Evening Prayer for Wednesday Evening (July 8, 2020)
Evening Prayer
The Service of Light
Jesus Christ is the light of the world.
A light no darkness can extinguish.
Christ, mighty Savior, Light of all creation,
you make the daytime radiant with the sunlight
and to the night give glittering adornment,
stars in the heavens.
you make the daytime radiant with the sunlight
and to the night give glittering adornment,
stars in the heavens.
Now comes the day’s end as the sun is setting,
mirror of daybreak, pledge of resurrection;
while in the heavens choirs of stars appearing
hallow the nightfall.
mirror of daybreak, pledge of resurrection;
while in the heavens choirs of stars appearing
hallow the nightfall.
Therefore we come now evening rites to offer,
joyfully chanting holy hymns to praise You,
with all creation joining hearts and voices
singing Your glory.
joyfully chanting holy hymns to praise You,
with all creation joining hearts and voices
singing Your glory.
Give heed, we pray You, to our supplication:
that you may grant us pardon for offenses,
strength for our weak hearts, rest for aching bodies,
soothing the weary.
that you may grant us pardon for offenses,
strength for our weak hearts, rest for aching bodies,
soothing the weary.
Though bodies slumber, hearts shall keep their
vigil,
forever resting in the peace of Jesus,
in light or darkness worshipping our Savior
now and forever.
forever resting in the peace of Jesus,
in light or darkness worshipping our Savior
now and forever.
Thanksgiving
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Blessed are you, O Lord our God, ruler of the universe! You
led your people Israel by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by
night. Enlighten our darkness by the light of your Christ. May his word be a
lamp to our feet and a light to our path; for you are full of loving kindness
for your whole creation, and we, your creatures, glorify you, Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.
Psalm 141 is sung and incense may be burned.
O
Lord, let my prayer rise before you like incense,
my
hands like an evening offering.
1.
Lord, I am calling:
hasten
to help me.
Listen
to me as I cry to you.
Let
my prayer rise before you like incense,
my
hands like an evening offering.
O
Lord, let my prayer rise before you like incense,
my
hands like an evening offering.
2.
Lord, set a guard at my mouth,
keep
watch at the gate of my lips.
Let
my heart not turn to things that are wrong,
to
sharing the evil deeds done by the sinful.
No,
I will never taste their delights.
O
Lord, let my prayer rise before you like incense,
my
hands like an evening offering.
3.
The good may reprove me,
in
kindness chastise me,
but
the wicked shall never anoint my head.
Ev’ry
day I counter their malice with prayer.
O
Lord, let my prayer rise before you like incense,
my
hands like an evening offering.
4
To you, Lord, my God, my eyes are turned:
in
you I take refuge;
do
not forsake me.
Keep
me safe from the traps they have set for me,
from
the snares of those who do evil.
O
Lord, let my prayer rise before you like incense,
my
hands like an evening offering.
5
Praise to the Father, praise to the Son,
all
praise to the life-giving Spirit.
As
it was, is now and shall always be
for ages unending. Amen.
O
Lord, let my prayer rise before you as incense,
my hands like an evening offering.
Silence is kept.
God our protector and guide, incline our hearts to turn from evil and do good, that our lives
may be a prayer for the coming of your kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Psalms
My Shepherd, you supply my need,
most holy is your name;
in pastures fresh you make me feed,
beside the living stream.
You bring my wand'ring spirit back.
when I forsake your ways;
you lead me, for your mercy's sake,
in paths of truth and grace.
most holy is your name;
in pastures fresh you make me feed,
beside the living stream.
You bring my wand'ring spirit back.
when I forsake your ways;
you lead me, for your mercy's sake,
in paths of truth and grace.
When I walk through the shades of death,
your presence is my stay;
one word of your supporting breath
drives all my fears away.
Your hand in sight of all my foes,
does still my table spread;
my cup with blessings overflows,
your oil anoints my head.
your presence is my stay;
one word of your supporting breath
drives all my fears away.
Your hand in sight of all my foes,
does still my table spread;
my cup with blessings overflows,
your oil anoints my head.
Your sure provisions gracious God
attend me all my days;
oh, may your house be my abode,
and all my work be praise.
Here would I find a settled rest,
while others go and come;
no more a stranger, nor a guest,
but like a child at home.
attend me all my days;
oh, may your house be my abode,
and all my work be praise.
Here would I find a settled rest,
while others go and come;
no more a stranger, nor a guest,
but like a child at home.
