All Hallows Evening Prayer for Sunday Evening (May 30, 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 choral arrangement “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 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 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 Michael Perry’s hymn, “O God Beyond All Praising.”
1 O God beyond all praising,
we worship you today
and sing the love amazing
that songs cannot repay;
for we can only wonder
at every gift you send,
at blessings without number
and mercies without end:
we lift our hearts before you
and wait upon your word,
we honour and adore you,
our great and mighty Lord.
2 Then hear, O gracious Saviour,
accept the love we bring,
that we who know your favour
may serve you as our king;
and whether our tomorrows
be filled with good or ill,
we'll triumph through our sorrows
and rise to bless you still:
to marvel at your beauty
and glory in your ways,
and make a joyful duty
our sacrifice of praise,
we worship you today
and sing the love amazing
that songs cannot repay;
for we can only wonder
at every gift you send,
at blessings without number
and mercies without end:
we lift our hearts before you
and wait upon your word,
we honour and adore you,
our great and mighty Lord.
2 Then hear, O gracious Saviour,
accept the love we bring,
that we who know your favour
may serve you as our king;
and whether our tomorrows
be filled with good or ill,
we'll triumph through our sorrows
and rise to bless you still:
to marvel at your beauty
and glory in your ways,
and make a joyful duty
our sacrifice of praise,
and make a joyful duty
our sacrifice of praise.
The Proclamation of the Word
The Reading
John 3: 1-17 Nicodemus Visits Jesus
Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?
“Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Silence is kept
May your word live in us
and bear much fruit to your glory.
The Homily
In today’s reading from the Gospel of John we learn that Nicodemus, a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish religious council, visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus is one of Jesus’ “hidden disciples,” a member of the Jewish religious authorities who secretly became a disciple of the Lord. Following Jesus’ crucifixion and death Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus obtain Jesus’ body from Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, and give him a decent burial. They did so at great risk to themselves, revealing themselves as followers of Jesus who had been condemned and executed as a troublemaker and a criminal. They could have been arrested, imprisoned, and suffered the same fate. Pilate, however, lets them have Jesus’ body.
I believe that we can safely assume that Nicodemus visited Jesus at night because he did not want the other members of the Council to know that he had talked with Jesus. They might have accused him of being Jesus’ disciple, an accusation which might have proven dangerous for him. Jesus was a controversial figure and had incurred the opposition of many Pharisees and teachers of the Law. His teaching had aroused their anger and hatred.
Nicodemus addresses Jesus as Rabbi, Teacher, a title of respect, and acknowledges that the signs Jesus has been performing are God’s doing. Notice his use of the first-person plural “we.” This suggests that Nicodemus visited Jesus not just on his own behalf but as the representative of a group or faction in the Council that believed Jesus was a teacher come from God.
Jesus’ response is that only someone who was “born from above” would recognize what he has been doing is God’s doing, as the Kingdom of God, as God’s presence and power at working in the world. Nicodemus does not grasp what Jesus is saying. Jesus explains to Nicodemus that he is not talking about being born again physically but being reborn spiritually. It is God’s doing that those who recognize that the signs which he is performing are evidence of God’s presence are able to do so. God enabled them to do so.
Readers of John’s Gospel may latch onto Jesus’ use of the phrase “born of water and Spirit” and conclude that Jesus is talking about baptism. The late James Dunn, a British New Testament scholar, who was the longtime Lightfoot Professor of Divinity in the Department of Theology at Durham University and a Methodist local preacher points to our attention in his writings that water and Spirit are often joined together in the Old Testament as a figurative expression for the Holy Spirit. When Jesus spoke of water and Spirit, he was talking about the Holy Spirit, not baptism. What Jesus says next, “What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit,” supports this view as does what Jesus says later in John’s Gospel.
On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’” Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified. (John 7:37-39, NRSV)
In today’s reading Jesus goes on to compare those born of the Spirit to the wind.
"Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
Jesus reiterates what he says throughout John’s Gospel. His knowledge and testimony come from his unique relationship with God. “No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.” With these words Jesus segues to the necessity of his suffering and death, his lifting up on the cross, “that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”
our sacrifice of praise.
