All Hallows Evening Prayer for Wednesday Evening (February 24, 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 Carl F. Schalk’s choral arrangement of Psalm 130, “Out of the Depths.”

Out of the depths I have called to you, O Lord,
Lord, hear my voice,
Lord, hear my voice,
Lord, hear my voice;
let your ears consider well the voice of my supplication.

If you, Lord, you, Lord, were to note
what is done amiss,
O Lord, who could stand?
For there is forgiveness with you,
therefore you shall be feared,
I wait for the Lord;
my soul wait for him;
in his word,
in his word is my hope.

My soul waits for the Lord,
more than watchmen for the morning,
more than watchmen for the morning.
O Israel, wait for the Lord,
wait for the Lord,
for with the Lord there is mercy,
with him there is plenteous redemption,
and he shall redeem Israel
from all their sins.

Silence is kept.

Father, we commend to your faithful love
those who are crying from the depths;
help them to watch and pray
through their time of darkness,
in sure hope of the dawn of your
forgiveness and redemption;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Proclamation of the Word

The Reading

Philippians 4: 4-9 Exhortations

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.

Silence is kept.

Homily

Let Everyone See Your Gentleness

Last week I read and bookmarked an online article about a mother who had discovered that the other boys at her son’s school were bullying him because he was kind and considerate toward the girls at his school. The boys who were bullying her son had picked up from somewhere that manliness, the qualities of being a male, included humiliating, degrading, and mistreating girls and women.

The attitude of these boys toward girls and women suggested that they had been viewing online porn videos in which men abuse and exploit girls and women, force them to engage in sexual acts against their will, and video them while engaging in the acts without their consent. Several credit card companies cut their ties with the popular porn website, Porn Hub, because the site was infested with these videos—along with “child rapes, revenge pornography, spycam videos of women showering, racist and misogynist content, and footage of women being asphyxiated in plastic bags.” Porn Hub has been described as the YouTube of online porn videos.

The boys who bullied the woman’s son may have been listening to a particular genre of rap music, which promotes a negative view of women and celebrates their humiliation; their physical, sexual, and psychological abuse, and even their torture and murder.

A number of celebrities have expressed misogynistic views on TV and the internet, views in which they displayed a strong contempt for women and a prejudice against them. These views may have also influenced the boys in question. Some Christian leaders have also expressed similar views. They have not only belittled women but also justified their treatment in ways that are contrary to Jesus’ own teaching and example. In a number of instances the sexual abuse victims of a church’s pastor or one of its staff members or volunteers have been blamed for their own abuse.

These attitudes have their antecedents in ancient times, in Greece, Rome, and other parts of the ancient Mediterranean world. The ancient Roman notions of manliness placed a strong emphasis not only on being strong and courageous but also domineering and forceful. Tenderness—gentleness and kindness—was not considered a manly quality. Paul’s urging, “Let your gentleness be known to everyone…” in today’s passage was countercultural in his time. It differs substantially from what were the values and norms of behavior of mainstream society of that time.

It is also countercultural in segments of today’s society. In these segments of today’s society men are encouraged to be strong and not to show tenderness. They are discouraged from showing soft feelings like sadness or hurt. They are given permission to display hard feelings like anger, disgust, and hatred. 

In the same segments of today’s society women are encouraged to show what is sometime described inaccurately as “silent strength,” passively enduring mistreatment at the hands of others and not doing anything about their mistreatment.

Paul is not only urging the Philippians to be loving and tender-hearted toward each other as he has encouraged believers elsewhere in his letters, but to put their gentleness on display for the whole world to see.

The implication for ourselves is that it is not enough to be gentle to others behind closed doors. We must be gentle to them in front of those who like the boy’s peers ridiculed him for his softness in their eyes toward girls. As a consequence, they saw him as someone who was weak and vulnerable and whom they might bully with impunity.

Witnessing to Jesus involves more than telling people about Jesus and what he has done in our life. It involves living our lives in accordance with his teaching and example, putting into practice what he taught and imitating how he acted. We may not win the approval of others or their praise. We may earn their hostility and their sneers. But we have heard our Lord’s call and answered it. We look to him now and not to the world. It is his words that matter most to us. They are the path that we walk, the path which, with him at our side as our companion, leads to him, our destination.

Silence is kept.

The Gospel Canticle

Open this link in a new tab to hear Catherine O’Connell’s rendition of the folk style Magnificat, “Holy Is Your Name.”

My soul is filled with joy
as I sing to God my savior:
you have looked upon your servant,
you have visited your people.

Refrain
And holy is your name
through all generations!
Everlasting is your mercy
to the people you have chosen,
and holy is your name.

I am lowly as a child,
but I know from this day forward
that my name will be remembered,
for all will call me blessed.
Refrain

I proclaim the pow'r of God,
you do marvels for your servants;
though you scatter the proud hearted
and destroy the might of princes.
Refrain

To the hungry you give food,
send the rich away empty.
In your mercy you are mindful
of the people you have chosen.
Refrain

In your love you now fulfill
what you promised to your people.
I will praise you, Lord, my savior,
everlasting is your mercy.
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 John L. Bell and Graham Maule’s hymn, “Will You Come and Follow Me (The Summons).”

Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don't know and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown? Will you let my name be known,
will you let my life be grown in you and you in me?

Will you leave yourself behind if I but call your name?
Will you care for cruel and kind and never be the same?
Will you risk the hostile stare should your life attract or scare?
Will you let me answer prayer in you and you in me?

Will you let the blinded see if I but call your name?
Will you set the prisoners free and never be the same?
Will you kiss the leper clean and do such as this unseen,
and admit to what I mean in you and you in me?

Will you love the "you" you hide if I but call your name?
Will you quell the fear inside and never be the same?
Will you use the faith you've found to reshape the world around,
through my sight and touch and sound in you and you in me?

Lord your summons echoes true when you but call my name.
Let me turn and follow you and never be the same.
In Your company I'll go where Your love and footsteps show.
Thus I'll move and live and grow in you and you in me.

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