All Hallows Evening Prayer for Saturday Evening (August 28, 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 F. Bland Tucker’s translation of the Phos hilaron, “O Gracious Light.”
O Gracious Light, Lord Jesus Christ,
In you the Father’s glory shone.
Immortal, holy, blest is he,
And blest are you, his holy Son.
Now sunset comes, but light shines forth,
the lamps are lit to pierce the night.
Praise Father, Son, and Spirit: God
Who dwells in the eternal light.
Worthy are you of endless praise,
O Son of God, Life-giving Lord;
Wherefore you are through all the earth
And in the highest heaven adored.
O Gracious Light!
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.
Silence is kept.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Tony Alonso’s bilingual version of Psalm 141, Let My Prayer Rise/Suba Mi Oración.”
Refrain:
Let my prayer rise up
like incense in your presence,
the raising of my hands,
and offering to you
Estribillo:
Suba mi oración
como incienso en tu precensia,
el alzar de mis manos
como ofrenda de la tarde.
1 I have called to you, O God,
come quickly to help me.
Hear my voice when I call to you.
Let my prayer rise up like incense before you,
and my hands like an evening off’ring.
Refrain
1 Señor, te llamo ven mí.
Escucha mi voz,
cuando te invoco.
Suba mi oración
como incienso en tu precensia,
como incienso en tu precensia.
Estribillo
2 Set a guard on my mouth
and guard my ev’ry word,
keep watch on the door of my lips.
Let me never turn my heart to evil or revenge,
nor join the evil in their feasting.
Refrain
2 Coloca, Señor, una guardia en mi boca,
y vigilia la puerta de mis labias.
No me dejas inclinarme a la maldad,
ni comer con los hombres malvaldos.
Estribillo
3 When the just correct me,
I take their words as kindness,
but the oil of the wicked will not touch me.
So I pray to you, O God,
I pray to you, O God, against their hateful ways.
Refrain
3 Que el justo me goipee,
que el bueno me reprenda,
es un gran favor, oh Señor.
Pero que el óleo de impío no perfume mi cabezañ
Seguiré rezando en sus desgracias.
Estribillo
4 To you, O God, I turn my eyes,
in you I find refuge and safety.
From the trap that has been set
by those who wish me harm,
keep me safe, O God.
Refrain
4 Mis ojos, Señor, están vueltos a ti.
Señor, en ti me refugio.
Guarda mi vida,
líbra me, Señor, de la trampa de los malhechores.
Estribillo
5 Glory to the Father, glory to the Son,
and glory to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning,
is now and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen
Refrain
5 Gloria al Padre, gloria al Hijo,
y gloria al Espíritu Santo,
como era en el principio,
ahora y siempre por los siglos de los siglos. Amén.
Estribillo
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 the It’s About the Word setting of Psalm 93, “The Lord Is Mighty.”
The Lord is mighty and holy for all days.
The Lord is mighty and holy for all days.
You reign with majesty and strength.
Your throne has always been from eternity.
The Lord is mighty and holy for all days.
The Lord is mighty and holy for all days.
The seas have lifted up, O Lord.
The seas have lifted up their voice.
The seas have lifted up their pounding waves.
The Lord is mighty and holy for all days.
The Lord is mighty and holy for all days.
You reign with majesty and strength.
Your throne has always been from eternity.
The Lord is mighty and holy for all days.
The Lord is mighty and holy for all days.
Oh Oh.
The Lord is mighty and holy for all days.
The Lord is mighty and holy for all days.
Holy for all days.
Silence is kept.
Christ our King,
you put on the apparel of our nature
and raised us to your glory;
reign from your royal throne
above the chaos of this world,
that all may see the victory you have won
and trust in your salvation;
for your glory’s sake. Amen.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Wendell Kimbrough’s “Who Is Like the Lord Our God.”
Our Father, He lifts from the ashes
He raises the poor and the lost;
He seats them to dine at his table,
To feast without money or cost.
The lonely he settles in families
The barren, a mother he makes;
O happy the heart of the stranger
Who’s welcomed by this King of Grace.
Who is like the Lord our God,
Whose glory fills the skies,
But humbles himself with the broken to dwell
Who is like our God?
Though equal to God in His glory,
Christ Jesus became like a slave;
He humbled himself in obedience
To Death, and the Cross, and the Grave.
Victorious, he rose to the highest;
In glory, the Savior was raised.
His name above all names exalted;
The heavens and earth sing His praise
Who is like the Lord our God,
Whose glory fills the skies,
But humbles himself with the broken to dwell
Who is like our God?
O Saints, fix your eyes on the Savior
And count all your righteousness lost
Be found in his love and his favor
And share in his death on the cross
That all of his power in victory,
Imparted to you, may abound
And sharing the suff’rings of Jesus,
You share in his glory and crown
Who is like the Lord our God,
Whose glory fills the skies,
But humbles himself with the broken to dwell
Who is like our God?
