All Hallows Evening Prayer for Saturday Evening (February 5, 2022)

 

PROCLAMATION OF THE LIGHT

One or more candles may be lit.

Light and peace in Jesus Christ our Lord
Thanks be to God

EVENING HYMN

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!

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING

Dear Jesus,
as a hen covers her chicks with her wings
to keep them safe, do thou this night
protect us under your golden wings. Amen.

SCRIPTURE

1 Corinthians 15: 1-11 The Resurrection of Christ

And now I want to remind you, my friends, of the Good News which I preached to you, which you received, and on which your faith stands firm. That is the gospel, the message that I preached to you. You are saved by the gospel if you hold firmly to it—unless it was for nothing that you believed.

I passed on to you what I received, which is of the greatest importance: that Christ died for our sins, as written in the Scriptures; that he was buried and that he was raised to life three days later, as written in the Scriptures; that he appeared to Peter and then to all twelve apostles. Then he appeared to more than five hundred of his followers at once, most of whom are still alive, although some have died. Then he appeared to James, and afterward to all the apostles.

Last of all he appeared also to me—even though I am like someone whose birth was abnormal. For I am the least of all the apostles—I do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted God's church. But by God's grace I am what I am, and the grace that he gave me was not without effect. On the contrary, I have worked harder than any of the other apostles, although it was not really my own doing, but God's grace working with me. So then, whether it came from me or from them, this is what we all preach, and this is what you believe.

Silence is kept.

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

HOMILY

The Best News of All

In today’s reading from his first letter to the Corinthians Paul summarizes the gospel that he preached to the church at Corinth. This is the gospel in which Paul was instructed at the time he became a disciple of Jesus.

The reason that Paul gave this summary of the gospel in his first letter to the Corinthians was that some members of the Corinthian Church were expressing doubt in the resurrection of the dead and by inference Jesus’ resurrection.

Four points are included in this summary:

Jesus is the Christ, God’s Anointed, the Messiah.

Jesus died for our sins, as written in the Scriptures

Jesus was buried and that he was raised to life three days later, as written in the Scriptures

Jesus appeared to numerous witnesses, including Paul himself.

One point is missing: Jesus will return again in glory. However, Paul preaches Jesus’s second coming elsewhere in his letters.

These points are key Christian beliefs that form the heart of the gospel.

Jesus is the Messiah. His death had a purpose—to put things right with God. Jesus was dead when they took him down from the cross and put him Joseph of Arimathea’s tomb. And most importantly, Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to a long list of witnesses.

Along with these truths—Jesus is Lord, Jesus will come again, God will set things to rights when he does, and we are put right with God by faith in Jesus, they are the good news that Christians believe and share.

Since Jesus is Lord, it is only right and proper that we follow his teaching and example. What does Jesus instruct us? “Be perfect as God is perfect.”

No, we cannot become faultless like God is. However, we can strive to be holy as God is holy, We can strive to be kind and forgiving as God is kind and forgiving.

God grants us grace to will and to do these things and more. God enables us to trust in Jesus, and having faith in Jesus, he enables us to grow in maturity of character and in our love of him, our God and Father. He makes it possible for us to become like Jesus.

That is the best news of all. We have a generous, loving God.

Silence is kept.

SONG OF PRAISE

Open this link in a new tab to hear Kiran Young Wimberly’s adaptation of Psalm 67. “May God Be Gracious Unto Us.”

May God be gracious unto us
Make God’s face shine on to us
That your way be known on earth
And your power among all nations

Let the peoples praise you, God,
All the peoples praise you, God,
And be glad and sing for joy
Guide the peoples of all nations

[Instrumental interlude]

God, our God, has blessed us kindly
Blessed us and sustained us kindly
God be gracious unto us
And God’s face shine on all nations

May God be gracious unto us
May God’s face shine on to us
God be gracious unto us
And God’s face shine on all nations

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

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

Most holy God,
the earth is filled with your glory,
and before you angels and saints stand in awe.
Enlarge our vision to see your power at work in the world,
and by your grace make us heralds of your Son,
Jesus Christ, Our Savior and Lord. Amen.

RESPONSE

Open this link in a new tab to hear Les Petites Soers de Jésus and L'Arche Community’s “Lord Jesus, You Shall Be My Song as I Journey.”

1 Lord Jesus, you shall be my song as I journey;
I'll tell everybody about you wherever I go:
you alone are our life and our peace and our love.
Lord Jesus, you shall be my song as I journey.

2 Lord Jesus, I'll praise you as long as I journey;
May all of my joy be a faithful reflection of you.
May the earth and the sea and the sky join my song.
Lord Jesus, I'll praise you as long as I journey.

3 As long as I live, Jesus, make me your servant,
to carry your cross and to share all your burdens and tears.
For you saved me by giving your body and blood.
As long as I live, Jesus, make me your servant.

4 I fear in the dark and the doubt of my journey;
but courage will come with the sound of your steps by my side.
And will all of the family you saved by your love,
we'll sing to your dawn at the end of our journey.

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.

BLESSING

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.