Silence is kept.
O
God, our Sovereign and Shepherd,
who
brought again your Son Jesus Christ
from
the valley of death,
comfort
us with your protecting presence
and
your angels of goodness and love,
that
we also may come home
and
dwell with him in your house for ever. Amen
The Proclamation of the Word
The Reading
A
reading from Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians.
For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light—for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true.Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,
‘Sleeper, awake!
Rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.’
Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit,as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The
Word of the Lord.
Thanks
be to God.
Homily
Live as Children of the Light
“…singing and making melody to
the Lord in your hearts….” Unlike
ourselves God exists outside of time and space. The past, the present, and the
future are one to him. When God inspired the apostle Paul to write these words,
he knew that we as his Church would be facing times when we could only voice
his praises in our innermost being. We would not be able to sing them aloud due
to persecution or in a time of a pandemic due to the risk of infecting those
around us with a dangerous airborne virus. God in his grace has gifted us with
an abundance of beautiful “hymns, psalms, and spiritual songs” which we can
learn and sing in our homes, share with our fellow Christians over the internet
or the telephone, or sing in our hearts. While we may not be able to gather to
sing his praise or to praise him in song when we gather, we can still give
voice to his praise, the voice of the heart. It is the praise of our hearts
that God desire more than he does the praise of lips. For those who worship him
from the heart worship him in spirit and in truth. The praise of the heart is
embodied in a life of obedience to God, a life that bears the fruit of the light
and always seeks after that which is pleasing to God.
Silence is kept.
The Gospel Canticle
My
soul proclaims your greatness, O Lord;
I
sing my Savior’s praise!
Great
wonders you have done for me,
and
holy is your name.
My
soul proclaims your greatness, Lord;
I
sing my Savior’s praise!
You
looked upon my lowliness,
and
I am full of grace.
Now
ev’ry land and ev’ry age
this
blessing shall proclaim—
great
wonders you have done for me,
and
holy is your name.
My
soul proclaims your greatness, O Lord;
I
sing my Savior’s praise!
Great
wonders you have done for me,
and
holy is your name.
To
all who live in holy fear
Your
mercy ever flows.
With
mighty arm you dash the proud,
Their
scheming hearts expose.
The
ruthless you have cast aside,
the
lonely throned instead;
the
hungry filled with all good things,
the
rich sent off unfed.
My
soul proclaims your greatness, O Lord;
I
sing my Savior’s praise!
Great
wonders you have done for me,
and
holy is your name.
To
Israel, your servant blest,
your
help is ever sure;
the
promise to our parents made
their
children will secure.
Sing
glory to the Holy One,
give
honor to the Word,
and
praise the Pow’r of the Most High,
one
God, by all adored.
My
soul proclaims your greatness, O Lord;
I
sing my Savior’s praise!
Great
wonders you have done for me,
and
holy is your name,
and
holy is your name.
Intercessions
That this evening may be holy, good and
peaceful:
we
entreat you, O Lord.
That your holy angels may lead us in the
paths of peace and goodwill:
we
entreat you, O Lord.
That we may be pardoned and forgiven for our
sins and offences:
we
entreat you, O Lord.
That there may be peace in your Church and
for the whole world:
we
entreat you, O Lord.
That we may be bound together by your Holy
Spirit,
in communion with the ever-blessed Virgin Mary
and with all your saints,
entrusting one another and all our life to
Christ:
we entreat you, O Lord.
Let us commend ourselves, and all for whom we
pray,
to the mercy and protection of God.
Open prayer may be
offered and silence is kept.
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
In the morning when I
rise,
In the morning when I rise,
In the morning when I rise,
Give me Jesus.
In the morning when I rise,
In the morning when I rise,
Give me Jesus.
Give me Jesus,
Give me Jesus,
You can have all this world,
But give me Jesus.
Give me Jesus,
You can have all this world,
But give me Jesus.
And when I am alone,
Oh, when I am alone,
And when I am alone,
Give me Jesus.
Give me Jesus,
Give me Jesus,
You can have all this world,
But give me Jesus.
Give me Jesus,
You can have all this world,
But give me Jesus.
Jesus, my Jesus,
Jesus.
And when I come to die,
And when I come to die,
And when I come to die,
Give me Jesus.
Give me Jesus,
Give me Jesus.
You can have all this world,
You can have all this world,
You can have all this
world
You can have all this
world,
But give me Jesus,
But give me Jesus,
Jesus.
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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