All Hallows Evening Prayer for Sunday Evening (February 14, 2021)
Evening Prayer
The Service of Light Jesus Christ is the light of the world.
A light no darkness can extinguish.
Open this link to hear Carl P. Schalk’s setting of the Phos Hilaron, “Joyous Light of Glory.”
Joyous light ,
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,
we sing to God,
we sing to God,
we sing to God
the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
You, you are worthy of being praised,
of being praised with pure voices forever.
O Son of God,
O Son of God,
O Son of God,
O Son of God
O Giver of life,
The universe proclaims your glory.
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 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 Thomas Keesecker’s arrangement of Carl P. Daw Jr.’s paraphrase of Psalm 84, “How Lovely Is Thy Dwelling Place” for SAB choir, organ, and optional assembly.
How lovely is thy dwelling-place,
O Lord of Hosts, to me!
How lovely is thy dwelling-place,
O Lord of Hosts, to me!
How lovely is thy dwelling-place,
O Lord of Hosts, to me!
My thirsty soul desires and longs
within thy courts to be;
my very heart and flesh cry out,
O living God, for thee.
How lovely is thy dwelling-place,
O Lord of Hosts, to me!
Beside thine altars, gracious Lord,
the swallows find a nest;
how happy they who dwell with thee
and praise thee without rest,
and happy they whose hearts are set
upon the pilgrim's quest.
How lovely is thy dwelling-place,
O Lord of Hosts, to me!
They who go through the desert vale
will find it filled with springs,
and they shall climb from height to height
till Zion's temple rings
with praise to thee, in glory throned,
Lord God, great King of kings.
How lovely is thy dwelling-place,
O Lord of Hosts, to me!
One day within thy courts excels
a thousand spent away;
how happy they who keep thy laws
nor from thy precepts stray,
for thou shalt surely bless all those
who live the words they pray.
How lovely is thy dwelling-place,
O Lord of Hosts, to me!
How lovely is thy dwelling-place,
How lovely is thy dwelling-place,
How lovely is thy dwelling-place,
How lovely is thy dwelling-place,
O Lord of Hosts! Amen!
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
Hebrews 13:10-16 Service Well-Pleasing to God
We have an altar from which those who officiate in the tabernacle have no right to eat. For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also suffered outside the city gate in order to sanctify the people by his own blood. Let us then go to him outside the camp and bear the abuse he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. Through him, then, let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
May your word live in us
and bear much fruit to your glory.
Silence is kept.
Homily
The Practice of God's Presence
In today’s reading the author of the Letter to the Hebrews mentions or alludes to four different kinds of sacrifices. The first is the offering of blood in the innermost sanctuary of the Temple that the high priest made on the Day of Atonement for the sins of the people of Israel. The second is Jesus’ offering of himself on the cross for the sins of the whole world. The third is the praise that those who confess Jesus’ name offer continually through Jesus to God. The fourth is doing good and sharing what we have.
In today’s homily I am going to talk about the third sacrifice—the sacrifice of praise.
How many of us continually offer praise to God through Jesus? I am not talking about going to church once a week and singing hymns and worship songs and reciting psalms and canticles. I am talking about offering God unceasing praise, praise with every breath we take. Can we have a show of hands? May be not.
“How can I praise God every moment of the day, every waking hour?” You may be thinking. “That’s impossible. My mind is on other things. Driving the car. Shopping for groceries. Stopping the kids from fighting.” “I work all day. I am on the phone to clients.” Each of us can think of a hundred different reasons that we cannot continually offer praise to God through Jesus.
While I think that making a continuous offering of praise to God may be challenging, I do not think that is entirely impossible. What the author of Hebrews is talking about is a spiritual discipline akin to that which the seventeenth century Carmelite monk, Laurence of the Resurrection, practiced and about which Father Joseph de Beaufort wrote in The Practice of the Presence of God. The object of this spiritual discipline is to keep focused on God no matter what we are doing.
Alexis Waid explains this spiritual discipline in an internet article, “How To Practice The Presence Of God: Insights From Brother Lawrence.” She writes:
“Brother Lawrence was a 17th century Carmelite monk in France. He was assigned to kitchen duty in the monastery, where he prepared and cooked the food for the day and cleaned afterwards.
With such a dull task, Brother Lawrence began to infuse His relationship with God into His menial tasks.
Instead of just doing the dishes or cooking the meal, he decided to have an ongoing conversation with God as he went about his chores.
Brother Lawrence believed God could be invited into everything he did and His presence could be enjoyed anytime.
Brother Lawrence’s objective: to keep a steady connection with God by means of communication throughout the whole day no matter what his day brought.,,,”
You can read Ms. Waid’s article at spirituallyhungry.com.
In our ongoing conversation with God as we go about a chore or task, we offer God praise at every opportunity. We praise God for who he is. We praise God for what he has done. There is much in our lives for which we can praise God. In keeping our focus on God, we also keep our focus on the things of God that call for praise, God’s existence, God’s attributes, God’s character, God’s works, mercies past and present God has shown us, and hoped-for mercies.
Like all spiritual disciplines, it will initially take some work as Ms Waid herself points out, However, it will transform the way that we relate to God and will make a difference in our spiritual lives. We will develop a greater appreciation of not only Jesus’ offering of himself for our sins but also the sacrifices that we make in doing good and sharing what we have. These sacrifices will become more meaningful to us. We will become better at living our lives to God’s glory.
Silence is kept.
The Gospel Canticle
Open this link in a new tab to hear Ann Krentz’s choral arrangement of “My Soul Proclaims Your Greatness.”
My soul proclaims your greatness, O Lord;
I sing my Savior’s praise!
