All Hallows Evening Prayer for Saturday Evening (September 12, 2020)
Evening Prayer
The Service of Light
Jesus Christ is the light of the world.
A light no darkness can extinguish.
1 O gracious Light,
pure brightness of the
everliving Father in heaven.
O Jesus, Christ, holy and blessed!
pure brightness of the
everliving Father in heaven.
O Jesus, Christ, holy and blessed!
2 Now as we come to the setting of the
sun,
and our eyes behold the vesper light,
we sing thy praises, O God:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
and our eyes behold the vesper light,
we sing thy praises, O God:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
3 Thou art worthy at all times
to be praised by happy voices,
O Son of God, O Giver of life,
and to be glorified through all the worlds.
to be praised by happy voices,
O Son of God, O Giver of life,
and to be glorified through all the worlds.
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.
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 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.
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 God, you search me, and you know me
All my thoughts lie open to your gaze
When I walk or lie down, you are before me
Ever the maker and keeper of my days.
All my thoughts lie open to your gaze
When I walk or lie down, you are before me
Ever the maker and keeper of my days.
You know my resting and my rising
You discern my purpose from afar
And with love everlasting, you besiege me
In ev'ry moment of life or death, you are.
You discern my purpose from afar
And with love everlasting, you besiege me
In ev'ry moment of life or death, you are.
Before a word is on my tongue, Lord
You have known its meaning through and through
You are with me beyond my understanding
God of my present, my past and future, too.
You have known its meaning through and through
You are with me beyond my understanding
God of my present, my past and future, too.
Although your Spirit is upon me
Still I search for shelter from your light
There is nowhere on Earth I can escape you
Still I search for shelter from your light
There is nowhere on Earth I can escape you
Even the darkness is radiant in your
sight.
For you created me and shaped me
Gave me life within my mother’s womb
For the wonder of who I am, I praise
you.
Safe in your hands, all creation is
made new
Silence is kept.
Creator God,
may every breath we take be for your
glory,
may every footstep show you as our way,
that, trusting in your presence in this
world,
we may, beyond this life, still be with
you
where you are alive and reign
for ever and ever.
Amen.
The Proclamation
of the Word
The Reading
A reading from the first letter of
Peter.
All of you must clothe yourselves with humility in your
dealings with one another, for “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the
humble.”
Humble yourselves therefore under
the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all
your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. Discipline yourselves, keep
alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking
for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know
that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same
kinds of suffering. And after you have suffered for a little while, the
God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will
himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the
power forever and ever. Amen.
Silence is kept.
The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
The Homily
The Mind That
Was In Christ
“God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
Repeat those words to yourself. Let them sink in. “God opposes the proud, but
gives grace to the humble.”
What distinguishes the humble from everyone else? What
sets them apart?
The humble do not have an over-inflated opinion of
themselves. They recognize that we all fall short in many ways. We all “miss
the mark.”
At one time archery was a popular sport in England. The
men of the village would gather on the village green with their long bows and
would shoot arrows at straw targets. In the center of each target was “the
mark.” The best archers could hit the mark or come close to it. The poorer
archers, however, missed the mark. Their arrows fell short of the target or
overflew the target.
The humble take an honest view of themselves. They
acknowledge their weaknesses, limitations, and flaws. They do not pretend to be
what they are not.
The humble are modest and self-effacing. They do not
claim attention for themselves. They do not seek the spotlight or brag about
their accomplishments.
The humble recognize that in the scheme of life we are
not as important as we might like to think that we are. If they are praised,
they accept the praise graciously and authentically. They do not practice false
humility—fish for praise from others and then dismiss their praise, “Oh, it was
nothing.”
The humble have an attitude of gratitude toward God and
toward others. They recognize that we are dependent upon God’s grace, the power
of his loving presence in our lives, for the good that we do. We are able to
please God because God himself is busily working in us to will and do what
pleases God.
The humble appreciate the help that others have given
them, the difference that others have made in their lives. They will give those
who helped them credit where they deserve credit.
The humble hold positions, power, and titles lightly. They do not use a position or title to define
their self-worth. They hold these things loosely and use them to do good
whenever they can.
What is most important to the humble is their
relationship with God. It is in that relationship which they find fulfillment. Everything
else fades into insignificance.
The humble focus on serving others. They take to heart
our Lord’s words, “…let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and
the leader as one who serves. For who is the greater, one who
reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table?
But I am among you as the one who serves” (Luke 22: 26-27, NRSV).
For the humble our Lord himself exemplifies the humbleness
with which they desire to walk with God. “Let each of you look not to
your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be
in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not
regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a
slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled
himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross” (Philippians
2:4-8, NRSV).
Do we as a Christian have the same mind in us as was in
Christ Jesus? Do our lives reflect that mind, the mind of the one who died on a
cross for our sake?
Silence is kept.
The Gospel
Canticle
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.
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 lowly throned instead;
the hungry filled with all good things,
the rich sent off unfed.
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,
on God, by all adored.
Intercessions
Let us complete our evening prayer to
the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
For peace from on high and 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 Savior Jesus Christ.
Amen.
The
Lord’s Prayer is said
And now, as our Savior
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
Who will bow and bend like a willow,
who will turn and twist and reel,
in the gale of simple freedom,
from the bower of union flowing?
Refrain:
I will bow and be simple,
I will bow and be free,
I will bow and be humble,
yea, bow like the willow tree.
Who will bow, this is the token,
who will wear the easy yoke,
who will bow and be broken,
who will fall upon the rock? [Refrain]
Who will drink the wine of power,
dropping down like a shower,
pride and bondage all forgetting?
The Lord's wine is freely working. [Refrain]
Oh, ho! Who will have it,
who will bow and bend to get it?
We'll be reeling, turning, twisting,
shake out all the starch and
stiff'ning! [Refrain]
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
The God of all grace bless us now
and forever. Amen
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