All Hallows Evening Prayer for Sunday Evening (September 26, 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 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, Creator of the universe,
from old you have led your people by night and day.
May the light of your Christ make our darkness bright,
for your Word and your presence are the light of our pathways,
and you are the light and life of all creation.
Amen.

Psalm 141 is sung and incense may be burned.

Open this link in a new tab to hear Marty Haugen’s adaptation of Psalm 141, “Let My Prayer Rise Up Like Incense Before You.”

Let my prayer rise up like incense before you,
the lifting up of my hands as an offering to you.

O God, I call to you, come to me now;
hear my voice when I cry to you.

Let my prayer rise up like incense before you,
the lifting up of my hands as an offering to you.

Keep watch within me, God;
deep in my heart may the light of your love be burning bright.

Let my prayer rise up like incense before you,
the lifting up of my hands as an offering to you.

All praise to the God of all, Creator of life;
all praise be to the Christ and the Spirit of love.

Let my prayer rise up like incense before you,
the lifting up of my hands as an offering to you.

Silence is kept.

May our prayers come before you, O God, as incense, and may your presence surround and fill us, so that in union with all creation, we might sing your praise and your love in our lives. Amen.

The Psalms

Open this link to hear Kiran Young Wimberly’s adaptation of Psalm 121, “I Lift My Eyes Up to the Hills.”

I lift my eyes up to the hills
where does my help come from?
I lift my eyes up to the hills
where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord above,
the Lord of heaven and earth.
The One who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleeps

[Instrumental interlude]

The Lord who watches over Israel
is your shade at your right hand.
The sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon harm you by night.

The Lord will keep you from all harm;
and will watch over your life.
watch over you as you come and go
now and forevermore.

[Instrumental interlude]

The Lord will keep you from all harm;
and will watch over your life.
watch over you as you come and go
now and forevermore,
now and forevermore.

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 Nielo Cantilado’s “Jesus, my Friend.”

He is my friend, a Man yet a God
He is my friend, a Servant yet a King.
He stays with me every moment of my day
Whose love is lamp to my feet
A lamp to my path

Jesus, my friend, you are a friend to me.
In sadness, joy, you stay so close to me.
You poured your love.
And now I know you more.
Jesus, my Lord, my God, my friend.

You touched my heart, and you taught me what is right
Of all my friends, you’re really different
really different
You shaped my heart, to love as you have loved
Love bears all things, believes all things,
Hopes all things, endures all things.

Jesus, my friend, you are a friend to me.
In sadness, joy, you stay so close to me.
You poured your love.
And now I know you more.
Jesus, my Lord, my God, my friend.

Jesus, my friend, you are a friend to me.
In sadness, joy, you stay so close to me.
You poured your love.
And now I know you more.
Jesus, my Lord, my God, my friend.
Jesus, my friend.

The Proclamation of the Word

The Reading

Mark 9: 38-50 Entering the Kingdom May Mean Painful Sacrifice

Then John said to him, “Master, we saw somebody driving out evil spirits in your name, and we stopped him, for he is not one who follows us.”

But Jesus replied, “You must not stop him. No one who exerts such power in my name would readily say anything against me. For the man who is not against us is on our side. In fact, I assure you that the man who gives you a mere drink of water in my name, because you are followers of mine, will most certainly be rewarded.”

“And I tell you too, that the man who disturbs the faith of one of the humblest of those who believe in me would be better off if he were thrown into the sea with a great mill-stone hung round his neck!”

“Indeed, if it is your own hand that spoils your faith, you must cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than to keep both your hands and go to the rubbish-heap, If your foot spoils your faith, you must cut it off. It is better to enter life on one foot than to keep both your feet and be thrown on to the rubbish-heap. And if your eye leads you astray, pluck it out. It is better for you to go one-eyed into the kingdom of God than to keep both eyes and be thrown on to the rubbish-heap, where ‘their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched’. For everyone will be salted by fire.”

“Salt is a very good thing; but if it should lose its saltiness, what can you do to restore its flavour? You must have salt in yourselves, and live at peace with each other.”

Silence is kept.