Who is like the Lord our God,
Whose glory fills the skies,
But humbles himself with the broken to dwell
Who is like our God?
The Proclamation of the Word
The Reading
James 1:17-27 Hear God’s Word and Put It into Practice: That Is Real Religion
But every good endowment that we possess and every complete gift that we have received must come from above, from the Father of all lights, with whom there is never the slightest variation or shadow of inconsistency. By his own wish he made us his own sons through the Word of truth that we might be, so to speak, the first specimens of his new creation.
In view of what he has made us then, dear brothers, let every man be quick to listen but slow to use his tongue, and slow to lose his temper. For man’s temper is never the means of achieving God’s true goodness.
Have done, then, with impurity and every other evil which touches the lives of others, and humbly accept the message that God has sown in your hearts, and which can save your souls. Don’t I beg you, only hear the message, but put it into practice; otherwise you are merely deluding yourselves. The man who simply hears and does nothing about it is like a man catching the reflection of his own face in a mirror. He sees himself, it is true, but he goes on with whatever he was doing without the slightest recollection of what sort of person he saw in the mirror. But the man who looks into the perfect mirror of God’s law, the law of liberty (or freedom), and makes a habit of so doing, is not the man who sees and forgets. He puts that law into practice and he wins true happiness.
If anyone appears to be “religious” but cannot control his tongue, he deceives himself and we may be sure that his religion is useless.
Religion that is pure and genuine in the sight of God the Father will show itself by such things as visiting orphans and widows in their distress and keeping oneself uncontaminated by the world.
Silence is kept.
May your word live in us
and bear much fruit to your glory
The Homily
Learn from the Word and Live What You Learn
On Sundays Christians across the United States and in Alaska, Hawaii. Puerto Rico, and the US Territories attend Sunday School class in person or on ZOOM or some other video conferencing platform. They read and study the Bible. They attend a church service in the same way and hear a sermon. During the week they attend small group again in person or online and read and study God’s Word. They then go home or turn off their laptop or PC and act just like their neighbors who have not done any of these things. In fact, they are indistinguishable from their neighbors except for their churchgoing and their taste in music—praise and worship and contemporary Christian. Identical!
They live their lives oblivious to Jesus’ words, “It is not everyone who keeps saying to me, “Lord, Lord’ who will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but the man who actually does my Heavenly Father’s Will.” (Matthew 7:21, Phillips) Jesus is evidently not the Lord of their lives because their lives do not embody what Jesus taught and practiced. They show little love for their neighbors. They do not treat them as they would themselves be treated—in a spirit of kindness. They hold grudges against their neighbors and may go out of their way—not to help them, not to do them good, but make life difficult for them, to annoy them, to do them harm. Indeed, their non-Christian neighbors may evidence more of the Spirit of Jesus than they do.
They do exactly what James advises the readers of his letter not to do. They hear but do nothing about it. They soak in the truths and principles of God’s Word, but they do not take them to heart and live them in their lives. They may call themselves disciples of Jesus, but they do not emulate his life and teaching.
Hopefully we are not as bad as that. Hopefully we make some effort to put into practice the truths and principles that we learn from the Scriptures, make some effort to pattern our lives on Jesus’ teaching and example. We recognize the truth of what James wrote:
“The man who simply hears and does nothing about it is like a man catching the reflection of his own face in a mirror. He sees himself, it is true, but he goes on with whatever he was doing without the slightest recollection of what sort of person he saw in the mirror.”
Try a little experiment. Go into your bathroom and look at your face in the mirror. What do you see? Now go into the next room. Recall the kind of person you saw in the mirror.
I saw a man, gray-headed, bespectacled, old in years but young at heart, who loves the wildflowers, the trees, the tiny sparrows, and all the wonders of God’s creation, who is endeavoring to live the life of a disciple of Jesus, making an earnest attempt to love God, to love his neighbor, to treat other people with the kindness that he would like to be treated himself, to love his brothers and sisters in Christ, to love those who treat him badly.
Am I always successful? I wish that I could answer “yes.” But I do make mistakes. I stumble. I take pratfalls. Like every Christian that I know, I am far from perfect: I have weaknesses, shortcomings, and blind spots; I am a work in progress. But with the help of God’s grace, I press on.
“With the help of God’s grace, I press on.” Think about those words for a moment. With the help of God’s grace, we press on. With the help of God’s grace, we keep loving. We keep being kind. We keep being forgiving. We keep being the instruments of God’s peace and healing. We press on. We persevere.
God, the loving and compassionate God whom God is, gives us fresh supplies of grace every day.
