All Hallows Evening Prayer for Saturday Evening (November 7, 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.

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.

Open this link in a new tab to Gavin Bryars’ choral arrangement of Psalm 141, “Lord, I Cry Unto Thee.”

Lord, I cry unto thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee.

Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.

Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties.
Lord, I cry unto thee.

Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities.

When their judges are overthrown in stony places, they shall hear my words; for they are sweet.

Our bones are scattered at the grave's mouth, as when one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth.
Lord, I cry unto thee.

But mine eyes are unto thee, O God the Lord: in thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute.

Keep me from the snares which they have laid for me, and the gins of the workers of iniquity.

Let the wicked fall into their own nets, whilst that I withal escape.
Give heed to my voice, let my cry come unto thee.

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 Daniel Kallman’s choral arrangement of Jonathan Asprey’s paraphrase of Psalm 84, “How Lovely Is Thy Dwelling Place.”

How lovely is thy dwelling place,
O Lord of hosts, to me.
My soul is longing and fainting,
The courts of the Lord to see.
My heart and flesh, they are singing,
For joy to the living God.
How lovely is thy dwelling-place,
O Lord of hosts, to me.

Even the sparrow finds a home,
Where he can settle down.
And the swallow she can build a nest,
Where she may lay her young.
Within the court of the Lord of hosts,
My King, my Lord and my God.
And happy are those who are dwelling where
The song of praise is sung.

And I’d rather be a door-keeper
And only stay a day,
Than live the life of a sinner
And have to stay away.
For the Lord is shining as the sun,
And the Lord, he’s like a shield;
And no good thing does God withhold
From those who walk the way.

How lovely is thy dwelling place,
O Lord of hosts, to me.
My soul is longing and fainting,
The courts of the Lord to see.
My heart and flesh, they are singing,
For joy to the living God.
How lovely is thy dwelling-place,
O Lord of hosts, to me.

Silence is kept.

Lord God,
sustain us in this vale of tears
with the vision of your grace and glory,
that, strengthened by the bread of life,
we may come to your eternal dwelling place;
in the power of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

The Proclamation of the Word

The Reading

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”

The Gospel of Christ
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Silence is kept.

Homily

The Kingdom of God 

“Why such a short reading?” you may ask. This parable comes in the midst of several parables. I wanted to focus upon this parable in particular and so I decided to limit the reading to the one parable.

Yeast is used as a leavening agent in bread baking. It is a living organism which feeds on the sugars and starches in the dough. As it grows and multiplies, it releases carbon dioxide gas. The carbon dioxide gas forms pockets in the dough which cause the dough to rise or expand.

Depending upon the kind of bread the person making the bread will knead the dough, spreading the yeast in the dough.

The kingdom of God grows in much the same way as bread dough rises. Instead of single-celled yeast organisms, disciples of Jesus are its leavening agent—you and I. God’s grace works in us. We grow as disciples, influence the people around us, and make new disciples. We multiply like the yeast. In the process the kingdom of God expands, touching the lives of more people.

The rising dough is put in a bowl and the bowl is covered and put in a warm place. The warmth will enable the yeast to grow and multiply and further expand the dough.

Like yeast, disciples need the right kind of conditions in which they can grow and multiply. The conditions in the local church are as important as the conditions outside the church. If the conditions in the local church are not right, no new disciples will be produced even if the conditions outside the church are ideal.

Yeast will not grow and multiply if the dough does not contain sugar, honey, molasses, or corn syrup that will provide it with a needed starter. It will not grow and multiply if the dough is not put in a warm enough place. Without the right conditions disciples will not grow and multiply either.

Among those conditions are that the church is outward-looking. It is not stuck in the past or preoccupied with the preferences of existing members. It is genuinely open to newcomers. It does not just talk about being welcoming, it is welcoming in actuality.

Many churches see themselves as friendly when they are not really friendly at all. They are cliquish and give a cold shoulder to people who are not like church’s existing members. The pastor may preach what our Lord taught but the congregation does not put his teaching into practice. They do not act toward others in the way Jesus modeled for his disciples. Jesus mixed will all kinds of people from all walks of life. They keep a distance between themselves and people who are different from themselves.

We are tempted to give responsibility for evangelizing and discipling members of the larger community to the pastor. However, that responsibility belongs to all of us if we are going to be true disciples of our Lord and follow his teaching and example.

Just as it takes more than one single-celled yeast organism to raise a batch of dough, it takes more than one person to impact a community. It takes a whole congregation, acting in concert with each member of the congregation doing their part.

Each of us is a representative of our Lord. Each of us exercises influence with those around us and the larger community according to how well we represent our Lord. It also falls to us to engage members of the community in spiritual conversations—not forced conversations but natural ones; to invite them into a life-transforming relationship with our Lord; and to help them take their first steps as a follower of Jesus, a new member of God’s kingdom.

Like the woman of the parable mixed the yeast into the flour until it was leavened to her satisfaction, God mixes Jesus’ followers into the world’s peoples, spreading them as instruments of his grace, until the world’s peoples are leavened to his satisfaction. God also works directly in the world’s peoples to bring them into his kingdom as he is working in us to will and do his good pleasure.

Silence is kept.

The Gospel Canticle

Open this link in a new tab to hear Carl P. Daw Jr.’s metrical version of the Magnificat.

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

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 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

Open this link in a new tab to hear Kathy Lafferty’s spiritual song, “Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God.”

Seek ye first the Kingdom of God
And His righteousness
And all these things shall be added unto you
Allelu, Alleluia!

Ask and it shall be given unto you
Seek and ye shall find
Knock and it shall be opened unto you
Allelu, Alleluia!

Alleluia,
Alleluia,
Alleluia,
Alleluia!

Where two or three are gathered in my name
(Alleluia)
There am I in their midst,
(Alleluia)
And whatsoever ye ask, I will do
(Alleluia)
Allelu, Alleluia!

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