All Hallows Evening Prayer for Saturday Evening (May 8, 2021)
Evening Prayer
The Service of LightJesus 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 Redeemer God,
You destroyed the bonds of death
and from the darkness of the tomb
drew forth the light of the world.
Led through the waters of death.
we become the children of light
singing our Alleluia
and dancing to the music of new life.
Pour out your Spirit upon us
that dreams and visions bring us
ever closer to the kingdom
of Jesus Christ our Risen Savior.
Through him and in the Holy Spirit
all glory be to you, Almighty Father,
this night and for ever and ever.
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 Bernadette Farrell’s paraphrase of Psalm 139, “O God, You Search Me, and You Know Me.”
1 O God, you search me, and you know me
All my thoughts lie open to your gaze
When I walk or lie down, you are before me
Ever the maker and keeper of my days.
2 You know my resting and my rising
You discern my purpose from afar
And with love everlasting, you besiege me
In ev'ry moment of life or death, you are.
3 Before a word is on my tongue, Lord
You have known its meaning through and through
You are with me beyond my understanding
God of my present, my past and future, too.
4 Although your Spirit is upon me
Still I search for shelter from your light
There is nowhere on Earth I can escape you
Even the darkness is radiant in your sight.
5 For you created me and shaped me
Gave me life within my mother’s womb
For the wonder of who I am, I praise you.
Safe in your hands, all creation is made new.
Silence is kept.
Creator God,
may every breath we take be for your glory,
may every footstep show you as our way,
that, trusting in your presence in this world,
we may, beyond this life, still be with you
where you are alive and reign
for ever and ever.
Amen.
Open this link to hear John Rutter;s arrangement of “Be Thou My Vision” for SATB Choir and Harp
1 Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart,
Be all else but naught to me, save that thou art,
Be thou my best thought in the day and the night,
Both waking and sleeping, thy presence my light.
2 Be thou my wisdom, be thou my true word
Be thou ever with me, and I with thee, Lord,
Be thou my great Father, and I thy true son,
Be thou in me dwelling, and I with thee one.
3 Be thou my breastplate, my sword for the fight,
be thou my whole armor, be thou my true might,
Be thou my soul’s shelter, be thou my strong tower,
O raise thou me heavenward, great Power of my power.
4 Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Be thou my inheritance now and always,
Be thou and thou only the first in my heart,
O Sovereign of heaven, my treasure thou art.
5 High King of heaven, thou heaven's bright Sun,
O grant me its joys after vict'ry is won,
Great Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
still be thou my vision, O Ruler of all.
The Proclamation of the Word
The Reading
Romans 12: 9-21 The Marks of a True Christian
Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” No, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Silence is kept
May your word live in us
and bear much fruit to your glory.
The Homily
The Good Way
One of my favorite timekeepers is the sundial. With the passage of the sun across the sky it marks the passage of time during the day. While it may not be the most accurate of timekeepers, it tells how many hours of the day have passed and how many remain.
On a sunless day, on a rainy day, or at night a sundial does not work. It needs the sun to measure the passage of time. Its gnomon needs the sun to cast a shadow on the dial. In garden sundials the gnomon is often a elaborate metal casting such as long-necked bird about to take flight. The style of the gnomon is its time-telling edge. The gnomon casts a wide shadow. The shadow of the style indicates the time. Its shadow aligns with the different Arabic or Roman numerals marked on the dial to show the time of day. As the sun moves across the sky, the shadow of the style moves across the face of the dial.
A sundial may sometimes have the Latin words, “Horas non numero nisi serenas,” carved in its base, “I only count the bright, or sunny, hours. “
The sundial is a very ancient form of timekeeper. A sundial is mentioned in the Old Testament. In medieval times they were used to mark the liturgical hours, the times of day when the medieval monks gathered in their chapel to chant the psalms and to offer prayer. Today sundials are mostly used as garden ornaments. They belong to a time when people lived at a less hurried pace, when they arose with the sun and went to bed not long after the sun set.
Now we have digital watches and cell phones to keep time for us. We no longer must wind our pocket watch or the mantel clock or the grandfather clock in the hallway at the same time each day. We no longer have the pleasuring of hearing the grandfather clock’s reassuring tick tock or its chiming of each hour. We no longer undergo the rite of passage when we finally reached the age when we were deemed old enough to wind the grandfather clock, closely supervised by one of our elders.
All these timekeepers have one thing in common. They mark the passage of time. With the passage of time, they also mark that we are growing older. We are moving closer to the hour that we will depart this life.
Young people may think to themselves, “How does that concern me. I am young. I am strong. I am healthy. I have years ahead of me.” Life, however, is unpredictable. A sudden gust of wind and a heavy tree branch falls upon our head. It has happened to students at my university while they were walking across campus.
I was reading a day or two ago about four high school students on their way to their senior prom. The car in which they were going to the prom was involved in a terrible collision. The two young people in the front seats were killed. The young couple in the back seat survived. Two lived and two died.
Psalm 90, acknowledging the frailty and shortness of our lives, pleads with God, “teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart.” It also pleads with God to show us favor during our time on this earth.
What has this then got to do with today’s reading? In this passage from his letter to the Romans, Paul is offering the Christians at Rome advice and guidance on how to live the Christian life. In Paul’s day the church of Rome was much smaller than it has become in our time. Word had gotten to Paul that it needed instruction not only in what its members should believe but also how they should act. In this passage Paul echoes the words of the Psalmist in Psalm 34:
Come, O children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
Which of you desires life,
and covets many days to enjoy good?
