All Hallows Evening Prayer for Wednesday Evening (October 13, 2021)
Evening Prayer
The Service of LightJesus Christ is the light of the world.
A light no darkness can extinguish.
Open this link to hear Carl P. Schalk’s choral arrangement “Joyous Light of Glory.”
Joyous light ,
joyous light, of glory
of the immortal Father,
Heavenly, holy, blessed Jesus Christ,
We have come to the setting of the Sun
And we look to the evening light.
We sing to God,
we sing to God,
we sing to God,
we sing to God
the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
You, you are worthy of being praised,
of being praised with pure voices forever.
O Son of God,
O Son of God,
O Son of God,
O Son of God
O Giver of life,
The universe proclaims your glory.
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.
The Proclamation of the Word
The Reading
Hebrews 5: 1-10 Christ Our Great High Priest
Note that when a man is chosen as High Priest he is appointed on men’s behalf as their representative in the things of God—he offers gifts to God and makes the necessary sacrifices for sins on behalf of his fellow-men. He must be able to deal sympathetically with the ignorant and foolish because he realises that he is himself prone to human weakness. This naturally means that the offering which he makes for sin is made on his own personal behalf as well as on behalf of those whom he represents.
Note also that nobody chooses for himself the honour of being a High Priest, but he is called by God to the work, as was Aaron, the first High Priest in ancient times.
Thus we see that the Christ did not choose for himself the glory of being High Priest, but he was honoured by the one who said: ‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you’.
And he says in another passage: ‘You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek’.
Christ, in the days when he was a man on earth, appealed to the one who could save him from death in desperate prayer and the agony of tears. His prayers were heard; he was freed from his shrinking from death but, Son though he was, he had to prove the meaning of obedience through all that he suffered. Then, when he had been proved the perfect Son, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who should obey him, being now recognised by God himself as High Priest “after the order of Melchizedek.
Silence is kept.
May your word live in us
and bear much fruit to your glory
The Homily
How God Answers Prayer
Today was filled with God incidences. Three, no four articles. And then Wednesday evening’s reading. Some things happen that you know God had a hand in them. They are not coincidences. They are God incidences.
The verse that immediately caught my attention in Wednesday evening’s reading was this one, “Christ, in the days when he was a man on earth, appealed to the one who could save him from death in desperate prayer and the agony of tears. His prayers were heard; he was freed from his shrinking from death….”
Three time Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane that God would take this cup from him. He would not have to suffer death. Jesus had come to Jerusalem to die. Yet he shrank from death.
How did God answer his prayer? God stiffened Jesus’ resolve to obey him. God freed him from his fear.
Not quite the answer, I suspect, Jesus was hoping for.
Earlier today I was reading an article by Brandon Cox about how God answers prayer—the first of the God incidences. We ask God for a quick fix. But God does not always answer our prayer with a quick fix. Rather than change the situation, God changes us.
God answered Jesus’s prayers that way. God gave Jesus the strength and courage to face his own death.
All of us, I suspect, have situations in our lives in which we pray that God will intervene—set things to right. We ask God to heal a sick loved one, to mend a broken relationship, to keep someone close to our heart from making an ill-considered choice.
God may not answer our prayer as we hoped. Instead, God may give us grace to patiently endure the situation, to keep on loving the one who pushed us away, to trust that God will bring good out of a bad situation.
Jesus did not teach us to give up praying when we do not get the quick fix that we ask for. Rather he taught us that we should keep knocking on God’s door asking for bread; pestering God to grant our plea. In the process God may change us. God may also give us an opportunity to think through what we are asking. Is it really what we want? Is it really the best thing for whomever we are praying, for ourselves?
Jesus also taught us that if we who are evil give good things to our children, God who alone is good is even more likely to give good things to us. Because God does not give us the quick fix that we asked for does not mean God does not have our good at heart. It does not mean that God does not love us. We can trust in God’s goodness toward us, in God’s love for us.
Silence is kept.
The Gospel Canticle
Open this link in a new tab to hear Ann Krentz’s choral arrangement of “My Soul Proclaims Your Greatness.”
My soul proclaims your greatness, O Lord;
I sing my Savior’s praise!
Great wonders you have done for me,
and holy is your name.
My soul proclaims your greatness, Lord;
I sing my Savior’s praise!
You looked upon my lowliness,
and I am full of grace.
Now ev’ry land and ev’ry age
this blessing shall proclaim—
great wonders you have done for me,
and holy is your name.
My soul proclaims your greatness, O Lord;
I sing my Savior’s praise!
Great wonders you have done for me,
and holy is your name.
To all who live in holy fear
Your mercy ever flows.
