All Hallows Evening Prayer for Sunday Evening (August 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 Michael John Trotta’s choral arrangement of “O Gracious Light.”
O gracious Light,
pure brightness
of the everliving Father in heaven.
O Jesus, Christ, holy and blessed!
Now as we come to the setting of the sun,
and our eyes behold the vesper light,
we sing your praises, O God:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
You are worthy at all times
to be praised,
You are worthy at all times
to be praise,
You are worthy at all times,
worthy to be praised,
praised by happy voices,
O Son of God, Giver of light,
you are worthy to be glorified
through all the worlds.
O gracious Light,
O gracious Light,
pure brightness
of the everliving Father in heaven.
O Jesus, Christ, holy and blessed!
O gracious Light, gracious Light,
pure brightness
of the everliving Father in heaven.
Jesus, Christ, holy and blessed!
Holy and blessed!
Holy and blessed!
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 J. David Moore's choral arrangement of Isaac Watts' metrical version of Psalm 23, "My Shepherd Will Supply My Need."
My Shepherd will supply my need;
Jehovah is His Name:
In pastures fresh He makes me feed,
Beside the living stream.
He brings my wandering spirit back
When I forsake His ways,
And leads me, for His mercy’s sake,
In paths of truth and grace.
When I walk through the shades of death
Thy presence is my stay;
One word of thy supporting breath
Drives all my fears away.
Thy hand, in sight of all my foes,
Does still my table spread;
My cup with blessings overflows,
Thy oil anoints my head.
The sure provisions of my God
Attend me all my days;
O may Thy house be my abode,
And all my work be praise.
There would I find a settled rest,
While others go and come;
No more a stranger, or a guest,
But like a child at home.
Silence is kept.
O God, our sovereign and shepherd,
who brought again your Son Jesus Christ
from the valley of death,
comfort us with your protecting presence
and your angels of goodness and love,
that we also may come home
and dwell with him in your house for ever.
Amen.
Open this link to hear Gary Matheny’s arrangement of Johann von Rist’s hymn, “O Living Bread from Heaven.”
1 O living bread from heaven,
How you have fed your guest!
The gifts you have given
Have filled my heart with rest.
O wondrous food of blessing,
O cup that heals our woes,
My heart, this gift possessing,
In praises o'erflows!
2 My Lord, you here have led me
Within your holiest place,
And here yourself have fed me
With treasures of your grace;
And you have freely given
What earth could never buy,
The bread of life from heaven,
That now I shall not die.
3 You gave me all I wanted,
This food can death destroy;
And you have freely granted
The cup of endless joy.
Ah, Lord, I do not merit
The favor you have shown,
And all my soul and spirit
Bow before your throne.
The Proclamation of the Word
The Reading
John 6: 35, 41-51 The Bread of Life
Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
The Jewish opposition grumbled about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.”
They asked, “Isn’t this Jesus, Joseph’s son, whose mother and father we know? How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”
Jesus responded, “Don’t grumble among yourselves. No one can come to me unless they are drawn to me by the Father who sent me, and I will raise them up at the last day. It is written in the Prophets, And they will all be taught by God. Everyone who has listened to the Father and learned from him comes to me. No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God. He has seen the Father. I assure you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven so that whoever eats from it will never die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever, and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
Silence is kept.
May your word live in us
and bear much fruit to your glory
The Homily
Jesus the Living Bread
In some Christian traditions today’s reading and the following passages—John 6:53-59—are associated with the Holy Eucharist, or the Lord’s Supper. In these traditions it is assumed that Jesus suddenly switches from talking about faith in him to his presence in the eucharistic elements, the sacramental bread and wine of the Holy Communion. In other Christian traditions Jesus is recognized as speaking figuratively when he talks about eating his flesh and drinking his blood. Eating his flesh and drinking his blood is a metaphor for believing in him.
Among the Jews the use of metaphors is an ancient tradition. A number of metaphors are found in the Book of Psalms.
