All Hallows Evening Prayer for Wednesday Evening (December 1, 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 John Scott’s arrangement of “Creator of the Stars of Night.”
Creator of the stars of night
Thy people’s everlasting light
O Jesus, Saviour of us all
Regard thy servants when they call
Thou, grieving at the bitter cry
Of all creation doomed to die
Didst come to save a ruined race
With healing gifts of heav’n’ly grace
Thou camest, bridegroom of the bride
As drew the world to eveningtide
Proceeding from a virgin shrine
The Son of Man, yet Lord divine
At thy great name, majestic now
All knees must bend, all hearts must bow
And things in heav’n and earth shall own
That thou art Lord and King alone
To thee, O holy One, we pray
Our judge in that tremendous day
Preserve us, while we dwell below
From ev’ry onslaught of the foe
All praise, eternal Son, to thee
Whose advent sets thy people free
Whom with the Father we adore
And Spirit blest, for evermore. Amen.
Thanksgiving
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Blessed are you, O Lord our God, ruler of the universe,
creator of light and darkness.
In this holy season.
you renew your promise to reveal among us
the splendor of your glory,
enfleshed and visible to us in Jesus Christ your Son.
Through the prophets
you teach us to hope for his reign of peace,
Through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit,
you open our blindness to the glory of his presence.
Strengthen us in our weakness.
Support us in our stumbling efforts to your will
and free our tongues to sing your praise.
For to you all honour and blessing are due,
Now and for ever. Amen.
Psalm 141 is sung and incense may be burned.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Tony Alonso’s responsorial setting of the evening psalm, “Psalm 141—Like Burning Incense, O Lord.”
Like burning incense, O Lord,
let my rise to you.
Like burning incense, O Lord,
let my prayer rise to you.
1 I call out to you,
Come quickly to my aid.
My song cries out to you,
O listen to me now.
I raise my hands in off’ring to you.
Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)
Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)
2 Let me speak your truth;
watch over all I say.
Keep my thoughts on you;
let goodness rule my heart.
Keep me far from those who do harm.
Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)
Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)
3 Never let me dine
with those who seek to harm.
Keep your holy ones
always at my side.
Plant your wisdom deep in my soul.
Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)
Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)
4 I look to you for help;
I seek your loving eyes.
Guard my life for you;
Spare me from all wrong.
Keep all evil far from my heart.
Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)
Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)
5 Glory be to God
and to God’s only Son,
glory to the Spirit,
three in one,
now and for ever. Amen.
Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)
Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)
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 Liam Lawton’s adaptation of Psalm 84, “How Lovely Is Your Dwelling Place.”
How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord, my God!
How lovely is your dwelling place, is your dwelling place, O God!
1 My soul is thirsting for the Lord,
how it yearns for the courts of the Lord.
My heart and soul ring out for joy to God,
the living God.
How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord, my God!
How lovely is your dwelling place, is your dwelling place, O God!
2 The sparrow finds herself a home
and the swallow a nest for her brood.
She lays her young by your altars, Lord of hosts,
my King and my God.
How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord, my God!
How lovely is your dwelling place, is your dwelling place, O God!
3 One day, O Lord, within your courts
is better than a thousand elsewhere.
The threshold of the house of God I prefer
to the household of the wicked.
How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord, my God!
How lovely is your dwelling place, is your dwelling place, O God!
Silence is kept.
Lord God,
sustain us in this vale of tears
with the vision of your grace and glory,
that, strengthened by the bread of life,
we may come to your eternal dwelling place;
in the power of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Proclamation of the Word
The Reading
Luke 20: 45-47 Jesus warns his disciples against religious pretentiousness
Then while everybody was listening, Jesus remarked to his disciples, “Be on your guard against the scribes, who enjoy walking round in long robes and love having men bow to them in public, getting front seats in the synagogue, and the best places at dinner parties—while all the time they are battening on widow’s property and covering it up with long prayers. These men are only heading for deeper damnation.”
Silence is kept.
May your word live in us
and bear much fruit to your glory
Homily
The Real Thing
In the second decade in this century those against whom we must be on guard are ourselves and our fellow Christians. We and our fellow Christians are not what we like to think that we are. We are far from beingfully devoted followers of Jesus who emulate his character, his teaching, and his example.
On Sundays we may gather in church, listen to the songs of a top rate praise band and the sermon of a celebratory preacher and the rest of week we live as if there is no God. Our lives are indistinguishable from those of our neighbors, coworkers, and fellow students who do not attend church on Sunday and devote their Sundays to leisure, recreation, and sleeping-in. If we are putting on a pretense of religiousness or spirituality, it is for ourselves and our fellow Christians.
Outsiders know that most of us and our fellow Christians are hypocrites. Yes, we are hypocrites. We give lip service to Jesus, but our lives are not faithful reflections of him.
