All hallows Evening Prayer for Wednesday Evening (October 27, 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 Psalm 141 from the Lutheran Service Book.
Let my prayer rise before you as incense,
the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
O Lord, I call you; come to me quickly;
Hear my voice when I cry to you.
Let my prayer rise before you as incense,
the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Set a watch before my mouth, O Lord,
and guard the doors of my lips.
Let my heart not incline to any evil thing;
let me not be occupied in wickedness with evildoers.
But my eyes are turned to you, O God,
in you I take refuge.
Strip me not of my life.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Let my prayer rise before you as incense,
the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
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
Acts 9: 1-22 The Conversion of Saul
But Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord, went to the High Priest and begged him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he should find there any followers of the Way, whether men or women, he could bring them back to Jerusalem as prisoners.
But on his journey, as he neared Damascus, a light from Heaven suddenly blazed around him, and he fell to the ground. Then he heard a voice speaking to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”
“Who are you, Lord?” he asked.
“I am Jesus whom you are persecuting,” was the reply. “But now stand up and go into the city and there you will be told what you must do.”
His companions on the journey stood there speechless, for they had heard the voice but could see no one. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they took him by the hand and led him into Damascus. There he remained sightless for three days, and during that time he had nothing either to eat or drink.
Now in Damascus there was a disciple by the name of Ananias. The Lord spoke to this man in a dream. calling him by his name. “I am here, Lord,” he replied.
Then the Lord said to him, “Get up and go down to the street called Straight, and enquire at the house of Judas for a man named Saul from Tarsus. At this moment he is praying and he sees in his mind’s eye a man by the name of Ananias coming into the house, and placing his hands upon him to restore his sight.”
But Ananias replied, “Lord, I have heard on all hands about this man and how much harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem! Why even now he holds powers from the chief priests to arrest all who call upon your name.”
But the Lord said to him, “Go on your way, for this man is my chosen instrument to bear my name before the Gentiles and their kings, as well as to the sons of Israel. Indeed, I myself will show him what he must suffer for the sake of my name.”
Then Ananias set out and went to the house, and there he laid his hands upon Saul, and said, “Saul, brother, the Lord has sent me—Jesus who appeared to you on your journey here—so that you may recover your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
Immediately something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got to his feet and was baptised. Then he took some food and regained his strength.
Saul stayed with the disciples in Damascus for some time. Without delay he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues declaring that he is the Son of God. All his hearers were staggered and kept saying, “Isn’t this the man who so bitterly persecuted those who called on the name in Jerusalem, and came down here with the sole object of taking back all such people as prisoners before the chief priests?”
But Saul went on from strength to strength, reducing to confusion the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving beyond doubt that this man is Christ.
Silence is kept.
May your word live in us
and bear much fruit to your glory
The Homily
Six Ways God Makes His Presence Known to Us
How does God make his presence known in our lives? Most of us will not have an encounter with Jesus like Paul’s on the road to Damascus. A few do. But the rest of us may never experience such a manifestation of God’s presence. We must walk by faith, trusting that not only that God exists but God is always present with us and shows us his goodwill and favor.
While God may not manifest himself in such an extraordinary manner in our lives, he does manifest himself in less extraordinary ways. Let us take a look at six ways God makes his presence known to us.
God speaks to us through sacred scripture. God speaks to us through the words of the biblical writers. While the words were written by human beings, they were inspired by the Holy Spirit. God was active in influencing what they wrote, and God makes himself known through their words. Sacred scripture is more than human reflection on the supernatural and the divine. Sacred scripture is a meeting place for us with God.
A meeting place? Yes, a meeting place. When we read sacred scripture, we will encounter the living God in its words. God infuses the words of sacred scripture with his presence and his power.
For this reason, I recommend reading the Bible devotionally, taking our time, reading a few verses at a time, starting with the Gospels, then the writings of the apostles, and finally the Law and the Prophets.
I also recommending reading these verses aloud, unhurriedly, paying attention to each word and phrase. When we read silently, we are apt to rush. We may miss things that God is telling us.
In the language of lectio divina, God will make a word or phrase that he is drawing to our attention “shimmer.” It will catch our attention. He may nudge us to meditate upon it or pray about it. God may cause it to come to mind throughout the day.
Reading and meditating upon sacred scripture is a means of grace, a means of divine influence. Through its words God invigorates, strengthens, and renews our faith.
