All Hallows Evening Prayer for Saturday Evening (February 27, 2021)

 

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 David von Kampen’s choral arrangement of “Joyous Light of Glory.”

Joyous light of glory of the immortal Father:
Heavenly, holy, blessed Jesus Christ,
We have come to the setting of the Sun
And we look to the evening light.
We sing to God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
You are worthy of being praised
with pure voices forever.
O Son of God, O Giver of life,
The universe proclaims your glory,
your glory, your glory.

Thanksgiving

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

Blessed are you, O Lord our God,
the Shepherd of Israel,
their pillar of cloud by day,
their pillar of fire by night.
In these forty days you lead us
into the desert of repentance
that in this pilgrimage of prayer
we may learn to be your people once more.
In fasting and service you bring us back to your heart.
Open our eyes to your presence in the world
and free our hands to lead others
to the radiant splendour of your mercy.
Be with us in these journey days
for without you we are lost and will perish.
To you alone be dominion and glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.

Psalm 141 is sung and incense may be burned.

Open this link in a new tab to hear Randall De Bruyn’s arrangements of Psalm 141 from The Grail (England).

Like burning incense, O Lord, let my prayer rise up to you.
Like burning incense, O Lord, let my prayer rise up to you.

I have called to you, Lord, hasten to help me.
Hear my voice when I cry to you.
Let my prayer arise before you like incense.
the raising of my hands like the evening oblation.

Set, O Lord, a guard over my mouth,
keep watch, O Lord, at the door of my lips!
Do not turn my heart to things that are wrong,
to evil deeds with those who are sinners.

Never allow me to share in their feasting.
If the righteous strike or reprove me, it is a kindness;
but let the oil of the wicked n’er anoint my head.
Let my prayer be ever against their malice.

To you, Lord God, my eyes are turned;
in you I take refuge; spare my soul!
From the trap they have laid for me keep me safe;
Keep me from the snares of those who do evil.

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.

Like burning incense, O Lord, let my prayer rise up 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

Open this link in a new tab to hear Ken Canedo’s paraphrase of Psalm 91, “Be With Me, Lord.”

Refrain:
Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.
When I am in trouble, be with me, Lord.
Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.
When I am in trouble, be with me, Lord.

1 If you seek a shelter,
then come to the Lord, our God.
Say to the Lord,
“My refuge, I put my trust in you.”
Refrain

2 No evil shall snare you,
no harm come upon your home.
God sends to you his angels
to guard you on your way.
Refrain

*3 Your feet shall not stumble;
the angels will lift you high.
You shall defy the viper
and those who cause you harm.
Refrain

4 Because of your love,
because of your faithfulness,
God will indeed be with you
to save you from all fear,
to save from fear.

Final Refrain:
Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.
When I am in trouble, be with me, Lord.
Be with me, Lord!
Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.
When I am in trouble, be with me, Lord.
Be with me, Lord, be with me, Lord.
Be with me, Lord!

*This verse is omitted in the video.

Silence is kept.

Keep us, good Lord,
under the shadow of your mercy
and, as you have bound us to yourself in love,
leave us not who call upon your name,
but grant us your salvation,
made known in the cross of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

The Proclamation of the Word

The Reading

Colossians 1:3-14 Thanksgiving and Prayer

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Silence is kept.

Homily

In Tune with God’s Will

I must wonder how the members of the church at Colossae felt when they read Paul’s letter and learned that he all the time gave thanks to God for their faith in Jesus and the love that they had for all their fellow believers—those whom he calls saints, holy ones, called-out ones. I have never received a letter from anyone in which they told me that they thanked God for my faith in Jesus or my love for my fellow believers so I find it hard to imagine how they might have felt. Have any of you received that kind of affirmation?

Paul goes on to tell the Colossian believers that since he has heard of their faith and their love, he has been praying for them. He has been asking God to fill them with knowledge of his will, not ordinary knowledge but knowledge “in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,” extraordinary knowledge. Paul then explains why he has been asking God to fill them with this kind of knowledge—to enable them to live lives that are worthy of the Lord, lives that fully please God, lives which are fruitful in the good works that they yield, lives in which they increase in their knowledge of God, lives in which they are strengthened with all power not just to suffer patiently but also with joy, lives that embody their gratitude to God for enabling them “to share in the inheritance of the saints in light,” to have a part of that most valuable of possessions, one which God alone can bestow upon us.