We may aspire to follow Jesus. We may even believe that we are following Jesus. But in reality we are lying to ourselves. When it comes to making the sacrifices that fully surrendering our lives to Jesus require, we shrink from making them.
We embrace politics that demonize those who do not share our views. On social media we lash out against them.
“…and love your neighbor as yourself,” Jesus says. “But they are not our neighbors,” we reply. “They are not worthy of our love.” “They are beneath contempt.”
“Love your enemies,” Jesus says. “But they are Marxists, Communists, and Socialists, racists, white supremacists, and gay bashers,“ we reply. “You can’t mean that we should love them!”
When did we become worthy of God’s love? Yet God loves us. He shows us his good-will and favor although we don’t merit it or deserve it.
We ignore Jesus’ warning, “It is not everyone who keeps saying to me ‘Lord, Lord’ who will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but the man who actually does my Heavenly Father’s will.” (Matthew 7:21) What is the Father’s revealed will? We love and obey the Son.
We wonder why people are leaving our churches, why people are not become Christians. We are tempted to blame the society in which we live. The reason they are leaving our churches, the reason they are not becoming Christians, however, is ourselves and our fellow Christians. We do not practice what we claim to profess.
What is the point of attending church when our lives and the lives of our fellow Christians are no different from the lives of those who do not attend a church? What is the point of becoming a Christian when Christians are no different from everyone else, when Christians do not show the influence of Jesus in their lives?
Pastors and church leaders struggle to think of ways of luring people back into church, of encouraging people to become Christians. The glamor, however, has gone. People see beyond the pretense. They see things as they really are.
There is a solution to the problem of people leaving the church and to the problem of people not becoming Christians. It is staring us right in the face. Become genuine followers of Jesus! Not fake Christians but true disciples! It means wholeheartedly turning to Jesus and accepting him as the Lord of our lives, keeping his word and emulating his character, teaching, and example.
God gives us his grace. God gives us the Holy Spirit. He does not leave us to struggle on our own. God gives us the will and the power to please him. He guides us and spurs us on himself.
While it may be tempting to think of ourselves as special, as God’s elect, a shepherd’s sheep know his voice and follow him. They do not mill around in the sheep pen. They do not wander off in search of grass. Jesus made this point several times in the Gospel of John. Those who are his true disciples, those whom the Father has given to him, recognize him for who is—the Son and therefore their Lord.
Pastors and church leaders struggle to think of ways of luring people back into church, of encouraging people to become Christians. The glamor, however, has gone. People see beyond the pretense. They see things as they really are.
There is a solution to the problem of people leaving the church and to the problem of people not becoming Christians. It is staring us right in the face. Become genuine followers of Jesus! Not fake Christians but true disciples! It means wholeheartedly turning to Jesus and accepting him as the Lord of our lives, keeping his word and emulating his character, teaching, and example.
God gives us his grace. God gives us the Holy Spirit. He does not leave us to struggle on our own. God gives us the will and the power to please him. He guides us and spurs us on himself.
While it may be tempting to think of ourselves as special, as God’s elect, a shepherd’s sheep know his voice and follow him. They do not mill around in the sheep pen. They do not wander off in search of grass. Jesus made this point several times in the Gospel of John. Those who are his true disciples, those whom the Father has given to him, recognize him for who is—the Son and therefore their Lord.
We can interpret what he says several ways. Essentially what he is saying, however, is, “If you are really my disciples, you will accept my authority and my teaching and act on them.” A disciple is not someone who talks about following a teacher. A disciple follows the teacher. Disciples show that they are a teacher’s followers.
In the Synoptic Gospels Jesus talks about people demonstrating that they are children of God. Children imitate their parents. In the Japanese movie, Soshite Chichi ni Naru, in English, Like Father, Like Son, two baby boys are accidentally switched at birth. They grow up in the wrong family and become like the father in the family. The hospital whose staff switched the two boys discovers its mistake and the two boys are returned to their biological parents. They have a hard time making the adjustment to living with their biological parents. The father of the family in which they were raised before the mistake was discovered has become their psychological father and they resemble him. He is the father with whom they are happiest. They are his son. They have adopted his mannerisms, his way of thinking, and his values and it is to him that they have bonded and to who they are attached. It is the same way with us and God. As Jesus points out, we show ourselves to be God’s children when we act like God. We are kind. We are forgiving. We are patient. And so on. We are children acting like our father.
Disciples of Jesus emulate the teaching and example of their teacher. Children of God act like God. This distinguishes disciples of Jesus and children of God from everyone else. They are not only disciples of Jesus and children of God on the outside, in their outward behavior. They are also disciples of Jesus and children of God on the inside, in their inward attitudes.
What Jesus says in so many words is, “prove who you are.” “Show that you are indeed my disciple.” “Show that you are indeed a child of God.” “Words are not enough. You must support them with actions.” What Jesus is doing is challenging us. What he is saying is, “Don’t be like the Pharisees and scribes. They are pretend, show, play-acting, put on. They are not the real thing.”
