All Hallows Evening Prayer for Saturday Evening (January 8, 2022)

 

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, Lord our God,
our eternal Father and David’s King.
You have made our gladness greater and increased our joy
by sending to dwell among us
the Wonderful Counselor, the Prince of Peace.
Born of Mary,
proclaimed to the shepherds,
and acknowledged to the ends of the earth,
your unconquered Sun of righteousness
destroys our darkness and establishes us in freedom.
All glory in the highest be to you,
through Christ, the Son of your favour,
in the anointing love of the Spirit,
this night and for ever and ever. Amen.

Psalm 141 is sung and incense may be burned.

Open this link in a new tab to hear Randall De Bruyn’s arrangement of Psalm 141 from The Grail (England).

Like burning incense, O Lord, let my prayer rise up to you.
Like burning incense, O Lord, let my prayer rise up to you.

I have called to you, Lord, hasten to help me.
Hear my voice when I cry to you.
Let my prayer arise before you like incense.
the raising of my hands like the evening oblation.

Set, O Lord, a guard over my mouth,
keep watch, O Lord, at the door of my lips!
Do not turn my heart to things that are wrong,
to evil deeds with those who are sinners.

Never allow me to share in their feasting.
If the righteous strike or reprove me, it is a kindness;
but let the oil of the wicked n’er anoint my head.
Let my prayer be ever against their malice.

To you, Lord God, my eyes are turned;
in you I take refuge; spare my soul!
From the trap they have laid for me keep me safe;
Keep me from the snares of those who do evil.

Glory to the Father and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.

Like burning incense, O Lord, let my prayer rise up 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 Marty Haugen’s adaptation of Psalm 121, “Pilgrim’s Song.”

I lift my eyes to the mountains,
from where shall come my help?
My help shall come from the One
who made the heavens and the earth,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

1 God will not let your foot be moved.
God, who keeps you will not slumber.
The One who keeps Israel
never slumbers, never sleeps.

I lift my eyes to the mountains,
from where shall come my help?
My help shall come from the One
who made the heavens and the earth,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

2 God will be the one who keeps you,
as a shade at your right hand,
so the sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon in the night.

I lift my eyes to the mountains,
from where shall come my help?
My help shall come from the One
who made the heavens and the earth,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

3. God will keep you from all evil.
God will always guard your life,
guard your comings, and your goings,
from now and evermore.

I lift my eyes to the mountains,
from where shall come my help?
My help shall come from the One
who made the heavens and the earth,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

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 8: 14-17 God confirms Samaria’s acceptance of the Gospel

When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the Word of God, they sent Peter and John down to them. When these two had arrived they prayed for the Samaritans that they might receive the Holy Spirit for as yet he had not fallen upon any of them. They were living simply as men and women who had been baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus. So then and there they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.

Silence is kept.

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

Homily

At the Time of His Own Choosing

The late James Dunn, a British New Testament scholar, showed that this passage in the Acts of Apostles does not describe a separate baptism in the Holy Spirit as many charismatics and Pentecostals believe but rather God’s confirmation that the Gospel and therefore salvation were not just for the Jews but also for Gentiles. In the eyes of the Jews the Samaritans were Gentiles although they shared a common religious heritage. Both peoples claimed the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as their God. It is one of several occasions in the Acts of Apostles where the Gentiles receive the Holy Spirit, showing that they were included in the New Covenant. Jesus did not suffer and die on the cross for only the Jews but for all humankind.

Some Christian traditions maintain that the Holy Spirit is given at baptism because Jesus received the Holy Spirit in the physical form of a dove at his baptism in the Jordan River. The New Testament, however, records several occasions when people received the Holy Spirit before they were baptized or after they were baptized While the Holy Spirit may be given at baptism, he may also be given apart from baptism. It is also possible to undergo baptism and not receive the Holy Spirit as in the case of Simon Magus. God gives himself to us in the person of the Holy Spirit at the time of his own choosing.

The signs of the Holy Spirit’s presence in us are belief in Jesus, recognition and submission to his lordship over our lives, the gifts, or manifestations, of the Holy Spirit, and the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our character.

One of the reasons that we do not fully experience the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives is unconfessed, unrepented sin. We are withholding areas of our life from Jesus’ lordship. We have not completely surrender ourselves to him. A second reason is that we have not reached a point in our spiritual lives where we are open to the Holy Spirit’s power, and we are putting a damper on the Holy Spirit’s activities in our spiritual life. We need to take our foot off the damper pedal and let the Holy Spirit have free rein. Just as our hearts and minds must be open to the grace that God supplies us to make full use of that grace, our hearts and minds must be open to the Holy Spirit to experience his power.

I see no harm in praying over someone new to the faith or a disciple of many years and laying hands on them as a gesture of goodwill, asking God to make the power of his Spirit known in their lives or known more fully. The Holy Spirit may use our prayers as turning point in their lives, convicting them of wrongdoings and sins that are keeping them from experiencing the Spirit’s power or giving them the nudge that they need to open themselves to his power. What is most important is that we encourage them to trust God’s goodness, and we do not give them unrealistic expectations about what they may experience.

Silence is kept.

The Gospel Canticle

Open this link in a new tab to hear Chaz Bower’s choral arrangement of “My Soul Proclaims Your Greatness, Lord.”

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.

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 lowly throned instead;
the hungry filled with all good things,
the rich sent off unfed.

To Israel, your servant blest,
(To Israel, your servant blest,)
your help is ever sure;
(your help is ever sure;)
the promise to our parents made
(the promise ti our parents made)
their children will secure.
(their children will secure.)
Sing glory to the Holy One,
(Sing glory to the Holy One,)
give honor to the Word,
(give honor to the Word,)
and praise the Pow’r of the Most High,
(and praise the Pow’r of the Most High,)
one God, by all adored,
(one God by all adored,)
on God, by all adored.

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, you annointed Jesus at his baptism with the Holy

Spirit  and revealed him as your beloved Son. Keep all  who are

born of water and the Spirit faithful in your service, that we

may rejoice to be called children of God, through Jesus Christ,

our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the

Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. 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 Richard Irwin’s adaptation of Margaret Olds “Spirit of God, Unseen as the Wind.”

Spirit of God, unseen as the wind,
Gentle as the dove;
Touch us with love and teach us to sing
Joy to you Lord above.

Your voice the sound, heard in the wind,
O’er fields and hills you sing;
Now I can hear, the joy, my Lord,
the peace your song will bring.

Spirit of God, unseen as the wind,
Gentle as the dove;
Touch us with love and teach us to sing
Joy to you Lord above.

Love in our hearts, praise in prayers,
We follow on your way;
Lord of the sky, Lord of the earth,
Answer us when we pray.

Spirit of God, unseen as the wind,
Gentle as the dove;
Touch us with love and teach us to sing
Joy to you Lord above.

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 Marty Haugen’s choral arrangement of Adam Tice’s “May God Keep and Bless You.”

May God keep and bless you,
and nothing distress you.
May God guard and guide you,
and friends walk beside you.

May God’s arms surround you,
and fear not confound you.
May God’s light shine through you,
and night not subdue you.

As you sleep and wake
may your prayers arise
as love songs for God,
whose love never dies,
whose love never dies.