Great wonders you have done for me,
and holy is your name.
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.
My soul proclaims your greatness, O Lord;
I sing my Savior’s praise!
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 lonely throned instead;
the hungry filled with all good things,
the rich sent off unfed.
My soul proclaims your greatness, O Lord;
I sing my Savior’s praise!
Great wonders you have done for me,
and holy is your name.
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.
My soul proclaims your greatness, O Lord;
I sing my Savior’s praise!
Great wonders you have done for me,
and holy is your name,
and holy is your name.
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
Be present, merciful God,
and protect us through the hours of this night:
that we, who are wearied by the changes
and chances of this fleeting world,
may rest on your eternal changelessness;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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 Dan Schutte’s arrangement of Folliet Sandford Pierpoint’s hymn, “For the Beauty”
For the beauty of the earth,
for the boundless skies,
for the love which from our birth
all around us lies,
for the blessings of thy bounty,
for thy gracious ways,
Lord of all to thee we sing
thankful hymns of praise.
For the beauty of each hour,
for the day and night,
hill and valley, tree and flower,
moon and stars of light,
for the blessings of thy bounty,
for thy gracious ways,
Lord of all to thee
we sing thankful hymns of praise.
For the joy of every love
given on our way,
friends on earth and friends above,
all who light our day,
for the blessings of thy bounty,
for thy gracious ways,
Lord of all to thee
we sing thankful hymns of praise.
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us praise 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
In today’s homily I am going to talk about the third sacrifice—the sacrifice of praise.
How many of us continually offer praise to God through Jesus? I am not talking about going to church once a week and singing hymns and worship songs and reciting psalms and canticles. I am talking about offering God unceasing praise, praise with every breath we take. Can we have a show of hands? May be not.
“How can I praise God every moment of the day, every waking hour?” You may be thinking. “That’s impossible. My mind is on other things. Driving the car. Shopping for groceries. Stopping the kids from fighting.” “I work all day. I am on the phone to clients.” Each of us can think of a hundred different reasons that we cannot continually offer praise to God through Jesus.
While I think that making a continuous offering of praise to God may be challenging, I do not think that is entirely impossible. What the author of Hebrews is talking about is a spiritual discipline akin to that which the seventeenth century Carmelite monk, Laurence of the Resurrection, practiced and about which Father Joseph de Beaufort wrote in The Practice of the Presence of God. The object of this spiritual discipline is to keep focused on God no matter what we are doing.
Alexis Waid explains this spiritual discipline in an internet article, “How To Practice The Presence Of God: Insights From Brother Lawrence.” She writes:
“Brother Lawrence was a 17th century Carmelite monk in France. He was assigned to kitchen duty in the monastery, where he prepared and cooked the food for the day and cleaned afterwards.
With such a dull task, Brother Lawrence began to infuse His relationship with God into His menial tasks.
Instead of just doing the dishes or cooking the meal, he decided to have an ongoing conversation with God as he went about his chores.
Brother Lawrence believed God could be invited into everything he did and His presence could be enjoyed anytime.
Brother Lawrence’s objective: to keep a steady connection with God by means of communication throughout the whole day no matter what his day brought.,,,”
You can read Ms. Waid’s article at spirituallyhungry.com.
In our ongoing conversation with God as we go about a chore or task, we offer God praise at every opportunity. We praise God for who he is. We praise God for what he has done. There is much in our lives for which we can praise God. In keeping our focus on God, we also keep our focus on the things of God that call for praise, God’s existence, God’s attributes, God’s character, God’s works, mercies past and present God has shown us, and hoped-for mercies.
Like all spiritual disciplines, it will initially take some work as Ms Waid herself points out, However, it will transform the way that we relate to God and will make a difference in our spiritual lives. We will develop a greater appreciation of not only Jesus’ offering of himself for our sins but also the sacrifices that we make in doing good and sharing what we have. These sacrifices will become more meaningful to us. We will become better at living our lives to God’s glory.
Silence is kept.
The Gospel Canticle
Open this link in a new tab to hear Ann Krentz’s choral arrangement of “My Soul Proclaims Your Greatness.”
My soul proclaims your greatness, O Lord;
I sing my Savior’s praise!
Great wonders you have done for me,
and holy is your name.
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.
My soul proclaims your greatness, O Lord;
I sing my Savior’s praise!
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 lonely throned instead;
the hungry filled with all good things,
the rich sent off unfed.
My soul proclaims your greatness, O Lord;
I sing my Savior’s praise!
Great wonders you have done for me,
and holy is your name.
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.
My soul proclaims your greatness, O Lord;
I sing my Savior’s praise!
Great wonders you have done for me,
and holy is your name,
and holy is your name.
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
Be present, merciful God,
and protect us through the hours of this night:
that we, who are wearied by the changes
and chances of this fleeting world,
may rest on your eternal changelessness;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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 Dan Schutte’s arrangement of Folliet Sandford Pierpoint’s hymn, “For the Beauty”
For the beauty of the earth,
for the boundless skies,
for the love which from our birth
all around us lies,
for the blessings of thy bounty,
for thy gracious ways,
Lord of all to thee we sing
thankful hymns of praise.
For the beauty of each hour,
for the day and night,
hill and valley, tree and flower,
moon and stars of light,
for the blessings of thy bounty,
for thy gracious ways,
Lord of all to thee
we sing thankful hymns of praise.
For the joy of every love
given on our way,
friends on earth and friends above,
all who light our day,
for the blessings of thy bounty,
for thy gracious ways,
Lord of all to thee
we sing thankful hymns of praise.
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us praise 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
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