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

The Homily

Jesus Walks Beside Us

I suspect that many of us may find today’s reading more than a little discomforting. Following him, Jesus tells his followers, will require that they make sacrifices, even painful ones. We read in the Gospels several passages in which those who expressed a desire to follow Jesus were not willing to make the sacrifices that following him required. They were like the rich young man unprepared to give up the way that they had been living.

When we choose to become a follower of Jesus, we choose to take a different path from the one we have been taking and our loved ones and our friends may still be on.

We cannot be a follower of Jesus and say and do all the things that we said and did before we became a follower of Jesus. This can be very challenging not just for new followers but those who have been following Jesus for some time. Loving God and loving others go beyond having warm fuzzy feelings toward them. It means emulating Jesus’ character and following his teaching and example. We act in ways that show we love God and others.

We may find ourselves caught between following Jesus and pleasing our loved ones and our friends. Our loved ones and our friends may see nothing wrong with saying and doing things like we said and did before we became a follower of Jesus because that is how they say and do things. They may encourage us to keeping saying and doing things that way. They, however, have not set their feet on the same path as we have. They are walking a different path. We have chosen to follow Jesus.

In choosing to follow Jesus, we have chosen to love God with our whole heart; to love our neighbor—friend and stranger—as ourselves, to love those who are not friendly to us and have been hurtful toward us, to do good to them; to treat others as we would like them to treat us, to show them forgiveness, kindness, and generosity; and to love our brothers and sisters in Christ as Jesus himself loves us. We have also chosen to let go of our anger and resentment when something comes between us and someone else and to make things right with them if we possibly can. That is the path we have taken. That is the path we are on. We have entered God’s kingdom. Jesus is now our Lord and friend.

Jesus does not leave us to walk this path on our own. Jesus walks beside us. He has given us companions to walk the path with us. He himself walks in these companions. He walks in us.

May be you think to yourself, “I’m not loving, forgiving, kind, generous enough to follow Jesus.” Jesus knows our strengths and weaknesses. He fills our lives with an abundance of his grace, grace to help us follow him. When we lean into Jesus, when we lean into what he taught and showed us, we will discover that our fears were needless. He will supply all that we need.

Silence is kept.

The Gospel Canticle

Open this link in a new tab to hear Joanne Boyce’s adaptation of the Magnificat, “My Soul Glorifies the Lord.”

My soul glorifies the Lord,
my spirit rejoices
My God forever he will be,
bless his holy name.

He looks upon me his servant,
looks on me in my lowliness.
He works marvels for me,
Hence forth all ages call me blessed,
Call me blessed.

My soul glorifies the Lord,
my spirit rejoices
My God forever he will be,
bless his holy name.

He scatters the proud hearted,
casts the mighty from their thrones.
His mighty arm before me,
In strength he raises the lowly,
raises the lowly.

My soul glorifies the Lord,
my spirit rejoices
My God forever he will be,
bless his holy name.

He fills the starving with plenty,
but empty sends the rich away.
From age to age his mercy,
The mercy promised us forever,
promised forever.

My soul glorifies the Lord,
my spirit rejoices
My God forever he will be,
bless his holy name.

Bless him, bless him.
Bless him, bless him.

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

In darkness and in light,
in trouble and in joy,
help us, heavenly Father,
to trust your love,
to serve your purpose,
and to praise your name,
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 Maris Franz’ rendition of “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus.”

I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.
No turning back, no turning back.

The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.
No turning back, no turning back.

I will follow you, Jesus,
I will follow you, Jesus,
I will follow you, Jesus,
I will follow you.

Though none go with me, still I will follow;
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.
No turning back, no turning back.

Though I may wonder, I still will follow;
Though I may wonder, I still will follow;
Though I may wonder, I still will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.
No turning back, no turning back.

I will follow you, Jesus,
I will follow you, Jesus
I will follow you, Jesus
I will follow you

I will follow you, Jesus,
I will follow you, Jesus
I will follow you, Jesus
I will follow you

Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
No turning back, no turning back.
No turning back, no turning back.

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

May God, Creator, bless us and keep us,
may Christ be ever light for our lives,
may the Spirit of love be our guide and path,
for all of our days. Amen.