All Hallows Evening Prayer for Wednesday Evening (February 16, 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

Matthew 5:23-26 Be Reconciled

“So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.

“When you are on the way to court with your adversary, settle your differences quickly. Otherwise, your accuser may hand you over to the judge, who will hand you over to an officer, and you will be thrown into prison. And if that happens, you surely won’t be free again until you have paid the last penny.

Silence is kept.

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

HOMILY

What Did Jesus Teach? Reconciliation

In Matthew 5: 23-26 Jesus lays out several key principles related to reconciliation, that is, making peace with someone who has something against us and becoming friendly with them again. The most important principle is that we should not wait to pursue reconciliation with them. We should drop whatever we are doing and go and make peace with them. This includes performing an important religious duty or obligation.

For the Jews at the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry offering a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple was serious religious duty and obligation—an act of obedience to God’s command to love God “with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.” But Jesus said that that duty and obligation comes second to being reconciled with someone who has something against us. We should do it quickly and not put it off to a later time.

Jesus warned that if we delay, we could suffer negative consequences for having failed to act promptly. He uses the example of a debtor coming to some kind of agreement with whoever they were indebted to on the way to court. Otherwise, they could be thrown into prison until they had repaid the debt—a common practice in that day. This meant that they might languish in prison for a very long time unless they had relations or friends who were willing to repay the debt for them.

What if the person who has something against us refuses to speak to us and avoids us? We are still obliged to pursue reconciliation with them. We are not freed from doing what Jesus directed his disciples to do.

If that person is a fellow Christian and church member, and they are withholding forgiveness from us, they are guilty of sin, or wrongdoing. They are not obeying Jesus’ instructions to forgive others. In such an instance, Jesus gave these directions to his disciples.

“If another believer sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive. Even if that person wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, you must forgive.” Luke 17: 3-4 NLV

This may entail taking them to task publicly. A public warning, however, may prove counter-productive. It may simply trigger their “inner rebel,” causing them to take the attitude, “no one tells me what to do,” and even to act out and compound their sinfulness.

In the past in some church traditions the unforgiving believer would have not been admitted to the Lord’s Table until they had forgiven the person against whom they held something and had reconciled with that person. Or the elders of the church met with the unforgiving believer and admonished them to repent. These actions reflected the seriousness with which these church traditions viewed unforgiveness.

In our day it may be more appropriate for their pastor to have a quiet talk with them about the need for forgiveness and reconciliation.

In any event Jesus is clear that we should pursue reconciliation at the soonest opportunity, forgive others, bear patiently with those who mistreat us, not repay unkindness with unkindness, do good to them, and pray for them. God may in his time soften their hearts and enable us to make peace with them.

Silence is kept.

SONG OF PRAISE

Open this link in a new tab to hear Miriam Winter’s “My Soul Gives Glory to My God.”

1 My soul gives glory to my God,
My heart pours out its praise.
God lifted up my lowliness
In many marvelous ways.

2 My God has done great things for me:
Holy is the Name.
All people will declare me blessed,
And blessings they shall claim.

3  From age to age to all who fear,
Such mercy love imparts,
Dispensing justice far and near,
Dismissing selfish hearts.

4 Love casts the mighty from their thrones,
Promotes the insecure,
Leaves hungry spirits satisfied;
The rich seem suddenly poor.

5 Praise God, whose loving covenant
Supports those in distress,
Remembering past promises
With present faithfulness

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

Let your merciful ears, O Lord,
be open to the prayers of your humble servants;
and that they may obtain their petitions
make them ask such things as shall please you;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

RESPONSE

Open this link in a new tab to hear Rosemary Herklots; ‘Forgive Our Sins as We Forgive.’

1. 'Forgive our sins as we forgive,'
you taught us, Lord, to pray,
but you alone can grant us grace
to live the words we say.

2 How can your pardon reach and bless
the unforgiving heart,
that broods on wrongs and will not let
old bitterness depart?

3 In blazing light your cross reveals
the truth we dimly knew:
what trivial debts are owed to us,
how great our debt to you!

4 Lord, cleanse the depths within our souls,
and bid resentment cease;
then, by your mercy reconciled
our lives will spread your peace.

5 'Forgive our sins as we forgive,'
you taught us, Lord, to pray,
but you alone can grant us grace
to live the words we say.

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.