With mighty arm you dash the proud,
Their scheming hearts expose.
The ruthless you have cast aside,
the lonely throned instead;
the hungry filled with all good things,
the rich sent off unfed.
My soul proclaims your greatness, O Lord;
I sing my Savior’s praise!
Great wonders you have done for me,
and holy is your name.
To Israel, your servant blest,
your help is ever sure;
the promise to our parents made
their children will secure.
Sing glory to the Holy One,
give honor to the Word,
and praise the Pow’r of the Most High,
one God, by all adored.
My soul proclaims your greatness, O Lord;
I sing my Savior’s praise!
Great wonders you have done for me,
and holy is your name,
and holy is your name.
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 to hear Karen Schneider Kerner’s choral anthem, “Each Step of the Journey.”
1 God be with you in ev’ry pass,
Jesus be with you on ev’ry hill;
Spirit be with you on ev’ry stream,
headland and ridge and lawn.
2 Each sea and land, each moor and meadow,
each lying down, each rising up,
In the trough of the waves,
on the crest of the billows,
God, Christ, and Spirit on the journey.
3 Cross of the saints and of the angels
ever be raised before you.
O Mary of grace, the blest Mother of Christ,
shield you by day and night.
4 God make safe ev’ry step you take,
Christ open up ev’ry narrow way.
May the Spirit inspire you
and fill you with song!
God, Christ, and Spirit on the journey.
5 God enfold me, surround me,
God in my speaking and thinking;
God in my hoping and God in my heart,
God in my ev’ry breath!
6 As you were before life’s beginning,
be mine again at this journey’s end.
As you were at my soul’s design
God, Christ, and Spirit on the journey,
the journey, the journey.
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.
Jesus did not teach us to give up praying when we do not get the quick fix that we ask for. Rather he taught us that we should keep knocking on God’s door asking for bread; pestering God to grant our plea. In the process God may change us. God may also give us an opportunity to think through what we are asking. Is it really what we want? Is it really the best thing for whomever we are praying, for ourselves?
Jesus also taught us that if we who are evil give good things to our children, God who alone is good is even more likely to give good things to us. Because God does not give us the quick fix that we asked for does not mean God does not have our good at heart. It does not mean that God does not love us. We can trust in God’s goodness toward us, in God’s love for us.
Silence is kept.
The Gospel Canticle
Open this link in a new tab to hear Ann Krentz’s choral arrangement of “My Soul Proclaims Your Greatness.”
My soul proclaims your greatness, O Lord;
I sing my Savior’s praise!
Great wonders you have done for me,
and holy is your name.
My soul proclaims your greatness, Lord;
I sing my Savior’s praise!
You looked upon my lowliness,
and I am full of grace.
Now ev’ry land and ev’ry age
this blessing shall proclaim—
great wonders you have done for me,
and holy is your name.
My soul proclaims your greatness, O Lord;
I sing my Savior’s praise!
Great wonders you have done for me,
and holy is your name.
To all who live in holy fear
Your mercy ever flows.
With mighty arm you dash the proud,
Their scheming hearts expose.
The ruthless you have cast aside,
the lonely throned instead;
the hungry filled with all good things,
the rich sent off unfed.
My soul proclaims your greatness, O Lord;
I sing my Savior’s praise!
Great wonders you have done for me,
and holy is your name.
To Israel, your servant blest,
your help is ever sure;
the promise to our parents made
their children will secure.
Sing glory to the Holy One,
give honor to the Word,
and praise the Pow’r of the Most High,
one God, by all adored.
My soul proclaims your greatness, O Lord;
I sing my Savior’s praise!
Great wonders you have done for me,
and holy is your name,
and holy is your name.
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 to hear Karen Schneider Kerner’s choral anthem, “Each Step of the Journey.”
1 God be with you in ev’ry pass,
Jesus be with you on ev’ry hill;
Spirit be with you on ev’ry stream,
headland and ridge and lawn.
2 Each sea and land, each moor and meadow,
each lying down, each rising up,
In the trough of the waves,
on the crest of the billows,
God, Christ, and Spirit on the journey.
3 Cross of the saints and of the angels
ever be raised before you.
O Mary of grace, the blest Mother of Christ,
shield you by day and night.
4 God make safe ev’ry step you take,
Christ open up ev’ry narrow way.
May the Spirit inspire you
and fill you with song!
God, Christ, and Spirit on the journey.
5 God enfold me, surround me,
God in my speaking and thinking;
God in my hoping and God in my heart,
God in my ev’ry breath!
6 As you were before life’s beginning,
be mine again at this journey’s end.
As you were at my soul’s design
God, Christ, and Spirit on the journey,
the journey, the journey.
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.
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