All Hallows Evening Prayer for Saturday Evening (October 2, 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 in a new tab to hear Songs in His Presence’s Psalm 8 O Lord, Our God, How Wonderful.”

O Lord, our God,
how wonderful your name,
how wonderful your name in all the earth!

When I behold your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars which you set in place -
What is man that you should be mindful of him,
or the son of man that you should care for him?

O Lord, our God,
how wonderful your name,
how wonderful your name in all the earth!

You have made him little less than the angels,
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him rule over the works of your hands,
putting all things under his feet:

O Lord, our God,
how wonderful your name,
how wonderful your name in all the earth!
(how wonderful your name!)

All sheep and oxen,
yes, and the beasts of the field,
The birds of the air, the fishes of the sea,
and whatever swims the paths of the seas.

O Lord, our God,
how wonderful your name,
how wonderful your name in all the earth!
(how wonderful your name!)

Silence is kept.

We bless you, master of the heavens,
for the wonderful order which enfolds this world;
grant that your whole creation
may find fulfilment in the Son of Man,
Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.

Open this link in a new tab to John Michael Talbot’s “1 Corinthians 13.”

Love is patient, Love is kind
Love is humble, does not put on airs
Love is never rude
Not prone to anger, does not seek itself

Love is patient, Love is kind
It does not brood over injuries
Does not rejoice in what is wrong
Love rejoices always with the truth

Love never fails
There is no limit to Love
To its power to prevail
To its trust, to its hope
Its power to endure

There are in the end three things that last
There is faith, there is hope and charity
And the greatest of these is Love
So after Love seek eagerly

The Proclamation of the Word

The Reading

Genesis 2:18-24 A Second Account of the Creation of Woman

Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to live alone. I will make a suitable companion to help him.” So he took some soil from the ground and formed all the animals and all the birds. Then he brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and that is how they all got their names. So the man named all the birds and all the animals; but not one of them was a suitable companion to help him.

Then the Lord God made the man fall into a deep sleep, and while he was sleeping, he took out one of the man's ribs and closed up the flesh. He formed a woman out of the rib and brought her to him. Then the man said,

“At last, here is one of my own kind—
Bone taken from my bone, and flesh from my flesh.
‘Woman’ is her name because she was taken out of man.”

That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united with his wife, and they become one.

Silence is kept.

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

The Homily

For Better or for Worse

The Bible has two accounts of the creation of humankind. The first account is found in Genesis 1:26-31:

"Then God said, “And now we will make human beings; they will be like us and resemble us. They will have power over the fish, the birds, and all animals, domestic and wild, large and small.” So God created human beings, making them to be like himself. He created them male and female, blessed them, and said, “Have many children, so that your descendants will live all over the earth and bring it under their control. I am putting you in charge of the fish, the birds, and all the wild animals. I have provided all kinds of grain and all kinds of fruit for you to eat; but for all the wild animals and for all the birds I have provided grass and leafy plants for food”—and it was done. God looked at everything he had made, and he was very pleased. Evening passed and morning came—that was the sixth day."

Today’s reading forms a part of the second account.

Stories in the Bible serve a number of purposes. Some pastors and priests may tell you that they are allegories. That explanation, however, is not accurate. The Bible has only a few allegories. They all come with an explanation of what they mean. When a pastor or priest treats as an allegory a story which is not a genuine biblical allegorical, he is reading his own meaning into the story. He may use biblical language and biblical concepts, but what we hear is the product of his imagination. It is not what can be read out of the text. It may be skillfully put together and convincing, but these qualities do not make it an accurate interpretation of the text.

The first account of God’s creation of humankind in the Book of Genesis is a part of a longer creation narrative. What is important about this narrative is the central role that God plays in creation. The coming of this world into being was not a fortuitous accident—for us, but an act of God’s will. It was intentional. It served God’s purpose. The coming of humanity into existence was also intentional. It too served God’s purpose. Whether the narrative is a scientifically accurate description of how the earth was formed and how humankind came to live on the planet does not matter. It conveys a spiritual truth—God’s hand was at work in the creation of our world and the creation of the human race.

What is noteworthy about the first account of humanity’s creation is that God creates more than one man and one woman, forming them in his own image. He directs them to reproduce and multiply, and gives them dominion over the other living creatures with which they share the planet, the dominion of plant-eaters over plant-eaters. 

Why the second account of humanity’s creation? Isn’t one enough? We may speculate that these two accounts were the main accounts of humanity’s creation in circulation at the time the Book of Genesis was written. Rather than omit one account whoever wrote the Book of Genesis decided to include both accounts just to be on the safe side. This view, however, infers that the Book of Genesis was put together higgledy-piggledy without thought to constructing a purposeful, unified narrative.

However, both accounts do serve a purpose. I have already touched on the purpose of the first account. Let us look at the purpose of the second account. The key to the purpose of the second account is the last verse. ‘That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united with his wife, and they become one.’ It explains why men marry. Kind of disappointing, right? Something of a letdown? Since none of the animals that God creates prove a suitable candidate as a companion and helpmate for the first man, God creates the first woman from one of the man’s ribs.