Wikipedia offers this definition of a metaphor.
“A metaphor is a figure of speech that, for rhetorical effect, directly refers to one thing by mentioning another. It may provide or obscure clarity or identify hidden similarities between two different ideas.”
According to Wikipedia, a figure of speech is “a word or phrase that entails an intentional deviation from ordinary language use in order to produce a rhetorical effect.” Rhetoric is “the art of persuasive speech.” A rhetorical effect then may be defined as the change that a speaker is seeking to affect in the listener with his particular choice of language. The speaker may choose certain words and phrases to convince the listener of the truth or validity of what he is saying.
A number of metaphors are also found in the Gospel of John. New Testament scholars call them Jesus’ “I am” statements. With these statements Jesus identifies himself with God. They are—
“I am the bread of life.” (John 6:25, 41, 48, 51)
“I am the light of the world.” (John 8:12)
“I am the door (or gate) of the sheep.” (John 10:7,9)
“I am the resurrection and the life.” (John 11:25)
“I am the good shepherd.” (John 10:11, 14)
“I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14: 6)
“I am the true vine.” (John 15: 1, 5)
Jesus’ “I am” statements would have had a particular significance for his followers, for the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law who questioned him, and for the first century Jewish crowds that flocked to hear him, to witness his miracles, and to experience his healing.
When Moses asked God his name, God responded:
God said to Moses, “I Am Who I Am. So say to the Israelites, ‘I Am has sent me to you.’” God continued, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your ancestors, Abraham’s God, Isaac’s God, and Jacob’s God, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever; this is how all generations will remember me. (Exodus 3:14-15)
Jesus described himself, using the same words.
In his conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob—
“Jesus said to her, ‘I Am—the one who speaks with you.’” (John 4:26)
When he was walking on the water, when he approached the disciples’ boat and they became terrified—
“He said to them, ‘I Am. Don’t be afraid.’” (John 6:20)
After he washed the disciples’ feet—
“’I’m telling you this now, before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I Am.’” (John 13:19)
The reason that the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law sought to kill Jesus was that he identified himself with God. In their eyes he was a blasphemer and should be put to death.
In this particular discourse, known as the Bread of Life Discourse, Jesus refers to Isaiah 54: 13. “All your children will be disciples of the Lord— I will make peace abound for your children.” He does not use the exact words of the Prophet Isaiah but paraphrases them. “And they will all be taught by God.” In the discourse Jesus is the one doing the teaching. Here again he is identifying himself with God.
Earlier on he tells those who have gathered to hear that only those whom the Father draws to him will come to him. They will recognize his teaching as God’s teaching. They will accept his teaching and act upon it.
It is by God’s grace, by the merciful kindness that God shows us and his holy influence working in us, we recognize Jesus as the one whom he say that he is—the Son whom the Father sent so that all who believe in him will have eternal life. It is by God’s grace that we recognize Jesus as the living bread that comes down from heaven. Jesus is God’s gift to us, God’s gift of himself in the person of the Son. The bread that we buy at the grocery store, supermarket, or convenience store or make from scratch and bake in our own kitchen nourishes the body. It sustains physical life. Jesus, the bread of life, nourishes the soul. He offers spiritual life and sustains it.
Was Jesus then referring to the eucharistic elements, the sacramental bread and wine of the Holy Communion, in these passages? The internal evidence in the Gospel of John does not support that conclusion. The Bread of Life Discourse appears very early in the narrative of John’s Gospel, well before the last meal that Jesus eats with his disciples in that Gospel. It is also the first of the seven “I am” discourses in the Gospel. The main thrust of these discourses is believing in Jesus, believing in his claims, believing in his teaching. In these discourses Jesus repeatedly uses figurative language. He compares himself with bread, a gate, a shepherd, and a vine. He uses this language to draw our attention to truths about himself.
