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,
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?
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:
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.
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….
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.
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
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