All Hallows Evening Prayer for Wednesday Evening (February 23, 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

Luke 6: 27-36 Love Your Enemies

“But I say to all of you who will listen to me: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who treat you badly.

“As for the man who hits you on one cheek, offer him the other one as well!

And if a man is taking away your coat, do not stop him from taking your shirt as well. Give to everyone who asks you, and when a man has taken what belongs to you, don’t demand it back.”

“Treat men exactly as you would like them to treat you.”

“If you love only those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them! And if you do good only to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that, And if you lend only to those from whom you hope to get your money back, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners and expect to get their money back. No, you are to love your enemies and do good and lend without hope of return. Your reward will be wonderful and you will be sons of the most high. For he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked!

“You must be merciful, as your father in Heaven is merciful.”

“Don’t judge other people and you will not be judged yourselves. Don’t condemn and you will not be condemned. Make allowances for others and people will make allowances for you. Give and men will give to you—yes, good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will they pour into your lap. For whatever measure you use with other people, they will use in their dealings with you.”

Silence is kept.

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

HOMILY

What Did Jesus Teach? Kindness and Mercy

Of all the qualities of Jesus’ character the most easily seen or noticeable is his kindness. The healings, the exorcisms, the miraculous feedings of large crowds of people, the restoration of the dead to life, the transformation of water in wine are all acts of kindness. Jesus is generous, helpful, and caring about other people’s needs. He has time for everyone. He does not give anyone the brush-off, refuse to talk or be pleasant to them, and treat them as a bother, an annoying person.

One of the threads that runs through Jesus’ teaching is his teaching about being kind, being merciful. Jesus exemplifies what he teaches. In this past Sunday’s Gospel reading, Luke 6: 27-36, which is also today’s reading, he teaches his disciples to love those who are not friendly to them and to do good to them. He instructs them to be merciful, as God is merciful. He further tells them to be kind and not judge other people in a severe way. He points to their attention that the measure which they use in judging others will be the measure by which they will be judged.

Earlier on Jesus had told them that those who showed mercy toward others would themselves be shown mercy. They would be treated in the same way that they treated others.

In the Gospel of Mattew are recorded two occasions in which Jesus in response to the criticism of the Pharisees reminded them of what God said through the prophet Hosea, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” Later on in Matthew’s Gospel he has strong words for the Pharisees for paying too much attention to little things while neglecting weightier matters like “justice, mercy, and good faith.”

From his example and his teaching, it is clear that Jesus reflects God’s own kindness and mercy, the same kindness and mercy that he instructs his disciples to emulate. The prophet Jonah who was angry with God for sparing Nineveh put it this way, “I knew that you are a loving and merciful God, always patient, always kind, and always ready to change your mind and not punish.”

In Matthew’ account of Jesus’ teaching of the disciples to love their enemies, he points to their attention that in copying God and treating people the way God treats people, we are showing ourselves to be God’s children. By implication we are showing that we honor and reverence God.

God is kind. He is generous, helpful, and caring about us. God is also merciful. He is forgiving as well as kind.

Jesus also taught that his disciples should be perfect like God is perfect. They should not be satisfied with showing kindness only  to family members, relations, and friends. They should show kindness to everybody. They should not be satisfied with showing mercy only to those whom they know very well. They should show mercy to everybody.

When we are unkind and unpleasant to others, we are not behaving like a disciple of Jesus. When we want to annoy, upset, or hurt them because we feel angry toward them, we are not thinking like a disciple of Jesus. When go to great lengths to show our anger and displeasure at them, when we gossip about them behind their back, try to turn people against them, and otherwise seek to make trouble for them and to cause pain to them, we are definitely not acting like a disciple of Jesus. Jesus did none of those things. If we are a true disciple of Jesus, we will do none of them too.

Rather we will do our best to treat others with patience, understanding, and kindness and to forgive their failings. In doing so, we will not only show our love for God but we also will become instruments of his love to our broken world, a world much in need of kindness and forgiveness.

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

God of compassion,
keep before us the love you have revealed in your Son,
who prayed even for his enemies.
In our words and deeds
Help us to be like him, through whom we pray,
Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Amen.

RESPONSE

Open this link in a new tab to hear Margaret Cropper’s "Jesus’ Hands Were Kind Hands."

Jesus' hands were kind hands, doing good to all,
healing pain and sickness, blessing children small,
washing tired feet and saving those who fall;
Jesus' hands were kind hands, doing good to all.

Take my hands, Lord Jesus, let them work for you;
make them strong and gentle, kind in all I do;
let me watch you, Jesus, till I'm gentle too,
till my hands are kind hands, quick to work for you.

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.