All Hallows Evening Prayer for Sunday Evening (November 8, 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 John Ritter’s choral arrangement of Henry Baker’s Psalm 23, “The King of Love My Shepherd Is.”

The King of love my Shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am his
And he is mine for ever.

Where streams of living water flow
My ransomed soul he leadeth,
And where the verdant pastures grow
With food celestial feedeth.

Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,
But yet in love he sought me,
And on his shoulder gently laid,
And home, rejoicing, brought me.

In death's dark vale I fear no ill
With thee, dear Lord, beside me;
Thy rod and staff my comfort still,
Thy cross before to guide me.

Thou spread'st a table in my sight;
Thy unction, grace bestoweth:
And O what transport of delight
From thy pure chalice floweth!

And so through all the length of days
Thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing thy praise
Within thy house for ever.

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

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

Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” Jesus said to them, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” They replied, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.” And he said, “Bring them here to me.” Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

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

Silence is kept.

Homily

Grace Beyond Measure 

Having heard the news of his cousin John’s beheading, Jesus seeks to withdraw to a deserted place. In the gospels we read that Jesus on a number of occasions withdrew to such places in order to pray--to commune with his heavenly Father. He, however, is unable to escape the crowds. They follow him from the towns.

Matthew does not tell us in his gospel how far they traveled but he does hint that it is some distance. Jesus has gone by boat. They have followed him on foot.

When Jesus alights from the boat, he finds a great crowd awaiting him on the shore. What is his reaction to that crowd? It is one of compassion.

Even though his own life may be in danger, his first thought is for the well-being of those who have followed him by what I believe we can safely assume was the longer route. He enters the midst of the crowd and heals the sick. We can see him in our mind’s eye, moving through the crowd and touching those who need healing—healing of the body, healing of the heart, healing of the mind, healing of the soul.

We have heard Jesus say we should be merciful like God himself is merciful. Here we see Jesus embodying what he teaches, showing compassion to the suffering. When the hour grows late and the disciples would send the crowds away to go into the villages and to buy food for themselves, Jesus instructs the disciples to feed the crowds. Their reply is that they do not have sufficient food to feed such a large gathering. Jesus tells them to bring him what food they have. After giving thanks to God over what they bring him—five loaves and two fish, Jesus feeds the entire gathering—about five thousand men in addition to women and children.

If we think about it, that is a huge gathering. The men alone are roughly five times the average attendance of a high school basketball game. A good team will attract between one thousand to fifteen hundred attendees during the height of the basketball season. That is a lot of people.

Jesus himself has spent the better part of the day, moving in their midst and healing the sick. He must have been tired. He could have easily told his disciples, “Let them go.” But he chooses not to do so. Instead he feeds the gathering miraculously with five loaves and two fish.

Due to the miraculous nature of the feeding, it is very tempting to segue from the feeding of the five thousand to how, depending upon our tradition, we are miraculously fed in the Lord’s Supper. Let us for a moment resist that temptation. How else might we see this feeding?

Jesus’ feeding of that gathering is a tremendous act of compassion. John’s death must have been on Jesus’ mind. Jesus himself must have been exhausted. Jesus knew that the crowds had come a long way. They likely had not eaten since early in the day. Going into the villages and buying food might be too much for some. Others might not have money with which they could but food.

Jesus’ feeding of that gathering is a prelude to an even greater act of compassion—his suffering and death on the cross for the sins of humankind. However else our tradition may conceive the Lord’s Supper, it is clear from the Bible that Jesus in instituting the Lord’s Supper has that act of compassion in mind. It points to the mercy that God shows humankind in the person of Jesus. 

As strange as it may appear to some, the cross is God’s ultimate expression of his love and goodwill toward us. Through the cross God removes the barriers that separate humanity from himself and opens to us the way of salvation. It gives deeper meaning to Jesus’ words, “Be merciful as God is merciful.” God showed us that mercy in giving his only Son that all who believe him may have eternal life. We can show God’s mercy to our fellow human beings by sharing with the good news of what God has done for us through Jesus and by treating them with the compassion that God has shown toward us.

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 “Noting but the Blood of Jesus/Oh, the Blood of Jesus.”

What has washed away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
What has made me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

O precious is the flow
that makes me white as snow;
no other fount I know;
nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh, the blood of Jesus,
Oh, the blood of Jesus,
Oh, the blood of Jesus,
it washes white as snow.

There is forgiveness in the blood of Jesus,
There is forgiveness in the blood of Jesus,
There is forgiveness in the blood of Jesus,
it washes white as snow.

There is power in the blood of Jesus,
There is power in the blood of Jesus,
There is power in the blood of Jesus,
it washes white as snow.

There is healing in the blood of Jesus,
There is healing in the blood of Jesus,
There is healing in the blood of Jesus,
It washes white as snow.

Oh, the blood of Jesus,
Oh, the blood of Jesus,
Oh, the blood of Jesus,
it washes white as snow.
It washes white as snow.

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