Do these passages have any application to the Holy Eucharist, or the Lord’s Supper? I believe that they do on the basis that we have come to associate them with that meal. Jesus himself was not talking about the eucharistic elements, the sacramental bread and wine of the Holy Communion. We, however, depending upon the Christian tradition to which we belong, associate his words with that meal, his presence at the meal, and how he imparts grace to us in the meal.
I believe that it would be helpful to look at what the New Testament says about his presence at the Holy Eucharist, or Lord’s Supper, and the manner in which grace is imparted in the ordinanace or sacrament.
Jesus gives us his assurance that where two or three are gathered in his name, he is there with them (Matthew 18:20) Before he ascended into heaven, Jesus also promised the disciples that he will be with them every day until the end of this present age (Matthew 28: 20). This promise was not just to his first disciples, it was to his whole church, to his disciples for generations to come.
The New Testament tell us that we are united by the Holy Spirit to each other into the Body of Christ. We share in the same body and the same Spirit (Ephesians 4:4). The Holy Spirit is God himself dwelling in us, in our innermost being. Through the Holy Spirit we are united to Jesus in what may be described as a mystical union.
God said to Moses, “I Am Who I Am. So say to the Israelites, ‘I Am has sent me to you.’” God continued, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your ancestors, Abraham’s God, Isaac’s God, and Jacob’s God, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever; this is how all generations will remember me. (Exodus 3:14-15)
Jesus described himself, using the same words.
In his conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob—
“Jesus said to her, ‘I Am—the one who speaks with you.’” (John 4:26)
When he was walking on the water, when he approached the disciples’ boat and they became terrified—
“He said to them, ‘I Am. Don’t be afraid.’” (John 6:20)
After he washed the disciples’ feet—
“’I’m telling you this now, before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I Am.’” (John 13:19)
The reason that the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law sought to kill Jesus was that he identified himself with God. In their eyes he was a blasphemer and should be put to death.
In this particular discourse, known as the Bread of Life Discourse, Jesus refers to Isaiah 54: 13. “All your children will be disciples of the Lord— I will make peace abound for your children.” He does not use the exact words of the Prophet Isaiah but paraphrases them. “And they will all be taught by God.” In the discourse Jesus is the one doing the teaching. Here again he is identifying himself with God.
Earlier on he tells those who have gathered to hear that only those whom the Father draws to him will come to him. They will recognize his teaching as God’s teaching. They will accept his teaching and act upon it.
It is by God’s grace, by the merciful kindness that God shows us and his holy influence working in us, we recognize Jesus as the one whom he say that he is—the Son whom the Father sent so that all who believe in him will have eternal life. It is by God’s grace that we recognize Jesus as the living bread that comes down from heaven. Jesus is God’s gift to us, God’s gift of himself in the person of the Son. The bread that we buy at the grocery store, supermarket, or convenience store or make from scratch and bake in our own kitchen nourishes the body. It sustains physical life. Jesus, the bread of life, nourishes the soul. He offers spiritual life and sustains it.
Was Jesus then referring to the eucharistic elements, the sacramental bread and wine of the Holy Communion, in these passages? The internal evidence in the Gospel of John does not support that conclusion. The Bread of Life Discourse appears very early in the narrative of John’s Gospel, well before the last meal that Jesus eats with his disciples in that Gospel. It is also the first of the seven “I am” discourses in the Gospel. The main thrust of these discourses is believing in Jesus, believing in his claims, believing in his teaching. In these discourses Jesus repeatedly uses figurative language. He compares himself with bread, a gate, a shepherd, and a vine. He uses this language to draw our attention to truths about himself.
Do these passages have any application to the Holy Eucharist, or the Lord’s Supper? I believe that they do on the basis that we have come to associate them with that meal. Jesus himself was not talking about the eucharistic elements, the sacramental bread and wine of the Holy Communion. We, however, depending upon the Christian tradition to which we belong, associate his words with that meal, his presence at the meal, and how he imparts grace to us in the meal.
