All Hallows Evening Prayer for Sunday Evening (August 30, 2020)
Evening Prayer
The Service of Light
Jesus Christ is the light of the world.
A light no darkness can extinguish.
Open this link
in a new tab to hear Carl P. Daw Jr.’s metrical version of the Phos
hilaron, “O Light Whose Splendor Thrills and Gladdens.”
O Light whose splendor thrills and
gladdens
with radiance brighter than the sun,
pure gleam of God's unending glory,
O Jesus, blest Anointed One;
as twilight hovers near at sunset,
and lamps are lit, and children nod,
in evening hymns we lift our voices
to Father, Spirit, Son: one God.
In all life's brilliant, timeless
moments,
let faithful voices sing your praise,
O Son of God, our Life-bestower,
whose glory lightens endless days.
Thanksgiving
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and
praise.
God our Father, we give you thanks
for all your gifts freely bestowed upon
us;
for the beauty and wonder of your
creation,
in earth and sky and sea; for all that
is gracious
in the lives of men and women,
revealing the light of Christ;
for minds to muse and hearts to love
and hands to serve;
for health and strength to work,
for leisure to rest and play;
for communion with your saints,
in all times and places,
and above all for the great promises
and mercies
given to us in Christ Jesus our Lord.
To him be praise and glory,
with you and the Holy Spirit, now and
forever. Amen.
Psalm 141 is sung and incense may be
burned.
Like burning incense, O Lord,
let my prayer 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
I lift my eyes unto the hills,
the hills from where my help is come.
My help, it cometh from the Lord
Who made heaven,
heaven and earth.
I lift my eyes unto the hills,
the hills from where my help is come.
My help, it cometh from the Lord
Who made heaven,
heaven and earth.
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved,
Neither will He sleep.
The Lord is thy keeper,
The Lord is thy shade.
The sun shall not smite thee by day;
the moon shall not smite thee by night.
The Lord shall protect thee from ev’ry evil.
He shall preserve thy soul,
The Lord shall protect thee from ev’ry evil.
He shall preserve thy soul
for-ever, for-ever,
for-ever, for-ever,
for-ever
He will preserve thy soul.
I lift my eyes unto the hills,
the hills from where my help is come.
My help, it cometh from the Lord
My help, it cometh from the Lord
My help, it cometh from the Lord
Who made heaven,
heaven and earth.
Amen, Amen.
Silence is kept.
Lord, ever watchful and faithful,
we look to you to be our defense
and we lift our hearts to know your help;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The Proclamation of the Word
The Reading
A reading from the letter of James.
You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to
listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce
God’s righteousness. Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth
of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power
to save your souls.
But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive
themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are
like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at
themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. But
those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being
not hearers who forget but doers who act—they will be blessed in their doing.
If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but
deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. Religion that is pure
and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows
in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Silence is kept.
The Homily
Gardening the Soul
The passages of today’s reading from the letter of James are quite
pithy. They are full of substance and meaning. There is a lot to digest.
After warning those reading his letter (or hearing the letter read) against
anger, James urges them to rid themselves of “all sordidness and rank growth of
wickedness” and to receive in a humble manner what has been implanted by their
teachers’ instruction. There is an unspoken implication that this teaching does
not come just from a human source. It comes from God. James goes on to point
out that this teaching will save their souls.
The phrase “rank growth of wickedness” conjures up the image of a neglected
kitchen garden overgrown with noxious weeds. Before the garden can be planted
with herbs and other useful plants, the weeds must be rooted up, thrown on the
rubbish heap, and burned. If they are not pulled up, root and all, they will
spring up again and choked whatever is planted in the garden. Wickedness in our
lives must be treated in the same way.
What James writes next takes the form of a caveat. He warns his readers
that they must act on the instruction that they receive. He goes on to
illustrate and explain why. He compares those who receive instruction but do
not act on it with someone who looks at his face in a mirror, the face with
which he was born, and then forgets the reflection of his own face soon as he
turns away from the mirror. The instruction that they received will not benefit
them.
On the other hand, those who act on the instruction that they received
and persevere in acting upon it, they will be blessed as a consequence.
James follows this warning with a warning to his readers against not restraining
what they say and deceiving themselves—two things that many people who identify
themselves as Christians do with all too great a frequency in the last few
years. He does not mince words but gets straight to the point: their religion
is worthless. James gives two characteristics by which “religion that is pure
and undefiled before God, the Father” may be discerned—compassion toward
others, particularly those less fortunate than ourselves, and the pursuit of
holiness.