A second way God makes his presence known to us is God-incidences. They are things that cannot be explained by coincidence or serendipity, accidently finding something good. They occur too closely together, and they have an orderly, purposeful sequence. They point to God’s presence and power working in our lives.
A third way God makes his presence known to us can be observed in prayer meetings and small group prayer times. A prayer concern comes to mind, something that was not mentioned earlier in the meeting or even in personal conversations before the meeting. We hesitate and someone else begins to pray about the very same concern! God was prompting us to pray for that concern and when we hesitated, God prompted someone else. God may have caused us to hesitate to enable us to see that he was present, and he was the one who brought up the prayer concern, a concern for which he wanted those present at the meeting to pray.
People often close their eyes when they pray. However, when they close their eyes in a gathering, they may miss see God working in those present. People's facial expressions and their body language reveal how God may be moving them.
Reading and meditating upon sacred scripture is a means of grace, a means of divine influence. Through its words God invigorates, strengthens, and renews our faith.
A second way God makes his presence known to us is God-incidences. They are things that cannot be explained by coincidence or serendipity, accidently finding something good. They occur too closely together, and they have an orderly, purposeful sequence. They point to God’s presence and power working in our lives.
A third way God makes his presence known to us can be observed in prayer meetings and small group prayer times. A prayer concern comes to mind, something that was not mentioned earlier in the meeting or even in personal conversations before the meeting. We hesitate and someone else begins to pray about the very same concern! God was prompting us to pray for that concern and when we hesitated, God prompted someone else. God may have caused us to hesitate to enable us to see that he was present, and he was the one who brought up the prayer concern, a concern for which he wanted those present at the meeting to pray.
People often close their eyes when they pray. However, when they close their eyes in a gathering, they may miss see God working in those present. People's facial expressions and their body language reveal how God may be moving them.
A fourth way God manifests himself is through the spiritual gifts. While our natural talents and abilities are God-given, they are not the kinds of manifestations of God in us, which are called the spiritual gifts. The spiritual gifts are the different ways that God acts through us to build up the Body of Christ in a particular congregation of the faithful. The best way to confirm that we have a particular spiritual gift is through the attestation of the members of the congregation to which God has given the gift. God does not give spiritual gifts to us. He gives them to the Body of Christ.
A fifth way that God manifests himself is through the people that God places in our lives. God may place them in our lives to be a positive influence upon us. God may use them as channels of his grace to us, channels through which he exercises his own influence in our lives. God may also use them in other ways to accomplish in our lives his purposes or to achieves the result that he desires. For example, God used a pastor whose philosophy of ministry I did not share to teach me patience and forbearance. It was not an easy lesson, but it showed God’s love for me.
God, however, does not put people into our lives to tempt us, to entice or try to entice us into doing things that are wrong and grievous to God or hurtful to ourselves or others. God does not put people in our lives to encourage us in wrongdoing or hurtfulness. Nor does God put people in our lives to persuade us to reinvent ourselves and to make changes in our lives, which do mischief to our relationship with God. God does none of these things.
God loves us as we are. At the same time God calls us to a new life, a new life in Jesus. God calls us to become in our relationship with Jesus our true self, the person whom God meant us to be.
This is the sixth way that that God manifests himself—through the changes that he himself is making in our lives. The apostle Paul called these changes “the fruit of the Spirit.” They are the products of the spiritual growth that the power of God’s presence is causing.
In his epistle to the Galatians Paul writes, “The Spirit however, produces in human life fruits such as these: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, fidelity, tolerance and self-control….” Let’s take a closer look at these fruit that God produces In us.
Love. We take more than a casual interest in other people We deeply care about them. We experience feelings of affection, fondness, and tenderness toward them, feelings which grow and intensify over time. We form a deep attachment to them. We feel a lasting concern for them and their wellbeing, a concern that will last beyond this life.
Joy. We often experience very glad feelings, feelings of great pleasure, delight, and elation. We are more than happy. We are ecstatic. We are like the father of the parable who saw his youngest son returning home. We kick off our sandals and run to meet him, throwing our dignity to the wind. What makes us so joyful? What God has done for us in Jesus. What God's grace and the Holy Spirit are doing in the lives of non-believers, our brothers and sisters in Christ, and ourselves.
Peace. We value tranquility, harmony, healing, and wholeness. We seek to live peaceably with all people. If we experience a rift in our relationship with someone, we do our best to restore friendly relations with them. We are quick to let go of anger and resentment and to forgive. We do not let our angry feelings morph into hatred and bitterness.