I believe that it would be helpful to look at what the New Testament says about his presence at the Holy Eucharist, or Lord’s Supper, and the manner in which grace is imparted in the ordinanace or sacrament.
Jesus gives us his assurance that where two or three are gathered in his name, he is there with them (Matthew 18:20) Before he ascended into heaven, Jesus also promised the disciples that he will be with them every day until the end of this present age (Matthew 28: 20). This promise was not just to his first disciples, it was to his whole church, to his disciples for generations to come.
The New Testament tell us that we are united by the Holy Spirit to each other into the Body of Christ. We share in the same body and the same Spirit (Ephesians 4:4). The Holy Spirit is God himself dwelling in us, in our innermost being. Through the Holy Spirit we are united to Jesus in what may be described as a mystical union.
The New Testament also tell us that together we are God’s temple and God’s Spirit lives in us (1 Corinthians 3:16). Together we are God’s dwelling place. We no longer need an earthly temple like the Temple at Jerusalem. Wherever God is, Jesus is also. Jesus and God are one (John 10:30).
Whenever we gather to celebrate the Holy Eucharist, or the Lord’s Supper, Jesus is present spiritually. He is present in his gathered people.
Where Christians disagree is whether Jesus is present in the eucharistic elements, in the sacramental bread and wine of the Holy Communion and if so, how he is present. Those who believe that he is present in the eucharistic elements in some way point to his words at the Last Supper. “This is my body.” They point to Paul’s words in his first letter to the Corinthians. “Isn’t the cup of blessing that we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Isn’t the loaf of bread that we break a sharing in the body of Christ? (1 Corinthians 10: 16-17)
Where Christians disagree is whether Jesus is present in the eucharistic elements, in the sacramental bread and wine of the Holy Communion and if so, how he is present. Those who believe that he is present in the eucharistic elements in some way point to his words at the Last Supper. “This is my body.” They point to Paul’s words in his first letter to the Corinthians. “Isn’t the cup of blessing that we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Isn’t the loaf of bread that we break a sharing in the body of Christ? (1 Corinthians 10: 16-17)
Those who disagree with this view draw attention to Jesus’ reference to the cup as “this fruit of the vine” after he had given the cup to his disciples (Matthew 26: 29) They argue that Jesus’ body cannot be in two places at one time. If it is in heaven, it cannot be in the sacramental bread. They further note that 1 Corinthians 19: 16-17 is open to more than one interpretation. Paul himself does not explain what he means when uses the phrases, “a sharing in the body of Christ” and “a sharing in the blood of Christ.”
I suspect that Christians may still be debating this issue when Jesus returns in glory. It may prove not as important as we may believe that is.
Let us move on to the manner in which Jesus imparts his grace in the Holy Eucharist, or the Lord’s Supper. I believe that I can safely say that almost all, if not all, Christian traditions regard the ordinance or sacrament as a means of grace. A means of grace is something through which God gives grace.
Let us move on to the manner in which Jesus imparts his grace in the Holy Eucharist, or the Lord’s Supper. I believe that I can safely say that almost all, if not all, Christian traditions regard the ordinance or sacrament as a means of grace. A means of grace is something through which God gives grace.
What the grace given in the ordinance or sacrament entails is interpreted in different ways by different Christian traditions. For example, Christian traditions which view the Holy Eucharist, or the Lord’s Supper, as a commemorative meal recalling Jesus’ suffering and death for our sakes see the meal as a way God shows his merciful kindness to us and by which he exercises his holy influence upon us.
There are several theories of how Jesus imparts his grace to us in the ordinance or sacrament. Some tie the imparting of his grace to the eucharistic elements, to the sacramental bread and wine of the Holy Communion; others do not. I believe that it is safest to view the manner in which Jesus imparts his grace in the ordinance or sacrament as a mystery, something which we are unable to explain and which we do not need to explain to believe.