This thought struck me while I was lying down, trying to take a nap. Grace may be compared to a super nutritious, energy boosting breakfast smoothie that God, our incredible Mum, whips up for us, her kids, every morning. It has everything that we need in it. It not only sparks in us the desire to do what pleases God but also, once we have that desire, enable us to do it.
Now we can drink the smoothie down and race off to do what pleases God. The smoothie will keep us going through the day, sparking in us the desire to please God and enabling us to fulfill that desire.
Or we can be pouty, wrinkle our nose, sip reluctantly at the smoothie, and leave it half drunk on the kitchen counter. During the day we may snack on sweets that satisfy our sinful cravings but do not give us the desire to do God’s will and enable us to it. We may fill up on them, but their effects quickly wear off. They leave us feeling empty, unfulfilled.
Am I always successful? I wish that I could answer “yes.” But I do make mistakes. I stumble. I take pratfalls. Like every Christian that I know, I am far from perfect: I have weaknesses, shortcomings, and blind spots; I am a work in progress. But with the help of God’s grace, I press on.
“With the help of God’s grace, I press on.” Think about those words for a moment. With the help of God’s grace, we press on. With the help of God’s grace, we keep loving. We keep being kind. We keep being forgiving. We keep being the instruments of God’s peace and healing. We press on. We persevere.
God, the loving and compassionate God whom God is, gives us fresh supplies of grace every day.
This thought struck me while I was lying down, trying to take a nap. Grace may be compared to a super nutritious, energy boosting breakfast smoothie that God, our incredible Mum, whips up for us, her kids, every morning. It has everything that we need in it. It not only sparks in us the desire to do what pleases God but also, once we have that desire, enable us to do it.
Now we can drink the smoothie down and race off to do what pleases God. The smoothie will keep us going through the day, sparking in us the desire to please God and enabling us to fulfill that desire.
Or we can be pouty, wrinkle our nose, sip reluctantly at the smoothie, and leave it half drunk on the kitchen counter. During the day we may snack on sweets that satisfy our sinful cravings but do not give us the desire to do God’s will and enable us to it. We may fill up on them, but their effects quickly wear off. They leave us feeling empty, unfulfilled.
God is not only an incredible Mum but also a smart Mum. God will put in that smoothie, all kinds of good things, including the power of God’s own presence, that even if we only drink a few sips, it will do what it is supposed to do. Our day may not be as great as it might have been. We will, however, be doing what God desired that we do but not quite as fully as we would have if we had drunk the entire smoothie.
One way or another God is going to make sure that we have what we need. God, our super Mum, is not going to leave her kids to drag through the day, not to be what she knows that we can be.
God is not going to inspire James to urge us to do something with what we hear without giving us the desire to do it, and when we have that desire, enabling us to do it. We do have free will to choose what we will do. But, however, we may conceive free will, God enables us to have it.
God also nudges us to make the right choice, to love instead of hate, to feed the hungry instead of ignoring them, to forgive instead of holding onto bitter feelings, to be kind instead of being mean or uncaring. God gives us a loving touch, gentle push to drink deeply from the wellspring of grace and then live our lives to God’s glory.
Silence is kept.
The Gospel Canticle
Open this link in a new tab to hear Marty Haugen’s adaptation of the Magnificat, “My Soul Proclaims the Greatness of God.”
My soul proclaims the greatness of God,
Rejoicing in God my Savior.
The Holy One has raised me up,
I live in God’s love and favour.
1 The Mighty One works great thinks in me:
My soul rejoices in God.
All faithful servants God’s mercy shall see:
My soul rejoices,
sings and rejoices,
gladly rejoices in God.
My soul proclaims the greatness of God,
Rejoicing in God my Savior.
The Holy One has raised me up,
I live in God’s love and favour.
2 The arm of God is justice and might:
My soul rejoices in God.
God puts the proud and the scheming to flight:
My soul rejoices,
sings and rejoices,
gladly rejoices in God.
My soul proclaims the greatness of God,
Rejoicing in God my Savior.
The Holy One has raised me up,
I live in God’s love and favour.
3 God topples ev’ry tyrant and crown:
My soul rejoices in God.
The lowly raised and the mighty brought down:
My soul rejoices,
sings and rejoices,
gladly rejoices in God.
My soul proclaims the greatness of God,
Rejoicing in God my Savior.
The Holy One has raised me up,
I live in God’s love and favour.
4 With wondrous things God’s banquet is spread:
My soul rejoices in God.
The rich go hungry; the hungry are fed:
My soul rejoices,
sings and rejoices,
gladly rejoices in God.
My soul proclaims the greatness of God,
Rejoicing in God my Savior.
The Holy One has raised me up,
I live in God’s love and favour.
[Coda]
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
Lord of all power and might,
the author and giver of all good things:
graft in our hearts the love of your name,
increase in us true religion,
nourish us with all goodness,
and of your great mercy keep us in the same;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. 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 Lori True’s adaptation of Psalm 25, “I Lift My Soul.”