It is a reversal of what we regard as the natural order of things. The woman is born from the man, rather than the man being born from the woman. The intention of this account is to place man first in the order of creation of humankind. This, some interpreters of the Bible might argue, is to justify male supremacy and patriarchy.

Let us take a look at what Jesus says. He alludes to both accounts in his teaching on divorce.

"Haven’t you read,” he answered, “that the one who created them from the beginning ‘made them male and female’ and said: ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two separate people but one. No man therefore must separate what God has joined together." (Mathhew 19: 4-6 PHILLIPS)

Jesus said that a man becomes one flesh with his wife, not because woman was made from man, but because God made human beings male and female. He makes no reference to the creation of man before the creation of woman. Let us ponder for a moment what he said.

What we can conclude from his words is that he regarded marriage as a largely insoluble union, one which could be dissolved only by marital infidelity. This he made clear from what he said in the passages that preceded and followed this one. A man who divorces his first wife because he did not like her cooking, grounds for divorce recognized by the rabbis of the first century, and who marries a second wife is, according to Jesus, committing adultery and causing the second wife to commit adultery too. His union to the first wife has not been dissolved.

One of the points Jesus makes in the accompanying passages is that marriage is not to be entered into lightly. It is a union which is to last the lifetime of the couple—in the words of the Church of England’s marriage vow “for better or worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part….”

In the twenty-first century it is relatively easy to obtain a divorce. We can rid ourselves of a spouse or civil partner of whom we have grown tired and in we have lost interest fairly quickly in the right state with the right attorneys.

I am not making light of marital breakups. Don’t get me wrong. A couple can grow apart after years of marriage and a divorce is a formal way of recognizing that their marriage ended sometime earlier. It is a sad reality of life.

A Christian who seeks to follow the teaching of Jesus and who is considering marriage should give careful thought to whether the individual whom they are considering marrying is the right choice. There is no perfect choice. Some choices are better than others. Someone who may initially look like a very good choice or even the best choice may turn out to have hidden faults. They are pretending to be someone whom they are not. For that reason, it makes sense to take time to get to know someone.

Some things that they may do can be very revealing of what kind of person that they really are. For example, do they treat the wait staff at restaurants badly? Someone who mistreats a server or a cashier is not a very kind person. If they treat a server or a cashier unkindly, they are going to treat anyone in whom they are in relationship unkindly too. There are other red flags, and it is wise to learn them and heed them.

A question that we should ask ourselves is that when the temporary “love” driven by hormones fades and the fun times evaporate is this someone who is going to stick with me through thick and then? Are they going to love me for who I am, and not attempt to turn me into someone else? Are they going to support my hopes, dreams, and aspirations? Are they going to be there for me when I need them? Are they going to love me through the good times and the bad times? Or will they, when things get tough or they get bored, turn to someone else?

We may want to pray for the gifts of discernment and wisdom. We may also want to ask God to reveal the true character of those with whom we are spending time, to expose any bad intentions that they might harbor toward us.

One thing we will want to avoid is letting our emotions do the thinking for us. Many young people (and old people) have gotten themselves into bad relationships because they stubbornly refused to listen the warnings of others that the individual in whom they were interested or with whom they were seeking a potential relationship was not a good choice for them. They convinced themselves that the individual in question was not as bad as people said they were, only to discover that they were worse.

I recall a conversation that a student of my local university was having with a female student who worked at the library’s front desk. He was boasting how he deliberately seduced young Christian women in order to prove that they were no different from other young women. He was not interested in forming a relationship. He was only interested in demeaning them while gratifying his sexual desires at their expense and proving to himself that Christian women were hypocrites. His attitude showed that he held all women in contempt.

The world is full of people who use their personal charm to gain someone’s confidence and trust so that can achieve whatever evil motives they have toward that person. They may be friendly and sympathetic, but they do not have the person’s good at heart. They are seeking to take advantage of the person in one way or another.

Becoming fully acquainted with the danger signs and not ignoring them, praying for discernment and wisdom, asking God to expose people’s true colors, and thinking with our heads, not our feelings, are four ways that we can protect ourselves from sexual exploitation, relationship abuse, and the other perils we may face in our search for that one companion and helpmate with whom we would wish to spend our lives, that one person who will be important to our well-being and to whose well-being we will be important, who will bring out the best in us as a human being and a follower of Jesus and in whom we will likewise bring out the best. Who they are, may surprise us.

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 Lori True’s arrangement of Alison Robertson’s hymn, “Love Is the Touch.”

1 Love is the touch of intangible joy;
love is the force that no fear can destroy;
love is the goodness we gladly applaud:
God is where love is, for love is of God.

2 Love is the lilt in a lingering voice;
love is the hope that can make us rejoice;
love is the cure for the frightened and flawed:
God is where love is, for love is of God.

3 Love is the light in the tunnel of pain;
love is the will to be whole once again;
love is the trust of a friend on the road:
God is where love is, for love is of God.

4 Love is the Maker, and Spirit, and Son;
love is the kingdom their will has begun;
love is the pathway the saints all have trod:
God is where love is, for love is of God.

5 Love is the touch of intangible joy;
love is the force that no fear can destroy;
love is the goodness we gladly applaud:
love is where love is, for love is of God,
Love is where love is, for love is of God

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.