The Proclamation of the Word
The Reading
John 3: 1-17 Nicodemus Visits Jesus
Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?
“Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Silence is kept
May your word live in us
and bear much fruit to your glory.
The Homily
Born of the Spirit
In today’s reading from the Gospel of John we learn that Nicodemus, a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish religious council, visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus is one of Jesus’ “hidden disciples,” a member of the Jewish religious authorities who secretly became a disciple of the Lord. Following Jesus’ crucifixion and death Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus obtain Jesus’ body from Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, and give him a decent burial. They did so at great risk to themselves, revealing themselves as followers of Jesus who had been condemned and executed as a troublemaker and a criminal. They could have been arrested, imprisoned, and suffered the same fate. Pilate, however, lets them have Jesus’ body.
I believe that we can safely assume that Nicodemus visited Jesus at night because he did not want the other members of the Council to know that he had talked with Jesus. They might have accused him of being Jesus’ disciple, an accusation which might have proven dangerous for him. Jesus was a controversial figure and had incurred the opposition of many Pharisees and teachers of the Law. His teaching had aroused their anger and hatred.
Nicodemus addresses Jesus as Rabbi, Teacher, a title of respect, and acknowledges that the signs Jesus has been performing are God’s doing. Notice his use of the first-person plural “we.” This suggests that Nicodemus visited Jesus not just on his own behalf but as the representative of a group or faction in the Council that believed Jesus was a teacher come from God.
Jesus’ response is that only someone who was “born from above” would recognize what he has been doing is God’s doing, as the Kingdom of God, as God’s presence and power at working in the world. Nicodemus does not grasp what Jesus is saying. Jesus explains to Nicodemus that he is not talking about being born again physically but being reborn spiritually. It is God’s doing that those who recognize that the signs which he is performing are evidence of God’s presence are able to do so. God enabled them to do so.
Readers of John’s Gospel may latch onto Jesus’ use of the phrase “born of water and Spirit” and conclude that Jesus is talking about baptism. The late James Dunn, a British New Testament scholar, who was the longtime Lightfoot Professor of Divinity in the Department of Theology at Durham University and a Methodist local preacher points to our attention in his writings that water and Spirit are often joined together in the Old Testament as a figurative expression for the Holy Spirit. When Jesus spoke of water and Spirit, he was talking about the Holy Spirit, not baptism. What Jesus says next, “What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit,” supports this view as does what Jesus says later in John’s Gospel.
On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’” Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified. (John 7:37-39, NRSV)
In today’s reading Jesus goes on to compare those born of the Spirit to the wind.
"Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
Jesus reiterates what he says throughout John’s Gospel. His knowledge and testimony come from his unique relationship with God. “No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.” With these words Jesus segues to the necessity of his suffering and death, his lifting up on the cross, “that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”
Jesus alludes to the Old Testament account of the bronze serpent. .
From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; but the people became impatient on the way. The people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we detest this miserable food.” Then the Lord sent poisonous serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord to take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live.” So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live. (Numbers 21: 4-9, NRSV)
Just as those who were bitten by a serpent looked at the bronze serpent and lived, those who believe in God’s only Son, Jesus, would have eternal life.
The final passage of today’s reading is a much quoted passage from John’s Gospel:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; but the people became impatient on the way. The people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we detest this miserable food.” Then the Lord sent poisonous serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord to take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live.” So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live. (Numbers 21: 4-9, NRSV)
Just as those who were bitten by a serpent looked at the bronze serpent and lived, those who believe in God’s only Son, Jesus, would have eternal life.
The final passage of today’s reading is a much quoted passage from John’s Gospel:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”
What Jesus is telling us in today’s reading is that our salvation is God’s doing. It is God who by the power of the Holy Spirit enables us to recognize Jesus for whom he is. It is God who by the power of Holy Spirit enables us to believe in Jesus. It is God who by the power of the Holy Spirit enables us to live our lives in accordance with Jesus’ teaching and example and to show our love for Jesus and God who sent him. It is God who by the power of the Holy Spirit enables us to recognize the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as one God, three persons forming one being and sharing one substance and working together in perfect harmony for their glory, the glory of the one true God, and for our good, for the good of the world he made. May we too glorify God in our lives, in all we say and do, in every moment that we have breath.
