All Hallows Evening Prayer for Saturday Evening (July 10, 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 Stephen Sturk’s choral arrangement of the Phos hilaron, “O Gracious Light.”

1. O gracious Light,
pure brightness of the
everliving Father in heaven.
O Jesus, Christ, holy and blessed!

2. Now as we come to the setting of the sun,
and our eyes behold the vesper light,
we sing thy praises, O God:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

3. Thou art worthy at all times
to be praised by happy voices,
O Son of God, O Giver of life,
and to be glorified through all the worlds.

Thanksgiving

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

Blessed are you, Sovereign God,
our light and our salvation,
eternal creator of day and night,
to you be glory and praise for ever.
Now, as darkness is falling,
hear the prayer of your faithful people.
As we look for your coming in glory,
wash away our transgressions,
cleanse us by your refining fire
and make us temples of your Holy Spirit.
By the light of Christ,
dispel the darkness of our hearts
and make us ready to enter your kingdom,
where songs of praise for ever sound.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Blessed be God for ever. Amen.

Psalm 141 is sung and incense may be burned.

Open this link in a new tab to hear Peter Inwood’s responsorial 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 Heather Sorenson’s choral arrangement of Psalm 121, “I Lift My Eyes Unto the Hills.”

I lift my eyes unto the hills,
the hills from where my help is come.
My help, it cometh from the Lord
Who made heaven,
heaven and earth.

I lift my eyes unto the hills,
the hills from where my help is come.
My help, it cometh from the Lord
Who made heaven,
heaven and earth.

He will not suffer thy foot to be moved,
Neither will He sleep.
The Lord is thy keeper,
The Lord is thy shade.

The sun shall not smite thee by day;
the moon shall not smite thee by night.

The Lord shall protect thee from ev’ry evil.
He shall preserve thy soul,
The Lord shall protect thee from ev’ry evil.
He shall preserve thy soul
for-ever, for-ever,
for-ever, for-ever,
for-ever
He will preserve thy soul.

I lift my eyes unto the hills,
the hills from where my help is come.
My help, it cometh from the Lord
My help, it cometh from the Lord
My help, it cometh from the Lord
Who made heaven,
heaven and earth.
Amen, Amen.

Silence is kept.

Lord, ever watchful and faithful,
we look to you to be our defense
and we lift our hearts to know your help;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Open this link in a new tab to hear Timothy Dudley Smith’s hymn, “Born by the Holy Spirit’s Breath.”

1 Born by the Holy Spirit's breath,
loosed from the law of sin and death,
now cleared in Christ from every claim
no judgment stands against our name.

2 In us the Spirit makes his home
that we in him may overcome;
Christ's risen life, in all its powers,
its all-prevailing strength, is ours.

3 Sons* and heirs of God most high,
we by his Spirit ‘Father’ cry;
that Spirit with our spirit shares
to frame and breathe our wordless prayers.

4 One is his love, his purpose one:
to form the likeness of his Son
in all who, called and justified,
shall reign in glory at his side.

5 Nor death nor life, nor powers unseen,
nor height nor depth can come between;
we know through peril, pain and sword,
the love of God in Christ our Lord.

*"Children" has been substituted for "sons" in the most recent version of this hymn. An older version of the hymn is sung on the video.

The Proclamation of the Word

The Reading

Ephesians 1: 3-14 Spiritual Blessings in Christ

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; who is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory.

Silence is kept.

May your word live in us
and bear much fruit to your glory

The Homily

The Seal of the Spirit

What does Paul mean by “were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit?” In ancient times a piece of wax, lead, or clay with an individual design stamped into it was attached to a document to show that it has come from the person who claims to have issued it. The document might be a sheet of vellum, a papyrus, or a clay tablet. Trade goods and other moveable property also had a seal attached to them showing whose property they were. In modern day Japan the ink design or imprint made by a stamp, a device or instrument for stamping paper with such a design or imprint, still may be used in place of one’s signature on documents.

By marking us with the seal of the Holy Spirit God shows us that we are his possession, his property. We are his. He owns us. We belong to him.

By marking us with the seal of the Holy Spirit God shows us that he and he alone is the author of our salvation. We do not save ourselves. God saves us.

By marking us with the seal of the Holy Spirit God shows us that we are one of his chosen people, Gentiles, non-Jews, and Samaritans as well as Jews.

John Wesley, a priest of the Church of England, a leading figure in the eighteenth-century evangelical revival, and the founder of the Methodist Movement, in his Notes on St. Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians describes our sealing with the Holy Spirit as an “earnest.” He writes—

“Both a pledge and a foretaste of our inheritance. Till the redemption of the purchased possession - Till the church, which he has purchased with his own blood, shall be fully delivered from all sin and sorrow, and advanced to everlasting glory. To the praise of his glory - Of his glorious wisdom, power, and mercy.”

An “earnest” is an old-fashioned term for “something of value given by a buyer to a seller to bind a bargain; a token of what is to come: a pledge.