I lift my soul to you, O Lord.
To you I lift my hands,
I lift my heart, my soul.
I lift my soul to you, O Lord.
To you I lift my hands,
I lift my heart, my soul.
One way or another God is going to make sure that we have what we need. God, our super Mum, is not going to leave her kids to drag through the day, not to be what she knows that we can be.
God is not going to inspire James to urge us to do something with what we hear without giving us the desire to do it, and when we have that desire, enabling us to do it. We do have free will to choose what we will do. But, however, we may conceive free will, God enables us to have it.
God also nudges us to make the right choice, to love instead of hate, to feed the hungry instead of ignoring them, to forgive instead of holding onto bitter feelings, to be kind instead of being mean or uncaring. God gives us a loving touch, gentle push to drink deeply from the wellspring of grace and then live our lives to God’s glory.
Silence is kept.
The Gospel Canticle
Open this link in a new tab to hear Marty Haugen’s adaptation of the Magnificat, “My Soul Proclaims the Greatness of God.”
My soul proclaims the greatness of God,
Rejoicing in God my Savior.
The Holy One has raised me up,
I live in God’s love and favour.
1 The Mighty One works great thinks in me:
My soul rejoices in God.
All faithful servants God’s mercy shall see:
My soul rejoices,
sings and rejoices,
gladly rejoices in God.
My soul proclaims the greatness of God,
Rejoicing in God my Savior.
The Holy One has raised me up,
I live in God’s love and favour.
2 The arm of God is justice and might:
My soul rejoices in God.
God puts the proud and the scheming to flight:
My soul rejoices,
sings and rejoices,
gladly rejoices in God.
My soul proclaims the greatness of God,
Rejoicing in God my Savior.
The Holy One has raised me up,
I live in God’s love and favour.
3 God topples ev’ry tyrant and crown:
My soul rejoices in God.
The lowly raised and the mighty brought down:
My soul rejoices,
sings and rejoices,
gladly rejoices in God.
My soul proclaims the greatness of God,
Rejoicing in God my Savior.
The Holy One has raised me up,
I live in God’s love and favour.
4 With wondrous things God’s banquet is spread:
My soul rejoices in God.
The rich go hungry; the hungry are fed:
My soul rejoices,
sings and rejoices,
gladly rejoices in God.
My soul proclaims the greatness of God,
Rejoicing in God my Savior.
The Holy One has raised me up,
I live in God’s love and favour.
[Coda]
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
Lord of all power and might,
the author and giver of all good things:
graft in our hearts the love of your name,
increase in us true religion,
nourish us with all goodness,
and of your great mercy keep us in the same;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. 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 Lori True’s adaptation of Psalm 25, “I Lift My Soul.”
I lift my soul to you, O Lord.
To you I lift my hands,
I lift my heart, my soul.
I lift my soul to you, O Lord.
To you I lift my hands,
I lift my heart, my soul.
1 Lord, make me know your ways,
keep me on your path,
Walk with me in your own truth
and teach me.
You save my life,
you are my song.
To you I lift my hands,
I lift my heart, my soul.
I lift my soul to you, O Lord.
To you I lift my hands,
I lift my heart, my soul.
2 Your ways are good and just.
You find the lost,
You lead the humble to righteousness.
You help the poor to find the way.
keep me on your path,
Walk with me in your own truth
and teach me.
You save my life,
you are my song.
To you I lift my hands,
I lift my heart, my soul.
I lift my soul to you, O Lord.
To you I lift my hands,
I lift my heart, my soul.
2 Your ways are good and just.
You find the lost,
You lead the humble to righteousness.
You help the poor to find the way.
To you I lift my hands,
I lift my heart, my soul.
I lift my soul to you, O Lord.
To you I lift my hands,
I lift my heart, my soul.
3 You hold true to your promise,
Your friendship is with those who keep your covenant.
Let us humbly walk in your name.
Forgive the past and take away our guilt.
To you I lift my hands,
I lift my heart, my soul.
I lift my soul to you, O Lord.
To you I lift my hands,
I lift my heart, my soul.
The Lord be with you.
The Lord bless you.
Let us praise the Lord,
Thanks be to God.
May the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
I lift my heart, my soul.
I lift my soul to you, O Lord.
To you I lift my hands,
I lift my heart, my soul.
3 You hold true to your promise,
Your friendship is with those who keep your covenant.
Let us humbly walk in your name.
Forgive the past and take away our guilt.
To you I lift my hands,
I lift my heart, my soul.
I lift my soul to you, O Lord.
To you I lift my hands,
I lift my heart, my soul.
The Lord be with you.
The Lord bless you.
Let us praise the Lord,
Thanks be to God.
May the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
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