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
O blessed Trinity.
in whom we know the Maker of all things, seen and unseen,
the Saviour of all, both near and far:
by your Spirit enable us so to worship your divine majesty,
that with all the company of heaven
we may magnify your glorious name, saying,
Holy, holy, holy. Glory to you, Lord most high.
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 to hear Elaine Hagenberg’s choral arrangement of Charles Anthony Silvestri’s poem “When We Love.”
The towering tree spreads his greening canopy
—A veil between the soil and sky—
Not in selfish vanity,
But the gentle thrush to shade and shelter.
So it is with love.
For when we love,
Simply love,
Even as we are loved,
Our weary world can be transformed.
The busy thrush builds her nest below
—A fortnight’s work to weave and set—
Not for herself alone,
But her tender brood to shield and cherish.
And so it is with love.
For when we love,
Simply love,
Even as we are loved,
Our weary world can be transformed Into the Kingdom of God!
Open in this link to hear Mark Sirett’s choral arrangement of the Gaelic blessing, “Deep Peace of the Running Wave to You.”
Deep peace of the running wave to you
Deep peace, deep peace of the flowing air to you
Deep peace, deep peace of the quiet earth
Deep peace of the shining stars
Deep peace of the gentle night, of the gentle night
Moon and stars pour their healing light
Deep peace of the quiet earth
Deep peace of the shining stars
Deep peace of the gentle night, of the gentle night
Deep peace of Christ
Peace of Christ
the light of the world to you
Deep peace, deep peace of the light of Christ to you
What Jesus is telling us in today’s reading is that our salvation is God’s doing. It is God who by the power of the Holy Spirit enables us to recognize Jesus for whom he is. It is God who by the power of Holy Spirit enables us to believe in Jesus. It is God who by the power of the Holy Spirit enables us to live our lives in accordance with Jesus’ teaching and example and to show our love for Jesus and God who sent him. It is God who by the power of the Holy Spirit enables us to recognize the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as one God, three persons forming one being and sharing one substance and working together in perfect harmony for their glory, the glory of the one true God, and for our good, for the good of the world he made. May we too glorify God in our lives, in all we say and do, in every moment that we have breath.
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
O blessed Trinity.
in whom we know the Maker of all things, seen and unseen,
the Saviour of all, both near and far:
by your Spirit enable us so to worship your divine majesty,
that with all the company of heaven
we may magnify your glorious name, saying,
Holy, holy, holy. Glory to you, Lord most high.
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 to hear Elaine Hagenberg’s choral arrangement of Charles Anthony Silvestri’s poem “When We Love.”
The towering tree spreads his greening canopy
—A veil between the soil and sky—
Not in selfish vanity,
But the gentle thrush to shade and shelter.
So it is with love.
For when we love,
Simply love,
Even as we are loved,
Our weary world can be transformed.
The busy thrush builds her nest below
—A fortnight’s work to weave and set—
Not for herself alone,
But her tender brood to shield and cherish.
And so it is with love.
For when we love,
Simply love,
Even as we are loved,
Our weary world can be transformed Into the Kingdom of God!
Open in this link to hear Mark Sirett’s choral arrangement of the Gaelic blessing, “Deep Peace of the Running Wave to You.”
Deep peace of the running wave to you
Deep peace, deep peace of the flowing air to you
Deep peace, deep peace of the quiet earth
Deep peace of the shining stars
Deep peace of the gentle night, of the gentle night
Moon and stars pour their healing light
Deep peace of the quiet earth
Deep peace of the shining stars
Deep peace of the gentle night, of the gentle night
Deep peace of Christ
Peace of Christ
the light of the world to you
Deep peace, deep peace of the light of Christ to you
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