What I get from today’s reading is that we can read and study our
Bibles, and listen to lectures and sermons, which teach Biblical truths and
principles, but these activities are pointless if we do not act on what we
learn. Indeed, we may be in worse shape than if we had never learned these
truths and principles. If we ignore these truths and principles, deceive
ourselves and indulge our worst instincts, spreading untruths and saying unkind
things, our religion indeed has no worth. It has no influence upon our lives. While
we may call ourselves Christians; go to church; sing “hymns, psalms, and spiritual
songs,” listen to sermons, offer prayers, and receive the sacrament of Holy
Communion, we are not living as disciples of Jesus Christ.
The image of the neglected kitchen garden rank with weeds again comes to
mind. If we are truly to walk the path of Christian discipleship, we cannot
turn a blind eye to the garden luxuriant with weeds. We must root up the weeds
and destroy them. Nor can we be content with an empty, weed-free garden. We
must fill the garden with wholesome plants and where the weeds threaten to
return, we must root them up. If we do not fill the garden with wholesome
plants, the weeds will not only return, they will worse than they were before. When
we act upon the truths and principles of the Bible, upon Jesus’ commandments,
and upon the apostles’ teaching, we are filling the garden with wholesome
plants as well as rooting up the weeds and destroying them.
Take a look at your life this week as a garden. It may be a kitchen garden
or a flower garden. It may even be water garden. What is growing there? Is it
weeds? Or wholesome plants? What steps is the Holy Spirit nudging you to take?
What Biblical truths and principles do you need to act on? What will be your
first step? And the next? Then pray for grace to take those steps and to become
a doer of the word.
Silence is kept.
The Gospel Canticle
Refrain:
My soul proclaims with wonder
the greatness of the Lord;
rejoicing in God's goodness,
my spirit is restored.
For God has looked with favor,
on one the world thought frail;
and blessings through the ages will
echo
the angel's first "All
hail." [Refrain]
God's mercy shields the faithful
and gives them safe retreat
to arms that turns to scatter
the proud in their conceit. [Refrain]
The mighty have been vanquished;
the lowly lifted up.
The hungry find abundance;
the rich, an empty cup. [Refrain]
To Abraham's descendants
the Lord will steadfast prove,
for God has made with Israel
a covenant of love. [Refrain]
Intercessions
In peace let us pray to the Lord,
Lord, have mercy.
For God’s holy Church, that it may be
filled with truth and love,
and be found without fault at the day
of his coming, let us pray
to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For the ministers of. the Church
(especially …………), that they
may be faithful to the Gospel and
worthy servants of the people
of God, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For all who fear God and believe in the
Lord Jesus, that our
divisions may cease, and that all may
be one, as he wills, let us
pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For the mission of the Church, that in
faithful witness it may preach
the Gospel to the ends of the earth,
let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For those who do not yet believe, and
for those who have lost
their faith, that they may receive the
light of the Gospel, let us
pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For the peace of the world, that
respect and understanding may
grow among nations and peoples, let us
pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For those in positions of public trust
(especially ………...), that
they may serve justice and truth, and
promote the dignity and
freedom of every person, let us pray to
the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For our families and all those who are
dear to us; for the aged and
for the young that they may have a
future to hope in, let us pray
to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For the poor, the persecuted, the sick,
and all who suffer; for
refugees, prisoners, and all who are in
danger, that they may be
relieved and protected, let us pray to
the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For our enemies, and those who wish us
harm; and for all whom
we have injured or offended, let us
pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
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
Christ hath a garden walled around,
A Paradise of fruitful ground,
Chosen by love and fenced by grace
From out the world's wide wilderness.
Like trees of spice his servants stand,
There planted by his mighty hand;
By Eden's gracious streams, that flow
To feed their beauty where they grow.
Awake, O wind of heav'n and bear
Their sweetest perfume through the air:
Stir up, O south, the boughs that bloom,
Till the beloved Master come:
That he may come, and linger yet
Among the trees that he hath set;
That he may evermore be seen
To walk amid the springing green.
A Paradise of fruitful ground,
Chosen by love and fenced by grace
From out the world's wide wilderness.
Like trees of spice his servants stand,
There planted by his mighty hand;
By Eden's gracious streams, that flow
To feed their beauty where they grow.
Awake, O wind of heav'n and bear
Their sweetest perfume through the air:
Stir up, O south, the boughs that bloom,
Till the beloved Master come:
That he may come, and linger yet
Among the trees that he hath set;
That he may evermore be seen
To walk amid the springing green.
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
The God of all grace bless us now
and forever. Amen.
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