Christians benefit from regular and frequent celebrations of the Holy Eucharist, or the Lord’s Supper and from regular and frequent participation in the ordinance or sacrament. It invigorates, strengthens, and confirms their faith in Jesus, the bread of life, the living bread come down from heaven.
There are several theories of how Jesus imparts his grace to us in the ordinance or sacrament. Some tie the imparting of his grace to the eucharistic elements, to the sacramental bread and wine of the Holy Communion; others do not. I believe that it is safest to view the manner in which Jesus imparts his grace in the ordinance or sacrament as a mystery, something which we are unable to explain and which we do not need to explain to believe.
Christians benefit from regular and frequent celebrations of the Holy Eucharist, or the Lord’s Supper and from regular and frequent participation in the ordinance or sacrament. It invigorates, strengthens, and confirms their faith in Jesus, the bread of life, the living bread come down from heaven.
According to the Christian tradition to which they belong, churches can supply those who are homebound or otherwise unable to attend a celebration of the Holy Eucharist, or the Lord’s Supper in person, with the presanctified elements, the elements that have been consecrated beforehand, or unconsecrated bread and wine (or grape juice) so that they can participate in the ordinance or sacrament with their brothers and sisters in Christ during a livestreaming of a communion service.
While we may separated from each other physically, we are joined to each other and to our Lord by the Holy Spirit. We are never separated from each other spiritually. We are the Body of Christ regardless of whether we are in the same room. Our membership in the Body of Christ is not tied to our sharing the same physical space together. It is tied to our sharing the same Spirit of God.
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
Grant to us, Lord, we beseech you,
the spirit to think and do always such things as are right,
that we, who cannot do anything that is good without you,
many by you be enabled to live according to your will;
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
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
Grant to us, Lord, we beseech you,
the spirit to think and do always such things as are right,
that we, who cannot do anything that is good without you,
many by you be enabled to live according to your will;
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 in a new tab to hear Michael Dennis Browne and Stephen Paulus' choral piece, "The Road Home."
Ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo
Ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo
Tell me, where is the road
I can call my own
That I left, that I lost
So long ago?
All these years I have wandered
Oh, when will I know
There's a way, there's a road
That will lead me home
Ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo
Ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo
After wind, after rain
When the dark is done
As I wake from a dream
In the gold of day
Through the air there's a calling
From far away
There's a voice I can hear
That will lead me home
Ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo
Ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo
Rise up, follow me
Come away, is the call
With the love in your heart
As the only song
There is no such beauty
As where you belong
Rise up, follow me
I will lead you home
Ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo
Ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo
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 Christopher Walker’s choral benediction, “May God Bless and Keep You.”
May God bless and keep you.
May God's face shine on you.
May God be kind to you
and give you peace.
May God bless and keep you.
May God's face shine on you.
May God be kind to you
and give you peace.
[Instrumental interlude]
May God bless and keep you.
May God's face shine on you.
May God be kind to you
and give you peace.
May God bless and keep you.
May God's face shine on you.
May God be kind to you
and give you peace.
Ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo
Ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo
Tell me, where is the road
I can call my own
That I left, that I lost
So long ago?
All these years I have wandered
Oh, when will I know
There's a way, there's a road
That will lead me home
Ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo
Ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo
After wind, after rain
When the dark is done
As I wake from a dream
In the gold of day
Through the air there's a calling
From far away
There's a voice I can hear
That will lead me home
Ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo
Ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo
Rise up, follow me
Come away, is the call
With the love in your heart
As the only song
There is no such beauty
As where you belong
Rise up, follow me
I will lead you home
Ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo
Ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo
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 Christopher Walker’s choral benediction, “May God Bless and Keep You.”
May God bless and keep you.
May God's face shine on you.
May God be kind to you
and give you peace.
May God bless and keep you.
May God's face shine on you.
May God be kind to you
and give you peace.
[Instrumental interlude]
May God bless and keep you.
May God's face shine on you.
May God be kind to you
and give you peace.
May God bless and keep you.
May God's face shine on you.
May God be kind to you
and give you peace.
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