a peaceful evening and a night free from sin, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
For a Christian end to our lives and for all who have fallen asleep in Christ, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
In the communion of the Holy Spirit (and of all the saints), let us commend ourselves and one another to the living God through Christ our Lord.
To you, O Lord.

Free Prayer

In silent or spontaneous prayer all bring before God the concerns of the day.

The Collect

Lighten our darkness,
Lord, we pray,
and in your great mercy
defend us from all perils and dangers of this night,
for the love of your only Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer is said

And now, as our Saviour has taught us,
we are bold to say,

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power, and the glory
for ever and ever.
Amen.

Dismissal


1 Many and great, O God, are thy things,
Maker of earth and sky.
Thy hands have set the heavens with stars;
thy fingers spread the mountains and plains.
Lo, at thy word the waters were formed.
Deep seas obey thy voice.

2 Grant unto us communion with thee,
thou star-abiding One.
Come unto us and dwell with us.
With thee are found the gifts of life.
Bless us with life that has no end,
eternal life with thee.

Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

The Lord bless us and keep us.
The Lord make his face to shine upon us
and be gracious to us.
The Lord lift up his countenance upon us
and give us peace. Amen

Comments