We are to be the real thing!
Silence is kept.
The Gospel Canticle
Open this link in a new tab to hear Ann Krentz’s choral arrangement of the Magnificat, “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.
1 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.
2 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.
3 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
Almighty God,
give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness
and put on the armour of light,
now in the time of this mortal life
In which Jesus came among us in great humility,
that on the last day,
when he shall come again in his glorious majesty
to judge the living and the dead,
we may rise to life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer is said.
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 Jean Janzen’s hymn, “Mothering God, You Gave Me Birth,” adapted from the Showings of Julian of Norwich.
Mothering God, you gave me birth
in the bright morning of this world.
Creator, source of every breath,
you are my rain, my wind, my sun,
you are my rain, my wind, my sun.
Mothering Christ, you took my form,
offering me your food of light,
grain of life, and grape of love,
your very body for my peace,
your very body for my peace.
Mothering Spirit, nurturing one,
in arms of patience hold me close,
so that in faith I root and grow
until I flower, until I know,
until flower, until I know.
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 Karen Schneider Kirner’s choral benediction, “From Age to Age.”
Bless to us, O Lord, the earth beneath our feet.
Bless to us, O Lord, the path on which we walk.
Bless to us, O Lord, the heart of our desires.
From age to age, eternally
may we find rest in you.
Bless to us this day and bless to us this night.
Bless to us our hands and bless our feet that dance.
Bless us with the dreams on which we set our hopes.
From age to age, eternally
may we find rest in you.
Bless to us the way that leads us back to you.
Bless to us the ones on which we set our love.
Bless us with the grace that leads us to your peace.
From age to age, eternally
may we find rest in you
In the Synoptic Gospels Jesus talks about people demonstrating that they are children of God. Children imitate their parents. In the Japanese movie, Soshite Chichi ni Naru, in English, Like Father, Like Son, two baby boys are accidentally switched at birth. They grow up in the wrong family and become like the father in the family. The hospital whose staff switched the two boys discovers its mistake and the two boys are returned to their biological parents. They have a hard time making the adjustment to living with their biological parents. The father of the family in which they were raised before the mistake was discovered has become their psychological father and they resemble him. He is the father with whom they are happiest. They are his son. They have adopted his mannerisms, his way of thinking, and his values and it is to him that they have bonded and to who they are attached. It is the same way with us and God. As Jesus points out, we show ourselves to be God’s children when we act like God. We are kind. We are forgiving. We are patient. And so on. We are children acting like our father.
Disciples of Jesus emulate the teaching and example of their teacher. Children of God act like God. This distinguishes disciples of Jesus and children of God from everyone else. They are not only disciples of Jesus and children of God on the outside, in their outward behavior. They are also disciples of Jesus and children of God on the inside, in their inward attitudes.
What Jesus says in so many words is, “prove who you are.” “Show that you are indeed my disciple.” “Show that you are indeed a child of God.” “Words are not enough. You must support them with actions.” What Jesus is doing is challenging us. What he is saying is, “Don’t be like the Pharisees and scribes. They are pretend, show, play-acting, put on. They are not the real thing.”
We are to be the real thing!
Silence is kept.
The Gospel Canticle
Open this link in a new tab to hear Ann Krentz’s choral arrangement of the Magnificat, “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.
1 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.
2 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.
3 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
Almighty God,
give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness
and put on the armour of light,
now in the time of this mortal life
In which Jesus came among us in great humility,
that on the last day,
when he shall come again in his glorious majesty
to judge the living and the dead,
we may rise to life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer is said.
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 Jean Janzen’s hymn, “Mothering God, You Gave Me Birth,” adapted from the Showings of Julian of Norwich.
Mothering God, you gave me birth
in the bright morning of this world.
Creator, source of every breath,
you are my rain, my wind, my sun,
you are my rain, my wind, my sun.
Mothering Christ, you took my form,
offering me your food of light,
grain of life, and grape of love,
your very body for my peace,
your very body for my peace.
Mothering Spirit, nurturing one,
in arms of patience hold me close,
so that in faith I root and grow
until I flower, until I know,
until flower, until I know.
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 Karen Schneider Kirner’s choral benediction, “From Age to Age.”
Bless to us, O Lord, the earth beneath our feet.
Bless to us, O Lord, the path on which we walk.
Bless to us, O Lord, the heart of our desires.
From age to age, eternally
may we find rest in you.
Bless to us this day and bless to us this night.
Bless to us our hands and bless our feet that dance.
Bless us with the dreams on which we set our hopes.
From age to age, eternally
may we find rest in you.
Bless to us the way that leads us back to you.
Bless to us the ones on which we set our love.
Bless us with the grace that leads us to your peace.
From age to age, eternally
may we find rest in you
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