All Hallows Evening Prayer for Wednesday Evening (September 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 William G. Storey’s translation of the Phos hilaron, “O Radiant Light, O Son Divine.”

O radiant Light, O Sun divine
of God the Father's deathless face,
O image of the light sublime
that fills the heav'nly dwelling place.

O Son of God, the source of life,
praise is your due by night and day.
Our happy lips must raise the strain
of your esteemed and splendid name.

Lord Jesus Christ, as daylight fades,
as shine the lights of eventide,
we praise the Father with the Son,
the Spirit blest, and with them one.

Thanksgiving

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

Blessed are you, Sovereign God,
our light and our salvation,
eternal creator of day and night,
to you be glory and praise for ever.
Now, as darkness is falling,
hear the prayer of your faithful people.
As we look for your coming in glory,
wash away our transgressions,
cleanse us by your refining fire
and make us temples of your Holy Spirit.
By the light of Christ,
dispel the darkness of our hearts
and make us ready to enter your kingdom,
where songs of praise for ever sound.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Blessed be God for ever. Amen.

Psalm 141 is sung and incense may be burned.

Open this link in a new tab to hear Peter Inwood’s setting of Psalm 141, “O Lord, Let My Prayer Rise Before You Like Incense.”

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

Open this link in a new tab to hear William Ferris’ responsorial setting of Psalm 8 –“O Lord, Our God, How Wonderful Your Name in All the Earth!”

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.

Reading

A reading from Paul’s Letter to the Philippians.

Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Do all things without murmuring and arguing, so that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine like stars in the world. It is by your holding fast to the word of life that I can boast on the day of Christ that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. But even if I am being poured out as a libation over the sacrifice and the offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you— and in the same way you also must be glad and rejoice with me.

Silence is kept.

The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God

Homily

Shining like Stars in the World 

A passage in Paul’s Letter to the Philippians to which I return over and over again is Philippians 2: 13, “for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” For me it is one of the most comforting passages in the New Testament, indeed in the whole Bible. I believe that it should be comforting for all of us. In it Paul reminds the Philippians and ourselves that God takes a personal interest in each of us. He did not wind up the universe like an old-fashioned grandfather clock, set it ticking, and then disappear, leaving it to tick away the hours by itself. God is intimately involved with his creation, with ourselves and our lives.

In this passage God’s involvement with ourselves is described in term of working in us. To work is “to perform or carry through a task requiring sustained effort or continuous repeated operations.” In God’s case the task is self-appointed. It to enable us to will and work for his good pleasure. In other words, God makes it possible for us not only to be well-disposed to doing what pleases God but also to be desirous of doing what is pleasing to him. God makes it possible for us to choose pleasing him over pleasing ourselves. This is not something that God does once in a while when he feels the urge. God really works at it.

How then does God work in us?

God primarily works in us in four different ways. One way God works in us through the Bible. God speaks to us through what Christians refer to as the Word. God meets us in the pages of the Bible. When we open our Bibles, God is waiting there for us.

Another way God works in us is through the Holy Spirit, through his own presence indwelling us. God is not off somewhere light years away. God dwells in our innermost being.

A third way God works in us is through our fellow Christians. Through them God encourages us, exhorts us, instructs us, and rebukes us.

A fourth way that God works in us is through the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Through these sacraments God invigorates, strengthens, and confirms our faith in him.

What then is God’s good pleasure? It is to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, to keep his word, and to have fellowship with God. To shine like stars in the world.

Silence is kept.

The Gospel Canticle

Open this link in a new tab to hear Lucien Deiss' setting of the Magnificat.

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,*
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;

for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.*
And from this day all generations will call me blessed:

the Almighty has done great things for me,*
holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him *
in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm, *
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, *
and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things, *
and sent the rich away empty handed.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel, *
for he remembered his promise of mercy,

The promise he made to our fathers, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

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 Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.

The Lord's Prayer

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

Open this link in a new tab to hear Kevin Sigfried’s choral arrangement of the Shaker song, “Who Will Bow and Bend Like a Willow.”

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.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us this night and forevermore. Amen.