A token is “an outward sign or expression; a small part representing the whole; something given or shown as a guarantee.” It is “something that serves as proof of something intangible.”

A pledge is “something given as a security or guaranty; something given as a security for the performance of an act; a binding promise or agreement to do or forebear. “

An example of an earnest is a promise ring, “a ring given from one person to another in a romantic relationship to signify their fidelity and commitment, often (but not always) preceding an engagement.” It is “given and worn as an outward symbol of commitment and fidelity to another person.” It is a way of making a promise between romantic partners and serves as a reminder of that promise. It conveys a message to others that the person wearing the ring is in a particular relationship. It is given as a precursor to an engagement ring which is itself an earnest and may signify an intention to marry—engagement, or a commitment to marry—betrothal.

Couples may break up. Promise rings may be taken off and thrown away. Engaged couples may break off an engagement. Engagement rings may be returned. God, on the other hand, will not end his relationship with us. He will not abandon us. Having sealed us with his Spirit, God will not remove that seal.

How then does God mark us with the seal of the Holy Spirit? What does he give us as an “earnest”?

God gives us himself, his indwelling presence in our innermost being. He lives in us in the person of the Holy Spirit. God unites us to himself and to each other in the Body of Christ by the means of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not a spiritual life force energy or healing power like the mana of the Melanesians and Polynesians, the orenda of the Iroquois Indians, or the chi of Taoist Chinese philosophers. The Holy Spirit is God himself, the third Person of the Holy Trinity, who indwells us and links us to the Father and the Son.

How then do we know that we are sealed by the Holy Spirit? God manifests himself in us in the form of what are called the “gifts” of the Holy Spirit. These “gifts” are given to build up the faith of the Body of Christ and to point others to Jesus Christ. We also bear the “fruit of the Spirit”—"love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). The Holy Spirit works invisibly in us, sanctifying us, making us holy and more like Jesus, transforming our hearts, minds, and lives.

When are we sealed by the Sprit? It is tempting to take one or more passages from Scripture and build a tradition around them about when we are marked by the seal of the Holy Spirit. God, however, is sovereign in such matters. God is not bound to what we may do. God gives himself when he chooses to give himself, how he chooses to give himself. At best we can say that God may give himself on this particular occasion under these particular circumstances. God, however, does not limit when and how he will give himself.

We desire certainty. God’s response to this desire is to urge us to trust him, to trust his favor and goodwill toward us. When we do that, I suspect that we will discover that the Holy Spirit is already with us, prompting us to trust God’s merciful kindness.

Silence is kept.

The Gospel Canticle

Open this link in a new tab to hear Bernadette Farrell - Owen Alstott’s setting of the Magnificat, “My Soul Proclaims the Greatness of the Lord.”

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord
My spirit sings to God, my saving God,
Who on this day above all others favored me
And raised me up, a light for all to see.

Through me great deeds will God make manifest,
And all the earth will come to call me blest.
Unbounded love and mercy sure will I proclaim
For all who know and praise God's holy name.

God's mighty arm, protector of the just,
Will guard the weak and raise them from the dust.
But mighty kings will swiftly fall from thrones corrupt.
The strong brought low, the lowly lifted up.

Soon will the poor and hungry of the earth
Be richly blest, be given greater worth.
And Israel, as once foretold to Abraham,
Will live in peace throughout the promised land.

All glory be to God, Creator blest,
To Jesus Christ, God's love made manifest,
And to the Holy Spirit, gentle Comforter,
All glory be, both now and ever more.

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,
open our eyes to see your hand at work
in the splendour of creation
and in the beauty of human life.
Help us to cherish the gifts that surround us,
to share our blessings with our sisters and brothers,
and to experience the joy of life in your presence;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and 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 Brian Foley’s hymn, “Holy Spirit, Come, Confirm Us.”

1 Holy Spirit, come, confirm us
In the truth that Christ makes known;
We have faith and understanding
Through your helping gifts alone.

2 Holy Spirit, come, console us,
Come as Advocate to plead,
Loving Spirit from the Father,
Grant in Christ the help we need.

3 Holy Spirit, come, renew us,
Come yourself to make us live;
Holy through your loving presence,
Holy through the gifts you give.

4 Holy Spirit, come, possess us,
You the Love of Three in One,
Holy Spirit of the Father,
Holy Spirit of the Son.

The Lord be with you.
The Lord bless you.
Let us praise the Lord,
Thanks be to God.

Open this link in a new tab to hear John Rutter’s choral arrangement of “The Peace of God.”

The peace of God,
Which passeth all understanding
Keep your hearts and minds,
Keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God,
And of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord

The peace of God Which passeth all understanding,
Keep your hearts and minds
Keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God,
And of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord

And the blessing of God Almighty,
The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost,
Be amongst you
Be amongst you
Be amongst you and remain with you always

Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.