We do not come by this inheritance naturally. It is not passed down to us from our parents. It is not in our genes. It is a gift from God. As Paul points to their attention, God has rescued us from the powers of darkness and placed us in the kingdom of his Son, Jesus. In Jesus’ kingdom we are saved from sin and wrongdoing. In his kingdom our sins are forgiven.

Wow!! Wouldn’t it be great to have someone praying for you like that every day?

Well, you do! Jesus intercedes for us in heaven where he is at the right hand of the Father. The Holy Spirit dwelling in us also intercede for us with sighs deeper than words. God is interceding with himself for us. That is how much God loves us. That is how much he cares for us. I personally find that very reassuring. In fact, I do not think the word, “reassuring,” does full justice to how that makes me feel. It is always nice to have someone put in a good word for us, to have someone stand up for us. For us that someone is God himself! Think about it!!

It is one of the many reasons why we call God “the God of all grace.” God not only shows us his favor and goodwill which we in no way deserve or merit but also his power works in us through the Holy Spirit to restore God’s image in us. We were created by God in his own image. We were created to be holy as God is holy. However, God’s image in us became marred by sin. We spoiled that image through disobedience and rebellion.

In the first book of his Perelandria science fiction trilogy, Out of the Silent Planet, the Christian author and apologist C.S. Lewis describes our condition as being “bent,” warped, distorted.

Imagine going to a house of mirrors, a room full of trick mirrors, at a county fair or amusement park. The first mirror is an ordinary mirror in which we see our normal reflection. But as we walk from mirror to mirror, our image becomes more and more distorted. This is what disobedience and rebellion does to God’s image in us. We no longer reflect the image of the God who made us.

Through his grace God restores his image in us. It is a process that begins with the surrendering of our lives to Jesus. We accept him not just as our Savior but also as our Lord. We recognize what is his rightful place in our lives and ask him to assume that place. God who has already been at work in us begins the work of renovating us to our proper state—the image of himself.

One of the ways that we open our hearts and lives to the power of God at work in us is prayer. We pray not only for ourselves but also for our fellow believers and for those who do not yet know Jesus. For our fellow believers we give thanks like Paul did for the Colossian believers and pray for them in the way Paul prayed for the members of the church at Colossae. For those who do not yet know Jesus, we pray that God will open their eyes and hearts to see Jesus for whom he really is and move them to turn to Jesus and away from a life lived in disharmony with God.

In the simple act of praying for others, interceding for them like Jesus and the Holy Spirit intercede for us, we express our love for others and become imitators of God. Through such acts, inspired and empowered by God, God’s image in us is restored.

If we know the believer for whom we are praying, we may wish to write them a note telling them that we are thanking God for them and praying for them. This itself can be a means of grace to them. God can use our words to invigorate, strengthen, and confirm their faith.

If someone whom we know but who does not know Jesus asks us for prayer for a concern or need, it is a good practice to pray for their concern or need at that very moment, right there on the spot, if circumstances permit. We can also write a note telling them that we are continuing to pray for their concern or need. We can inquire, when we see them again, whether the prayer was answered. In this way we can show our love for them. We can be an instrument of God’s grace to them. God can work in powerful ways through these simple acts of kindness.

The kind of knowledge with which God asked Paul to fill the members of the church at Colossae is the kind of knowledge that enables believers to live lives that not only are in tune with God’s will but also embody God’s grace. Only when our wills and God’s will are in harmony with each other do we experience life to its fullest. We may not have worldly possessions. We may not enjoy worldly success. But God’s image will be restored in us. We will shine as children of God.

Silence is kept.

The Gospel Canticle

Open this link in a new tab to hear Chaz Bower’s choral arrangement of “My Soul Proclaims Your Greatness, Lord.”

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 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 Steven C. Warner's "Tune My Heart According to Your Will."

Ostinato Refrain:
Tune my heart according to your will.
Oh, tune my heart according to your will.
O Lord! Tune my heart wholly according to your will.

1 Send your wisdom in my heart,
may she be with me and work in me!
For in God’s will, in God’s will is our peace.

2 Within my inmost being you invite my soul,
to let go of familiar, consent to be made new.
For in God’s will, in God’s will is our peace.

3 I am your word; may I respond to you.
May my life answer you; may I resonate with you.
For in God’s will, in God’s will is our peace.

4 For you alone, you occupy my life.
May your love act in me, in everything I do.
Come, transform me, Lord, wholly according to your will.

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us praise the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

May our Lord Jesus Christ, and God our Father,
comfort our hearts and establish them
In every good work and word. Amen