Keep your tongue from evil,
and your lips from speaking deceit.
Depart from evil, and do good;
seek peace, and pursue it.
(Psalm 34: 11-14, NRSV)
Paul is also echoing our Lord, what he said when he taught the crowds in the sermon on the mountain:
“But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you.
“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. (Luke 6: 27-36 NRSV)
This passage from Luke’s account of the sermon on the mountain is the other passage of the New Testament in which the Golden Rule is mentioned.
Our Lord’s words and Paul’s words are a fulfillment of Isaiah 48:17. This verse is not only a declaration of who God is, but it also is a promise of what he will do.
Thus says the Lord,
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
I am the Lord your God,
who teaches you for your own good,
who leads you in the way you should go.
God teaches us the “good way” to walk in—through the Prophets; through his Son, Jesus; and through the apostles. It is the way in which we cannot walk apart from Jesus. It is the way of mercy. It is the way of forgiveness. It is the way of wisdom.
We are like wildflowers—the bluets, the butter cups, the daisies, and the field violets. We are ephemeral. We are here one day and gone the next. While we may live longer than previous generations, our lives are nonetheless short. Our lives may not be easy. We may experience pain.
We can live our lives in a drunken stupor or a drug-induced haze. We can gratify ourselves at the expense of others. We can do a multitude of things to alleviate the pain. Or we can turn to Jesus. We can seek forgiveness and healing. We can open our hearts and minds to God’s grace, to his love. With God’s help, we can live in the “good way,” God’s way, Jesus’s way, wisdom’s way.
As the shadow moves around the sun dial, marking the passing of time, we can live out our days, loving others, doing good, showing kindness to all, cherishing each day that we live in the brightness of the Son, looking forward to the day that we will see him face to face.
God has given us that choice. God enable us to make it. Our lives may go downhill and hit rock bottom. Jesus will be there with us, his hand in ours. All we need to do is grasp it. Jesus will never let us go.
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
Eternal God,
whose Son Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life:
grant that we may walk in his way,
rejoice in his truth,
and share his risen life;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The Lord's Prayer
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.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Karen Schneider Kirner’s choral blessing, “From Age to Age.”
Bless to us, O Lord, the earth beneath our feet.
Bless to us, O Lord, the path on which we walk.
Bless to us, O Lord, the heart of our desires.
From age to age, eternally
may we find rest in you.
Bless to us this day and bless to us this night.
Bless to us our hands and bless our feet that dance.
Bless us with the dreams on which we set our hopes.
From age to age, eternally
may we find rest in you.
Bless to us the way that leads us back to you.
Bless to us the ones on which we set our love.
Bless us with the grace that leads us to your peace.
From age to age, eternally
may we find rest in you.
Paul is also echoing our Lord, what he said when he taught the crowds in the sermon on the mountain:
“But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you.
“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. (Luke 6: 27-36 NRSV)
This passage from Luke’s account of the sermon on the mountain is the other passage of the New Testament in which the Golden Rule is mentioned.
Our Lord’s words and Paul’s words are a fulfillment of Isaiah 48:17. This verse is not only a declaration of who God is, but it also is a promise of what he will do.
Thus says the Lord,
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
I am the Lord your God,
who teaches you for your own good,
who leads you in the way you should go.
God teaches us the “good way” to walk in—through the Prophets; through his Son, Jesus; and through the apostles. It is the way in which we cannot walk apart from Jesus. It is the way of mercy. It is the way of forgiveness. It is the way of wisdom.
We are like wildflowers—the bluets, the butter cups, the daisies, and the field violets. We are ephemeral. We are here one day and gone the next. While we may live longer than previous generations, our lives are nonetheless short. Our lives may not be easy. We may experience pain.
We can live our lives in a drunken stupor or a drug-induced haze. We can gratify ourselves at the expense of others. We can do a multitude of things to alleviate the pain. Or we can turn to Jesus. We can seek forgiveness and healing. We can open our hearts and minds to God’s grace, to his love. With God’s help, we can live in the “good way,” God’s way, Jesus’s way, wisdom’s way.
As the shadow moves around the sun dial, marking the passing of time, we can live out our days, loving others, doing good, showing kindness to all, cherishing each day that we live in the brightness of the Son, looking forward to the day that we will see him face to face.
God has given us that choice. God enable us to make it. Our lives may go downhill and hit rock bottom. Jesus will be there with us, his hand in ours. All we need to do is grasp it. Jesus will never let us go.
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
Eternal God,
whose Son Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life:
grant that we may walk in his way,
rejoice in his truth,
and share his risen life;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The Lord's Prayer
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.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Karen Schneider Kirner’s choral blessing, “From Age to Age.”
Bless to us, O Lord, the earth beneath our feet.
Bless to us, O Lord, the path on which we walk.
Bless to us, O Lord, the heart of our desires.
From age to age, eternally
may we find rest in you.
Bless to us this day and bless to us this night.
Bless to us our hands and bless our feet that dance.
Bless us with the dreams on which we set our hopes.
From age to age, eternally
may we find rest in you.
Bless to us the way that leads us back to you.
Bless to us the ones on which we set our love.
Bless us with the grace that leads us to your peace.
From age to age, eternally
may we find rest in you.
Comments
Post a Comment