Patience. We are able to calmly endure the things that vex us in life. We “understand and accept the fact that sometimes things must unfold in their own time.” We do not become bored or lose interest because things may be taking longer than we expected. We do not become angry or upset because they are not unfolding the way that we expected.
Kindness. We are friendly, helpful, and sympathetic toward others. We give thought to their feelings. We are not selfish toward them, concentrating on the satisfaction of our own wishes and desires without regard for them.
Generosity. We are ready to give more things than is strictly necessary or expected—our time, our money, our friendship. We treat others with kindness.
Fidelity. We are faithful in our relationships with others, demonstrating continuing loyalty and support.
Tolerance. We hold ourselves back from making quick or harsh judgments of other people’s opinions or conduct and from treating them disrespectfully or unkindly.
Self-Control. We control our emotions and desires and the expression of them in our behavior. We do not let our emotions and desires do our thinking for us.
What other ways does God make his presence known to us? We have looked at six ways. What other ways come to your mind? How has God made himself known in your life?
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 in a new tab to hear Henry Alford’s hymn, “We Walk by Faith, and Not by Sight.”
1 We walk by faith, and not by sight:
No gracious words we hear
of him who spoke as none e'er spoke,
but we believe him near.
2 We may not touch his hands and side,
nor follow where he trod;
yet in his promise we rejoice,
and cry, "My Lord and God!"
3 Help then, O Lord, our unbelief,
and may our faith abound;
to call on you when you are near.
and seek where you are found:
4 That when our life of faith is done
in realms of clearer light
We may behold you as you are
in full and endless sight.
5 We walk by faith, and not by sight:
No gracious words we hear
of him who spoke as none e'er spoke,
but we believe him near.
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.
In his epistle to the Galatians Paul writes, “The Spirit however, produces in human life fruits such as these: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, fidelity, tolerance and self-control….” Let’s take a closer look at these fruit that God produces In us.
Love. We take more than a casual interest in other people We deeply care about them. We experience feelings of affection, fondness, and tenderness toward them, feelings which grow and intensify over time. We form a deep attachment to them. We feel a lasting concern for them and their wellbeing, a concern that will last beyond this life.
Joy. We often experience very glad feelings, feelings of great pleasure, delight, and elation. We are more than happy. We are ecstatic. We are like the father of the parable who saw his youngest son returning home. We kick off our sandals and run to meet him, throwing our dignity to the wind. What makes us so joyful? What God has done for us in Jesus. What God's grace and the Holy Spirit are doing in the lives of non-believers, our brothers and sisters in Christ, and ourselves.
Peace. We value tranquility, harmony, healing, and wholeness. We seek to live peaceably with all people. If we experience a rift in our relationship with someone, we do our best to restore friendly relations with them. We are quick to let go of anger and resentment and to forgive. We do not let our angry feelings morph into hatred and bitterness.
Patience. We are able to calmly endure the things that vex us in life. We “understand and accept the fact that sometimes things must unfold in their own time.” We do not become bored or lose interest because things may be taking longer than we expected. We do not become angry or upset because they are not unfolding the way that we expected.
Kindness. We are friendly, helpful, and sympathetic toward others. We give thought to their feelings. We are not selfish toward them, concentrating on the satisfaction of our own wishes and desires without regard for them.
Generosity. We are ready to give more things than is strictly necessary or expected—our time, our money, our friendship. We treat others with kindness.
Fidelity. We are faithful in our relationships with others, demonstrating continuing loyalty and support.
Tolerance. We hold ourselves back from making quick or harsh judgments of other people’s opinions or conduct and from treating them disrespectfully or unkindly.
Self-Control. We control our emotions and desires and the expression of them in our behavior. We do not let our emotions and desires do our thinking for us.
What other ways does God make his presence known to us? We have looked at six ways. What other ways come to your mind? How has God made himself known in your life?
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 in a new tab to hear Henry Alford’s hymn, “We Walk by Faith, and Not by Sight.”
1 We walk by faith, and not by sight:
No gracious words we hear
of him who spoke as none e'er spoke,
but we believe him near.
2 We may not touch his hands and side,
nor follow where he trod;
yet in his promise we rejoice,
and cry, "My Lord and God!"
3 Help then, O Lord, our unbelief,
and may our faith abound;
to call on you when you are near.
and seek where you are found:
4 That when our life of faith is done
in realms of clearer light
We may behold you as you are
in full and endless sight.
5 We walk by faith, and not by sight:
No gracious words we hear
of him who spoke as none e'er spoke,
but we believe him near.
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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